Although alcohol is more commonly used in stir-fries containing meat, pairing wine with vegetables is an easy way to build complexity of flavor without exerting any effort. Compared to just a stir-fry with salt and garlic, adding wine as a finishing touch to the dish infuses a heady perfume in the greens. Try it just once and you'll be keeping the bottle on hand for more than just an accompaniment to your meal.
Carnitas. The undisputed king of the taco cart. The Mexican answer to American pulled pork, at their best they should be moist, juicy, and ultra-porky with the rich, tender texture of a French confit, and riddled with plenty of well-browned crisp edges. If you don't have a 5-gallon vat of lard to cook your pork shoulders in, here's an easier carnitas-cooking method.
Bellinis are fun to say, easy to prepare, and gorgeous to serve. Best for daytime sipping and hot weather, a Bellini bar is the perfect way to let your guests customize their drinks while you save some cash. Here's how to set up your own, with recipes for white peach, strawberry, and raspberry purées.
Cold and briny with the fresh, salty-air scent of the ocean, oysters are the only animal commonly consumed live in the Western world. Paired with an ice cold beer, or a crisp, dry white wine or champagne, they are the perfect hor d'oeuvre or appetizer. The key is knowing how to select them, and how to open them.
While we're not really all that interested in who can make the sourest beer imaginable, we're thrilled at all the great, creative fruit beers coming out of American breweries. Some of these delectable examples are juicy, zippy, and full of real fruit flavor; others are funky and horsey, quite challenging for the beginner—and sometimes thrilling to the nerdiest among us. These aren't beers for chugging in front of a game; they're complex sips that demand your full attention. We consider ourselves very lucky to have gotten a taste.
Recent Posts
Time for a Drink: Stephan's Sour
A simple gin sour given a boost of character and flavor by the addition of celery bitters, Stephan's Sour is a classically styled drink from Seattle bartender Murray Stenson, winner of the "American Bartender of the Year" award at last week's Tales of the Cocktail. Continue reading »
Grilling: Mojo Marinated Chicken
On a quest to duplicate my one of my favorite chickens of all time, I finally hit the nail on the head—mojo sauce! A base of sour orange mixed with oil, garlic, oregano, and cumin serves as a marinade and baste for this bird, and what comes off the rotisserie in the end is a sight for sore eyes and a party for the taste buds. Continue reading »
This Week at Serious Eats World Headquarters
This week at Serious Eats World Headquarters, editors brought back food souvenirs from France and New Orleans, interns delivered good eats from Flushing, Queens, and we attempted a taste test that had the whole office smelling like fake butter. (Hmm, wonder what.) Check out our week! Continue reading »
Chorizo Hash Browns
I have a thing for hash browns. I love the crisp edges and the deep oniony bite. This recipe adapted from Gourmet tosses in some Spanish chorizo for some extra meatiness, and some smoked paprika to really bring things home.... Continue reading »
Look Who's Talkin': Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved
There's so much going on in
Talk!
Boiled Water Recipe
Seriously Asian: Stir-Frying with Booze
Although alcohol is more commonly used in stir-fries containing meat, pairing wine with vegetables is an easy way to build complexity of flavor without exerting any effort. Compared to just a stir-fry with salt and garlic, adding wine as a finishing touch to the dish infuses a heady perfume in the greens. Try it just once and you'll be keeping the bottle on hand for more than just an accompaniment to your meal. Continue reading »
Cook the Book: Indian Pickle
After doing a bit of research in the world of Indian pickling I'm going to have to say that this Indian Pickle from Put 'em Up! aren't likely to be found anywhere in Mumbai or Kashmir. These pickles made from cucumbers, cauliflower, onions, and carrots struck me as more of an Indian accented giardiniera or piccalilli, and a perfect sandwich pickle. Continue reading »
Talk!
National Lasagna Day
Video: Iron Chef America 'Secret Ingredient' Compilation
POTATOES! HAMBURGER! FROZEN PEAS! HONEEEY! WILD BOOAAR! FARMERS MARKET! Few people can shout these words with the same vein-bulging vigor of the Chairman (aka Mark Dacascos) on Iron Chef America. Feel the excitement/anger in this compilation of secret ingredient announcements from the show. Continue reading »
Mixed Review: Turning Pound Cake into Olive Oil Cake
I was hoping to create a cake that would pass for homemade, and while this didn't quite get there, it was close. The Frangelico I used imparted a subtle warmth, the olive oil made it a bit fruity, and hazelnuts added a bit of crunch. This would be a great party dessert option when you're short on time or feeding a large crowd. Continue reading »
Super Peel Aims to Make Pizza Transfer a Breeze
Have you seen the Super Peel? It's essentially a pizza peel with a built-in conveyor belt that helps you snatch up your pizza and place it on your pizza stone. Sounds sort of gimmicky, but here's a video of it in action that makes it look pretty dang slick. Continue reading »
Celebrating National Cheesecake Day with a Cheeseburger at Cheesecake Factory
Today is National Cheesecake Day so I thought it appropriate that I take reader John I. up on his recommendation to stop into The Cheesecake Factory to sample a burger. Menus that expand to the proportions of The Cheesecake Factory can miss the mark when executing the staples, so it's a nice surprise to find their burgers as solid as they are. Continue reading »
Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 130: Has Hummus Become My Weakness?
I knew I had a peanut butter problem. If there was a jar in the house I couldn't stop eating it. So I stopped buying peanut butter, even though I love it so. Now I'm worried that I have the same problem with my favorite brand of hummus. It's so creamy and smooth (kind of like a creamy, savory peanut butter) and seriously delicious (as we noted in our hummus blind taste test a while back) that I have a hard time not finishing the whole tub once I start. Continue reading »
A Serious Salad Search: Sylvia Plath's Lost Salad Dressing
Intrigued by a passage from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, in which the character Esther Greenwood describes a French dressing–grape jelly reduction she ate with avocadoes, I tried re-creating it. With little success. So instead, I decided to eat a tribute rather than a re-creation of Plath's beloved salad: sliced ruby red grapefruit and avocado, drizzled with the rich, sweet, but more acidic taste of balsamic vinegar. Continue reading »
The Food Lab: Make Crisp, Juicy Carnitas—Without a Bucket of Lard
Carnitas. The undisputed king of the taco cart. The Mexican answer to American pulled pork, at their best they should be moist, juicy, and ultra-porky with the rich, tender texture of a French confit, and riddled with plenty of well-browned crisp edges. If you don't have a 5-gallon vat of lard to cook your pork shoulders in, here's an easier carnitas-cooking method. Continue reading »
Serious Entertaining: Bellini Bar
Bellinis are fun to say, easy to prepare, and gorgeous to serve. Best for daytime sipping and hot weather, a Bellini bar is the perfect way to let your guests customize their drinks while you save some cash. Here's how to set up your own, with recipes for white peach, strawberry, and raspberry purées. Continue reading »
Bartenders Rediscover 'Fun' at Tales of the Cocktail
While there were many new spirits and other products to discover at this year's Tales of the Cocktail, one of the most intriguing developments was the renewed emphasis placed by bartenders on service and hospitality—the very elements of the bar world ignored by so many frowning, arm-gartered bartenders during the recent speakeasy trend. Continue reading »
