All foodies , chefs and home cooks love anything that makes cooking prep fun, It creates a fun atmosphere and makes the time go by quickly. It also brings about a deeper love of cooking - no matter what's involved. From the egg timer to the food processor gadgets have captured our hearts and kitchens.
That was the subject of William Grimes' article in the Dining section of The New York Times. He interviews famous chefs along with those in the culinary arts. Some like the famed chef Sarah Moulton have bought gadgets that seem almost too dangerous as her pressure cooker. Afraid to use it Ms.Moulton has relegated it to her closet.Sometimes the gadget is too complicated to use as was the case with Julia Collin Davison, the executive food editor of America;s test Kitchen book section, Ms Davison bought a salmon poacher that's just too hard to employ.
Sometimes the gadget is too exotic as was the polenta maker that Christopher Koetke , the vice president of Chicago's Kendall College culinary arts department. It looked too intriguing, had to be bought and now is collecting dust. The same can be said for for handmade knives that Mr Koetke bought on his trips to Japan. Jack Bishop, an editorial director , also of America's Test Kitchen also knows the feeling of buyer's regret.He bought authentic Mexican molcajetes and French escargot tongs without ever trying them.
Gadgets seduce us , especially the kitchen ones.Some we'll use. Some we won't. For the ones we never use, at least they're on hand.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Crossing Cruciferous Veggies
By now everyone should know what cruciferous vegetables are.Well , hopefully, because they are crucial to good health and a good diet. Not only that they're the most common and delicious. Best of all cruciferous veggies are also versatile too.
Cruciferous veggies include cabbage,cauliflower, cress, bok choi and broccoli. The name Cruciferous comes from the New Latin meaning cross. All cruciferous vegetables get the name from the shape of their flowers which are cross shaped.The veggies are high in vitamin C and soluble fibers along with containing phytochemicals that reduce the risk of cancer. These types of greens can have a variety of tastes from the mild sweetness of cabbage to the sharp eye watering bite of wasabi and radishes. Another good aspect of them is that there are twenty five types which can be made a variety of ways.
What to do with cruciferous vegetables? A cook or chef can literally make anything with them. Watercress is part of this family and it can be made into delicate tea sandwiches using whole wheat bread and homemade mayo. Cabbage is good stuffed or in soups as well as shredded in a tangy salad. Cauliflower is great as a dipper for healthy dips or in a turmeric laced soup. Use bok choi for stir fries or for chow meins. Put a few radishes in a salad for color and use wasabi as an eye opening jolt to sushi.Even mustard seeds , another cruciferous veggie can be used in flavoring for any dish.
Incorporate more of these healthy veggies into your diet. They'll not only make life better but varied. Try all the different types in a slew of recipes. They're tasty and good!
Cruciferous veggies include cabbage,cauliflower, cress, bok choi and broccoli. The name Cruciferous comes from the New Latin meaning cross. All cruciferous vegetables get the name from the shape of their flowers which are cross shaped.The veggies are high in vitamin C and soluble fibers along with containing phytochemicals that reduce the risk of cancer. These types of greens can have a variety of tastes from the mild sweetness of cabbage to the sharp eye watering bite of wasabi and radishes. Another good aspect of them is that there are twenty five types which can be made a variety of ways.
What to do with cruciferous vegetables? A cook or chef can literally make anything with them. Watercress is part of this family and it can be made into delicate tea sandwiches using whole wheat bread and homemade mayo. Cabbage is good stuffed or in soups as well as shredded in a tangy salad. Cauliflower is great as a dipper for healthy dips or in a turmeric laced soup. Use bok choi for stir fries or for chow meins. Put a few radishes in a salad for color and use wasabi as an eye opening jolt to sushi.Even mustard seeds , another cruciferous veggie can be used in flavoring for any dish.
Incorporate more of these healthy veggies into your diet. They'll not only make life better but varied. Try all the different types in a slew of recipes. They're tasty and good!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Junking Junk Food
Are those chips and Cheez Doodles the same as cigarettes? Is cola like crack? Most definitely.Food can be an addiction , as bad as any serious one. The worst addictions are the junk foods.They're made so tasty any cupcake or corn chip is hard to resist.Yet they can be as deadly as any other bad habit.
The first step in breaking the addicting is knowledge. Start reading every package and bottles calorie breakdown and ingredients. Become familiar with additives and the individual components of a snack or take out dish. If it's too "plastic" or questionable, then stop eating it. Also slowly switch over to better snacks.After chips it could be whole grain pretzels and then eventually kale or Brussels sprout chips. These last two are easy to make and fun to eat.As far as foods, don't think burgers and fries, wean into a grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat with a side of salad. Replace soda with unsweetened ice tea or flavored seltzer.
Desserts and sweets are the hardest to give up. Let's face it - who can not resist a chocolate chip cookie or red velvet cupcake? The problem is that these are too irresistible and bad for you. Sub in fruit chunks like melon for a sweet snack or dessert or try a tasty handful of hulled organic strawberries or blueberries.For the last two you can top them with a small squirt of whipped cream for a festive effect. As for carry along snacks , nothing beats a pear ,apple or banana, They're not messy to eat while the cores and peels are environmentally good unlike all those plastic and paper wrappings.. They're also good to carry around too as a mid morning , or even mid afternoon snack.
Junking junk food is an easy and good thing to do. It's slowly getting rid of th e bad and replacing it with food that is not only beneficial but also tasty. The transition may be a bit hard but definitely worth the effort.
The first step in breaking the addicting is knowledge. Start reading every package and bottles calorie breakdown and ingredients. Become familiar with additives and the individual components of a snack or take out dish. If it's too "plastic" or questionable, then stop eating it. Also slowly switch over to better snacks.After chips it could be whole grain pretzels and then eventually kale or Brussels sprout chips. These last two are easy to make and fun to eat.As far as foods, don't think burgers and fries, wean into a grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat with a side of salad. Replace soda with unsweetened ice tea or flavored seltzer.
Desserts and sweets are the hardest to give up. Let's face it - who can not resist a chocolate chip cookie or red velvet cupcake? The problem is that these are too irresistible and bad for you. Sub in fruit chunks like melon for a sweet snack or dessert or try a tasty handful of hulled organic strawberries or blueberries.For the last two you can top them with a small squirt of whipped cream for a festive effect. As for carry along snacks , nothing beats a pear ,apple or banana, They're not messy to eat while the cores and peels are environmentally good unlike all those plastic and paper wrappings.. They're also good to carry around too as a mid morning , or even mid afternoon snack.
Junking junk food is an easy and good thing to do. It's slowly getting rid of th e bad and replacing it with food that is not only beneficial but also tasty. The transition may be a bit hard but definitely worth the effort.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Irish Treat From Soda Bread To Trifle
It;s the perfect day to write about Irish treats, There are so many from traditional soda bread to Guinness cakes with all sorts of good stuff in between, They're the perfect end to any St Paddy's Day festivities and even better with a tall cup of Irish s coffee.The Irish have a variety of different enders , all incorporating the local produce.
Irish soda bread is by far the most famous and enjoyed.It's was an 19th Century creation that's chock full of raisins and dusted with granulated sugar.It can be sliced and toasted , slathered with sweet Irish butter for a quick supper or as a simple meal ender. Trifle is another tasty treat. This is home made or store bought cake layered with fruit,sherry or Madeira.It's sweetness is a nice contrast of a typical meal of lamb and new potatoes. Apples play an important part in the country's dessert menus. There are many recipes for simple apple cakes that probably are also seen at many a country tea as well.A truly decadent treat is the Guiness cake , made with the dark stout and usually chocolate. This is an uber rich end ,perfect with a cup of strong and creamy Irish coffee.
Whiskey factors in heavily in the Irish diet and it's not a surprise when there are cakes that feature it as a main ingredient. A simple whiskey cake is sort of like a yellow cake but with more punchnamelt.There is usually half a cup of whiskey thrown in along with brown sugar along with cloves. The finished product has a kind of slight butterscotch taste There are also ones with with coffee added as well as bitter chocolate. Also whiskey cakes as with any cake recipe vary from family from family. One might add Jamison's while another uses a stronger version. Currents can be subbed in for raisins and the ratios can vary too/
If you can , treat yourself to something more than corned beef and cabbage today. Have an Irish dessert whether that be soda bread or apple cake or better yet a large slice of whiskey laced cake! Slainte!
Irish soda bread is by far the most famous and enjoyed.It's was an 19th Century creation that's chock full of raisins and dusted with granulated sugar.It can be sliced and toasted , slathered with sweet Irish butter for a quick supper or as a simple meal ender. Trifle is another tasty treat. This is home made or store bought cake layered with fruit,sherry or Madeira.It's sweetness is a nice contrast of a typical meal of lamb and new potatoes. Apples play an important part in the country's dessert menus. There are many recipes for simple apple cakes that probably are also seen at many a country tea as well.A truly decadent treat is the Guiness cake , made with the dark stout and usually chocolate. This is an uber rich end ,perfect with a cup of strong and creamy Irish coffee.
Whiskey factors in heavily in the Irish diet and it's not a surprise when there are cakes that feature it as a main ingredient. A simple whiskey cake is sort of like a yellow cake but with more punchnamelt.There is usually half a cup of whiskey thrown in along with brown sugar along with cloves. The finished product has a kind of slight butterscotch taste There are also ones with with coffee added as well as bitter chocolate. Also whiskey cakes as with any cake recipe vary from family from family. One might add Jamison's while another uses a stronger version. Currents can be subbed in for raisins and the ratios can vary too/
If you can , treat yourself to something more than corned beef and cabbage today. Have an Irish dessert whether that be soda bread or apple cake or better yet a large slice of whiskey laced cake! Slainte!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Healthy Yummy Snacks
It's hard to get kids to snack healthy. It's even hard to get adults to do the same, especially with the snacks aisles bulging with all sorts of "goodies". What to do? Make your own yummy, healthy snacks. Surprisingly it's easy to do - and fun. It also introduces anyone of any age to healthy eating.
Everyone love crunch and flavor . That's probably why pretzels and potato chips have always been so popular. With healthy eating there still can be crunch along with flavor. Kale chips are a good example of this. There is a delicate crunch to baked leaves as well as delicious flavor that is addictive. This staple is easy to make . Wash kale leaves and separate them from the main vein . Lightly grease a cookie sheet and place leaves on it. Sprinkle or mist leaves with more olive oil and sea salt and bake for 10 minutes in a 420 degree oven. You can also do the same with Brussels sprouts as well, baking the leaves but bake them at 320 degrees instead of the 420. For variation add some cayenne pepper, or turmeric for heat or just freshly ground pepper.Another fun idea is taking cooked lentils or any legume and mashing them into healthy dips.Serve with whole wheat crackers or fresh veggies.
What about sweets? Yes there is fruit,preferably organic to feed kids and adults.Try out fruit kabobs.Take a skewer and put different bits on it. Try a grape pineapple melon combo or a cut plum, apple slice and strawberry. Intersperse blueberries amongthe skewers for some color and a jolt of antioxidants. Another idea is making all natural fruit Popsicles. Take the mash from your juicer and pour into individual Popsicle molds. You can also puree berries and other fruit such as pineapple and melon too and do the same thing.
There's nothing like good healthy snacking - and that starts in your kitchen.Make these all natural good for you treats for family and friends. They'll quickly forget that processed stuff and love veggie and fruit nibbles.
My thanks to Joanne Drum for the kale chip recipe.
Everyone love crunch and flavor . That's probably why pretzels and potato chips have always been so popular. With healthy eating there still can be crunch along with flavor. Kale chips are a good example of this. There is a delicate crunch to baked leaves as well as delicious flavor that is addictive. This staple is easy to make . Wash kale leaves and separate them from the main vein . Lightly grease a cookie sheet and place leaves on it. Sprinkle or mist leaves with more olive oil and sea salt and bake for 10 minutes in a 420 degree oven. You can also do the same with Brussels sprouts as well, baking the leaves but bake them at 320 degrees instead of the 420. For variation add some cayenne pepper, or turmeric for heat or just freshly ground pepper.Another fun idea is taking cooked lentils or any legume and mashing them into healthy dips.Serve with whole wheat crackers or fresh veggies.
What about sweets? Yes there is fruit,preferably organic to feed kids and adults.Try out fruit kabobs.Take a skewer and put different bits on it. Try a grape pineapple melon combo or a cut plum, apple slice and strawberry. Intersperse blueberries amongthe skewers for some color and a jolt of antioxidants. Another idea is making all natural fruit Popsicles. Take the mash from your juicer and pour into individual Popsicle molds. You can also puree berries and other fruit such as pineapple and melon too and do the same thing.
There's nothing like good healthy snacking - and that starts in your kitchen.Make these all natural good for you treats for family and friends. They'll quickly forget that processed stuff and love veggie and fruit nibbles.
My thanks to Joanne Drum for the kale chip recipe.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Who's Writing Your Cookbook?
Who writes cookbooks? Chefs ? Celebrities? Well yes, if you believe the cover however you can't judge a book even one about cooking by its' cover. There's a lucrative little business out there, all you freelance writers and foodies.It';s called ghostwriting recipe books,
This was the subject of Julia Moskin's article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. it seems all those celebrity and chef books were not really written by Gwyneth and Bobby. They might have given the researcher the recipes but the rest of the book, including the research was done by a nondescript hack looking to make a few bucks.Most of the kitchen stars do give their "helpers" credit as did Daniel Bouulud , the great baker who credited his collaborator. Ms Moskin herself was a former ghost writer on many cookbooks. To be honest it is hard compiling a slew of recipes that include everything from appetizers to desserts. It also has to have anecdotes as well to make it salable.
Is cookbook ghostwriting for everyone?Like any ghostwriting it can be frustrating and demanding. Some chefs can be divas as the author will attest to, as in the case of the Mexican chef. he had wanted Ms. Moskin to write about poultry - with out any details. Then there was the barbecue maven who just sent the Wikipedia link for chicken no other details either,Sadly enough ghostwriting pay is low for recipe books with most writers receiving a flat fee and no residuals. However if a writer is a foodie and vice versa it is a good entryway into the publishing world.
Everyone thinks that celebrities and chefs are homey by penning their own cookbooks. Think again. There's probably a ghost writer behind them , tweaking their recipes and making their forays into the publishing world palatable
This was the subject of Julia Moskin's article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. it seems all those celebrity and chef books were not really written by Gwyneth and Bobby. They might have given the researcher the recipes but the rest of the book, including the research was done by a nondescript hack looking to make a few bucks.Most of the kitchen stars do give their "helpers" credit as did Daniel Bouulud , the great baker who credited his collaborator. Ms Moskin herself was a former ghost writer on many cookbooks. To be honest it is hard compiling a slew of recipes that include everything from appetizers to desserts. It also has to have anecdotes as well to make it salable.
Is cookbook ghostwriting for everyone?Like any ghostwriting it can be frustrating and demanding. Some chefs can be divas as the author will attest to, as in the case of the Mexican chef. he had wanted Ms. Moskin to write about poultry - with out any details. Then there was the barbecue maven who just sent the Wikipedia link for chicken no other details either,Sadly enough ghostwriting pay is low for recipe books with most writers receiving a flat fee and no residuals. However if a writer is a foodie and vice versa it is a good entryway into the publishing world.
Everyone thinks that celebrities and chefs are homey by penning their own cookbooks. Think again. There's probably a ghost writer behind them , tweaking their recipes and making their forays into the publishing world palatable
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A Good Irish Coffee
Saint Paddy''s Day is just around the corner and luckily for all the drinkers out there it falls on a Saturday this year. It's not just corned beef and cabbage but plenty of booze. There will be whiskey and beer flowing throughout the larger cities and smaller towns of both Ireland and America.However there is one classy and classic drink - Irish coffee that will be ending a few meals that night.
Patrick Farrell wrote about this treat in today's New York Times Dining section. Irish coffee itself is somehing of a throw back to the Madmen era where creamy after dinner drinks were all the rage. It's also not an Irish import but an Irish American creation that first started in San Francisco although there are tales of it being first made Limerick Ireland, Basically it's just Irish whiskey (any brand will do ) along with sugar , a dash of vanilla extract and heavy cream. The first ingredients are all mixed the second is added as a finishing touch. The coffee is then sipped through the cream so it;s an interesting blend of flavors.
What makes a good Irish coffee? That's what Mr.Farrell, a fourth generation Irishman himself, tries to find out. After listening to his dad's stories about being served all sorts of variations(including one that was more of a sundae with Reddi Whip ,a cherry and sprinkles and another that had any other liquor added.) he creates the best version. His choice of whiskey comes from his father, - Jamisons, although he prefers Bushmills Powers which lends more oomph. As for coffee a full bodied bean works the best to compete with the alcohol.Cream has to be a whipped heavy cream - none of this aerosol stuff. The coffee should also be served in a tall narrow ceramic cup - not glass where fingers could get burned.Leave any decorations such as green sprinkles or sugar off it. Slowly sip the coffee through the cream and enjoy the heady combo of flavors
Nothing beats a good hot Irish coffee after some corned beef and cabbage. It's a nice civilized way of honoring the day, Make a few cups and enjoy this treat to end the festivities.
Patrick Farrell wrote about this treat in today's New York Times Dining section. Irish coffee itself is somehing of a throw back to the Madmen era where creamy after dinner drinks were all the rage. It's also not an Irish import but an Irish American creation that first started in San Francisco although there are tales of it being first made Limerick Ireland, Basically it's just Irish whiskey (any brand will do ) along with sugar , a dash of vanilla extract and heavy cream. The first ingredients are all mixed the second is added as a finishing touch. The coffee is then sipped through the cream so it;s an interesting blend of flavors.
What makes a good Irish coffee? That's what Mr.Farrell, a fourth generation Irishman himself, tries to find out. After listening to his dad's stories about being served all sorts of variations(including one that was more of a sundae with Reddi Whip ,a cherry and sprinkles and another that had any other liquor added.) he creates the best version. His choice of whiskey comes from his father, - Jamisons, although he prefers Bushmills Powers which lends more oomph. As for coffee a full bodied bean works the best to compete with the alcohol.Cream has to be a whipped heavy cream - none of this aerosol stuff. The coffee should also be served in a tall narrow ceramic cup - not glass where fingers could get burned.Leave any decorations such as green sprinkles or sugar off it. Slowly sip the coffee through the cream and enjoy the heady combo of flavors
Nothing beats a good hot Irish coffee after some corned beef and cabbage. It's a nice civilized way of honoring the day, Make a few cups and enjoy this treat to end the festivities.
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