Something Good to Eat

Tuesdays with Dorie Project 1: White Bread from "Baking with Julia" by Dorie Greenspan.

2012-02-07T13:15:00.022-06:00

Today's project is White Loaves from Baking with Julia by Dori Greenspan. Here we go!

I've owned Baking with Julia for a number of years. It's been a long time, however, since I've made the recipe for basic white loaves. I'm going to read it over, and then assemble the ingredients and equipment.

The recipe calls for unsalted butter at room temperature. I keep butter in the freezer until it's needed, so that must be taken out right away.

Next is flour. This recipe calls for a lot of it. But measuring flour is a pain! It's much easier to weigh the flour. The King Arthur folks say that a cup of flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces.

I'll weigh the water, too. So simple.

So I have now gathered everything together. Flour, water, butter, salt, yeast, and sugar. Let's mix it up!

Water is poured into a large mixing bowl. Sugar and yeast are then added. The yeast is allowed to ferment in the bowl for a few minutes. When it is foamy, more water and half of the flour are added to the bowl and combined.

The rest of the flour is gradually added. Next, the salt is added. Then the dough is kneaded for several minutes.

Finally, the butter is added to the dough. More mixing occurs until: Ta-da! The dough is pulled together.

But wait. There's more.

The dough goes into a oiled bowl which is then covered with plastic wrap. After an hour the dough has doubled in bulk, as is shown in the picture below.

I deflate the dough, turn it out onto a cutting board, and divide it in half using my big knife. Working with one section at a time, I shape the dough into a rectangle, fold it like a letter, seal the edge, and put it into a prepared bread pan.

To keep dough from sticking to the cutting board or my hands, I use water. I rub a little water on the surface of the cutting board and keep a bowl of water nearby to dip my hands into while working with the dough.

The dough rises for a second time in the bread pans. Meanwhile, the oven is heating.

After the second rise, the dough bakes for about an hour, until it reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees. I absolutely do check the bread's temperature with a food thermometer before declaring it finished. And there we have it, the finished loaves.

One loaf is perfectly shaped. The second is a little lumpy because I made into cinnamon swirl bread and things got a little wild when rolling it up. Below is an interior shot of the cinnamon bread. This will make excellent toast.

Fun and easy to make. Delicious to eat.

Tuesdays with Dorie

2012-02-02T10:01:00.000-06:00

I've signed up to be part of the 2012 Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) baking extravaganza! This year Laurie and Jules are working from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. Although I've owned this book for years and have made some of the recipes, there are many more I look forward to trying. This should be fun; I know it will be delicious.

The first 2012 TWD post goes up on Tuesday, February 7. Check back then.

Making Rice in the Slow Cooker

2012-01-23T13:15:00.000-06:00

A New Year's Resolution is to (try) and eat vegetarian at breakfast and lunch. This includes eating whole grain bread and rice rather than white rice or items made with white flour. Today I made a blend of wild and whole grain brown rice in the slow cooker while doing other things around the house - it was so easy.

To begin, I sprayed the inside of the slow cooker with non-stick spray. Then I combined one cup of the rice with two cups of water and a 1/4 tsp. salt in the crock pot. I turned the cooker on high and let the rice cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Super simple. I'll definitely do this again.

Cookbook Shopping

2011-12-13T12:07:00.000-06:00

Originally published at SomethingGoodtoRead.com

Remember Michael Pollan's advice? "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

If you, or someone on your holiday shopping list, are working on point three, or plan to in the New Year, here is an interesting list of vegan cookbooks from vegan.com. I would add to this list my favorites, Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Gift brainstorm: A cookbook andproduce bags to keep veggies fresh. A nice combination.

Photo: ChicoBag Hemp-Cotton Produce Bags for keeping leafy greens fresh.

Buttermilk Substitute

2011-11-26T15:53:00.002-06:00

If you have milk and lemons on hand, you can create a good substitute for buttermilk to be used when baking. Check it out at this link.

Cranberry Crumble

2011-11-19T16:15:00.002-06:00

An easy, tasty cranberry dessert for Thanksgiving dinner.

For the Fruit:

1 pound fresh cranberries

Honey

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

For the Crumble:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray.

Place the cranberries in a saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally and gently, cook until the berries start to pop, and then continue cooking for one to two minutes. Do not allow the fruit to turn to mush! Add the lemon zest and a dash of honey to the fruit and stir.

While the fruit cools, prepare the crumble.

Combine the oats, flour, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your very clean hand, blend the butter into the dry ingredients.

Place half of the crumble into the bottom of the prepared pan. Add the fruit. Place the remaining crumble over the fruit.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Adapted from The New York Times New Natural Foods Cookbook.

Kitchen Conversion: Cup-to-Grams Conversion List

2011-09-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

Allrecipes.com has assembled a useful cup-to-grams conversion list. Check it out here.

Roasted New Potatoes

2011-09-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

Discovered this on Chow. A classic dish because it tastes so wonderful.

1 pound new potatoes, washed and quartered. It is very important to dry the potatoes thoroughly! I used Yukon Gold B-Sized

4 Tbs. olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and either left whole or gently smooshed.

2 rosemary sprigs

Salt and pepper
______________________________

Heat the oven to 450.

Put the olive oil into the baking dish and heat the oil in the oven for about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully toss the quartered potatoes and garlic in the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Place the rosemary sprigs on top of the potatoes.

Place the pot back into the oven and roast the potatoes for 35 minutes. Check occasionally and, midway through give the potatoes a stir.

Enjoy!

Lemon Cake

2011-09-03T13:50:00.003-05:00

I love making small cakes. This one is particularly moist and yummy!

Adapted from Cooking Well for the Unwell by Eileen Behan.

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup salted butter
1 C granulated sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Glaze
powder sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare an 8-inch square cake pan for baking.

Stir together the four and baking powder in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for about 3 minutes. Add the sugar to the butter and continue beating for another 5 to 7 minutes. Successfully creaming the butter and sugar together is essential in baking.

Alternating between the flour mixture and eggs, add these ingredients to the butter/sugar. Beat well to combine. Add lemon juice and zest. Pour the beaten mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden, a cake-tester comes out clean, and the side of the cake pull slightly away from the pan.

Cool 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and onto a rack. Allow cake to continue cooling.

Juice the remaining 1/2 lemon and combine with powder sugar to make a glaze. Pour over cooled cake.

Chocolate Glaze for Cake

2011-07-09T15:18:00.002-05:00

This recipe makes about 1 cup of chocolate glaze.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)

8 Tbs. softened butter

2 Tbs. Lyle's Golden Syrup

Melt the chocolate in the top pan of a double-boiler. Stir constantly while melting. When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove the top pan and continue stirring until completely melted and smooth. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Add the syrup. Cool to glazing consistency.

Quiche

2011-06-08T09:06:00.002-05:00

The filling for this simple dish is great. Perfect for an easy summer dinner.

Prepare your pie crust in a spring form pan. Preheat the oven to 375.

Quiche filling:

4 eggs

2 cups whole milk (or half and half if you feel adventurous)

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

1 shallot finely chopped

1 Tbs. sun-dried tomato packed in olive oil, chopped

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

1/4 pound cooked bacon, crumbled

Spread the bacon crumbs over the crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the bacon. In a bowl, combine the eggs, salt and pepper, shallot, and sun-dried tomato. Pour the mixture over the bacon and cheese. Dot the top of the quiche with butter.

Back for 35-40 minutes, or until the custard has puffed up and the crust is baked. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Free-form White Bread

2011-05-03T14:00:00.007-05:00

With this recipe for sesame white bread, adapted from Serious Eats, you can effortlessly makes a delicious loaf in an afternoon. The loaf is nice for sandwiches and toast. This recipe has so many things going for it: The bread is delicious, economical, has no added sugar and tastes great for several days. (Of course since it is homemade the loaf has no added preservatives, chemicals or unpronounceable ingredients.)

Two important tools will make this bread easy to bake: A pizza stone and a pizza peel. If you don't have a pizza peel, you aren't making enough homemade pizza! But you can substitute a rimless baking sheet or the back of a baking sheet for the peel.

You cannot buy a bread like this. Make it often! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
11.25 ounces bread flour, divided (about 2 and 3/4 cup flour)
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs. milk
Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds and Salt.

Combine warm water, yeast, and 6 ounces of flour in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 90 minutes. Set out the butter and allow it to come to room temperature.

Move racks to the lower third of the oven and place a pizza stone in the oven. Heat the oven to 350. Put a nice wide sheet of parchment paper on the pizza peel and sprinkle with corn meal or semolina flour.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour and the salt. With your hand, work the butter into the flour/salt mixture until well combined. Add this mixture to the bowl with the risen dough and combine. Let rest for five minutes.

Follow Peter Reinhart's technique for kneading wet dough. The technique is explained here.

After the last fold in kneading, place the dough on the prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 20-30 minutes.

Brush the risen dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with the various seeds and salt. Make one long slash in the dough lengthwise. Slide the dough, still on the parchment, onto the pizza stone and bake for 30 minutes or until the dough reaches a temperature of about 200 degrees.

Cool the bread, then enjoy!

Easy, Delicious Marinated Asparagus

2011-04-11T11:50:00.002-05:00

This is a simple method to prepare asparagus - and it's delicious!

The asparagus is blanched for about a minute in a large skillet of boiling water. So to begin, get an appropriately sized skillet filled with water on the stove and start bringing that to boil. Rinse the asparagus and break off the woody stems.

Next, prepare the marinade:

Marinade

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper

Blanche the asparagus in the boiling water for about a minute. Immediately plunge the asparagus into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.

Place the asparagus into a large plastic zip bag, add the marinade, and put the bag into the refrigerator for about four hours.

When you are ready to serve, grate some lemon zest over the asparagus and add a bit of fresh parsley.

Fabulous!

Maple Candy

2011-03-21T16:42:00.003-05:00

Maple candy is delicious to eat and easy to make. It doesn't photograph very well, however, so there is no picture here.

The maple candy we buy often comes in cute shapes. I don't own candy molds, and wanted to minimize any fussiness in the procedure, so in this recipe the candy is poured onto a prepared cookie sheet in the same manner that free-form chocolate and chocolate barks are made.

Maple Candy

Line a large cookie sheet with foil. Allow sufficient foil to hang over the two short ends of the pan to create handles. Place a piece of parchment over the foil. Tear off a second piece of parchment of equal length and set aside.

Pour 2 cups of real maple syrup into a large, heavy bottomed pan. I used an 8-quart stock pan. It sounds like overkill, but using a large pan is critical. In a smaller pan, the hot syrup will increase significantly in volume as it approaches the target temperature, threatening to spill over the top. You need to use a good-size pan.

Using a candy thermometer and stirring occasionally, heat the syrup over medium-high heat to 235 F (110 C). Remove from heat. Let cool without stirring until the temperature falls to 175 F (80 C). This takes about 10 minutes.

With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the syrup thickens a bit and starts to lighten in color. DO NOT OVER STIR. And do not stir until it looks like it is the color that you think maple candy should be or you will have a mess that can't be poured.

Pour the candy onto the prepared pan. Using the second sheet of parchment paper, press the candy flat. Using the foil handles, lift the candy out of the pan and onto a rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Carrot Soup

2010-12-16T11:59:00.005-06:00

Work some delicious, orange vegetables into your diet with carrot soup. This is a simple recipe using readily available, basic ingredients.

1 lb of carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 celery ribs, trimmed and chopped
2 tsp curry powder
3 Tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
5 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbs lemon juice
black pepper

In a large stock pan, heat 3 Tbs. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder and saute for 2 minutes. Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion and salt. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add to the pan the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat and, using an immersion blender, carefully puree the mixture. Add lemon juice and season with pepper.

Re-heat to serve. Enjoy!

Adapted from Soup: A Way of Life by Barbara Kafka

Biscotti

2010-12-04T16:56:00.002-06:00

I'm working on developing a biscotti recipe. This batch has the right texture, that is they don't break your teeth. However, the flavoring isn't quite right. I want a savory biscotti, not an overly sweet one.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Kneading Wet Dough - Peter Reinhart Technique.

2010-10-28T10:29:00.001-05:00

Check it out:

The famous no knead bread recipe from the NYT.

I Don't Want to Cook Anymore.

2010-10-26T22:32:00.003-05:00

I love good food, but I don't have any interest in cooking any more. What does this mean?

Up-Date: Breaking bread today. Easy and fun. Getting back in the groove . . .

Further up-date: Made cupcakes on Saturday (10/30). Delicious.

Bread Recipe: Whole Wheat.

2010-09-23T12:57:00.005-05:00

Plain whole wheat bread can sometimes seem a bit dull. This whole wheat bread recipe uses a combination of flours, including rye and pumpernickel, as well as nuts, seeds and oatmeal to jazz it up a bit. The flavors from the rye and pumpernickel flours are subtle and add a nice texture to the loaf. Olive oil is used for the fat and maple syrup for a touch of sweetness; neither flavor is intrusive in the final product. This bread recipe is easy to make. Give it a try!

Happy, Healthy, Hippie Bread

Two hours before you plan to bake, combine the following ingredients in a small bowl:

1 ounce flax seeds
1 ounce raw sunflower kernels
1 scant ounce sesame seeds
1 ounce old-fashioned rolled oats.
2 ounces water

Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup spelt flour (plus more as needed when kneading the dough).
1 cup rye flour
1 cup pumpernickel flour (also called dark rye meal)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1/3 cup maple syrup (you may substitute honey)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 and 3/4 cup water

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the flours together. Slowly stir in the 1 and 3/4 cup water. It will be dry. The point of this process is to allow the flour to absorb the water.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a medium bowl. Let this sit for five minutes. Add the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. Add all of this to the bowl with the flour and water. Stir (or mix in your stand-mixer) until everything is combined.

Stir in the seed/rolled oat mixture.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Add additional spelt flour as needed to get the dough to come together. It will remain a bit sticky due to the rye flour.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Turn the oiled side up. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until double, about an hour.

When the dough has risen, gently deflate it and turn it out onto your work surface. Divide the dough into two equal halves. Shape each piece into a rectangle that will fit into your bread pan, about 8 1/2 by 4 1/2. With the dough orientated toward you as if it were a page in portrait (not landscape) format, fold the dough like you are folding a business letter. Seal the final fold and gently shape the dough into loaf shape.

Please the dough, seam side down, into oiled 8 1/2 x 41/2 x 2 1/2 loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in its pans until double, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, until deep brown. Cool for five minutes in the pans. Then remove the bread from the pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Another Menu for a Late Summer Meal

2010-09-09T15:55:00.000-05:00

Reading Amy Goldman's book, The Heirloom Tomato, inspired the following meal, which was declared a grand success by all:

Baked garlic. If possible, choose garlic with large cloves and purchase it at your local farmers' market. Break the cloves from the bulb and remove some, but not all, of its loose outer paper. Place garlic in its remaining paper skin on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and grind a bit of pepper over everything. Wrap the garlic in the foil and bake at 450 for about 40 minutes.

Baked ricotta cheese with kalamata olives. Mix 3/4 pound ricotta with a tablespoon of olive oil. Grease a shallow, glass baking pan or gratin dish with additional oil. Top cheese with pitted kalamata olive halves, pepper, a sprinkling of paprika, and an additional drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 450 until hot.

Cherry tomato salad. Toss tomatoes with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar, add salt, fresh-ground pepper, and torn, fresh basil leaves from your kitchen garden.

Homemade French bread.

Thinly sliced prosciutto purchased from your trusted purveyor of fine Italian foods.

Cold bottle of white wine.

More Small Chocolate Cakes: The Wacky Cake

2010-09-09T08:45:00.002-05:00

This recipe is from a discussion on Chowhound. It's great! I was skeptical at first about the use of white vinegar and and entire tablespoon of vanilla, but this little cake has excellent flavor and it is so moist. I topped it with an improvised caramel frosting.

WACKY CAKE

1-1/2 C flour
3 Tbs. cocoa
1 tsp. espresso powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. white vinegar
1 Tbs. vanilla
4 Tbs. melted butter or vegetable oil (I used butter)
1 C cold water

Mix dry ingredients together. Make three wells in the mixture. In the first well, pour vinegar, in the second vanilla, and in the third, the liquid fat. Pour cold water over the whole thing and mix together well. Pour batter into a 9x9 pan, ungreased, and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Caramel Frosting

1/2 C unsalted butter
1 C brown sugar
1/4 C milk (more as needed to get the correct consistency)
1-1/2 to 2 C confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
A few grains of salt

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add brown sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir for two minutes to cool. Add milk, vanilla and a few grains of salt. Slowly add sugar and beat until thick.

What's For Dinner: Rib-Eye Steak Sandwiches.

2010-09-07T06:18:00.004-05:00

Serve these rib-eye steak sandwiches with sides of corn on the cob and a fresh tomato salad for a delicious late-summer treat.

Steak Sandwich (2 servings)

Tools

A cast iron grill pan.

Ingredients

2 thinly cut rib-eye steaks for sandwiches (from the butcher).
2 Kaiser rolls
Cheese (Your choice. I used provolone but you may prefer something with a stronger flavor.)
Olive oil
Paprika
Salt and pepper
Onion

Technique

An hour or so before cooking, remove steaks from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with a generous pinch of paprika. Set aside.
Slice rolls.
Slice sufficient cheese to top each sandwich.

Pre-heat the oven broiler on High.

Slice the onion and saute in a bit of olive oil. While the onions are cooking, heat the cast iron pan on the stove top for about five minutes. Rub a bit of olive oil on the steaks; add salt and pepper. At the end of the five minutes, lightly brush the insides of the Kaiser rolls with the olive oil / paprika combo. Toast the rolls in the toaster oven. Set a timer so you don't forget about the rolls!

Place steaks in the hot grill pan. Carefully put the pan under the broiler in the oven. Broil for about 2 minutes. Flip the steaks and broil for approximately another 1-1/2 minute.

When the steaks are finished, remove from the pan and cut them in half to fit onto the bottom half of the rolls. Top with onion, cheese and the top of the toasted roll.

Enjoy!

Dessert Everyday: Chocolate Cake.

2010-09-01T13:35:00.008-05:00

If you want to really live life to its fullest, then you must eat dessert as often as possible. I'm not talking store-bought foam cakes or cardboard cookies, either. I'm talking about the good stuff.

Fortunately, good stuff in the world of dessert is often easy to make at home. Take Alice Medrich's chocolate cake: It is simple to prepare, produces a manageable quantity, and tastes fantastic.

Bake and eat cake. Live your life.

Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Alice Medrich

1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
7 Tbs. unsweetened (non-Dutch process) natural cocoa powder.
(What's the difference between non-Dutch process (such as Hershey's) and Dutch process? Check out this link.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs, gently stirred with a fork to combine the yolk and white.
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted.
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease either an 8-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch round cake pan.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, whisking until fully combined. Stir in the eggs and milk. When combined, whisk the resulting thick batter vigorously 30 to 40 times. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack and cool for ten minutes. Remove cake from the pan and cool completely.

Top with either a light dusting of confectioner's sugar or chocolate frosting.

Frosting

2 Tbs. butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs. cocoa
1/4 tsp. espresso powder
1-2 Tbs. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Summer Treats: Rocky Road Candy

2010-08-06T12:38:00.002-05:00

Making Sloppy Joes earlier this week, along with a lazy summer vibe, put me in the mood for more items that appeal to the kid in all of us. After seeing what was on hand in the pantry, I decided that a pan of Rocky Road Candy would do.

It is essential when making this candy to use fresh, quality butter and good chocolate. Do not skimp on these two items! I'm a big, big fan of Guittard Real Semisweet Chocolate Chips; it has the best flavor and texture. With respect to the other items, I prepared this recipe with store brand marshmallows, store brand peanuts, and store brand sweetened condensed milk. The final result? Great tasting candy.

Rocky Road Candy is an easy, fun, retro dessert.

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package Guittard Real Semisweet Chocolate Chips
2 Tbs. butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 C. peanuts (I use Virginia peanuts (skinless))
1 10.5-ounce package miniature marshmallows

Method

Begin by spraying a 13x9 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Next, line the pan with wax paper, pressing down and into the corners and making sure that sufficient paper hangs over each end of the pan to act as handles for lifting the candy out after it is cooled.

Combine chocolate chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk in a large (1 quart) glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 1-1/2 minute; stir. Microwave for an additional 1-1/2 minute. Let cool for 5 minutes, stirring it for a portion of this time to get everything fully melted and blended together. The cooling and mixing is important as the marshmallows will melt if the chocolate mixture is too hot.

Combine peanuts and marshmallows in a large bowl. Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Spread the combined ingredients into the prepared pan. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

2010-08-01T18:44:00.002-05:00

To me, Sloppy Joes are a summertime dish: Tasty and easy to make. Relatively inexpensive. Satisfying to kids of all ages. Because of these great features, there are a million recipes for this dish. The following is a tangy, but not too spicy, version.

Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Epicurious

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, small dice
2 cloves garlic
1 lb. ground chuck
1 medium tomato, peeled, cored and chopped (make sure to preserve the juice!)
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. steak sauce
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large fry pan. Add onion, celery, jalapeno and green pepper. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the ground chuck. Break-up the meat and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add the tomato, tomato paste, ketchup, Tabasco and steak sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Serve on hamburger buns.

The Awesomeness of Doughnut Peaches

2010-07-31T17:17:00.001-05:00

No cooking required. Just enjoy as-is their unearthly deliciousness! These peaches are from today's Dane County Farmers' Market.

Baked Rye Rolls Today; Delicious!

2010-07-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

Simple Summer Dessert: Prosecco Gelatin.

2010-07-16T07:52:00.004-05:00

It's mid-summer and the weather is hot and humid. These evenings call for serving an easy, light dessert. Offer the kids ice cream, but for the adults try this surprisingly elegant recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's holiday cookbook, Nigella's Christmas. The ratio of gelatin to liquid creates a soft, lush treat that will please and surprise those who are skeptical of gelatin dishes.

Prosecco Gelatin

1 bottle Prosecco (750 ml)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
4 tsp. unflavored powder gelatin
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Tip: Don't buy superfine sugar if you have a food processor. Instead, process regular sugar in the food processor for a few minutes and you will make your own very fine sugar.

Preparation.

Place the 1 cup of water into a bowl and add the 4 tsp. of gelatin. Let this mixture soak.

Into a sauce pan, add the Prosecco and sugar; gently stir to combine. Bring the wine and sugar mixture to a boil and boil for one minute. Do not stir while the mixture is heating and boiling. Add vanilla and allow mixture to gently boil for another minute. Remove from heat.

Pour 1 cup of the hot sugar-wine mixture into the bowl with the water and gelatin. Stir until completely combined. Pour the all the gelatin mixture into the sauce pan containing the balance of the wine and sugar mixture and again stir to completely combine. Finally, pour everything back into the bowl and stir again. These steps are taken to ensure that all the ingredients are completely combined.

Refrigerate.

Pour everything into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Serve.

Spoon gelatin into dessert dishes and top with a few raspberries and dot of whipped cream. Sit outside under the summer stars and enjoy.

Mediterranean Potato Salad

2010-05-31T20:41:00.002-05:00

Delicious, different, and definitely more adult than its mayonnaise-based cousin: Mediterranean Potato Salad.

2 pounds new potatoes
1/2 cup reserved cooking water from the potatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 ounce salt-packed capers, rinsed
4 ounces pitted kalamata olives, chopped
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
salt and pepper

The recipe requires a warm dish to hold the potatoes in prior to serving. Accordingly, preheat the oven to 350. Place a casserole dish with a cover inside the oven. Let the dish get hot.

Next, clean the potatoes, but do not peel. Boil the potatoes in water until done.

When the potatoes are done, take the casserole dish out of the oven and place it on a trivet. Turn the oven off as it is not needed any further for this recipe. Place the cooked potatoes in the warm casserole dish and add the reserved cooking water. Quickly add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine. Cover the dish and allow the flavors to mingle for approximately 30 minutes. Serve.

This is good; enjoy!

Adapted from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook.

Eating Seasonally: Rhubarb Crisp a la Mark Bittman.

2010-05-16T18:57:00.006-05:00

Rhubarb is not an ingredient that I've used much in cooking. However, when I last visited my mother she served rhubarb pie with a meringue topping. Thinking it was lemon meringue, I ate it. Not lemon, but good. Darn good.

Inspired, I purchased rhubarb at the Farmers' Market and, as fate would have it, Mark Bittman published a recipe for rhubarb crisp in his New York Times column. I served it tonight for dessert. Fantastic!

I made two addition of ginger to Mr. Bittman's recipe. First, to the mixture of rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice I added two tablespoons of finely diced crystalline ginger. Second, to the crisp topping I added one teaspoon ground ginger. Finally, I kicked-up the amount of lemon zest in the crisp. Bittman's recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of zest. I added a tablespoon.

A crisp for dessert is easy, comforting and delicious. It is a perfect Sunday night treat.

Rhubarb Ginger Crisp.
Adapted from The Minimalist by Mark Bittman.

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing pan
2 1/2 to 3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, tough strings removed, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons crystalline ginger, finely chopped.
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9- inch square baking pan. Combine rhubarb with white sugar, crystalline ginger, lemon juice and zest, and spread into the buttered baking pan.

2. In the work bowl of a food processor, place the 6 tablespoons butter, the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Pulse until it looks like small peas and begins to clump. Add oats and pecans and pulse to lightly combine.

3. Crumble the topping over rhubarb. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until golden and beginning to brown.

Enjoy.

Pizza!

2010-05-15T16:52:00.003-05:00

I'm baking a lazy pizza tonight: All of the ingredients, including the crust, come from our local Italian food store, Fraboni's . The crust started as a frozen ball of dough made at a neighborhood Italian restaurant and for sale at Fraboni's. I've defrosted it and will stretch it into a 12-inch pie. The remaining ingredients - meat, cheese, olives, sauce - all come from Fraboni's fabulous deli.

With great ingredients, I need good tools and technique. Two essential tools: 1) A pizza stone. Ya gotta have one! 2) A pizza peel. We make pizza frequently and the process is easier (and safer) with a peel.

The key technique for pizza is a hot, hot oven. I figured this out after trying a pizza recipe that appeared in the NYT. The oven, with the pizza stone on the rack, is preheated an hour before baking to 550 degrees. Yes, that's right: 550 degrees. The pie bakes for about 10 minutes; I start checking it after seven minutes have passed.

Think about how many times you've had pizza delivered and found it overpriced and not very tasty. With some simple ingredients and a few tools, you can easily make fabulous pizza at home.

Via Serious Eats: Mario Batali's Garlic Soup.

2010-05-11T19:08:00.007-05:00

It was a cold, dark, rainy spring day today; perfect weather for soup. And what a perfect soup we had: Mario Batali's Garlic Soup. This soup is easy, delicious, and fun to make and eat. The fun comes from adding a perfectly poached egg to the hot soup after it is poured into individual bowls. Poached egg on garlic soup? Wonderful!

Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo)

2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 pound stale bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. Spanish smoked paprika
Salt
4 cups chicken stock
3 poached eggs (I follow the Betty Crocker method. See below).

Over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in a sauce pan large enough to hold all of the remaining ingredients. Add the bread and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Cook until the bread is lightly browned. Add garlic, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not burn the garlic.

Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Poach the eggs.

Ladle some soup into a bowl and top with a poached egg.

I served this meal with a side of olive bread and a glass of white wine. Yum!

Poached Eggs as Betty Taught Us to Do.

Fill a sauce pan with 2 - 4 inches of water.
Bring water to a rolling boil
Reduce water to simmer
Crack an egg into a small bowl or coffee cup. Slide the egg into the simmering water. Repeat.
Cook for 4 minutes (Four minutes because this egg is being added to soup; I might cook these eggs for slightly less time if this was an egg-on-toast recipe).
Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel.
Add egg to soup bowl at the appropriate moment.

Serious Eats

Bittman Blog

2010-05-10T19:27:00.002-05:00

Check out Mark Bittman's re-launched food blog here.

When Should You Buy Organic Fruits and Veg?

2010-05-04T19:26:00.004-05:00

Check out this useful, and cute, chart listing the dozen types of produce that should be bought organic because they are most prone to pesticide residue. At the same time, check out this story from the New York Times on the the five best foods to buy organic.

No time to read the links? Remember this: Buy organic apples.

Cranberry Huguenot

2010-03-23T09:01:00.004-05:00

In a burst of enthusiasm last December, I purchased multiple bags of cranberries. Weeks later, I'm still finding them in the back of the freezer. So it is time to use 'em up.

Some of my cranberry stockpile was used last January for an apple-cranberry pie. It was good, but not postworthy. The pie's biggest problem was that it was too, too runny. I used the berries frozen, as was recommended by numerous web sites. However, this may have contributed to the slosh. For the Cranberry Huguenot, a new strategy was warranted.

Here is the technique. To begin, measure out the required amount of frozen berries, 2 cups for this recipe, place them into a colander and rinse under cold water. Discard any smooshed cranberries. As the berries drain in the colander, line a small baking sheet with paper towel. Spread the berries out on the baking sheet, blot them a bit with more paper towel, and put the pan into the refrigerator overnight. The next day, the cranberries are clean, dry, and still have a nice firmness. Why didn't the paper towel stick to the berries? I have no idea. I was concerned that would happen, but it did not.

The other twist in this recipe is the substitution of olive oil for butter. I've become obsessed with using olive oil in baking. When making this substitution, I follow the rules set forth by Lisa Sheldon at this web site. The Huguenot recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter. Accordingly, I used olive oil equal to two-thirds of that amount of butter. A 1/2 cup is 4 ounces. Two-thirds of 4 ounces is 75.6 grams. Using my kitchen scale, I pour 75 grams of extra virgin olive oil into my measuring cup.

NOTE: Every baker needs a kitchen scale. It is not an expensive item, but it is an essential tool. I use a My Weigh i5000 bowl scale, which was recommended at Cooking for Engineers. Baking is much easier, faster and more consistent when you need only weigh the ingredients in the mixing bowl, rather than messing around with measuring countless cups and partial cups.

Finally, I baked this in a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate as that is the size pan called for in the original recipe, and I was too lazy to calculate what size rectangular pan would serve as an adequate substitute.

Cranberry Huguenot

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar (hold back 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
75 grams extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray baking pan with nonstick spray

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Gently stir cranberries and nuts into the flour mixture. In a small bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs, and then combine the eggs with the vanilla and oil. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir gently until combined. It will be relatively thick. Pour into the 9-inch Pyrex pie plate. Sprinkle the tablespoon of reserved sugar over the top of the cake.

Bake until set. Start checking at 40 minutes. In my oven, which is slow, the Huguenot needed 60 minutes. Insert a wooden toothpick into the middle of the cake; if it comes out clean, it is done.

Serve plain or with ice cream or whip cream. Enjoy!

Adapted from All Recipies.

Recommended Eating: Chicken Milanese ala Martha Stewart.

2010-03-14T13:57:00.004-05:00

Martha Stewart rescued dinner again last night when I prepared a version of her recipe for Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad.

The Chicken Milanese recipe is simple: Dredge chicken in flour, egg, and bread crumbs. Then bake on a rack in the oven for about 20 minutes (depends a bit on the thickness of your chicken and the performance of your oven.) That's it.

Since I was cooking dinner for two, I purchased 3/4 pound of boneless, skinless, organic chicken breast for this meal. After washing the chicken, cutting off any excess fat, and pounding it out into a uniform 1/2 -inch in thickness, this piece of chicken looked huge! In fact, we couldn't eat it all and enjoyed the leftovers for lunch today.

Additionally, there was a box of of Mrs. Cubbison's Cesar Salad Restaurant Style Croutons in the pantry and I substituted these for making the bread crumbs set forth in Martha's recipe. It saved a step in cooking time and used an item that was already on hand. I pounded a cup-and-a-half of these croutons into breading-sized crumbs - I wanted crunch. The seasoning from the croutons added a nice zing to the flavor of the chicken.

With potatoes and a salad, this is a delicious, easy meal that I will definitely make again.

Tips:

Place the chicken between wax paper when pounding it out.

Spray the rack with cooking spray to keep the chicken from sticking while baking.

Curried Lentil Soup

2010-03-05T13:16:00.003-06:00

A cup of this soup for lunch is perfect: Filling. Energizing. Delicious. I divide the soup into containers of various sizes and freeze, and thus always have an answer to the question, 'what is there to eat.'

Curried Lentil Soup

2 C lentils, sorted and rinsed.
1 quart vegetable broth
1 tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeds removed and diced
2 cloves garlic minced
4 cups water

1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt

In a large sauce pan, combine lentils, vegetable broth and 2 cups of the water. Bring to a simmer and skim off any foam. Simmer for five minutes.

In your largest pan for making soup, heat the olive oil and then add the onion, celery, and red pepper. Gently saute on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes more.

Carefully pour the lentil/stock/water into the pan with the vegetables. Add another 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.

Add curry powder and cumin. Gently simmer another 20 minutes.

Add salt to taste. Simmer a minute or so longer to allow the flavor to come together.

Enjoy!

Croutons

2010-02-28T17:23:00.002-06:00

Another easy recipe to make at home. If you have artisan bread that is going stale, cut it into 3/4"-crouton sized pieces and freeze until needed. Take out what you need and adapt the recipe below to suit what you are using. Most recipes ask that the crust be removed. You certainly can do that, but I skip that step.

Croutons

Italian bread pieces (8 to 10 ounces of bread)
1 T extra virgin olive oil, first cold press
1 T unsalted butter, melted
salt
fresh ground pepper

Melt the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and saute until golden brown. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever else appeals to you (such as cayenne pepper). Drain on a paper towel.

Flash Re-Heating

2010-01-24T11:10:00.001-06:00

Interesting article about re-heating food without overcooking it here from cdkitchen.

Simple Granola.

2010-01-11T10:00:00.003-06:00

Have you ever noticed how many granola recipes call for a dozen different ingredients and are designed to give you a six-month supply of granola? It's all too much! Here is a recipe for a small batch, inspired by a post at Sweet Beat and Green Pea, that uses just a few ingredients.

Simple, Small-Batch Granola.

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup broken nuts (pecans or walnuts)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Measure out the oats. Take from the measured oats 1/3 cup and grind it into a flour using a blender or small food processor. In a medium bowl, mix together this oat flour, the remaining oats, the nuts, olive oil, salt, and maple syrup.

Spread the mixture onto the prepared pan. Pop into the oven and toast slowly, stirring occasionally, until the granola achieves a golden color, 45 to 60 minutes. The time may vary based upon your oven, so keep on eye on it.

When granola is removed from the oven, stir in the raisins.

Let the granola cool on the pan. When cool, use the foil to carefully lift and funnel the granola into a storage container.

The result is a simple, small batch of granola to top your yogurt in the morning. If you are feeling more ambitious, check out this granola recipe from the New York Times, which also uses olive oil and maple syrup, but includes more sugar, spices and additions.

Mulligatawny Soup

2010-01-07T16:44:00.002-06:00

It's winter. You want soup. For a bit of variety, try this Mulligatawny Soup. The Tamil words milagu tannir mean "pepper-water"; accordingly, this soup is flavorful, but not overly spiced.

With this dish it is essential to get everything together before you begin cooking: vegetable broth or chicken stock at-the-ready, veggies washed and chopped, and spices measured out and ready in a dish. Once you turn on the burner, things go quickly.

Note: If you don't have a specific measuring spoon for 1/2 tablespoon, just remember that there are three teaspoons to a tablespoon and do the math!

Ingredients

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Tbs. peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, chopped
1/2 Tbs. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. ground fennel
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
4 -5 cups stock (vegetable if you want a vegetarian dish; I use chicken stock).
4 Tbs. lentils (red if you've got 'em; green are fine)
1 small (8 ounce) sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small (8 ounce) turnip, peeled and diced
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1-1/4 tsp. salt
Lime wedges for serving.

Technique

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook for 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary; the onion should be lightly brown and the ingredients fragrant.

Lower the heat to medium, and stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel. Cook for about 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Carefully pour in broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add the lentils, sweet potato, carrots, and turnip. Lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Using an immersion / stick blender ( here is an example: Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender) puree the soup until it is smooth.

Add the coconut milk and salt to the soup and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend together. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more stock.

Serve with lime wedges.

Game Day Lunch

2010-01-03T11:33:00.004-06:00

This Sunday my Wisconsin Basketball Badgers are playing Penn State, and then the Packers are playing Arizona. We'll need a good lunch to get through it all successfully, so I'm making Muffuletta Sandwiches.

I began making the sandwiches yesterday by preparing an olive salad spread using a recipe I found at Allrecipies. Preparation of the salad involves a lot of chopping, but is otherwise easy. I also started some bread dough yesterday. The dough fermented overnight, and I baked this morning. The bread recipe is a spin-off of the now-famous No Knead Bread that was published a while ago in the New York Times. Instead of making one round loaf, I baked two loaves of Cibatta using a baking stone and clay baker. This technique is described in My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey.

Bread, olive salad, ham and Provolone will make a great sandwich. Go Team!

The Best Cookbooks for Holiday Giving 2009

2009-12-18T13:46:00.001-06:00

(This post originally appeared at somethinggoodtoread.com)

Going holiday shopping this weekend? If you are shopping for a cook, cookbooks are always a good idea. Previously, I posted about NPR's selection of top cookbooks for 2009. For some additional ideas on what books to look for this holiday season, check out Caroline Russock's post over at Serious Eats where she sets forth her top cookbooks of the year. Below I've listed a few alternatives and additions to those identified by Russock.

First, Russock lists 660 Curriesby Raghavan Iyer. This is a large cookbook with, as the title states, recipes for hundreds of curries. Although it is an interesting book, 660 Curries is probably overkill for the occasional Indian cook. My suggested alternative: Quick and Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey. This is a slim volume - important with limited shelf space in the kitchen - with a nice variety of dishes that are delicious and easy to prepare.

Second, Russock suggests Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods. As a newbie into the world of canning this year, Well-Preserved is a book I will check into. If there is a cook on your list who wants to try canning, consider purchasing the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. In addition to recipes, this book is loaded with the basic information that the newbie needs to know. It is the definitive book to read before beginning home preserving, in my opinion.

Third, Russock lists three specialty books,How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking, Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One-Pot Meals, and Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana. Specialty books do make interesting gifts. I'd add to the list two books that are special, but offer a lot of variety. The first is The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. Krieger's recipes for healthy food are amazingly delicious - I highly recommend her book. The second is Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking, which has hundreds of wonderful, traditional Southern recipes - literally from soup (gumbo) to nuts (sugared pecans). It's a cool book to give someone who loves cooking and good food.

If you do give a cookbook this year, add a small kitchen tool or gizmo to the present to spice up the package a bit. Or consider giving a small cooking tool along with an Amazon Gift Card so that the chef can select his or her own book.

Happy Shopping!

Via Serious Eats: A Gift Guide for the Healthy Eater.

2009-12-14T20:02:00.001-06:00

Check out this holiday gift guide from Serious Eats. A number of good ideas are listed.

Gadgets: Micro S'mores

2009-12-14T19:59:00.003-06:00

Micro S'mores for some reason remind me of the Veg-O-Matic. But for that certain someone, perhaps this could be the right holiday present!

Supermarket Chicken Continues to be Gross.

2009-11-30T10:21:00.004-06:00

From Consumer Reports: A test by Consumer Reports found that 2/3 of whole broilers bought at stores nationwide harbored salmonella and/or campylobacter, the leading bacterial causes of food-borne disease. To be safe, chicken must be cooked to at least 165° F. Do not allow raw chicken or its juices to touch any other food. Read the full report here.

NPR's Top 10 Cookbooks for 2009

2009-11-28T08:48:00.002-06:00

Note: This post first appeared at Something Good to Read.

One thing I love about this time of year is the publication of various "10 best of 2009" lists. NPR recently published it's 10 best cookbooks of 2009. Some of these books look intriguing; some, not so much.

Included on the NPR list is Gourmet Today, from the folks at the now defunct Gourmet Magazine. The book is described as "a good go-to reference for basic matters of technique, like making fresh pasta or how to make a roux." Can the market absorb another giant-sized (1024 pages) cookbook such as this? I'm doubtful. And frankly, if there is room on your shelf for such a monster, consider instead picking up either Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, published in 2008, or his 2007 book, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Both books are excellent.

Three books on NPR's list that did catch my eye are Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every, Savory Baking, and Clean Food. According to the book's description, Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You focuses on eating "seasonal, unprocessed, and locally-grown foods that are good for us and the environment." These are worthy goals and a new book on this topic might indeed deserve some of our precious shelf space.

Artisan Breads Every Day sounds appealing both because Peter Reinhart really knows bread and because I'm addicted to baking it. There is nothing like having everyone in the house crowd into the kitchen to wolf down warm, freshly baked bread with butter. If you are thinking about resolutions for 2010, consider adding 'bake more bread' to the list; it's not hard to do. Currently I'm working testing recipes from Jim Lahey's My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. I'll add Peter Reinhart's book on my to-review list.

Finally, I will check out Savory Baking because while baking sugary treats is fine on occasion, it is more interesting to use herbs, nuts, mushrooms, and cheese. This book promises new recipes to do just that.

So much to read (and eat); so little time. Top 10 lists aren't perfect, but they do assist in separating the wheat from the chaff. As I find more top ten lists for 2009, I'll post about them here.

World's Best Meatballs and Sauce

2009-11-24T10:01:00.001-06:00

Meatballs and sauce, accompanied by either pasta or a crusty loaf of bread, is a terrific Sunday night supper - with leftovers to enjoy Monday. Make the sauce first, then spread a bit of it on the bottom of the pan in which you bake the meatballs.

Essential tip on this recipe: For a significantly better meatball, ask the butcher to grind a mix for you.

Enjoy!

Chipolte Spiced Tomato Sauce
Adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

Equipment: Immersion blender, such as the Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1/2 tsp. finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce.
2 tsps. dried oregano
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 scant tsp. salt
A few pinches of dried basil

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. I use my 8-quart stock pan. You'll be using a stick blender at the end of cooking, so use a larger pan for ease and safety.

Saute the onion in the oil until translucent (4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Minced garlic cooks quickly. Don't burn it.

Add to the saucepan: tomato paste, can of tomatoes with juice, chipotle chile, oregano, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.

Using stick blender, blend until reaching the desired consistency.

Meatballs
Adapted from BlogChef.net

Equipment: Digital meat thermometer. Something like this Taylor 9842 Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. of black pepper
2/3 cup of milk
2 tsp.dried oregano

Combine all ingredients. Form 2-inch meatballs. Spoon some sauce over each meatball. Bake at 350 until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. This could take 25 to 35 minutes depending on your oven. Use the thermometer. After 25 minutes have passed, remove one meatball from the oven and check the temp. If not done, give it another 5-10 minutes and check again. Patience!

Serve meatballs and sauce over pasta or with crusty bread.

Thanksgiving Pie

2009-11-22T15:00:00.005-06:00

You don't cook. You don't bake. Nonetheless, if you are invited to Thanksgiving dinner, volunteer to bring a pie. In fact, volunteer to bring a pecan pie. It is absolutely the easiest item to make yourself. And it will delight and amaze your friends. Here's what to do:

Equipment:

Assemble these items. If you don't have them on hand, purchase at a second-hand store, a hardware store, or one of those stores with the word "mart" in the name. The 99 cent measuring spoons work just as well as the expensive spoons from a specialty store. And we will be making more pie in the future, so having these items on hand makes sense.

Pyrex pie plate. Get the big one with the fluted edges. On the back it says "24 cm".

Hand mixer.

A set of measuring cups (for dry ingredients) and a set of measuring spoons.

Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup (for liquid ingredients).

A big spoon.

Rolling pin. If you are buying one, get a French rolling pin with a tapered end if you can, but really any will do for this project. (Example: Ateco 20175 20" French Rolling Pin with Tapered End)

Ingredients:

Pillsbury Pie Crust from the refrigerator section of the store.
1 and 1/2 cups pecan halves or chopped pecans
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1 cup dark Karo syrup
4 Tbs. melted, unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs

Steps:

Pre-heat oven to 425.
Read the instructions on the Pillsbury Pie Crust package. Bring one pie crust to room temperature pursuant to those instructions.

Take the pie crust out of the package, carefully unroll it and set it on a clean work surface. With the rolling pin, gently roll the dough out a bit. Keep it circular and don't roll the dough so thin that it tears. Just roll a bit, thinking all the while "flaky pie crust." Trust me, thinking good thoughts helps.

Gently fold the crust in half, bottom to top, and then in half again, right to left. Place the wedge of dough in the pie plate and unfold. Make it comfortable and as pretty as you can. Set this aside.

Make the Filling

Beat eggs with a fork until yolks and whites are blended. Add the syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla and blend together will with the electric beater. Stir in the pecans with a spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.

Bake

Bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes. The filling will be set, but still quiver a bit in the middle.

Let the pie cool.

Everyone will love this pie. Have fun, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving

2009-11-13T07:08:00.002-06:00

Check out this post at the NYT regarding skipping turkey and, instead, pumping-up the side dishes for your Thanksgiving feast. Going Vegetarian for Thanksgiving.

Barbeque Sauce

2009-11-03T19:27:00.003-06:00

Tonight I needed barbecue sauce, but there was none in the larder. What I did not need, or want, was a trip to the store. I turned to the web for a barbecue sauce recipe that could be put together with what was on hand.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are a zillion barbecue sauce recipes out there. The one below is what I followed today - and it was roundly praised by all diners. Delicious, and so easy to prepare. I may not be buying barbecue sauce at the store any more.

Regretfully, I can't tell you where I found this recipe; I looked at and wrote down many formulations, losing track of what came from where. But to the chef who dreamed this up, and posted it, thank you!

Good Barbecue Sauce

1/2 C Ketchup

2 Tbs. Cider Vinegar

2 Tbs. Maple Syrup

2 Tbs. Chopped Onion

2 tsp. Mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne

Mix together in a sauce pan and heat.

A Light Whole Wheat Bread

2009-11-02T15:25:00.003-06:00

This recipe uses King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, which produces a substantial bread that should please both those who love whole wheat bread that those who prefer a lighter loaf.

Light Whole Wheat Bread
(Adapted from Baking with Julia)

2-1/4 cups warm water
1 Tbs. active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
6 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour (approximately)
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 Tbs. molasses
1 Tbs. salt

Two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 loaf pans.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup of warm water, the yeast, and honey. Allow to rest until foamy, about 5 - 10 minutes.

Add the remaining water, the oil, molasses, and half the flour. Stir to combine. With the bowl on the mixer, at low speed mix in the remainder of the flour. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn't come together, add a bit more flour in small increments. Add the salt. (italics so you don't forget!).

Knead the bread for 10 minutes.

Place the kneaded bread into a large oiled bowl. Flip the dough around to cover the entire surface with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1-1/2 hour or until doubled.

Butter or oil the loaf pans. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Working one half at a time: Stretch the dough into a 9 x 12 rectangle. Working with the short end, fold the dough two-thirds of the way down the rectangle. Now fold the top edge to meet the bottom edge and press to form a seam. Fit the roll into a loaf pan, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover the pans with oiled plastic wrap and all the dough to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375.

Bake the risen loaves for about 35 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans and cool completely. Enjoy!

Master Grocery List

2009-10-28T16:31:00.002-05:00

Tired of forgetting to buy items at the grocery store? Refine your shopping list using one of the grocery lists available at freeprintablegrocerylist.com

Canning

2009-10-15T19:43:00.002-05:00

The Wall Street Journal today ran an article on canning. Hmmmm . . . they must have heard about the jalapeno jelly and apple raisin chutney I put up this summer. Putting Up Produce: Yes, You Can.

Breakfast

2009-10-02T07:43:00.005-05:00

Often it is the little discoveries in the kitchen that generate the most satisfaction. This morning, that satisfying discovery was stirring together a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter with a teaspoon of honey and then spreading that combined, gooey deliciousness onto my whole-wheat toast. Why skip breakfast when there is something that easy and fabulous to enjoy?

Apples

2009-09-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

From Readers Digest: Six Extraordinary Uses for Apples.

Matzo Ball Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-09-25T18:29:00.009-05:00

Making Matzo Ball Chicken Noodle Soup is a project best divided over two weekends. On the first weekend, make the chicken stock. Yes, yes, yes: You can buy stock. But why would you when making your own is easy and tastes better. If you don't make your own stock for this soup, don't tell me. I don't want to know. And if you are using canned stock, I really don't want to know.

Why not just humor me and make some chicken stock. The recipe for the remainder of the soup follows the directions for stock.

Chicken Stock
Adapted from Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food

1 1/2 gallon water
1 whole chicken, 3.5 - 4 lbs.

Place the chicken and water into a stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Skim off any foam.

Add to the pot:

1 peeled carrot.
1 onion, peeled, cut in half, with the cut sides blacked under the broiler.
1 head garlic cut in half, the loose paper removed but the head still holding together by the last layer of paper.
1 celery stalk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper corn
Sprig of parsley, sprig of thyme, 1 large bay leaf.

Simmer everything together for 4 - 5 hours. Carefully strain. Here is how I strain so that a hot mess of stock doesn't explode in the kitchen: First, line a colander with cheese cloth and place the colander over a bowl large enough to hold all of the finished stock. Using tongs, a slotted spoon or other kitchen tools, move the chicken from the pot to the colander to drain. Scoop out as much of the vegetables as you can and let that also drain in the colander. After the chicken and veg has finished draining, wrap it all up using the cheese cloth and remove from colander. Now, carefully pour the remainder of the stock through the colander and into the large bowl. Cover the bowl and put into the refrigerator over night.

The next day, carefully skim off any fat that accumulated on the top of the cold stock. Divide the stock into quart containers and freeze.

Matzo Ball Noodle Soup

Step I. Defrost 3 quarts of your homemade chicken stock and put it into a large stock / soup pot.

Step II. While the broth is defrosting, poach a chicken breast. When it is cool enough to touch, shred the meat and set aside. Peel one carrot and slice it finely. Set aside.

Step III. Make the matzo balls. You'll need:

1/2 cup matzo meal
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. seltzer / club soda.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs. Whisk in the vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Stir in the matzo meal. Stir in the 2 tbs. seltzer / club soda. Cover, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Bring 1 and 1/2 quarts of water, plus one teaspoon salt, to boil in a medium pot. Reduce the heat to simmer. Form the matzo balls: Spritz you hands with cooking spray. Scoop a tablespoon of batter from the bowl and roll it into a ball between your palms. Drop the balls into the hot water. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Think of this process as akin to poaching an egg: The water should be hot, simmering, but not boiling. You don't want the matzo ball to fall apart.

Heat the stock. Check the seasoning. I've added up to 2-1/2 tsp. of salt to the stock in small increments, checking the taste after each addition.

Fifteen minutes before the matzo balls are finished, add the chicken and carrot to the stock. About five minutes before the matzo balls are finished, add 6 ounces of fine egg noodles to the simmering stock. Do not cook the noodles more than 8 minutes.

Ladle soup, chicken and noodles into a bowl, and then add two matzo balls.

Enjoy!

KitchenAid Stand Mixers on Sale at Amazon Today

2009-09-18T07:13:00.004-05:00

I love to bake bread and always use my stand mixer to do the kneading. It makes the process much easier. There are some breads, such as my Old Milwaukee Rye Bread, that I simply would not make without the mixer to do the heavy work.

If you want to start baking yeast breads, or bake more bread during the forthcoming winter, consider taking advantage of today's sale at Amazon on KitchenAid stand mixers. The mixers come in a variety of colors. Today, the white and black colors are priced the lowest, $240, with free shipping. Other colors are more expensive, but still reduced from Amazon's list price. The cost is not insignificant, but these mixers last for years and make bread baking a breeze.

Cuisinart's New "Elite" Collection

2009-09-17T09:39:00.002-05:00

The New York Times reports that Cuisinart has a new line of food processors, the Elite Collection. Among the new features: Blades that lock in place so the bowl can be emptied without the blade falling out, which is a significant improvement in my opinion. Work bowls also have a pouring spout.

The new model sounds interesting, but these changes do little to assist in resolving the abiding question for home cooks with limited budgets and limited counter space: Food processor or stand mixer?

Apple Turnover

2009-09-16T18:05:00.005-05:00

This morning I saw in the freezer the box of puff pastry that I'd purchased weeks ago intending to make cheese straws. Cheese straws still seem like a good idea. However, it is mid-September and now apples are on my mind. Thus: Apple Turnovers.

I made a deliberate effort to keep the amount of sugar in this recipe low, and thus it is not overwhelmingly sweet. In the end, I concluded that next time I will use more sugar when making the filling; I may trying using 1/4 cup brown sugar and a 1/4 cup white sugar, and see how that works.

Apple Turnovers

3 apples (I used a combination of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith)
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch salt
1 package frozen puff pastry (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water
Sugar for sprinkling.

Technique

Preheat over to 400.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Remove puff pastry from packaging and allow to defrost, about 40 minutes. While the dough defrosts, prepare filling.

Make the egg wash: Combine an egg with 1 Tbs. water. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. sugar, 2 Tbs. brown sugar 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and pinch of salt.

Peel, core and dice apples.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. butter. Add 1 Tbs. flour, and stir to make a paste. Add 1 Tbs. water, the sugar/spice mixture, and the apple dice. Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes.

While the mixture cools, prepare dough. On a floured board, working with one sheet of dough at a time, lightly roll the dough into a 12" x 12" square. Cut the sheet into 4 smaller squares. Chill until ready to use. Proceed in the same way with the second sheet.

Working with one small square at a time, set about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Brush the edges with the egg white mixture. Fold the square diagonally over the apples and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Set the triangle on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining squares.

Brush the top of each triangle with the remainder of the egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut one or two small slits into each pastry.

Bake for 20 minutes until nicely browned and puffed. Serve warm or room temperature.

These turnovers cry out to be eaten with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, but are good also first thing in the morning or during a coffee break.

Brownies for Ordinary Time

2009-08-31T12:42:00.012-05:00

Inexplicably, my original post here disappeared. Well. Here it is again, and a pox on the forces that conspired against it!

The absolute best brownies on earth are made using a recipe by Nick Malgieri called Supernatural Brownies. The recipe appeared in the New York Times in 2007. These brownies are really, really good. And rich. As good as they are, sometimes a simple brownie is what you what. For those ordinary times, try the following:

Brownies for Ordinary Time

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (the best you can afford)
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. espresso powder
2 Tbs. low fat sour cream
1 large egg
1 egg white
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Line a 12-inch square pan with a length of aluminum foil, one length running horizontally, one vertically. Push the foil into the corners of the pan and allow a "handle" of foil to extend over the sides of the pan.

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a medium bowl in the microwave. Let cool. Into this chocolate and butter add the brown sugar, white sugar, and espresso powder. Stir until well combined. Add the egg, egg white, sour cream and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture.

Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 22 minutes and check. In my oven this recipe needs to bake 30 minutes.

Cool brownies in the pan.

Frosting

This is for a 13 x 9 pan of brownies; numbers in parenthesis are for half of the recipe.
1/4 cup butter (2 Tbs)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup cocoa (2 Tbs)
2-3 Tbs. milk (1-2)
1/2 tsp. vanilla (1/4 tsp.)

Sun Dried Tomato Dip

2009-08-13T06:03:00.007-05:00

It's August and fresh veggies abound. Serve raw vegetables sliced or whole with this Sun Dried Tomato Dip for an easy, delicious appetizer.

Sun Dried Tomato Dip

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

For the best taste, make this dip the day before you intend to serve it so that there is sufficient time for the flavors to combine.

Don't be shy when using the Tobasco sauce. The recipe calls for dashes, not measly little drops. Start with 8 dashes and taste; I typically use around 12 dashes. If you do not use sufficient Tobasco, the dip will disappoint.

Substitutions: Stick with regular, original cream cheese for this recipe. I do use light sour cream, but I don't like the taste of either fat free sour cream or light mayonnaise and avoid using either one.

------

1/4 cup (about 8 pieces) sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped.

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

10-12 dashes of Tabasco sauce

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced.

In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Add the scallions and pulse just a few times to lightly combine.

Refrigerate until serving.

Julia Child Quotes

2009-08-09T14:24:00.003-05:00

From Chow: Ten favorite quotes attributed to Julia Child, including No. 3: If you are afraid of butter, just use cream. (more)

Cantaloupe Smoothie

2009-07-31T12:49:00.003-05:00

Beautiful, locally grown cantaloupe are now available at the market. Here is an easy recipe for Cantaloupe Smoothie, a refreshing breakfast drink or, with the addition of a little vodka, a new option for happy hour.

Cantaloupe Smoothie

1 ripe, medium cantaloupe
2 cups orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice

Cut up the cantaloupe. Carefully puree the chunks of fruit in a blender. Add the orange juice and lime juice and blend until combined.

Make It Yourself: Yogurt

2009-07-19T13:26:00.001-05:00

Do you know the easy way to peel a banana? Check this out:

(Via Lifehacker)

Eats without Heat: Pulled-Pork Sandwiches from the Slow Cooker.

2009-07-04T12:46:00.007-05:00

When the weather is hot and humid, the thought of either heating up the oven or standing outdoors over a hot grill can be unpleasant. It is a good time to put your slow cooker to work.

I got out the slow cooker this Fourth of July weekend to make pulled-pork sandwiches, a meal that has a picnic-feel but is different from the hamburger / hot dog routine. After a quick look for recipes on the web, I adapted one found at marthastewart.com.

Success! A delicious picnic meal that is effortless to make. Try it this summer.

Pulled-Pork Sandwiches.
Note: Start this the day before you intend to serve the pork.

1/2 cup whole grain mustard
2 Tbs. brown sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp. coarse salt
2 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper.
1 pork butt (3.5 pound)
1 medium onion
Your favorite barbecue sauce.

Crusty rolls
Red onion

Sauerkraut (from the refrigerated section of the grocery store)
Radishes
Potato Salad

Day 1
Mince the garlic. Combine it with the mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Remove the bone, if any, from the pork. Cut the roast in half lengthwise. Spread the seasoning paste over the meat. Refrigerate overnight.

Day 2
Slice the onion into rounds and place it on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until meat is falling apart.

Remove the meat from the cooker and, using two forks, shred. In a bowl, combine the shredded pork with 1 cup to 1 -1/2 cup of barbecue sauce (use enough to get the look and taste that you want).

Serve the meat on crusty rolls, topping the pork with thinly sliced rounds of red onion. Accompany the sandwiches with sides of potato salad, sauerkraut and radishes.

Enjoy!

I scream, you scream, we all . . . you know the drill.

2009-06-22T08:59:00.001-05:00

Summer is here, and if you are not already making ice cream at home, this is the year to begin. After all, according to The New York Times, due to the economy people are now actually making more sandwiches and coffee at home. (Coffee at home? I'm "shocked, shocked.").

Whatever the state of the economy, if you are looking to make delicious treats at home for any reason, ice cream should be on the list. You simply cannot buy ice cream that is a delicious as the stuff you can make on your own.

An ice cream maker is required. I use a Cuisinart, pictured below. Why? Because the product was on sale at the time I was shopping for the machine. It works great for me. I've seen advertisements for sales going on right now. Check around on the web, and you may find a good deal.

There are many recipes for ice cream on the web. If you own a large, general purpose cookbook such as Joy of Cooking, flip through the index because it's likely that such a book will contains ice cream recipes.

My favorite ice cream to make is vanilla, and it is very rich. It has a custard base made from sugar, eggs, cream, and whole milk. Because it is so rich, a small serving is not only appropriate, it is appreciated. Little bit goes a long way, and because it tastes so indulgent you will not feel deprived of dessert. Vanilla is the perfect base to add chocolate, nuts, or fruit. It can be given a cinnamon flavor for a perfect accompaniment to pie. Recently, I've made vanilla with chunks of bittersweet chocolate and bits of crunchy caramel, giving the dish a creme brulee-feeling.

The idea for the caramel came from Michael Richard's book Happy in the Kitchen. The caramel is made by stirring together red wine vinegar and sugar. The mixture is cooked on the stove until it is dark brown, then poured onto a silpat where it sits to harden for 24-hours. The chocolate chunks and broken-up caramel are stirred into the churned ice cream, and the whole thing comes together after sitting in the freezer for a day.

Is it good? No; it is beyond good.

Get an ice cream maker and try making some yourself this summer.

Slashfood Reviews "Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking"

2009-06-17T13:50:00.003-05:00

Should you buy Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking? Slashfood says, "For those in search of a serious, down-home pan-Southern cookbook, backed by a solid amount of cultural context, this is a goldmine." Read the entire review at this link.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2009-06-13T18:27:00.006-05:00

Feel like you are all thumbs in the kitchen? Is opening a bag of prewashed lettuce your version of haute cuisine? Then you have sufficient skills to make strawberry freezer jam. It is so simple, and will also astound and amaze your friends. ("You made jam? Get lost!") Easy, delicious, and magical. You can do this. Here's how.

Step One: Assemble Stuff.

You'll need four cups of crushed strawberries. I purchased two quarts, figuring that if there were leftover berries, I could put them to good use. You will also need six 8-ounce containers in which to to put the jam. I purchased eight-ounce Ball jars and lids at the grocery story because I prefer glass to plastic for this project. The jars, which come with lids, are 12 to a pack. Don't worry, you'll find a use of all of them.

You'll also need a product from Ball called No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin. It should be in the same aisle of the grocery story where the jars are located. The recipe for the freezer jam is on this package. Also, make sure you have 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar in the house. Ball's recipe states that Splenda may be substituted for sugar, buy why do this? It's jam: you'll only eat a tablespoon or two at a time, which is hardly enough to destroy your diet.

Note also that the package calls for the use of five eight-ounce jars, but in making this last summer and this spring, I've always enough jam to fill more than five jars.

Step Two: Wash the Stuff.

Put the six jars and lids in the dishwasher and run them with that day's load of dishes (or wash with hot water and soap in the sink). Wash and stem the berries. This is, in my opinion, the most tedious part of the project. Because this should be fun and not tedious, I stop here, put the berries in the refrigerator, and return to this project the next day. If you want to carry on, go ahead.

Step Three: Make the Stuff.

Follow the directions on the Fruit Pectin package. Crush the fruit. I use a potato masher for this task. Measure out four cups of crushed fruit. Add the sugar and Fruit Pectin, gently combine everything together, and then stir another three minutes. Spoon the jam into jars and put on the lids. Let the jars sit on the counter for 30 minutes. That's it. You are finished. Put one jar in the fridge to eat with your next breakfast, and the remainder into the freezer.

You've made jam. Genius!

Actor Christopher Walken Cooks

2009-06-13T15:05:00.002-05:00

Christopher Walken rocks. Here he is at home, cooking chicken. Nice.

More cowbell, baby!

(Via. Lifehacker)

English Muffins

2009-06-07T06:48:00.002-05:00

I really like English Muffins. For toasting at breakfast, they are better than bread. English Muffins have a delightful, crispy exterior. When pulled open with a large fork, the interior has those groovy craters that hold butter and jam.

Often I've thought about making English Muffins, but have been held back by the procedure called for in various recipes. In some, the muffins are cooked in a cast iron skillet or on a griddle, but this sounds a bit too labor-intensive (cook a batch, keep warm, cook more, repeat). Recipes also often call for use of an English Muffin ring to hold the shape of the bread as it is cooking in the pan. I don't have such rings, and its not something I'm looking to buy.

This morning, however, I found an adaptation of a recipe at All Recipes that doesn't require either special equipment or messing around with cooking small batches of muffins in a skillet. The ingredients are simple, the technique easy, and the results are absolutely delicious.

Hurray! English Muffins baked at home. This is absolutely something you should try.

Whole Wheat English Muffins
Adapted from Allrecipies. com

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. white sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

Corn meal
2 greased cookie sheets

Preparation

Place flours and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand-mixer. Whisk to combine.

Melt the butter; set aside.

Heat 1 cup of water to about 110 degrees. Mix yeast and a pinch of out of the 2 Tbs. of sugar to the warm water and allow to stand for about 10 minutes as the yeast gets creamy.

In a small sauce pan, heat the milk until it just bubbles. Add the remainder of the sugar to the milk and mix to dissolve. Let stand until lukewarm.

Whisk the melted butter into the lukewarm milk/sugar mixture and then pour all of it into the bowl with the flours and salt. Add yeast and water mixture to the bowl. Stir to combine.

Knead the dough on the stand-mixer for 8 to 10 minutes. Whole wheat flour is sticky; add sprinkles of all purpose flour as necessary to get a smooth, elastic dough. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, heat the oven to 100 degrees. Lightly flour the work surface and turn the dough out of the bowl. Form the dough into a log. Carefully spray a large serrated bread knife with cooking spray, then cut the log into 18 pieces. Use a sawing motion when cutting the pieces to avoid compressing the dough.

Dredge the dough slices in the corn meal and place on the oiled cookie sheets.

Turn off the oven. Place the cookie sheets into the warm oven and allow dough to rise for 30 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and leave the dough on the sheets while heating the oven to 375 degrees.

When the oven is ready, put the sheets back in and bake the muffins at 375 for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, flip the muffins over, and bake for an additional 5 - 6 minutes.

Remove muffins and allow to cool on a rack.

Freeze those muffins not eaten on bake day or planned for use in the following day's meals.

Saturday Morning FYI: Crunchberries are Not Fruit.

2009-06-06T10:36:00.003-05:00

Originally posted at Something Good to Read.

If you are lazin' around this Saturday morning, feeling virtuous because you are eating Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries and getting a serving of fruit in your bowl, then you have a problem. Actually, you may have more than one problem, but definitely a problem with thinking a Crunchberry is a fruit. It is not, and there is now a legal opinion confirming this point.

In a suit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, the Plaintiff claimed that the packaging and marketing of Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries misled her into thinking that the product contains real, nutritious fruit. Defendant moved to dismiss, and that motion was recently granted.

In dismissing the Plaintiff's claims concerning deceptive practices and advertising, the Court wrote:

While the challenged packaging contains the word "berries" it does so only in conjunction with the descriptive term "crunch." This Court is not aware of, nor has Plaintiff alleged the existence of, any actual fruit referred to as a "crunchberry."

Furthermore, the "Crunchberries" depicted on the [Product's principal display panel ("PDP"), the panel of the cereal box facing consumers as they shop in a store aisle] are round, crunchy, brightly-colored cereal balls, and the PDP clearly states both that the Product contains "sweetened corn & oat cereal" and that the cereal is "enlarged to show texture." Thus, a reasonable consumer would not be deceived into believing that the Product in the instant case contained a fruit that does not exist. (emphasis supplied).

Not only would no "reasonable consumer" - the standard for analyzing the Plaintiff's claims - be duped into thinking that a Crunchberry was fruit, but the Court noted that the Plaintiff even conceded that "'[c]lose inspection reveals that Crunchberries on the PDP are not really berries.'"

Delivering the coup de grace, the Court ruled that Plaintiff is not allowed to file an amended complaint: "The survival of the instant claim would require this Court to ignore all concepts of personal responsibility and common sense. The Court has no intention of allowing that to happen."

Read all of Sugawara v. Pepsico, Inc. here.

And to be complete: Froot Loops? Also not fruit. McKinnis v. Kellogg USA, 2007 WL 4766060 (C.D. Cal. 2007).

And the man himself, Cap'n Crunch? Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but . . .

(Via Slashfood)

Make It Yourself: Hummus.

2009-06-01T14:21:00.004-05:00

It's official: I'm never buying hummus again. Not since I've made it at home and discovered how easy it is to do, and how delicious it tastes. And as an additional bonus, I don't have to deal with those small, plastic containers that hummus comes in from the store.

Below is the basic recipe.

Basic Hummus

2 cups canned garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chick peas), drained
1/3 cup tahini, well stirred
1 ounce fresh lemon juice (start there; add more in small increments if you feel it is necessary)
2-3 cloves garlic
Generous pinch of salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. red pepper flake

Preparation
Measure 2 cups of garbanzo beans. Reserve the liquid from the can. Rinse the beans under cold water.

Peel the garlic cloves. Using a motar and pestle, put a few pinches of salt into the bottom of the motar, add the garlic, and mash together.

Place rinsed beans, salt/garlic mash, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and red pepper flake into the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth, stopping to scrape the walls of the processor bowl as needed.

At this point, the mixture may be too thick. Adjust it to suit your taste by adding bean liquid, or water, by the scant tablespoon until the hummus is of the right consistency. Taste, and adjust salt and seasonings as necessary.

Refrigerate. Allow several hours for the flavors to blend together.

Enjoy on pita bread, sesame crackers, and veggies!

Amanda Hesser Writing in the New York Times: The Commander in Chef

2009-06-01T08:59:00.002-05:00

From the Op-ed pages of yesterday's paper: Amanda Hesser asks, "What's missing from Mrs. Obama's good food campaign? Cooking."

The Coffee Buzz

2009-06-01T08:47:00.005-05:00

"Coffee? Yeah, I could use a cup."

Over at Lifehacker, brewing good coffee at home has been under discussion:

Brew the Best Possible Coffee without Breaking the Bank. This article recommends using a French press. I agree that the French press makes a great tasting cup of coffee.

Use an AeroPress for Small Servings of Coffee. Anyone have experience with an AeroPress?

Boycott Canadian Maple Syrup

2009-05-29T08:02:00.004-05:00

To protest Canada's baby seal hunt, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling for a boycott of Canadian maple syrup. According the PETA, "[e]very year, the Canadian government allows sealers to beat, skin, and kill hundreds of thousands of baby seals for their fur. Many of these pups have their heads bashed in or are shot before they even get a chance to eat their first solid meal or learn how to swim."

PETA argues that boycotting the syrup will help pressure the Canadian government into stopping the seal hunt. In reply to the call from PETA, Canadian Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean "showed solidarity with Canadian seal hunters by eating a slice of seal heart on national television" according to canada.com

The Humane Society also opposes the baby seal hunt. According to its web site:

Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by fishers from Canada's East Coast. They earn a small fraction of their incomes from sealing—primarily from the sale of seal pelts to European fashion markets. But the vast majority of the sealers' incomes are from commercial fisheries. Canadian seafood exports to the United States contribute $2.4 billion annually to the Canadian economy—dwarfing the few million dollars provided by the seal hunt. The connection between the commercial fishing industry and the seal hunt in Canada gives consumers all over the world the power to end this cruel and brutal slaughter.

Opposing the seal hunt is reasonable and joining the boycott is an easy step for consumers to undertake.

Use your clout as a consumer and join this boycott of Canadian maple syrup until the seal hunt is stopped.

What's in the salad? Weeds.

2009-05-28T09:25:00.004-05:00

The Wall Street Journal reports about the new trend among yuppies (yes, they are still here) for buying and using common weeds as their salad greens. Dandelion greens are reportedly going for $9 a pound.

This food trend is not for me. Not weeds. And I am certainly not buying weeds.

What about you?

Recipe Test: Martha Stewart's Asparagus Spears with Dill Shallot Vinaigrette

2009-05-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

Recently the Executive Chef prepared a roast chicken, pictured below. Fabulous! Side-dishes included the "it" vegetable of the moment, asparagus. Yours truly was in charge of the preparing the asparagus.

Thus far this spring we've steamed asparagus, roasted asparagus, enjoyed cream of asparagus soup. All good treatments for asparagus, but what's new for this veggie? In need of inspiration, I turned to Martha.

At marthastewart.com, a collection of asparagus recipes was posted recently. Scanning the collection, I elected to try asparagus spears with dill vinaigrette. Was it good? Yes. The vinaigrette is excellent, and the preparation is easy.

The vinaigrette is a snap to prepare and can be whisked together up to eight hours before serving. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup minced fresh dill. Two issues with this: First, I had no fresh dill on hand. Second, a 1/4 cup seems like a lot of dill. I used a teaspoon of dried dill, which was more than enough for our taste.

Here is the recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart:

1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill (or to taste)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

The asparagus is steamed. Steaming takes only a few minutes using a vegetable steamer and a covered sauce pan containing shallow water brought to boil.

The verdict on this recipe? It's very good. You should try it this spring.

This chicken needs asparagus.

Tools required for this asparagus recipe:

Dreaming about Oatmeal Cookies

2009-05-25T09:24:00.006-05:00

The cookie trifecta: chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal. Of these three, oatmeal is arguably the most versatile. Some recipes use more oats (up to three cups) to create a chewy cookie while others call for less oats, producing a leaner and crispier cookie, such as the batch pictured above. Additives can vary from the classic raisins to chocolate or butterscotch chips, other dried fruit such as dates or cherries, coconut, walnuts, or a combination of these.

There are a million oatmeal cookie recipes out there in the big city. When you are ready to bake, choose one that calls for butter rather than vegetable shortening. Why? Taste. Butter provides a lively taste to what may otherwise be a heavy cookie. Shortening? Not so much, in my opinion.

Additionally, a key technique in cookie baking is to refrigerate the dough 24-hours (or at least overnight) before baking. According to Shirley Corriher, a chemist and author of Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking, "[o]vernight, the proteins and the starch soak in liquid, the enzymes break the starches into sugar and big sugar breaks down into smaller sugar. Small sugars brown well . . . ." Chemist Divulges How To Bake The Perfect Cookie, NPR.org (December 17, 2008). Try this when you next bake oatmeal cookies; I think you'll agree that it produces better results.

Grilling Affordable Steaks

2009-05-24T08:00:00.005-05:00

Planning to grill steak tomorrow at your Memorial Day picnic? Check out this excellent story from the Washington Post on affordable cuts of beef that are great for grilling. The related article on grilling a tough piece of meat is also recommended - and interesting to watch.

(Via Lifehacker)

Eric Felten on the Great Scotch Controversy: Rocks or No Rocks

2009-05-21T17:19:00.003-05:00

Just spotted this column by Eric Felten from last weekend's Wall Street Journal: A Chill to Scotch Purists' Hearts, discussing the issue of whether or not it is appropriate to add ice to a glass of Scotch. Of the many long standing, international feuds and controversies that grip the world, this one is sadly neglected by the major media outlets. Kudos, WSJ.

What's for Breakfast: McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal

2009-05-16T07:06:00.004-05:00

If you don't like oatmeal, it may be because you are eating the yucky instant or rolled oat varieties. These products have their place in the world - rolled oats are used in baking - but for breakfast something better is needed. That something better is steel cut oatmeal.

Steel cut oatmeal has a wonderful whole grain flavor. It also has a superior texture compared to the paste-like instant stuff. It does, however, have a long cooking time, up to 30 minutes. But there is a short cut.

The quick way to make one serving is as follows. In the evening, get out your smallest sauce pan that has a lid. Pour one cup of cold water into the pan and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and add 1/4 cup steel cut oatmeal to the water. Put the lid on the pan and forget about it until the morning. When you are ready for breakfast the next day, heat the oatmeal on low, stirring occasionally, for around ten minutes or until the consistency looks right to you.

Add a little maple syrup to the cooked oatmeal and - voila - fabulous breakfast. If you need more than one serving, keep in mind that the ratio is one cup of water for each 1/4 cup of oats. Thus to make two servings, use two cups water and 1/2 cup of oats.

If you already know that you love McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal, check out Amazon this weekend. You can buy a package containing six (6) boxes of oatmeal for $14.70, which works out to $2.45 per box, and is a meaningful savings over the price it is sold for at my local supermarket. (Buy something else you need to work your way up to Amazon's $25. / free shipping deal). There are 11 servings to a box of McCann's. Spending about 22 cents for breakfast ain't bad!

"The End of Overeating" by Dr. David Kessler

2009-05-16T06:26:00.006-05:00

Originally posted at Something Good to Read.

Dr. David A. Kessler, author of The End of Overeating, was interviewed on the Diane Rehm show last Wednesday. (Link to the program here. Kessler was the guest for the 11:00 hour). After listening to the show, I looked over the book.

Kessler makes the case, based upon various studies, for the conclusion that foods containing tasty proportions of sugar, fat, and salt make the brain as hoppin' crazy as a teenybopper at a Jonas Brothers concert. An amped-up brain sends signals to eat even more, and consumption of food we perceive as delicious makes other areas of the brain send out positive vibrations.

Thus, when eating Cheetos, a complex set of chemical reactions occur in the brain/body that make some folks say, "Ahhh, delicious Cheeeeetos. I think I will eat until the bag is empty." Overeating can result in weight gain, feeling like an idiot, or both. By contrast, this compulsion to continue eating without regard to satiety or common sense does not typically occur when eating celery, a food that lacks sugar, salt, and fat.

Kessler also describes how manufacturers use this knowledge, that an attractive product loaded with sugar, fat and salt will sell like crazy, to invent items sold as "food" for the marketplace.

For those interested in the details as to why the sugar, salt, and fat combo can exert such a hold over some people, Dr. Kessler's book is for you. He also offers proposals on how to change undesirable eating behaviors.

If you don't want to read the book, do this instead:

Eat three meals a day, at approximately the same time every day.

Pay attention to how you feel at a meal. When you feel 80 percent full, stop eating.

Don't eat between meals. Note: Beer is food, people. This rule applies to beer and other alcoholic beverages.

The more something has been changed from its original state, the less of it you should eat. Example: There are no streams flowing with Brandy Old Fashioned and candy bars are not dug out of the ground, so consume them rarely.

Knowing and doing are different things, of course. Merely reading my rules, like reading Dr. Kessler's book, will not change what goes on in someones head. But for people interested in doing the hard, hard work involved with changing how they think about food, The End of Overeating may help.

Clams Casino

2009-05-10T16:21:00.002-05:00

Clams Casino. Fresh clams on the half-shell, stuffed with diced peppers and onion, bacon, bread crumbs, and appropriate seasonings. Bake and - voila - enjoy a feast!

Last night my husband, Bill, prepared the Clams Casino pictured below using cherrystone clams from the Chesapeake Bay. Absolutely delicious with crusty bread and a glass of white wine.

I don't know the details of his recipe but I do know this: If someone offers to make you a dish of Clams Casino, accept immediately!

What Some Families With Kids are Eating Now

2009-05-06T12:16:00.007-05:00

Pressure in the economy has families with children eating at home. And what are they eating? The Financial Times reports today that sales of Kraft macaroni and cheese increased by more than 10 percent during the first quarter of this year. Sales of Kool-Aid and Jell-O also increased. Mac and Cheese can feed three children for about $1.50.

Saving money is good, but the orange packet of stuff in the mac and cheese box has always made me deeply apprehensive. Check out a simple, low-fat alternative to the boxed stuff here, from about.com

And Jell-O . . . We'll talk about it more in the future.

A Look at Cookbooks

2009-05-05T04:54:00.001-05:00

Lengthy story by Laura Miller in last weekend's Wall Street Journal about the latest offerings in cookbooks.

Cookbooks not mentioned in Ms. Miller's story, but that I know that I want to check into include:

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook by Gloria Bley Miller. This book was mentioned recently by Lynne Rossetto Kasper on the Splendid Table. It's been out there a while, the original copy right is 1966, but it might turn out to be one of those fundamental, must-have works.

La Technique by Jacques Pépin. In The New York Times magazine last Sunday, chef Tom Colicchio named this book as the one he uses most often.

In the New York Times, Colicchio said, "Recipes tell you nothing. Learning techniques is the key." Along that line of thinking, I'm interested in checking out Ratio by Michael Ruhlman, which the Times described as "an elegant book on technique."

Cookbooks: Because if we aren't eating or cooking, we should be reading.

Indoor S'mores

2009-05-04T13:49:00.002-05:00

Today the weather is 70 degrees and sunny. It is definitely still spring, but summer is on the horizon. It's the perfect time for Indoor S'mores.

S'mores are, of course, a classic campfire treat. A sweet sandwich is made when a chocolate bar square and a marshmallow, which was toasted on a stick over the fire, are laid between two graham cracker squares. For me, camping is not on the agenda this Monday in May, so it's Indoor S'mores.

Indoor S'mores combine chocolate chips, graham crackers and marshmallow into an easy pan of bars. The bars I made, pictured below before being cut into individual servings, are based upon a recipe found at All Recipes. In the linked recipe, part of the crumb mixture used for the crust is reserved and then sprinkled on top, mimicking the two-cracker sandwich of a real s'more. I skipped that step and used all the mixture for the bottom crust.

Additionally, I scattered walnut pieces over the crust and put the pan into the oven for four - five minutes before adding the marshmallows and chips. The nuts give a little more depth to the flavor of the bars.

Hints for success: First, buy the best chocolate you can afford. Second, buy and use fresh, good quality butter. Good, quality butter and chocolate chips will significantly improve the taste of these bars. Third, when pressing the graham cracker crumb and butter mixture into the pan, press firmly. If not firmly compacted, the crust will be too crumbly.

Indoor S'mores are easy, and go perfectly with that afternoon cup of coffee. In fact, I think I'll go have a bit of both right now.

What's for Lunch? Mushroom Mash-Up

2009-05-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

I was searching for a lunch idea, with an eye toward limiting the consumption of meat, fowl, and fish to only one meal a day, and found a great one in Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: an open-faced sandwich of thinly sliced cremini mushrooms grilled in a panini press.

The mushrooms were on hand from the local farmers market. I had baked focaccia with Kalamata olives the day before and the leftover bread was easy to slice into appropriate panini-sized pieces. I brushed olive oil on one side of the bread, flipped it over, layered on the mushroom slices, then dabbed a bit more olive oil onto the mushrooms along with a sprinkle of salt. Into the panini press it went and just minutes later lunch was ready.

The sandwich looks a bit drab - lots of brown - but this version of Nancy Silverton's sandwich tastes fabulous. The focaccia was crunchy from the panini machine and its olives gave the sandwich a nice bite. With good quality olive oil and locally grown cremini mushrooms, this was really good. I definitely will be using this cookbook more in the future; it is full of great looking recipes.

Homemade vs. Store-bought: What you gonna do?

2009-05-01T22:48:00.003-05:00

Jennifer Reese, writing for Slate, concludes that sometimes store-bought is better (think "cream cheese").

(Via Lifehacker)

It's Friday. A Little Music, Please:

2009-05-01T06:24:00.000-05:00

Mark Your Calendar: World Cocktail Week May 6-13

2009-04-30T18:57:00.002-05:00

World Cocktail Week. You know what to do!

Eating and the Environment

2009-04-30T08:29:00.006-05:00

From Chocolate & Zucchini: Tips for a Green Kitchen, Part 1 and Part 2. One of the tips included is to cut down on meat consumption. This is the basic idea set forth in Mark Bittman's new book, Food Matters.

Bittman argues that if people cut back on consuming animal products (as well as refined carbs and junk food) there will be positive effects for health and the environment. For example, Bittman suggests confining consumption of animal products to just the evening meal, and focus on eating vegetables and whole grains during the remainder of the day.

The video below, in which Bittman discusses the policy behind his suggestions, is persuasive. I am going to confine consumption of meat, fowl and fish to one meal each day.

This might be fun - mushroom pate anyone?

NYT Interviews Scientist Richard Wrangham, Author of "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human"

2009-04-21T08:38:00.004-05:00

From The New York Times today an interview with Dr. Richard Wrangham. Wrangham's new book is Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human. "Our ancestors were able to evolve," according to Wrangham, "because cooked foods were richer, healthier and required less eating time."

Do People Hate Alice Waters? Good Food? Something Else?

2009-04-21T06:13:00.005-05:00

On Sunday, NYT op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd devoted part of her column to chef Alice Waters. Surprisingly to me, food blogs yesterday displayed a ton of vitriolic comments at the mere mention of Waters. Examples follow:

Grub Street.

Chowhound.

The Feedbag.

Four Recommended Sites for Purchasing Wine on the Web

2009-04-12T17:42:00.005-05:00

In this weekend's Wall Street Journal, wine columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher write about online wine shopping. After identifying some of the problems with web sites selling wine, Gaiter and Brecher recommend four that do it well. These four are:

klwines.com, the web site of K&L Wine Merchants.

winemonger.com, a California-based web-only store.

astorwines.com, site of the New York-based Astor Wines & Spirits.

wine.com, based in San Francisco.

Even if you prefer to buy locally, these sites are fun to browse.

Welcome to Something Good to Eat

2009-04-04T13:26:00.001-05:00

Welcome! This blog is about preparing delicious food and enjoying affordable wine.

My food philosophy? Maximize deliciousness in your diet. Minimize manufactured products being sold as "food".

Now, let's have something good to eat.