A 3-D Printed Dinner

3-D printed architecture models.  3-D printed art.  And now 3-D printed meals?  Is this the future of dining?  I rarely read the Points section in the Dallas Morning News, but this past Sunday, "Dinner is printed" caught my eye.  Check out the article to see what menu items the author and his wife tried for dinner (it's pretty entertaining).

Note:  If the link to the article forces you to sign up for a free trial of the paper, go to Google and search for "dallas morning news 3-d printed meal," and the article should come up in the first search results where you can read the entire article without signing up.

The future uses of this technology is fascinating:

"There’s talk of embedding medicines in meals. In his book Fabricated, Lipson dreams of digitally driven dinners, where the printer uses your body’s up-to-the-minute data to create the perfect lasagna for your nutritional needs, with, say, extra protein or vitamin A.

Junk-food makers hope 3-D printing will allow them to patent a new way to combine salt, sugar and fat. Animal-rights activists hope printers will squeeze out pork chops made from the lab-grown stem cells of pigs. And idealists believe that the technology will help solve world hunger. The hope? We can more efficiently ship powdered food to developing countries, where it can be printed into a variety of meals. A group of Dutch researchers is working on inexpensive bases made from algae and insect protein."

The Greyhound

I admit, I LOVE complex cocktails.  When we go out to restaurants, I often order the craziest drinks that are on the menu . . . drinks that have strange combinations of ingredients (ingredients like thyme, peppercorns, bacon, rhubarb, jalapeno, ginger -- not all of those together, of course, but hey that combination might be interesting).

But as the phrase goes, sometimes less is more and simple is best.  The Greyhound is that go-to drink when I want something simple yet refreshing.  It's grapefruit juice (must must must be freshly squeezed grapefruit) and vodka (Ketel One is my preferred choice).  That's it.

Plus, I get my vitamin C so it's healthy, right?

Starbucks Launches the Duffin

I just read that in the U.K., Starbucks is launching the duffin -- part muffin, part donut, yet another "Franken-pastry" like the cronut.

According to the Business Week article: 
The duffin uses a buttermilk base, and tastes like a moist, cakey muffin, not the coarse, bready type. It looks like a muffin, but it’s filled with raspberry jam and coated in sugar, like a jelly doughnut.

Wonder when it'll make it to the U.S. . . ?

I love blog contributor the grandcruman's creations (though, he hasn't contributed in a while, ahem).  I don't have a recipe to share for this unless he would like to comment on this post with more details!

It's a pan-seared sea bass that was marinated in miso, seasoned rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce (I think that's what he said) served on top of a bed of rice and topped with carrots, celery, cucumber, chives and cilantro.  Cremini mushrooms are in a miso glaze served on the side.

Paired it with a non-sweet riesling, and it was a phenomenal meal!

Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Mousse

Chocolate mousse lovers that also love coffee!  This recipe is for you.

Chocolate Espresso Mousse -- a recipe I happened upon while searching for the best gluten-free desserts for blog contributor FoodFiend's bridal shower.  It turned out quite lovely especially with the addition of the raspberries (raspberries can do the trick as I learned from this article "Wick Allison's Raspberry Secret Is Out").  A dollop of fresh whipped cream would be a nice touch too.

Mousse is quite easy to make.  I mean, the ingredients include just chocolate (make sure to use good quality chocolate), egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream, and in this recipe -- instant espresso powder.  Not a recipe to be scared of making.  And, it's a classy dessert to serve at a dinner party especially if presented in a martini glass or other glassware.

Recipe: Pizza (Using Tyler Florence's Pizza Dough Recipe)

After tonight, I may not be able to order pizza to go ever again.  We made pizza from scratch using Tyler Florence's pizza dough recipe, and OMG - it's so easy and tasty.  The only drawback is that you need to allocate about an hour and a half from start to finish, so it's not a quick weekday pizza.

• 15 min to make the dough
• 1 hr to let the dough rise
• 20 min+ to get your other ingredient toppings together and to bake the pizza

Our pizza this evening had tomato sauce we made from scratch, shredded Italian blend cheese, fresh mozzarella, Italian sausage, white onion, green bell pepper, baby bella mushrooms -- and then we topped it with fresh basil.

I didn't want to stop eating.

And then we had dessert.  (I made homemade ice cream with vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and crushed gingersnap cookies.)

I.  Love.  Food.

Recipe: Avocado and Tangerine Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

I think a lot of unnecessary work goes into the Avocado and Tangerine Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette recipe (Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2013, p. 88). 

Skip the first 2 parts of the recipe.  Instead of simmering the tangerine juice and cooking the jalapeno, it's fine to mix the non-reduced juice and raw, finely chopped jalapeno into the dressing.  I also don't think using vegetable oil is necessary at all.

So, basically, the recipe involves:

• Making the dressing:  whisk the shallot, vinegar, tangerine juice, jalapeno, salt, pepper, olive oil together
• Toss the avocados, tangerines (or oranges), arugula, mint, and feta together
• Dress the salad
• Enjoy!

2013 Big Tex Choice Awards

The 2013 Big Tex Choice Awards (the annual fried-food competition hosted by the State Fair of Texas) were announced today.  Fried Thanksgiving Dinner won for Most Creative while the Deep Fried Cuban Roll won for Best Taste.  Which item sounds good to you?

You can try them all this year during the fair which runs from Sept 27th - Oct 20th.

Awesome Deep Fried Nutella – Cream cheese and Nutella are whipped and spread over flaky phyllo dough sheets, rolled up and deep fried. Served with a drizzle of honey and shaved almonds.

Deep Fried Cuban Roll – A filling of slow-cooked pork shoulder, chopped ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and secret sauce is spread onto a slice of Swiss cheese, rolled up in pastry dough and deep fried. Roll is served with a side of mojo sauce for dipping.

Fernie's Deep Fried King Ranch Casserole – This stick-to-your-ribs, Texas-shaped creation is cheesy, salty, spicy goodness dipped in zesty Southwestern egg wash, coated in panko bread crumbs, and deep fried until golden brown. Served with a side of red, white and blue tortilla chips and your choice of our homemade “salsafied” sour cream or queso.

Fried Thanksgiving Dinner – Mama’s homemade stuffing and diced roasted turkey are rolled in a ball. Next it’s dipped in Southern cream corn, rolled in seasoned cornmeal and fried to a golden brown. Served with old-fashioned giblet brown gravy. The zesty orange cranberry sauce fills your dipping needs and results in a complete Thanksgiving dinner — fried.

Golden Fried Millionaire Pie – Sweetened, fluffy cream cheese filling is loaded with golden pineapple and Texas pecans then wrapped in a flaky pie crust and fried to a golden brown. Topped with whipped cream, toasted coconut and candied pecans.

Southern Style Chicken-Fried Meatloaf – Homemade meatloaf slices are coated in an authentic Texas chicken-fried breading and deep fried until golden brown. Served with garlic mashed potatoes, Texas cream gravy, and a ketchup-brown sugar glaze for dipping.

Spinach Dip Bites – Creamy and delicious spinach artichoke dip bites are coated with crispy tortilla chips and flash-fried until golden brown. Bites are served with salsa for an additional kick.

Texas Fried Fireball – Pimento cheese, pickles, cayenne pepper and bacon are rolled into a ball, dipped in buttermilk, covered with a jalapeño-infused batter and deep fried. Served with chipotle ranch for dipping.

Recipe: Caprese Burgers

We made the Caprese Burgers recipe from Food and Wine Magazine (Aug 2012, p.64).  It was fine but not amazing.  It just didn't wow our taste buds, but it helped us use up some of the basil we've been growing.

Basically, the recipe calls for making a pesto using basil, salted roasted almonds, garlic, olive oil, pecorino-Romano cheese and salt & pepper.  The pesto is mixed into the meat and is also used on top of the burger which has fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. 

Again, it was fine.

But still, no burger compares to the Triple Smoke Burger recipe, the best burger recipe we've come across.

Recipe: Chile-Cumin Spice Paste on Pork and Grilled Green Beans and Peaches

Unlike the Three-Pepper Pork Tenderloin with Peach and Cucumber Salad recipe that we made last week, the Chile-Cumin Spice Paste (Food And Wine Magazine, Dec 2011 issue, p. 146) that we used on pork and the Grilled Green Beans and Peaches recipe (Bon Appetit Magazine, Jun 2013, p.38) were just ok.  I wouldn't make them again.

I take that back. 

I'd make use the chile-cumin spice paste again but bump up the spice level by 100% (I'm a "spice girl" - ha ha) by using more chipotles in adobo, but I won't be keeping the green beans & peaches recipe.  It was just blah.  Really blah.  I think the peach and cucumber salad we made last week was tons better.  Perhaps we didn't carmelize the peaches enough, but the flavors themselves were just, well, eh.

Recipe: Raspberry and Aperol Floats

I am a huge fan of Aperol.  Aperol is like Campari and is actually produced by the Campari company.  It's hard to describe the taste -- it has a slightly bitter orange and herbal-y (I made up that word) flavor to it.

I made the Raspberry and Aperol Floats recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (July 2013, p. 79) the other day, and it is delicious!!!!  If you like Aperol, try this drink.  It involves making a very easy thyme-infused simple syrup and then muddling it and the raspberries in a glass.  Add Aperol, ice cream, and club soda. . . Voila!

Recipe: Sambal Chicken Skewers

The cover photo of the July 2013 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine has Sriracha-Glazed Chicken Skewers (aka Sambal Chicken Skewers - recipe is on p. 69).  This recipe is hot, hot, hot!  It was really easy to make -- it just takes 7 ingredients that I've listed below -- but beware of the heat (note that I love spice and found these HOT).  We served these with rice and a refreshing salad.

• light brown sugar
• rice vinegar
• hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek which you can find in the international aisle of your grocery store)
• fish sauce
• sriracha (go easy on this -- a quarter cup is a lot)
• ginger
• chicken

What's food would you save from your fridge?

Last night, our power went out.  We were watching a movie, and all of sudden heard a boom and then everything in the house went dark.  It turns out the wire running electricity to our house went kaput, so we didn't have electricity for almost 9 hours. 

Great.

We had just gone to the grocery store and loaded up on groceries for the week.

Today, we cleaned out the fridge, and it made me think -- the next time the power goes out and there's a chance that it'll be out for more than 4 hours, we'll be heading to the grocery store to get ice so we can save some of the food and place them in coolers. 

What would YOU save from the fridge?  (For us, I think it'd be whatever costs the most to replace. . . plus all cheeses )

BTW, here's a link to the CDC's website regarding food safety when your power goes out.

Art-inspired Dinner

Rothko-inspired bramble jelly shot

Phase-Mother Earth inspired chocolate & vanilla cake

A few weeks ago, our friends threw an art-themed dinner party which was inspired by Caitlin Freeman's book Modern Art Desserts.  Everyone invited brought a dish, and we each had to guess what artist/artwork inspired the dish.  It was tons 'o fun, and I'm hoping we do it again soon.

We made 2 items:

1. A bramble cocktail jelly shot that was inspired by Marc Rothko's work.
2. A cake inspired by Nubuo Sekine's Phase-Mother Earth which is considered to be a pivotal work of the Mono-ha Japanese art movement of the late 60s and early 70s.  Phase-Mother Earth was a large cylindrical tower made of packed earth which was removed from a cylindrical hole with the same shape.

The jelly shots were a hit and fun to eat.  (From now on, I think I'm going to make a fun jelly shot for every dinner party we have.)

The cake turned out fine, we just had to do some minor repairs at the end.  Making the cake was an interesting undertaking as you probably imagine from looking at the photo.  I do need to find a great cake recipe that produces somewhat dense and moist cake AND that is meant for layering so if anyone has a tried-and-true recipe, please let me know and respond in the comments!

Recipe: Three-Pepper Pork Tenderloin with Peach-Cucumber Salad

We've been on a roll with testing new recipes -- another great dish!  This one is the Three-Pepper Pork Tenderloin with Peach-Cucumber Salad recipe from Food & Wine Magazine's September 2013 issue (p.90).

It's a quick and easy dish to make during the weekday after work.  It took about 30 minutes max.

Tips:

• The pork was very peppery, so just beware!  
• Cut the salt in half.
• Used white peaches (my favorite).
• Take a look at the recipe link above to see the photo from Food & Wine Magazine.  The magazine didn't picture a photo, so I didn't think to dice up the cucumbers and peaches (I sliced them instead).  The dice looks nice.
• We had rice leftover from another meal, so I had that instead of naan, though, we'll try yogurt and naan next time.

Recipe: Shrimp, Chorizo and Corn Salad

This Shrimp, Chorizo and Corn Salad recipe from Cooking Light (July 2013, p.134) is a keeper.  We don't receive the Cooking Light Magazine, and I'm usually not a huge fan because their recipes often don't have enough flavor, but this one is GREAT, and we'll definitely be making it again as a quick weeknight meal.  Instead of having this as a salad, we had this for dinner as our main entrée over rice.

Few tips:

• We love garlic and so added extra
• We doubled the amount of red and yellow tomatoes
• Instead of Spanish chorizo, we used Andouille sausage
• Next time, we're not going to add as much lemon juice -- didn't think it was needed
• Added the basil at the very end

Recipe: Hanger Steak with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce

I don't have a photo for this Hanger Steak with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (Oct 2011, p. 54), but oh my gosh, it was DELICIOUS and so easy.  We made this for dinner with a side of mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts and had a nice Cab to go along with it. . .  I think the meal turned out better than many fine dining restaurant meals we've had.

When I say that the recipe was easy to make -- it was easy.  The ingredients include just olive oil, assorted mushrooms, salt & pepper, hanger steak, garlic, rosemary, dry red wine, chicken stock (we used beef stock) and fresh tarragon.

Recipe: La Bete Noire

I forgot to take a photo of the entire torte,
and now there's only one piece left and I can't seem to
take a great photo of it.  So, here's a close-up.

Need a flourless chocolate torte recipe (that just so happens to be gluten-free since there's, well, no flour in it)? 

Look no farther than La Bete Noir (meaning "The Black Beast") from Bon Appetit Magazine (Sept 2006) that one of my interns recommended to me.  This dessert is for chocolate lovers.  Take a bite, and the chocolate literally melts in your mouth in an instant and yet the dessert isn't too sweet -- it has a perfect balance of richness and sweetness. 

I craved a piece this morning and had a sliver with my morning coffee (after yoga!). 

Recipe: Garlicky Rice

We don't subscribe to Cooking Light;  however, my mother-in-law gets the magazine and passed the July 2013 issue to us.  We made the Spiced Chicken Thighs with Garlicky Rice recipe (p.58), and while the chicken was a bit bland, the rice was quite good!  

I usually make rice in a rice cooker, but here's their recipe for making it on the stove.

• Melt 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat
• Add 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic; saute for 1 minute.
• Add 1 cup of uncooked basmati rice;  cook 30 seconds stirring constantly.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of water and 3/8 teaspoon of salt;  bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes or until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Fluff rice.
• Stir in parsley and black pepper.

Creative Cupcakes for the Shoe Lover

Aren't these cupcakes so cute?  My co-worker is an amazing baker and made these for another colleague's birthday. 

The shoe is a cupcake and Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie, and the heel is a Pepperidge Farm Pirouette.  For the bows, she rolled out some Starburst candy, cut them into thin strips and formed them into bows.  So creative!

Recipe: Thai Chicken Curry

I love Thai food and had been wanting to make Thai Chicken Curry ever since I saw the recipe in Bon Appetit's January 2013 issue (see the photo on p.29 or the link to the recipe above -- it looks mouthwatering; recipe is on p.30 in the magazine).

What a disappointment.  I should've known from reading the reviews on epicurious.com that it wouldn't taste as expected.  While it does have curry paste and coconut milk, there isn't any oomph to the dish, if you know what I mean.  The flavors weren't bold at all, and there was almost no hint of spice.  I'm not keeping this recipe around.  It just didn't fit my expectations of a Thai dish.

Champagne Cork: Mytik Diam

Last night, we opened a bottle of Champagne -- the cork had Mytik Diam on it as you can see in the photo.  I thought, "How cool.  Maybe it's a Latin phrase like carpe diem or something that represents what the brand is about."

Yeah, never mind.  I just looked it up, and it's the name of the cork brand.

Pop-Tarts Ice Cream

 

Why didn't anyone think of this before? 

Carl's Jr. is rolling out a new Hand-Scooped Strawberry Pop-Tarts Ice Cream Sandwich to all of its 1,391 restaurants as a limited time offer starting today.

For a limited time, the dessert will be FREE with the purchase of a Super Bacon Cheeseburger combination meal at participating restaurants. The ice cream sandwich will be sold for a recommended $1.49 if purchased separately.  (That sounds like a 3,000 calorie meal.)

I'm not a huge fan of Strawberry Pop-Tarts, but I can imagine Frosted Blueberry or S'mores being pretty good.

What would Gordon Ramsey say?

I was going through the photos on my phone and came across this one that I'd taken last month. 

An example of REALLY awful food photography and marketing at Twisted Root.  What would Gordon Ramsey say?

Recipe: Slice-and-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Want dessert but don't have anything in the house?  If you cook and bake pretty frequently, you probably have all of the ingredients below to make these Slice-and-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Bon Appetit (April 2013 issue, p. 32). 

Ingredients needed:  flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, nutmeg, unsalted butter, sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, old-fashioned oats, raisins.

Things I did differently:

• Halved the amount of raisins -- substituted one cup for a cup of chocolate chips to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
• Didn't have whole wheat flour on-hand, so I used all-purpose flour.
• Didn't want to wait to freeze the dough, so I baked them right away.
• It's probably obvious from the photo, but I made very LARGE cookies.

Recipe: Popovers with Gruyere

I made popovers for the first time this past weekend for a party we attended. 

Who knew they were so easy to make? 

This Popovers with Gruyere recipe from Bon Appetit (Sept 2004) requires just 5 ingredients:  flour, salt, milk, eggs and gruyere.  Impress your guests!

2 tips:

• Baking time was only 35 min (not the 40 min noted in the recipe) so watch them so they don't overbrown or burn.
• Make a slit in them as people have noted in the reviews so that they don't deflate completely.
• Think about adding dry mustard and/or mustard seeds like the XXL Gougeres.

What Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor Says About You

First of all, did you know that this month is National Ice Cream Month? 
Also, National Ice Cream Day is Sunday, July 21st.

From Baskin-Robbins' press release:

Baskin-Robbins recently partnered with Dr. Alan Hirsch, a nationally recognized smell and taste expert and founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, to identify what some of the most popular ice cream flavors suggest about someone's personality.

If you favorite flavor is. . .

• Vanilla, you're more likely to be impulsive, easily suggestible and an idealist.
• Chocolate, you're more likely to be dramatic, lively, charming, flirtatious, seductive and gullible.
• Very Berry Strawberry, you're more likely to be a tolerant, devoted and an introvert.
• Mint Chocolate Chip, you're more likely to be argumentative, frugal and cautious.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, you're more likely to be ambitious, competitive and a visionary.
• Pralines 'n Cream, you're more likely to be loving, supportive and prefer to avoid the spotlight.
• Jamoca (i.e. coffee), you're more likely to be scrupulous, conscientious and a moral perfectionist.
• Chocolate Chip, you're more likely to be generous, competent and a go getter.
• Rainbow Sherbet, you're more likely to be analytic, decisive and a pessimistic.
• Rocky Road, you're more likely to be aggressive, engaging and a good listener.

So, what's YOUR favorite flavor?

Definition: Jam, Jelly, Marmalade

Jams, jellies and marmalades are all different styles of fruit preserves.

Jam = a preparation of fruits, vegetables and sugar, often canned or sealed for long-term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves today often involves adding commercial or natural pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used as well.

Jelly = an American term for clear or translucent fruit spread made from sweetened fruit (or vegetable) juice and set using naturally occurring pectin.  Additional pectin may be added where the original fruit does not supply enough, for example with grapes. Jelly can be made from sweet, savory or hot ingredients. It is made by a process similar to that used for making jam, with the additional step of filtering out the fruit pulp after the initial heating. 

Marmalade = a type of fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. It can be produced from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamots and other citrus fruits, or any combination.

Source:  Wikipedia.com

Friday Night Dinner

Beef Wellington
Mashed Potatoes
Mozzarella, tomato, basil salad
Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages

 

Life is good.

Definitions: Puree, Paste, Coulis, Compote, Chutney

Purée = a general term for cooked food, usually vegetables or legumes, that have been ground, pressed, blended, and/or sieved to the consistency of a soft creamy paste or thick liquid.

Paste = often used for purees intended to be used as an ingredient, rather than eaten.

Coulis =  most commonly used term for fruit purees.  A form of thick sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits. A vegetable coulis is commonly used on meat and vegetable dishes, and it can also be used as a base for soups or other sauces. Fruit coulis are most often used on desserts.

Compote = a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. The compote is served either warm or cold.

Chutney = a  pungent relish of Indian origin made of fruit, spices and herbs.

Source:  Wikipedia.com

Cherry Bourbon Cocktail

I've been into bourbon for a little while now and was craving a bourbon-cherry type drink the other night.  I really wanted to use some of the all natural Chukar maraschino cherries (they're amazing) our friends gave us, so I searched for "bourbon cherry" online and scanned through some recipes.  Here's the concoction that I created that is my new go-to drink:

• 1.5 oz of bourbon (we use Bulleit brand)
• 4 or 5 Chukar maraschino cherries
• 2.5 tbsp. of Chukar maraschino cherry syrup/juice
• Splash of tonic
• Splash of club soda (so the drink isn't super sweet)
• Squeeze of lime

I've seen some other recipes that mix cherry/bourbon/lime/ginger and cherry/bourbon/triple sec/cream, so I'll be experimenting some new recipes tonight. 

Happy 4th!

Downton Abbey Wines to Be Released

For all Downton Abbey fans, it was announced this past week that a collection of Downton Abbey wines -- Bordeaux clarets and blancs will be introduced in time for season 4.

According to Fox News:  The range of Bordeaux clarets and whites are the type of clarets imported by the British aristocracy from France in the early 1900s. The recreated wines are from grapes grown on the same vines and from the same soil as the era depicted in Downton Abbey.

I wonder if Carson would approve of the wine.

Sources:  HuffingtonPost.com and FoxNews.com

Tableware affects how food tastes

I thought this was fascinating. . . see the full story (super short article). 

The size, weight, shape and color of your cutlery can affect how food tastes, a new study suggests. In the research, participants thought white yogurt tasted sweeter than pink-colored yogurt when eaten from a white spoon, but the reverse was true when a black spoon was used, reported usnews.com. Full Story

Drink Recipe: Strawberry Ginger Basil Cocktail

I needed a refreshing drink during pool time this afternoon and made this cocktail inspired by the recipe in this week's US Weekly.  It's simply:  muddled strawberries and basil, strawberry vodka, and topped with Fever Tree Ginger Beer.  It was a little sweet for my taste, so next time, I'll use less ginger beer and top it off with club soda.

The recipe in US Weekly is called Grey Goose Paradise Presse -- the cocktail was served at the L.A. Dance Project Gala held earlier this month and uses orange juice, strawberry juice, Grey Goose Le Citron vodka, sugar, club soda, strawberries and basil.  (No ginger beer.)  The headline touts that Rashida Jones and Natalie Portman "toss back this berry refreshing aperitif." 

Yes, berry refreshing!

Recipe: Thomas Keller's puree of garlic potatoes

Thomas Keller's puree of garlic potatoes from his ad hoc at home cookbook (p.223) is now my go to recipe for making mashed potatoes.  It's really amazing how his recipes elevate the most basic everyday foods.  Even the names of his recipes sound fancy.  I mean, this is mashed potatoes, but he calls the dish "puree of garlic potatoes."

My changes/shortcuts for this recipe:

• Made half the recipe which is about 4 servings.
• Used a potato ricer instead of a food mill.
• Instead of making the garlic confit (p.266) which takes 40 minutes, I minced 2 large garlic cloves and then cooked them in a couple of tablespoons of canola oil (and made sure not to overbrown or burn the garlic).

We will definitely be serving this at dinner parties at our house.

Guest Post: Summer Corn & Asparagus Salad

Thanks for letting me contribute to the Foodie Friends Test Kitchen!

A couple of months ago I found a beautiful photo of "corn and asparagus salad" on Pinterest. Normally I check the links to make sure I can actually see the recipe or content. This time, I was mesmerized by the photo and pinned without caution.  It went on to my "Summer Eats" board.

Fast forward two months and The Guy (my hubby) came home from the grocery store this weekend with corn and asparagus. Bingo! Back on Pinterest I went in a hurry, looking for the recipe behind the amazing photo. (Insert wha wha wha sound) No link could be found.

So, I improvised. And it was awesome. (I should say "we" because it was a team effort between me, "The Lady" and "The Guy") here is what we did:

Grocery List:
3 small/medium ears of corn
8 large spears of asparagus
I small to medium scallion
Fresh basil
White wine vinegar (just in case your pantry doesn't have it)

Shuck the corn and trim the asparagus (break the stems where they naturally want to)
Drizzle with olive oil, lightly salt and pepper.

GRILL - The Guy is a grill master, he cooks veggies quickly over relatively high heat (charcoal) until very slightly charred and perfectly al dente.

Cool the veggies - cut the corn off the cob when it's cool enough to handle (don't cut too close to the cob, it gets starchy).  Cut the asparagus into inch long pieces (I cut them on a bias) and put in the fridge.

Finely chop the shallot and the basil (I used about 2 tbsp chopped) Put in a bowl with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Mix and put in the fridge.

Combine the "dressing" with the veggies then salt and pepper to taste. Sounds so easy, but the fresh ingredients make it a perfect summer side dish. I'm sure you could sub out basil for lots of other favorite herbs, but it was perfect in my book.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Thomas Keller's endive and arugula salad with peaches and marcona almonds

We cooked a couple of recipes out of Thomas Keller's ad hoc at home cookbook the other day.  The endive and arugula salad with peaches and marcona almonds (p. 140) sounded like a lovely summertime salad, and it was.  It just took a little bit of time because I had to make the peach puree (p.249) first.  However, here are some shortcuts and things we changed:

the peach puree

• I used ONE peach to make about a 1/4 cup of puree.
• Even though the peaches I bought weren't perfectly ripe, I peeled them with a paring knife and skipped the first step of putting them in boiling water and then an ice bath to cool.
• I also didn't strain the puree through a fine-mesh basket strainer because I'm fine with a chunky dressing (and it wasn't even that chunky, just thick).
• I have a candy thermometer and could've made sure that the puree reached 215-220 degrees F, but I didn't.

the salad

• Because endive gets pricey, we used a baby spring mix that didn't have arugula.  I think the arugula would've added a nice touch and extra dimension to the salad, so I'll add that next time as called for by the recipe.

A note on the recipe says that in the fall, pears can be substituted for the peaches in both the puree and salad.  I love pears and so will definitely be trying that out!

Definition: Kosher Salt

So, what is kosher salt exactly. . . I mean, why is it called KOSHER salt?

From Wikipedia.com:

Koshering salt, usually referred to as kosher salt in the US, is a variety of edible salt with a much larger grain size than some common table salt. Like common table salt, kosher salt consists of the chemical compound sodium chloride.

Unlike some common table salt, kosher salt typically contains no additives such as iodine, although some brands will include anti-clumping agents in small amounts. Additive-free nonkosher salt is also readily available.

The term "kosher salt" comes from its use in making meats kosher by removing surface blood, not from its being made in accordance with the guidelines for kosher foods as written in the Torah, as nearly all salt is kosher, including ordinary table salt. One salt manufacturer considers the term ambiguous, and distinguishes between "kosher certified salt" and "koshering salt": "koshering salt" has the "small, flake-like form" useful in treating meat, whereas "kosher certified salt" is salt that has been certified as such by an appropriate religious body.

Also, as you probably know from experience -- it dissolves easily and provides flavor without oversalting.

Recipe: Hot Pepper Noodles

Update on Hot Pepper Noodles (original post was on 3/27/13 - see below).

Have you ever made a recipe, thinking that it was something you'd never made before until realizing it later?  We made Hot Pepper Noodles which I thought was a brand new recipe until I started writing this post and realized that we'd made it before over 2 months ago!  When eating dinner, I even mentioned that it was the best Asian dish we'd ever made (a la my comment below).

This time it was even better:

• Used flat rice noodles which fit the dish perfectly (and is what the recipe calls for).
• Added chicken AND tofu (firm)
• Used FRESH basil from our garden!
• Because of the amount of ingredients we added (3 chicken breasts, 1 whole block of tofu), we made 1.5x the amount of sauce, although next time I'd make twice the amount of sauce.

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This past weekend, we made the Hot Pepper Noodles recipe in Bon Appetit's March 2013 issue (p. 22).  This was a fabulous (and quick and easy) Asian dish -- it was a write-in request from a reader who wanted the recipe from Penny's Noodle Shop in Chicago.  It's one of the best Asian recipes we've made; we'll definitely make it again.  Just looking at this photo is making me hungry. . .

Here are a few tips and changes we made to the recipe:

• Used thin rice noodles.
• Added shrimp to the dish and next time will add tofu too.  (This will require making more of the sauce since tofu tends to absorb sauce easily.)
• Added red pepper flakes when cooking the chicken and shrimp to add heat to the dish.
• Added scallions but won't do this next time because the scallions got overpowered by the other ingredients.
• Will add double or even triple the amount of basil next time.

Fatty Foods May Cause Cocaine-like Addiction

(This is old news and was on CNN Health back in March 2010.)

However, I was reading an article recently on this topic and decided to do a little more research and found this CNN article that originally was in Health Magazine.

Basically, fattening foods are addictive.  I'm not surprised.

A study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods like bacon and cheesecake affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction.

Perhaps this is why there are so many people overweight/obese in the U.S.

In the study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the researchers studied 3 groups of lab rats for 40 days. One of the groups was fed regular rat food. A second was fed bacon, sausage, cheesecake, frosting, and other fattening, high-calorie foods--but only for one hour each day. The third group was allowed to pig out on the unhealthy foods for up to 23 hours a day.

Guess what happened?

The rats that gorged themselves on the human food quickly became obese. But their brains also changed. By monitoring implanted brain electrodes, the researchers found that the rats in the third group gradually developed a tolerance to the pleasure the food gave them and had to eat more to experience a high.They began to eat compulsively, to the point where they continued to do so in the face of pain. When the researchers applied an electric shock to the rats' feet in the presence of the food, the rats in the first two groups were frightened away from eating. But the obese rats were not.

Apparently, our processed food is similar to cocaine -- white bread, corn syrup, etc. 

No more high fructose corn syrup in our house!  That means no more Mrs. Butterworth's syrup!

Recipe: Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing

Last night, we tried out Food and Wine Magazine's "Best First Course Salad" recipe from British chef Jamie Oliver -- Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing.  It was originally published in their Sept 2008 issue but then was republished recently in their Best-Ever Recipe issue (p. 58. . .  I can't tell which issue it was since I tore the recipe out of the magazine, but it was from the past 4 months).

It was a really nice salad, but note that you must love cumin since the cumin flavor really comes through! 

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it still turned out great . . .

• I left out:
• Fresh chile de arbol since none of the stores I went to had it
• Ciabatta bread
• Baby arugula
• Roasted sunflower seeds (which we could've added because I found a small package in our pantry after-the-fact)
• Didn't toss the avocados and the greens because I didn't want the avocados to break apart and get mushy
• The carrots had enough flavor from the cumin dressing, so instead of tossing them in the citrus dressing, I tossed the greens with the dressing.

I would definitely make this again for a dinner party!

Definition: Osteria

I've seen so many restaurants named Osteria-something like Osteria Via Stato, Osteria Stellina, Osteria Coppa, and so on.

What does osteria mean? 

[I think the info below applies primarily to the osteria in Italy, not in the U.S., based on my experience.]

An osteria in Italy was originally a place serving wine and simple food. Lately, the emphasis has shifted to the food, but menus tend to be short, with an emphasis on local specialities such as pasta, grilled meat or fish, and often served at shared tables. Ideal for a cheap lunch, osterie (the plural in Italian) also cater for after work and evening refreshment.

Osterie vary greatly in practice: some only serve drinks and clients are allowed to bring in their own food; some have retained a predominantly male clientele whilst others have reached out to students and young professionals. Some provide music and other entertainment. Similar to osterie are bottiglierie, where you can take a bottle or flask to be re-filled from a barrel, and enoteche which generally pride themselves on the range and quality of their wine. In Emilia-Romagna are located two of the oldest italian osterie: the "Osteria del Sole" in Bologna and "Osteria al Brindisi" in Ravenna, both established in the mid 15th century.

Source:  Wikipedia.com

Definition: Kohlrabi

I was reading one of my fashion e-mails I receive last week, and they did a feature on kohlrabi, saying that it's the next big thing.

What is kohlrabi?

According to wikipedia.com, kohlrabi (German turnip) is a perennial vegetable, and is a low, stout cultivar of cabbage. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw as well as cooked.

The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet.

In doing some research online, I may be behind the times!  There seems to have been a proliferation of articles on kohlrabi last year around this time.  In any case, I'll let you know if we find the vegetable and cook some up. . .

Paiche

We wanted fish for dinner, so I stopped by Whole Foods after work.  Paiche was on sale.  I had never heard of that type of fish, but the fishmonger told me that it was a mild white fish (and new to Whole Foods).  We tried it. . . sauteeing it with butter, garlic, salt and pepper.  I would buy it again!  It reminded me a little bit of Chilean sea bass.  Good texture and not a strong fishy flavor.

I looked up paiche on wikipedia.com:
The arapaima, pirarucu, or paiche (Arapaima gigas) is a South American tropical freshwater fish. It is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

Apparently it can grow to be 500 lbs.  It is unusual in that it is an air-breathing animal and it lives in the shallow, muddy waters of river-beds, popping up every 15 to 20 minutes for air. Marine scientists consider the paiche to be a living fossil, a direct link back to the Jurassic period.

It was an ingredient on Iron Chef with Masaharu Morimoto vs. Justin Bogle.  Maybe I'd know what paiche was if we had cable because The Food Network would be on 24/7!

Recipe: Chex Mix with Chex, Cheese-Its, Pretzels and Cashews

I'd been wanting to make some Chex Mix for a while and finally took the time this past weekend.  It wasn't the typical Chex Mix . . .  it had Chex, Cheese-Its, Pretzels and Cashews -- all things I love!  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 5 cups Chex cereal (Rice or Corn or a combination)
• 5 cups Cheez-It White Cheddar crackers
• 1 1/2 cup pretzels
• 1 cup dry roasted cashews
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1.  On a large cookie sheet, combine the Chex cereal, Cheez-Its, pretzels and cashews. Set aside.

2. Stir together remaining ingredients. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Stir until evenly coated. 

3. Bake at 250°F about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Memorial Day Party Menu

Memorial Day Party Menu

(This will be helpful as a reminder next year

when we're trying to figure out the menu!)

Homemade Chex Mix

Strawberry, Marshmallow, Blueberry Skewers

Veggie Plate

 

Brisket

Mac & Cheese: America's Test Kitchen Recipe
Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime

Baked Beans

Pickles

Chips

Bread/rolls

 

Blueberry Cobbler:  America's Test Kitchen Recipe

Spicy Smoky S'mores Bars

 

 

Definition: Soccarat

I learned a new word yesterday when making paella. 

Soccarat is a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan (which is a traditional part of paella).  I had no idea there was a word for it!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Recipe: Paella

Want to make paella but don't have a paella pan or think it's too difficult to make?  Try this America's Test Kitchen recipe that uses a Dutch oven and took us about an 1 1/2 total cooking time.  (I love mussels, but we didn't include them in the dish.) 

I highly recommend it!  Easy peasy.

Definition: Herbes de Provence

This week's word is:  Herbes de Provence

I've always wondered. . . what herbs make up Herbes de Provence?

According to Wikipedia.com:
Formerly simply a descriptive term referring to herbs typical of Provence, in the 1970s, commercial blends started to be sold under this name. These mixtures typically contain savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender leaves and other herbs, though lavender was not used in traditional southern French cooking.

Herbes de Provence are used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavour into the cooked food. They are rarely added after cooking is complete.

There are quite a few different recipes for making your own herb mixture that you can find online.

I was just curious to see what herbs some pre-packaged Herbes de Provence contain:

• McCormick's:  rosemary, marjoram, thyme and savory
• Dean & DeLuca's:  rosemary, marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, fennel and lavender

Definition: Gastrique

Thanks to blog contributor FoodFiend for suggesting this week's word of the week:  gastrique

A gastrique is a sauce made by deglazing caramelized sugar with vinegar and then reducing. With its sweet-tart flavor, a gastrique is often used as a fruit sauce for meats like duck and venison.

Source:  BonAppetit.com

Recipe: Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta Salata

I had never made gnocchi before (the recipes usually look really long and have a lot of steps), so when I saw the Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta Salata recipe in Food & Wine Magazine's April 2013 issue (photo is on p.135, recipe is on p.133), I thought I'd give it a shot because it looked easy. 

It was a disaster!  I don't even want to post a photo of how it turned out because it looked so awful.  A KEY step to the recipe is to wring the daylight out of the spinach before puree-ing it.  I thought I didn't get enough water out of it because I ended up with 2 cups of spinach puree (not one), and while not drying out the spinach enough was probably a big issue . . . more than that, the recipe is apparently flawed because 2 other people had the exact same problems that I did.  (See the comments at the recipe link above.)  I wish I had read their review before making this.

I would not recommend making this recipe, and this is the 2nd time a Food and Wine Magazine recipe has completely failed me. 

I'm not happy.

Definition: Boulevardier

This week's definition is boulevardier.

There's a new French restaurant in Dallas called Boulevardier.  I assumed that the name of the restaurant referenced a boulevard; however, as I was reading Bon Appetit Magazine's May 2013 issue, there was a reference to the drink, a Boulevardier.

Confused, I looked up the word, and it turns out that it's both a term referencing a person walking a boulevard and also a drink.

According to merriam-webster.com, the definition of boulevardier is
: a frequenter of the Parisian boulevards; broadly: man-about-town
The origin is from from the French word "boulevard."

The Boulevardier cocktail is a combination of bourbon, sweet vermouth and Campari. 

Here's a recipe from BonAppetit.com:
Combine 2 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce Campari, and 1 ounce sweet vermouth in a large mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until glass is very cold, about 1 minute. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe or a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Recipe: Blue Lagoon Pancake

This morning, I woke up and wanted pancakes, but not just any pancakes!  I wanted a Blue Lagoon pancake based on my favorite "Blue Lagoon" crepe from the crepe cart in Breckenridge. 

Here's my recipe:

• Make a pancake (however you make them ~ out of a box or from scratch)
• Drizzle a tablespoon or so of Bailey's Irish Cream over it so that it soaks into the pancake
• Spread (or smother!) the pancake with Nutella
• Sprinkle some brown sugar over it
• Add blueberries on top

It is amazingly delicious!!!!

Recipe: Mustard-Crusted Pork with Farro and Carrot Salad

The Mustard-Crusted Pork with Farro and Carrot Salad recipe in Bon Appetit's April 2012 issue (see p.97 for the recipe, p.95 for the full-page photo) is one of the best and more unique recipes we've made from Bon Appetit Magazine recently.  The mustard crust on the pork is super flavorful, and it nicely complements the interesting mix of flavors in the farro -- carrot, parsley, onion, honey, caraway seeds, apple cider vinegar.  Sounds weird, but it all really works!  I wasn't sure how this would turn out and if I'd like all of the carrots mixed in with the farro, but it was really delicious.

I HIGHLY recommend making this dish.  When we made it this past weekend for dinner, I couldn't wait to eat the leftovers.

Here are some key tips. . .

• Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil so clean-up is easier
• For food safety reasons, I didn't leave the pork out for an hour, but put it in the fridge for a couple of hours
• Use a peeler instead of a mandoline to slice the carrots (it works just as well and is safer)
• I didn't think 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette in the skillet was enough, so I added 4 tbsp to cook the farro and carrots
• Add salt to the farro (to taste)
• Add the red onion to the farro and carrots in the pan to soften and cook them a little bit
• Remember to let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes

Definition: Aioli

This week's culinary definition is aioli.

Aioli is a Provençal traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and egg yolks. There are many variations, such as the addition of mustard. It is usually served at room temperature. The name comes from Provençal alh 'garlic' + òli 'oil.'

Aioli is like mayonnaise, an emulsion or a suspension of small globules of oil and oil-soluble compounds in water and water-soluble compounds. Egg yolk can be used as an emulsifier and is generally used in making aioli. However, mustard and garlic both have emulsion-producing properties and some variants omit the egg.

Generally, egg yolks, garlic and Dijon mustard (if adding this as a common variation on the basic aioli) are combined first with a whisk, then the oil and the lemon juice are added slowly with whisking to create the emulsion. The additions of the dissimilar ingredients must be slow to start and then can be faster once the initial emulsion has formed.

Source:  Wikipedia.com

Recipe: Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta

My hubby was reading this month's Bon Appetit magazine this past weekend and came to show me the recipe and photo of the Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta recipe (April 2012, p. 38) saying, "This looks good -- we should make it." 

So we did, and it was good!  We had leftovers this evening, and it was good even reheated.

It's quite simple to make and doesn't take many ingredients (olive oil, garlic, red pepper, broccoli rabe, salt, pepper, eggs, milk, bread, parmesan, pancetta).  We had never cooked broccoli rabe before and weren't even sure our local (regular) grocery store carried it, but they did!

Our only deviation from the recipe. . . we used about twice the amount of pancetta.  Gotta love pancetta.

Next time, it might be interesting to cut down the amount of broccoli rabe and replace it with some broccoli and spinach.  The broccoli rabe added a bitterness that we liked but was a tad strong.

Definition: Chimichurri

This week's culinary definition is chimichurri.

What exactly is it?
It's a sauce used for grilled meat and is originally from Argentina but is also used in Uruguay.

Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar. Additional flavorings such as coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leaf may be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.

Where did the name come from?
I think these 2 explanations are the most realistic and believable:

The Argentine gourmet Miguel Brascó claims that the word chimichurri originated when the British were captured after the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. The prisoners asked for condiment for their food mixing English, aboriginal and Spanish words. According to this story, che-mi-curry stands for "che mi salsa" (a rough translation is hey give me condiment) or "give me curry". The word then corrupted to chimichurri.

Another theory for the name of the sauce comes from the Basque settlers that arrived in Argentina as early as the 19th century. According to this theory, the name of the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri, loosely translated as "a mixture of several things in no particular order."

Source:  wikipedia.com

Recipe: Spinach-and-Parmesan Sformati

I've been wanting to make Top Chef Masters' Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson's Spinach-and-Parmesan Sformati ever since I saw the photo of it in Food and Wine Magazine's April 2012 issue (p.132).  A sformati (or sformato) is an Italian custard with a lot of cheese -- it's like a souffle but not as airy.

Mine did NOT turn out looking as light green as the one in the magazine photo (see the link to the photo and recipe above).  Perhaps next time I need to use Parmesan powder to coat my ramekins.  Otherwise, there is no way for a dish that has that much spinach in it to be that light in color. 

In any case, the dish (which we ate as a side dish) was delicious.  It tasted like a souffle and was packed with spinach and cheese flavor.  While it does take a while to make and bake, it isn't a hard recipe and is worth the time.

Recipe: Chicken Dijon

I made the Chicken Dijon recipe (Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2011, p.118) this past weekend.  Very easy, and it turned out great -- nice and flavorful.  The ingredient list is pretty simple:

• coriander seeds
• EVOO
• chicken
• s&p
• onion
• garlic
• chicken broth
• whole-grain mustard
• either creme fraiche or sour cream
• tarragon

It's so much better than the Shake 'n Bake Honey Mustard mix I used to use when I didn't know how to cook.

Next time, I'm going to try chicken breasts instead of the drumsticks.

Recipe: Pork Larb Lettuce Wrap

We made this Pork Larb Lettuce Wrap recipe this evening.  The dish (I'd recommend this as an appetizer) has really nice flavors but a major flaw.  The recipe calls for toasting a tablespoon of long-grain rice until browned, grinding the rice in a spice grinder and then sprinkling the meat with the powder.  Definitely don't do this!!!  It gave the dish a weird grainy texture that was not appetizing.  Or, if you want to try this, do it with just a small portion of meat to see if you like it. 

Other than that, the flavors were good -- think garlic, fish sauce, lime, sugar, spice (we used a serrano pepper), red onion, cilantro, mint, basil -- very southeast Asian.

We used ground chicken because the store ran out of pork (and I didn't want to use ground beef); however, I think the pork's flavor and texture would be ideal to use the next time we make it.

Definition: Duxelles

What is duxelle or duxelles (pronounced duck-SELL)?  

Duxelles is a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions, shallots and herbs sautéed in butter, and reduced to a paste (sometimes cream is used, as well). It is a basic preparation used in stuffings and sauces (notably, beef Wellington) or as a garnish. Duxelles can also be filled into a pocket of raw pastry and baked as a savory tart.

Duxelles is said to have been created by the 17th-century French chef François Pierre La Varenne (1615–1678) and to have been named after his employer, Nicolas Chalon du Blé, marquis d'Uxelles, maréchal de France.

Try Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington recipe which calls for making a duxelles (or mushroom paste).

Source: Wikipedia.com

Modern Art Desserts

If you love modern art and love desserts, watch this 2 minute video.  The team at the Blue Bottle Cafe at the SFMOMA create desserts that are inspired by artists such as Cindy Sherman, Piet Mondrian and Richard Serra.  As the author Caitlin Freeman says, "we go to work every day to look at art and make cake."  What a dream job! 

I must have this new cookbook that is coming out on April 16th.

Recipe: Chicken and Dumplings

It was chilly this past weekend, and we were looking for a hearty, healthy dish to make.  America's Test Kitchen's Chicken and Dumplings Recipe was perfect after a long day of working out in the yard!  We've made this recipe before, and it turns out great each time.  We added more vegetables than it called for and so need to remember to add more chicken stock and water next time we make the recipe.