cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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It wasn't a vegetable I ate as a child. And the few times I tried it at a potluck or picnic as an adult, I was not pleasantly surprised. And yet several times this summer my daughter noticed the smooth, rich sheen of eggplants at local farm stands. Just when I was wondering what we would do for this month's new food, she pointed out yet another eggplant. Sure enough, the answer appeared. (I wasn't that excited, but still was willing to try them again). On the drive home I discovered both the kids thought it was called eggplant because it tasted like eggs.
by
The absolute best way to end a delicious home cooked fall meal is with an equally delicious slow cooked fall dessert. While the slow cooker is usually used to cook long simmered main dishes, it is also a great place to cook something sweet. You can add a touch of autumn to your dessert recipes with pumpkin and a hint of spice. From the start of the first hint of chill in the air, pumpkin is featured in classic fall desserts such as Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll, and Pumpkin Muffins. The flavor is so popular that you can even find it in a spiced latte at...
by
It is perhaps the greatest culinary urban myth of our time. You've heard it stated repeatedly on cooking shows. The chef adds a cup of wine to a delicious looking dish simmering away on the stove, leans into the camera for his/her close up, and confidently says, "We'll give the alcohol a few minutes to cook out." Or with a dismissive wave of a hand, assures us with, "Don't worry about the alcohol, it will all cook out in just a few seconds." Sadly, his or her confidence in the presumed disappearing act of the alcohol is misplaced.
by
It's that fund-raising time of the year. From scouts and school groups to extra-curricular activities, it's the annual time of students selling wares to build up those low ebbing coffers. And surprisingly, that's how our latest kitchen adventure came into being. Yes, there's nothing like a glossy flier to make food look even more appetizing. And my daughter and I can both easily fall prey to the latest enticing dish, especially when artfully arranged and splashed across a glossy page - and sprinkled with powdered sugar. What caught our eye this...
by
Lately, I have been on a Chinese food kick. So naturally my thoughts have turned to how I can replicate some great Chinese-style dishes in the slow cooker. You might say, Wait, aren't most Chinese recipes cooked very quickly? And while it's true this style of cooking does not immediately come to mind when you think of slow cooking, there are quite a few Chinese dishes that turn out wonderfully when given the benefit of long cooking.
by
Probably like most Americans, my husband and I usually have very little time to grocery shop and to cook. When we do get a chance to make our weekly pilgrimage to Super Wal-Mart, we utilize the swoop-and-attack method: speed-walking up and down each aisle, quickly pitching items into the cart. When the items reach the top of the cart, it's usually time to checkout. Because of this efficient but systematized method, we almost always buy the same ingredients. And at home, we usually cook those same ingredients in the same way. Which works just fine at 9:00 at night, when you...
by
There was a time when "red sauce" was synonymous with Italian food. Thank the Sicilian immigrants to New York's Little Italy who brought their grandmother's meatballs and secret sauce recipes. Or thank Prego and Ragu, always trying to out do the other with the best commercial touting the comfort of a bowl of spaghetti drowning in soupy tomato sauce. Whoever is to thank (or blame), there was a time when having "Italian" for dinner meant boiling a box of spaghetti and smothering it in a jar of bright red, over sweet, tomato based sauce.
by
Peanut butter as we know it today is undoubtedly an American creation. Other cultures have been eating ground peanuts long before Skippy and Jif hit the shelves in U.S. grocery stores. For example, ground peanuts have been a staple in stew on the African continent for centuries. The Chinese have been making creamy peanut sauces for many more years than our country is old. But these uses do not resemble the protein-packed spread we know and love. What is Peanut Butter? Peanut butter is not made of butter, but it sure is made of peanuts. In its most basic...
by
Now that the school year is in full swing, many of us could use some inspiration for those inevitable lunches that we must take to work or class. Kim Kruse recently wrote with the question "For years I have always had to prepare my husband's box lunches, and now I am starting to make my four-year-old son's lunches. Do you have a good listing of box lunches that goes beyond the sandwich and chips choice?" I've made pasta salads, egg salads, added prepackaged yogurts, fruits and dips, vegetable salads, Fantastic Foods vege-burgers, and more...
by
About a week ago I was at the market, puzzled over the chicken case. Before me were many options. Thighs, breasts, wings, drumsticks. Boneless-skinless, and parts still attached. There were split breasts and half birds, whole birds, and for those who want much less, tenders. Then I had to take those choices and multiply by three since for each cut there were versions Kosher, organic, and conventional. Who knew one simple bird could be made so complicated?
by
I have officially survived four weeks of grad school. Actually, survived is a generous term. What's the word for little sleep, lots of caffeine, too much reading, and general stress? I'll have to do a Google search on that, but that pretty much sums up my life these days. Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed and overwhelmed, I want to curl up in bed with a good book and a bowl of chicken soup. Even now, chicken soup has the ability to make everything better. It's the ultimate comfort food.
by
When I was growing up, vinegar came in one flavor. Red. My Italian mother always kept a bottle of red wine vinegar on the kitchen counter. That was all she ever needed. Today, she would be overwhelmed at the number and types of vinegars in my kitchen cabinet. The vinegars I regularly keep on hand range from the standard, gallon size, plastic jugs of white distilled (I use several gallons during canning season) to the more delicately flavored fruit flavored vinegars. In addition to vinegar, I also have bottles of vincotto and verjus (which we'll talk about in the coming weeks) in my...
by
On a recent trip to Chicago I was reminded that one of the largest fall festivals in the world--Oktoberfest--happens at this time of year. In the Midwestern town that my dad calls home, Oktoberfest is a smaller re-creation of the world renowned Bavarian festival. This event usually takes place over the last few weeks of September and runs into the very beginning of October, ending on German Unity Day (hence the name).
by
I have bittersweet news, dear readers. I have left New York, possibly for good. After seven years of East Coast living my frigid bones are in need of some serious defrosting. I miss the sun, my family, the year-round produce, and yes, driving a car. So after some monumental cleaning out of my closet and my life, I took my kitchen to UPS and hopped on a plane to California. As certain or uncertain as I may be with my move, I know the internal debate may never cease. A part of me will always be very California, just as I leave a huge part of me behind in New York. As...
by
We all know someone who even as an adult refuses to eat certain vegetables because of some childhood trauma. By trauma I mean perhaps they suffered through years of Popeye tasting spinach or carrots cooked to the point of becoming disintegrating baby food. Now, you might get that scarred individual try to an occasional salad but the prospect of cooking those formerly torturous vegetables will send them running for the hills, far away from your kitchen.
by
With October First usually comes the debut of fall menus in seasonal restaurants around the country. In your own seasonal kitchen you might be slowly swapping summer's berries for fall's apples and pears. Summer's vibrant greens are now being traded for autumn's luscious pumpkins and butternut squash. Dishes that were treated over the last few months with a light handed drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of fresh herbs are now ready for the richer taste of a sauce. When it comes to making a sauce, nothing says fall to me quite like brown butter.
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
It wasn't a vegetable I ate as a child. And the few times I tried it at a potluck or picnic as an adult, I was not pleasantly surprised. And yet several times this summer my daughter noticed the smooth, rich sheen of eggplants at local farm stands. Just when I was wondering what we would do for this month's new food, she pointed out yet another eggplant. Sure enough, the answer appeared. (I wasn't that excited, but still was willing to try them again). On the drive home I discovered both the kids thought it was called eggplant because it tasted like eggs.
by
The absolute best way to end a delicious home cooked fall meal is with an equally delicious slow cooked fall dessert. While the slow cooker is usually used to cook long simmered main dishes, it is also a great place to cook something sweet. You can add a touch of autumn to your dessert recipes with pumpkin and a hint of spice. From the start of the first hint of chill in the air, pumpkin is featured in classic fall desserts such as Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll, and Pumpkin Muffins. The flavor is so popular that you can even find it in a spiced latte at...
by
It is perhaps the greatest culinary urban myth of our time. You've heard it stated repeatedly on cooking shows. The chef adds a cup of wine to a delicious looking dish simmering away on the stove, leans into the camera for his/her close up, and confidently says, "We'll give the alcohol a few minutes to cook out." Or with a dismissive wave of a hand, assures us with, "Don't worry about the alcohol, it will all cook out in just a few seconds." Sadly, his or her confidence in the presumed disappearing act of the alcohol is misplaced.
by
It's that fund-raising time of the year. From scouts and school groups to extra-curricular activities, it's the annual time of students selling wares to build up those low ebbing coffers. And surprisingly, that's how our latest kitchen adventure came into being. Yes, there's nothing like a glossy flier to make food look even more appetizing. And my daughter and I can both easily fall prey to the latest enticing dish, especially when artfully arranged and splashed across a glossy page - and sprinkled with powdered sugar. What caught our eye this...
by
Lately, I have been on a Chinese food kick. So naturally my thoughts have turned to how I can replicate some great Chinese-style dishes in the slow cooker. You might say, Wait, aren't most Chinese recipes cooked very quickly? And while it's true this style of cooking does not immediately come to mind when you think of slow cooking, there are quite a few Chinese dishes that turn out wonderfully when given the benefit of long cooking.
by
Probably like most Americans, my husband and I usually have very little time to grocery shop and to cook. When we do get a chance to make our weekly pilgrimage to Super Wal-Mart, we utilize the swoop-and-attack method: speed-walking up and down each aisle, quickly pitching items into the cart. When the items reach the top of the cart, it's usually time to checkout. Because of this efficient but systematized method, we almost always buy the same ingredients. And at home, we usually cook those same ingredients in the same way. Which works just fine at 9:00 at night, when you...
by
There was a time when "red sauce" was synonymous with Italian food. Thank the Sicilian immigrants to New York's Little Italy who brought their grandmother's meatballs and secret sauce recipes. Or thank Prego and Ragu, always trying to out do the other with the best commercial touting the comfort of a bowl of spaghetti drowning in soupy tomato sauce. Whoever is to thank (or blame), there was a time when having "Italian" for dinner meant boiling a box of spaghetti and smothering it in a jar of bright red, over sweet, tomato based sauce.
by
Peanut butter as we know it today is undoubtedly an American creation. Other cultures have been eating ground peanuts long before Skippy and Jif hit the shelves in U.S. grocery stores. For example, ground peanuts have been a staple in stew on the African continent for centuries. The Chinese have been making creamy peanut sauces for many more years than our country is old. But these uses do not resemble the protein-packed spread we know and love. What is Peanut Butter? Peanut butter is not made of butter, but it sure is made of peanuts. In its most basic...
by
Now that the school year is in full swing, many of us could use some inspiration for those inevitable lunches that we must take to work or class. Kim Kruse recently wrote with the question "For years I have always had to prepare my husband's box lunches, and now I am starting to make my four-year-old son's lunches. Do you have a good listing of box lunches that goes beyond the sandwich and chips choice?" I've made pasta salads, egg salads, added prepackaged yogurts, fruits and dips, vegetable salads, Fantastic Foods vege-burgers, and more...
by
About a week ago I was at the market, puzzled over the chicken case. Before me were many options. Thighs, breasts, wings, drumsticks. Boneless-skinless, and parts still attached. There were split breasts and half birds, whole birds, and for those who want much less, tenders. Then I had to take those choices and multiply by three since for each cut there were versions Kosher, organic, and conventional. Who knew one simple bird could be made so complicated?
by
I have officially survived four weeks of grad school. Actually, survived is a generous term. What's the word for little sleep, lots of caffeine, too much reading, and general stress? I'll have to do a Google search on that, but that pretty much sums up my life these days. Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed and overwhelmed, I want to curl up in bed with a good book and a bowl of chicken soup. Even now, chicken soup has the ability to make everything better. It's the ultimate comfort food.
by
When I was growing up, vinegar came in one flavor. Red. My Italian mother always kept a bottle of red wine vinegar on the kitchen counter. That was all she ever needed. Today, she would be overwhelmed at the number and types of vinegars in my kitchen cabinet. The vinegars I regularly keep on hand range from the standard, gallon size, plastic jugs of white distilled (I use several gallons during canning season) to the more delicately flavored fruit flavored vinegars. In addition to vinegar, I also have bottles of vincotto and verjus (which we'll talk about in the coming weeks) in my...
by
On a recent trip to Chicago I was reminded that one of the largest fall festivals in the world--Oktoberfest--happens at this time of year. In the Midwestern town that my dad calls home, Oktoberfest is a smaller re-creation of the world renowned Bavarian festival. This event usually takes place over the last few weeks of September and runs into the very beginning of October, ending on German Unity Day (hence the name).
by
I have bittersweet news, dear readers. I have left New York, possibly for good. After seven years of East Coast living my frigid bones are in need of some serious defrosting. I miss the sun, my family, the year-round produce, and yes, driving a car. So after some monumental cleaning out of my closet and my life, I took my kitchen to UPS and hopped on a plane to California. As certain or uncertain as I may be with my move, I know the internal debate may never cease. A part of me will always be very California, just as I leave a huge part of me behind in New York. As...
by
We all know someone who even as an adult refuses to eat certain vegetables because of some childhood trauma. By trauma I mean perhaps they suffered through years of Popeye tasting spinach or carrots cooked to the point of becoming disintegrating baby food. Now, you might get that scarred individual try to an occasional salad but the prospect of cooking those formerly torturous vegetables will send them running for the hills, far away from your kitchen.
by
With October First usually comes the debut of fall menus in seasonal restaurants around the country. In your own seasonal kitchen you might be slowly swapping summer's berries for fall's apples and pears. Summer's vibrant greens are now being traded for autumn's luscious pumpkins and butternut squash. Dishes that were treated over the last few months with a light handed drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of fresh herbs are now ready for the richer taste of a sauce. When it comes to making a sauce, nothing says fall to me quite like brown butter.