cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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Last weekend to wear white, last party weekend of the summer, last three day weekend until Columbus Day--Labor Day weekend means a lot of things to a lot of different people. What I think we might forget is why we celebrate the weekend in the first place. Unlike most of our national holidays which are tied to either military endeavors or religious observances, Labor Day was created with the pure intention of recognizing those laborers who built the country we now enjoy.
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Peas do not have the best reputation. The idea of "eating ones peas" can evoke bad childhood trauma of shriveling green peas served as the ubiquitous side dish to the average American suburban meal. Put "mushy" in front of "peas" and the image of the standard baby food accompaniment to English fish and chips spring up. Even the color "pea green" when used to describe say, a couch or clothing, is said with a grimace and a sneer; it is the descriptor of distaste. What green peas have is a marketing problem. Add "English" to green peas and the idea of...
by
Often it is through travel that we come to realize those things close to home that we hold most dear. Food is one of the most immediate sources of nostalgia when on the road. For example, after two weeks of eating tacos in Mexico it is unlikely that you will head straight to Taco Bell upon your return to the States. Rather, as the palate wearies of salsa and Margaritas your mind might start drifting to ketchup and bourbon, those comfort foods you associate with home, the familiar.
by
In any profession where one is considered an expert, it is easy to forget our audience may not be as proficient in the lingo as we are. GRP, CPM, VPVH might sound like diseases to the average person but are common acronyms in the world of advertisers. Pallet, LFO, PO: all everyday terminology in the universe of distributors but gibberish to the rest of us. And just like every business that has its own dictionary of terms, the cooking world is full of all sorts of word that could very well sound like a foreign language to a novice cook. No one expects the everyday cook...
by
This coming weekend we say goodbye to summer, stow away our white shoes, and stash the grill until the next heat wave. Even with the grill retired, however, chances are that some of those grilled classics will stay in your repertoire year-round via your grill pan or your oven. If that is the case, it is never too late to rethink that classic grilled item: the burger.
by
Childhood is full of memories and for most of us those memories include foods that we just couldn't stand eating. Whether your parents were generally good cooks like mine, or not so good, there was always something you just couldn't stand eating. Personally, aside from the evil potato, I just couldn't stomach the texture of sauteed yellow squash and zucchini, both of which my mother loved. Friends of mine have shared horror stories of over-cooked carrots and Popeye-like slimy spinach. But it is the stories of the tuna casserole that are horrible enough to make even...
by
It seems to me that as home cooks in America, Asian food tends to scare us. If the recipe doesn't utilize premade teriyaki sauce, a jar of curry paste, or a packet of pre-blended spice mix, we'd probably just rather order take-out. And of the many intimidating Asian cuisines with their complex seasonings, probably none seems more foreign than Indian food. Just one look at the lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant and one thinks there is no way you could replicate the flavors and aromas of such a feast at home. For sure the flaming red of the tandoori chicken could only...
by
Last week we discussed the different types of chocolate, their properties and what they're used for. This time, I thought we'd go over the several methods of tempering chocolate. As previously mentioned, tempering refers to the process of heating chocolate to a certain temperature and then cooling it so that the fat crystals in the sugar reconfigure properly. This gives you a shiny, snappy chocolate that should 'set up,' or harden quickly and not melt at the touch of your fingers. There are several methods for tempering chocolate, but before we begin, I...
by
Some call it "fruit salad filler". I call it one of the world's most underrated fruit categories. Whatever you call it, chances are there is more to the humble melon than meets the eye. With flesh in shades of pale tangerine and translucent lime green, melons like cantaloupe and honeydew are the most recognized and perhaps most passed-over of the fruits on your typical fruit tray. But with new varieties of melon from Central Asia popping up in American fields and making their way to US markets, the melon might be on the verge of a resurgence.
by
Have you seen the guidelines recommended for kids' healthy eating? They don't mess around. For example, according to Jessica Seinfeld, author of the attention-garnering Deceptively Delicious, these are the servings of foods that your kids should be ingesting on a daily basis: Vegetables: 3 (1 ½ to 2 cups total), Fresh fruit: 2, Whole grains: 3 (one serving = ½ cup OR one slice of whole-grain bread), Calcium-rich foods: 3 (one serving = 1 cup milk OR ½ to 1 cup beans), Protein: lean sources such as turkey, chicken, pork, fish, seafood, tofu...
by
I am proud to say that I have finally achieved gardening success. After a few years of trying to grow non productive tomato plants in the mostly shaded back patio of my old apartment, there is a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes in my new garden. All it took was a nice sunny patch of land, a very small amount of labor, and some semi-regular watering; now my gardening efforts appear to be paying back dividends that are far greater than the total effort I put in.
by
Mexico City has just made my Top Ten List of favorite cities in the world. When I told people I was going to Mexico for a few days, they instantly thought of me and some crazy friends in Cancun making our own version of Girls Gone Wild. When I told them I was going to Mexico City to attend an Orthodox Jewish Mexican wedding, the reaction was confusion, then mild disappointment, followed by the question, "Jewish people live in Mexico?" But once you understand a bit about the history of the city, the existence of a thriving Jewish population seems perfectly in line with the melding...
by
My legs are aching but my stomach is not. I have been in Switzerland for several days now living out my Alpine hiker fantasies along with my boyfriend. We are staying at a friend's ski chalet, for our summer purposes transformed into the cozy haven we retreat to a the end of each day to soak our sore muscles in a hot shower and refuel with home-cooked meals before heading out again the next day. The ascents here come quick and hard. Two hikes we've been on the starting portion requires a 700 foot climb from the car park to the convergence of trails in just over half an...
by
Now where in the world would you find a pie named after a fly? Home to multitudes of the plain sect and Amish, our home county is privy to some unusually good baked treats, one of which is Shoofly Pie. And first time visitors aren't the only ones who stop and comment on this pie with an unusual name. Natives wonder too. My daughter asked me this very question just the other day. "How did Shoofly Pie get its name?" And darned if I didn't know. So, if you're not one of the thousands of tourists who travel to Lancaster County to buy an authentic pie, join me for this...
by
When I started writing this column I originally planned on slowly leaking out my Cajun Country standards over the course of many, many months. Although my favorite cuisine is of the Cajun, Creole, and Low Country variety, my charge was to write for the average bachelor. I mean, this ain't "Cajun Cookin'," it's "Bachelor Chow." Yet every time this bachelor shows up at a pot-luck or party with food, friends keep asking me to post the recipe of whatever is brought. Today's recipe is no exception: I recently made it for a friend and her son. He, a budding cook of his own...
by
In the dead of summer, menu planning often revolves around two main elements: barbecue and salads. During the summer when we can't stand the heat, we do what what we do to get out of the kitchen. We either take that heat outside for a barbecue, or we turn off the heat altogether for a summer salad. What we don't often explore is how to meld those to cooking essentials, barbecues and salads, for an updated twist on two summer classics. We don't often think of using lettuce for grilling, but there is one kind in particular that lends itself perfectly to this...
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
Last weekend to wear white, last party weekend of the summer, last three day weekend until Columbus Day--Labor Day weekend means a lot of things to a lot of different people. What I think we might forget is why we celebrate the weekend in the first place. Unlike most of our national holidays which are tied to either military endeavors or religious observances, Labor Day was created with the pure intention of recognizing those laborers who built the country we now enjoy.
by
Peas do not have the best reputation. The idea of "eating ones peas" can evoke bad childhood trauma of shriveling green peas served as the ubiquitous side dish to the average American suburban meal. Put "mushy" in front of "peas" and the image of the standard baby food accompaniment to English fish and chips spring up. Even the color "pea green" when used to describe say, a couch or clothing, is said with a grimace and a sneer; it is the descriptor of distaste. What green peas have is a marketing problem. Add "English" to green peas and the idea of...
by
Often it is through travel that we come to realize those things close to home that we hold most dear. Food is one of the most immediate sources of nostalgia when on the road. For example, after two weeks of eating tacos in Mexico it is unlikely that you will head straight to Taco Bell upon your return to the States. Rather, as the palate wearies of salsa and Margaritas your mind might start drifting to ketchup and bourbon, those comfort foods you associate with home, the familiar.
by
In any profession where one is considered an expert, it is easy to forget our audience may not be as proficient in the lingo as we are. GRP, CPM, VPVH might sound like diseases to the average person but are common acronyms in the world of advertisers. Pallet, LFO, PO: all everyday terminology in the universe of distributors but gibberish to the rest of us. And just like every business that has its own dictionary of terms, the cooking world is full of all sorts of word that could very well sound like a foreign language to a novice cook. No one expects the everyday cook...
by
This coming weekend we say goodbye to summer, stow away our white shoes, and stash the grill until the next heat wave. Even with the grill retired, however, chances are that some of those grilled classics will stay in your repertoire year-round via your grill pan or your oven. If that is the case, it is never too late to rethink that classic grilled item: the burger.
by
Childhood is full of memories and for most of us those memories include foods that we just couldn't stand eating. Whether your parents were generally good cooks like mine, or not so good, there was always something you just couldn't stand eating. Personally, aside from the evil potato, I just couldn't stomach the texture of sauteed yellow squash and zucchini, both of which my mother loved. Friends of mine have shared horror stories of over-cooked carrots and Popeye-like slimy spinach. But it is the stories of the tuna casserole that are horrible enough to make even...
by
It seems to me that as home cooks in America, Asian food tends to scare us. If the recipe doesn't utilize premade teriyaki sauce, a jar of curry paste, or a packet of pre-blended spice mix, we'd probably just rather order take-out. And of the many intimidating Asian cuisines with their complex seasonings, probably none seems more foreign than Indian food. Just one look at the lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant and one thinks there is no way you could replicate the flavors and aromas of such a feast at home. For sure the flaming red of the tandoori chicken could only...
by
Last week we discussed the different types of chocolate, their properties and what they're used for. This time, I thought we'd go over the several methods of tempering chocolate. As previously mentioned, tempering refers to the process of heating chocolate to a certain temperature and then cooling it so that the fat crystals in the sugar reconfigure properly. This gives you a shiny, snappy chocolate that should 'set up,' or harden quickly and not melt at the touch of your fingers. There are several methods for tempering chocolate, but before we begin, I...
by
Some call it "fruit salad filler". I call it one of the world's most underrated fruit categories. Whatever you call it, chances are there is more to the humble melon than meets the eye. With flesh in shades of pale tangerine and translucent lime green, melons like cantaloupe and honeydew are the most recognized and perhaps most passed-over of the fruits on your typical fruit tray. But with new varieties of melon from Central Asia popping up in American fields and making their way to US markets, the melon might be on the verge of a resurgence.
by
Have you seen the guidelines recommended for kids' healthy eating? They don't mess around. For example, according to Jessica Seinfeld, author of the attention-garnering Deceptively Delicious, these are the servings of foods that your kids should be ingesting on a daily basis: Vegetables: 3 (1 ½ to 2 cups total), Fresh fruit: 2, Whole grains: 3 (one serving = ½ cup OR one slice of whole-grain bread), Calcium-rich foods: 3 (one serving = 1 cup milk OR ½ to 1 cup beans), Protein: lean sources such as turkey, chicken, pork, fish, seafood, tofu...
by
I am proud to say that I have finally achieved gardening success. After a few years of trying to grow non productive tomato plants in the mostly shaded back patio of my old apartment, there is a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes in my new garden. All it took was a nice sunny patch of land, a very small amount of labor, and some semi-regular watering; now my gardening efforts appear to be paying back dividends that are far greater than the total effort I put in.
by
Mexico City has just made my Top Ten List of favorite cities in the world. When I told people I was going to Mexico for a few days, they instantly thought of me and some crazy friends in Cancun making our own version of Girls Gone Wild. When I told them I was going to Mexico City to attend an Orthodox Jewish Mexican wedding, the reaction was confusion, then mild disappointment, followed by the question, "Jewish people live in Mexico?" But once you understand a bit about the history of the city, the existence of a thriving Jewish population seems perfectly in line with the melding...
by
My legs are aching but my stomach is not. I have been in Switzerland for several days now living out my Alpine hiker fantasies along with my boyfriend. We are staying at a friend's ski chalet, for our summer purposes transformed into the cozy haven we retreat to a the end of each day to soak our sore muscles in a hot shower and refuel with home-cooked meals before heading out again the next day. The ascents here come quick and hard. Two hikes we've been on the starting portion requires a 700 foot climb from the car park to the convergence of trails in just over half an...
by
Now where in the world would you find a pie named after a fly? Home to multitudes of the plain sect and Amish, our home county is privy to some unusually good baked treats, one of which is Shoofly Pie. And first time visitors aren't the only ones who stop and comment on this pie with an unusual name. Natives wonder too. My daughter asked me this very question just the other day. "How did Shoofly Pie get its name?" And darned if I didn't know. So, if you're not one of the thousands of tourists who travel to Lancaster County to buy an authentic pie, join me for this...
by
When I started writing this column I originally planned on slowly leaking out my Cajun Country standards over the course of many, many months. Although my favorite cuisine is of the Cajun, Creole, and Low Country variety, my charge was to write for the average bachelor. I mean, this ain't "Cajun Cookin'," it's "Bachelor Chow." Yet every time this bachelor shows up at a pot-luck or party with food, friends keep asking me to post the recipe of whatever is brought. Today's recipe is no exception: I recently made it for a friend and her son. He, a budding cook of his own...
by
In the dead of summer, menu planning often revolves around two main elements: barbecue and salads. During the summer when we can't stand the heat, we do what what we do to get out of the kitchen. We either take that heat outside for a barbecue, or we turn off the heat altogether for a summer salad. What we don't often explore is how to meld those to cooking essentials, barbecues and salads, for an updated twist on two summer classics. We don't often think of using lettuce for grilling, but there is one kind in particular that lends itself perfectly to this...