cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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What does homesickness taste like? Everyone is going to have a different answer. For me it is pretty simple. Homesickness tastes like the crispy edged carnitas from The Tacqueria in Hemet. It tastes like the chicken and pinto beans, deeply spiced with cumin and flavored with lard bulging from the burrito at Crazy Coyote Tacos in Cabazon. Homesickness tastes like the red sauce--gently spicy, somewhat tomato-ey--that smothers two cheese enchiladas from El Gringo in Hermosa Beach, eaten with a plastic fork out of an aluminum takeout container. I hate to say it New York...
by
At some point during the day, most of us will ask the question "What's for dinner tonight?" For the past six weeks, I knew with a good degree of certainty that my answer to that question would be "asparagus and..." Our asparagus harvest was abundant. Everyday I picked between 10-15 beautiful spears. We started the bed three years ago and in order to allow for the crowns to develop a strong root system, we had to be patient and limit our harvesting to a few short weeks last year. But now that the plants are three years old, we were able to harvest for about 6 weeks...
by
Eating street food in Asia it is easy to wonder how so much good food can be made so quickly. Not all street foods are easy to make at home. Some equipment like super hot gas flames or open charcoal fires would probably not pass indoor fire regulations. However there are several lessons from cooking these fast foods of Asia that can be taken off the streets and into the kitchen for the everyday cook.
by
Summertime should be full of activities that the snowy winters, rainy springs, and chilly autumns don't allow. Playing baseball till the sun goes down, swimming all day until your skin is the color of a tomato, lazily floating along a crystal clear lake with a fishing pole in hand: these are the moments summer is made of. And yet this time of year it is easy to look back and realize that the summer has nearly slipped by without you stopping for one second to enjoy a swing of the bat, dip in the pool, or cast of a line. Swimming is fun, be it in your neighbor's pool or...
by
So many of the top chefs are going back to basics by bypassing the fusion route and stressing simple, fresh ingredients done to perfection so that natural flavors shine through. I am in complete agreement with this fresh ingredients craze. Why use anything else really? In fact, one should make it a rule of thumb to skip right past the canned and dried fruits and vegetables when fresh produce is readily available. And when you feel the need to spice things up a bit, you can still use simple fresh ingredients and combine them to create complementary, yet complex, bold flavors...
by
I don't bake much these days. This poses a problem at times like these where a whiff of a ripe Georgia peach at the market is enough to send my head spinning in nostalgic longing for a crusty biscuit topped cobbler. Or the sight of a pile of apricots takes me back to faraway place where my younger self scrambled up a neighbor's tree to collect the small fuzzy fruit. A paper bag bulging with our collection would form a week's worth of cake-topped puddings and afternoon snacks on lazy summer days. Clearly there was a time when I did bake. Like many a hungry youngster...
by
In the peak of summer heat, it takes more than water to cool the body down. If it is the end of a long day working in the yard, a cold beer at sunset might be in order. A jog through the neighborhood in full sun might require the patronage of a pint-sized lemonade stand along the way. Or for a more filling yet still cooling beverage, a chilly smoothie of frozen fruits and yogurt could be just the thing to cool down without weighing down when the sun is blazing. In parts of the world where summer is eternal, cooling beverages are more than treats, they are survival tools...
by
Summer is the perfect time for soup. Chilled soup, that is. Most of us think of soup as the start to a meal, or a single hearty helping to warm our bodies from the winter chill. Soup can be equally satisfying when cold and just as effective to soothe us from the summer sizzle. With all the seasonal produce available, it is easy to prepare and often healthy to eat. Cold soup can be served as a first course, main course, or even dessert. Some soups are cooked first then chilled, while others are merely blended raw and refrigerated prior to service. There are dozens of recipes...
by
I recently realized that during the summertime, our children's normally healthy eating habits can fall by the wayside. Regular routines get relaxed along with carefully planned menus. Long afternoons spent at the pool or beach lend themselves to easy dinners like pizza or hot dogs. Plus there are all kinds of treats like toasted marshmallows and ice cream sundaes with all the fixings. What would childhood be without these things? One way that we can ensure our children do still eat somewhat healthily during the summer is by sticking with mostly whole grains. The...
by
You don't need acres of land to grow your own fresh, healthy and delicious produce. In fact, you don't need any land at all. If you have a sunny spot on a patio, you're in business. And while you aren't going to get large yields, it's fun to watch the plants progress and even more fun to celebrate with a special meal made with your harvest. One of the easiest patio crops to grow is lettuce. Lettuce is the second most popular vegetable in the United States. Americans eat about 30 pounds of it per person per year. In case you're wondering, potatoes are #1 and, yes, they...
by
My wish for cooler weather was granted one quiet afternoon last week, when the familiar smell of ozone that precedes a lightning storm hit the air. As our dog started to do her normal pre-storm routine of hiding under the bed and curling into the smallest and tightest ball she could, I knew we were in for a doozy. This storm was unlike anything I had seen before. As we watched out the window, all the trees in the yard looked as if they were going to be uprooted, and the rain was coming down sideways. For a moment I thought we lived in Kansas during twister season, as...
by
Sweeter and thicker than traditional vinegars, vincotto is a condiment that no foodie's pantry should be without. The word vincotto is translated as "cooked wine." Vincotto is made from Negroamaro and Black Malavasia grapes that have been left to dry on the vine or over wooden frames. The dried grapes are then gently boiled for at least 24 hours until the juices are reduced to 20% of their original volume. The resulting syrup, along with the mother vinegar or starter, is stored in aged oak barrels for up to four years. Vincotto contains no alcohol, preservatives, or...
by
They tell me it has been unseasonably hot here in So Cal the last week. I wish I could confirm or deny that rumor, but sunstroke has left me a little delirious and thus my opinion can hardly be trusted. Do not fear, though, a steady diet of mojitos and coconut sorbet seems to have me on the road to recovery. I am sure I will be back to lounging beachside on my well-oiled back-side in no time. In the meantime, hot chocolate, Hot Tamales, and hot kitchens must all be avoided as any one of those might cause sun spotting in my vision and imminent relapse to my former condition...
by
Way down in South Georgia, not too far from the Florida border, is one of the most active port towns on the Atlantic: Brunswick. Most of we sons of Georgia make it through Brunswick at least once, sometimes on the way to Jekyll or St. Simon's island (where I camped as a Boy Scout a few times). One of the town's claims to fame is Brunswick stew, a tomato based vegetable stew that my grandmother loves to eat with saltines. Now, I gotta say that this stew looks just like you-know-what, replete with chunks of corn and strings of smoked pork. I swear Brunswick stew is what...
by
Usually I like to take a lighthearted approach in this column and talk about fun topics associated with cooking and eating with kids. But this week I would like to turn to a more serious matter ñ that of food safety. Recently I had my first choking scare with my older son. A peaceful calm had descended over the house as we approached the bedtime hour. In the evening, my older son usually gets a couple minutes to wind down with his latest favorite TV show while I get our baby boy ready to go to sleep for the night. But just as I noticed things...
by
Every gentleman farmer knows that corn in the fields should be knee high by the fourth of July. It's an eagerly anticipated sign that the corn crop is on schedule for maturing on time. Our sweet corn is just about knee right now and I can hardly wait for that first ear to mature. Sweet corn is a popular planting for the home gardener. If you have the available space (you'll have to plant it in several rows or a block to assure proper pollination) and the proper environment (a long growing season of about 90 warm days), try growing some of your own sweet corn. The minute...
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
What does homesickness taste like? Everyone is going to have a different answer. For me it is pretty simple. Homesickness tastes like the crispy edged carnitas from The Tacqueria in Hemet. It tastes like the chicken and pinto beans, deeply spiced with cumin and flavored with lard bulging from the burrito at Crazy Coyote Tacos in Cabazon. Homesickness tastes like the red sauce--gently spicy, somewhat tomato-ey--that smothers two cheese enchiladas from El Gringo in Hermosa Beach, eaten with a plastic fork out of an aluminum takeout container. I hate to say it New York...
by
At some point during the day, most of us will ask the question "What's for dinner tonight?" For the past six weeks, I knew with a good degree of certainty that my answer to that question would be "asparagus and..." Our asparagus harvest was abundant. Everyday I picked between 10-15 beautiful spears. We started the bed three years ago and in order to allow for the crowns to develop a strong root system, we had to be patient and limit our harvesting to a few short weeks last year. But now that the plants are three years old, we were able to harvest for about 6 weeks...
by
Eating street food in Asia it is easy to wonder how so much good food can be made so quickly. Not all street foods are easy to make at home. Some equipment like super hot gas flames or open charcoal fires would probably not pass indoor fire regulations. However there are several lessons from cooking these fast foods of Asia that can be taken off the streets and into the kitchen for the everyday cook.
by
Summertime should be full of activities that the snowy winters, rainy springs, and chilly autumns don't allow. Playing baseball till the sun goes down, swimming all day until your skin is the color of a tomato, lazily floating along a crystal clear lake with a fishing pole in hand: these are the moments summer is made of. And yet this time of year it is easy to look back and realize that the summer has nearly slipped by without you stopping for one second to enjoy a swing of the bat, dip in the pool, or cast of a line. Swimming is fun, be it in your neighbor's pool or...
by
So many of the top chefs are going back to basics by bypassing the fusion route and stressing simple, fresh ingredients done to perfection so that natural flavors shine through. I am in complete agreement with this fresh ingredients craze. Why use anything else really? In fact, one should make it a rule of thumb to skip right past the canned and dried fruits and vegetables when fresh produce is readily available. And when you feel the need to spice things up a bit, you can still use simple fresh ingredients and combine them to create complementary, yet complex, bold flavors...
by
I don't bake much these days. This poses a problem at times like these where a whiff of a ripe Georgia peach at the market is enough to send my head spinning in nostalgic longing for a crusty biscuit topped cobbler. Or the sight of a pile of apricots takes me back to faraway place where my younger self scrambled up a neighbor's tree to collect the small fuzzy fruit. A paper bag bulging with our collection would form a week's worth of cake-topped puddings and afternoon snacks on lazy summer days. Clearly there was a time when I did bake. Like many a hungry youngster...
by
In the peak of summer heat, it takes more than water to cool the body down. If it is the end of a long day working in the yard, a cold beer at sunset might be in order. A jog through the neighborhood in full sun might require the patronage of a pint-sized lemonade stand along the way. Or for a more filling yet still cooling beverage, a chilly smoothie of frozen fruits and yogurt could be just the thing to cool down without weighing down when the sun is blazing. In parts of the world where summer is eternal, cooling beverages are more than treats, they are survival tools...
by
Summer is the perfect time for soup. Chilled soup, that is. Most of us think of soup as the start to a meal, or a single hearty helping to warm our bodies from the winter chill. Soup can be equally satisfying when cold and just as effective to soothe us from the summer sizzle. With all the seasonal produce available, it is easy to prepare and often healthy to eat. Cold soup can be served as a first course, main course, or even dessert. Some soups are cooked first then chilled, while others are merely blended raw and refrigerated prior to service. There are dozens of recipes...
by
I recently realized that during the summertime, our children's normally healthy eating habits can fall by the wayside. Regular routines get relaxed along with carefully planned menus. Long afternoons spent at the pool or beach lend themselves to easy dinners like pizza or hot dogs. Plus there are all kinds of treats like toasted marshmallows and ice cream sundaes with all the fixings. What would childhood be without these things? One way that we can ensure our children do still eat somewhat healthily during the summer is by sticking with mostly whole grains. The...
by
You don't need acres of land to grow your own fresh, healthy and delicious produce. In fact, you don't need any land at all. If you have a sunny spot on a patio, you're in business. And while you aren't going to get large yields, it's fun to watch the plants progress and even more fun to celebrate with a special meal made with your harvest. One of the easiest patio crops to grow is lettuce. Lettuce is the second most popular vegetable in the United States. Americans eat about 30 pounds of it per person per year. In case you're wondering, potatoes are #1 and, yes, they...
by
My wish for cooler weather was granted one quiet afternoon last week, when the familiar smell of ozone that precedes a lightning storm hit the air. As our dog started to do her normal pre-storm routine of hiding under the bed and curling into the smallest and tightest ball she could, I knew we were in for a doozy. This storm was unlike anything I had seen before. As we watched out the window, all the trees in the yard looked as if they were going to be uprooted, and the rain was coming down sideways. For a moment I thought we lived in Kansas during twister season, as...
by
Sweeter and thicker than traditional vinegars, vincotto is a condiment that no foodie's pantry should be without. The word vincotto is translated as "cooked wine." Vincotto is made from Negroamaro and Black Malavasia grapes that have been left to dry on the vine or over wooden frames. The dried grapes are then gently boiled for at least 24 hours until the juices are reduced to 20% of their original volume. The resulting syrup, along with the mother vinegar or starter, is stored in aged oak barrels for up to four years. Vincotto contains no alcohol, preservatives, or...
by
They tell me it has been unseasonably hot here in So Cal the last week. I wish I could confirm or deny that rumor, but sunstroke has left me a little delirious and thus my opinion can hardly be trusted. Do not fear, though, a steady diet of mojitos and coconut sorbet seems to have me on the road to recovery. I am sure I will be back to lounging beachside on my well-oiled back-side in no time. In the meantime, hot chocolate, Hot Tamales, and hot kitchens must all be avoided as any one of those might cause sun spotting in my vision and imminent relapse to my former condition...
by
Way down in South Georgia, not too far from the Florida border, is one of the most active port towns on the Atlantic: Brunswick. Most of we sons of Georgia make it through Brunswick at least once, sometimes on the way to Jekyll or St. Simon's island (where I camped as a Boy Scout a few times). One of the town's claims to fame is Brunswick stew, a tomato based vegetable stew that my grandmother loves to eat with saltines. Now, I gotta say that this stew looks just like you-know-what, replete with chunks of corn and strings of smoked pork. I swear Brunswick stew is what...
by
Usually I like to take a lighthearted approach in this column and talk about fun topics associated with cooking and eating with kids. But this week I would like to turn to a more serious matter ñ that of food safety. Recently I had my first choking scare with my older son. A peaceful calm had descended over the house as we approached the bedtime hour. In the evening, my older son usually gets a couple minutes to wind down with his latest favorite TV show while I get our baby boy ready to go to sleep for the night. But just as I noticed things...
by
Every gentleman farmer knows that corn in the fields should be knee high by the fourth of July. It's an eagerly anticipated sign that the corn crop is on schedule for maturing on time. Our sweet corn is just about knee right now and I can hardly wait for that first ear to mature. Sweet corn is a popular planting for the home gardener. If you have the available space (you'll have to plant it in several rows or a block to assure proper pollination) and the proper environment (a long growing season of about 90 warm days), try growing some of your own sweet corn. The minute...