IDEAS IN FOOD: 31 entries from May 2018

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31 entries from May 2018

Dried Pasta

Things have been a little crazy lately and we haven't had much time to make fresh pasta. As a result we've been experimenting with dried pastas. We haven't found any one brand that's stuck with us, instead we are trying a wide variety of different ones, whatever looks best, whatever shape takes our fancy. It can be hard to make that leap in price point. There are two reasons for this. The first is trying the unknown. The second is, De Cecco our go panty pasta, is perfectly fine and not very expensive. But once you try some of the better dried pastas you understand the upgrade. In the good ones, the flavor is a little deeper and the texture is a little more toothsome. The pasta has a suppleness that surrounds the al dente noodle. They are thicker and larger and some have a more textured surface that holds on to sauces. They taste better and really, that's what counts the most. Of course as in any exploration there are some wrong turns and duds we have encountered. The quest for better flavor always involves a few missteps along the way.

Years Past

May 31, 2015

May 31, 2012

May 31, 2007

May 31, 2006

May 31, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on May 31, 2018 at 08:01 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (4)

Straw Free Lids

I was getting a caramel macchiato at Starbucks. I was having a conversation with the barista about there new cold foam. It looks like that is thanks to the the foaming beaker (aerating container) made by Vitamix. From cold foam we got to drinking the cold beverage. She showed me the new lid, designed for enjoying the drink and the foam without a straw. It makes enjoying the drink a better experience and it eliminates the need for a straw. The lid is a simple and elegant solution.

Years Past

May 30, 2017

May 30, 2016

May 30, 2015

May 30, 2014

May 30, 2013

May 30, 2012

May 30, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 30, 2018 at 07:08 PM in INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Soft Shell Crab

We had our first soft shell crabs of the season at Charcoal BYOB in Yardley. It's our restaurant of choice for birthday celebrations and since Alex's birthday is in May, that means we always get to sample their latest version of soft shell crab. It's always served with pasta and always delicious. In this version it is served with squid ink fussili, lovage, and an Old Bay spiked tomato sauce. The combination of noodles and crab is a crushworthy experience and one we look forward to every year. It's one of our very favorite, truly seasonal treats.

Years Past

May 29, 2017

May 29, 2016

May 29, 2015

May 29, 2012

May 29, 2006

May 29, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 29, 2018 at 07:07 PM in At the Table | Permalink | Comments (0)

Earl Grey Glazed

The Earl Grey doughnut debuted on Sunday at the shop. The glaze is delicious. I was not sure how it would sell as a doughnut. My uncertainty quickly transformed into confidence as interest and excitement grew in our customers. It is always fun to see an idea evolve into a crushworthy experience.

Years Past

May 28, 2017

May 28, 2016

May 28, 2015

May 28, 2012

May 28, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 28, 2018 at 07:13 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Years Past

May 27, 2016

May 27, 2012

May 27, 2006

May 27, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 27, 2018 at 04:43 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tea and Doughnuts

Earl grey doughnuts have been on my to-do list for too long. Earl Grey tea is characterized by the flavor of bergamot, a fragrant, floral citrus fruit with a distinct, haunting flavor. Earl Grey doughnuts were a recent request from a wedding party that finally pushed me into making them a reality. I pureed the tea with our vanilla-buttermilk glaze to infuse the flavor and then strained out the the larger tea particles. The sweetness of the vanilla and the tartness of buttermilk were the perfect balance for the rich flavor of the tea. It's a delicious new glaze that will debut in the shop tomorrow.

Years Past

May 26, 2017

May 26, 2016

May 26, 2015

May 26, 2012

May 26, 2010

May 26, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 26, 2018 at 05:49 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (1)

Courage is Contaigious

Damon Davis reminds us to use our fear to motivate, rather than allowing it to paralyze in this inspiring TED talk.

Years Past

May 25, 2017

May 25, 2016

May 25, 2015

May 25, 2012

May 25, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 25, 2018 at 04:38 PM in Beyond the Kitchen Doors, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nasturtium Flower Inclusions

Cream

Creme Fraiche

Butter

Buttermilk

Ricotta

Lillet

Vermouth

Eggs

Noodles

Years Past

May 24, 2017

May 24, 2016

May 24, 2015

May 24, 2012

May 24, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 24, 2018 at 04:03 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Lemon Chicken

Aki was craving Chicken Francese. None of the local places we've tried do it justice, so she decided to make a version of it at home. She started with a few chicken breasts. I butterflied them and pounded them flat. I seasoned them with salt and left them for her to finish. Aki dredged them in flour and then dipped them into a mixture of beaten eggs with Parmiginao-Reggiano cheese and few drops of soy sauce. Then she fried them in olive oil and transferred the chicken to a low oven. She seared off some lemon slices in the remaining oil and draped them over the pieces of chicken. Finally she made a quick pan sauce with white wine, lemon and butter. It was simple and delicious, served with nothing more than a green salad. Lemon Chicken will definitely be a staple in our house this summer.

Years Past

May 23, 2017

May 23, 2016

May 23, 2015

May 23, 2012

May 23, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 23, 2018 at 04:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Pasta Carbonara"

Yesterday morning, Alex says, "Do you mind if I make Pasta Carbonara tonight."

"That sounds great. I would love that." We haven't made Carbonara in ages. I tried to remember how much Parmigiano-Reggiano was in the fridge. "Do we have enough cheese, or should I pick some up?"

"We have tons of cheese. Oh, and I'm going to put some collard greens in it."

"That's fine. I won't have to make a salad."

"And I was thinking about making hand pulled noodles."

Thinking he was going to make the long, thin ones, I agreed. That would work with Carbonara sauce. Later on, Alex was puttering around the kitchen, cleaning collards greens and making dough. The collards were cut a little bit bigger than I was expecting, but Alex and I never seem to have the same vision for any one dish. Next I see him dicing up chunks of mortadella.

"What's that for?"

"The pasta. I'm using it instead of bacon." Oh. Well, that will work. I'm sure it will be good. I'd rather have bacon and the dice seemed pretty small, but it was his dish.

Several hours later, Alex was running out to the rock gym. "Do you mind braising the greens for me while I'm out?"

"Sure. I'll braise them in chicken stock."

"Can you add some hot sauce."

"Yes.”

"Lots of hot sauce."

"Sure. See you later."

Just before dinner, Alex and Amaya were getting ready to tackle the noodles.

A few minutes later I look over to see Amaya busily pulling noodles and flattening them out according to Alex's instructions to create a sort of thick pappardelle. Meanwhile Alex was cooking something in a deep saute pan. I wander over and discover that he's making scrambled eggs.

"Um, what's this?"

"Scrambled eggs. I hate the way carbonara sauce gets all thick and heavy. I thought I would fold in chunks of eggs and use it instead of in the sauce. I put a little cheese in the eggs"

Hmm. So apparently we were having some sort of butter and cheese sauce with carbonara-like garnishes. And wide, thick noodles. I watched him put the dish together. Nope, no butter involved here, no additional cheese either, just a dusting at the very end when the dish was plated.

"So, how is this Pasta Carbonara?"

"What do you mean? This is totally Pasta Carbonara." I just looked at him. "Okay fine, it was inspired by Pasta Carbonara."

I sighed and took a bite. It was delicious, even if it wasn't anything faintly resembling Pasta Carbonara.

Years Past

May 22, 2017

May 22, 2016

May 22, 2015

May 22, 2012

May 22, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 22, 2018 at 07:00 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Collard Greens Carbonara

I started with the collard greens. I stemmed them. At first I was looking at utilizing the large half leaves for something. After some time debating I cut the half leaves into inch wide strips. They were similar to short noodles. I made a connection sparked by the visual look and an alliteration. I had two pieces of mortadella in the refrigerator that were supposed to be used for another idea. I borrowed one and cut it into a small dice. For the egg component I borrowed the idea of folding Parmigiano Reggiano enriched scrambled eggs into the pasta rather than making the egg, cheese and pasta water emulsion as a sauce. Aki braised the collard greens in chicken broth spiked with hot sauce. The both around the collards called for a robust noodle. I was up for making another round of hand pulled noodles. I think we are finally beginning to get a grasp on hand pulled noodles.The dish came together. It was robust and flavorful. It was a delicious take on the original.

Years Past

May 21, 2017

May 21, 2016

May 21, 2015

May 21, 2012

May 21, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 21, 2018 at 07:14 PM in American Noodles, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mini Whisk

It's my new favorite utensil. Who says that whisks need to have long handles? Especially when you're cooking for three. Small whisks go anywhere you want them too, through flour, in small pots, in both small and medium sized bowls. They're compact, easy to handle, and they get the job done.

Years Past

May 20, 2017

May 20, 2016

May 20, 2015

May 20, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 20, 2018 at 04:46 PM in Approach to Cooking, Food For Thoughts | Permalink | Comments (3)

Turnip Tonnato

We started with the classic, vitello tonnato, as the model. I made our tonnato sauce not with tuna, but with fish sauce and worcestershire sauce mixed with mayonnaise, hot sauce, lemon juice and salt. I omitted the tuna because it makes the sauce grainy and I was tired of grainy. I was exploring ideas with turnips and the alliteration sparked the combination. I sliced the turnip on a mandoline and put it in the bowl with our tonnato sauce. I coated the turnips with the sauce and vacuum sealed them to tenderize the vegetables and pull the dressing into the slices. Then I refrigerated the turnips for a half an hour.

The turnips absorbed the sauce and retained a crisp and spicy brightness. We played around serving them with assorted herbs from the weed patch and an additional drizzle of the tonnato sauce.

Years Past

May 19, 2017

May 19, 2016

May 19, 2015

May 19, 2012

May 19, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 19, 2018 at 01:56 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Garden Trimmings

The weed patch is loving the rain. It's only been two weeks but it needed some serious trimming. What to do with all these odds and ends of various herbs?

Make a mixed herb oil, of course. I ended up using the dregs of three different bottles of oil, two extra virgin olive oil and one sunflower seed oil for my mixture. I washed the herbs and put them in the blender with a few cloves of garlic and the various oils. A few minutes later our herb oil was ready.

It's a good use of product that translates into a multi-purpose condiment that pretty much goes anywhere I need extra flavor. Win-win.

Years Past

May 18, 2017

May 18, 2016

May 18, 2015

May 18, 2012

May 18, 2006

May 18, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 18, 2018 at 03:48 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cookie Magic Shell

The idea of making a cookie magic shell has been on my to-do list for too long. It is modeled after our shaved shortbread. Instead of pureeing the cookies with butter, we used white chocolate chips and sunflower seed oil. For our first version we used Newman's Own sandwich cookies to make a liquid puree to pour over ice cream. The result was magical. The cookie shell has huge potential. It is a fantastic topping and will make an incredible mix in. It also has potential as a full coating for ice cream bars. The variations and interchangeable parts allow for a wondrous exploration. Oh, and I'm pretty sure this will work out well on a doughnut in the near future.

Years Past

May 17, 2017

May 17, 2016

May 17, 2015

May 17, 2012

May 17, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 17, 2018 at 03:07 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Avocado in Green Sauce

We dressed chunks of avocado in radish top ricotta. My want and need to utilize everything is an opportunity and an obstacle. In this case the radish top ricotta was too intense and bitter for the luscious avocado. But dressing avocado in a cool, aromatic green sauce is now high on my list.

Years Past

May 16, 2017

May 16, 2016

May 16, 2015

May 16, 2012

May 16, 2009

May 16, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 16, 2018 at 09:18 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Chili Pepper Dressed Radishes

I was looking for a spicier radish. I wanted a radish relish. I did not want the funk of a full ferment otherwise I would have kimchi-ized them. I reached for a jar of crushed chili peppers in olive oil. I cut the radishes into small chunks and added a small spoonful of the pepper paste. I added a pinch of salt, a dose of olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice. I mixed the radishes to fully coat them in the bowl dressing. The radishes were crisp and bright. The peppers were hot with a faint caramelized undertone. The lemon added clarity and floral aromas. I look forward to making more of these quick dressed radishes as an everyday element to salads and a condiment for everything.

Years Past

May 15, 2015

May 15, 2012

May 15, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 15, 2018 at 09:29 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Radish Top Ricotta

We pureed radishes with our blend of ricotta and yoghurt. I added a bit of salt and the first attempt was tasted. The uncooked radish tops had an assertive spiciness and assertive bitterness. The dressing has a foundation. It now needs refinement.

Years Past

May 14, 2017

May 14, 2016

May 14, 2015

May 14, 2012

May 14, 2006

May 14, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 14, 2018 at 03:36 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy Mother's Day

Due to my allergies, Amaya made me a silk flower arrangement and a ceramic rose to celebrate the day. Best gifts ever. Wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the other moms out there and to all the people who love them.

PS: Thank you for all of the responses to my query yesterday! We appreciate the help.

Years Past

May 13, 2012

May 13, 2009

May 13, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 13, 2018 at 05:01 PM in Beyond the Kitchen Doors | Permalink | Comments (0)

Concentrated Butter

I was reading the label on a loaf of brioche that I picked up at the market. I was struck by the label of concentrated butter. I'm just curious, anybody know what that is? The brioche is quite good for something mass-produced and better than my local bakery, so I'd love to have a better sense of what we're eating...

Years Past

May 12, 2017

May 12, 2016

May 12, 2015

May 12, 2012

May 12, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 12, 2018 at 06:48 PM in Balancing Tastes, Food For Thoughts, Ingredients | Permalink | Comments (6)

Apple Pie Crumbs

I was playing with freeze dried fruit. In the past we have made freeze dried sugar and powdered sugar for doughnuts, whipped cream, and to dust cream puffs. I had recently added blueberry and strawberry crumbs to our arsenal. These were made following our cereal crumb model and adding freeze dried fruit. When I reached for the apple I wanted something beyond cereal. I strolled the aisles of the supermarket and came across vanilla cream sandwich cookies. We already utilized chocolate cream cookies for a cookies and cream crumb. The vanilla ones would be a delicious medium for carrying the flavor of apple. I put the cookies, white chocolate, freeze dried apple powder, vanilla paste, cinnamon, salt, and malic acid into the food processor. I let the machine pulverize and combine the ingredients. The result was a light crumb with the full flavor of apple pie. I quickly had the crumbs on our apple cider doughnuts. Though these crumbs could find a home in a dozen more places from on top of ice cream to on top of pie.

Years Past

May 11, 2017

May 11, 2016

May 11, 2015

May 11, 2012

May 11, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 11, 2018 at 07:02 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Frozen Crushed Garlic

Someone recommended this to me in the checkout line at Whole Foods. Frozen crushed garlic in individual portions. It's brilliant because it doesn't oxidize in the freezer. You simply pop out a portion, still frozen, and slide it into your pan. If I really want to, I can make my own with organic garlic. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the ease of this. It's the little things that make the difference in my day.

Years Past

May 10, 2015

May 10, 2012

May 10, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 10, 2018 at 06:19 PM in Balancing Tastes, Culinary Conversations, Food For Thoughts, Ingredients | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ricotta and Yoghurt

Ricotta has a sweet creamy curd. Yoghurt has a decadent, lactic smoothness. Together their elements combine to make a distinctive ingredient. It is a complex foundation for flavors.

Years Past

May 9, 2017

May 9, 2016

May 9, 2015

May 9, 2012

May 9, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 09, 2018 at 04:03 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Gift

Years Past

May 8, 2017

May 8, 2016

May 8, 2015

May 8, 2012

May 8, 2007

May 8, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 08, 2018 at 07:23 PM in INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cut for Pie

I love the look of whole strawberries in our raw and cooked strawberry pie. But when eating the pie it is difficult to cut through the whole fruit and make manageable bites that don't send the pie flying across the plate. As I was cutting the fruit for the cooked portion of the pie it dawned on me to cut the uncooked fruit and keep it together so that it looked whole. I could fill the pie with the pre-cut fruit and pour the filling over the fruit. When we sliced the pie and ate our slices we were able to enjoy the vision of whole berries, while also being able to devour the pie in manageable bites.

Years Past

May 7, 2017

May 7, 2016

May 7, 2015

May 7, 2012

May 7, 2010

May 7, 2006

May 7, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 07, 2018 at 06:45 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday Reading

It's Sunday night and we're tapped out. So here's a great article on umami by Helen Rosner in The New Yorker. There's this tutorial on All Sorts Of Beef Jerky over at Madame Huang's Kitchen. An entertaining and thought provoking discussion of The Avengers, Infinity War by Chuck Wendig. And, finally, some inspiration from two men who turned an ugly incident into an opportunity for high school entrepreneurs in Philly.

Years Past

May 6, 2017

May 6, 2016

May 6, 2015

May 6, 2012

May 6, 2010

May 6, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 06, 2018 at 06:45 PM in Balancing Tastes, Beyond the Kitchen Doors | Permalink | Comments (2)

Bacon and Egg Salad Burger

I'm all for a runny-yolked egg on a burger. But I recently discovered that egg salad makes for its own decadent addition. It combines the textural element of guacamole with the creamy flavor of deviled eggs. The downside is the advance planning needed to make it happen. Tonight I got lucky, there happened to be egg salad in the fridge. If I were running a burger joint, I'd certainly have the egg salad ugrade as a menu option. In the same breath, I suddenly see egg salad on our fried chicken sandwich--coming soon.

Years Past

May 5, 2016

May 5, 2012

May 5, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 05, 2018 at 05:36 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

OCD

I'm the kind of person who arranges their chicken wings on the rack with the flats in the middle and drumettes on the outside. Because they cook more evenly when arranged properly. A little bit of obsession can be a key component in good cooking. FYI, these were salted, laid out on a rack and refrigerated a couple of hours in advance. I started them in a cold oven and then cooked them at 400°F, convection for about an hour. Served with salad and a Korean dipping sauce (Check the wing recipe in Maximum Flavor for the recipe). Crispy, juicy, and finger-licking good.

Years Past

May 4, 2017

May 4, 2016

May 4, 2015

May 4, 2012

May 4, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 04, 2018 at 06:25 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salting Your Tomatoes

What makes a great tomato even better? Slicing and seasoning it at least 15 minutes and up to an hour before serving it. Just as with protein, that extra bit of time to let the salt penetrate makes all the difference. In addition to great flavor, it softens the flesh and releases the juices so that each bite bursts with the essence of great tomatoes. Great food is all in the small details.

Years Past

May 3, 2017

May 3, 2016

May 3, 2015

May 3, 2012

May 3, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 03, 2018 at 07:43 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Weed Patch 2018

I bought the monster soapstone sink off of Craigslist when we were in New Hampshire. I had plans of using it in our workshop as a massive pot sink. My ambition was far larger than my ability to make it happen. The sink sat in our garage. Then I moved it, with some serious help, to the barn. It sat there until we were moving back to Pennsylvania. I almost convinced my aunt to take the sink to her country house. But my charm was not as good as I thought. We moved the sink to our new house. The movers placed it on the edge of our covered porch next to the wood oven. I needed to find a use for this sink. It was now well traveled and I was committed. Rather I should have been committed. The sink sat on our porch for 2.5 years. I entertained the idea of hooking it up as an outdoor sink. I thought long and hard about converting the sink into some sort of outdoor grill. Both never happened. Yesterday we were getting herbs for this years weed patch. At one nursery I saw plenty of re-purposed items used to plant and hold an array of green things. It finally hit me. The sink would make an amazing and beautiful planter. We bought our go to herbs: globe basil, lovage (ours didn't survive the winter), parsley and an old favorite nasturtiums. We turned the planting into a family affair and we all took turns getting dirty and laughing. The planter is in place by our back door for easy herb access. I now look at the sink with great pleasure instead of tremendous uncertainty. It only took a few years to get there.

Years Past

May 2, 2017

May 2, 2016

May 2, 2015

May 2, 2014

May 2, 2013

May 2, 2012

May 2, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on May 02, 2018 at 07:19 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jule's Organic Ice Cream Bars

These Ice Cream Bars by Jules Organic are one of my new favorite indulgences. They are delicious, not too large, chocolate coated ice cream bars that I can feel good about eating. I have a thing about RGBH and rBST that I just can't shake. While my two favorite Haagen Daaz flavors are non-gmo, it's a work in progress. It's important to me that food we eat at home with Amaya is food that we can all feel great about. Jules Organic ice cream treats fit the bill. We've also tried their ice cream sandwiches and fudge bars and Amaya and I are both fans. With summer coming, I will definitely be keeping a supply of these in my freezer.

Years Past

May 1, 2017

May 1, 2016

May 1, 2015

May 1, 2012