cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
by
As an undergraduate I had a roommate, or rather, I had roommates, since my buddy's girlfriend practically lived with us. We were crammed into a small efficiency apartment in the Foggy Bottom district of Washington, DC. By creatively using desks and wall-hangings, the living room metamorphosed into my bedroom, while my friend and his lady took the bedroom proper (thankfully relatively soundproof). For the most part, privacy was not much of a problem. My problems were two in number: blunt razors and their dirty dishes. After one too many face slashings I discovered...
by
I recently went on a long road trip, by myself. I don't mind traveling solo. In fact, there is something therapeutic about facing the world and the road totally on your own, with only your thoughts and your actions to consider. There were some sketchy moments, though. Stopping for gas after dark became a sort of Russian roulette. I had about six seconds to evaluate the safety of the gas station before I had to make the decision to exit or continue. Eating alone, even just for a quick lunch, always gets me sympathetic stares.
by
Your dinner tonight is going to be really "slow," but you will have it on the table from start to finish in under half an hour. Sounds crazy, right? Normally "slow" is not a word people want associated with their dinner recipes. But when you are talking about Slow Food, as in the Slow Food Movement, it is a word that you just might consider using for your next meal. Slow Food is an international non-profit organization with a mission of connecting producers of traditional foods and the consumer to fight the prevalence of fast food in the modern world. Founded...
by
The other day I was talking to a woman who was shocked that I happily give away recipes. "If I could cook like you, I would never give away my secrets," she declared. Well, I must say that I thoroughly disagree with this attitude. Sharing recipes is like storytelling, traveling and reading a book all in one shot. It is a way to give and receive something special and new. This is probably the very reason why you visit CDKitchen. It has been said that sharing a recipe makes it immortal. So many of us make Grandma's apple pie, or our mother's roast chicken. This is...
by
Growing up, the only experience I had with chicken wings were the ones covered with feathers that belonged to the small population of egg-laying hens on our Montana farm. Once in awhile, we raised chickens for eating. Fed on grain and fresh bugs from our two-acre farm, they were meaty. The wings on those chickens were like thighs on most conventional chickens. However, we never cooked the wings by themselves and certainly never dipped them in any type of hot sauce (unless you count the time I ruined an entire pot of chicken soup by using several red chili peppers)...
by
If fishing was easy it would be called catching, or so said a bumper sticker I read somewhere. Truth is I kind of wish fishing was more like catching. Fishing may be as all-American a summer pastime as baseball, but after trying my hand at it once every few years I've just decided it's not for me. The problem is I just want the fish. The thought of finally reeling one in and then tossing it back in the water in the name of sport just doesn't make sense to me. As that fish is freed from the hook and thrown carelessly back into the water, all I can see is my dinner swimming away.
by
You asked for it, so you got it: more Eggspert Advice. In this fourth and final installment, we will take a look at the art of frying eggs and the chemistry of cooking with eggs. Sunny Side Up, Over Easy, Over Hard. Fried eggs come many ways, but the common characteristic should be "tender and tasty." Ultimately, frying eggs is easy. But it is important to remember a few key steps to ensure desirable results. First, use a non-stick skillet, or a very well seasoned cast iron pan or griddle. Second, make sure that the pan and the fat are hot. If the pan is not...
by
How does Emeril make all that food for Good Morning America so early in the morning? Well, matter of factly, he doesn't. Most chefs of fame and stature do not have the time to arrive at a network at 5:00 AM to prepare a chicken caesar salad. Instead, a food stylist arrives before dawn - possibly preparing much of the ingredients the night before - to make magic. I am one of those unseen "ghost chefs" who works behind the scenes on live TV shows, taped segments and photoshoots. How It All Began: Immediately following graduation from the French...
by
One important thing I've learned about when one of my kids expresses an interest in baking or cooking: Go with it. The trick to building their long-term interest and supporting their enthusiasm is in first stopping to listen, and then to help as needed when they're showing those glimmers of "kitchen encounter inspiration." That's right - no matter if it's bread in the bread machine, a fruit pie for someone's birthday, or an oatmeal cookie recipe that catches the eye, the time for action (and support) is in the moment. The present moment....
by
"It's not easy being green." These are familiar words from a familiar frog, but completely untrue when it comes to vegetables. So many people, though, make the unfortunate mistake of overcooking their green veggies, turning them brown, mushy and limp. Nutritionists tout the benefits of green vegetables, citing them as excellent sources of vitamins and amino acids. When overcooked, they can lose many of their nutrients and enzymes. Properly cooking these essential foods will provide superior flavor and improved nutritional value....
by
As much as those spacious kitchens on the Food Network make preparing a meal seem simple and carefree, most of us don't have the luxury of an immense cooking space. In my years of cooking, my kitchens have ranged in size from the industrial enclaves of the French Culinary Institute to the hot plate and a microwave that made up the "kitchen" in my London flat. Regardless of how small your kitchen is, good food does not take a TV kitchen to make happen. My first apartment in college required six girls not only to share 1.5 bathrooms, but a kitchen that featured about two...
by
The word entertaining sounds so formal, the title "host" or "hostess" so proper, and yet when friends drop by unexpectedly and you end up cooking dinner for them that is what you are doing, entertaining. And what you are, like it or not, is playing the part of host. Some people thrive in the formality of entertaining. Putting on a dinner party throws them into a several week tailspin of planning and preparation. It is those sorts of people that send the other half, the non-planners, to cower in a corner of stress at the thought of putting together appetizers let alone a full meal for...
by
This week I want to share my favorite place to buy pastry tools with you. A fancy cake decorating supply store? A gourmet cooking shop somewhere in New York? Somewhere in France? Well, yes. I do make purchases from those types of shops, but there's one place I bet you never even considered looking for some of your pastry needs: the hardware store. No kidding, you say? What could a delicate flower of a pastry chef possibly want from a hardware store? Believe it or not, you can find lots of goodies to help in your pastry kitchen at your...
by
April showers bring May flowers. April also brings torrential rain storms followed by summer-like heat waves. It brings bathing suit beach weather back-to-back with marine layer fog. April has its days like last weekend, when the whole of New York City seemed to be swim suit clad and lounging on every available inch of green space from the Hudson to Central Park. And as quickly as you packed away your winter sweaters the weather can swing again in a direction that calls for hunkering down for a weekend of reading and movie watching snuggled under a pile of blankets...
by
Garlic is a versatile and healthful ingredient that adds flavor to many a dish. It has long been legendary in its curative ability and has recently been touted for all of its health benefits, including protecting against heart disease. Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I immediately turn to either garlicky chicken noodle soup or a Spanish recipe for garlic soup - Sopa de Ajo - that seems to tame my cold symptoms and to help me get well again faster. So if you are looking for ways to add more garlic into your diet (besides taking those huge garlic pills), why not turn to your...
by
As you may know by now, one of the delightful things that I did on a recent press trip to the Holland, Michigan area was to visit a cooking school: the Artisan Cooking School in Grand Haven. Having generously opened their doors to this group of traveling writers, Chef Howard Norris (along with helper extraordinaire, Jodi) took us in and shared his expertise with us. One wonderful thing going on at this exciting school is cooking classes for kids. Of course, there are also classes for adults (from Mexican cuisine to grilling and knife skills). While we were watching...
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
As an undergraduate I had a roommate, or rather, I had roommates, since my buddy's girlfriend practically lived with us. We were crammed into a small efficiency apartment in the Foggy Bottom district of Washington, DC. By creatively using desks and wall-hangings, the living room metamorphosed into my bedroom, while my friend and his lady took the bedroom proper (thankfully relatively soundproof). For the most part, privacy was not much of a problem. My problems were two in number: blunt razors and their dirty dishes. After one too many face slashings I discovered...
by
I recently went on a long road trip, by myself. I don't mind traveling solo. In fact, there is something therapeutic about facing the world and the road totally on your own, with only your thoughts and your actions to consider. There were some sketchy moments, though. Stopping for gas after dark became a sort of Russian roulette. I had about six seconds to evaluate the safety of the gas station before I had to make the decision to exit or continue. Eating alone, even just for a quick lunch, always gets me sympathetic stares.
by
Your dinner tonight is going to be really "slow," but you will have it on the table from start to finish in under half an hour. Sounds crazy, right? Normally "slow" is not a word people want associated with their dinner recipes. But when you are talking about Slow Food, as in the Slow Food Movement, it is a word that you just might consider using for your next meal. Slow Food is an international non-profit organization with a mission of connecting producers of traditional foods and the consumer to fight the prevalence of fast food in the modern world. Founded...
by
The other day I was talking to a woman who was shocked that I happily give away recipes. "If I could cook like you, I would never give away my secrets," she declared. Well, I must say that I thoroughly disagree with this attitude. Sharing recipes is like storytelling, traveling and reading a book all in one shot. It is a way to give and receive something special and new. This is probably the very reason why you visit CDKitchen. It has been said that sharing a recipe makes it immortal. So many of us make Grandma's apple pie, or our mother's roast chicken. This is...
by
Growing up, the only experience I had with chicken wings were the ones covered with feathers that belonged to the small population of egg-laying hens on our Montana farm. Once in awhile, we raised chickens for eating. Fed on grain and fresh bugs from our two-acre farm, they were meaty. The wings on those chickens were like thighs on most conventional chickens. However, we never cooked the wings by themselves and certainly never dipped them in any type of hot sauce (unless you count the time I ruined an entire pot of chicken soup by using several red chili peppers)...
by
If fishing was easy it would be called catching, or so said a bumper sticker I read somewhere. Truth is I kind of wish fishing was more like catching. Fishing may be as all-American a summer pastime as baseball, but after trying my hand at it once every few years I've just decided it's not for me. The problem is I just want the fish. The thought of finally reeling one in and then tossing it back in the water in the name of sport just doesn't make sense to me. As that fish is freed from the hook and thrown carelessly back into the water, all I can see is my dinner swimming away.
by
You asked for it, so you got it: more Eggspert Advice. In this fourth and final installment, we will take a look at the art of frying eggs and the chemistry of cooking with eggs. Sunny Side Up, Over Easy, Over Hard. Fried eggs come many ways, but the common characteristic should be "tender and tasty." Ultimately, frying eggs is easy. But it is important to remember a few key steps to ensure desirable results. First, use a non-stick skillet, or a very well seasoned cast iron pan or griddle. Second, make sure that the pan and the fat are hot. If the pan is not...
by
How does Emeril make all that food for Good Morning America so early in the morning? Well, matter of factly, he doesn't. Most chefs of fame and stature do not have the time to arrive at a network at 5:00 AM to prepare a chicken caesar salad. Instead, a food stylist arrives before dawn - possibly preparing much of the ingredients the night before - to make magic. I am one of those unseen "ghost chefs" who works behind the scenes on live TV shows, taped segments and photoshoots. How It All Began: Immediately following graduation from the French...
by
One important thing I've learned about when one of my kids expresses an interest in baking or cooking: Go with it. The trick to building their long-term interest and supporting their enthusiasm is in first stopping to listen, and then to help as needed when they're showing those glimmers of "kitchen encounter inspiration." That's right - no matter if it's bread in the bread machine, a fruit pie for someone's birthday, or an oatmeal cookie recipe that catches the eye, the time for action (and support) is in the moment. The present moment....
by
"It's not easy being green." These are familiar words from a familiar frog, but completely untrue when it comes to vegetables. So many people, though, make the unfortunate mistake of overcooking their green veggies, turning them brown, mushy and limp. Nutritionists tout the benefits of green vegetables, citing them as excellent sources of vitamins and amino acids. When overcooked, they can lose many of their nutrients and enzymes. Properly cooking these essential foods will provide superior flavor and improved nutritional value....
by
As much as those spacious kitchens on the Food Network make preparing a meal seem simple and carefree, most of us don't have the luxury of an immense cooking space. In my years of cooking, my kitchens have ranged in size from the industrial enclaves of the French Culinary Institute to the hot plate and a microwave that made up the "kitchen" in my London flat. Regardless of how small your kitchen is, good food does not take a TV kitchen to make happen. My first apartment in college required six girls not only to share 1.5 bathrooms, but a kitchen that featured about two...
by
The word entertaining sounds so formal, the title "host" or "hostess" so proper, and yet when friends drop by unexpectedly and you end up cooking dinner for them that is what you are doing, entertaining. And what you are, like it or not, is playing the part of host. Some people thrive in the formality of entertaining. Putting on a dinner party throws them into a several week tailspin of planning and preparation. It is those sorts of people that send the other half, the non-planners, to cower in a corner of stress at the thought of putting together appetizers let alone a full meal for...
by
This week I want to share my favorite place to buy pastry tools with you. A fancy cake decorating supply store? A gourmet cooking shop somewhere in New York? Somewhere in France? Well, yes. I do make purchases from those types of shops, but there's one place I bet you never even considered looking for some of your pastry needs: the hardware store. No kidding, you say? What could a delicate flower of a pastry chef possibly want from a hardware store? Believe it or not, you can find lots of goodies to help in your pastry kitchen at your...
by
April showers bring May flowers. April also brings torrential rain storms followed by summer-like heat waves. It brings bathing suit beach weather back-to-back with marine layer fog. April has its days like last weekend, when the whole of New York City seemed to be swim suit clad and lounging on every available inch of green space from the Hudson to Central Park. And as quickly as you packed away your winter sweaters the weather can swing again in a direction that calls for hunkering down for a weekend of reading and movie watching snuggled under a pile of blankets...
by
Garlic is a versatile and healthful ingredient that adds flavor to many a dish. It has long been legendary in its curative ability and has recently been touted for all of its health benefits, including protecting against heart disease. Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I immediately turn to either garlicky chicken noodle soup or a Spanish recipe for garlic soup - Sopa de Ajo - that seems to tame my cold symptoms and to help me get well again faster. So if you are looking for ways to add more garlic into your diet (besides taking those huge garlic pills), why not turn to your...
by
As you may know by now, one of the delightful things that I did on a recent press trip to the Holland, Michigan area was to visit a cooking school: the Artisan Cooking School in Grand Haven. Having generously opened their doors to this group of traveling writers, Chef Howard Norris (along with helper extraordinaire, Jodi) took us in and shared his expertise with us. One wonderful thing going on at this exciting school is cooking classes for kids. Of course, there are also classes for adults (from Mexican cuisine to grilling and knife skills). While we were watching...