IDEAS IN FOOD: Approach to Cooking

The Best Pot Clips Ever

There has never been a great pot clip for thermometers. There have been plenty of adequate at best and multiple hack-able solutions. When Breville-Polyscience introduced the Control °Freak they changed the game with induction burners. But they also had a brilliant solution with there pot clip. It is a round silicone ball that fits over the lip of most pots and has 2 slits for the thermometer. When the Control °Freak was first introduced the pot clips were only available with the induction burner. But in kitchens, sometimes you need multiple pot clips and not every situation calls for the precision the Control °Freak offers. Sometimes you want a pot, a thermometer and a burner. But the damn thermometer does not easily stay in the pot. Thankfully the folks at Breville-Polyscience now sell the pot clip. I don't know what I have done without them for so long. Good thing I just bought 5.

You're Welcome.

Years Past

Septermber 7, 2018

September 7, 2017

September 7, 2016

September 7, 2015

September 7, 2014

September 7, 2013

September 7, 2012

September 7, 2011

September 7, 2010

September 7, 2009

September 7, 2008

September 7, 2007

September 7, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on September 07, 2019 at 04:45 PM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ribs and Beans

Taking advantage of grilling season...

Years Past

September 5, 2018

September 5, 2017

September 5, 2016

September 5, 2015

September 5, 2014

September 5, 2013

September 5, 2012

September 5, 2011

September 5, 2010

September 5, 2009

September 5, 2008

September 5, 2007

September 5, 2006

September 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 September 05, 2019 at 06:24 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the Shadow of Pie

While the crisp lies in the shadow of pie it is the master of dessert. The crisp allows for improvisational combinations and is not subject to advance preparation. Crisps are not subject to conventions and size constraints. The key to a crisp is more fruit than you would think appropriate and more thickener to absorb and capture all the amazing juices. Having some vanilla ice cream on hand is a bonus.

Years Past

September 4, 2018

September 4, 2017

September 4, 2016

September 4, 2015

September 4, 2014

September 4, 2013

September 4, 2012

September 4, 2011

September 4, 2010

September 4, 2009

September 4, 2008

September 4, 2007

September 4, 2006

September 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 September 04, 2019 at 07:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finding Thin Air

Years Past

August 28, 2015

August 28, 2012

August 28, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 28, 2019 at 06:33 PM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

International Inspirations

It is always exciting to come across imported candies. They have a style that is different than what we are exposed to on a daily basis. Aki and I had the good fortune to tour the Cadbury Factory in New Zealand. That experience has stayed with me for years. The exposure to the chocolates has had me constantly searching out confections from outside the USA for new looks, techniques, flavors and ideas. Today I picked up a some bars of delight, featuring honeycomb, air bubbles and pop rocks.

Years Past

August 26, 2012

August 26, 2011

August 26, 2008

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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

Posted on August 26, 2019 at 06:53 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Also Known As

Doughnut kouign amann. We use the trimmings from our meltaway doughnuts to make these magnificent marvels. The finished doughnut has a crisp crackling exterior. The interior is full of buttery, sweet and decadent layers of dough. We named them AKA's for also known as. It made sense to me.

Years Past

August 23, 2015

August 23, 2012

August 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 August 23, 2019 at 05:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salt and Grill

I have always thought of ribs as a slow cooked meat. Ribs are time sensitive. They take time to cook. That is the lore I have always been told and believed. Aki came home with a rack of baby back ribs. Her plan was to cut them into individual ribs, salt, rest for a couple of hours, and then do a quick grill over high heat. She got the idea here. I looked at her with serious doubt. I watched her prepare the ribs, making sure to carefully removing the membrane on the back of the ribs, another detail I often scoff at.

When it was time to grill, I jumped in to cook the ribs. If there was a miracle on rib street, I wanted to see it. I put the ribs on a ripping hot grill and let them cook covered for a few minutes. I turned them and closed the lid again. At this point the ribs were sizzling and browning. I flipped them a few more times and poked them as well to feel for doneness. When the ribs were firm and felt juicy I pulled them off and let them rest on a plate for 5 minutes. We sat down to the plate of ribs and went to town. The meat had a beautiful char, a crispy chew, and rich juiciness. We're definitely making these again.

Years Past

August 22, 2015

August 22, 2012

August 22, 2011

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 22, 2019 at 05:33 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (1)

Differences

We measure and pay attention to the little pieces, because when they are connected they become memorable.

Years Past

August 21, 2015

August 21, 2011

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 August 21, 2019 at 05:23 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingredient Exchange

I like recipes that allow me to customize the results. We start with a solid foundation. Then we explore the potential of interchangeable parts. Today we changed the sugar in our shortbread from powdered sugar to maple. The maple sugar shortbread is rich and decadent. It has a caramelized undertone and has a luxurious feel. It is a shortbread that makes you pay attention to it. The plan was to make a maple shortbread for maple crumbs for doughnuts. The result has me rethinking the flavor potential of sugar.

Years Past

August 20, 2015

August 20, 2012

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 August 20, 2019 at 06:25 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Idea

Years Past

August 19, 2015

August 19, 2012

August 19, 2011

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 19, 2019 at 05:28 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chasing the Chew

The success of an idea is measured on whether it can be brought to life. Our new-don noodles are tender, chewy, and slightly slippery. They have a distinct resiliency. The noodles can withstand the rough dressing of a dry stir-fry style as well as a saucy sauce. They are not like any udon I have eaten. They eat like the udon I wish existed.

Years Past

August 17, 2015

August 17, 2012

August 17, 2011

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 August 17, 2019 at 05:45 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Simplest Tomato Salad

Freshly picked basil and cherry tomatoes, split, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. This rests happily at room temperature, the flavors mingling and merging, while you make the rest of the meal--even if that just means slicing up a baguette and pulling out some butter. If you love basil, eat it as is. If you like basil, remove the leaves before eating. Their flavor will still linger with subtlety rather than punch. Either way it's the perfect taste of summer.

Years Past

August 15, 2015

August 15, 2012

August 15, 2011

August 15, 2010

August 15, 2009

August 15, 2008

August 15, 2007

August 15, 2006

August 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 August 15, 2019 at 04:38 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

New-don Noodles

Years ago we used a starch paste in making our masa cavatelli. For some reason we did not think to make the connection to apply it to long noodles. Until recently. We are currently exploring thick, chewy, and slurpable udon noodles. We make a starch paste with cornstarch and use that paste to hydrate and make the noodles. The results are tender, chewy and crushable. We shall continue to tinker as we work towards a recipe we can leave alone.

Years Past

August 14, 2015

August 14, 2011

August 14, 2010

August 14, 2009

August 14, 2008

August 14, 2007

August 14, 2006

August 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 August 14, 2019 at 04:29 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Perfection and Imperfection

Years Past

August 13, 2012

August 13, 2011

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 13, 2019 at 05:41 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, Beyond the Kitchen Doors, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't Stop Trying

Years Past

August 11, 2011

August 11, 2008

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 11, 2019 at 04:14 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Steal and Stack

Years Past

August 9, 2015

August 9, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 09, 2019 at 05:29 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Springers

I have taken the name and adapted it to an idea. The caramel apples were delicious. But they did not allow the doughnuts or the apples to shine to my satisfaction. Today we formed strips of our meltaway dough on skewers and fried them. They have a spring-like appearance. They cook up fantastically crisp with a bit of a chew. They are both fun to eat and deliciously satisfying.

Years Past

August 8, 2015

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 08, 2019 at 06:04 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (1)

Allowed to Grow

Our volunteer basil plant is representative of a forgotten idea. Its initial appearance brought a smile and some attention. We payed attention to it and even watered it a few times. Then we forgot about it again. The basil developed and matured without us. I looked over at the plant one day and appreciated its beauty and growth. I harvested a few leaves and then left it alone again. It's increased size may catch my eye more often earning a bit more attention now. Perhaps we'll even water and trim it as our desire for basil increases in its presence.

Years Past

August 7, 2012

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 August 07, 2019 at 05:17 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ripening Under a Blanket

We have found that letting fruit rest under a light cloth at room temperature prevents fruit flies and allows the fruit to slowly become ripe. One unexpected benefit is that when you draw the cloth aside the fruits aroma rushes up at you and makes your mouth water. This is the first summer we have begun using this method. We will continue to test and observe to see if the perceived benefits hold up over the long haul.

Years Past

August 6, 2015

August 6, 2012

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 August 06, 2019 at 05:28 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pickle Corn and Corn Dogs

We often have a few ears of corn left over from corn on the cob nights. The steamed corn is a canvas for flavors. Aki dressed our most recent batch of corn with spicy pickle juice. I thought it was brilliant and it tasted delicious. She had made pickle corn. It turns out she served the pickle corn with hot dogs. I topped my dogs with a generous amount of the corn, making corn dogs. Simple connections became delicious results.

Years Past

August 5, 2015

August 5, 2012

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 August 05, 2019 at 06:51 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Adventures in Doughnutland

We now have 11 base doughs and 10 additional doughnuts created using the trimmings. You never what you'll find when you come to Doughnutland.

Years Past

August 4, 2015

August 4, 2012

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 August 04, 2019 at 05:56 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, Curiosity Doughnuts, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pistachio Biscotti

Because when the cookie jar is full ideas can come from everywhere.

Years Past

August 3, 2015

August 3, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 03, 2019 at 04:38 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Strawberry Skewers

We are able to make most of our doughnut holes into doughnut clusters. But a few of our doughs resist becoming a cluster. We have stopped making clusters with our not quite vegan dough and instead make additional beignets. I tried making clusters with our meltaway dough but the layers in the dough caused the doughnut clusters to splay apart when we fried them. The doughnut holes were delicious bites. But the clusters were not well formed. As I thought about the holes I wondered if we could skewer them and fry them together as one long doughnut on a stick. Today we put the idea into action. The holes held together beautifully on the skewer and created a doughnut kabob. We coated them with our vanilla-buttermik glaze and dusted them with strawberry crumbs. Eating the doughnut skewer was as much fun as making it.

Years Past

August 2, 2015

August 2, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 02, 2019 at 05:09 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Caramel Apples

We take the cuttings from the first roll of our meltaway doughnuts and then we roll them into a new dough. We take that and cut it into into squares, scoring the tops to encourage an opening when they are fried. Once cooked, we tuck dried apples cooked in caramel sauce into the crevices. The result is an apple fritter-esque experience. This new addition to our entourage is called a springer.

Years Past

August 1, 2015

August 1, 2012

August 1, 2009

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on August 01, 2019 at 06:09 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (1)

Coffee and Tea

We have had coffee and tea glazes in use at the shop for some time. But it has taken until the other day to create coffee and tea crumbs. We combine instant coffee with shortbread and white chocolate for the coffee crumbs. We grind earl grey tea with shortbread and white chocolate for the tea crumbs. These crumbs allow us to add these flavors as accents to our other glazes. The flavor of coffee and tea can compliment instead of take the main focus.

Years Past

July 30, 2015

July 30, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on July 30, 2019 at 05:09 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Everything Cavatelli

Everything always comes around again.

Everything Cavatelli

400 grams ap flour

25 grams everything bagel seasoning

2 grams baking soda

400 grams whole milk ricotta

Combine the flour, everything seasoning and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and use your fingers to combine. Continue to bring the mixture together until it forms a dough. Put the dough onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until smooth and silky. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic or vacuum seal, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before shaping pasta.

You will need a rolling pin, flour for dusting, and a butter knife or a bench scraper to shape the cavatelli by hand. Have a floured sheet pan at the ready on which to rest the finished pasta. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/4". Cut them into strips approximately 1/2" thick. Cover the extra strips with a damp towel so the dough doesn't dry out while you are making the cavatelli. Cut 1/2" squares using a butter knife or bench scraper. Turn each square diagonally and then drag your butter knife of bench scraper at a 45-degree angle along the square, from left to right, The pasta will curl along the edge of your implement, leaving you with a beautifully shaped cavatelli. It may take a few tries to master the technique, once you develop a rhythm things move quickly.

Lay the finished pasta out on a lightly floured sheet tray and cook immediately or freeze. Once frozen, transfer the cavatelli to a plastic bag and keep frozen until ready to use, up to 1 month. You can cook the pasta directly from the freezer.

Posted on July 29, 2019 at 06:17 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

I Don't Understand Tomahawk Steaks

I do not understand the tomahawk steak. As a consumer I am paying whatever it is per pound for a huge bone stripped of meat. I much prefer a small handle-like bone to maneuver the steak around the pan. Heck, the giant bone won't even fit in most pans.

Years Past

July 28, 2012

July 28, 2010

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 July 28, 2019 at 04:07 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Summer Gruel

We have been making fresh corn polenta for 10 years now. We have a fun recipe for it in Maximum Flavor. Today I wondered what would happen if we added a few tablespoons of instant masa to the polenta. I was hoping to add the toasted and round richness of nixtamilized corn to the fresh sweet corn. I was also looking for a small amount of thickening. The instant masa achieved both. I believe next time we will add a bit more masa to our scraped corn. For a first run it was a delicious evolution.

Years Past

July 27, 2015

July 27, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

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Posted on July 27, 2019 at 06:31 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chowderized

I have come to realize that I do not like most soups. However, if I incorporate some dairy, potatoes and a touch of something smokey I am willing to sit down and crush several bowls of my creation. I made a corn and black cod chowder. I started with diced mirepoix that I cooked in olive oil and seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes. I added potatoes and a blend of liquids. I used white wine, clam broth, cream and milk as the base. I seasoned it with liquid smoke, soy sauce and some hot sauce. When the potatoes were cooked I took most of the broth and pureed it with corn. I poured the corn base back over the chowder and added additional corn and the black cod. Amaya finished the chowder with my odd ball ingredient, sun dried tomatoes. We added these for brightness and added savoriness in the bowl. It was the perfect summer supper, somehow light and hearty and utterly satisfying.

Years Past

July 26, 2015

July 26, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

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Posted on July 26, 2019 at 06:30 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

The New Meltaway

I grew up eating meltaway coffee cakes. The meltaway was the signal that it was a holiday, a special occasion, or (in later years) that my parents were coming to visit. The meltaway was a coffee cake, rich with butter and made, I believe, with a laminated dough. The only major doughnut dough we had not explored in Doughnutland was a laminated dough. I knew deep fried croissants were delicious, after first trying one when Francisco Migoya did it years ago. As a doughnut maker I was definitely not going to make the hybrid doughnut-croissant dough that Dominique Ansel created and made famous with his Cronut. I needed to make something of my own.

It has taken four years of doughnut making to become comfortable enough in my own skin to explore a laminated a.k.a. croissant doughnut. I started with a basic croissant dough and started tinkering. I increased the butter and added sugar and vanilla. The result was a laminated doughnut, rich, decadent buttery and, surprisingly, at first bite it was the spitting image in both flavor and texture of the meltaway. This was an unplanned effect and a very welcome discovery. My first, second and third bites reinforced my confidence in the creation. It looks like a doughnut, it has layers like a Cronut, and it eats like a meltaway. I could not be happier with dough number 11 in the line up at Curiosity Doughnuts.

In the immortal words of Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap, "These go to eleven."

Years Past

July 25, 2015

July 25, 2012

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Posted on July 25, 2019 at 05:23 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Bakers Dozen, Balancing Tastes, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dough-Notebook

Sometimes what you need falls into your shopping cart.

Years Past

July 23, 2015

July 23, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on July 23, 2019 at 06:14 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marshmallow Madness

I have been working on bringing homemade marshmallows back to the shop. In the past we have used a variety of recipes, most recently cribbing the work of Stella Parks, from her incredible book Brave Tart: Iconic American Desserts. I started there again, but wanted a recipe with fewer ingredients. I did not want to have to buy corn syrup in order to make marshmallows. I draw the line in the sand in many weird places. My first version was a crystallized mess. As was my second, third and fourth versions. Finally I realized I needed a bit of invert sugar, corn syrup, to prevent crystallization. Since I was not planning on using corn syrup I figured I could invert the sugar by adding acid to the sugar syrup. Version 6 was a failure as the excessive amount of acid I added interfered with the gelling of the marshmallow. I made sour marshmallow fluff. (Perhaps an idea for the future.) In version 7 I cut the amount of acid I used, citric, and achieved marvelously light and delicate marshmallows. Tinkering is a process.

Years Past

July 22, 2015

July 22, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on July 22, 2019 at 06:25 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (1)

Strawberry Custard

The summer heat has focused our attention on our filled doughnuts. Cynthia mentioned that the Boston Cream was not selling like it used to. She wondered about a fruit flavored custard to take the doughnut in a new direction. Her initial idea was raspberry. Ryan heard strawberry. The result was delicious. We modified our custard recipe. Instead of dairy we used strawberry and passion fruit purees. We kept the rest of the recipe the same. We The lightened the cooled custard with sweetened whipped cream to make an ethereal filling. We topped the doughnuts with our vanilla buttermilk glaze and roasted doughnut crumbs. We topped the strawberry custard with a sprinkle of strawberry crumbs. Summers heat showed us the path to take to beat it.

Years Past

July 21, 2015

July 21, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

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Posted on July 21, 2019 at 05:43 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chasing Childhood

One of my favorite sandwiches was a peanut butter and jelly spread onto a toasted English muffin. The hot bread melted the peanut butter and the jelly remained a touch cool. The sandwich crackled and oozed as I ate it. Recently I had the chance to share the idea with Amaya. I spread peanut butter and jelly between two slices of bread. I refrigerated the sandwich. Later in the day I put the sandwich in the toaster. The bread toasted. The peanut butter warmed. The jelly remained slightly cool. I let Amaya have the first bite. I let her have the second and third bites as well. She was lost in the sandwich. When she paused, I distracted her long enough to get myself a bite of a memory. It was fantastic.

Years Past

July 19, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on July 19, 2019 at 05:15 PM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Playing With Pierogi

It is difficult to begin tinkering without a strong point of reference. I have eaten pierogi in modern American restaurants and purchased frozen pierogi to cook at home. But I do not have an authentic experience to copy and build upon. I started with a sour cream based pierogi dough. The dough was extremely tender and doughy. It had a dumpling like quality that I wrapped around a horseradish cheese filling. I used our pot-sticker style cooking method. The top was soft and the bottom was crispy.

But really, the whole thing from was a nightmare. The dough was too tender and while it kept the filling in place it did not make for an enjoyable eating experience. And my "on the fly" horseradish cheese filling was a creamy disaster with too much heat and an overly fluid cheese.

Now that I have my own baseline, I have a point of reference to build upon.

Years Past

July 17, 2015

July 17, 2009

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 July 17, 2019 at 04:39 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Own Your Point of View

Years Past

July 16, 2015

July 16, 2012

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 July 16, 2019 at 06:15 PM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salsa Simmered Scrambled Eggs

I had never had scrambled eggs simmered in salsa before. I watched in amazement as the eggs were hard scrambled. When all the eggs were scrambled they were put into a pot of spicy simmering salsa. The eggs were cooked a second time, absorbing the salsa and becoming moist and juicy. The eggs were served with grilled tortillas for a delicious make your own breakfast taco.

It turns out we have explored simmering eggs in sauce before, only in a completely different context.

Years Past

July 14, 2015

July 14, 2012

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 July 14, 2019 at 05:55 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blueberries Dressed in Syrup

I had never thought of storing blueberries, destined for topping yogurt, in a flavored simple syrup. Then I watched our good friend Anthony Goncalves' team putting together yogurt parfaits for an event. I actually thought they were pulling the berries out of water, which I thought was washing the fruit. I was puzzled at first. I asked about the wet fruit and was corrected on my assumption. The water was a simple syrup flavored with cinnamon and orange zest. The syrup coated the berries and dressed the fresh fruit with a flavorful accent. The simplicity of the idea has me asking what other fruits and vegetables we should be lightly dressing.

Years Past

July 12, 2015

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 July 12, 2019 at 06:28 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Doughnuts Now On Saturdays at Princeton

We are thrilled to announce that beginning this weekend (July 13) we are adding Saturdays to our doughnut pop up schedule in the Whole Foods Market in Princeton, NJ. Doughnuts will be available from 9:15am until we sell out, generally by 1:00pm. Come and get your doughnuts!

Years Past

July 11, 2015

July 11, 2012

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 July 11, 2019 at 04:53 PM in Approach to Cooking, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yuzu Kosho: We Put That S..t on Everything

Whether you make your own or discover a brand you enjoy, having yuzu kosho in your pantry is essential. I think my only limitation in using it is when I see we are getting low and am unwilling to run out. That's when I hold back when really I should use it up and make sure to better stock our pantry.

Years Past

July 10, 2015

July 10, 2012

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 July 10, 2019 at 06:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

What I'm Reading

It's that time of year, well, honestly, it's always time for ice cream at our house. Due to the limited number of ice creams available in our area the debate between Haagen Daaz (me) and Ben & Jerry's (Alex) is always in play. Amaya has favorites from both categories and those who know us will confirm that there is always a minimum of eight flavors in the freezer at any given time. Unfortunately both offer favorite brands seems to have changed their formulations. Neither of them has been living up to their expectations in recent months and so I've been delving into the ice cream section of our library. The situation is dire so I reached for David Lebovitz's book: The Perfect Scoop, rather than one of the many other books on our shelves. Because even though he doesn't specialize in ice cream, as many others do, his recipes always work. I don't say this lightly. I have never tried a recipe of his that failed or failed to be delicious. That's pretty much the biggest compliment I can give to any food writer. So as the temperature ratchets up, I'm settling down with a good book and trying to decide which flavor to use to break in my ice cream machine.

Of course I've just noticed that there's a revised and updated version of this book out. I'll have to stretch my budget so I can add it to my collection. Something to look forward to, in the very near future.

Years Past

July 9, 2015

July 9, 2012

July 9, 2009

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 July 09, 2019 at 02:54 PM in Approach to Cooking, Books, From the Bookshelves, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Fascinated By The Flavor of Butter

For years we have been making the Butter Burger. For years I have scoffed at the idea of serving burgers on brioche buns. Tonight we made burgers, seasoned only with salt. We topped them with smoked cheddar cheese. (The importance of smoke is a whole other rabbit hole.) We served the burgers on brioche buns.

As I ate, the tender bread barely holding up to the cheese-laden patties, I had an epiphany. It is the butter in brioche that makes it a desirable burger bun. The butter flavor enhances the meat and adds another level of savoriness to the sandwich. Now it looks like we need to explore a butter-centric burger bun with substance that can handle the juiciness of a few griddled burgers.

Years Past

July 7, 2015

July 7, 2012

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 July 07, 2019 at 06:34 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pot Sticker Style Pierogies

The steam saute is our go to method for cooking dumplings. We have applied the approach to tortellini. It only made sense to cook pierogies the same way. We melted butter in the pan and added frozen pierogi. When they started to sizzle we added a half a cup of water and covered the pan.

We removed the lid after 5 minutes and let the rest of the water cook away. The steamed pierogi where then able to finish sauteing in the butter. The tops were tender and the bottoms crispy.

Years Past

July 5, 2018

July 5, 2015

July 5, 2012

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 July 05, 2019 at 07:32 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Four Minute Steaks

These were an unexpected find in the local supermarket in the Poconos. They were thin and cooked quickly on the grill. Each steak was a perfect serving for one, rich, flavorful, meaty and delicious. Sometimes a quick cooking method is all you need.

Years Past

July 3, 2015

July 3, 2012

July 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 July 03, 2019 at 07:58 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shoulder Chops

These are the hidden gems of the meat department.

Years Past

July 1, 2015

July 1, 2012

July 1, 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 July 01, 2019 at 07:00 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Doughnut Parts and Pieces

chocolate yeasted, cruller, vanilla yeasted

sourdough, spiral, not quite vegan

new fashioned apple cider, potato, angel

not pictured: supercake

We produce 10 different doughnut doughs daily. Nine are pictured. The cuttings and leftovers allow us to produce nine spare parts doughnuts, eight of them are pictured. The variety allows me to harness my crazy. It allows me, on any given day, to have the doughnut I am in the mood for.

angel pillow, cider stick, potato twist

cluster, thumbprint

doughnut bread pudding, beignets, marble

not pictured: sourdough bar

Years Past

June 28, 2015

June 28, 2012

June 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 June 28, 2019 at 05:39 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vegan Huney

It's not funny, it's apple syrup.

Years Past

June 26, 2015

June 26, 2012

June 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 June 26, 2019 at 06:41 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dry Heat

Observing the process of the reverse sear has me wondering if low temperature cooking could be improved by using low temperature dry heat. The low temperature oven allows the meat to cook slowly and the exterior to dry. The dried exterior, a pellicle, sears quickly and evenly. It dawned on me that the greatest improvement to low temperature cooking might be removing the moisture, rather than confining it.

Years Past

June 25, 2015

June 25, 2012

June 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 June 25, 2019 at 05:39 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Grilled Cheese

Bread

Cheese

Fat

Three ingredients with a limitless upside. There is no right nor wrong. But there are as many opinions on the proper arrangement of the ingredients as there are ways to combine them.

Years Past

June 24, 2015

June 24, 2012