Recipe: Classic French Onion Soup

I cut the bread a little too thick.
Cut them into 1/2 inch slices.

This past weekend, I made America's Test Kitchen's Classic French Onion Soup recipe. 

So flavorful.  So delicious.  But it took a lot of time. . . 3 1/2 hours.  (Active cooking time was only about an hour and a half.)  It was worth all of the time and effort.

The soup was a great winter dinner and wasn't that unhealthy as I usually think French Onion Soup to be.  For a large pot of soup (6 servings), here were the ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• table salt
• 2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups beef broth
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf
• ground black pepper
• 1 small baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

TIP:  How to prevent shedding tears while chopping onions
I have The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, and on p.251 "Behind the Scenes," it says that if you light a candle near where you're cutting the onions, the flame changes the activity of the thiopropanal sulfoxide (the volatile compound that causes tearing) by completing its oxidation, and you won't tear up.  I lit a tealight candle, near my chopping board, and it worked!  I didn't "cry" at all.

Floaties

 

 

I think that if we bought these pool floats (each $18 at Urban Outfitters), I'd be hungry all the time in the pool. 

How would you describe your wine knowledge?

I just read a blog post asking readers what their level of knowledge is and also the average price they pay for a bottle of wine at home.  I loved the acronyms:

CC = casual connoisseur
IKMTPM = I-know-more-than-Pinot-Merlot
IWBMSWIGU = I-wannabe-a-master-sommelier-when-I-grow-up

So, I'll ask the question. . .  how would you characterize yourself? 
I'm a IWBMSWIGU but have a long way to go.

The Anti-Loneliness Ramen Bowl

This is really funny. . . until you accidentally knock your phone into your bowl.  It's actually ingenious.  Designed by Miso Soup Design, the bowl will be available by May.  For more info on the bowl and how to pre-order it, here is the PCMag.com commentary.

Hunger and Food Waste

I think this is so disturbing . . .

A few excerpts from the article New report: as much as 2 billion tonnes of all food produced ends up as waste :

A new report 'Global Food Waste Not Want Not' by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers reports that as much as 50% of all food produced around the world is never eaten due to issues as varied as inadequate infrastructure and storage facilities, to overly strict sell-by dates, buy-one-get-one free offers and consumers demanding cosmetically perfect food, according to a report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The report,Global Food Waste Not Want Not, also found that between 30% and 50% or 1.2 billion to 2 billion metric tons of food produced around the world each year never reach a human stomach.

With UN predictions that there could be about an extra three billion people to feed by the end of the century and an increasing pressure on the resources needed to produce food, including land, water and energy, the Institution is calling for urgent action to tackle this waste.

Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said:  "The amount of food wasted and lost around the world is staggering. This is food that could be used to feed the world’s growing population – as well as those in hunger today. It is also an unnecessary waste of the land, water and energy resources that were used in the production, processing and distribution of this food.

“The reasons for this situation range from poor engineering and agricultural practices, inadequate transport and storage infrastructure through to supermarkets demanding cosmetically perfect foodstuffs and encouraging consumers to overbuy through buy-one-get-one free offers.

Champagne Only Comes from France!

'Champagne' Set for Obama Dinner Has French Wine Lobby Miffed

 Source: NewsMax 1/9/13

 

Summary and thoughts. . . 

 

The White House will be serving "Korbel Natural, Special Inaugural Cuvée Champagne, California" with its dessert course at the inaugural dinner.  Sam Heitner, the director of the Champagne Bureau, says that the description violates U.S. law because Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France.

 

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (of course, there's a committee for this. . . there's a job for everything!) says that the wine is labeled in accordance with U.S. law.  Apparently, U.S law is more flexible than other countries.  The law prohibits the term for newer sparkling wines but preserves it for those produced before 2006 - and only if their origin is spelled out in their name.

 

I always wondered how Korbel could have the word 'Champagne' on their bottle label.  It really should be called Korbel Sparkling Wine.  

 

 

Patrick Dempsey Wins Bid to Buy Tully's

I just thought this was interesting and wanted to share. . .

Actor Patrick Dempsey Wins Bid to Buy Tully's Coffee Stores
"Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey beat out Starbucks and others with a winning bid of $9.15 million for the Tully's Coffee chain. Starbucks warned that a winning bid won't be finalized until it's certified during a bankruptcy hearing this week.

Recipe: Spicy Pear Cookies

I love spice type cakes . . . and pears . . . and walnuts, so combine them together and voila -- a delicious winter cookie.  I like that these aren't super sweet, and in fact, they have almost a scone-like texture that they could be the perfect cookie to bring to a brunch or to tea.

This Spicy Pear Cookie recipe is from allrecipes.com and is oh so easy to make. 

Few tips:

• I had to bake them 5 extra minutes to get them golden brown.
• I didn't add the raisins to the batter.
• The lemon icing was ok -- taste it, you may want to go with a different lemon icing instead.

Wine: Who Owns What and Does It Matter?

Just as PepsiCo owns Pepsi, Gatorade, IZZE Sparkling, Tropicana, Ocean Spray, Mountain Dew, etc., and Coca-Cola owns just as many beverage brands, such is the world of wine.

Michigan State Professor Philip Howard has illustrated how a handful of companies own the multitude of wine brands on the market today.

Zoom in to see the names of the wine producers and the companies that own them (they look like small dots/blobs if you don't zoom in):
http://www.businessinsider.com/philip-howard-msu-wine-map-2013-1

Does it matter who owns what?  As a consumer, I don't think so.  Thoughts?

Recipe: Thomas Keller's ad hoc chicken pot pie

This evening's pot pie (1/2/12)

 

UPDATED 1-2-13

Original Post on 3/3/12
Success!!!  This evening, I made Thomas Keller's recipe for chicken potpie (he doesn't capitalize the name of his recipes in his ad hoc at home cookbook, and he has "potpie" as one word), and the 2 hours of cooking was totally worth it.  If you like chicken pot pie, you MUST try this recipe.  It's the best chicken pot pie I've ever had.  The crust (which is perfectly flaky and buttery) and the bechamel sauce make the dish.

Notes:

• I didn't have any shredded chicken on hand and so cut up 2 chicken breasts and sauteed them.
• Blog contributor 'the woman who ate everything' gave me a tip to add frozen peas to the dish which was a wonderful idea. 
• Cooking each vegetable separately was a pain. 
• UPDATE:  Cook all of the vegetables in the same pot.  Start with the potatoes, carrots and onions and simmer for about 8 minutes.  Then add the celery and peas, and cook for 2 minutes.
• UPDATE:  Put 4 bay leaves, 4 thyme sprigs and about 32 peppercorns in a cheesecloth sachet so it's easy to discard.
• I didn't need to move the dish to the middle rack to finish baking it (per the recipe).
• UPDATE:  The full 50 minutes may not be needed for baking.  This evening, it was done in 40 minutes.
• If you're making this on your own (without any help) for the first time, allot 3 hours (1 1/2 - 2 hours for prep and an hour for baking).  This is a recipe where it'd be nice to have a helper.

If you want to try this recipe and don't have Keller's cookbook, I found the recipe on another blogger's site:
http://www.friendsfoodfamily.com/friends-food-family/2011/02/thomas-kellers-chicken-pot-pie.html

Recipe: Farro with Wild Mushrooms and Herbs

Happy New Year!

Start the new year off right with a healthy dish. (This is a great side dish.)

Farro is making a comeback.  It's an ancient grain that is finding itself on menus and in more and more recipes like those featured on the Huffington Post or the recipe we made the other night -- Farro with Wild Mushrooms and Herbs found in Bon Appetit Magazine's October 2012 issue (p.113).

I had never tasted farro until two months ago when our friends made this dish at a dinner party.  I loved the flavor and the texture and 'bite' of the grain that I wanted to make the recipe myself.  Seeking out farro wasn't so easy;  I finally found one and only one brand and type of farro at our local Central Market grocery store.

The recipe is quite easy to make.  Here are some tips:

• Farro is like risotto in that it expands and absorbs a lot of liquid.  If you're making this dish for 2 people, half the recipe, and you'll still have plenty of leftovers.
• I couldn't find semi-pearled farro, so just used the Central Market branded type as mentioned above.
• I made the farro according to the instructions on the package -- I didn't cook it in boiling salted water as noted in the recipe, but instead cooked it in chicken broth.
• I added extra mushrooms.

New Year's Eve 2012

 

 

What an amazing spread of food we had for New Year's Eve, thanks to my amazing co-hostesses!  Thanks to you all, especially Nichelle for hosting at her house! 

 

Just as a reminder for next New Year's Eve (and future parties), here's a record of everything that we made . . . and perhaps ideas for your next party!

 

Appetizers

• Pineapple Chipotle Guacamole
• Shrimp & Avocado Cocktail
• Caprese Salad Skewers
• Spinach Cheese Quiche
• Fruit Tray
• Veggie Tray
• Meat & Cheese Tray
• Chips & Salsa
• Sausage Balls
• Spinach Dip
• Blazin' Cajun Dip
• Parmesan Truffle Popcorn (well, we almost had this!)
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
• Three-Cheese Mini Macs

Desserts

• Salted Caramel Mousse
• Double Chocolate Brownies
• Rum Balls
• Rice Krispie Treats - plain and also dipped in mint chocolate
• Carrot Cake Cake Balls (uh, forgot these in our fridge. . . oops!)
• Spicy Pear Cookies

Drinks

• Mulled Pomegranate & Apple Cider with Bourbon
• White Honey Sangria
• Sparkling Wine/Champagne
• Strawberry Jell-o Shots
• Sam Adams Beer (Nichelle: Please tell Staci that I bought a six-pack of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat today.  I love it!!!)
• Wine
• Lots of liquor and mixers like San Pellegrino Pompelmo grapefruit soda

Recipe: Rice Krispie Mini Treats

Here's an easy, last minute dessert to make for a party.  Rice Krispie Treats are always a crowd favorite (especially with kids!), so try cutting them into bite-sized pieces to make them a nice finger food party treat.

In the photo above, I left some plain for those who like the treat as-is, and I dipped the others into mint chocolate.  I bought mint chocolate chips, melted them over a double-boiler, dipped the treats halfway into the chocolate and then sprinkled them with crushed candy cane.  I then put them in the fridge to harden the chocolate.

Other ideas:

• Dip into regular milk chocolate and then top with a small marshmallow
• Dip into dark chocolate and top it with crystallized ginger
• Dip into white chocolate and top it with nuts

Recipe: Jello Shots!

What's a party without jello shots?  Or a New Year's Eve party without jello shots?  (ha ha)

While they may be associated with your college days of yore, every time we have a party or go to a party and I happen to mention that I could make some, everyone gets excited.

Here is the recipe for a 6 oz package of Jell-o:

• 6 oz flavored Jell-o (or non-branded gelatin)
• 16 oz boiling water
• 6 oz cold water
• 10 oz vodka (or another spirit)

For a 3 oz package of Jell-o so you don't have to do the math:

• 3 oz flavored Jell-o (or non-branded gelatin)
• 8 oz boiling water
• 3 oz cold water
• 5 oz vodka (or another spirit)

For a 1.5 oz package of Jell-o:

• 1.5 oz flavored Jell-o (or non-branded gelatin)
• 4 oz boiling water
• 1.5 oz cold water
• 2.5 oz vodka (or another spirit)

Note:  I buy the little SOLO branded mini 'tasting cups' from our local restaurant supply store.  It's half the price or less than going to Party City.

The Cost of a DUI

With New Year's Eve festivities commencing tomorrow evening, please remember to designate a driver or call a cab.  Last year, I sat on a jury for a DUI case, and it opened my eyes to how a DUI can totally ruin your life.  Financially alone, a conviction can cost you $24,000 in Texas. 

 

One thing I learned when I was on the case -- even if you don't feel tipsy or buzzed, there are things such as the horizontal gaze nystagmus test that measures the involuntary jerking of the eyeballs that officers use as part of their sobriety test in many states including Texas.

 

According to Wikipedia:  The horizontal gaze nystagmus test has been highly criticized and major errors in the testing methodology and analysis found.  However, the validity of the horizontal gaze nystagmus test for use as a field sobriety test for persons with a blood alcohol level between 0.04–0.08 is supported by peer reviewed studies and has been found to be a more accurate indication of BAC than other standard field sobriety tests.

 

The Cost of a DUI

Source: WSFA12

December 23, 2012

In 2007, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. But few drivers fully understand the impact of a DUI conviction.

Offenders could face jail time and a possible prison sentence, and the financial impact could be devastating: first-time offenders may be responsible for tens of thousands of dollars in costs and fees. On top of that, a driver's auto insurance rates could skyrocket following a DUI conviction.

 

The Cost of a DUI

Unless a driver lives in a city with an adequate public transportation system, there is no substitute for the convenience of driving a vehicle. Access to driving privileges makes it much easier to travel to work, school, or run errands. But salvaging the right to operate a vehicle can prove astronomically expensive following a DUI conviction.

The Illinois Secretary of State's office reports that the average cost of a DUI in Illinois is roughly $14,660. In other areas, the cost can be even greater. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, a DUI conviction in Texas can top $24,000.

 

DUI and Auto Insurance Rates

Skyrocketing auto insurance rates can add to the financial aftermath of a DUI conviction. After a DUI, you will be categorized as a high-risk driver. A convicted driver's premiums will rise and his carrier may non-renew or cancel your policy. Depending on a host of factors, including insurance company, age and gender, the driver's auto insurance rate may spike as a consequence of a DUI.

Depending on how long a DUI remains on a driver's record, these rates can continue for up to seven years. Furthermore, if any accidents and tickets (past or future) are present, the driver's auto insurance rate could soar even higher.

 

Steep Legal Consequences

Operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a major criminal offense, and the consequences of a DUI conviction are virtually endless. A conviction can lead to jail or prison time, a criminal record, court and administrative costs, attorney fees, community service requirements, alcohol education courses, substance abuse treatment, revocation or suspension of driver's license privileges, probation and more.

What the above estimates fail to account for is the number of hours it takes to satisfy all the corresponding obligations. Time spent in court, at alcohol and drug education classes, hours in treatment, restitution services, and jail time can turn a person's world upside-down.

 

Have a DUI? You Can Still Save on Auto Insurance

Let's face facts-if a driver is convicted of a DUI, his auto insurance rate is going to rise. But more than any other driver, those convicted of a DUI can't afford not to shop around for the best auto insurance rate available.

Although a driver with a DUI will have limited options, don't fall into the trap of signing on with the first company that offers you a policy. Conduct research, compare quotes and make a careful decision. In the meantime, take a conservative approach to driving and steer clear of tickets and accidents.

 

BE SAFE!  HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR'S!

Gwyneth Paltrow's New Cookbook

I'm a Gwyneth Paltrow fan, but when her first cookbook came out, I scoffed at the idea of her writing a regular person's cookbook since I knew she had an all vegan-macrobiotic-something diet.  Now, I just read that her second cookbook is coming out in April 2013. 

Solely out of curiousity, I'm tempted to buy the book (when it makes it to the bargain book section of Barnes & Noble) and see if her recipes are indeed, "delicious" and help me feel more energetic and look as good as she does for her age.  I'm curious to see what kind of recipes she has that don't include dairy, eggs, sugar, wheat or meat. 

Here is her publisher's description of the book:

Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy-Award winning actress and bestselling cookbook author, returns with recipes for the foods she eats when she wants to lose weight, look good, and feel more energetic.

Last spring, after a particularly grueling schedule and lapse of overindulgence, Gwyneth Paltrow was feeling fatigued and faint. A visit to her doctor revealed that she was anemic, vitamin D deficient, and that her stress levels were sky high. He prescribed an elimination diet to clear out her system and help her body heal. But this meant no coffee, no alcohol, no dairy, no eggs, no sugar, no shellfish, no deep-water fish, no wheat, no meat, no soy, nothing processed at all!

An avid foodie, Paltrow was concerned that so many restrictions would make mealtime boring, so, together with Julia Turshen, she compiled a collection of delicious, easy recipes that followed her doctor's guidelines. And it worked! After changing her diet, Paltrow healed totally, felt more energetic and looked great. Now, in IT'S ALL GOOD, she shares the go-to dishes that have become the baseline for the restorative diet she turns to whenever she feels she needs it. Recipes include: Huevos Rancheros, Hummus Tartine with Scallion-Mint Pesto, Salmon Burgers with Pickled Ginger, even Power Brownies, Banana "Ice Cream," and more!

Recipe: Caramel-Pear-Cheesecake Trifle



For Christmas, I attempted my first trifle -- the Caramel-Pear-Cheesecake Trifle recipe in Food and Wine Magazine's December 2012 issue (p.146).  We had to buy a trifle dish (this one is from Crate & Barrel), and the dessert turned out quite tasty.

Tips:

• Use 8 pears instead of 5.  I didn't have enough pears!
• Definitely strain the pears after cooking.
• Either buy salted caramel sauce or find a different recipe than the one they provided which was a Vanilla Bean and Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce.  For me, I cooked it for 8 minutes, and it still didn't develop a deep-amber caramel.  I would use the caramel recipe (step 1) from here.
• Before serving, sprinkle some crushed Heath Bar or toffee. 
• When serving, garnish each guest's portion with a whole gingersnap cookie.

My Christmas Fitness Plan

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!!!!

 

The Turducken of Desserts

I learned about the turducken of desserts while reading American Way Magazine (on an American Airlines flight back the other day). 

It's called the Pumpecapple Piecake -- an 11 inch, 24 pound dessert consisting of 3 distinct layers of 6 desserts.  It's a pumpkin pie baked inside of a spice cake, a pecan pie inside a chocolate cake, and an apple pie inside a spice cake, all layered together with a cream-cheese icing and filling and topped with a caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of pecans.  A single slice is 2,000 calories.  Cost is $175.

Check out the 3 minute video on how they make it.  The next time we're in Houston, I'm going to call and see if we can get a slice to go.
http://www.3brothersbakery.com/

Starbucks in Hong Kong

Check out the Starbucks at Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong.  It's decorated like a gingerbread house with a humongous red cup outside!  I love this Starbucks overlooking the water -- hubby and I took a coffee break here when we visited HK a few years ago, so it brings back lots of memories.

http://eater.com/archives/2012/12/19/check-out-the-insane-christmas-decorations-on-a-hong-kong-starbucks.php