August 28, 2008
Posted by Erin Zimmer, August 27, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Photograph from Amadika on Flickr.
A kitchen tool for a chef is like a bowling ball for a bowler. It's special, and sometimes so irreplaceable, even a similar-looking, similar-functioning object of the same name will not do the trick. Today, the San Francisco Chronicle revealed 10 of their favorite kitchen tools—from the offset spatula (a spatula at an angle for maximum bending) to the spider (a hand-held, portable strainer).
What are your favorite kitchen tools?
Posted by Erin Zimmer, August 27, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Since one photo cannot summarize the breadth of serious eating this woman can perform, we had to pick four. ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Robyn! And special thanks to Mrs. Lee for birthing you! We must also thank your friends from Norway who sent that Rick Astley lookalike today from the Peppy Grams singing telegram service. To quote Rick: we're never gonna give you up, Boppy.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, August 27, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Sure, it's a rundown of the best rotisserie bird joints in Los Angeles, but everyone can benefit from the tips this article lays out on what to look for in a spinning chicken.
Golden Chicken Rule No. 3: Go at peak hours. Be there when the place is operating at full tilt even if you are not planning to eat your chicken right then. Don't go at 3 in the afternoon to find two lonely birds circling the chicken Ferris wheel probably since 11 a.m.
You won't catch me clucking about this advice.
Related: I Like to ______ With Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
It's easy to get local produce at this renown San Francisco market, "But now, shoppers ... can buy wheat berries from the Eatwell Farm stand and either grind it into flour themselves in the stand's small mill or ask one of the farm stand helpers to do it for them. The whole wheat flour, from a hard red winter wheat, works well in pancakes as well as bread recipes, says Nigel Walker."
Posted by Paul Clarke, August 27, 2008 at 4:30 PM
In each branch of the spirits world, distillers are exploring techniques to create more distinctive and exclusive products for the highly profitable high-end market. In recent years, tequila has moved into a place of prominence, with skillfully crafted aged tequilas earning fans among a growing field of agave aficionados.
One of the newest entries to this sector is Maestro Dobel Diamond, a tequila retailing for around $75 that debuts in select U.S. markets this month. Prepared from a blend of reposado, anejo and extra-anejo tequila—meaning the bottled booze ages for as short as 15 months, and as long as 36—Maestro Dobel Diamond is filtered using a proprietary technology, which strips the spirit of its golden color while leaving the tequila’s flavor and aroma unaffected (the makers claim).
In the glass, the Maestro is an interesting character. A bright, herbal fruitiness is the primary aroma. Due to the product’s double-distillation, aging, and blending, the agave’s distinctive peppery quality is much more subdued. In flavor, the Maestro is surprisingly light, with grassy, vegetal notes, the briskness of citrus peel, and a sweet, almost butterscotch element.
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From Recipes
Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, August 27, 2008 at 4:00 PM
At the Logan Square Farmers' Market in Chicago recently, I came across yellow beets and was told they are sweeter than regular red ones. Whether that's true or not, I was sold. I just had to think of how to cook them. Originally, I wanted to make a nice cool borscht, but was sidetracked by this recipe from One Spice, Two Spice by Floyd Cardoz. The book advertises "American food with Indian flavor," and this is the first recipe I found under the 10-ingredient count. Perfect.
The original recipe calls for salt cod, which I skipped early on. Don't get me wrong, I'm cool with salt cod. But I had everything else ready-to-go at home and didn't feel like tracking down the fish. So this functions more as a side than a full meal, and that was fine by me. I've only really had beets with traditional Italian ingredients, so it was nice to see the vegetable's versatility.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, August 27, 2008 at 3:30 PM
I'm tempted to cuddle some of these adorable bento boxes, but then I'd be covered in rice, ham bits, chopped egg, and other things that would go better in my belly. My favorites are the kitty who wants a tummy rub and the aburaage stuffed with sleepy animals.
Related
Bento Boxes on Flickr
Budget Bento Ideas
And the Winner Is ... a Frog
Posted by Clay Gordon, August 27, 2008 at 2:30 PM
In my last post I wrote about Hometown Favorites, the chocolate shop that has built strong emotional ties with chocolate fans for generations. As an outsider, it's sometimes hard to locate these gems while traveling but they're typically worth seeking out. A couple of years ago, my family members were in Buffalo, New York, and dropped off some sponge candy from Fowler's Chocolates (founded in 1901) for me.
Sponge, also known as honeycomb, is one of my all-time childhood favorites, but very few people make it anymore. I have to buy it wherever I find it.
For the past six or seven years I've been road-tripping every summer to Burlington, Vermont, and it's no surprise that many chocolates are being made in Vermont. Some of the key ingredients in confections—high quality dairy products—are readily available here.
The Predictable Vermont Chocolates
If you spend some time along Church Street, the spectacular pedestrian mall that anchors downtown Burlington, you might be tempted to believe that Vermont has no hometown favorite chocolates. Yes, I know all about Lake Champlain Chocolates and even Birnn Chocolate. There's even a Lindt store on Church Street.
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As contracts with "refreshment car" vendors run out (the last one expires Friday), the regional rail network has chosen not to renew them: "The commuter rail line has decided to shut down its rolling taverns, ending an era that hearkens back to the days when executives in gray flannel suits climbed aboard club cars and lubricated the journey home with martinis."
From Slice
A group of 30 pizzaioli says some opportunist rivals are using the recent spike in food and fuel prices to gouge pizza eaters: "The group staged the protest in Piazza Dante to demand stricter price controls to defend the reputation of a traditional Neapolitan product which they said should be 'the synthesis of quality and low cost.'"
Posted by Erin Zimmer, August 27, 2008 at 1:45 PM
www.spiegel.de
Every last Wednesday in August, the tiny town of Buñol, Spain (not far from València) trucks in a bunch of overripe, juicy tomatoes for the annual La Tomatina. After a rocket signals the start of the midday battle, it's go-time. Tomatoes become awesome projectiles, and the best part about the now sixty-year old tradition? Nobody knows how it first started. Not that people need a reason to launch tomatoes.
Since the slaughter only lasts for an hour, it's over now. But how bad do you want to be dripping with tomato guts this time next year?
From Recipes
Posted by Lucy Baker, August 27, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Classic, buttery brioche is delicious enough on it own. This version adds chocolate—twice—elevating it to sumptuous new heights. Cocoa powder is incorporated into the dough, and chocolate chips are folded into the brioche as it is shaped.
To make individual chocolate brioches, François Payard, author of this week's Cook the Book selection Chocolate Epiphany, offers these instructions: divide the dough into fifteen two-ounce rounds. Shape into balls, and press a one-inch chunk of bittersweet chocolate (60% or 72%) into the center of each round. Place them on a baking sheet, allow them to rise. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake as you would the loaves, checking to see if they are done after 20 minutes.
Win 'Chocolate Epiphany'
In addition to excerpting a recipe from Chocolate Epiphany each day this week, we're also giving away five (5) copies of the book. Enter to win here.
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From A Hamburger Today
Posted by Robyn Lee, August 27, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Be careful the next time you leave a head of lettuce near a hamburger. At least, a hungry head of lettuce. This video from Meatatrians Unite captures the rare sighting of a carnivorous vegetable during feeding time. That poor burger didn't stand a chance. Watch the video after the jump.
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From Serious Eats: New York
Posted by Zach Brooks, August 27, 2008 at 12:15 PM
A New Kind of Supper Club: Underground restaurants are popping up all over the country, with diners forking over cash to eat at a new kind of "anti-restaurant" located in people's apartments.
Near Beer Plus: As a response to the influx of high octane beers, many craft brewers are beginning to create well-made low alcohol choices.
Restaurant Fail: Another article to discourage people from opening their own restaurants. "Two of every three new restaurants, delis and food shops close within three years of opening."
Food Not Soap: Mark Bittman acknowleges that lavender can be overpowering, but gives you tips on how to use it effectively.
Heroic Veal Irony: 20 years ago a herd of cattle that may have helped with the Revolutionary War were on the brink of extinction. They've been saved, and are now are popping up on a few menus around the country.
From Recipes
Posted by Lucy Baker, August 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Brussels sprouts are the new bacon.
Wait. Hear me out. Even if you don't agree that mini cabbages will ever hold a candle to cured pork, you must admit that Brussels sprouts, like bacon before them, are the latest chic ingredient. Many restaurants are now serving them up tapas style, garnished with fresh thyme or sautéed lardoons.
So okay. Maybe Brussels sprouts aren't the new bacon, but they're certainly bacon's new best friend.
Inspired by the trend, I decided to make the salad with pancetta crisps, roasted Brussels sprouts, and pear from the September issue of Everyday Food. Tossed with crisp greens and salty slivers of ricotta salata, it looked like the perfect main dish salad: Autumn on a plate.
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