Getting Gizmoed Up

With Thanksgiving a scant two weeks away and Christmas and Hanukkah close on its' heels it's time to get your kitchen ready for the feasts and frenzies ahead.What helps are the little things. those kitchen gadgets and gizmos that every cook needs for creating the perfect meal. Now is the time to try out the old and get new if you have to.

Thanksgiving calls for all sorts of tricked put equipment. One necessary is a meat thermometer. This will be your best friend on Thanksgiving Day because it will tell you exactly how hot your bird is and when you should take it out of the oven. Also save it for Christmas hams and New Year's carving boards. Another necessary must have are turkey lifters. These are fork like tongs that make hauling the bird from the pan to the platter easier. If you haven't already buy yourself a good kitchen timer. You can get these at everyplace from Target and K-Mart to Williams and Sonoma to Bed Bath and Beyond. They are important in no just timing baked goods but also vegetables and sauces.

Remember that baking also requires a fair amount of helpful gizmos. Thanks to silicon, there are also sorts of cool baking bans that give evenly baked cakes in fun holiday shapes. Also have silicon spatulas too because these are easy to work with and also to clean.I also find that the small thing s like those stones used for pie baking come in handing in creating the perfect pumpkin or pecan pie. One big gadget muss is a combo cookie press and decorator. This helps in creating beautiful spritzes , wreathes and trees along with giving cakes and cookies a professionally done frosting.

With the holidays around the corner it's time to bring out the gizmos. These are handy and important despite their small size . They make the holiday kitchen a much easier and much more fun place to be.

Broiler Alert

Your stove will be getting a work out soon enough with the holidays right aroundth e corner. Every part from the ovens to the burners will be on overtime. However there is one section that won't be used. That's the broiler.Many home cooks forget about this in preparing even everyday meals. Broilers are really a blessing They can give you succulent meats and finish off the toppings on any meal.

A broiler is really nothing more than a pan or small box like space located under your stove;s oven. It cooks by direct radiant heat. Your outdoor grill by definition could be called a broiler however it does have air circulating around .A broiler is more contained hence the great heat. Most are used for heating chops and even steaks. However you can also melt the cheese on French onion soup this way or even give a nice crisp top to creme brulee.

What to cook in your broiler? The obvious answer are pork or lamb chops. Yet you can also make everything from tuna melts to s'mores in it. It's great for making English muffin pizzas as well and probably great for heating up those frozen canapes for parties. Another recipe is grilled vegetables which are always a good addition to any holiday turkey or ham.

This season when you're using your oven , remember to use your broiler too. It's a good way of expanding your choice of foods plus creating tasty dishes for yourself, family and guests. Not only that but you'll be saving your oven and burners from too much use.

A Good Taste Of France

Yesterday I wrote about the goodness of French food and with good reason. I had just come off a haute cuisine high after eating at Le Grainne in Manhattan's Chelsea. This was followed up with a quick trip to one of New York's best patisseries, La Bergamote a block away. I was in French food heaven.A bistro lunch ending with buttery pastries.

Le Grainne's is probably one of Manhattan's best kept secrets however its a huge local hangout. There is a line at its' door on Sunday morning which makes it impossible to get a table at the small bistro. baby carriages are literally lined up outside its; one wall and the there is no end of customers. I had to wait until a Friday to get in there. I can see why. There are buckwheat crepes stuffed with everything from ratatouille to champignons to ham and cheese. there are melt in your mouth quiches along with the traditional croque monsieur's.Even the accompanying salad that came with my crepe was perfection. The dressing was an almond infused oil and vinegar that mad eme want more. Even the bread and butter was divine. with fresh unsalted butter that tasted more like cream.One day I will go there and try dessert or better yet one of those huge Gallic cups of fresh hot cocoa.

Down th e block from Le Grainne is the La Bergamote. This is a must see (as is Le Grainne) for anyone vi sting Manhattan during the holidays. Try the unusual tangerine Danish which is a buttery sweet tart combination that melts in your mouth. I also love their chocolate croissants which are flaky and full of chocolate and almonds.La Bergamote sells all sorts of coffees, teas and iced drinks too which I didn't get along with candies (which I did buy/ they r;e so cute and decadently delicious . They'll make nice X-mas gifts)

If you' r; in Manhattan for the holidays stop in Chelsea and visit Ninth Ave. it;s full of Gallic flair and food thanks to Le Grainne and La Bergamote. This is where you can get a slice of French foodie heaven .

French Food Heaven On Earth

November always gets me to think about Paris. I guess it;s the damp, chill or the rainy Manhattan streetsthat reminds me of autumn in the City of Lights. It also spurs me to crave French food, There is nothing like it. Its' complexity and simplicity combined, lush tastes with simple ingredients. It is perfection.

French cooking is an off shoot the Northern Italian (hence the reason why it;s so good) Catherine De Medici brought her recipes with her when she married Henri II) I imagine regular court cuisine got a good infusion of butter delicate spices and new cooking methods. These are even followed to this day. The provences also contributed with crepes from Normandy and bouillabaisse from Provence along with good ragouts from almost every Provence.

French pastry in itself is sheer heaven. even though croissants are well overdone here now in the States there's nothing like a true French one. Bite into those flaky buttery layers and experience pure joy. A well done chocolate croissant is even better. The mille feus which are layers of flaky pastry held together by a creme bavarois are also a culinary feat. Macaroons now are becoming the next big dessert trend and the french are making them in flavors such as tangerine and strawberry.

Nothing beats French cuisine as the ultimate foodie fantasy. This is the cuisine gastronomique, perfection on a plate.

Bon Appetit's' New Editor

Bo Appetite magazinehas been around for a long time>It has always been a staple of many kitchens during the decades (including mine) Now the publication welcomes a new editor.. Adam Rapoport to take over the reins of this prestigious magazine.



Julia Moskin had an in depth interview with Mr. Rapoport in yesterday's Times. He discussed what would happen to the magazine and the direction he wants to take it.He clearly is a foodie, suited to the position.During their talk Mr. Rapoport was grilling lamb and making home cooked fries. He clearly loves food and it's preparation and is suited to the role. He was also the style and food editor over at GQ magazine.



Bon Appetit takes over the hole Gourmet magazine left when it closed. The first was around since 1941 and ironically both are owned by Conde Nast. There are going to be changes in the production of it. Bon Appetit moves form LA to New York and its' style is going to be less starker, and less cosmopolitan. It's known for stark pictures with starker recipes as opposed to the more varied and complex articles that Gourmet had. Mind you this is a magazine still in flux. Who knows in what direction Mr. Rapoport will take it.



I would still recommend buying Bon Appetit. It's a great magazine and foodies can learn a lot from it. Plus it's an arsenal of good recipes that should be in every home chef's library

Chocolate Wars

Today's New York Times Dining section had an interesting article about Tcho, a new chocolate company. It doesn't sell to th e general public but rather to the city's pastry chefs. It's riveting because this upstart causing a bit of a war from standard chocolate suppliers like the esteemed Vahlrona. As with any battle in the food world, it's getting nasty.

Glen Collins wrote about the feud that is brewing. Tcho (its' name comes from the first syllable of chocolate) creators ., Louis Rosetto and Jane Mecalfe wre the founders of the first computer magazine Wired which was sold to Conde Nast back in 1998. Now they're competing int he highly competitive e world of chocolate distribution.Samples are given out the top pastry chefs , hoping to win their loyalty.A lot of Italian restaurants are using Tcho in their desserts because it;s not French manufactured which appeals to them(obviously ther is still rivalry between the French and Italians in cooking). Tcho also offers pastry classes for chefs to try.

How is the taste. Some say it;s better than Valrhona and th e other giant , Ghradelli. A lot of pastry chef;'s are swearing loyalty already. Tcho also has a website where you can buy their chocolates along with hot cocoa. The pricing isn't that bad, probably on a par with Godiva or Butlers. They even have chocolate covered dried mangoes, somewhat of an oddity among chocolate manufacturers.

Will Tcho survive in the murky chocolate wars? From what it sounds like Yes. it already is building up a following among the best of Manhattan's pastry chefs. It 's sure to be a hit elsewhere as well.

AN Italian Treat Cooked Salami

Many people don't know that salami can be cooked. Most think it;s just sliced cold cuts you buy in the shrink rapped container and then slapped onto hero bread. yet it;s much more than than .it;s northern Italian specialty that is delicious and tender, served with sauteed greens or collards. it;s the perfect fall dish with a side of polenta

Salami cuit (the Piedmontese pronunciation)or cotto is a delicacy and not made much these days. The salami was usually bought in a salumeria or Italian deli. it was cooked for two hours before it was served. The tasty was mildly spicy, sort of similar to the hard salami used in heroes and antipasto. I haven;t been able to locate any where near me these days. I have found several recipes on the web that you can make the dish at home. it calls for pork butt , salt for curing (usually Morton's )and peppercorns.. You do have to cook it in some kind of casing Some recipes call for sugar and dried milk as well. my advice is to try a couple of recipes out and stick to the one you like best.

What goes with salami? My family has always cooked it with greens sauteed with garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes. You could also serve it with a small side of yellow polenta. I don't think anyone has every put it into a sandwich.Cooked salami can be reheated again,. either fried or in the microwave.

If you get the chance, try this rare Italian treat. if you can't find it , then look on the web for the recipes. I guarantee you'll be hooked on this kind of Italian sausage.It's a treat!