Hallmark Magazine's food blog: Foodstuff

UglyRipe tomatoes

Tue, 08 May 2007 16:24:21 GMT

Santa Sweets, a tomato grower in Plant City, Florida, won a court battle this past January to be able to market an heirloom hybrid tomato called UglyRipe outside of Florida. The UglyRipe had not been allowed to show its face outside Florida because the state's Tomato Committee (there's a committee for everything, isn't there?) declared that the tomato just didn't measure up to their beauty standards and was thus ruining Florida's reputation for pretty tomatoes (?!?). This has now been resolved and the UglyRipe can be sold in grocery stores--including Whole Foods--outside Florida. However at the moment UglyRipes may be hard to find because, with all the hoopla about them, the growers are having trouble keeping up with the demand. From all accounts--and I have not been able to find one myself--the UglyRipe may be ugly, but it is extremely tasty. The same grower also sells Santa Sweet grape tomatoes, and if they are any indication, I can't wait to actually get my hands on an UglyRipe. In any case, Florida stops shipping tomatoes out of state by June 15, so we still have a couple of weeks to see if we can locate the elusive UglyRipe.

Recipe of the Week: Garlicky Potato Dip

Fri, 04 May 2007 16:23:37 GMT

Everyone is familiar with bean dips, but how many of you have ever made an appetizer dip from potatoes? The texture of potatoes is really not a far stretch from the texture of beans, after all, and potatoes' comforting blandness is a perfect backdrop for all manner of herbs and spices. The dip recipe this week borrows from Greek cuisine. It's based on a Greek dish called skordalia--a mixture of potatoes, olive oil and lots of garlic--that in Greece could be served as a vegetable side dish as well as an appetizer. We added some baby spinach to our dip for added texture and color.

Coffee lovers on the go

Thu, 03 May 2007 16:22:39 GMT

I remember when I first got serious about coffee in my early twenties. I had moved past my grandmother's percolated coffee and my mother's freeze-dried instant coffee and had entered the world of whole-bean coffee and coffee grinders. At about the same time I discovered the French press method of brewing coffee, and I bought my first Melior (still have it and love it). This method of coffee brewing, for my money, produces the richest coffee, maybe because it still has very fine coffee grounds still in the brew. My nephew Bowen, who is 22 years old, has just made this same rite of passage. And since he's about to head out to California for graduate school where he will be in a car a lot (it being California and all), I thought this combination French press/travel mug would be the ideal gift. If you know anyone who has gotten serious about coffee and wants their home brew to be portable, check out the Hector mug, $22 at Active Gear.

Planting pumpkins for their seeds

Tue, 01 May 2007 16:22:10 GMT

If you're a gardener who lives in the temperate zones, you're probably making plans for what to put in your garden this year. So here's an idea: How about planting kakai pumpkins? They weigh between 5 and 8 pounds each and have dark green stripes. But here's the cool part: Inside are large, hull-less, dark-green (almost black) seeds, which are delicious roasted. *Health bonus: The kakai is related to the pumpkin used to make Austrian pumpkin seed oil, which has been found in a number of European studies to be extremely good for prostate health. Each plant will produce 2 to 3 pumpkins in 100 days. The plants are described as "semi-bush, short-vine," which I take to mean that they take up less room than a standard pumpkin plant. You can get a packet of 30 seeds for $3 from Johnny's Selected Seeds. Or, if you have an empty field available, you can buy 25 pounds (55,000 seeds) for $1,250.

Recipe of the Week: Snow Pea Salad

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:21:37 GMT

If you haven't invested in a good lemon zester, then it's time to do it. I think the Microplane zester is the only way to go, and if you've never used one, you're in for a treat. Anyway, the reason that I'm going on about this is that the grated lemon zest in this week's Recipe of the Week is really what makes or breaks the salad dressing. Please don't be tempted to skip this ingredient just because you don't have a good zester. In fact, though not a perfect solution, you can use a vegetable peeler to take off a bit of the zest and then finely mince it with a knife.

Thoughts on food

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:21:08 GMT

Molly O'Neill--food writer, cookbook author, memoirist and (I'm sure this description would annoy her, but here goes anyway) the sister of Paul O'Neill, former outfielder for the New York Yankees--has put together an anthology of American food writing called (no surprise) American Food Writing ($40). The food essays are organized chronologically, beginning with early 19th-century foodie Thomas Jefferson and moving up through the decades past Herman Melville (who writes about chowder in Moby-Dick), Emily Dickinson (who sends her friend a recipe for a brandied fruit cake), Gertrude Stein (who delivers a long, unpunctuated ramble on the nature of American food), Langston Hughes (on soul food) and Rex Stout (with a porterhouse steak recipe from his gourmand character Nero Wolfe). The last half of the book includes a long string of more contemporary food writers, including Calvin Trillin, Laurie Colwin, John Thorne, Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins (who by the way have just published a 25th anniversary edition of their now-classic Silver Palate Cookbook) and tons more. All in all there are 162 entries, including lots of recipes. And O'Neill has written nice little notes to put the food essays into historical context. It will take you a while to read (that's a good thing), and by the end you will have seen the interesting arc that American food has taken in the 250 years that writers have to bothered to record their thoughts on the subject.

Recipe of the Week: Giant Oatmeal Muffins with Peaches & Ginger

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:20:30 GMT

I have a problem with muffins these days. Somewhere along the line they turned into cupcakes: high fat, too sweet. I say that a muffin should be only slightly sweet and if you want to get your sugar fix, then get it by spreading the muffin with jam. So, these Oatmeal Muffins with Peaches & Ginger are not cupcakes. I hesitate to call them health muffins, but in contrast to the standard cupcake-style muffin I guess they sort of are. I definitely made an effort to make them healthy (especially because they are Texas sized). I used toasted oats for an added "nutty" flavor without added fat. And the rest of the fat in the muffin comes from very healthful, polyunsaturated sources that are also high in healthful omega-3 fatty acids: ground walnuts and walnut oil. The sweetness comes from some dark brown sugar, peaches and crystallized ginger. And they are made with just egg whites and no yolks. So there. And from our Recipe Test Panel: One tester substituted 1 cup of whole-wheat flour for one of the 3 cups of all-purpose called for. Another used grated carrots instead of the peaches. And a third used the muffin batter to make a loaf, which she served with reduced-fat vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Pasta sauce by the spoon

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:20:02 GMT

from Amy Palanjian: My measure of great pasta sauce is if I will happily eat it with a spoon. That means no pasta, just the pure sauce. And while I think I make a pretty good version at home, I’ve just found my new ready-to-serve favorite: Donatella Arpaia’s Puttanesca. It’s absolutely loaded with olives and capers and it’s the only sauce on the market that is made from fresh San Marzano tomatoes straight off of the vine—every other sauce is made with canned tomatoes, regardless of where they are from or who’s making them. I have their Arrabiata sauce at home, which I’m saving for a rainy night in, but I’m going to do my best to keep at least a jar or two of Donatella's sauces on hand for when I need a quick meal in a pinch. She also makes a delicious Marinara and an Essential Sauce, which are perfect for tossing with fresh basil and capellini. Try any of them with your favorite pasta--or by the spoon straight from the jar. $24 for a tri-pack (Marinara, Puttanesca and Arrabiata) at Whole Foods Markets nationwide or from donatellastyle.com.

Get a grip

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:19:29 GMT

The KitchenAid brand is most often associated with appliances--dishwashers, stoves, stand mixers, et.al.--but the company also has an extensive line of bakeware. The particular piece of bakeware that has caught my attention is a deep, square (9-inch) baking dish with silicone grips. Or, more precisely, what caught my attention was the silicone grips themselves. How many times have you brought a dish to the table that was too hot to pass around? The removable grips that come with the KitchenAid dish solve the problem. Once you take the hot dish out of the oven, you slip the two silicone "potholders" onto the sides and take it to the table, where everyone can pick the dish up without burning fingers. The dish comes in red and blue, and there are dozens more sizes and shapes in this same line, including oval gratin dishes, lasagna pans, pie dishes and loaf pans. The 9-inch square version sells for $35 at kitchenware stores or from the KitchenAid website.

Recipe of the Week: Linguine & Asparagus Frittata

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:19:01 GMT

As a nutritionally responsible person, I periodically try to find ways to make a frittata--one of my favorite dishes--without all of the eggs that typically go into it. In this week's recipe, I've improved the cholesterol content of the frittata by stretching the egg "batter" with some part-skim ricotta cheese and egg whites (in place of some of the whole eggs). This brings the per-serving amount of cholesterol to 140 milligrams, which is one-third lower in cholesterol than a single egg.

Casual cooking

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:18:31 GMT

From Amy Palanjian: I'm not sure there are many restaurants that I'd gladly eat at every day (I mean without fail, day after day after day). But there is one I'm very sure about: Foster's Market in North Carolina (one in Durham and one in Chapel Hill). I adore both locations: They have a rustic and very welcoming seat-yourself charm. And I also adore Sara Foster, chef and owner. She is releasing her third Foster's Market cookbook this April, called Sara Foster's Casual Cooking ($35), and it couldn’t come at a better time—I needed another installment! The food is straightforward and quick, with a definite layer of southern-style comfort. I can’t wait to try the Green Curry-Ginger Chicken Salad and the Breakfast Tostadas with Fried Eggs and Guacamole. And there’s an entire chapter on party dishes, with an endless variety of dips (Caramelized Onion, Curried Yogurt Dip with Fresh Cilantro, Roasted Red Pepper-Walnut Dip). I might just throw an appetizer-only dinner party in its honor.

Funnel of love

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:18:04 GMT

I am a complete sucker for kitchen gadgets and serving pieces in the shape of animals. It all started with a cow creamer years ago. I loved the idea of a cow-shaped pitcher delivering milk through its mooing mouth into my coffee. This led to a sizable collection of large pitchers in the shape of pigs. Then came the pie birds. I'm also especially fond of my penguin teapot. So, why would I not love these funnels in the shape of an elephant's head? These wonderfully whimsical kitchen tools were designed by the late Ionel Panait, a Rumanian-born French poet, mathematician, painter and designer of fun stuff. You can order them for $10 each from Pylones, a Paris-based store with branches in New York City.

Recipe of the Week: Double-Pea Soup

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:17:21 GMT

Green peas and fresh mint are natural partners. They both comfortably straddle the flavor line between sweet and savory, and perfectly complement one another. In the traditional pairing of these two ingredients, fresh garden peas are cooked with fresh mint and lettuce (which provides moisture without having to add water). So I was thinking, what if you took mint and used it to make a broth and then cooked split peas in it? This would give you a nice pea soup with all of those bright flavors in it. How about adding some lettuce too, for a little heft and absolutely no calories? And while I was up, I added diced red pepper and frozen green peas for color and texture. The resulting soup can be served hot (if you're making it in the early spring when it's still pretty chilly) or chilled (if you're making it in the summer). I would serve it along with a sandwich made with rye toast, a skim of Dijon mustard, thinly sliced Black Forest ham and gruyere, emmenthaler or jarlsberg cheese.

Grade B maple syrup

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:16:43 GMT

Maple syrup is one of my favorite ways to sweeten things (honey being the other), because it isn't just sweet--it actually has flavor. And because I like the flavor, I want my maple syrup to be really maple-y. This is why I prefer Grade B maple syrup. Grade A maple syrup, as I'm sure you're now wondering, is the commonest, most widely available type of maple syrup. It can range in maple flavor from quite delicate to somewhat robust. The more robust versions are usually labeled "amber," though this is a label designation that you will only find in high-end markets or if you visit a sugarhouse (the place where they boil down maple sap to make the syrup). On a side note, visiting a maple sugarhouse during the "sugaring off" season is a lot of fun. The normal maple season lasts 4 to 6 weeks, sometimes starting as early as February and lasting into late April, depending on the specific area. Vermont is perhaps the best known maple-syrup producing region in this country, but the rest of New England, New York State and the Great Lakes states also produce maple syrup.*** But back to Grade B maple syrup. This is the strongest and darkest "table grade" of maple syrup. I use it for everything, but it is generally regarded as the best option if you're baking, because the maple flavor will really punch through. There are a lot of places online that sell maple syrup, but not necessarily Grade B. Here's one place I found that does sell it in case you want to give it a try: Carmen Brook Maple & Dairy Farm.

Banish boring breakfast

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:15:37 GMT

Amy Palanjian weighs in on her new breakfast favorite: "I love granola. No, actually, I LOVE granola. I’ve been known to eat it with plain soy yogurt for breakfast for weeks and weeks on end. And I go through phases with my favorite brands: For a while I couldn't get enough of Bear Naked's Apple Cinnamon, then there was the month that I went back to the standard Kellogg's Low-Fat Cinnamon Raisin, and then there was the year when I kept my addiction fueled by making batches of it for myself. But, I have a new favorite and it might be the most interesting update of this old-fashioned breakfast in years. FEED Granola, started by two young (and cute!) guys from the West Village in New York City, has tantalizing flavors like Blueberry Banana Crunch (with dehydrated tiny red bananas) and Cranberry Coconut Spice (with big slices of coconut). And FEED goes one step further than most granolas--they have whole-grain oats, rye and barley, along with nuts, natural sweeteners like brown rice syrup and dried fruits. I know this sounds like a lot of oats (and fiber), but man, it's good. Go to feedgranola.com for availability and buying information."

Chicken Packets with Smoked Mozzarella

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:15:05 GMT

There are plenty of reasons for cooking food in a packet. In the classic French kitchen for example, one of the reasons for cooking food "en papillote" is that it makes a dramatic presentation at the table when the parchment paper is slit open to let the steam escape. And food cooked in the less dramatic (but more practical) foil packet shares the advantage of keeping the food moist and flavorful. There is also the argument that cooking food in a packet reduces clean-up. And last, but not least, it's a useful tool for portion control. This is certainly not the sexiest reason for cooking in a packet, but if you're looking to help your family become aware of how much food they're eating, then this cooking technique can be extremely useful. This week's recipe is for cheese-topped chicken cutlets on a bed of braised onion, red bell pepper and carrots. The nutrition stats are pretty good: only 254 calories, 9 grams of fat and 8 grams of net carbs per serving.

Tomato paste rant

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:09:55 GMT

How many times have you made a recipe that called for 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste? You scoop out what you need, put some plastic wrap over the can, stick it back in the fridge and then discover it weeks later all covered with a scary black substance. So then you throw the can away. I once wrote to Hunt's (or maybe it was Contadina) to ask them why they had to sell their product in steel cans. I wanted to know if there wasn't some packaging that would allow the consumer to keep the leftover tomato paste without it turning nasty colors. Well, no surprise, nobody wrote back to me. There is actually an interesting solution to this: tomato powder. Tomato powder can be reconstituted to tomato paste (or to sauce, if you add more water). You just spoon out what you need, mix it with water and voilà. The downside to tomato powder is that it is more costly than canned tomato paste, but if you factor in all the cans you throw away, it might actually end up a savings. If you're interested, you can check out a place called Barry Farm Foods. They have a lot of other interesting dried fruits and vegetables, too. (P.S. I do know about the trick of freezing tablespoons of leftover tomato paste, but it still annoys me that I have to do it.)

The incredible edible train

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:09:28 GMT

So if you have been reading my blog, you know I hate cupcakes. But that said, I actually love little cakes if they're baked in a funny shape. I have a sizable collection of pans that bake little cakes in the shapes of acorns and dinosaurs and rosebuds and castles and fish. I am always on the hunt for a new shape that I don't have. So I was delighted to find this wonderful pan that bakes cakes in the shape of train cars. When I was a kid, my mother used to make birthday cakes for me and my sisters in the shape of a train. The cake was laboriously constructed out of pound cakes all linked together, with a jellyroll sitting on top of a slab of pound cake to form an old-fashioned steam-powered engine. She used chocolate cigarettes to make the cow catcher, M&Ms in the coal car and peppermint candies for train wheels. She might have viewed this pre-formed train pan as the sissy's way out, but I think it's cool. You can buy the pan for $34 from Williams-Sonoma.

Recipe of the Week: Lemon-Garlic Broccoli & Sweet Onions

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:08:55 GMT

Broccoli is pretty good by its lonesome. But how could you resist dressing it up with the seductive flavors of lemon, garlic and sweet onion? And just a wee bit of butter? And on that topic: I make an effort--both personally and professionally--to cut back on the amount of saturated fat in recipes. But it's not an all-or-nothing proposition. It's about moderation and using ingredients like butter where they make sense. For example, take this week's recipe. The onion and garlic are cooked in healthful olive oil, but at the very end a bit of butter is stirred in. In this case, the amount of saturated fat in the recipe has been cut in half, but the sauce still has a buttery flavor.

The new hottest chili pepper

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:08:27 GMT

New Mexico has a huge chili pepper industry, so I guess it's not unusual that New Mexico State University would devote itself to the search for the world's hottest chili pepper. A couple of months ago, scientists at NMSU announced that they had found a chili pepper in northeastern India that claims the title. It is a pepper called Bhut Jolokia, which translates as ghost chili. The heat in a chili pepper is measured by something called a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU). It is an index that measures the amount of capsaicin (the substance that makes chilies taste hot) in a pepper. At the low end are cherry peppers (500 SHU), poblano (1,500) and pasilla (2,500). In the middle range are jalapeños (10,000), cayenne peppers (50,000) and tabasco peppers (75,000). Chilies with very high SHU scores include Thai chilies (100,000), habaneros (300,000) and red Savina (500,000).The Bhut Jokolia pepper weighs in at 1,001,304 SHU.

Snack dilemma solved

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:08:00 GMT

Amy Palanjian holds forth on finding her ideal snack food: "I have a hard time snacking. Not because I don’t like the idea of it (I really do), but because I can't figure out what to eat. On most days, I have either walnuts or almonds with my breakfast (on top of either granola or oatmeal), so a handful of nuts in the afternoon is out. Yogurt isn’t an option because I tend toward lactose intolerance. And I never feel like a piece of fruit is quite balanced enough for my blood sugar. Sure, this might all sound nit-picky, but I’ve asked around and many people have this same issue, which is why the 4 pm vending machine trip for candy or chocolate is so popular. So, when I heard about a new snack bar called SOYJOY about two weeks ago, I instantly knew that this would help my snack dilemma. At 140 calories, SOYJOY is not meant to be a meal replacement and it doesn’t have the awful cardboard taste of energy bars--it's meant to be grabbed when you need something healthy to tide you over. Perfect! And get this, they use whole soybeans, ground down and baked with real dried fruit into a muffin-ish bar (with a whopping 3 grams of fiber). It's subtly sweet and comes in four flavors: Berry (made with goji berries), Apple, Raisin-Almond and Mango-Coconut. And all four varieties are gluten-, GMO-, and preservative-free. The best part? They're now available at drugstores everywhere, so no matter where you live--or find yourself with a growling stomach--you can find a satisfying snack. $1.29 each at drugstores, supermarkets and soyjoy.com"

Recipe of the Week: Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:07:34 GMT

Chimichurri sauce is to Argentina what ketchup is to us. It's the ubiquitous condiment served with all manner of dishes. And it is an absolute must with grilled meat. Chimichurri sauces can vary from recipe to recipe, but the fundamental ingredients are olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic and hot pepper. For this week's recipe, we're offering a grilled flank steak and a chimichurri sauce that has, in addition to the standard ingredients, cilantro and pickled jalapeños. (We also took the liberty of cutting the amount of olive oil back a bit.)

Teenage girls and magnesium

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:07:10 GMT

In a recent study at Yale med school, scientists discovered that teenage girls with a higher magnesium intake have better bone mineral density. They determined this by studying 44 teenage girls (ages 14 to 18) who took either a magnesium supplement or a placebo for a year. At the end of the study, the supplement group had greater bone mineral content than the placebo group. The study authors are quick to caution that this does not mean young girls should start taking magnesium supplements. But the study does point out that magnesium is critical to optimum bone health in growing young women. We think that a good thing to do for your kids, especially if you have any teenage daughters, is get more magnesium into their diets. The RDA for magnesium for girls in the 14-18 year range is 360 mg. Here are some foods that will provide at least 30% of that in a single serving: 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 cup cooked spinach, 1 cup cooked wild rice, 1 cup cooked white or black beans, 4 ounces tofu, 5 ounces cooked halibut. [P.S. Six ounces of semisweet chocolate has 50% of the magnesium a teenager needs. Shhhh.]

Cupcake courier

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:06:17 GMT

I actually hate cupcakes. (Ask anyone.) But I do understand that I am in the minority. There are clearly people out there who delight in all the baking, frosting, decorating and fussing, because ultimately they are the same people who enjoy eating cupcakes. One of these cupcake lovers—a Californian mother of two named Jennifer Gunn—was plagued by the problem of transporting all of her lovingly baked and decorated cakelets, and so she invented The Cupcake Courier. The device comprises three stackable plastic trays, each of which holds 12 cupcakes (or muffins), a sturdy base and a top with a handle. You can buy the carrier for $33 (plus S&H) from The Cupcake Courier.

The winter sweet onion

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:12:12 GMT

Sweet onions like Vidalia (from Georgia) and Walla Walla (from Washington) were once a somewhat esoteric ingredient. These crisp, sweet (well, relative to other onions anyway) vegetables were available locally in the regions where they grew, but they didn't travel much. Part of this was because of their perishability (sweet onions do not keep as well as other onions) and part of it was because there was no consumer demand. Well, that's certainly all in the past, because most supermarkets now routinely carry sweet onions. Starting in the spring, there is a big influx of sweet onions from places in North America, but in the winter, sweet onions come from South America. If you really know your onions, you are already familiar with the OsoSweet onion, which grows in the Andes in Chile. But if you haven't ever had an OsoSweet, then hurry up, because the season for this winter onion lasts only through the end of March. Here's a recipe to inspire you: Citrus-Grilled Pork & Onion Salad

Grass roots product development

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:11:25 GMT

There has been a mini-trend among American manufacturers, at least those in the food industry, to invite the public to help them create new products. Kraft invites customers to "Innovate with Kraft", although the link is buried on their Contact Us page. Haagen-Dazs ice cream does it with their "Scoop: The Haagen-Dazs Flavor Search" contest, where customers suggest what Haagen-Dazs newest flavor should be (last year's winning flavor was Sticky Toffee Pudding). The current contest is still underway, and though it's too late to send in an idea, it's not too late to vote for one of the 10 finalists. Vote by March 16 at haagendazs.com. And one of my favorite customer-created products is a burger for a chain of restaurants called Red Robin, because it was created by a 9-year-old. The winner was Adrianna Montgomery from Raleigh, North Carolina. Her burger, called the Spicy Asian Burger, is made with beef, teriyaki sauce, wonton strips, Napa cabbage, sesame seeds and creamy ginger wasabi sauce. If you happen to be near a Red Robin restaurant (there are over 300 across the United States) between May 21 and July 15, you'll get to taste Adrianna's creation.

Recipe of the Week: Dilled Salmon Cakes

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:10:46 GMT

One of my favorite tricks for burgers (or other patties made from ground meat or fish) is to take the seasonings you would typically put ON the patty and put them IN the patty instead. So when I was dreaming up the salmon cakes for this week's Recipe of the Week, I took the flavors that typically go well with salmon--like tartar sauce and fresh dill--and used them to season the salmon cake mixture. I also kept the health profile of these cakes reasonable by using whole-grain bread crumbs, only egg whites (no yolks) to bind the mixture and a small amount of olive oil for pan-frying. I got some interesting responses from our Recipe Test Panel (which, if you are interested in joining you can click on the "Join Our Recipe Test Panel" link on the recipes home page). Some panelists thought the seasonings overpowered the salmon, others thought the seasonings were just right and still others thought the seasonings needed a little boosting. Just goes to show you how subjective food is.

Infused olive oils

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:00:42 GMT

From Amy Palanjian's recent trip to Napa Valley: "The first infused oil I ever tried was a blood orange olive oil. The flavor blew me away--I know that I love great olive oil, but to have another bright, lively flavor behind it is almost shocking (in the best way possible) to the taste buds. I soon had my entire family hooked on dipping toast into this liquid gold for breakfast. Recently, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in California's Napa Valley and while wandering along Main Street in the town of St. Helena, I came across the St. Helena Olive Oil store and decided to sample some of their infused oils. My two favorites were the basil-infused oil and the rosemary-infused oil, which are both made with California mission olives and fresh California grown herbs. They crush the herbs right along with the olives, so the flavor essence of the herbs are in the oil through and through. I couldn’t get past how bright the herbs flavors were--I mean it was cold and rainy outside, and certainly not the typical basil season, and there I was experiencing the best of my favorite summer herb. While dipping bread into the oils was absolutely delicious enough for me, the St. Helena Olive Oil company also recommends using them over spaghetti, roasted meats and salads, which I bet are great too. I would say that if you can get to Napa (and even if you can't), you should do your best to get your hands on some of this oil, and soon. It would be a great thing to keep on hand if you're throwing a dinner party--put some oil out in a pretty little bowl, cut up some crusty bread and your guests will be in appetizer heaven. Basil-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Rosemary-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil is $14 at St. Helena Olive Oil Company.

Recipe of the Week: Linguine with Avocado-Cilantro Pesto

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 04:00:40 GMT

In Italian, the word pesto derives from the verb pestare, which means to pound or crush. And although the word has come to mean a very specific combination of ingredients crushed together (fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese), it technically could apply to any ingredients pounded into a paste. This week's pasta recipe takes advantage of the more general meaning of pesto and makes a rich and creamy Mexican-style pasta sauce with avocados, pumpkin seeds, roasted peppers, cilantro and lime juice.

Chocolate & Zucchini

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 04:00:38 GMT

In my November 9, 2006, blog entry, I wrote about Dave's Law of Combinant Foods, a theory that proposes that if you like two foods individually, then you should like them in combination. Although the idea brings to mind some seemingly awful combinations, if you think about them a minute you realize that they probably could work. So naturally I was delighted to find out about a new cookbook (coming out in May 2007) called Chocolate & Zucchini. The author is a well-known, Paris-based food blogger named Clotilde Dusoulier. Her blog‑also called Chocolate & Zucchini‑started in 2003 as a diary of Dusoulier's food musings and passions. It was soon discovered by the media and became so popular that she has given up her day job to become a full-time food writer. Dusoulier's attitude toward food is in perfect synch with Dave's Law, starting with the title of her book and blog. It's not that it's her stated purpose to put two unlikely ingredients together. It's just that as a passionate cook she has the creative instinct to know when such things will work. Here are some examples from her cookbook that I think are cool: Broccoli and Apple Quiche, Pasta with Chocolate and Zucchini, French Toast with Two Tomatoes and Parmesan, Strawberry Avocado Ceviche, Tuna and Green Apple Mousse. The book also has plenty of less out-there recipes: good solid French dishes that range from the homey (Mustard Chicken Stew and Tarte Tatin) to restaurant-worthy (Gratinéed Chicken Soup with Pink Peppercorns and Creamy Mango Ricotta with Macadamia Crunch). And the book is very chatty (would you expect anything less from a blogger?). As Dusoulier puts it: "Each recipe comes with a story, because we all know that a dish is much more than a list of ingredients and a set of instructions: it draws its life and color from its backdrop, its emotional setting, and the little anecdotes of its genesis." To find out more about Clotilde Dusoulier and her new book, check out Chocolate & Zucchini.

Egg poachers from outer space

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:31:16 GMT

In the March/April issue of Hallmark Magazine, which will be available February 20, our Ingredient article (and the tear-out recipe cards) focuses on eggs. This will be good news to my son, who once announced to me that he was going to learn to cook eggs in every way known to man. It turns out that what he meant by "cook" eggs was "eat" eggs. When I offered to teach him how to actually cook a frittata or a custard, he headed for the hills. The one exception to this was poaching. He has deemed this his favorite style of eggs and agreed to learn how to make them. He now knows how to bring a skillet of water to a simmer, add a little vinegar or lemon juice to the water and then gently slip in the eggs. The results are always fine if a little messy. So I was thinking, what he needs to bring his egg-poaching game up is a gadget called an egg poacher, which produces a nicely shaped, compact poached egg. I did a little search and stumbled on these kooky-looking poachers. I can't imagine what was running through the head of the person who designed these, but I just love them. They are made of silicone and cost $8 for a set of two from Fante's Kitchen Ware Shop.

Recipe of the Week: Mocha Pudding Cake

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:53:57 GMT

As a pudding cake bakes, one portion of the batter turns into a cake-y layer, and the rest stays sort of saucy, like a thin pudding. This has always impressed me as a miracle of kitchen science, but I'm guessing that the first cook who "discovered" a pudding cake did so by accident. Somehow she mismeasured the flour and the batter didn't have enough to become a full-on cake, ending up instead as part cake/part pudding. Luckily for posterity, the author of this happy accident must've seen the bright side of the failure: a cake with a built-in sauce. I'm not entirely certain how pudding-cake chemistry works. And I am particularly mystified by why traditional recipes include pouring hot water over the batter just before you put the cake in the oven. However, I don't argue with success. This week's recipe is chocolate- and espresso-flavored pudding cake, with a couple of healthy touches added: Extra-light olive oil instead of melted butter (less saturated fat and cholesterol), whole-wheat flour for added fiber and vitamins, and nonfat powdered milk (in addition to regular milk) for added calcium. But don't worry, I promise it won't taste like health food. And feel free to serve it with a scoop of vanilla, coffee or chocolate ice cream.

Year of the Pig

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:48:34 GMT

February 18, 2007, is the beginning of the Year of the Pig on the Chinese lunar calendar. In honor of the new year, the Chinese post office has issued commemorative stamps depicting a red pig (red is a good luck color in China) and 5 little piglets. The stamps have a face value of 1.2 yuan (15 cents). But here's the cool thing. If you scratch the front of the stamp, it smells like pork (which must be better than smelling like a pig, I guess) and the glue that you lick tastes like sweet-and-sour pork. Just for the record, this is not the first scratch-and-sniff stamp in the world. Here are some other smells that have been available in stamp form: rose (Australia), magnolia (New Zealand), eucalyptus (U.K.), chocolate (Switzerland) and green tea (Hong Kong). And on a final note, in 2008 the Chinese new year will be the Year of the Rat. Let's hope for no stamps.

Recently Amy Palanjian visited COLORS Restaurant in the NOHO district of Manhattan:

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 04:21:05 GMT

Recently Amy Palanjian visited COLORS Restaurant in the NOHO district of Manhattan: "COLORS Restaurant, the first employee-owned restaurant in New York City, is exactly what we need more of: deliciously interesting food, an extremely friendly and informed staff and a physical space that's so welcoming that you feel like you are visiting a good friend's home (despite being surrounded by strangers). With many former employees from Windows on the World (the restaurant that was on the top floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center), the 50-plus person staff represents more than 20 countries. And in addition to being paid a fair and living wage, they are encouraged to be involved in everything‑from what makes it onto the menu to the music played during dinner. The night I was there, salsa music with a seductive beat was literally compelling a group of women standing at the bar to dance, which added a playful element to the atmosphere. And let's talk about the food. The menu is broken down into the usual appetizers and main dishes, but within each category are subsets that reflect the geographical range of the employee-owners, including North America (buttery popcorn with toasted pumpkin seeds), Europe (shrimp ceviche), South America (pozole verde) and Asia (potato samosas and flatbread). I tried many of the small appetizer dishes (along with a very delicious lychee martini!) and enjoyed the company of a friendly couple at the table next to me. And really, if you are under the impression that New Yorkers are a rude bunch, come to town and make a reservation at COLORS--you'll never think about the city the same way again. Meanwhile, to give you a taste of what the restaurant has to offer, scroll down to see one of my favorite dishes, Pam Thai (a spin on Pad Thai, and one of the restaurant's signature dishes). For more information on COLORS (417 Lafayette St., NYC), check their website. Pam Thai 6 to 8 Servings Chili Vinaigrette 1 bottle (12 ounces) sweet chili 1 cup diced ginger 2 cups fresh lime juice 1/2 cup Thai fish sauce 10 lime leaves, chopped fine Salad 1 piece (2 to 3 pounds) green papaya, cut into thin matchsticks 8 ounces chive buds 8 ounces long beans 1 large carrot, cut into thin matchsticks 4 ounces bean sprouts 30 pieces spicy cashews 1 pack of tamarind candy, seeded 10 sprigs cilantro 10 sprigs Thai basil 10 sprigs mint Chicken 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds) 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons oil 2 tablespoons diced ginger 2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass 1 lime Thai fish sauce 1. Make the vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients and mix well. 2. Prepare the salad ingredients and place in a large bowl. Keep refrigerated until the chicken is done. 3. Cook the chicken: Place the chicken in 5-gallon stock pot. Cover with water. Add the salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes over medium heat. Let cool. Pick meat off bones and shred (not too fine). 4. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and let sit while you saute the chicken. 5. In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat the oil and add the chicken. Let sit for 2 minutes on medium heat, then add the ginger, lemongrass, and a squeeze of lime. And a dash of fish sauce and toss well. Cook for 1 minute. 6. To serve, place the sauteed chicken on a plate and top with the salad.

Recipe of the Week: Kale & Fennel Soup with Spicy Sausage

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:37:35 GMT

Kale is a grand vegetable. It has a mildly pungent flavor and is sturdy enough that when it's cooked in a soup it doesn't collapse into nothing but provides some nice, hearty texture. In this week's recipe it is also a perfect back-drop for some of my favorite flavors: spicy Italian sausage, fennel, ginger and garlic. If its culinary virtues weren't enough, kale also has an admirable collection of nutrients. It is rich in carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin), vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin K. The most common type of kale on the market (called, not surprisingly, "common kale") has large, frilly green leaves and long stems. And though it grows as a "head," it's almost always sold as loose leaves tied in a bunch. You may also find, in farmers' markets or specialty produce stores, other more esoteric varieties of kale, such as black kale (also called Tuscan kale) or red Russian kale (also called Ragged Jack). Even ornamental kales--those frilly purple plants that often get planted in public parks and window boxes in the winter--are edible. (Well, not the ones in the public parks, of course, because who knows what chemicals may be on them.)

Deep South Parties

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:36:59 GMT

Here is my nomination for the cookbook with the longest and funniest title: Deep South Parties or How to Survive the Southern Cocktail Hour Without a Box of French Onion Soup Mix, a Block of Processed Cheese, or a Cocktail Weenie. The book is by Robert St. John who, in addition to being a comedian, is the chef/owner of several restaurants in Hattiesburg, Mississippi: the Purple Parrot Cafe, Mahogany Bar and Crescent City Grill (which has a branch in Meridian, Mississippi). St. John's sense of humor permeates the book (how about a chapter called "Methodists and the Art of Cat-Flossing?), but the recipes themselves are serious. They are inspired by the foods and traditions of the Old South, but they are given a very modern spin. For example: Crawfish-Andouille Hush Puppies, Cornmeal Biscuits with Fig Butter, Tasso and Smoked-Cheddar Savory Cheesecake (anyone who has been following my blog knows that I have a bit of a cheesecake addition) and Peach-Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches. If you want to find out a little more about Robert St. John you can check his website http://www.robertstjohn.com/ or to read more about his restaurants check out http://www.nsrg.com/index.asp. And if you like Deep South Parties, then there is also his earlier cookbook called Deep South Staples Or How to Survive in a Southern Kitchen Without a Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Bliss

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:36:09 GMT

Amy Palanjian holds forth on a venerable candy company: "California is known for a few things--bright sun year round, some of the freshest produce in the country and a laid-back attitude. But the thing I miss most from the three years I lived in Los Angeles is actually related to chocolate (not a huge surprise given my slight cocoa addiction). Founded in 1921 in Los Angeles, See's Famous Old-Time Candy company makes lots of candies, but their chocolates are my favorite. They bring together the best of all things chocolate: time-tested recipes, old-fashioned quality and just enough gooey, chocolate goodness to keep fans coming back for more. The thing that strikes me most is that all of their chocolate varieties have a caramel undertone, which is unusual, especially in dark chocolate. And all of their chocolate literally melts in your mouth. Their prepackaged candies are sold in stores around the country, but See's candy stores are only in California. However, they do mail order. And it's a good thing, because once you taste their treats, nothing else will do the trick--if you don't believe me, mention the brand to anyone who's spent time on the West Coast and I promise there will be big smiles and ‘oohs and ahhs.’ Or ask my mom about her penchant for their gourmet butterscotch and café latte flavored hard candies. And they do classic chocolate assortment packs better than anyone: Their milk and dark chocolate filled butter crèmes, rich caramels and nut chews will make you banish the drug store chocolate box for good. So check out their changing selection of holiday-appropriate gift boxes at sees.com."

Recipe of the Week: Stir-Fried Flank Steak & Cherry Tomatoes

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:23:11 GMT

Though a stir-fry is one of the simplest of dishes, the Catch-22 of recipe writing is that describing how to cut flank steak for a proper stir-fry sounds like a mechanical engineering textbook. Though anyone who has experience with stir-fries would probably understand the phrase "cut for stir-fry," for the uninitiated that's pretty cryptic. So here's the mechanical engineering version of how to cut flank steak for a stir-fry. 1. If you have the time, put the flank steak in the freezer for just long enough to firm it up, but not freeze it. This will make it easier to cut thin slices. 2. Lay the flank steak on a cutting board and find the "grain" of the meat (the direction the muscle fibers run in). Cut the steak in half, following the grain. 3. With a sharp knife cut each piece of steak across the grain (perpendicular to it) into slices about 1/8 inch thick. As you cut, angle the blade of the knife so that you are cutting diagonally through the meat, not straight up and down. (This helps to make the meat slices more tender.) Phew! Now you have pieces of steak "cut for stir-fry."

Hi, Monkey

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:29:59 GMT

I must be very easily amused, because I find the website called "Hi, Monkey" absolutely charming. The site is filled with recipes and craft projects all illustrated by photographs of a small stuffed terrycloth monkey preparing the food or making the craft. (Bear with me, here.) For example, Monkey's recipe for potato latkes, which starts out with a photograph of Monkey and two potatoes and a caption that reads: “My two little friends from Idaho have graciously consented to be turned into potato pancakes.” In the next photo Monkey is peeling the potatoes and the caption reads: “After thanking them profusely I peel my little pals. Please don't do this with any of your friends unless they are actual potatoes.” Anyway, you get the picture. But the recipes are serious, and although the ingredient quantities are a little loose, you could probably make potato latkes after reading this. There are tons of other craft ideas and recipes and photographs of Monkey. I recommend checking out his decorating ideas for “Panda Cupcakes.” http://www.himonkey.net/cooking/pandacupcakes/index.html

Fruit Tattoos

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:43:20 GMT

Starting this winter (2007), you should start to see citrus fruits at your grocery without those annoying little adhesive labels. The Sunkist company will be the first distributor in this country to label their fruits using a new technology called Natural Light Labeling. The technology was introduced over a year ago, but it has taken this long to be certified by the FDA. I was fascinated by this idea, so I called the guy who developed the technology. His name is Greg Drouillard and he kindly spent a good bit of time with me on the phone explaining how it works. The way a fruit or vegetable gets labeled is with a teeny, short-duration laser pulse. It removes about .005% of the skin's pigment. This does not in any way affect the shelf life of the produce, because the amount of skin removed is on the cellular level. You would need an electron microscope to even see any depression in the skin. In the case of light-skinned produce (like lemons), a very small amount of food-grade pigment is added to make the label legible. In addition to being of interest to consumers who are tired of scraping off those pesky little labels (or, in my case, forgetting about them and ending up with them in the recipe), it is apparently also of interest to Homeland Security. They're interested because food can easily be tracked and identified because there is no way to alter the label since it's integral to the skin. According to Drouillard, only nonedible-skin produce has been approved so far, but edible-skin produce should be approved in a couple of months. Rats, I forgot to ask him how they were going to label raspberries...

Recipe of the Week: Ziti with Tomato-Eggplant Sauce

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:32:45 GMT

I am a big fan of eggplant. It adds a meaty texture to dishes for almost no calories and no fat. You could eat 5 cups of eggplant (a crazy amount) and still be eating less than 100 calories, and no fat worth mentioning. You'd also be getting B vitamins, potassium and lots of fiber. However, the problem with eggplant is that it's really a giant sponge. This is a good thing because it absorbs flavor, but it's a bad thing because it also absorbs oil if you fry it. In the pasta sauce for this week's recipe, cubed eggplant is cooked by braising it in a fennel-scented wine-and-tomato sauce instead of frying. The end result is a hearty dish with less than 6 grams of fat per serving.

King Arthur Whole Grain Baking

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:10:49 GMT

A fascinating collection of international beverages from guest blogger Amy Palanjian: The Vermont-based King Arthur Flour Company is America's oldest flour company--it was founded in Boston in 1790—and has always been a good source of fine baking ingredients and equipment, largely through The Baker's Catalogue, their online/mail-order business. Among the 1,000 items that King Arthur sells are their own home-grown baking books, including their most recent effort called King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking (The Countryman Press, $35). I was really impressed with the attitude of the folks that developed the more than 400 recipes for this book, because I share their sentiments exactly about whole grain baking. Here's what they say in the intro to the book: "This book is about flavor. It's not a lecture on why you ought to eat more whole grains, because you know that already. We set out to make whole grains taste great...We were determined not to accept any recipe with a comment something like, 'Tastes good for whole grain.'" The book is filled with traditional baked goods that you would never expect to have whole grains in them: pound cake, eclairs, puff pastry, sticky buns. This is really what it's all about, learning how to improve the health profile of the foods you eat without turning them into drudgy health food. Of course "good-for-you" foods can be a tough sell to kids, and the authors have addressed that: "If [your kids] try our brownies, cookies, cupcakes, breads and muffins, they'll never know (unless you tell them) about the whole grains in the recipe....We're not advocating hiding whole grains; however, many of us are parents and we know how hard it can be to get picky eaters to eat what's good for them." Though clearly the recipes in the book have had a nice health makeover, the bonus is that they also sound delicious. Here are some that have tempted me: Chocolate Caramel Bread Pudding, Cheese Coins, Maple-Walnut Oat Bread, Pull-Apart Cranberry-Pecan Buns, Fudge Pudding Cake and Blueberry Cream Pie.

Take a Flavor Journey

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:10:31 GMT

A fascinating collection of international beverages from guest blogger Amy Palanjian: "In 2002, I was lucky enough to visit a friend serving in the Peace Corps in Senegal. She lived in a remote village (with no electricity or running water) near a town called Kedougou in the far western part of the country, near the border of Guinea. We spent a lot of time on public transportation getting to and from her village, which meant we ate many road snacks. Every time our car or bus passed through a village, or came to a natural stopping point in the road, women and children would run with treats for the hot, hungry and thirsty passengers. There were tiny banana bunches, little bags of peanuts and my favorite--frozen juices. Like a rustic popsicle, tiny plastic baggies were filled with bright red bissap juice and frozen solid. Bissap, which is made by boiling hibiscus leaves like tea, is deliciously sweet and was the perfect thing for us weary travelers. About a month ago, when I came across a sampling of bissap juice in my supermarket, I was surprised and delighted. Magatte Wade-Marchand, the founder of Adina World Beat Beverages, is from the west coast of Senegal, and when she went home a few years ago, she was offered soda instead of the traditional bissap drink (she must not have ventured out to the remote part of the country where I was!). She came back to the states with a mission: Partnering with the founder of Odwalla juices, she created a business that could be successful for her and help keep culinary traditions of Senegal—and other countries like Jamaica and Cuba—firmly intact. She sources the hibiscus for her bottled bissap drink from a women's co-op in Senegal and seeks out other ingredients, like strawberries, from small organic farms. If you’ve never been to West Africa, or long to return like I do, this drink can give you a taste of one of the most interesting flavors of the region. Other World Beat flavors include Mojita (Cuban lime mint), Cali-Kiss (strawberry and hibiscus), Pomagic (Turkish pomegranate-mangosteen, Sangri'la (Spanish-inspired hibiscus orange), Gin-Jah (Jamaican pineapple ginger) and Le'mon Amour (French lavender lemonade). They are available at Whole Foods nationwide. For more information go to Adinaworld.com.”

Recipe of the Week: Golden Layered Polenta

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:40:09 GMT

Polenta is one of my favorite foods. (For those who don't know what polenta is, it's ground cornmeal cooked with a liquid until it thickens. It is not dissimilar to American cornmeal mush, though polenta has a much better ring to it.) It can be cooked to a soft, spoonable stage and served sort of like mashed potatoes. Or it can be cooked to a very thick stage that when cooled can actually be cut into slices. This week's recipe is for a version that falls somewhere between those two. For this polenta, yellow cornmeal is cooked with carrot juice (which gives it a lovely golden color and a touch of natural sweetness) until it's stiff but still spoonable. Cheddar, corn and Parmesan are stirred in and the polenta is layered with a mushroom-spinach stuffing and baked until piping hot.

Do you know what a bombilla is?

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 20:29:59 GMT

Well, since you asked, a bombilla is a metal straw, sometimes of gold or silver, that is used in South America to drink yerba mate. Mate is a tea brewed from the leaves of an evergreen tree (as opposed to the tea plant) and is traditionally sipped out of a carved gourd. The decorated gourds and bombillas are really quite beautiful. Take a look at the collection at http://www.patagoniagifts.com. One reason that yerba mate has its own drinking paraphernalia and is treated with such affection and reverence is that it is astonishingly high in caffeine. One website noted that pre-Columbian Indians liked the tea because it provided "an increased resistance to fatigue" and it had "thirst and hunger mitigation powers." A fancy way of saying that it is astonishingly high in caffeine. Anyway, this is just my long-winded way of getting to a book that has been recently published by Elvira de Mejia, assistant professor of food science at the University of Illinois. The book, which is called Chemistry and Flavor of Hispanic Foods (probably not a bestseller title), investigates the nutraceutical value of the Hispanic diet, from Mexican beans to Margaritas. One of the book's main focuses is on mate, which de Mejia says "has the highest antioxidant capacity of the ethnic teas we have studied in my lab. There is evidence that three to four cups of this tea per day could have a protective effect against chronic diseases." It will be interesting to see if yerba mate gives white, green and black teas a run for their money in the healthy drink market, though frankly 3 to 4 cups of mate would have me bouncing off the walls.

German Carafe-manship

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:14:43 GMT

There is a German company called Alfi that specializes in carafes. In fact the motto on their website is "Home of Hot & Cold" (must sound more interesting in German). What's cool about Alfi is that they have taken a fundamentally functional object and elevated it to art object by asking a number of international designers to come up with distinctive carafe designs. The results are beautiful and strikingly different. We had a really hard time trying to pick our favorite, but ultimately we were influenced by price. We chose the La Ola Carafe and the Avanti Carafe because they were in the $30 range. They come in a range of colors that makes you want to own all of them. You can buy the carafes direct from Alfi at www.alficarafes.com or through their toll-free number: 1-800-966-3009.

Recipe of the Week: Mushroom-Smothered Halibut

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:09:06 GMT

I don't know about you all, but when I look back through my collection of stained and tattered recipe cards, the one thing that strikes me is how much my attitude toward fat and sugar has changed over the years. One of my favorite recipes of all time came from a friend of mine named Ann Morrison, who got the recipe from her father, Joe Pepek. In fact my recipe card still reads Joe Pepek's Baked Fish. The recipe didn't really have many specific quantities. It just said things like "Coat fish with a thick coat of sour cream (3/4 to 1 inch)." And it used 2 sticks of butter to cook a pound of mushrooms. It was heavenly. But I just can't eat that way any more. I don't know if it's guilt, or if my palate has actually changed. In any case, I wanted to take Joe Pepek's original and see if I could capture the sense of opulence, but gear it to more modern tastes. The butter became olive oil, the sour cream got way reduced, the packaged stuffing turned into cubes of whole-grain bread. It may sound virtuous, but it still tastes opulent to me.

Turning the Volume Down on the Musical Fruit

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 15:50:20 GMT

I happened to stumble across a study done in spring 2006 in which a group of scientists in Venezuela were looking to find the secret to gas-free beans. The problem with beans in the human digestive system is that bacteria in the large intestine actually ferment the beans in order to make them more digestible down the line (so to speak). As anyone who has ever made bread or beer knows, one of the by-products of fermentation is gas (C02). So the scientists were looking to find the specific bacteria that could be used to pre-ferment beans as they cook, thus reducing the gas problem. Now what interested me about this story was not the actual findings (the research was geared to the food industry) but a remark made in passing--no pun intended--by the Reuters reporter, to wit: "Smart cooks know they can ferment beans, and make them less gas-inducing, by cooking them in the liquor from a previous batch." So, OK, I guess I'm not a smart cook. I've never heard this theory. Has anyone out there ever done this? And did it work?

Morning Food

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:05:03 GMT

I've been in a breakfast/brunch kind of mood recently. It started with an article in the January/February 2007 issue of Hallmark Magazine called "Passport to Brunch" (a round-up of cool food products and cooking equipment from around the world click for the article). And now I've been thumbing through a revised version of a wonderful little cookbook called Morning Food (Ten Speed Press). The recipes are from a California chef named Margaret Fox, who for years was chef/owner of a famous restaurant in Mendocino, California, called Cafe Beaujolais. The title of the book, and its contents, are a reflection of Fox's philosophy that there are lots of foods that people don't ordinarily associate with breakfast, but that she thinks many people do want to eat in the morning. As she puts it, you shouldn't have to "rationalize anything you choose to put in your mouth before noon." Here are some recipes from the book that illustrate her point: Posolé (with pork ribs), Crunchy Country Fries, Sausage-Stuffed Baked Apples, Pumpkin Pie, Artichoke & Prosciutto Strata. Of course the book has plenty of regulation breakfast food, too, like Mocha Walnut Wonder Muffins, Tropical Waffles with Macadamia Nuts & Toasted Coconut, Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. In addition to delicious recipes, the book is also eminently readable, thanks, we assume, to both the book's co-author, John Bear, and to Fox's sense of humor. In her acknowledgments, Fox credits Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Dick Van Dyke Show for their "indelible influence on my young and impressionable sense of humor." If you want to read more about Margaret Fox, check her website http://www.margaretfox.com.

Recipe of the Week: Garlic Crostini Two Ways

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:30:05 GMT

Crostini is the Italian word for croûtons. And although in both Italian and French the literal meaning of the word is pieces of crust, the term has come to mean bread that is toasted or sautéed with oil or butter so that you have a crunchy, crusty thing. For the Italian version, crostini are typically slices of bread that get toasted (not sautéed) and then topped with some kind of savory mixture and served as fingerfood. (They would make a great hors d'oeuvre to go with New Year's champagne, for example.) For our crostini we've taken thin slices of whole-wheat baguette and sprayed them with cooking spray instead of brushing them with oil. The thinking here is that you get more even coverage and avoid soaking the bread with oil. However, if you're opposed to cooking sprays (and I know plenty of people who are), brush the bread with olive oil, but use a light hand. Then, to garlic-ize the crostini, the toasted slices are rubbed with a cut clove of garlic. Just a word of caution, though: Fresh garlic can be extremely pungent, so be gentle. We've included two different toppings--scallion-tomato, and tarragon-mushroom--so you can mix and match, or go for just one.

A Smart New Crock-Pot

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 17:16:35 GMT

When I was testing the slow cooker recipes in the January/February 2007 issue (for a story called "Heartwarming Stews"), I was following the author's instructions to cook the stews for the first hour on high and then reduce the temperature to low for the remainder of the cooking time. This meant that for that first hour I was a bit of a captive and couldn't leave the house until I had turned the pot to down. Now, Rival (the company that came up with the name "crock-pot") is coming out with a brand-new slow cooker called Smart-Set™. It has a dual-cycle timer that allows you to program in two cooking times and temperatures. It also has a temperature probe for meat so that you can set the pot to cook until the correct internal temperature has been reached (the temperatures for different types of meat have been pre-programmed into the system). The new Smart-Set™ pots will be available from www.crock-Pot.com starting in January. And check out our heartwarming stews, too:

New Year's Tonic

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 17:16:00 GMT

Guest blogger (or bloggista) Amy Palanjian stumbled on a possible antidote to New Year's overindulgence: "I admit to being skeptical of any product that has 'wonder drink' in its name, but in the case of Kombucha Wonder Drink, the name seems to be telling the truth. Kombucha dates back thousands of years to Nepal, Siberia and China and uses a starter culture (just like yogurt or sourdough) to turn green and oolong tea into a fermented, slightly fizzy, antioxidant-rich drink. After my first sip, I knew this was something different: You know how you get thirstier when you drink diet or even lightly sweetened teas? Well this drink is totally different--it's actually refreshing! It's only slightly sweetened and has a third of the caffeine of coffee, which makes it a great pick-me-up. And you can trust me on this one: I go out of my way to find Kombucha Wonder Drink (my craving is usually for the Asian Pear Ginger flavor). My New Year's Resolution? To have a few bottles of Wonder Drink in the fridge on New Year's Day to help start the new year off on a refreshing foot, and to keep my holiday hangover to a minimum. Check out wonderdrink.com for their other flavors and availability."

Recipe of the Week: Orange-Almond Cheesecake

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:40:14 GMT

I am a major fan of cheesecake. In fact, I am known in my family as the Cheesecake Queen (wait, is that a good thing?) and I am constantly experimenting with different styles: creamy, cakey, reduced-fat, savory (I made one with blue cheese once and served it like a cheese course), Italian-style. The recipe this week is a modified Italian-style cheesecake. Though a typical Italian cheesecake would be made with ricotta cheese, I opted for low-fat cottage cheese instead. It's less expensive and I find that sometimes ricotta can have a slight bitter edge to it. This cake also has a skinnier fat profile than most cheesecakes because some of the cream cheese is reduced-fat and egg whites replace one of the whole eggs. The total calorie count for a slice is only 244, so you can feel relatively virtuous if you make this.

Romanesco: A Fractal Vegetable

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 18:55:54 GMT

Say what? A what vegetable? A fractal?!? OK, I have just the barest grasp on the concept of fractals, but here goes: A fractal (a term coined in 1975 by Polish-French mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot--whose last name means almond bread, by the way) is a fragmented geometric shape whose individual fragments contain mini versions of the larger shape. Phew. This idea can actually be better understood if you look at a romanesco cauliflower. This green-tinted member of the cauliflower family is made up of lots of conical "florets," which are in turn made up of identical, but much tinier conical shapes. So when you buy it, you can first admire its incredible natural geometry, and then you can cook it and eat it. It will do fine in any recipe that calls for regular cauliflower (it tastes the same). Romanesco cauliflower is available pretty much year round. Your best bet is to look in local greenmarkets (it doesn't have much of a presence in supermarkets at the moment) or contact the folks at melissas.com to find out how to buy it from them. Or if you have a home garden and want to plant romanescos next spring, check out www.gourmetseed.com.

Mexican Chocolate Whisk

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 16:49:27 GMT

In the January/February 2007 issue of Hallmark Magazine you will find a wonderful little story on a sweet gift you can give someone for Valentine's Day, including recipes for homemade flavored cocoa mixes (orange-cinnamon, mint and spicy vanilla). But if you know someone who really loves cocoa (or if that someone is you), then you might want to up the ante a bit and get a cool Mexican kitchen tool called a molinillo. The name translates to "grinder," but it's actually a whisk, designed specifically to make hot chocolate light and frothy. It is cleverly carved from a single piece of wood to leave several rings of wood captured in place. Here's how it works: Place hot cocoa in a pitcher (the Mexicans actually have special pots devoted to this task) and put the molinillo in the pitcher. Roll the whisk back and forth rapidly between your palms until the cocoa froths up. Even if you don't ever use this to froth up your cocoa, it's a beautiful object for display and only costs $8.95 at www.gourmetsleuth.com. Gourmet Sleuth also sells Mexican chocolate and chocolate pots (like coffee pots, only for hot chocolate).

Recipe of the Week: Wine-Braised Chicken & Vegetables

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:49:07 GMT

Leeks are the national emblem of Wales, and I'm proud to say that I am Welsh (on my father's side). However, my Welsh nain (grandmother) never cooked up a dish of leeks in this country. Why, you ask? (I know you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway.) Because this humble peasant vegetable wasn't available in American supermarkets until fairly recently. Even now they can be hard to find. However, with the delicious, subtle onion flavor they add to a dish, they are well worth the effort. Which brings me to the recipe of the week, a nice warming winter stew of chicken, leeks (yay), carrots and red potatoes braised with red wine, broth, a touch of tomato paste and smoked ham. This is really a one-dish meal, so you don't need anything more to go with it except perhaps possibly a tossed salad.

Armenian Apricot Preserves

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:41:51 GMT

Assistant editor Amy Palanjian is guest-blogging today about a wonderful new fruit preserve she has found. Coincidentally, the preserves come from a country (Armenia) to which she has a very personal connection. Here's her story: "My great-grandfather came to America from Armenia as a teenager around 1920. He settled in Roxboro, PA (just outside of Philadelphia) and eventually married, had two sons and three grandchildren, including my father. When my parents married in 1976, my dad (who had been an only child) was thoroughly absorbed into my mom’s big Italian family. This meant meals that started with homemade pasta and ended with roasted potatoes and chicken, in-laws who owned an Italian meat market and a general surrender to all things Italian-American in terms of food. While he was thrilled (and still is) to eat the cuisine of my mom’s family, I’ve always been curious about the food from his Armenian side. I’ve only just started to scratch the surface of the traditional foods from this middle eastern country, which makes me like the new line of preserves from a company called Harvest Song even more. Using fruits grown in the ancient valley of Mount Ararat, Armenia, Harvest Song produces some of the most intensely flavored preserves I've ever tasted. This includes preserves made from what are often called the best apricots in the world. I was perfectly satisfied eating the apricot preserves by the spoonful straight out of the jar, but I also paired them with a small chunk of parmesan and a plain cracker. (Could be a simple way to update your holiday appetizer arsenal!) I’m planning to try as many of their other flavors as I can, especially the Golden Fig, Sour Cherry and Pear & Apple. Added holiday bonus: The preserves come in a jar that’s pretty enough to give as a gift, without wrapping it at all!" Go to harvestsongventures.com for buying information.

Here's a Hint: Just Drink Water

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:23:44 GMT

In October, on the op-ed page of The New York Times, one of my favorite mystery/suspense authors, Harlan Coben, was on a rant about what he calls the "American Snack Tyranny." The rant was focused on what soccer parents [are required to] bring to games. He wrote "Do our kids need yet another… juice box with enough sugar to coat a Honda Odyssey? Can't they just finish playing and have some water?" This point of view is echoed in the trademarked mantra of Hint, Inc., a San Francisco-based company that produces bottled water with just a "hint" of flavor and no sugar. (Oh, yeah, the mantra: Drink Water, Not Sugar™.) Hint was founded about a year ago by Kara Goldin, a mother of four who noticed that while there were a lot of bottled waters on the market promising to make you smarter or boost your energy or calm your nerves, there was really nothing that replaced all the thirst-quenching juice and soda that her family was drinking. An entrepreneur at heart (and a former AOL exec), Kara decided to fill this obvious gap in the market. This is how Hint waters were born. When I got a number of their flavors to taste (there are 8 of them), I was skeptical. But they actually deliver on their promise. The Raspberry-Lime really tasted--and by tasted I mean smelled--like both raspberry and lime. I saved the Cucumber sample until last, because I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it. To my surprise, it was oddly refreshing and very true to the essence of cucumberness (so to speak). Hint is sold in specialty markets and some grocery stores, but you can also get them at www.drinkhint.com, The water retails for about $1.69 for 15ml. You can also get a case of 24 bottles for $44 on the Hint website. Here are the flavors: Pomegranate-Tangerine, Peppermint, Pear, Raspberry-Lime, Lime, Tropical Punch, Apple, Cucumber. Just as a side note, Disney chose the Peppermint Hint flavor as part of their campaign to promote their Santa Clause 3 movie. I only mention this because Disney has decided to be proactive in improving childhood nutrition. More on this later.

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato Quesadilla

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:18:56 GMT

We're so used to just baking and mashing sweet potatoes that we forget to take advantage of this great root vegetable as an add-in ingredient. In this quesadilla, uncooked sweet potatoes are grated and baked in tortillas along with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and minced Spanish chorizo sausage. You don't have to precook the sweet potatoes because the heat of the oven is enough to cook them: They have so much moisture in them that they will cook quickly if they're shredded or diced. Another nice feature of the sweet potato here is that its mild sweetness plays beautifully against the salty and rich flavors of both the cheese and the sausage. This is so much of what good food is about, that interplay of opposite flavors. The sweet potato performs another interesting job in this dish. Its orange color makes you think that you are eating a quesadilla absolutely dripping with cheese (we're so conditioned to think that cheese is orange). It just adds to the pleasure you have when you eat this since we eat with our eyes first. All in all, a winner.

Seduced by Bacon

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:26:40 GMT

In a way, Seduced by Bacon is kind of a no-brainer cookbook. I mean, really, who isn't seduced by bacon? (Although I knew a kid when I was growing up who didn't like potatoes, so.....) That said, this book goes beyond the simple seductive nature of bacon to explore its role in all sorts of dishes, including desserts. Joanna Pruess--a food writer and cookbook author--created this ode to bacon with the able assistance (and tasting skills) of her restaurant critic husband, Bob Lape. In the preface to the book he wrote "This book has perfumed my life for months. Our home has been smoky with bacon's irresistible aroma and sweet with its power to conjure up delicious recollections of simpler times of yesteryear. Using bacon's succulent, salty crunch to create compelling new taste deposits for our food memory bank has been pure delight. (That's also true because Joanna cooks and I eat.)" The book includes lots of interesting facts about bacon, including a bacon glossary. I was pleased to learn two new terms: gypsy bacon and ventrèche--the former being peppery, smoked pork loin, and the latter being what the French call pancetta. There is also a list of online and mail-order sources for specialty bacons. (How about Bacon of the Month Club at gratefulpalate.com?) If the concept of the book weren't tempting enough, the photography in the book will send you right over the edge. Here are some recipes that have been calling out my name: Belgian Rabbit in Cherry Beer, Macattacaroni (mac 'n' cheese with bacon and panko), Ticino-Style Mussels with Bacon & White Wine, Barbecued Barramundi (grilled bacon-wrapped fish) with Greek Yogurt Sauce and Sweet Potato Rösti with Hazelnuts, Apricots & Bacon on Watercress.

It's the oldest trick in the book.

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:55:17 GMT

It's the oldest trick in the book. Put out a bowl of complimentary peanuts or pretzels at the bar and people will order more drinks. It's simple logic: Make ’em thirsty and they'll buy more to slake their thirst. This is the phenomenon behind the salt-soda-obesity connection. In a recent study, researchers in Finland have concluded that people who eat a lot of salt also drink a lot of high-calorie drinks (sugary sodas, mostly), which contributes in a major way to obesity. The researchers have connected a lot of dots, of course, but if you look at the salt sales in this country, there has been a nearly 90% increase since the mid-’80s. And of course we all know about the obesity epidemic. In a recent poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal and the Harris Poll, concern over salt intake has finally sunk to fifth place, behind fat (still the top concern), calories, sugar and nutritional value. Parents are no longer checking food labels for salt levels. But maybe they should be. (Of course, if you ask me, they shouldn't even be buying those sugary drinks that are part of this salt-soda-obesity triangle.) So other than a general recommendation to stop buying salty snacks and definitely stop buying soda, I would also suggest that you start looking at the salt levels of food again. Don't go crazy. Just keep an eye on what your kids (and the rest of your family) are eating.

Recipe of the Week: Turkey-Green Bean Frittata

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:32:00 GMT

Europeans have an entirely different take on leftovers. Americans, when they have food left over at the end of a meal, put the food in a storage container, stow it in the back of the fridge and wait for it to become a science project so they can throw it away. Europeans, on the other hand, view food left over from one meal as an opportunity for the next meal. I don't know whether or not the Italians invented the frittata as the perfect vehicle for these "opportunities," but it seems like they must have. A frittata is basically beaten eggs used as a binder for all manner of interesting ingredients. The frittata gets cooked in a skillet until browned on top and bottom, and is then cut into wedges and served hot. Or you can let it cool and serve it at room temperature. So, this week, in honor of what is no doubt still lurking in your post-Thanksgiving refrigerator, is a frittata that calls for cooked turkey. It also calls for fresh green beans that get steamed, but obviously if you have green beans as part of your leftovers, substitute them instead.

Did you know that carrots weren’t always orange?

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:32:24 GMT

Did you know that carrots weren’t always orange? Back in the day (wa-a-a-y back, in Roman times and well before), carrots were purple. It wasn’t until the 16th century, when Dutch growers bred carrots in honor of the House of Orange, that the carrot got its familiar color. Flash forward to this century, and we find that there is a push to breed carrots (and lots of other vegetables, too) in anything other than their familiar color. There are red carrots and yellow carrots and white carrots and, making their comeback, purple carrots. Purple carrots called Maroons were developed a couple of years ago at the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M. The Maroon carrots not only have the health benefits that come from their purple pigment (anthocyanins), but they were also bred to be extra high in beta-carotene. Maroon carrots are available in some markets, but if you can’t find them locally, you can order them from a specialty produce company called Melissa's. Their mail order department (800-588-0151) can take your order or tell you what stores in your area carry me maroons. It would be fun to try them in Roasted Carrots with Maple Syrup or in Potato & Carrot Salad with Orange-Mustard Dressing.

I just learned the coolest new trick...

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:45:11 GMT

I just learned the coolest new trick: how to peel a kiwifruit with a spoon. I watched this chef do it in about 5 seconds. It was amazing. Here's what you do. Cut off the two ends of the kiwi (just about 1/4 inch of it). Then take a tablespoon--just a regular spoon from your silverware drawer--and push it up between the flesh of the kiwi and the skin, with the convex side of the spoon against the skin. Work the spoon gently around the whole fruit to loosen the skin. You can then just pop the kiwi out of its skin. Try it.

Recipe of the Week: Cherry-Pecan Rice Pudding

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 16:44:31 GMT

I grew up with rice pudding. My Welsh great-aunt used to make it for me all the time, and one spoonful of an old-fashioned rice pudding sends me straight back to her kitchen table in Wind Gap, Pennsylvania. However, when I set out to create a rice pudding recipe, I really didn't feel a need to replicate that dish from my childhood. Instead, I wanted to come up with something that was the same but different. I wanted to make a rice pudding that satisfied my "comfort food tooth" and at the same time added some more contemporary tastes and textures. My original plan was to make this with pecan rice, which is a type of aromatic rice with a distinctly nutty flavor, hence its name. (Other rices in the aromatic category include basmati, texmati, popcorn rice, wehani and jasmine.) But pecan rice was nowhere to be found on the day I had an urge to make this, so I settled instead for brown basmati rice and actual pecans. If you can find pecan rice, I think you should try making this recipe with it. I'd love to hear if it works.

Scientists. You gotta love ’em.

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:14:58 GMT

Scientists. You gotta love ’em. In an upcoming (December 2006) issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at Yale University announce they are getting closer to figuring out why eating feels good (hmmmm). It all has to do with something called ghrelin, which, though it sounds like it certainly must mean something in Yiddish, is actually the name of a hormone produced in the stomach. Its job is to tell the brain it’s time to eat. What the Yale researchers found out is that (in lab rats, anyway) ghrelin triggers the same neurons in the brain as sexual experiences and many recreational drugs. That is to say, it triggers the release of brain chemicals that provide a sensation of pleasure, and the expectation of reward. What this research points to is a possible connection between ghrelin and eating disorders. There may lie somewhere in this intricate body chemistry an explanation for people who have unstoppable appetites. If you have any interest in reading the full journal article, go to http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCI29867

Recipe of the Week: Sweet & Sour Plums

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:18:12 GMT

In 1945, the mayor of New York City officially changed the name of Sixth Avenue to Avenue of the Americas. But absolutely nobody calls it that. Not even guidebooks. At some point, the powers-that-be in Manhattan decided it might be a good idea to include the name "Sixth Avenue" on the street signs so that tourists would know where they were. Well, a similar fate has befallen the prune. A couple of years ago there was a campaign to change the official name of prunes to dried plums. The folks that sell dried plums changed all of their packaging. Those of us in the business of writing about food changed the ingredients in our recipes to say dried plums. But the public still uses the word prunes. So, just like Sixth Avenue, packages of dried plums now tell you, in smaller, quieter type, that what you are really buying is prunes. This week, we celebrate the deep, rich flavors of this dried fruit with a recipe for Sweet & Sour Plums. This savory, spicy combination of dried plums (prunes!), bell peppers and red onion makes a great relish to go with roast pork, chicken or turkey. It would even be a great addition to the Thanksgiving table.

As it turns out, I am not the only one with opinions here at the magazine .

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:55:39 GMT

As it turns out, I am not the only one with opinions here at the magazine . Assistant editor Amy Palanjian is opinionated and passionate about lots of things, including organic food, the environment and, as you will soon see, chocolate. Today’s blog comes from Amy on that subject. Here’s what she has to say: "When it comes to chocolate, I tend not to share--I want to keep the good stuff all to myself. But it'd be plain mean if I didn’t spread the word about Seattle-based Theo chocolate. First, their packaging is gorgeous--no, make that stunning. Second, the actual chocolate is SO good. They make a line of 2-ounce bars in fun flavors like Coconut Curry (trust me, one taste and you'll be converted) and Bread and Dark Chocolate (a sassier version of a Nestlé Crunch bar). Theo also sells 3-ounce "single origin" dark chocolate bars. Single origin means the bars are made of cocoa beans from one country--Venezuela, Ghana, Ecuador, Madagascar or the Ivory Coast. This works the same way it does for wine: Just like fruity Riesling grapes grow better in some climates than in others, cocoa beans, too, match better with certain climates. For example, strongly flavored beans with a hint of fruit and sourness grow best in the Ivory Coast. And speaking of the Ivory Coast, Theo is the first to release Fair Trade Certified chocolate out of this west African country, which is big news since the Ivory Coast produces 40% of the world's cocoa beans but has a horrible reputation for using child labor in its fields. Since the Fair Trade label means that the farmer is receiving a fair market price and is using responsible labor practices (i.e., no slave or child labor), you can actually help make the world a better place just by eating chocolate…which is reason enough for me."

In 1930, a newly widowed Irma von Starkloff Rombauer...

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:05:34 GMT

In 1930, a newly widowed Irma von Starkloff Rombauer, realized she had to make her own living and decided to convert her considerable cooking talents and sizable personal recipe collection into a self-published book, called The Joy of Cooking. The rest, as they say, is history. And the history of Joy has just completed another of its chapters with the October 2006 publication of the cookbook's 75th anniversary edition. Some of the attention that this new edition is getting comes from a very public feud between Irma Rombauer's grandson, Ethan Becker, and the editors of a 1997 edition of the book. That much heralded revamp of Joy was written by a collective of serious cooking authorities. In the process, however, all of the "casual culinary chat" (a phrase used in the subtitle of Irma's original book) had disappeared. It was replaced by a sort of dispassionate and anonymous editorial voice. This loss of the quirky and the personal is what bothered Ethan so much. So his answer was to put back in this newest edition all the personality he felt had been excised. I could go on (and you may already be saying, “Stop. We don't care.), but instead I will show you the little intro written for a recipe called Welsh Rarebit (or Welsh Rabbit) as it appeared in 1) pre-1997 editions, 2) the disputed 1997 edition and 3) the brand-new Joy. First I must preface this by saying that the name of this dish (basically melted cheese on toast) is hotly disputed. If you look up Welsh Rarebit or Welsh Rabbit on wikipedia, you will find a vicious debate going on about which of these names is correct. From early (pre-1997) “Joy”: "Our correspondence is closed on the subject of rarebit versus rabbit. We stick to 'rarebit,' because 'rabbit' already means something else. We can only answer the controversy with a story. A stranger trying to calm a small crying boy: 'I wouldn't cry like that if I were you." Small boy: 'You cry your way and I'll cry mine.'" From 1997: "Welsh rarebit--a British dish served on toast or crackers as lunch or supper--should really be Welsh rabbit. The idea is that melted cheese on toast is what the Welsh rabbit hunter has to eat when he comes home empty-handed. This is a traditional recipe, made with beer; some experts insist on stale ale." And from the new 75th Anniversary edition: Word for word the same as in the pre-1997 editions. And as a final P.S., for anyone who is still reading this, I would like to share a recipe from the 1931 edition of the book, because I like the name so much. I kind of wonder why it disappeared from later editions. It's a recipe for something called Cheese Monkey and it's a variant of Welsh Rarebit. Cheese Monkey 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup soft stale bread crumbs 1 tablespoon butter 3/4 cup grated cheese 1 egg slightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt A few grains of cayenne Over a slow fire, heat the milk and add the crumbs and butter. When they are well blended add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted, then add the egg and the seasoning. Permit the egg to thicken slightly, stirring constantly. Serve the Monkey while very hot over crackers or toast.

Recipe of the Week

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 15:56:48 GMT

This week I want you to check out a hearty and satisfying soup that manages to be light at the same time. It's chicken and vegetables cooked in a broth flavored with scallions, tarragon, cayenne and lime juice. It also happens to be incredibly pretty to look at. It's got just about every food color you can think of in it: orange butternut squash, green peppers, red tomatoes, yellow corn. You could easily serve this at a party, but it would also make a really nice Sunday lunch for the family. I serve it with thick slices of whole-grain peasant bread brushed with a little olive oil and broiled. When the bread comes out of the broiler, while it's still hot, grate some fresh Parmesan on top. A really simple tossed salad on the side would be great, too.

Foodstuff

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:14:33 GMT

My college-age son, Julien, introduced me to something he calls Dave’s Law of Combinant Foods. The law works like this: If you take two solid foods that you really like individually, you should also like the combination. (For some reason—known only to Julien’s friend Dave—liquids are not allowed in the rules of this law.) So I thought about it, and I couldn’t come up with a combination that didn’t at least have potential. For example, how about roast salmon and chocolate ice cream? I know it sounds awful, but they might actually work. There was a famous French chef who put sweet vanilla sauce on lobster. Can salmon and chocolate ice cream be far behind? Anyway, think about it, then come back and add your two cents below. See if you can disprove Dave’s Law. And don’t forget, it has to be two foods that you really like. No cheating.

I love Italian food.

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:33:48 GMT

I love Italian food. I love Italy. And I love Jamie Oliver. So how perfect is it that Jamie has written a new cookbook called Jamie’s Italy? The book is chockablock with photographs of Jamie charming all of the local Italians that he communed with on his travels across Italy. Oh, yes, and there are wonderful food photographs too. As for the recipes themselves, I really would like to make every single one in the book. However, I had to start somewhere, so I made Cauliflower Risotto (delicious) and Pork Chops with Sage (yum). The next thing I’m determined to try is a dessert called Gelato con Olio e Sale (or ice cream with olive oil and salt). In true Jamie-speak, he pronounces this unusual combination “bloody gorgeous!” If any of you try this before I do, please come back and let me know what you thought.

Recipe of the Week

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:34:19 GMT

Here’s a dessert recipe for you folks who are still in denial that summer is over. It’s a shortcake—makes you think of a backyard barbecue in July, right? But to help you get over the hump and finally admit that it’s fall, the fruit topping is made with apples, a nice autumn fruit. Chunks of apples are cooked with brown sugar, lemon and cinnamon, and this compote is used to top cinnamon-raisin shortcakes. The shortcakes have a little bit of wheat germ thrown in for a little crunch and a small helping of healthful grains. And of course, it wouldn’t be a shortcake without a creamy topping. We have opted for a dense, sweetened Greek yogurt, but actually the shortcakes would be awfully good served warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

NEW! Foodstuff

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 07:12:00 GMT

I’m Kate Slate, and as the food editor here at Hallmark Magazine, I’ve been asked to use this blog to share with you my opinions on all things food. (Funny, really, because I rarely wait for someone to ask me for my opinion, but here it is, all official-like.) In addition to sharing my musings and rants, I will introduce you to interesting ingredients and unusual dishes, as well as new stuff: cookbooks and food and cooking equipment. And every Friday, be sure to check in with me, because I will be posting the Recipe of the Week. Oh—and there’s room for you to talk back, at the bottom of every page. I hope I’ll be hearing from you.