cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
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When I was ten years old I had three passions: drawing, Boy Scouts, and roller skating. I've since traded in drawing for writing, the Boy Scouts for the Freemasons, and roller skating for... well, roller skating. Who wants to give that pastime up? Not me. Nor will I give up the roller skating rink play-lists of my youth: "Gloria" by Laura Branigan, Sweet's "Little Willie," "Rock and Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter, Journey's "Open Arms" (slow-skate, y'all know?), and "Jam on It" by Newcleus. Oh, some of y'all will remember Newcleus, the second wave of what was known then...
by
I recently attended a conference on coffee and tea bars and it got me thinking about just how important a good cuppa can be. There's a lot involved in coffee making, and a mistake or misunderstanding of any step in the bean-to-beverage process can result in definitely not-the-best-part-of-waking-up. You will remember a bad cup of coffee. I know people who won't even go to a particular diner or restaurant anymore because the coffee's ghastly. It truly is the last course of a meal. I will even dare say it's more important than dessert because more people will have coffee...
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Teaching cake decorating in an article is an impossible task, and there are certainly plenty of books on the subject. But I'm going to give you some helpful tips that I've learned that will make icing your cake a little bit easier if you're still a novice at it. It may seem a little daunting at first, but with some practice and the right tools, you'll have a lovely cake well worth showcasing. Having the proper equipment will save you a lot of trouble. Take a trip to a local cake supplies store or shop online if you plan ahead. Before you embark on this adventure, make...
by
It seems that everywhere we turn these days there is some different food with marketers telling us that eating it is the new secret to a long and healthy life. There was pomegranate juice a few years ago. Everyone jumped on it until they realized how many calories they had to consume in order to reap its anti-oxidant potential. Now there is the Brazilian acai berry, along with a whole bunch of other (mostly) expensive and funny sounding fruits such as Goji berries and the acerola cherry. These are all supposed to help us live cancer-free to a ripe old age. But before...
by
I am always on the lookout for simple, easy to assemble desserts for those nights when friends drop by. As many delicious bakeries now dot city blocks and artisanal ice creams line store freezer shelves, there is nothing like putting a plate of something sinfully delicious looking in front of a friend and being able to say, "Yes, I made that." It is hard to explain what is so great about a homemade dessert. Maybe it is that a chocolate chip cookie is at its best when the chocolate is still slightly molten. Maybe it is that pies are better when they are warm, right from...
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By request, I am offering the third installment of "Eggspert Advice." Thanks to your feedback, this week we will tackle boiling, coddling and poaching. Next week, the fourth and final installment of "Eggspert Advice" will cover fried eggs and egg chemistry. Hard Boiling Made Easy: Every cloud may have a silver lining, but no hard boiled egg yolk should have a green ring. This common problem is easy to avoid as long as you are attentive and precise about the boiling point and cooking time. So, use the aptly named egg timer to be exact. Also, remember the importance...
by
Frosting, icing, let me count the ways that I love thee . . .I really like frosting. It's the icing on the cake (every pun in the world intended!). Cake is nice, don't get me wrong, and good cake is really nice, but combine that moist cakey deliciousness with buttercream and you've got heaven on a plate. I should note, however, that I am very particular about my buttercream. There are two types of buttercream, American and French. Both have their merits, though I prefer French. American buttercream is frosting made with confectioner's
by
French toast seems to be all the rage these days. I've seen it not only on brunch menus lately, but interestingly enough, dessert menus too. Finally someone has had the good sense to get people to eat it after 4 pm. After all, it makes perfect sense to have something sweet, comforting and carb-o-licious after dinner! Ever seen creme brulee French toast? Well, it's here, and you've gotta try it. In my opinion, French toast should be not too hard, not too soft, not too eggy, and not too bready. And it should always be accompanied by an interesting condiment. But let...
by
At this time of year, we're all thinking about eggs. How many eggs will the kids need to dye for the big egg hunt? What kind of baked egg dish can I bring to Easter brunch? Will the Easter bunny be bringing my family any chocolate covered peanut butter eggs this year? And furthermore, who decided that this fabled bunny lays eggs like a bird - that's just crazy! Eggs are the emblems of springtime holidays and rituals. So much so that the eggs that now stand for Easter actually predate this Christian holiday, as an ancient symbol of fertility, together with the...
by
Daylight savings time is a great idea. It saves electricity by extending the possible daylight hours. Great idea. Except when the spring daylight savings time falls on Easter. That is not such a great idea. Let me back up, and mention that when I was growing up, my family was never on time to church. I mean, never. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that my parents had four children, ranging in age from infant to 13, but still, we were never on time. So, this one Easter Sunday, we get up early. We are all washed and brushed and fed and dressed...
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Some years we have good ideas on how to fool our unwitting, yet much loved family members on this curiously fun holiday. A few years ago when the kids and I saw an article in Family Fun magazine in which there were bountiful ideas on how to fool family members with common food items, we thought the fake-food-left-out trick looked like a good one. First we took leftover washed yogurt containers and mixed up a solution of white glue and food coloring (hmmm, should it be raspberry or grape?). We then poured about 1/8-cup of that mixture into and around the container, placing...
by
This week I thought I'd share some tricks of the trade with you. A good professional kitchen is run like a well-oiled machine. You can make your own back of the house an easier place in which to work and spend less time cleaning up. Here are my Top Ten need-to-knows in the kitchen. 1. FIFO: No, it's not the name of a dog or a government agency, it's the Golden Rule of the Kitchen: First in, first out. In other words, store your perishables with the oldest in the front and the newest in the back. That way you won't be working through two opened jugs of milk with two...
by
Does your family join in traditional egg decorating with the spring festivities? If so, you're actually participating in a custom that dates back to many an ancient springtime festival. Customarily looked upon as a symbol of hope and rebirth, the egg is a universal symbol of life - and spring. While colored eggs, bunnies and familiar Easter symbols only gained nationwide popularity in the mid-19th century, there are many ways to celebrate and enjoy this holiday that truly seems "just made for kids." Easter is one of my daughter's favorite holidays - in fact we've been...
by
There are many mysteries in life. Like, is the moon really made of cheese? Does Bigfoot really exist? Who in the world invented Rotel Dip? Okay, the last question might not be the burning question on the minds of every individual. But I have often wondered the origin of this very popular and very spicy dip. Before I ventured out of my home state of California to the southern city of Jackson, MS, I had very little experience with cheese dips at all. Partly because I was allergic to dairy, and partly because in my family, words like "Super Bowl," "Football,"...
by
Part of what is wrong with the way society looks at food nowadays is that people have come to believe that food must make you feel full, that you must clean your plate, that dinner is the biggest meal of the day. Well, I have a completely different opinion in the matter, mostly due to one of my favorite childhood snacks. When I was little, I used to take great pride in making snack plates for my family while we watched TV. I'd take cheese and cut it into cubes. I would roll up ham and slice it into bite-sized pieces. An olive or cocktail onion would finish...
From The Editors At CDKitchen: Feed Daily
by
When I was ten years old I had three passions: drawing, Boy Scouts, and roller skating. I've since traded in drawing for writing, the Boy Scouts for the Freemasons, and roller skating for... well, roller skating. Who wants to give that pastime up? Not me. Nor will I give up the roller skating rink play-lists of my youth: "Gloria" by Laura Branigan, Sweet's "Little Willie," "Rock and Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter, Journey's "Open Arms" (slow-skate, y'all know?), and "Jam on It" by Newcleus. Oh, some of y'all will remember Newcleus, the second wave of what was known then...
by
I recently attended a conference on coffee and tea bars and it got me thinking about just how important a good cuppa can be. There's a lot involved in coffee making, and a mistake or misunderstanding of any step in the bean-to-beverage process can result in definitely not-the-best-part-of-waking-up. You will remember a bad cup of coffee. I know people who won't even go to a particular diner or restaurant anymore because the coffee's ghastly. It truly is the last course of a meal. I will even dare say it's more important than dessert because more people will have coffee...
by
Teaching cake decorating in an article is an impossible task, and there are certainly plenty of books on the subject. But I'm going to give you some helpful tips that I've learned that will make icing your cake a little bit easier if you're still a novice at it. It may seem a little daunting at first, but with some practice and the right tools, you'll have a lovely cake well worth showcasing. Having the proper equipment will save you a lot of trouble. Take a trip to a local cake supplies store or shop online if you plan ahead. Before you embark on this adventure, make...
by
It seems that everywhere we turn these days there is some different food with marketers telling us that eating it is the new secret to a long and healthy life. There was pomegranate juice a few years ago. Everyone jumped on it until they realized how many calories they had to consume in order to reap its anti-oxidant potential. Now there is the Brazilian acai berry, along with a whole bunch of other (mostly) expensive and funny sounding fruits such as Goji berries and the acerola cherry. These are all supposed to help us live cancer-free to a ripe old age. But before...
by
I am always on the lookout for simple, easy to assemble desserts for those nights when friends drop by. As many delicious bakeries now dot city blocks and artisanal ice creams line store freezer shelves, there is nothing like putting a plate of something sinfully delicious looking in front of a friend and being able to say, "Yes, I made that." It is hard to explain what is so great about a homemade dessert. Maybe it is that a chocolate chip cookie is at its best when the chocolate is still slightly molten. Maybe it is that pies are better when they are warm, right from...
by
By request, I am offering the third installment of "Eggspert Advice." Thanks to your feedback, this week we will tackle boiling, coddling and poaching. Next week, the fourth and final installment of "Eggspert Advice" will cover fried eggs and egg chemistry. Hard Boiling Made Easy: Every cloud may have a silver lining, but no hard boiled egg yolk should have a green ring. This common problem is easy to avoid as long as you are attentive and precise about the boiling point and cooking time. So, use the aptly named egg timer to be exact. Also, remember the importance...
by
Frosting, icing, let me count the ways that I love thee . . .I really like frosting. It's the icing on the cake (every pun in the world intended!). Cake is nice, don't get me wrong, and good cake is really nice, but combine that moist cakey deliciousness with buttercream and you've got heaven on a plate. I should note, however, that I am very particular about my buttercream. There are two types of buttercream, American and French. Both have their merits, though I prefer French. American buttercream is frosting made with confectioner's
by
French toast seems to be all the rage these days. I've seen it not only on brunch menus lately, but interestingly enough, dessert menus too. Finally someone has had the good sense to get people to eat it after 4 pm. After all, it makes perfect sense to have something sweet, comforting and carb-o-licious after dinner! Ever seen creme brulee French toast? Well, it's here, and you've gotta try it. In my opinion, French toast should be not too hard, not too soft, not too eggy, and not too bready. And it should always be accompanied by an interesting condiment. But let...
by
At this time of year, we're all thinking about eggs. How many eggs will the kids need to dye for the big egg hunt? What kind of baked egg dish can I bring to Easter brunch? Will the Easter bunny be bringing my family any chocolate covered peanut butter eggs this year? And furthermore, who decided that this fabled bunny lays eggs like a bird - that's just crazy! Eggs are the emblems of springtime holidays and rituals. So much so that the eggs that now stand for Easter actually predate this Christian holiday, as an ancient symbol of fertility, together with the...
by
Daylight savings time is a great idea. It saves electricity by extending the possible daylight hours. Great idea. Except when the spring daylight savings time falls on Easter. That is not such a great idea. Let me back up, and mention that when I was growing up, my family was never on time to church. I mean, never. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that my parents had four children, ranging in age from infant to 13, but still, we were never on time. So, this one Easter Sunday, we get up early. We are all washed and brushed and fed and dressed...
by
Some years we have good ideas on how to fool our unwitting, yet much loved family members on this curiously fun holiday. A few years ago when the kids and I saw an article in Family Fun magazine in which there were bountiful ideas on how to fool family members with common food items, we thought the fake-food-left-out trick looked like a good one. First we took leftover washed yogurt containers and mixed up a solution of white glue and food coloring (hmmm, should it be raspberry or grape?). We then poured about 1/8-cup of that mixture into and around the container, placing...
by
This week I thought I'd share some tricks of the trade with you. A good professional kitchen is run like a well-oiled machine. You can make your own back of the house an easier place in which to work and spend less time cleaning up. Here are my Top Ten need-to-knows in the kitchen. 1. FIFO: No, it's not the name of a dog or a government agency, it's the Golden Rule of the Kitchen: First in, first out. In other words, store your perishables with the oldest in the front and the newest in the back. That way you won't be working through two opened jugs of milk with two...
by
Does your family join in traditional egg decorating with the spring festivities? If so, you're actually participating in a custom that dates back to many an ancient springtime festival. Customarily looked upon as a symbol of hope and rebirth, the egg is a universal symbol of life - and spring. While colored eggs, bunnies and familiar Easter symbols only gained nationwide popularity in the mid-19th century, there are many ways to celebrate and enjoy this holiday that truly seems "just made for kids." Easter is one of my daughter's favorite holidays - in fact we've been...
by
There are many mysteries in life. Like, is the moon really made of cheese? Does Bigfoot really exist? Who in the world invented Rotel Dip? Okay, the last question might not be the burning question on the minds of every individual. But I have often wondered the origin of this very popular and very spicy dip. Before I ventured out of my home state of California to the southern city of Jackson, MS, I had very little experience with cheese dips at all. Partly because I was allergic to dairy, and partly because in my family, words like "Super Bowl," "Football,"...
by
Part of what is wrong with the way society looks at food nowadays is that people have come to believe that food must make you feel full, that you must clean your plate, that dinner is the biggest meal of the day. Well, I have a completely different opinion in the matter, mostly due to one of my favorite childhood snacks. When I was little, I used to take great pride in making snack plates for my family while we watched TV. I'd take cheese and cut it into cubes. I would roll up ham and slice it into bite-sized pieces. An olive or cocktail onion would finish...
