cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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Some years ago one of my best buddies invited me to join him for a family gathering in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His selling points were twofold: good lookin' ladies in short-shorts on Dixon street at night and . . . chocolate gravy and biscuits. "Chocolate gravy?" I says to Shaun, "that just sounds nasty." I was reminded of a terrible kitchen experience the previous year that involved green olives, chocolate, eggplant, and a bargain bin Italian cookbook from one of those chains that have bargain bin cookbooks. I trusted the recipe because it sounded so absurd: dark...
by
Are kasha, oat groats and brown rice common fare at your house? Probably not. Yet starting this school year, your kids may get an extra healthy lunchtime boost from just that: yep, whole grains. That's certainly a boon when you're on the watch for ways to help kids eat better and maintain a healthy weight. And obesity and healthy eating are no longer subjects only for adults.
by
Yes, it's that time already - with kids heading out to school and work-a-day parents heading out to take care of business, it can often mean that everyone is heading in many different directions. By the time that everyone lands at day's end, the last thing you may feel like doing is cooking a meal. And while it may seem easier and faster to order out, I've got a challenge for you this fall: Plan to have at least one meal together each day during the week.
by
It all began several months ago when my son tried green Tabasco sauce, part of an experiment for a new recipe I was working on. Tangy and peppery, the green sauce doesn't have the heat of the well-known red Tabasco. He loved it. And it wasn't long before we saw any and all foods - from eggs to lunchmeat sandwiches and soups - getting treated to this condiment addition. Yet little did we know, this was really the start of something new ... for it wasn't long before the green AND red Tabasco bottles were regular additions to our table. From there evolved an interest in...
by
Drawing on your own hard times experience, let us pretend we have a friendly, hardworking bachelor who puts in the overtime. Let's say he worked an extra job this summer to build up some of the savings that he lost from an unexpected hospital stay. Let us also pretend he suffers from Dr. Bachelor's Law: Murphy was an optimist. Let us also say, owing to debt incurred from an advanced degree, his credit is maxed out and/or he froze his cards in a block of ice in the freezer. Then, let's fantasize Dr. Bachelor's Law came to pass: in June a pet required major medical expenses.
by
Can it be that backpacks and school supplies season is here already? Not only is back to school season right around the corner, but back to breakfast is the best way to send your kids back to school. If you're like me, breakfast is the hardest meal of the day. For some reason I find lunch and dinner much easier to pull together. But ask me to come up with a cohesive breakfast in the morning and my mind draws a blank - or worse yet, spins like a hamster on a wheel. All I can think of is the same old, same old.
by
Recently I found myself in Bedknobs, Broomsticks and Beyond and was overcome by the piles of cheap, particleboard junk and low-thread count bedding that stores like this tend to heave up near the check-out line in August. No doubt a bunch of this mess will end up in dorm rooms across America, and no doubt it will last, maybe, half a semester. For my day job I work at a university, and my office is right across the street from a major, first-year student dormitory. It is always amusing to see the piles of this stuff, edging dumpsters at the end of the semester.
by
For one of our first dates, my boyfriend brought Greek food from a nearby restaurant to the campus where we were both going to college. We met under the trees, at a stone picnic table. He opened the brown paper bag and pulled out two salads ("I didn't order myself a salad," he said, confused). I searched for forks and napkins; there were none. We ate gyro salads with our fingers. He was flustered and embarrassed. I thought it was funny and adorable that he wanted to impress me so much. It must have worked; I married him. The history of gyros is not easily traced. The...
by
I was never a big beer fan. I always preferred a fruity cocktail or a nice glass of Riesling over a cold Bud Light. My husband can go for a couple "cold brews," as he calls beer, but we hardly ever buy it. It's usually a Friday-night-at-dinner type of thing, even for him. Despite this, somehow our fridge was recently stocked with three or four cases of various beer: Miller Light, Coors Light, Budweiser, and Bud Light. And no, we aren't having a party this Saturday night. Despite the fact that my parents are convinced that my husband and I have gone to the dark side...
by
Once so expensive that it was reserved solely for royalty, vanilla is the most widely used flavoring in baked goods and other dessert items. It is the second most expensive spice in the world, next to saffron. About 80% of all vanilla comes from the islands of Madagascar, Comoros, and Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The rest mainly comes from Mexico, Indonesia, and Tahiti. My guess is that nearly everyone one of us has a bottle of this indispensable flavoring in our pantry right now and can't imagine making a baked good or sweet treat without it. Vanilla can be purchased as...
by
Who would have thought there'd be a day when I was glad stale bread was waiting for lunch? Several weeks ago, a friend and I stopped by a fabulous Greek market in her neighborhood and each ordered a vegetarian panini. Divine. Layered with grilled vegetables and cheese, it was grilled to perfection on handmade bread - it had that chewy, dense texture that leaves a soft white bread sandwich as a dull competitor. Paninis really are best when made with bread that has a firm texture (think Italian or sourdough). Then again, we don't always have chewy Italian or Greek bread...
by
If you have vegan friends or family, you may find yourself wondering how to create a protein-rich meal that will satisfy them while still respecting their dietary plan. It certainly can be challenging to prepare a meal that accommodates meat-eaters and pure vegetable-eaters all at the same table. Yes, it may be challenging. It may be tough. But it's certainly do-able. Hey, I'm not just saying that - I actually have years of experience cooking in this unique two-sided way. It all began when I married a meat-eater. While we tried to eat each other's...
by
It's been one of those weeks: seems like every time I turn around we're out of something, somebody needs something, or there's email, texts, phone calls, deadlines, errands, chauffeur-duty, homework to help with ... you name it. And then it's mealtime. That's why I usually look forward to the nights I use the slow cooker - after I've tossed in the goodies I don't have to think further. I'm free to do what needs done and know that a hot meal awaits. However, if I haven't done my plan-for-the-slow-cooker-day homework, my bubble is not so bright. I check the...
by
Do Americans still consider family meals a high priority, even with today's busy lifestyles? A recent survey by SuperTarget, conducted by Harris Interactive, indicated that yes indeed, they do. The survey results also suggested that food still plays an important role in American families. No surprise there, eh? Parents of children under 18 typically reported that their family ate dinner at home about 6 times per week, with 93 percent cooking that meal at home with their family. Over 84 percent said they go grocery shopping with the family at least once a week and...
by
"The crockpot! Yes, my wife discovered that's the trick to fast, easy home cooked meals and it's been wonderful ...", he said. "Now she just tosses the goods in and we come home to a hot dinner!" I was recently chatting with an architect at a recent business expo. Oh, he had tons of praises to sing about slow cooker dinners (And I bet his wife would too - maybe even more if he started prepping it in the morning before heading to the office!). He almost sounded like he wished he had invented the crockpot, beautiful thing that it is. Which got me to...
by
I have always been a big fan of Chinese buffets, especially as a kid, when words like "saturated fat," "sodium," and "MSG" weren't even on my radar. There was one place we used to go to a few times a month. Usually, we were all ravenous. Sitting through the server's greeting and drink orders was torture, with all the smells of delicious food wafting through the air. As soon as the server left to go get ice water and hot tea, we sprinted for the buffet line. I grabbed a big plate, hot from the plate warmer. A buffet required an initial walk-through, just to see what...
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
Some years ago one of my best buddies invited me to join him for a family gathering in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His selling points were twofold: good lookin' ladies in short-shorts on Dixon street at night and . . . chocolate gravy and biscuits. "Chocolate gravy?" I says to Shaun, "that just sounds nasty." I was reminded of a terrible kitchen experience the previous year that involved green olives, chocolate, eggplant, and a bargain bin Italian cookbook from one of those chains that have bargain bin cookbooks. I trusted the recipe because it sounded so absurd: dark...
by
Are kasha, oat groats and brown rice common fare at your house? Probably not. Yet starting this school year, your kids may get an extra healthy lunchtime boost from just that: yep, whole grains. That's certainly a boon when you're on the watch for ways to help kids eat better and maintain a healthy weight. And obesity and healthy eating are no longer subjects only for adults.
by
Yes, it's that time already - with kids heading out to school and work-a-day parents heading out to take care of business, it can often mean that everyone is heading in many different directions. By the time that everyone lands at day's end, the last thing you may feel like doing is cooking a meal. And while it may seem easier and faster to order out, I've got a challenge for you this fall: Plan to have at least one meal together each day during the week.
by
It all began several months ago when my son tried green Tabasco sauce, part of an experiment for a new recipe I was working on. Tangy and peppery, the green sauce doesn't have the heat of the well-known red Tabasco. He loved it. And it wasn't long before we saw any and all foods - from eggs to lunchmeat sandwiches and soups - getting treated to this condiment addition. Yet little did we know, this was really the start of something new ... for it wasn't long before the green AND red Tabasco bottles were regular additions to our table. From there evolved an interest in...
by
Drawing on your own hard times experience, let us pretend we have a friendly, hardworking bachelor who puts in the overtime. Let's say he worked an extra job this summer to build up some of the savings that he lost from an unexpected hospital stay. Let us also pretend he suffers from Dr. Bachelor's Law: Murphy was an optimist. Let us also say, owing to debt incurred from an advanced degree, his credit is maxed out and/or he froze his cards in a block of ice in the freezer. Then, let's fantasize Dr. Bachelor's Law came to pass: in June a pet required major medical expenses.
by
Can it be that backpacks and school supplies season is here already? Not only is back to school season right around the corner, but back to breakfast is the best way to send your kids back to school. If you're like me, breakfast is the hardest meal of the day. For some reason I find lunch and dinner much easier to pull together. But ask me to come up with a cohesive breakfast in the morning and my mind draws a blank - or worse yet, spins like a hamster on a wheel. All I can think of is the same old, same old.
by
Recently I found myself in Bedknobs, Broomsticks and Beyond and was overcome by the piles of cheap, particleboard junk and low-thread count bedding that stores like this tend to heave up near the check-out line in August. No doubt a bunch of this mess will end up in dorm rooms across America, and no doubt it will last, maybe, half a semester. For my day job I work at a university, and my office is right across the street from a major, first-year student dormitory. It is always amusing to see the piles of this stuff, edging dumpsters at the end of the semester.
by
For one of our first dates, my boyfriend brought Greek food from a nearby restaurant to the campus where we were both going to college. We met under the trees, at a stone picnic table. He opened the brown paper bag and pulled out two salads ("I didn't order myself a salad," he said, confused). I searched for forks and napkins; there were none. We ate gyro salads with our fingers. He was flustered and embarrassed. I thought it was funny and adorable that he wanted to impress me so much. It must have worked; I married him. The history of gyros is not easily traced. The...
by
I was never a big beer fan. I always preferred a fruity cocktail or a nice glass of Riesling over a cold Bud Light. My husband can go for a couple "cold brews," as he calls beer, but we hardly ever buy it. It's usually a Friday-night-at-dinner type of thing, even for him. Despite this, somehow our fridge was recently stocked with three or four cases of various beer: Miller Light, Coors Light, Budweiser, and Bud Light. And no, we aren't having a party this Saturday night. Despite the fact that my parents are convinced that my husband and I have gone to the dark side...
by
Once so expensive that it was reserved solely for royalty, vanilla is the most widely used flavoring in baked goods and other dessert items. It is the second most expensive spice in the world, next to saffron. About 80% of all vanilla comes from the islands of Madagascar, Comoros, and Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The rest mainly comes from Mexico, Indonesia, and Tahiti. My guess is that nearly everyone one of us has a bottle of this indispensable flavoring in our pantry right now and can't imagine making a baked good or sweet treat without it. Vanilla can be purchased as...
by
Who would have thought there'd be a day when I was glad stale bread was waiting for lunch? Several weeks ago, a friend and I stopped by a fabulous Greek market in her neighborhood and each ordered a vegetarian panini. Divine. Layered with grilled vegetables and cheese, it was grilled to perfection on handmade bread - it had that chewy, dense texture that leaves a soft white bread sandwich as a dull competitor. Paninis really are best when made with bread that has a firm texture (think Italian or sourdough). Then again, we don't always have chewy Italian or Greek bread...
by
If you have vegan friends or family, you may find yourself wondering how to create a protein-rich meal that will satisfy them while still respecting their dietary plan. It certainly can be challenging to prepare a meal that accommodates meat-eaters and pure vegetable-eaters all at the same table. Yes, it may be challenging. It may be tough. But it's certainly do-able. Hey, I'm not just saying that - I actually have years of experience cooking in this unique two-sided way. It all began when I married a meat-eater. While we tried to eat each other's...
by
It's been one of those weeks: seems like every time I turn around we're out of something, somebody needs something, or there's email, texts, phone calls, deadlines, errands, chauffeur-duty, homework to help with ... you name it. And then it's mealtime. That's why I usually look forward to the nights I use the slow cooker - after I've tossed in the goodies I don't have to think further. I'm free to do what needs done and know that a hot meal awaits. However, if I haven't done my plan-for-the-slow-cooker-day homework, my bubble is not so bright. I check the...
by
Do Americans still consider family meals a high priority, even with today's busy lifestyles? A recent survey by SuperTarget, conducted by Harris Interactive, indicated that yes indeed, they do. The survey results also suggested that food still plays an important role in American families. No surprise there, eh? Parents of children under 18 typically reported that their family ate dinner at home about 6 times per week, with 93 percent cooking that meal at home with their family. Over 84 percent said they go grocery shopping with the family at least once a week and...
by
"The crockpot! Yes, my wife discovered that's the trick to fast, easy home cooked meals and it's been wonderful ...", he said. "Now she just tosses the goods in and we come home to a hot dinner!" I was recently chatting with an architect at a recent business expo. Oh, he had tons of praises to sing about slow cooker dinners (And I bet his wife would too - maybe even more if he started prepping it in the morning before heading to the office!). He almost sounded like he wished he had invented the crockpot, beautiful thing that it is. Which got me to...
by
I have always been a big fan of Chinese buffets, especially as a kid, when words like "saturated fat," "sodium," and "MSG" weren't even on my radar. There was one place we used to go to a few times a month. Usually, we were all ravenous. Sitting through the server's greeting and drink orders was torture, with all the smells of delicious food wafting through the air. As soon as the server left to go get ice water and hot tea, we sprinted for the buffet line. I grabbed a big plate, hot from the plate warmer. A buffet required an initial walk-through, just to see what...