Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 29, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Do you ever wonder what chefs eat? You'd think that with access to a well-stocked walk-in and state-of-the-art kitchen they would eat exceptionally well, on par or better than the food that we pay for in their restaurants. You might think that it is all white truffles, foie gras, and vintage Bordeaux—but the reality is a bit bleaker.
Chefs are usually too busy preparing for service to sit down to a proper meal. Days start early, end late, and there is no lunch hour. When the clock strikes 10 or 11 p.m., or later depending on what time the restaurant closes, chances are the people who've made your dinner have had nothing more than a few spoonfuls of food (to ensure proper seasoning) and perhaps a few bites of family meal. This brings us back to the original question, what do chefs eat?
To answer this question why don't we look to a chef, or even better the celebrity chef Bobby Flay? In the introduction to Burgers, Fries & Shakes, Flay writes that his all-time favorite meal is a cheeseburger with fries and a shake. He likes to eat simple things, and most of his favorite foods fall into the late-night cuisine category: pizza, tacos, sandwiches, and of course, burgers.
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Posted by Caroline Russock, June 22, 2009 at 1:00 PM
If you've ever been to L.A. chances are that you've been to Farmers Market. Located at Third and Fairfax, right next door to CBS's Television City, Farmers Market is an L.A. institution celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The market was started back in 1934 by oil baron E.B. Gilmore. Back then most of the land in southern California was used for agricultural purposes and the idea was to create a place where farmers and artisans could come together and sell their wares. The market was an immediate success and rapidly expanded to include not only local produce, but exotic food items from around the world. In 1941, the market was revamped, and it went from a series of outdoor stalls to a shopping plaza, complete with a bell tower.
Several restaurants quickly sprang up in the in the market. (Someone had to feed all of those hungry farmers, after all.) Today there are more than 30 restaurants operating in Farmers Market, serving everything from fondue to falafel. The market is home to nearly every type of cuisine imaginable: Korean, Mexican, Greek, Japanese, Singaporean, French, Lebanese, and good old American are all represented, along with many more.
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Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 15, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Francis Mallmann is South America's most famous chef. He's a TV star and owner of several restaurants in Argentina and Uruguay. Mallmann was classically trained in French cuisine and opened his first restaurant, at 19, in the upscale beach resort of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Mallmann was so successful that he could afford to shut down the restaurant in the off season and travel to Europe to train with Michelin-starred chefs. After 20 years of South American–inspired nouvelle cuisine, Mallmann "tired of making French food for wealthy Argentines." He ditched the stocks and sauces and returned to his roots.
Mallmann embraced the cooking techniques that he grew up with, wood fires and cast iron pots. These basic tools paired with Argentine meats and produce comprise the cuisine that Mallmann calls Nuevo Andean. Seven Fires, co-written by Peter Kaminsky, is more than a guide to Argentine grilling. It's a love letter to Argentina, with all of its natural bounty and beauty. The recipes showcase the international influences that have shaped Argentine cuisine, from the Native Americans to the Spanish, Italian, German, and Irish.
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Cook the Book: Rustic Fruit Desserts: ky2here, malecki, lisasav5, jennusf, and ellephant. Winners were notified by email and appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 8, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Most home cooks would think nothing of whipping up an Asian-inspired stir fry, some tacos, or a bowl of linguine with pesto for a quick weeknight dinner. Although these dishes are not American in origin, they have worked their way into our culinary vernacular over the years.
While Indian food is not exactly exotic, it has not really been widely adapted into most American home kitchens. I have a feeling that most of us are not familiar with the techniques, or stocked with the ingredients to make a batch of saag paneer and some chapati for dinner. But why not?
In the introduction to Modern Spice, Mark Bittman speculates that inaccessibility of ingredients is the primary reason why most Americans have shied away from cooking Indian food at home in the past. Thankfully, in recent years Indian ingredients have come to grace the shelves of most larger supermarkets all over the country. Bittman credits the increase of Indian products to Monica Bhide, author of the much anticipated Modern Spice.
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Cook the Book: Endangered Recipes: oneperfectegg, april1p, velcerick, omnomnom, and tamsinite. Winners were notified by email and appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 1, 2009 at 1:15 PM
There are so many ways to end a meal. Some people like a rich chocolate dessert, others prefer a cheese course, some might need nothing more than an espresso or a digestif, and some of us indulge in all of these. Although I have been known to take the cheese-chocolate-coffee-after-dinner-drink-route, there are times when nothing hits the spot like a fruit-based dessert. A simple pie or cobbler with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream is prefect, especially when the weather is warm and beautiful summer fruits and berries are in season.
Peaches, plums, apricots, and berries of all shapes and colors have been begun showing up in the markets—or will appear sooner than you think. What to do with this abundance? Rustic Fruit Desserts is a comprehensive guide to seasonal baking written by Julie Richardson, owner of Baker & Spice, and James Beard Award–winning chef Cory Schreiber of Wildwood. Both restaurants are located in Portland, Oregon.
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Cook the Book: Well-Preserved: Geekbearinggifts, wmoss, syannelevovna, kuromu, hdasio1234. Winners were notified by email and appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, May 25, 2009 at 2:00 PM
There are some foods that I have only to think about and a myriad of childhood memories come flooding back to me. Snapper soup is one example; those words instantly take me back to a seafood restaurant in northeast Philadelphia. I couldn't be more than six or seven years old, and I'm sitting with my grandparents in a wood-paneled room; there are decorative oyster plates on the wall alongside Victorian valentines. My grandfather is drinking a Harvey Wallbanger and orders snapper soup to start. He offers me a taste, and it's delicious.
"What's in it?"
"Turtle, sherry, and cream."
"Ohh..."
I'm pretty sure that Lari Robling, a fellow native Philadelphian, has had a few similar experiences. Endangered Recipes is an incredible collection of vintage recipes from another era. These recipes come from the stained index cards and handwritten notebooks of grandmothers and aunts. They are the foods that you fondly remember from family gatherings, church basements, and potlucks. Robling has traveled all over the country seeking out people who she calls "Recipe Rescuers," who are adamantly recording and preserving the recipes that are such a integral part of their regional and family traditions.
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Cook the Book: Bottega Favorita: They are page48, piccola, rbear, Tara716, and evilchels. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, May 18, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Canning and preserving usually fall into the "shoulda, coulda, woulda" category of home cooking. There are many reasons that people are apprehensive when it comes to preserving: It's too labor-intensive, too time-consuming, and requires all of that special equipment. Why bother doing it yourself when your supermarket is brimming with cans and jars?
Eugenia Bone is on a mission to change your mind with her new book, Well-Preserved. A passion for preserving was instilled in Bone at an early age. She was fortunate to grow up with home-cured olives and prosciutto, canned tomatoes and canned tuna, all lovingly put up by her father. Although she thoroughly enjoyed her father's preserves, it was not until Bone was eight months pregnant with her second child that she attempted to try her hand at canning.
Over the years Bone has become an expert on all things pickled, cured, canned, and preserved; she even has a blog about it. As you would expect of someone who is constantly preserving, Bone's larder and freezer are loaded with cans and jars, so much so that her husband refers to them as "the bomb shelter." [Enter to win Well-Preserved after the jump.]
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Posted by The Serious Eats Team, May 11, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Italians and Southerners have one important thing in common, a love and respect for food. Both cultures share the belief that nothing can compare with the food that comes from your land or out of your kitchen. Think about it: Georgia peaches, San Marzano tomatoes? Frank Stitt has taken this reverence for the best ingredients and opened three definitive restaurants in Birmingham, Alabama.
According to the late, great R. W. Apple, Stitt has turned Birmingham, Alabama, into a "sophisticated, easygoing showplace of enticing, Southern-accented cooking." In 1982, after studying philosophy at Berkeley and cooking all over San Francisco, and in France in Burgundy and Provence, Stitt returned to his hometown and opened the French-accented Highlands Bar and Grill. Cooking with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and working as an assistant to Richard Olney helped Stitt realize that the agricultural bounty of the American South was ripe for the picking and ready to be put to use in something a little more refined than classic Southern cooking that he had grown up with.
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Cook the Book: Tacos: moo1018, swatanabe, slcrose, pickledseeds, and Lvpierson. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, May 4, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Adam Perry Lang is a French-trained chef with years of experience at illustrious restaurants such as Daniel, Le Cirque, and Guy Savoy. With a resume like that you might assume that Lang would be more comfortable with squeeze bottles and a sous vide machine than tongs and a grill.
In fact, Lang has retired his proverbial toque and become a bona fide barbecue expert. In 2003 he opened Daisy May's BBQ and entered the professional barbecue circuit. Lang's pork shoulder won first place at the World Series of Barbecue and was named Grand Champion at the World Pork Expo.
With victories like these under his belt, it's obvious that Lang knows his barbecue. His next project is taking him across the Atlantic to team up with Jamie Oliver; together they're starting a chain of barbecue restaurants in England.
Serious Barbecue is one of the most comprehensive barbecue books available, a virtual barbecue bible.
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Cook the Book: Real Cajun: iced_coffee, foodshethought, drala625, scooter7018, jcwest47. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, April 27, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Most people in the U.S. think of Cinco de Mayo as a great excuse to break out the chips and salsa and drink a bunch of Coronas or margaritas. It's a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. In fact, the real Mexican Independence Day falls on September 16; the 5th of May isn't even a Mexican federal holiday. Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Battle of Puebla, in which an outnumbered Mexican Army defeated the French Army in an unlikely victory in 1862. That's enough history, let's move on to the tacos.
Tacos are quintessential Mexican street food, sold from roadside stands, and they are meant to be eaten on the go and out of hand. In the early twentieth century, tacos started their northern migration across the U.S. border. Tacos have become ubiquitous throughout the U.S., from authentic Mexican restaurants to Tex-Mex and Cali-Mex places to school cafeterias to fast food chains. The U.S. loves tacos.
Mark Miller, chef-founder of The Coyote Cafe, has written a book entirely devoted to tacos. Tacos features recipes for every type of taco filling imaginable: breakfast tacos like Potatoes with Chile Raja and Scrambled Eggs; vegetarian tacos with Squash Blossoms, Green Chiles, and Cheese; and some creative riffs on Mexican classics Ceviche with Coconut and Ginger. Each recipe in Tacos is annotated with suggestions for the appropriate type of tortilla, accompanying salsa, garnish, and beverage.
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Cook the Book: The Asian Grill: lisagee, bearsarefree, bongeezer, christine1225, js2222. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, April 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Donald Link is a self-proclaimed "coonass," a true Cajun born and bred in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. As the chef and proprietor of Herbsaint and Cochon restaurants in New Orleans, Link's menus feature classic Cajun dishes with French and Italian twists. Louisiana's local produce, game, and seafood have been lifelong inspirations for Link's cooking.
Real Cajun features recipes from every stage of the chef's life—such as his aunt's Tomato and Bacon Pie, which he enjoyed on childhood vacations to the Alabama coast, or his Game Day Choucroute, eaten with his staff and friends during the first Super Bowl after Hurricane Katrina. Food plays a major role in every aspect of Cajun life, from holidays to family reunions, festivals to funerals; with that in mind, recipes for every occasion are lovingly laid out in Real Cajun.
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Posted by The Serious Eats Team, April 13, 2009 at 2:00 PM
If your summer cook-out repertoire is limited to hot dogs, hamburgers, and the occasional kebab, The Asian Grill might help you spice up the grilling season. Corinne Trang has put together a pan-Asian compendium of recipes using her "East meets East" concept of fusion cooking. Trang, dubbed the Julia Child of Asian cuisine, has taken flavor components from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines and adapted them for the American grill.
The Asian Grill utilizes the five-flavor concept, combining sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter elements to create depth and complexity of flavor. Taking a cue from most Asian cuisines, meat is not the main focus of the menus outlined in The Asian Grill; instead one protein is accompanied by several vegetables, various sauces and garnishes and plenty of healthy starches, such as rice and homemade flat breads.
Every day this week we will be sharing a recipe from The Asian Grill: pseudo sushi rolls with wild salmon, grilled country ribs with hoisin sauce, and sweet summer corn and edamame salad with walnut-miso dressing. If you are a fan of banh mi (and who isn't?), we are going to give you a recipe for pork patties and pickled daikon, carrots, and cucumbers that are perfect for making at home. —Caroline Russock
Win The Asian Grill
We are giving away five (5) copies of The Asian Grill. All you have to do is tell us about your funniest grilling mishap in the comments section of this post.
Five (5) people will be chosen at random among the eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, April 20 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules appy.
Cook the Book: Urban Italian: SSG Snuffy, tgrabler, wmoss, shoneyjoe, MeganCochran. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, April 6, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Tom Colicchio is everywhere. On top of reigning over his kingdom of Craft, he's on your television in Top Chef, in the kitchen with Tom: Tuesday Dinners, and now he's bringing his sandwich mini chain 'Wichcraft home with 'Wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal and a Meal into a Sandwich. Written with Sisha Ortuzar, a sous-chef and partner in 'Wichcraft, Colicchio brings together recipes for sandwiches and condiments in a tidy package with vibrant color photographs accompanying each sandwich recipe.
For those unfamiliar with 'Wichcraft (locations in New York City, Las Vegas, and San Francisco), it's not a place that turns out sandwiches like the ones you used to brown bag in middle school. This is "real food, hand-crafted." Certainly, some of these recipes are more time-consuming than you would expect, but this is the quality and care that goes into these sandwiches at 'Wichcraft. Take the book's subtitle to heart. These sandwiches are complex and flavorful enough to be a meal, so you can expect to spend a little to a lot more time making them than your usual cheese sandwich. (That's not to say that the cold American cheese sandwich doesn't occupy a cozy corner in my heart.)
This week our Cook the Book selection is 'Wichweek, so get ready for a new recipe every day to upgrade your sandwich repertoire and introduce some interesting flavors. Look out for fried eggs with bacon, gorgonzola, and frisée, and a vegetarian asparagus, red onions, basil, and Vacherin. Longing for the classics? The PBJ from 'Wichcraft has a surprisingly easy rhubarb jelly to try your hand at. —Grace Kang
Win ''Wichcraft'
Courtesy of Clarkson Potter, we're giving away five (5) copies of 'Wichcraft. In the comments below, tell us the upscale sandwich that you wish 'Wichcraft would make.
Cook the Book: Ten: missbelle60, mannabsn, PeanutButter, kimberlymac, squidlette. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 30, 2009 at 1:40 PM
For the first time in his life, chef Andrew Carmellini found himself cooking at home every night in his three-by-nine-foot kitchen. Instead of an army of sous chefs and dishwashers, it was just him and his food-writer wife, Gwen Hyman. Carmellini has worked at establishments like Lespinasse, Cafe Boulud, and, most recent, A Voce. Faced with doing his own prep work and grocery shopping and equipped with the standard New York–sized kitchen, Carmellini found himself cooking Italian with an urban twist. And so, Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories From a Life in Food was born.
This book is basically the story of my life. Well, minus the part where I'm a respected professional chef. But I, too, am my own prep cook, dishwasher, and grocery shopper. Reading through Urban Italian made my mouth water and made me laugh too many times to count. There are about 30 pages preceding the recipe section that are filled with stories highlighting the crazy, mixed-up adventures that Carmellini managed to get himself into on his way to creating Urban Italian. The amusing anecdotes captivate the reader and bring Carmellini's life to the table, where we can savor all the high jinks.
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Cook the Book: Beyond the Great Wall: lilyk, Ragdoll, cranberrycheese, bobcatsteph3, blisseau. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 23, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Have a craving? It's probably in Sheila Lukins' cookbook Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Recipes for Each. Co-author of the beloved Silver Palate Cookbook, Lukins anticipates any food craving any reasonable (or even unreasonable) person might have. The recipes are grouped under general titles like Sunday Suppers, Mashed Potatoes, Chocolate, etc. There's even a section on Seafood Salads for those inclined to have cravings for them.
Fans of Silver Palate and New Basics cookbooks should think of Ten as a condensed version of the two. There's endless variety here with a preparation for every mood and season. Every day this week, we'll be fulfilling your cravings with recipes for "mashed" sweet shell peas, simple honey spareribs, Lukins' famous chocolate mousse, and more. —Grace Kang
Win 'Ten'
Courtesy of Workman Publishing, we're giving away five (5) copies of Ten: All the Foods we Love and 10 Perfect Recipes for Each. In the comments below, share the strongest food craving you've ever had and the lengths to which you had to go to satisfy it. Only awesome stories allowed.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, March 30, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Cook the Book: Food Matters: honeypie411, anyang, ilikecitylights, foobie, bibliothecaire. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 16, 2009 at 1:40 PM
After traveling throughout Asia for more than 25 years, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid created something more than just a simple cookbook with Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China. Although this is the first instance in which the six-time authors have focused on a single country, the book is an homage to the various rural regions of China and their respectively distinct culinary traditions.
Acting as cooks, writers, and photographers, Alford and Duguid traveled through Tibet, where they first met; the steppelands of Inner Mongolia; and a host of other remote areas, documenting food traditions and snapshots of daily life. With hundreds of beautiful photographs and vivid stories of their journey accompanying the recipes, the book invites the reader to come along for a ride through the other China. Expect to learn about the breadth and depth of Chinese cuisine beyond the Great Wall.
While this may all sound intimidating, there are plenty of recipes in the collection that will help bridge the gap between making an omelet and making your own tsampa. Every day this week, we'll be giving you a peek into Alford's and Duguid's quest, from homemade pork jerky and cucumbers in black rice vinegar, to a vibrant herb salsa and a comforting dish of pork with chives. The recipes offer plenty of helpful notes and fascinating back stories that enrich the cooking process. —Grace Kang
Win 'Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels from the Other China'
Courtesy of Artisan, we're giving away five (5) copies of Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels from the Other China. In the comments below, share your favorite story from traveling in a remote, foreign country, wherever that may be for you.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, March 23, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Cook the Book: Kneadlessly Simple: Roxanne, pamstar, oshngrl, honeyandjam, and AnnieNT. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 9, 2009 at 1:15 PM
"Eat fewer animal products and more plants." Mark Bittman's motto for responsible eating is the heart of his new book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. A mix of recipes, philosophy, and how-to, Bittman reveals the hows and whys of his newfound lifestyle and diet. Think of Food Matters as a more realistic and solutions-oriented Michael Pollan-like book with lots of doable recipes thrown in for good measure.
In typical Minimalist fashion, the collection of recipes spans the globe and includes a multitude of variations. Along with the recipes, there's also a month's worth of meal plans and a primer on stocking a Food Matters pantry to get you started. Despite its how-to nature, the book is neither stern nor pedantic, though Bittman certainly calls it like he sees it, and he is unafraid to venture an unpopular opinion or some unconventional wisdom. His common sense approach to cooking and living shine through and the straightforward recipes sound in typical Bittman fashion delicious and empowering.
With over seventy five recipes and endless substitutions to mix it up, both the beginner home cook and the amateur gourmet can find something to start eating responsibly and smartly in Bittman-like fashion. We'll be posting a recipe from Food Matters everyday this week, including spinach and sweet potato salad with warm bacon dressing, a classic Thai beef salad, an interesting hybrid quick bread, and a decadent chocolate semolina pudding with raspberry puree. Thankfully, there's no need to sacrifice bacon or sweets on Mark Bittman's eating plan.
Win 'Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating'
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster, we're giving away five (5) copies of Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. In the comments below, tell us what healthy changes Mark Bittman has inspired you to make with your own diet.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, March 16, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Cook the Book: On the Line: jh70095, Erinay77, hannah_phi, riceandwheat, and jenjw4. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 2, 2009 at 1:55 PM
I'm not sure where the stress goes, but I sure hope Nancy Baggett's last name is pronounced "baguette." For an author who's made it her mission to demystify breadmaking, it would be only fitting.
Kneadlessly Simple's recipes draw from many countries and many styles of breadmaking. What they all have in common is Baggett's kneadless, cold-rise method, clear and precise instructions, and a skill quotient. Also included are a detailed troubleshooting section and instructions for "making over" traditional recipes to the kneadless method. If you can read, measure, and stir, you can bake delicious bread at home—guaranteed.
Every day this week, we'll be posting a tempting bread from Kneadlessly Simple, from French walnut bread and fruited pain d'epice to a four grain-honey bread and a Cyprus-style herbed olive loaf. —Michele Humes
Win 'Kneadlessly Simple'
Courtesy of Wiley, we are giving away five (5) copies of Kneadlessly Simple. In the comments below, just tell us what's your favorite bread to bake.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, March 9, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 23, 2009 at 1:55 PM
You’d think that a chef with three Michelin stars would guard his secrets. But Eric Ripert, with Christine Muhlke, has written the restaurant equivalent of a tell-all memoir—well, minus the sordid love affairs. The establishment in question is Le Bernardin, the phenomenally successful fish restaurant now in its 23rd year; the book is On the Line.
The sweeping narrative takes you all the way from the front of the house to the back of the pantry, providing “day in the life” timetables for everyone from the porter (“8:41 a.m.—Sorts and smells squid, turning plastic gloves inky”) to the pastry cook (“10:30 .a.m—One hundred dozen petits fours are finished for lunch.”) Dishes are described in detailed play-by-plays (“1:37:54—Flips fish”), kitchen jargon decoded (“Giuliani” is slang for “julienne"), and enormous quantities of raw ingredients recorded (250 pounds of butter and 500 pounds of black bass a week).
And then there are the recipes, more than 40, straight from Le Bernardin’s kitchen—scaled down but in no way simplified, for the home cook. We’ll be posting one of Ripert’s dishes every day this week, from meaty braised halibut with asparagus and wild mushrooms and filler-free crab cakes with Dijon mustard emulsion to an Asian-influenced tuna tartare “sandwich." Come back, too, for pastry chef Michael Laiskonis's dark chocolate, peanut, and caramel tart.
The dishes are pretty heavy on the mise-en-place, but are as rewarding as they are challenging. —Michele Humes
Win 'On the Line'
Courtesy of Artisan Books, we are giving away five (5) copies of On the Line. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite way to prepare or eat seafood.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, March 2, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 16, 2009 at 1:30 PM
If meat has always been the star of your meal, and vegetables, grains, and starches merely supporting acts, it can be a real challenge to redistribute the roles. But there are many good reasons to switch to an ensemble cast mindset, from environmental health to your own, and Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond are here to help. Almost Meatless is a collection of recipes in which modest quantities of meat—if meat is used at all—enhance, rather than dominate, dishes.
Despite its focus on healthy and responsible eating, the book is neither puritan nor militant in tone. If you've followed the authors' Meat Lite column here on Serious Eats, you'll recognize in Almost Meatless their gentle, persuasive voices and eminently practical approach to cooking and eating. Budget-conscious home cooks themselves, Manning and Desmond have carefully annotated their recipes to include tips on getting the best cut of meat for your dollar, making your freezer your friend, and, where possible, converting their almost meatless recipes into entirely meatless ones.
We'll be sharing an Almost Meatless recipe with you every day this week, like almond gnocchi with a (lamb-optional) lamb ragu, creamy smoked trout chowder, and a rustic lentil soup that uses just a little Italian sausage. And from my favorite chapter in the book, which urges us to liberate eggs from their breakfast classification, we'll be posting spicy chilaquiles and Parisian bistro classic, oeufs en meurette. —Michele Humes
Win 'Almost Meatless'
Courtesy of Ten Speed Press, we are giving away five (5) copies of Almost Meatless. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite dish that's big on flavor but easy on the meat.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, February 23, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 9, 2009 at 1:45 PM
In late 2008, Robert Steinberg, co-author of this week's Cook the Book selection, finally succumbed to a two-decade battle with leukemia. Written with business partner John Scharffenberger, The Essence of Chocolate acknowledges Steinberg's bittersweet debt to the disease. For it was his diagnosis with the illness that drove the physician to apprentice himself to a small chocolatier in Lyon, to follow the trail of the cacao bean to Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, and, in 1996, to co-found Scharffen Berger.
The Essence of Chocolate is an extraordinary book. It covers the history, cultivation, and lore of chocolate—and it does it in deft and lucid prose (before he was a doctor or a chocolate maker, Robert Steinberg was an English Literature major at Harvard) and with an appreciation for flavor and terroir that could only come from John Scharffenberger's experience as a winemaker. Add to that an all-star cast of recipe contributors, from Sherry Yard to Rose Levy Beranbaum, and you have a book that's unrivaled in richness and breadth.
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Cook the Book, 'Baking Unplugged': momtimestwo, lisaxp, ConcordiaSalus, bobfole, arm1970. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 2, 2009 at 2:30 PM
The colder the weather, the more I crave bold, straightforward flavors. And if they're delivered with lashings of rich, warming sauce, so much the better. This is just the sort of food that restaurateur Rick Tramonto delivers with his fifth cookbook, Osteria. Written with Mary Goodbody, it's a collection of more than 150 Italian country-style recipes from Chicago's Osteria di Tramonto, laid-back sister restaurant to the award-winning Tru.
In Tramonto's kitchen, laid-back doesn't mean simplistic or slapdash. It does mean flavors that are more comforting than delicate, and portions that are meant to be ladled rather than stacked precariously. Think of the dishes in this book as very high-end family food—food, that is, for a family celebration and not a school-night supper.
And what gathering of family or friends wouldn't rejoice at a meal of pecorino custard with tomato sauce (essentially an intensely cheesy bread pudding) followed by red wine-braised short ribs? Speaking for myself, I've already earmarked Tramonto's spicy skillet-baked eggs—cheerfully named "eggs in hell"—and goat cheese and ricotta pancakes for my own brunch among friends. We'll be posting these recipes and more, every day this week.
—Michele Humes
Win 'Osteria'
Courtesy of Broadway Books, we are giving away five (5) copies of Osteria. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite cold-weather comfort food.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, February 9, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
The Great Wings Book: beano, Rottenmom, sdsliberty, dglitter, finsbigfan. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, January 26, 2009 at 1:00 PM
I'm not much of a baker. Still, there are times, especially during these cold months, when I'd like my kitchen to come alive with the cozy smells of tarts browning and buns rising. The trouble is, I don't have a KitchenAid mixer, and I'm a little intimidated by yeast. So I'm absolutely delighted that Nicole Rees has come up with Baking Unplugged, a book that assumes neither fancy equipment nor in-depth pastry knowledge on the part of the reader.
It's amazing what you can make without a stand mixer or years of practice, and Rees' thorough instructions will hold your hand all the way. Her recipes are clear and simple without sacrificing appeal, and most of them include a number of variations—dried sour cherries figure heavily—to try once you've mastered the basic recipe.
Each day this week, we'll be posting an "acoustic" recipe from Baking Unplugged , from a moist vanilla pound cake with three variations and fragrant almond paste scones, to an easy bread-and-butter pudding and a 20-minute brunch clafouti. —Michele Humes
Win 'Baking Unplugged'
Courtesy of Wiley, we are giving away five (5) copies of Baking Unplugged. In the comments below, just share your funniest baking disaster.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, February 2, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, January 19, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Mmmmm, wings. Crispy wings, sticky wings, barbecue wings—you'll find them all in Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison's epic wing compendium, The Great Wings Book, with recipes that run the gamut from traditional to Asian-inspired to just plain zany (I'm talking to you, PB&J wings.) Zaniness aside, you'll also find a solid introductory chapter with clear, illustrated instructions for prepping, stuffing and lollipopping those tasty wings--whether you plan to braise them in spicy coconut milk or baste them with hoisin sauce on your tailgate grill.
Just in time for the Super Bowl, we're bringing you a whole week of wings. Come back for classics like Buffalo wings and best-ever American wings, and expand your repertoire with pomegranate-glazed BBQ wings and Chinese-style "red-cooked" braised wings. —Michele Humes
Win 'The Great Wings Book'
Courtesy of Ten Speed Press, we are giving away five (5) copies of The Great Wings Book. In the comments below, just tell us what game day snack you can't live without.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, January 26, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, January 12, 2009 at 1:20 PM
With a handful of feta here and a tub of yogurt there, The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook doesn't read much like a dieter's guide. If you're looking for a quick (and probably unpleasant) way to drop a dress size, this isn't it. Veteran food authority Nancy Harmon Jenkins is concerned with your lifelong health, not your upcoming highschool reunion.
Since ancient times, the Greeks and southern Italians have been consuming a largely plant-based diet, with small amounts of meat, fish, and dairy, and with olive oil as the principal fat. They've been known to pour themselves glass of wine now and again, too. And if you've read your classics, you'll know that the average Greek or Roman, providing he wasn't assassinated by the state first, lived to a ripe old age.
Conceived in a "rugged stone farmhouse...in the middle of a long Tuscan valley", Jenkins' cookbook promotes a way of eating that has barely evolved since the Homeric epics. Her recipes draw from every country in the fertile Mediterranean region, among them Lebanese fattoush, Turkish minted yogurt soup, and honey-sweetened baked beans from Greece. We'll be sharing one with you every day this week. —Michele Humes
Win 'The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook'
Courtesy of Bantam, we are giving away five (5) copies of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite Mediterranean dish.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, January 19, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, January 5, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Words by Michele Humes | Vietnamese restaurants in the U.S. tend to be dominated by pho and banh mi. Delicious as these signature creations are, Vietnam has a whole world of delicate, nuanced, often French-influenced dishes to explore. In Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, Andrea Nguyen, who also maintains the blog Viet World Kitchen, has compiled more than 175 recipes from her native land, carefully annotated so as not to intimidate the novice.
Vietnamese food is notable for its fresh herbs, vibrant colors, and refreshing, frequently acidic flavors. You'll find many of the same flavors throughout Southeast Asia, but only in the Vietnamese tradition is each meal accompanied by a variety of fresh, uncooked vegetables, served with a dipping sauce. On the whole, it's a relatively light and healthful cuisine, and the perfect antidote to the heavy, festive dishes we've all been consuming over the past month.
In solidarity with the dietary resolution-makers of the new year, we'll be posting one of Andrea Nguyen's light, bright Vietnamese specialties each day this week. Come back for chicken and vegetable clay pot rice (easily made in a Dutch oven), salmon soup with tomato, dill and garlic, and mandarin sorbet. For the die-hard banh mi fans out there, we'll also be posting a recipe for the famous baguette sandwich—which can be lightened by substituting firm tofu for pâté—complete with an accompanying carrot and daikon pickle.
Continue reading »
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 29, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Words by Michele Humes | If you're already a fan of Jamie Oliver's, you'll adore Jamie at Home, his most lavish book yet. If, however, his laddish, larger-than-life demeanor rubs you the wrong way, there's a chance you'll struggle to get through his latest offering. As delicious as Oliver's recipes sound (Indian carrot and crispy lamb salad, anyone?), they're all transcribed in his playful, relentlessly wordy voice--a voice that turns what might have been three lines' worth of basic instructions into a spoken word poem of two paragraphs.
If you can overlook a tone that borders on the twee, you'll find a really beautiful book, lushly illustrated and printed on weighty stock. The recipes are arranged by season and flanked with useful, inspiring guides to growing your own fruits and veggies. Even if you don't have your own little plot of land, the inventive, produce-driven dishes will send you scurrying to the nearest farmer's market.
Each chilly day this week, we'll be posting a hearty recipe from the "Winter" section of Jamie's seasonal recipe book, from Italian bread and cabbage soup and Welsh Rarebit "with attitude" to butternut squash muffins with frosty tops.
Win 'Jamie at Home'
Thanks to the good people at Hyperion, we are giving away five (5) copies of Jamie at Home. In the comments below, just share your favorite winter dish.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, January 5, 2009. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 22, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Words by Michele Humes | My passion for this week's Cook the Book pick, Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook, could fill a book of its own. Chapter 1: In which I notice Martha's finger food bible in the personal collection of every caterer I have ever worked for; Chapter 2: In which I am won over by the spectacular photography, the breadth of the recipes and the relevance of the style; Chapter 3: In which I throw a housewarming party powered largely by this formidable tome. I could go on and on, but I'm supposed to be telling you how to win a copy of your own.
Back in the 80s, hors d'oeuvres meant tray upon tray of little bread shapes topped with meat, cheese or some combination thereof. You'll find classic canapés in this handbook, of course, but you'll also find recipes for big bowls of warm, spiced nuts, all manner of elegant and unexpected empanaditas, and demitasses of soups both hot and chilled.
As we enter the territory of last-minute holiday preparations, we'll be posting one of Martha's impeccable hors d'oeuvres every day this week. Expect a boozy chicken liver pâté; a wintry dip of mustard greens, white beans and bacon; blue cheese-pecan icebox crackers to make ahead, and 13 inventive fillings for tartlet shells.
Win 'Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook'
Thanks to the fine folks at Clarkson Potter, we are giving away five (5) copies of Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook. In the comments below, just share your proudest home entertaining moment.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, December 29, 2008. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 15, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Words by Michele Humes | This week's Cook the Book selection, Fast Easy Fresh, is the easygoing follow-up to The Bon Appétit Cookbook, with equally delicious recipes but greatly streamlined procedures. With a little creativity, the book urges, you can eat well and soon—without recourse to convenience foods.
How? Keep the ingredients list short but high-impact, and add depth to relatively basic dishes with the spices and aromatics of East Asian, North African, and Latin cuisines. The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook offers 1,100 recipes along these lines, complete with a shopping guide and a wealth of tips.
Each day this week, we'll be posting a recipe for a passed hors d'oeuvre that will dazzle the guest but spare the host, from pomegranate-glazed lamb kebabs and cheddar-scallion gougères to pancetta crisps with pear and chèvre and wonton triangles with smoked salmon.
Win 'The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook'
Thanks to the fine folks at Wiley, we are giving away five (5) copies of The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite quick weeknight supper dish.
Special bonus: each copy comes with a free one-year (12-issue) subscription to Bon Appétit magazine.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, December 22, 2008. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 8, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Words by Michele Humes | "I have no interest in helping people becoming chefs," Mark Bittman admits in a recent interview. Instead, he's interested in teaching people to cook as he himself does—which is to say, "adequately."
I happen to think that Mr. Bittman sells himself short. I'll admit, the title of this week's Cook the Book pick initially struck me as a little grandiose. But, having thoroughly combed the volume, I've come to understand that How to Cook Everything doesn't purport to contain every recipe in the world. What it does contain are the starting points, the techniques, and, crucially, the coaching in kitchen improv that will enable you to piece together almost any dish you can think of. It's the most splattered, dog-eared volume in Mario Batali's kitchen, which should tell you something about its resonance.
Each day this week, we'll be posting an appetizer recipe from the revised, tenth anniversary edition of this important cookbook. Just in time for party season, you'll be armed with 14 ways to prepare deviled eggs, have easily scaled recipes for satay and skordalia, and see crudités in a whole new light.
Win 'How to Cook Everything, the Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition'
Thanks to the fine folks at Wiley, we are giving away five (5) copies of How to Cook Everything. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite Mark Bittman tip or trick.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, December 15, 2008. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 1, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Words by Michele Humes | Congratulations on surviving Thanksgiving! Of course, just when November is safely out of the way, along comes December with its back-to-back cocktail parties and family gatherings. Thankfully, it's Jason Denton and Kathryn Kellinger to the rescue with their Simple Italian Snacks.
The latest book from the chef behind some of New York City's best-loved wine bars—'ino, 'inotecca, Lupa and Bar Milano—picks up where Simple Italian Sandwiches left off. Denton is still spreading the gospel that fine ingredients can speak louder than lengthy preparations, but has expanded his offerings to include party nibbles, small plates and full suppers.
Each day this week, we'll be posting a party-ready recipe with an Italian accent—just add prosecco. Expect cocktail-friendly skewers of sausage meatballs and bocconcini, a cool-weather Roman-style bruschetta without a tomato in sight, and some seriously chic black olive and cucumber finger sandwiches, more dry martini than Earl Grey tea.
Win 'Simple Italian Snacks'
Courtesy of the fine folks at William Morrow, we are giving away five (5) copies of Simple Italian Snacks. In the comments below, just tell us your go-to party snack, be it Chex Mix or something a little more labor-intensive.
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, December 8, 2008. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Congrats to wittybob, klp1965, janetfaye, MMinNYC, and happyfoodie. Winners of Martha Stewart's Cooking School have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, November 24, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Words by Michele Humes | My last apartment was right down the road from Baked, so I've had many an indulgent breakfast at the bakery by the sea. As the proprietors themselves admit, many of their breakfast items blur the line between breakfast and dessert—but they're treats well worth indulging in.
Now that I'm no longer a short walk away from their many-flavored biscuits and mile-high cakes, I'll be relying on this week's Cook the Book pick instead. In Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, co-owners Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito share recipes for such firm customer favorites as cherry-studded Black Forest Cookies and Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits.
Each day this week, we'll be posting one of the team's signature retro-chic recipes. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies cry out to be served at a Thanksgiving gathering; Millionaire's Shortbread (sort of like a very large Twix bar) and Root Beer Bundt Cake, with their fresh twists on nostalgic flavors, are sure to please a crowd. The first of this week's recipes will roll out shortly, but first ...
Win 'Baked: New Frontiers in Baking'
Thanks to the fine folks at Stewart, Tabori & Chang, we are giving away five (5) copies of Baked. In the comments below, just tell us the dessert you enjoyed most as a child—and whether you've outgrown it.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, November 17, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Words by Michele Humes | Martha Stewart doesn't do things in half measures. Whether it's cookies or canapés, Stewart aims to be comprehensive and definitive. (She succeeds—I consider her Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook to be the font of all finger-food knowledge.)
Her latest enterprise, Martha Stewart's Cooking School, is downright encyclopedic. Only Martha could pull off a textbook that looks like a glossy magazine and reads like a conversation. And what a conversation. In this book, you'll learn how to sharpen a knife, make fresh pasta, identify cuts of meat, and master the soufflé. The book stays current by supplementing the traditional French curriculum with American and international flavors: There are detailed guides to Indian and Southeast Asian spices, dashi gets equal billing with classic French stocks, and the Great American Hamburger has its very own section.
Each day this week, we'll be posting a classic recipe that will stand you in good stead this Thanksgiving. Perfect Turkey Gravy, Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, and One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes aren't going to blow you away with innovative flavor combinations—the wow factor is in the flawless technique.
Win 'Martha Stewart's Cooking School'
Thanks to the good folks at Clarkson Potter, we are giving away five (5) copies of Martha Stewart's Cooking School. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite Martha Stewart recipe of all time—we all have one!
Contest will end and comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, Monday, November 24, 2008. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, November 10, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Words by Ed Levine | Just in time for the holidays and this week's Cook the Book giveaway comes Ina Garten's new book, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. I love Garten's books and recipes for three simple and satisfying reasons:
1. Her recipes always work
2. They're eminently doable
3. Boy, does the woman know delicious
I also feel that Garten manages to empower home cooks in a thoroughly appealing and noncondescending fashion. Whenever I make one of her recipes, I'm supremely confident it's going to turn out well.
For this week's recipes we chose dishes that are perfect for any kind of a holiday get-together, from a Thanksgiving feast to a casual cocktail party or potluck dinner with friends and family.
Doesn't roast shrimp cocktail sound delicious and easy for an appetizer or a pass-around? Or how about the orange pecan wild rice? Yummy! And this Thanksgiving I'm definitely going to make the roasted butternut squash salad with warm cider vinaigrette.
Win 'Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics'
Thanks to the good folks at Clarkson Potter we are giving away five (5) copies of Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. In the comments below, just tell us your favorite basic dish that your friends and relatives insist you serve at gatherings.
Regular Serious Eats contest rules apply. Comments must be left here by noon ET on Monday, November 17. Winners will be chosen at random from among eligible commenters.
Congrats to wwaaww, scrumptiousphotography, her5boys, Catrona_sweeps, and lo82070. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, November 3, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Words by Lucy Baker | Simon Hopkinson is dismayed by the current state of mustard. Specifically, of "the half-used jar of very good, expensive Dijon mustard that has lived on that warm kitchen shelf forever—and yet is still in use. I have been known to throw other people's mustard away... This simply won't do."
In truth, Hopkinson is less upset about wasted condiments than he is about what they stand for: our collective trepidation in the kitchen, our growing reliance on prepared foods, and our impatience when it comes to cooking a traditional meal. Hence, we buy a pricey jar of French mustard, add a teaspoon or two to a recipe we make once, and then forget about the mustard entirely, in favor of can't-be-bothered take-out dinners.
It should come as no surprise then, that his first cookbook, the smashingly successful Roast Chicken and Other Stories, was named "the most useful cookbook of all time" by the British magazine Waitrose Food Illustrated. Above all else, Hopkinson wants us to actually cook his recipes, as opposed to just "idly turning the pages...until the microwave pings."
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Congrats to bndraldy, bobfole, DuncanHusky, ElspethAdair, and iWander. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, October 27, 2008 at 1:15 PM
I can't remember the first time I had something from Amy's Bread in New York City. Was it an organic wheat baguette? A chocolate-filled brioche? Or a cherry cream scone? Then again, I could have tasted Amy's bread before I ever went to one of her three bakeries—many of the city's specialty food shops and fine restaurants carry and serve her loaves. Sometimes, her cupcakes and cookies are even at the little Sunday farmers' market where I shop.
At some point, I began going to Amy's Bread for the Parisian breakfast. A mere $3.25 gets you a café au lait, half a toasted baguette, butter, and your choice of jam. I fully believe it's the best breakfast deal in the city. And while it's perfectly satisfying on its own, I can never resist picking up a little something for the road as I leave—some biscotti, maybe, or one of the absolutely heavenly cinnamon raisin twists.
Though Amy is most famous for her bread, her desserts are equally delicious. Her salty, caramelized butterscotch cashew bars, for example, display the same meticulous craftsmanship, dedication to fine ingredients, attention and love as her classic loaf of rye. This week's Cook the Book selection, The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree, is a collection of more than 70 of the bakery's trademark treats, from muffins and scones, to cookies, bars, and old-fashioned layer cakes.
Win 'The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread'
It's the time of year when baking feels natural and fitting, and The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread is just the place to look for recipes, tips, and new techniques. In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week, we're also giving away five (5) copies of the book. To enter for a chance to win, simply answer the following in the comments section below: From roll-out to refrigerator, sandwich to drop, what is your favorite kind of cookie to bake?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, November 3 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Congrats to economyrice, natalie, raspberrypicker, mochihead, and Mizbee. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, October 20, 2008 at 1:00 PM
I frequently work as a freelance recipe tester. Most people think that it must be a dream job—they imagine me puttering about my kitchen, popping delicious creations in and out of my oven all day long. This couldn't be further from the truth. Like any job, recipe testing is often incredibly stressful. Recently, I spent six hours slaving over homemade croissants—pounding the butter, rolling the dough, chilling them, letting them rise, and tying them into little knots—only to have them emerge like butter-drenched hockey pucks.
Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. Along with the failed croissants, the same assignment yielded recipes for a perfectly balanced chilled cucumber soup, and to-die-for apricot-almond bars. But nothing is more upsetting than working very hard on a dish only to have it turn out all wrong.
That's why, when I'm not working, I often turn to recipes from America's Test Kitchen, the tireless team behind Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. From tried-and-true chicken soups to seafood jambalayas to perfectly tart lemon bars, I can honestly say that I have never made a recipe from America's Test Kitchen that didn't work. Their mission "is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version."
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Posted by Lucy Baker, October 13, 2008 at 1:15 PM
This week's Cook the Book selection is all about fat, but I want to start off by talking about bread. More specifically, the best bread basket I've ever had. It was at Del Posto, the elegant (if somewhat imposing) Italian restaurant co-owned by Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich.
Overflowing with crunchy breadsticks, oven-fresh focaccia, and an assortment of rolls, the basket comes not only with butter but also with a small tureen of whipped lardo. That's right. Pork fat. It's surprisingly light, incredibly flavorful, and absolutely delicious. While the basket would still be very good without it, the whipped lardo adds an extraspecial element that raises the once-humble offering of bread to luxurious new heights. Ed Levine agrees with me, naming Del Posto's bread basket "perhaps my favorite lunch or dinner bread basket anywhere."
Jennifer McLagan, chef and award-winning cookbook author, believes that the food industry has "demonized" fat; wrongly labeling it a "greasy killer," when in fact it has been an integral part of our diet for centuries. To combat this notion, she has written the ultimate book on the subject: Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes. With chapters devoted to butter, pork, poultry, beef and lamb fats, and more than 100 recipes for dishes such as duck fat french fries and bacon baklava, Jennifer sets out to cure us of our fat phobia.
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Congrats to klp1965, zamboni, captunderp, Nicholas H, and verbafacio. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, October 6, 2008 at 2:30 PM
On September 26, just four days shy of the publication of her fourth cookbook, Giada's Kitchen, Giada de Laurentiis launched a social-networking website. When I last checked on Sunday night, she already had 1,026 members. That means more than 100 new people are signing up every day. With numbers like that it's hard to argue with the jacket copy, which states that Giada "has become America's best-loved Italian cook."
While I'm not about to create a profile for myself (I'm not even on Facebook), I must admit that I, too, am a Giada fan. Years ago a friend prepared a fabulous feast centered around her recipe for Spaghetti with Clams, and I frequently serve her Tuscan Mushrooms (stuffed with roasted red peppers, green olives, and Pecorino cheese) at my own dinner parties. Critics argue that Giada is a nothing more than a sex symbol selling food porn, but I think she offers a bit more than that: to twenty-something aspiring gormands she provides chic, approachable recipes that don't involve expensive ingredients or special kitchen equipment. Armed with only the set of pots and pans I bought straight out of college, I could probably cook my way through her entire repertoire.
For these reasons (and because her new television show, Giada at Home, premieres on October 18th), I've chosen Giada's Kitchen as this week's Cook the Book selection. She may not be as classic as Lidia Bastianich, or as high-brow as Andrew Carmellini, but her food is flavorful and easy. And more often than not, that's the way most of us like to cook.
Win 'Giada's Kitchen'
We'll be excerpting a recipe from Giada's new book everyday this week. In addition, you can enter to win one of five (5) copies of Giada's Kitchen for your very own. Simply tell us in the comments section below: from alfredo and clam to marinara and vodka, what is your favorite kind of spaghetti sauce?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, October 13 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, September 29, 2008 at 1:00 PM
"Grumpy." "Cantankerous." "Grouchy." "Unreasonable." "Foul-mouthed." These are just some of the pejorative terms often used to describe Kenny Shopsin, author of this week's Cook the Book selection, Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin. Nevertheless, I bet I would enjoy him. After all, how much can you dislike a man whose restaurant menu lists 76 varieties of waffles, 47 different milkshakes, and 24 kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches?
Really, though, what I find most impressive about Kenny are the pearls of begrudging, licentious wisdom he dispenses throughout his culinary memoir-cookbook. Forget the recipes, which are usually nothing more than tongue-in-cheek instructions, and which often contain ingredients that would make food snobs shudder (Aunt Jemima pancake batter, Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix, Fox's U-Bet Syrup). The real gems are in his prose. Consider Kenny's thoughts on being a chef:
"It's like when you have sex: You approach it each time to do the best you possibly can, as if it were the only time. You don't have to think about what you're doing because you are 100 percent in the moment—and each time it turns out just a little bit different."
Continue reading »
Congrats to Cami_D, lemons, pie hole, TxBubba, and francie. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, September 22, 2008 at 1:00 PM
In his ninth cookbook, bestselling author and veteran pastry chef Nick Malgieri presents a collection of 150 classic and contemporary recipes with the bulk of preparation taking less than one hour. By condensing years of teaching experience into easy step-by-step instructions, Malgieri ensures that home bakers, from novice to seasoned, will never have to face a leaden loaf of bread or a soggy pie crust again. After all, in these busy times, who can afford to start over?
The Modern Baker, this week's Cook the Book selection, ensures first-attempt success, whether you are whipping up a simple batch of Honey Peanut Wafers or tackling an elegant Pain de Seigle.
The cookbook begins with a comprehensive overview of ingredients, equipment, and techniques, and gets more specific within each chapter. "Savory Tarts & Pies," for example, includes an index of cheeses, vegetables, and meats that make good fillings. "Quick Breads" weighs the pros and cons of three different leaveners: baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
In addition to sumptuous photos of the finished dishes (hearty Chicken Pot Pie, gooey Pecan Stickiest Buns) there are images of the recipes in different stages, so you can see what your génoise is supposed to look like as you fold in the flour, and how puffy the dough for your pita bread should be.
Win 'The Modern Baker'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week, we're also giving away copies of The Modern Baker autographed by Nick Malgieri. Simply answer this question in the comments section below: What was your biggest baking disaster or your biggest success?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, September 29 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Congrats to whoizzit, dove1960, ricohope, arbeck, and yogurtsoda. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, September 15, 2008 at 1:00 PM
The daughter of a foreign correspondent and the famed food authority Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Sara Jenkins, author (along with food writer Mindy Fox) of this week's Cook the Book selection, Olives & Oranges, spent her formative years caravanning around Europe absorbing local flavors and learning culinary traditions. By the time she was a teenager, Sara had lived in France, Lebanon, Spain, and Italy.
It is no surprise, then, that Sara's cooking—at such illustrious restaurants as 50 Carmine, Il Buco, and I Coppi—is as whimsical and improvised as it is rooted in Mediterranean traditions.
With Olives & Oranges, Jenkins builds on the "language of flavor" she learned along her travels. From classics such as Lemon Olive Oil Cake and Tuscan Eggplant Parmesan to modern dishes like Cantaloupe Gazpacho with Jamón Serrano and Grilled Mako Shark Skewers, her recipes demonstrate how to layer flavors to create spectacular meals using fresh, simple ingredients. In addition, she divulges her culinary tricks born from years of experience, such as always broiling fish skin side up to add a flavorful, crunchy element.
Win 'Olives & Oranges'
Later this month, Sara will open her first restaurant, Porchetta, in New York City. The simple menu will consist of pork sandwiches, beans, and greens, served up takeout-style. Since the doors aren't open yet, consider the recipes excerpted here (one every day this week!) a preview. In addition, you can enter to win one of five (5) copies of Olives & Oranges. Simply answer this question in the comments section below: From pickles to potato chips, salad to fries, what is your favorite sandwich accompaniment?
Contest will end and comments will close at noon ET, Monday, September 22, 2008. One entry per community member. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, September 8, 2008 at 1:15 PM
The central concept of David Tanis' new cookbook, A Platter of Figs, is best expressed in the vignette on page 42 describing his "parsnip epiphany." This is a book about cooking seasonal foods simply and skillfully. It's about supporting local farmers, preserving the environment, and maintaining a sustainable kitchen. But most importantly, it's about the pure pleasure of eating a perfectly crisp fall radish, or a concord grape bursting with sweet juice.
For six months a year, David Tanis acts as the head chef at Chez Panisse. Since the 1980s, he has worked closely with Alice Waters to help craft and shape the restaurant's illustrious style. The other half of the year David can be found in Paris, where he cooks casual meals for friends in an apartment that has "a less-than-adequate stove, a small sink, little counter space, and a half-dozen well-used pots and pans."
A Platter of Figs is divided into four seasons and 24 menus with themes ranging from an easy "Bean Soup Lunch" with pears and parmigiano to an impressive "Peasant Fare from a Parisian Kitchen" dinner which includes a pig's ear salad. The recipes are basic and unfussy, yet the dishes are anything but ordinary. To make the parsnips? Season them with salt and pepper, toss with olive oil, and bake at 375ºF for about 45 minutes. The first time David ate them he proclaimed "they were so crisp, brown, tender, and sweet, I thought they were the best thing I'd ever eaten."
Win 'A Platter of Figs'
We'll be excerpting a recipe from David Tanis' new book each day this week. In addition, you can enter to win one of five (5) copies for your very own. Just tell us in the comments section below: what is your favorite, seasonal fall ingredient, and how do you prepare it?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, September 15 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, September 2, 2008 at 1:15 PM
In the U.S., the term road food has less-than-appetizing connotations: soggy drive-thru burgers, chicken nuggets made from meat with questionable origins, and corn syrup-infused coffee beverages.
Not so in Italy, where the Autostrada Sedici (Highway Sixteen) runs between Naples and Canosa in Puglia and is studded with rustic trattorias and local wineries. While conducting research for a new San Francisco restaurant, Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren found themselves cruising back and forth along the A16, which gave them "a sense of direction in the unfamiliar surroundings." So it's no surprise that they chose it as both the name of their highly acclaimed restaurant and their cookbook, A16 Food + Wine.
A16 Food + Wine begins with an exhaustive overview of Italian wines, from Campania to Sardinia, Aglianico to Vernaccia. The second half of this coffee table–worthy tome is devoted to classic recipes for rustic, approachable dishes made from fresh produce, silken cheeses, and top-quality pastas, breads, and meats. Each recipe also includes a special wine suggestion. I can't wait to try the Braised Halibut with Pistachios, Preserved Meyer Lemon, and Capers; the Pizza Pomodoro with Ricotta; or the Pork Loin Spiedino with Pine Nut, Garlic, and Currant Soffritto.
Win 'A16 Food + Wine'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week we're giving away five (5) copies of A16 Food + Wine. To enter for a chance to win, simply tell us in the comments section below: What is the most memorable glass of wine you have ever had?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, September 8 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Congrats to forkmtn, grahamred, manali98, chcannon, and french tart. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, August 25, 2008 at 1:00 PM
From classic cakes, tarts, and cookies, to newfangled churros, marshmallows, and pain perdu, the recipes in this week's Cook the Book selection all have one key ingredient in common: chocolate, and lots of it.
In Chocolate Epiphany, fêted French pastry chef François Payard (owner of New York's acclaimed Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro and author of two previous cookbooks, Bite Size and Simply Sensational Desserts) turns his attention exclusively to chocolate, in all its luscious incantations.
The 100 recipes range in difficulty from simple-yet-impressive chocolate crème brûlées and chocolate-honey madeleines (perfect for beginner home cooks) to show-stopping chocolate gâteau de crêpes with green tea cream and chocolate pavlovas with chocolate mascarpone mousse (a sumptuous challenge for ambitious bakers). According to François, his purpose in writing this book was to "give you options to explore chocolate at whatever level you with to make irresistible desserts for loved ones."
In addition to chapters devoted to Breads and Brunch; Cookies and Petit Fours; Candies and Chocolates; Custards, Mousses, Meringues and Ice Cream; Tarts; Cakes; and Plated Desserts, François includes special sections devoted to "The Many Shapes of Chocolate" (such as bars, chips, and nibs), and tips on how to store chocolate, prevent seizing when melting, and properly temper it for a perfect, glossy finish.
Win 'Chocolate Epiphany'
We’ll be excerpting a recipe from Chocolate Epiphany each day this week. In addition, you can enter to win one of five (5) copies of this delectable dessert compendium. Simply tell us in the comments section below: if you could eat chocolate only once more in your lifetime, what would you have?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, September 1 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Congrats to Cataroo, MrKnish, beausdorei, kathyvegas, and MerMade07. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, August 18, 2008 at 1:00 PM
From Memphis to Texas, Alabama to the Carolinas, every region in America thinks its style of barbecue is best. And while they may not agree on spices, smokes, or sauces, one thing's for sure: They all believe that barbecue is a quintessentially American cuisine.
In fact, they couldn't be more wrong. Barbecue is, as this week's Cook the Book author Rick Browne states, "a universal language" that spans six continents and more than 20 countries.
For his latest cookbook, The Best Barbecue on Earth, Browne (the creator, executive producer, and host of the popular public television program Barbecue America) traveled the globe interviewing, photographing, cooking, and—most important—tasting the world's most flavorful recipes for grills, pits, and smokers. The result? The ultimate compendium on outdoor cooking, a book that brings the entire world into your backyard and onto your dinner plate.
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Congrats to huddlestonh, spitfyr323, fangirl, passion4eating, and tracyw. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, August 11, 2008 at 1:15 PM
In honor of the Beijing Olympics, this week's Cook the Book selection is The Shun Lee Cookbook: Recipes from a Chinese Restaurant Dynasty, by chef, restaurant owner, and culinary visionary Michael Tong.
Until the 1960s Chinese food in America consisted of bungled Cantonese dishes like egg foo young and barbecued spare ribs. But that all changed when Tong opened his first restaurant in New York City. He introduced spicy, regional recipes for crispy sea bass, dry sautéed string beans, and red cooked chicken. In the process, he elevated the status of Chinese food from takeout to fine dining. (Restaurants don't get much more elegant than Shun Lee West, with its arresting red-eyed dragon that winds around the ceiling.)
Intimidated by the idea of preparing Chinese food at home? Don't be. All the recipes in The Shun Lee Cookbook have been adapted for home kitchens, resulting in an exotic-yet-approachable collection of dishes made from everyday supermarket ingredients. In addition to classics such as hot and sour soup and pan-fried pork dumplings, there are innovative new dishes like Hunan lamb with scallions and soft shell crabs with black bean sauce.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, August 2, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Some Food Network stars may be just a flash in the pan, but true, well-trained and passionate celebrity chefs will always endure. Since the debut of Boy Meets Grill in 1996, Bobby Flay has stood as an example of what it means to be famous for food: he is the owner of five acclaimed restaurants, the talent behind three television shows (not to mention the food correspondent for The Early Show on CBS, and a regular guest on Iron Chef America), and a best-selling cookbook author. While many insiders and professionals scoff at culinary celebrities claiming they care more about cash than they do about cooking, Bobby has always been heralded for his innovative southwestern cuisine.
This Week's Cook the Book selection is Bobby Flay's Grill It!, his eighth title and the first ever that is fully illustrated and full-color. Bobby understands that home cooks think "I want salmon for dinner," not "I want to prepare an entrée on the grill." To that end, the chapters in Grill It! are divided by ingredient rather than by course, and cover everything from basic burgers and chicken breasts to show-stopping lobster and lamb chops (of course, there are veggies and desserts, too). Additionally, the book includes an exhaustive grill guide for resources, ingredients, indispensable grilling tools, and the pros and cons of gas versus charcoal.
Win ‘Bobby Flay’s Grill It!’
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week, we’re also giving away five (5) copies of Grill It! To enter for your chance to win, just tell us in the comments section below, if you could hire any Food Network star to cook you dinner in your home kitchen, who would it be?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, August 11th at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Congrats to gillsnthrills, laralin2266, pwhite98270, tcjanes, and Sisterrae. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 28, 2008 at 1:00 PM
All cherished recipes are, in a sense, memoir. Preparing a time-honored dish is a way to revisit the past, and sitting down at a table with others to savor the results is a way to extend that memory—be it of a specific time, place, or person—into the future. While there are many foods that can invoke strong recollections, perhaps none are as powerful as those bought on by pie.
This week's Cook the Book selection is Sweety Pies: An Uncommon Collection of Womanish Observations, With Pie by Patty Pinner. Filled with amusing anecdotes that typify her childhood in Saginaw, Michigan ("an unhappy husband will ask for toasted snow"), Patty's book is as much a story of love, friendship, and community as it is about baking desserts. Each recipe, from Miss Annie Dugan's Grape Juice Pie, to Aunt Helen's Pineapple Pie, and Cousin Eunice's Grated Carrot Pie, tells the story of the woman who created it.
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Congrats to hmneilson, caviarandcodfish, apisoni, namepl, and swaaaan. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 21, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Words by Lucy Baker | I am an unabashed lover of all things Ina—her cookbooks, her brownie mix, and most of all, her television show, The Barefoot Contessa, which I TiVo daily. What I like best about her recipes is that they emphasize two things: easy methods and quality ingredients. I'm willing to dump half a bottle of pricey Burgundy into her coq au vin because I'm confident that, even though I'm an untrained home cook, the final dish will turn out delicious.
Like me, Ina never attended professional culinary school. She became an accomplished cook simply through practice, and by absorbing the knowledge of those she admired—perhaps no one more so than Anna Pump, owner of the famed gourmet take-out shop in Bridgehampton, New York, Loaves & Fishes.
Paging through Anna's new cookbook, Summer on a Plate, it is easy to see how and why she was Ina's mentor. Her elegant, no-fuss dishes emphasize fresh vegetables, simply grilled meats and fish, and rich indulgences, such as Asparagus Salad with Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese, Chicken in Basil Cream, and Coconut-Lemon Layer Cake.
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Congrats to bndraldy, ch121, cbradford, gala2, and boover57. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Cook the Book!
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 14, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Here in New York, one of the most expensive cities in the world, good deals on food can be hard to find. After all, this is the home of the original World's Most Expensive Cocktail, not to mention a $1,000 ice cream sundae that is only available by appointment. Ask any Manhattanite or Brooklynite, however, and they are sure to tell you—in hushed tones, lest others find out—about their favorite place for a steal of a meal.
My number one bargain buy? The lobster roll at the Fairway Café in Red Hook, Brooklyn. For just $7.99, you get a buttery bun filled with big, sweet chunks of lobster meat (light on the mayo), chips, coleslaw, and a snappy deli pickle. Plus, the patio view of the Statue of Liberty is unparalleled.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, July 7, 2008 at 2:00 PM
I love going out to lunch alone. I bring a good book or the latest issue of one of my favorite magazines, and try to snag a seat by the window. At the restaurant I frequent most, I order a large iced tea, a bowl of soup, and a beet salad with goat cheese and extra croutons, dressing on the side. I eat leisurely, savoring every last bite, and leave a generous tip.
I am a firm believer that every meal—whether it's a Pop-Tart and orange juice at 6:00 a.m. or a four-course, three hour dinner—should be a time to take a break and focus on your body, providing it with the nutrition it needs, plus a little indulgence (chocolate chip cookies, anyone?). It doesn't matter if you are dining alone, or if you are part of a party of ten.
Too often, people view cooking for one as either an annoyance, or, worse, a waste of time. But whatever your circumstances—whether you are a recent college graduate, or a stay-at-home dad—at one point or another, you will find yourself preparing a single serving meal. This week's Cook the Book selection, Serves One by Toni Lydecker, aims to prove that solo dining can be simple, satisfying, and fun.
Win 'Serves One'
The recipes range from simple salads such as Warm Spinach, Orzo, and Pistachio that are perfect for lunch, to show-stopping entrees like Roast Baby Hen with Root Vegetables that will make you feel like you are dining at a multi-starred restaurant. We’ll be excerpting a recipe from Serves One each day this week. In addition, you can enter to win a copy of the book. Just tell us in the comments section below, what is your favorite dish to prepare when you alone?
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, July 14 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 30, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Summertime is cocktail time. When the weather heats up, who wants to be weighed down by dark, heavy beers or glasses of lukewarm wine? Icy, blended drinks made from high-quality spirits and exotic fruits such as lychees, Asian pears, and kumquats are much more appealing.
This week's Cook the Book selection, Margaritas, Mojitos, & More by Jessica Strand, is full of tempting recipes for classic summer cocktails with a twist. Author Jessica Strand shows you how to make any drink your "signature" by mixing and matching flavored vodkas, spices, and garnishes like fresh rosemary and sliced black plums. In addition to the lethal libations, there is a chapter dedicated to Calming Coolers—nonalcoholic drinks such as Blended Peach Creams and Pomegranate Tingles—that are perfect poolside refreshers for children of all ages.
Just in time for your 4th of July celebration, we'll be excerpting a tantalizing cocktail recipe from Margaritas, Mojitos, & More every day this week. Forget about boring brews and white wine spritzers—it's time to bust out your blender and shaker and get the party started.
Win 'Margaritas, Mojitos, & More'
For a chance to win one of five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More tell us in the comments section below: what is your favorite cocktail garnish? (Mine is olives, and lots of them!)
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, July 7 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 23, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Once again, this week's Cook the Book selection focuses on grilling. But with temperatures skyrocketing and the 4th of July right around the corner, it hardly seems like overkill. Besides, who ever really tires of charred chicken, smoky salmon, and crispy, caramelized vegetables? We certainly don’t.
Neither does award-winning food writer Diane Morgan, author of Grill Every Day: 125 Fast-Track Recipes for Weeknights at the Grill. Unlike other books on the market that approach grilling as a novel, only-for-special-occasions cooking method, Morgan demonstrates how preparing charbroiled foods can be as easy as ordering take-out or defrosting a frozen meal.
Along with the recipes, Morgan includes helpful tips for novice grillers on types of grills, cleaning methods, safety tips, and tools. Plus, there is a special Grill Planner chapter devoted to transforming leftovers from last night's dinner into tomorrow's lunch (Mustard-and-Rosemary-Crusted Lamb Steaks are incorporated into a composed Greek salad, cold grilled vegetables are tossed with penne, fresh basil, and Parmesan).
Win 'Grill Every Day'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week, we're also giving away five copies of the book. For a chance to win one for your own kitchen collection just tell us in the comments section below, what is your favorite dish to prepare in celebration of our Independence Day?
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 16, 2008 at 1:45 PM
This week's Cook the Book selection, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, brings to life the people, landscape, and traditions of the Mississippi Delta. Born and raised outside Yazoo City, author Martha Hall Foose left her southern roots to attend the prestigious École Lenôtre pastry school in France. She returned five years ago—"homesickness brought me back." Today she lives on her family's farm in Tchula, Mississippi, and serves as the executive chef at the Viking Cooking School.
The dishes in Screen Doors and Sweet Tea marry southern charm with contemporary flair. Of course, there are classic recipes for fried chicken, biscuits, and gumbo. But there are also newfangled creations such as Catfish Ceviche, Sweet Potato Dumplings, and Cantaloupe Daiquiris. In addition, Foose shares poignant and hilarious tales about her home—don't miss the one on page 66 about the homemade mayonnaise contest.
Win 'Screen Doors and Sweet Tea
We'll be excerpting a recipe from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea every day this week. In addition, you can enter to win a copy for your own collection. Just tell us in the comments section below: from lemonade and sweet tea to mojitos and frozen margaritas, what is your favorite summertime beverage?
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 9, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Inspired by tough-guy chefs like David Chang, Mario Batali, and Bobby Flay, men are cooking now more than ever. This year for Father's Day, why not skip the fussy cuff links, the itchy sweater vest, and the expensive golf equipment, and give Dad...a cookbook?
He probably already knows how to char a burger to medium-rare and blister a hot dog until its crisp and juicy. Now with New South Grilling by Robert St. John, he'll learn the secrets to preparing hearty, bold backyard barbecue favorites inspired by the vibrant flavors of the deep south. As the Executive Chef/Owner of the Purple Parrot Café, Crescent City Grill, and Mahogany Bar in Mississippi, St. John is at the forefront of cutting edge Southern cuisine.
Win 'New South Grilling'
We'll be excerpting a recipe from New South Grilling every day this week. In addition, we're giving away five copies. To enter for a chance to win a book for your own collection, just tell us in the comments section below: what food or drink most reminds you of your father?
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 2, 2008 at 1:30 PM
American Public Media's syndicated radio program The Splendid Table is like This American Life for foodies. Each week, award-winning host Lynne Rossetto Casper and producer Sally Swift lead their audience on an enlightening culinary journey from farm to store, kitchen to table. More than just a cooking show, The Splendid Table explores the relationship between food, culture, and politics, and introduces listeners to the people who are shaping our collective, contemporary appetites.
In their new cookbook, The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper, Lynne and Sally offer up a collection of recipes for easy weeknight cooking that goes far beyond the standard repertoire of spaghetti marinara and tuna casserole. While the dishes are simple and homey (think sautéed chicken breasts and roast salmon), they are also innovative and unusual (classic vinaigrette made new with a hint of Asian fish sauce, Deviled Eggs browned in a pan to caramelize and crisp their filling).
Win 'The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper'
We'll be excerpting a recipe from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper every day this week as part of our ongoing Cook the Book series. In addition, you can enter to win a copy of the book for your own collection. Just tell us in the comments section below: if you could interview anyone in the food industry (chef, TV personality, vintner, etc.) who would it be and what is the first question you would ask?
Posted by Lucy Baker, May 26, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Flipping through this week's Cook the Book selection, Top Chef: The Cookbook, is a sensory experience. And not just because of the up-close and personal photographs of memorable dishes such as Dave Martin's Truffle and Cognac Macaroni and Cheese from season one, or Hung Huynh's Sous-Vide Duck from season three. The book itself is wrapped in a canvas cover made from the same material as the jackets worn by the contestants on the show. Pretty cool.
More than a collection of recipes, Top Chef: The Cookbook is a backstage pass to the hit television show. Tour the kitchen and pantry to discover what staples Top Chefs always have on hand, or learn how to open a bottle of Champagne with a knife a la season one's Stephen Asprinio. There are insightful interviews with producers and judges, plus lighthearted inserts devoted to the "Top Coif," and the Anthony Bourdain Insult-O-Meter.
Win 'Top Chef: The Cookbook'
From perfectly executed classics to outlandish, newfangled creations, we'll be excerpting a recipe from Top Chef: The Cookbook every day this week. In addition, you can enter to win a copy for your own collection. Just tell us in the comments section below: If you were in a cooking competition, what dish would you prepare?
Posted by Lucy Baker, May 19, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Memorial Day weekend is all about grilling. This Friday, all over America, home cooks will dig barbecue tongs, forks, and spatulas out of their kitchen drawers, and wheel dusty Webers out of their garages. Supermarkets will set up mountainous displays of charcoal, only to sell out in minutes, along with shrink-wrapped hot dogs, sacks of hamburger buns, and economy-sized bags of chips. Not to mention six-packs of beer.
Memorial Day food isn't fussy or fancy. (This isn't the time to break out your new Kugelhopf pan, or test a recipe for salmon mousse canapés.) Instead, when the flames fire up and the iron grate starts to sizzle, people want to heap their paper plates full of food with big, bold flavors. Who better to look to for menu suggestions than bad-boy celebrity chef Mario Batali?
In his new cookbook, Mario Batali Italian Grill, Batali offers up eighty recipes for appetizers, pizzas, fish and shellfish, poutry, meat, and vegetables, plus sixty full-color photographs. Italian grilling isn't about thick barbecue sauces and heavy basting; instead, the flavors are light, but they still pack a punch (think good olive oil, red wine, garlic, chili flakes, citrus, and fresh herbs).
Win Mario's Book or a Chance to Tailgate with Mario
If you'd like a chance to win to tailgate with Mario at the Texas Motor Speedway on November 2, visit this page and submit your grilling recipe and video demonstration of it. Grand prize winner will grill with Mario and grab two VIP tickets to the Dickies 500 race in Fort Worth.
In addition to that, you can enter to win one of five copies of Mario Batali Italian Grill from Serious Eats for your own backyard library. Just tell us here on this post what your favorite grilling condiment is and why.
Five (5) people will be chosen at random from among eligible comments below. Comments will close Monday, May 26 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, May 12, 2008 at 2:15 PM
When it comes paring food with wine, cheese is just the beginning. All over Europe, in cities like Seville, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Athens, wine bars match native grapes with small dishes made from local ingredients. Perfect for afternoon or after-work, these plates are straightforward, robust, and meant to be shared.
In Wine Bar Food, this week's Cook the Book selection, Cathy Mantuano and Tony Mantuano, award-winning chef of Chicago's Spiaggia, show you how to recreate these rustic Mediterranean dishes in your own kitchen, and offer tips on choosing interesting, affordable bottles. Don't worry if your supermarket's international aisle leaves much to be desired—these recipes are more about fun and flavor than exacting authenticity.
Pour yourself a glass and get cooking!
Win 'Wine Bar Food'
We'll be excerpting a recipe every day this week from Wine Bar Food. In addition, you can enter to win one of five copies of the book. Just tell us in the comment section below: what is your favorite thing to eat while drinking a glass of Champagne?
Comments will close Monday, May 19 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Lucy Baker, May 5, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Trust me: you mom has a wild side. It may not be as extreme as what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas, but she has definitely fantasized about trading in her prim office heels for a pair of beaten-up cowboy boots, and her calming mug of herbal tea for a killer watermelon margarita.
That's just what chef and food writer Paula Disbrowe did when she left the skyscrapers of New York City for the wide open plains of rural Texas. In Cowgirl Cuisine, this week's Cook the Book selection, Paula presents a collection of big-hearted, bold recipes, from breakfasts, soups and salads, to burgers, barbecue, and seductive desserts. All the dishes are composed of healthful ingredients such as whole grains and fresh local produce, but this is not a diet cookbook. Cowgirls don't have time to count calories.
'Win Cowgirl Cuisine'
We'll be excerpting a recipe from Cowgirl Cuisine everyday this week that's perfect for preparing for your mom, so on Sunday you can surprise her with brunch in bed, or better yet, a decadent, whiskey-spiked chocolate cake. In addition, you can enter to win her one of five copies of the book. Just tell us in the comments section below: what is the most memorable meal your mother has ever prepared for you?
Posted by Lucy Baker, April 28, 2008 at 2:15 PM
This week's Cook the Book feature is Lidia's Italy by Lidia Bastianich, famed restaurateur, Public Television personality and—as of last week—Papal chef. In her latest culinary compendium, Lidia takes home cooks on a whirlwind gastronomic tour of ten different places in Italy, from northern Piemont and central Rome, to southern Puglia and the island of Sicily.
These are the regions that Lidia loves best, and the ones that have most informed her own cooking. As she writes in her introduction: "Now I ask you to come with me to some of my favorite places in Italy. I want to introduce you to my friends and to some of the very fine food artisans who are keeping the Italian culinary tradition alive. I want you to meet some of the special people who make up the heartbeat of the cities in Italy, to experience the way they enjoy life, to see how they shop, and how the cook with these traditional products."
Win 'Lidia's Italy'
The 140 recipes are homey and diverse, from traditional pasta and fish dishes (think tomato ragu and brodetto), to innovative antipastos and desserts (roast peppers stuffed with tuna and anchovy, babàs with limoncello). We'll be excerpting one every day this week as part of our ongoing Cook the Book feature. In addition, we're giving away copies to five lucky readers. To enter for a chance to win, simply tell us in the comments section below: when you're cooking to impress, what dish do you prepare?
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 21, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Oprah Winfrey probably isn't the first name you think of when you reach for a recipe or cookbook, and the omnipresent TV show host would be the first to tell you, in the intro to her new cookbook, that she's not the best in the kitchen ("Though I do a pretty mean corn fritter," she says). Still, one thing that Oprah knows exceedingly well is how to surround herself with talented folks who can deliver the goods to her audience. Since 2000, she's been doing just that with her magazine, O, which features recipes from top-name chefs and food writers. In The Oprah Magazine Cookbook, she's collected many of those recipes—from the likes of Marcus Samuelsson, Leah Chase, April Bloomfield, and 60-some others. We're featuring it as our Cook the Book entry this week, and we'll be highlighting one recipe a day from it until Friday. The first one will be up shortly, but let's take care of some business here:
Win The Oprah Magazine Cookbook
All you have to do to win is tell us in the comments section of this post—oh, I don't know ... tell us what TV talk show host you'd most like to break bread with and what meal you'd share with him or her.
Three (3) people will be chosen at random from among eligble comments below. Comments will close Monday, April 28 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 16, 2008 at 1:30 PM
This week's Cook the Book is another from the great River Cottage book series. The author, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, is a celebrity chef in Britain, known for such series as TV Dinners and, after he moved full-time to his country home, River Cottage, for several shows based around the sustainable-farming lifestyle he cultivates there. The River Cottage Cookbook brings elements of his previous books under one roof, and provides detailed guidance on everything from gardening to choosing and keeping livestock. In fact, it's organized into four parts—gardening, livestock, fish, and hedgerow—based on the provenance of the featured ingredients.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 24, 2008 at 5:45 PM
This week's Cook the Book featured cookbook is Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express. The subtitle of the book is "130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast," and with the exception of a handful of recipes in this title, it's a pretty accurate description—with dishes that are either assembled and finished quickly or those that are assembled quickly and then finished in the oven, allowing the appliance to do most of the work while you lounge or take care of other more pressing matters.
Win 'Nigella Express'
We'll be excerpting a recipe a day this week as part of our ongoing Cook the Book feature. The first of those will be up shortly, but for now it's time to let you in on how you can enter to win a copy of this book. Simply share your favorite time-saving tip in the Comments section below.
Five (5) winners will be chosen at random from among eligible comments, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, March 31. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 17, 2008 at 4:00 PM
If there are two cuisines Arthur "The Food Maven" Schwartz knows best, they're Jewish and Italian. He's already done an Italian book, so he tackles the likes of latkes, kreplach, knishes, and kugel in Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking. If you're not lucky enough to have grown up with a bubbe fussing over you and cooking you some of the most amazing comfort food ever, then this book can help you approximate the experience yourself.
Win 'Jewish Home Cooking'
We'll be excerpting a recipe a day this week as part of our ongoing Cook the Book feature. The first of those will be up shortly, but for now it's time to let you in on how you can enter to win a copy of this book. Simply tell us what your favorite Jewish food item is in the Comments section below.
Winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, March 24. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 10, 2008 at 2:00 PM
If you're a food lover, you've asked and answered the question. Many times. You reevaluate your answer every so often, refining it with each meal. At Serious Eats, we even include it as a field in everyone's profile page: Last bite on earth?
My Last Supper is a book that takes that meme to the people you'd most want to hear from on this subject—50 of the best-known and most-loved chefs in the world. It's a beautiful book—almost equal parts portraiture, interview, and cookbook. Each chef is photographed by author-photographer Melanie Dunea in an environment that befits his or her personality, accompanied by an interview with Dunea, and, toward the back of the book, a recipe.
Win 'My Last Supper'
We'll be excerpting a recipe a day this week as part of our ongoing Cook the Book feature. The first of those will be up shortly, but for now it's time to let you in on how you can enter to win a copy of this book. Simply tell us what your last meal story is. What would you eat, with whom, and where?
Winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, March 17. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 3, 2008 at 1:30 PM
The featured tome in this week's Cook the Book is one I've been looking forward to trying out since we got it in the office a few weeks ago. Panini Express: 70 Delicious Recipes Hot Off the Press, by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman gave me an excuse to do something I've been thinking about for a while now—buy a panini press for the office and get to town making sandwiches for lunch. So for today and the rest of the week, we'll be excerpting one recipe from the book daily and bringing it to you as an overview of the book.
Among the 70 sandwich recipes are some familiar panini and some unexpected ones. And they range from vegetarian options to the range of meats and cheeses. Daniel Leader was one of the earliest proponents of artisanal bread-baking in the U.S. and is the owner of Bread Alone in upstate New York, so the book includes not only panini recipes but a handful of instructions for breads as well.
Win 'Panini Express'
As is always the case with our weekly Cook the Book feature, we've got five (5) copies of this book to give away to our readers. Simply name your favorite panini sandwich in the Comments section below.
Winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, March 10. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, February 19, 2008 at 2:45 PM
This week's Cook the Book volume is Jamie Oliver's Cook with Jamie. I've admired Oliver's work over the years; I mean, what's not to like? Not only is he a good cook, he places education and betterment at the heart of his mission, whether it's through his Fifteen foundation and restaurant or his attempt to bring better school lunches to Britain's kids.
Cook with Jamie carries on that tradition. And even though it's Oliver's seventh book, it's the one he says he feels he should have written first, since it's a "basics" book. It's textbooklike in size and heft, with beautiful photographs and handsome type design—so much so that you'd almost feel bad about staining the pages as you cook from it.
We'll be featuring excerpted recipes adapted from Cook with Jamie over the course of the week. The first one will be along shortly. Until then ...
Win 'Cook with Jamie'
Anyway, as is always the case with our Cook the Book feature, we've got five (5) copies to give away. All you have to do to have a chance to win one is answer the following in the comments section below:
Who taught you to cook?
Winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, February 25. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 4, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so with the next two Cook the Book selections we will concern ourselves with sweets appropriate for the occasion. The first of our cookbooks for exploration is Alice Medrich's Chocolate Holidays: Unforgettable Desserts for Every Season
. The book is geared toward people who love baking but might not have the time to devote to it, so each of its recipes has been chosen for brevity and ease of preparation.
The first of these will be along in a few minutes, but first, we'd like to let you know you can win a copy of this book. All you have to do is answer in the comments below: How do you indulge in chocolate? Hot cocoa? Chocolate cake? A rich and creamy pudding? Chocolate bars?
Winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, February 11. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 28, 2008 at 2:30 PM
This week's Cook the Book is one we chose with the Super Bowl in mind. You see, chili, nachos, and bean dips are Super Bowl parties, and Robb Walsh's The Tex-Mex Cookbook is chockfull of great ideas for these dishes. We'll be bringing you some of these recipes this week as we lead up to the game.
Along with the recipes, though, what really makes this book is all the great historical information that Walsh packs into it. From the history of chili joints and "chili queens" to the birth of the nacho, The Tex-Mex Cookbook will give you fodder for small talk during time outs and dud commercials.
And, as always, we're giving away five (5) copies of Tex-Mex this week. All you have to do is answer in the comments: What is your favorite Super Bowl snack?
Winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters, and comments will be open until noon ET, Monday, February 4. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
Posted by Adam Kuban, January 21, 2008 at 1:15 PM
This week's Cook the Book again mines the healthy theme that's in keeping with the month of January (resolutions, diets, better eating) with Lorna Sass's Whole Grains: Every Day, Every Way.
With this book, Sass won the healthy-focus cookbook category in the 2007 James Beard Awards. And with good reason—Whole Grains aims to help readers put its namesake foodstuff into everyday dishes in ways that are not only good for us but that are actually healthy and delicious.
Win This Book
As is the case with our weekly Cook the Book feature, we've five (5) copies to give away. All you have to do is tell us in the comments: What whole grain do you find easiest to incorporate into your diet?
Five winners will be chosen at random from among the commenters. Comments will close at 3 p.m. ET, January 28. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
