cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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We recently went on a garage sale binge: yes, we actually got up on several Saturday mornings at 6:30 AM to convene in the garages and yards of folks unloading their unnecessaries (aka 'junk'), poking around and hoping to find some hidden treasures. Recent goals: brother needed a bike for his current motorbike kit, sister was looking for fall fashion finds, and mom: just loves the 25- and 50-cent prices. But most of all it's about the serendipitous surprises. As I'm sure you're aware, getting up and heading out that early means that we're lucky if everyone has more than a...
by
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to explore the local haunts of a place--the shoe stores, the cafes, the pharmacies (Who couldn't love British-based Boots?), and especially the grocery stores. How much better can you get to know the ways that people live daily? I was talking to Martha, a Kiwi friend of mine, who was telling me about the Maori seasonings that are available there and are used in local cooking. Kelp pepper was one she mentioned. I'm so intrigued I've asked her to send me a smattering of samples. I can't wait to put them to use...
by
I have a friend who 'schedules' her weeknights dinners with certain dishes. Now, it's not the same dish week after week, but the same base food, prepared in many different ways. It's basically a framework to know what food that night's dinner will revolve around. So, it could be anything from pasta night to tofu night to Thai night. The great thing about it is the framework it provides. Just knowing that the focus of the meal will be pasta, rice, beef, or beans can help the deciding (and even the doing!) become less painful. Sometimes it's that decision factor...
by
Maybe it has something to do with Mr. Potato Head being my favorite toy when I was growing up; but I just love potatoes. The brief time I spent on very low or no carbohydrate diets was pure hell. I missed my potatoes. The truth is I can't live without them. And now I am going to try to set the record straight - potatoes are not the enemy. With their nutritional make-up, there are lots of reasons for everyone to make friends with them again. Americans eat nearly 50 pounds of potatoes per person per year. And with good reason. Besides being a perfect accompaniment to...
by
The ideal Mother's Day morning goes something like this: mom gets to sleep in until a decent hour for once. The scent of freshly brewing coffee and a homemade breakfast in bed drift into her bedroom and gently wakes her up. The kids, with dad's help, have prepared a sumptuous morning feast, AND cleaned up the kitchen. Mom gets a day to just relax and kick back, being pampered by husband and kids. But if you are a mom of very young children like me, you can picture a scenario more like the following: The baby awakens at the usual first sign of daybreak, calling out...
by
April showers do bring May flowers. Thankfully, there are many flowers safe for consumption. Nothing could be more seasonal or elegant than a cake bedecked with fragrant blossoms or a salad tossed with colorful petals. What to Eat: You probably already eat plenty of edible flowers without even realizing it. Have you ever seen a thyme sprig with a white flower amongst the leaves? These are absolutely edible and fragrant. Squash blossoms are an Italian delicacy, the flowers of the zucchini fruit. Rose petals have been used for thousands of years in cooking...
by
Sometimes it's the simple things that make the most impact. Take the aprons that I ordered with a gift card recently. Now, mind you, I've never worn an apron to cook, much less gotten coordinating ones for my daughter and I. But lately, well ... I had noticed that we were getting messy. Messy together. Was it that we were having more fun? Or was I just imagining things? For all the years I've been cooking, I really haven't ever used an apron regularly. Not to mention that my daughter usually scrunches her nose at most apron offerings. And I can see why...
by
Summer's right around the corner and the livin' is easy. Or is it? Are you and your kids busier than ever? Do you find yourself waiting in line at the fast food joint more often than cooking in your own kitchen? I hear you. Times have speeded up - we've got families going in different directions at all hours of the day. And somewhere in this entire hubbub we've still got to eat. Now even if you don't live to eat, we've all got to eat to live. And if you're missing the home cooked goodness of simpler easier times, know that it doesn't have to take huge efforts...
by
Like many others, my annual Mother's Day tradition is to get together with my siblings and serve my mom breakfast in bed. Each year we make a plan to visit her and have a relaxing brunch where we can catch up and let her know how special she is. If your mom is anything like my mother, then you know that getting her to stay in bed while you make the breakfast can be a very tricky proposition. A couple of years ago I remember practically having to bolt the bedroom door to keep her out of the kitchen while we made eggs benedict with fresh hollandaise sauce. The curiosity...
by
Last week I visited with my graduate school mentors in Minneapolis. On my birthday (all hail to the July of my Years! 36!) I dined with my advisor--whom I call "Doc" but who insists on my calling him "Bob"--and his daughter Janet. It was a lovely evening. For some reason we started talking about the bachelor life. My advisor recently lost his wife, Betty, to cancer, and he reminded me he was a "bachelor again" in good humor. We all miss Betty very much, who was a marvelous cook (and just as marvelous a conversationalist and clarinetist). I urged him to check this...
by
A few years ago I worked for a small boutique wholesale bakery. It was a great job. Not only was I the only baker there, but I learned so much from my boss, Bethñ-from fabulous recipes and techniques to (not so) simply being a good chef/boss. One of the items that I had to make a few times a week were angel food cakes. I usually made two or three at a time in the 20 quart Hobart mixer. This required cracking a lot of eggs for egg whites. Some days I was lucky enough to the have the prep cook do it. Some days I wasn't. Now, you'd think, "Enh,...
by
Salads seem to be on every menu and plate today. And with the advent of the pre-cut, pre-washed and pre-bagged greens in every grocery store, it seems that salad can be the last minute afterthought accompaniment to any meal. Need a side dish? Salad! And if that salad is a standard iceberg lettuce, grated carrot offering, it isn't anything to write home about now, is it? So it's safe to bet that any change-out that will liven up those uber-healthy greens and create a tantalizing new taste sensation is always welcome. One interesting trend I've noted lately...
by
Late spring is prime season for equestrian events. With three big races making up the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, along with many other horse related activities, there are lots of chances to create a fun and fancy tailgate spread honoring those occasions. The most famous of the three races, the Kentucky Derby, happened just this past weekend. You needn't make a trip to Churchill Downs or sport a fancy hat to celebrate this longstanding racing tradition with some traditional food and drink. Relive this year's Kentucky Derby with its signature Mint...
by
Being a lover of all things bread, I can rarely pass up a slice from a fresh baked loaf. But I had yet to try my hand in making bread in the slow cooker until this week. You see I have been somewhat spoiled because my sister also works in one of the best bakeries in the country and when I lived close to her I had access to all the fresh, delicious bread that I wanted, at half price. Now that I have moved, I am missing that good bread and decided to do a few experiments of my own to come up with some delicious home baked bread that you can make right in the crockpot.
by
While recently perusing the tropical fruit section, my daughter spotted several varieties of bananas: There were mini bananas which are just right for a quick bite to eat - delicious eaten raw since they ripen quickly and are very sweet. There were larger, greener bananas on another shelf: plantains. Voila! There was our new food of the month, plus a bit of geography, all in one.
by
One of the most common issues I hear when talking about cooking with other parents is how to get a healthy dinner on the table quickly and easily. It doesn't matter what your day might involve. Whether you've shuttled back and forth between jobs, childcare, activities, and the grocery store, or just spent the day at home keeping the little ones entertained, either scenario is an exhausting proposition, and you may have little energy and time at the end of the day for preparing a delicious, wholesome meal.
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
We recently went on a garage sale binge: yes, we actually got up on several Saturday mornings at 6:30 AM to convene in the garages and yards of folks unloading their unnecessaries (aka 'junk'), poking around and hoping to find some hidden treasures. Recent goals: brother needed a bike for his current motorbike kit, sister was looking for fall fashion finds, and mom: just loves the 25- and 50-cent prices. But most of all it's about the serendipitous surprises. As I'm sure you're aware, getting up and heading out that early means that we're lucky if everyone has more than a...
by
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to explore the local haunts of a place--the shoe stores, the cafes, the pharmacies (Who couldn't love British-based Boots?), and especially the grocery stores. How much better can you get to know the ways that people live daily? I was talking to Martha, a Kiwi friend of mine, who was telling me about the Maori seasonings that are available there and are used in local cooking. Kelp pepper was one she mentioned. I'm so intrigued I've asked her to send me a smattering of samples. I can't wait to put them to use...
by
I have a friend who 'schedules' her weeknights dinners with certain dishes. Now, it's not the same dish week after week, but the same base food, prepared in many different ways. It's basically a framework to know what food that night's dinner will revolve around. So, it could be anything from pasta night to tofu night to Thai night. The great thing about it is the framework it provides. Just knowing that the focus of the meal will be pasta, rice, beef, or beans can help the deciding (and even the doing!) become less painful. Sometimes it's that decision factor...
by
Maybe it has something to do with Mr. Potato Head being my favorite toy when I was growing up; but I just love potatoes. The brief time I spent on very low or no carbohydrate diets was pure hell. I missed my potatoes. The truth is I can't live without them. And now I am going to try to set the record straight - potatoes are not the enemy. With their nutritional make-up, there are lots of reasons for everyone to make friends with them again. Americans eat nearly 50 pounds of potatoes per person per year. And with good reason. Besides being a perfect accompaniment to...
by
The ideal Mother's Day morning goes something like this: mom gets to sleep in until a decent hour for once. The scent of freshly brewing coffee and a homemade breakfast in bed drift into her bedroom and gently wakes her up. The kids, with dad's help, have prepared a sumptuous morning feast, AND cleaned up the kitchen. Mom gets a day to just relax and kick back, being pampered by husband and kids. But if you are a mom of very young children like me, you can picture a scenario more like the following: The baby awakens at the usual first sign of daybreak, calling out...
by
April showers do bring May flowers. Thankfully, there are many flowers safe for consumption. Nothing could be more seasonal or elegant than a cake bedecked with fragrant blossoms or a salad tossed with colorful petals. What to Eat: You probably already eat plenty of edible flowers without even realizing it. Have you ever seen a thyme sprig with a white flower amongst the leaves? These are absolutely edible and fragrant. Squash blossoms are an Italian delicacy, the flowers of the zucchini fruit. Rose petals have been used for thousands of years in cooking...
by
Sometimes it's the simple things that make the most impact. Take the aprons that I ordered with a gift card recently. Now, mind you, I've never worn an apron to cook, much less gotten coordinating ones for my daughter and I. But lately, well ... I had noticed that we were getting messy. Messy together. Was it that we were having more fun? Or was I just imagining things? For all the years I've been cooking, I really haven't ever used an apron regularly. Not to mention that my daughter usually scrunches her nose at most apron offerings. And I can see why...
by
Summer's right around the corner and the livin' is easy. Or is it? Are you and your kids busier than ever? Do you find yourself waiting in line at the fast food joint more often than cooking in your own kitchen? I hear you. Times have speeded up - we've got families going in different directions at all hours of the day. And somewhere in this entire hubbub we've still got to eat. Now even if you don't live to eat, we've all got to eat to live. And if you're missing the home cooked goodness of simpler easier times, know that it doesn't have to take huge efforts...
by
Like many others, my annual Mother's Day tradition is to get together with my siblings and serve my mom breakfast in bed. Each year we make a plan to visit her and have a relaxing brunch where we can catch up and let her know how special she is. If your mom is anything like my mother, then you know that getting her to stay in bed while you make the breakfast can be a very tricky proposition. A couple of years ago I remember practically having to bolt the bedroom door to keep her out of the kitchen while we made eggs benedict with fresh hollandaise sauce. The curiosity...
by
Last week I visited with my graduate school mentors in Minneapolis. On my birthday (all hail to the July of my Years! 36!) I dined with my advisor--whom I call "Doc" but who insists on my calling him "Bob"--and his daughter Janet. It was a lovely evening. For some reason we started talking about the bachelor life. My advisor recently lost his wife, Betty, to cancer, and he reminded me he was a "bachelor again" in good humor. We all miss Betty very much, who was a marvelous cook (and just as marvelous a conversationalist and clarinetist). I urged him to check this...
by
A few years ago I worked for a small boutique wholesale bakery. It was a great job. Not only was I the only baker there, but I learned so much from my boss, Bethñ-from fabulous recipes and techniques to (not so) simply being a good chef/boss. One of the items that I had to make a few times a week were angel food cakes. I usually made two or three at a time in the 20 quart Hobart mixer. This required cracking a lot of eggs for egg whites. Some days I was lucky enough to the have the prep cook do it. Some days I wasn't. Now, you'd think, "Enh,...
by
Salads seem to be on every menu and plate today. And with the advent of the pre-cut, pre-washed and pre-bagged greens in every grocery store, it seems that salad can be the last minute afterthought accompaniment to any meal. Need a side dish? Salad! And if that salad is a standard iceberg lettuce, grated carrot offering, it isn't anything to write home about now, is it? So it's safe to bet that any change-out that will liven up those uber-healthy greens and create a tantalizing new taste sensation is always welcome. One interesting trend I've noted lately...
by
Late spring is prime season for equestrian events. With three big races making up the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, along with many other horse related activities, there are lots of chances to create a fun and fancy tailgate spread honoring those occasions. The most famous of the three races, the Kentucky Derby, happened just this past weekend. You needn't make a trip to Churchill Downs or sport a fancy hat to celebrate this longstanding racing tradition with some traditional food and drink. Relive this year's Kentucky Derby with its signature Mint...
by
Being a lover of all things bread, I can rarely pass up a slice from a fresh baked loaf. But I had yet to try my hand in making bread in the slow cooker until this week. You see I have been somewhat spoiled because my sister also works in one of the best bakeries in the country and when I lived close to her I had access to all the fresh, delicious bread that I wanted, at half price. Now that I have moved, I am missing that good bread and decided to do a few experiments of my own to come up with some delicious home baked bread that you can make right in the crockpot.
by
While recently perusing the tropical fruit section, my daughter spotted several varieties of bananas: There were mini bananas which are just right for a quick bite to eat - delicious eaten raw since they ripen quickly and are very sweet. There were larger, greener bananas on another shelf: plantains. Voila! There was our new food of the month, plus a bit of geography, all in one.
by
One of the most common issues I hear when talking about cooking with other parents is how to get a healthy dinner on the table quickly and easily. It doesn't matter what your day might involve. Whether you've shuttled back and forth between jobs, childcare, activities, and the grocery store, or just spent the day at home keeping the little ones entertained, either scenario is an exhausting proposition, and you may have little energy and time at the end of the day for preparing a delicious, wholesome meal.