cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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This week's installment comes with a warning: when announcing the meal plan for the evening, be sure to enunciate. Failure to do so could result in impressionable teenagers and men with selective hearing somehow misconstruing the word "tapas" (which can sound suspiciously like top-less, as in 'Hey, let's go to the tapas bar around the corner.') into an entirely different dinner suggestion than what is intended. Tapas-style dinners, or meals made of small plates, are the perfect solution for a casual get-together or a last minute lazy weekend dinner meant for lingering over...
by
As my brother and I sat down earlier this week to eat our third and fourth tacos of the day, what dawned on me was not that there was anything wrong with this eating pattern but rather that it was so natural I would have no problem eating tacos the next day as well. The thing is, my two-taco lunch (carnitas in a soft shell and shredded chicken in a hard shell) had been so unlike my two-taco dinner (vegetarian in a hard shell and ground turkey in a soft shell) that they indeed felt like extremely different meals. This got me thinking: if I was stuck on a desert island and I...
by
For my recent birthday, my husband cooked boiled lobsters and sauteed scallops. Even though I hate to see them alive, and have to leave the room when it's time to toss them into the pot of boiling water, I do love to eat lobsters. Like all shellfish, the very act of cracking the shell and scooping out the meat is a sort of treasure hunt. The anticipation that builds up during the whole process makes the final, buttery mouthful all the more spectacular and delicious. Lobster is definitely one of those once-a-year treats, mainly because of the cost, but also because of all...
by
Baked potatoes. Who doesn't love 'em? Especially loaded up with all the goods - you know, butter and sour cream, salt and pepper. Heck, chives and bacon bits, when life is really good. The potato is a satisfying, healthy food that's rich in potassium and vitamin C. But you can get yourself into trouble by loading up on all the full-fat, rich toppings. Yeah, the very goodies that make that potato so divine to begin with can quickly make it a fat-filled, calorie-loaded meal. Reminds me of the days when I used to waitress at Garfield's Restaurant...
by
In the world of kitchen frugality, there are peanut butter scrapers and jar wasters. Allow me to explain. When that jar of peanut butter gets low but there is still some sticking to the sides, do you: a) Throw it out and open a new jar. It is virtually empty anyhow. b) Get down inside with your knife and scrape the sides. You know you can get one more sandwich out of it. c) Cut the top of the lid, get out your thinnest rubber spatula, and deftly scrape the last trace of brown goo from the inside. You can get one and a half sandwiches, at least!...
by
Recently, I was in a small grocery store, picking up a few items, when suddenly a craving hit me. All I wanted was dried fruit, dried fruit of any kind. I would have accepted pretty much anything at that point. I patiently walked up and down every aisle...twice. There wasn't a piece of dried fruit to be found. I left in frustration. The next day, I finally found $1 boxes of apricots at Walgreens while picking up makeup and deodorant. I didn't care that it was fruit at Walgreens. I didn't care that I should probably only ever purchase personal care items...
by
Thank you, dear readers, for your kind and encouraging comments. I read them all and appreciate the time you take to write and send them to me. In answer to some requests I've had for vegan recipe ideas, today's column is meat and dairy-free. Now, first you may be thinking, what exactly is vegan food? While most folks these days are familiar with (and probably even know someone who eats) vegetarian cuisine, vegan diets take it a step further. Vegan diets and recipes don't contain any ingredients that are animal-based, such as butter, milk, eggs, cheese or meat. I think...
by
During that lazy week in between Christmas and New Year's, my husband, sister, and I went to the zoo. My husband kept lamenting that he couldn't throw Skittles into the lion cage; I had to keep steering him away from the live animals. He was all about cohabitation between cheetahs and gazelles. "I want to see some live-action, Discovery channel stuff," he said. I pulled him away, praying that no one who cared about animal rights was within earshot. I also reminded myself to never, ever bring Skittles with us to the zoo. I've never been a huge candy fan. I...
by
It all started with a garage sale find - a mini-toaster oven for only 50 cents. Remembering days of late evening snacks of French fries and toasted cheese melts, we bought the item and parked this little oven on the counter and I proceeded to be pleasantly surprised at how the kids took to using it. Using it so much in fact that this year it was time to replace that little ditty with a regular size (and strength) toaster oven. Yes, one that could toast, broil and bake more than one slice of bread at a time. Was it a good move? You bet. With a mini tray and a more...
by
About this time of year the flu is full-blown, and here in Austin we're treated to something called "cedar season." This is a couple of months when horny juniper tress and bushes - called "cedars," because we do things different here in the Great Republic - seem to literally snow the streets and roof-tops with their sneeze-inducing mating dust. I'm sure all those love spores make the trees super happy, but it drives us humans into a curious dimension of yuck: the Crud Zone. "The Crud," as my doctor terms it, is any secondary infection that results from a cold or...
by
There was a time when I refused to eat breakfast. Cereal tasted bland, the texture of oatmeal didn't agree with me, and yogurt was not yet a part of my routine. In an effort to get me to eat something for breakfast, my mother told me I could eat anything I wanted as long as I ate before I left for school. So, for about my entire 6th grade year, I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla before I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door. There is just something about melted cheese on bread that hits a sweet spot when you are looking for a bit of comfort...
by
We all know the four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But did you know there is a fifth taste as well? You mostly likely experience this taste everyday and don't even realize it. When you bite into a piece of aged parmesan cheese you should get a little salty, but most likely it is not sour, sweet, or bitter. But something makes that cheese taste, well, yummy. That thing you taste is umami. If you are not familiar with the fifth taste, you are not alone. In fact, the idea of there being just four tastes dates back to Democritus, a Greek philosopher born...
by
One of those chores that seem to take up a lot of time each week is shopping for food for my family. But this morning while on my big weekly grocery shopping trip, I got to thinking, there has got to be a better way to do this. You see I had my faithful sidekick with me, my high-energy toddler son. And this recently turned two year old was definitely acting his age! Now that he has figured out how to unbuckle the safety buckle on the cart, he likes to "help" by standing up and throwing things back into the cart. So I find myself trying to explain how we really don't need three bunches...
by
Winter is the season for dinners that fill the belly and warm us up from the inside out. That often means dishes rich with meat and heavy sauces like stews, or thick and oozing with cheese and cream like Fettucine alfredo. Indeed, those dishes are so hearty they can sustain an Olympic skier or even a lumberjack. But unless you are out there are all day hitting the slopes or cutting down trees, the warmth and sustenance you need out of a winter meal should most likely be filling but not necessarily fattening. An easy way to the fill the belly without fattening it is with...
by
In the freezer section of the grocery store, I recently came across several different brands of frozen crockpot meals. Normally I am not a huge consumer of pre-prepared frozen meals; in my opinion homemade cooking is worth the investment of time, every time. But I thought I might give these meals a try for the benefit of the column, and to see if there was a way to make slow cooking, generally a fairly easy process, even easier. These meals are conveniently packaged and labeled as complete crockpot meals. They even make use of the Rival crockpot brand name with...
by
Day in and day out, packing box lunches can leave one in need of some serious inspiration. While the Earl of Sandwich would be proud of his popularity today, we have many more options than just meat between two bread slices. Today's column is dedicated to the sandwich. After all, it's the box lunch #1 food choice. Did you know nearly 50 percent of all sandwiches are eaten for lunch? Indeed, 99 percent of American adults eat sandwiches, with 72 percent eating them once a week. Convenience, taste and variety are the top three reasons they're so popular...
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
This week's installment comes with a warning: when announcing the meal plan for the evening, be sure to enunciate. Failure to do so could result in impressionable teenagers and men with selective hearing somehow misconstruing the word "tapas" (which can sound suspiciously like top-less, as in 'Hey, let's go to the tapas bar around the corner.') into an entirely different dinner suggestion than what is intended. Tapas-style dinners, or meals made of small plates, are the perfect solution for a casual get-together or a last minute lazy weekend dinner meant for lingering over...
by
As my brother and I sat down earlier this week to eat our third and fourth tacos of the day, what dawned on me was not that there was anything wrong with this eating pattern but rather that it was so natural I would have no problem eating tacos the next day as well. The thing is, my two-taco lunch (carnitas in a soft shell and shredded chicken in a hard shell) had been so unlike my two-taco dinner (vegetarian in a hard shell and ground turkey in a soft shell) that they indeed felt like extremely different meals. This got me thinking: if I was stuck on a desert island and I...
by
For my recent birthday, my husband cooked boiled lobsters and sauteed scallops. Even though I hate to see them alive, and have to leave the room when it's time to toss them into the pot of boiling water, I do love to eat lobsters. Like all shellfish, the very act of cracking the shell and scooping out the meat is a sort of treasure hunt. The anticipation that builds up during the whole process makes the final, buttery mouthful all the more spectacular and delicious. Lobster is definitely one of those once-a-year treats, mainly because of the cost, but also because of all...
by
Baked potatoes. Who doesn't love 'em? Especially loaded up with all the goods - you know, butter and sour cream, salt and pepper. Heck, chives and bacon bits, when life is really good. The potato is a satisfying, healthy food that's rich in potassium and vitamin C. But you can get yourself into trouble by loading up on all the full-fat, rich toppings. Yeah, the very goodies that make that potato so divine to begin with can quickly make it a fat-filled, calorie-loaded meal. Reminds me of the days when I used to waitress at Garfield's Restaurant...
by
In the world of kitchen frugality, there are peanut butter scrapers and jar wasters. Allow me to explain. When that jar of peanut butter gets low but there is still some sticking to the sides, do you: a) Throw it out and open a new jar. It is virtually empty anyhow. b) Get down inside with your knife and scrape the sides. You know you can get one more sandwich out of it. c) Cut the top of the lid, get out your thinnest rubber spatula, and deftly scrape the last trace of brown goo from the inside. You can get one and a half sandwiches, at least!...
by
Recently, I was in a small grocery store, picking up a few items, when suddenly a craving hit me. All I wanted was dried fruit, dried fruit of any kind. I would have accepted pretty much anything at that point. I patiently walked up and down every aisle...twice. There wasn't a piece of dried fruit to be found. I left in frustration. The next day, I finally found $1 boxes of apricots at Walgreens while picking up makeup and deodorant. I didn't care that it was fruit at Walgreens. I didn't care that I should probably only ever purchase personal care items...
by
Thank you, dear readers, for your kind and encouraging comments. I read them all and appreciate the time you take to write and send them to me. In answer to some requests I've had for vegan recipe ideas, today's column is meat and dairy-free. Now, first you may be thinking, what exactly is vegan food? While most folks these days are familiar with (and probably even know someone who eats) vegetarian cuisine, vegan diets take it a step further. Vegan diets and recipes don't contain any ingredients that are animal-based, such as butter, milk, eggs, cheese or meat. I think...
by
During that lazy week in between Christmas and New Year's, my husband, sister, and I went to the zoo. My husband kept lamenting that he couldn't throw Skittles into the lion cage; I had to keep steering him away from the live animals. He was all about cohabitation between cheetahs and gazelles. "I want to see some live-action, Discovery channel stuff," he said. I pulled him away, praying that no one who cared about animal rights was within earshot. I also reminded myself to never, ever bring Skittles with us to the zoo. I've never been a huge candy fan. I...
by
It all started with a garage sale find - a mini-toaster oven for only 50 cents. Remembering days of late evening snacks of French fries and toasted cheese melts, we bought the item and parked this little oven on the counter and I proceeded to be pleasantly surprised at how the kids took to using it. Using it so much in fact that this year it was time to replace that little ditty with a regular size (and strength) toaster oven. Yes, one that could toast, broil and bake more than one slice of bread at a time. Was it a good move? You bet. With a mini tray and a more...
by
About this time of year the flu is full-blown, and here in Austin we're treated to something called "cedar season." This is a couple of months when horny juniper tress and bushes - called "cedars," because we do things different here in the Great Republic - seem to literally snow the streets and roof-tops with their sneeze-inducing mating dust. I'm sure all those love spores make the trees super happy, but it drives us humans into a curious dimension of yuck: the Crud Zone. "The Crud," as my doctor terms it, is any secondary infection that results from a cold or...
by
There was a time when I refused to eat breakfast. Cereal tasted bland, the texture of oatmeal didn't agree with me, and yogurt was not yet a part of my routine. In an effort to get me to eat something for breakfast, my mother told me I could eat anything I wanted as long as I ate before I left for school. So, for about my entire 6th grade year, I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla before I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door. There is just something about melted cheese on bread that hits a sweet spot when you are looking for a bit of comfort...
by
We all know the four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But did you know there is a fifth taste as well? You mostly likely experience this taste everyday and don't even realize it. When you bite into a piece of aged parmesan cheese you should get a little salty, but most likely it is not sour, sweet, or bitter. But something makes that cheese taste, well, yummy. That thing you taste is umami. If you are not familiar with the fifth taste, you are not alone. In fact, the idea of there being just four tastes dates back to Democritus, a Greek philosopher born...
by
One of those chores that seem to take up a lot of time each week is shopping for food for my family. But this morning while on my big weekly grocery shopping trip, I got to thinking, there has got to be a better way to do this. You see I had my faithful sidekick with me, my high-energy toddler son. And this recently turned two year old was definitely acting his age! Now that he has figured out how to unbuckle the safety buckle on the cart, he likes to "help" by standing up and throwing things back into the cart. So I find myself trying to explain how we really don't need three bunches...
by
Winter is the season for dinners that fill the belly and warm us up from the inside out. That often means dishes rich with meat and heavy sauces like stews, or thick and oozing with cheese and cream like Fettucine alfredo. Indeed, those dishes are so hearty they can sustain an Olympic skier or even a lumberjack. But unless you are out there are all day hitting the slopes or cutting down trees, the warmth and sustenance you need out of a winter meal should most likely be filling but not necessarily fattening. An easy way to the fill the belly without fattening it is with...
by
In the freezer section of the grocery store, I recently came across several different brands of frozen crockpot meals. Normally I am not a huge consumer of pre-prepared frozen meals; in my opinion homemade cooking is worth the investment of time, every time. But I thought I might give these meals a try for the benefit of the column, and to see if there was a way to make slow cooking, generally a fairly easy process, even easier. These meals are conveniently packaged and labeled as complete crockpot meals. They even make use of the Rival crockpot brand name with...
by
Day in and day out, packing box lunches can leave one in need of some serious inspiration. While the Earl of Sandwich would be proud of his popularity today, we have many more options than just meat between two bread slices. Today's column is dedicated to the sandwich. After all, it's the box lunch #1 food choice. Did you know nearly 50 percent of all sandwiches are eaten for lunch? Indeed, 99 percent of American adults eat sandwiches, with 72 percent eating them once a week. Convenience, taste and variety are the top three reasons they're so popular...