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Mar 2, 2010 8:56 AM
This weekend I was at my sister’s house for a dinner party. She went to the trouble of baking Cheddar cheese crackers, which were absolutely fantastic, and got me thinking about crackers in general. We eat them all the time, but don’t usually think much about them except as something to top with a slice of cheese or dab of peanut butter. Yet, the amazing variety of crackers in every supermarket is impressive. They’re crisp, buttery, salty, sweet, herbaceous, peppery, chewy, robust, mild….their attributes are never ending and yet they so often get second-class status.
Enough! Cracker lovers of the world unite. Pay attention to the wafers you casually slather them with hummus or cream cheese. Take time to taste the cracker itself and appreciate its innate flavors and how they mingle with the food you pair with them. And every so often it’s fun to make your own, as my sister did the other night. But beware. Her crackers were so delicious, so tempting that her Labrador, far quicker and more agile than he appears, managed to gobble most of them up before anyone could stop him. Darn. Those crackers were tasty, too!
Posted by 2756687 Mar 2, 2010 8:56 AM
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Mar 1, 2010 2:51 PM
Oops! I did it again….And you may have, too: put on a few extra pounds over the winter. It’s an easy thing to do, and often something we barely notice until we pull on our shorts or bathing suit for the first time since last summer. The hours sitting on the sofa add up pretty quickly — and if we’ve also eaten a few too many cookies, many of us will notice a difference. Most likely we won’t especially love the difference! Of course my favorite way to work off a little weight is to eat. By that, I mean to change what I eat — more fruits and vegetables and lighter meals. And I keep an eye open for healthful and delicious recipes. Luckily springtime brings incredible fresh foods like local asparagus, fresh peas, lettuces of all shapes and hues, strawberries, raspberries, and other fruits. All delicious and so easy to eat! The good news is that we still have time to shed some weight before high summer hits. I like to garden and so I know I will work off some calories as I push the wheelbarrow around, spread mulch on my beds and generally spend a lot of time out of doors. My sister is a serious biker (she rode 100 miles in a day last fall. Something they call “a century.” I call it impressive!); a friend of mine likes to row. All this activity helps a lot in the war against excess pounds. -- Edited by 2756687 at Mar 1, 2010 3:14 PM EST
Posted by 2756687 Mar 1, 2010 2:51 PM
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Feb 10, 2010 11:52 AM
I am one of those rare Americans who does not watch the Super Bowl. Heck, half the time I don’t even know who is playing but this year, while I know the Colts are a terrific team, I was happy to learn — not until Monday morning! — that the Saints won. This is mainly because I love New Orleans. Just about anyone who has visited the Crescent City agrees that if you love food, New Orleans is the place to be. Jambalaya, gumbo, oysters Bienville, shrimp Creole, dirty rice, beignets, pecan pralines….the list goes on and on. Reportedly, when Mark Twain finished eating steamed pompano caught in local waters he remarked that the dish was “as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.”
One of my very favorite specialties from New Orleans are the sandwiches called poor boys, or po’ boys. These are similar to submarine sandwiches, but oh-so-much better! First, you scoop out a lot of the soft insides of a long crisp baguette, soft hoagie or sandwich bun and then fill it with pan-fried catfish, deep-fried oysters, sliced andouille sausage, ham, or chicken and then top with rich, tangy Creole mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Firmly press the bread halves together to meld all the flavors and enjoy a gorgeous sandwich. They say these sandwiches were invented for kids who had only a little pocket change to spend, but they are truly a glorious culinary achievement, regardless of their price.
See you in the French Quarter!
Posted by 2756687 Feb 10, 2010 11:52 AM
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Jan 27, 2010 3:16 PM
I usually eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast but I love those few days of the year when we sit down to a “real breakfast.” You know what I mean: eggs, bacon or sausage, hot toast, bagels, English muffins, sweet butter and homemade preserves. Maybe a coffee cake and certainly plenty of hot coffee or tea. If we’re really lucky, fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Who can eat such a breakfast except once in a blue moon? But when you do, it’s sublime.
When I was a kid, one of our chores was “setting the table for breakfast.” My mother conferred on breakfast the same status she gave to dinner. It was time for the family to sit at the table and eat together. The night before, after the dinner dishes were washed, one or the other of us returned the placemats to the table and set them with cutlery and napkins. We carried the Lazy Susan to the table, which was permanently topped with jams, jellies, honey and sugar; butter and milk would be added in the morning. Cereal boxes, bowls, and plates were the last to be laid on the table and then we could go to bed, finish our homework, talk on the phone, or watch TV.
Nowadays I hardly ever set the table for breakfast but when I do, people appreciate it. This is more of a weekend occurrence than a weekday one, and more of a wintertime event than a summery meal, which makes sense. It’s a great way to start the day and to enjoy the family. You could skip the bacon or the fresh-squeezed orange juice, but remember that a little fuss goes a long way. More coffee, anyone?
Posted by 2756687 Jan 27, 2010 3:16 PM
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Jan 8, 2010 3:32 PM
During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I made a delicious — if I do say so myself — traditional stroganoff: tender beef braised with onions and mushrooms in a little beef stock and then enriched with big spoonfuls of sour cream stirred in during the last few minutes of cooking. I served it over thick egg noodles and everyone loved it. Who wouldn’t? But that was last year!
This year (meaning this week), I adjusted the recipe and made it with ground turkey breast, Campbell’s reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, onions and mushrooms and then, before serving, stirred in some of that really thick and tasty Greek yogurt you can buy anywhere. I served it over egg noodles and guess what? It was a big hit. Maybe not the superstar that the real thing is, but a darn good stand-in!
I didn’t bother to calculate the calories or fat contents of the two stews, but I know the second was less sinful than the first. And this is how I plan to continue this year: good home cooking without a lot of fat but also without a sacrifice of flavor. Wish me luck!
Posted by 2756687 Jan 8, 2010 3:32 PM
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Jan 4, 2010 10:03 AM
January! A new month, a new year, a new decade. As much as I love the holidays, I always feel refreshed and invigorated when they are over and we are “back to normal.” It may be cold outside, but it’s still time for fresh starts. The holiday detritus is packed away until next year and the furniture we’ve moved to accommodate the tree or the dining table is back in place. In January, we spend much of our time in the kitchen, either cooking or eating or just visiting with the kids. Nights are dark and early and so rather than go outside, we hunker down where it’s cheery and cozy. And in most houses that means the kitchen.
This is the time for easy, comforting meals that fill the kitchen with homey aromas. I’m talking about stews, soups, and casseroles, which are made with chicken or beef broth and canned soups and served with oven-warmed breads. Whether the food is in a big pot sitting on the back of the stove or in a handy slow cooker, it’s usually just what every family member needs and wants to keep them going on these cold, blustery days — and to make them feel safe and nourished. I can’t think of any place I would rather be in January than in my warm, snug kitchen. Can you?
Posted by 2756687 Jan 4, 2010 10:03 AM
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Dec 16, 2009 3:56 PM
I once ruined a magnificent standing rib roast by carelessly tossing it in a hot oven when it was cold. I took the roast from the refrigerator, slapped it in the roasting pan and shoved it in the preheated oven. Even when the instant-read thermometer said it was done, it was raw in some parts, overcooked in others.
That is called learning your lesson the hard way.
Christmas is the perfect time for a standing rib roast because they cost a king’s ransom and there are not many other occasions that justify the cash outlay. The better the meat, the better the roast will taste — and this means buying it from a real butcher (nowadays as rare as hen’s teeth, I know) or from a market with a good meat counter and lots of turnover. Figure two or three servings per rib: a four-rib roast will serve eight to ten people.
Once the roast is cooked, don’t discard those awesome pan juices. Skim the fat from the surface and then make gravy with some beef stock (canned is perfect). Serve the beef with the gravy and perhaps horseradish cream, as well.
Three caveats before you begin so that you don’t ruin this pricy piece of meat (like I did): First, while it’s important to keep the raw meat refrigerated until you plan to cook it, let it come to room temperature before you roast it. This means thirty to forty minutes on the kitchen counter — out of reach of the dog. Second, use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to determine when the meat is done. For medium-rare meat, that means 130 to 140° F. Take the meat from the oven when it’s about five degrees lower than the desired temperature. Three, let the meat rest for five to ten minutes before carving. This gives the juices time to recollect so that the meat will be as juicy as can be.
There really is nothing quite like a standing rib roast on the holiday table. It reminds us of Christmases past, when a joint on the table meant generous good will toward men.
Posted by 2756687 Dec 16, 2009 3:56 PM
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Dec 9, 2009 3:46 PM
As those of you who read this blog regularly know, I write about food for a living. I restrict my endeavors mainly to cookbooks, although I have also written numerous magazine articles, too. During this time I have met a lot of other food writers — most of us freelance and always supportive of each other. The other night I had dinner with three of them in New York City at a wonderful little restaurant on 9th Avenue called Nizza. We were celebrating the holiday season and New York was decked out in all its festive glory. When food writers gather, we tend to share our food and the conversation often revolves around food, too. My friend Tish mentioned that she had recently baked macaroons and when I asked her why (expecting she would tell us about a book or magazine article), she said it was “just for fun.” I admit, jaded as we are, the three of us registered surprised; Lori said she couldn’t remember the last time she had cooked just for the fun of it.
I think I might give it a try this year!
Edna Lewis, who was a magnificent cook and wrote a few glorious cookbooks, once explained to me how she managed to bake so many cookies before Christmas every year. She said she cleared a day for the task, didn’t answer the phone or the door (nowadays that would include not checking emails) and simply devoted the day to baking. Clearly this was a happy day for Edna, and while solitary it was as joyful as those days filled with family and friends.
I have always meant to follow suit. Perhaps this year I will. Sounds like fun.
Posted by 2756687 Dec 9, 2009 3:46 PM
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Dec 1, 2009 2:49 PM
As I write, the house is filled with the homey aroma of turkey stock simmering on the stove. I am following my once-a-year ritual of making turkey soup with the Thanksgiving turkey carcass. Once my family has picked the bones clean, I break them up (poultry shears are a terrific tool for this) and simmer them very slowly in a large pot of water, with added onions, carrots, and celery as well as few peppercorns. Whenever I do this, I wonder: Why don’t I make stock all the time? It’s so easy. All you need is time.
There’s my answer. Who has time? Who has time to cut up a large carcass, to simmer it for hours and hours, to cool it in a sink full of cold water before refrigerating it? I work at home, and so I can manage this, but if I were rarely here during the day, it would be an even bigger production. Luckily, there are great canned stocks and broths and I use them all the time. And with the holiday season just beginning — which happily means a lot of cooking — I am grateful for the convenience. I know my roasts, my gravies, my sauces and my casseroles will be tasty.
I will never give up making turkey stock. It’s as much a part of my holiday tradition as stuffing and pumpkin pie. But I recognize reality when it’s staring me in the face and my reality is that this is a rare endeavor. Most of my holiday cooking this year will be done with canned stock and broth. My homemade turkey stock? It will be the base for an incredibly rich and soothing turkey-noodle soup, which I will contentedly eat while watching It’s a Wonderful Life for the umpteenth time!
Posted by 2756687 Dec 1, 2009 2:49 PM
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Nov 10, 2009 10:34 AM
I just spent about 30 minutes looking around on Campbell's new-and-improved website and I have to admit: I am impressed! I am not a Campbell’s employee but I know folks who are and I can assure you they have worked exceptionally hard to make this a cool site. They have hit their mark!
One of my favorite features is being able to find recipes depending on my mood. Seriously. My mood! It turns out that when you click on a word languidly floating around in a box, a related recipe appears. For instance, I clicked on “snacky” and got an onion dip; I clicked on “hearty” and beef stew appeared; I clicked on “sweet” and got banana bread pudding; I clicked on “crunchy” and got crunchy chicken and gravy. All great ideas! And what fun!
I also checked out the Cooking Basics tab where I found an easy-to-use series of categories. For instance, when I clicked on the guide to kitchen tools, I was presented with a glossary of equipment from whisks and peelers to colanders and measuring cups. There’s even a section on what knives to buy, regardless of how advanced a cook you are. What great information!
I will always be a fan of cookbooks – nothing beats leaning back on the sofa and leafing through a good book, dreaming of meals you may or may not ever make. But it’s pretty cool to zip around a well-designed website, too, and get ideas for meals you might make and dishes you might only dream about.
Posted by 2756687 Nov 10, 2009 10:34 AM
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Sep 17, 2009 3:51 PM
I have a confession. Until this year, my basil crops have been pathetic. The plants, tenderly nestled in the garden in the spring, produce an embarrassingly small harvest. Sure, I have enough to cook with during the summer — to tear into fresh tomato sauce, to tuck into sandwiches, and to adorn a tomato and mozzarella salad — but I never have enough for pesto. This year is different. This year I have made pesto, and I know it will delight me all winter long.
I say this is a confession because nearly everyone I know grows basil without trouble. Green thumb or not, the leafy herb overtakes their gardens to the point that my neighbors, my sisters, and my friends grumble that they won’t “possibly be able to eat it all!” I go along with them, never admitting that my own basil plants barely grow higher than a flowerpot. I smile and nod — and then look forward to eating garden-grown pesto at my sister’s house during the cold months. Not mine.
This year, I planted the pesto is yet another spot in the garden. It rained and rained in the early part of the summer and the herb seemed to love the moisture. Before I knew it, I had big, healthy plants, bursting with aromatic green leaves. Pesto time!
The great thing about pesto is that a little goes a long way. I have frozen most of it in half-pint measures, about half of which is perfect for a large bowl of pasta. This way you have leftover pesto to indulge in for a few days. It’s great dolloped in soup, spread on sandwiches or (another confession) spread thickly on crackers and eaten over the kitchen sink.
Posted by 2756687 Sep 17, 2009 3:51 PM
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Sep 4, 2009 8:19 AM
When we were kids, my mom made spaghetti pretty often. Who could blame her? She had eight children! I always loved these spaghetti dinners partly because the pasta was always accompanied by buttery, garlicky bread and a big green salad. Mom made her own sauce, which she simmered on the back of the stove for several hours — and no, there’s no Italian heritage on either side of my family, but my mother was from a generation that cooked everyday and didn’t think much about how long something took. It was what it was.
But those days are over! I don’t think I have made spaghetti sauce for decades. I know how and would enjoy the time spent in the warm, aromatic kitchen but with commercial brands of Italian sauce so good, why bother? I sometimes “doctor” them up with a little extra chopped garlic, oregano, red wine or red wine vinegar and olive oil. I sometimes don’t. These sauces are great on strand pasta and also when you want to make a casserole such as lasagna or stuffed shells. I pour mushroom-flavored sauce into a skillet of ground beef for a quick, sloppy joe type meal, or cheesy Italian sauce into a casserole of ziti, broccoli, and cooked, chopped chicken. The possibilities are, as they say, endless. Quick, healthful meals. Even my mother would approve!
Posted by 2756687 Sep 4, 2009 8:19 AM
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Aug 28, 2009 10:11 AM
What can I bring? I asked my host for a small dinner party last Saturday. Oh, just bring some wine, she answered. But I persevered and suggested cookies or, hey, here’s an idea, how about deviled eggs? She pounced on it. Yes! Please do! I love deviled eggs. I do, too, so was happy to oblige. Since we had to travel with the eggs that evening, I sliced them through their “equators” so that I could prop them up in the actual egg carton. Usually they are cut lengthwise, but my decision not only made transporting them easy, it also was a rather whimsical way to serve them. Even my host’s young sons seemed intrigued. Need I say that the eggs disappeared in a flash? Everyone likes deviled eggs, I guess.
This experience, and the Julie and Julia film in theaters now, leads me to think that there is nothing new under the sun, at least when it comes to food. There are just recycled ideas that might be given a modern twist, or perhaps unfamiliar ingredients that over time become good friends. If you’ve seen the movie, you, like me, probably itch to cook some good, old-fashioned (but not out-dated) French food — or you might want to recreate a dish you recall from your childhood. Like deviled eggs. Go for it!
Posted by 2756687 Aug 28, 2009 10:11 AM
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Aug 20, 2009 11:49 AM
August always surprises me. Just as summer gets going, bam! Here it is. The last month of the season. I have to keep reminding myself how much I love September and October, and how incredible the farmer’s markets will be from now until mid fall. Right now they are bulging with peaches, nectarines, corn, tomatoes, greens, pole beans, and herbs. Soon they will have squash, even more greens, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, melons, apples, pears, and Brussels sprouts. Good markets offer fresh eggs, handmade cheeses, preserves, and pickles. Some sell free-range chickens, lamb, pork and beef. You can get lost wandering through one — and end up buying far more than you actually need! This past weekend I couldn’t resist the green and white pole beans piled high in baskets. After topping and tailing them (trimming them), I sautéed them in a little chicken stock and then seasoned them with some chopped thyme, butter, and salt and pepper. Easy and delicious — and they disappeared very quickly at the dinner table.
Posted by 2756687 Aug 20, 2009 11:49 AM
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Aug 10, 2009 9:13 AM
Here in the Northeast we are worried about our tomato crop. Not only are we having a particularly soggy, cool summer, but there is a blight afflicting tomatoes — the same one, they say, that did in the potatoes in Ireland many years ago. This renders the tomatoes that make it to maturity just that much more precious. Our basil is not diseased, however, and with all the rain, is happily blooming. Like the tomatoes, it could benefit from more sunshine, but it’s there for the picking and what better to do with it than make pesto? Especially as we don’t have a lot of tomatoes to pair with it? Instead we can toss the pesto with pasta or potatoes. I think I will stretch the tomatoes I get by chopping them up and making salsa with onions, chiles, basil and cilantro, all from the garden. Fresh salsa and jarred salsa verde and roasted corn salsa are guaranteed to make a summertime Mexican-inspired feast totally delicious.
Posted by 2756687 Aug 10, 2009 9:13 AM
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