Posted by Adam Kuban, March 12, 2008 at 5:30 PM
My Last Supper takes the old "last bite on earth" game to the next level by asking that question of 50 of the world's best-known and most-loved chefs. Though beautifully photographed and almost more of a coffee-table book in size and format, there are some serious recipes in here to accompany the memorable visuals and fun interviews. As this week's featured Cook the Book entry, we'll be highlighting a recipe a day from it. Today's is by Chui Lee Luk, the chef-owner of Claude's in Sydney. Lee Luk describes her last meal: "Assuming that I will be in good health and aware of the upcoming event, I would seek out the peace and comfort of familiar foods that have emotional meaning for me. I think I would have a meal of chili mud crab, braised tofu with prawn and pork, stir-fried snow pea leaf, and steamed rice, all followed by red bean pancakes with jasmine tea."
As is always the case with our Cook the Books, we're giving away a number of them this week. Enter to win My Last Supper »
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Posted by Adam Kuban, March 11, 2008 at 1:45 PM
My Last Supper takes the old "last bite on earth" game to the next level by asking that question of 50 of the world's best-known and most-loved chefs. Though beautifully photographed and almost more of a coffee-table book in size and format, there are some serious recipes in here to accompany the memorable visuals and fun interviews. As this week's featured Cook the Book entry, we'll be highlighting a recipe a day from it. Today's is from Mario Batali, who describes his last meal as a "seafood extravaganza" that would end with this dish, gamberoni all'acqua pazza, or "shrimp in crazy water."
As is always the case with our Cook the Books, we're giving away a number of them this week. Enter to win My Last Supper »
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 29, 2008 at 1:30 PM
This week's Cook the Book is Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. If you haven't heard of Hopkinson, chances are you aren't English; in Britain, this book was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a group of chefs, food writers, and readers.
This recipe for Potato Purée with Parsley would go well with yesterday's Poached Salmon with Beurre Blanc.
Win 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories'
To give you a taste of how useful this book is, we're excerpting a dish a day this week. Today's follows, after the jump. If that whets your appetite, you can find Roast Chicken on Amazon or enter to win a copy here on Serious Eats.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 28, 2008 at 1:30 PM
This week's Cook the Book is Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. If you haven't heard of Hopkinson, chances are you aren't English; in Britain, this book was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a group of chefs, food writers, and readers.
Win 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories'
To give you a taste of how useful this book is, we're excerpting a dish a day this week. Today's follows, after the jump. If that whets your appetite, you can find Roast Chicken on Amazon or enter to win a copy here on Serious Eats.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 27, 2008 at 2:30 PM
This week's Cook the Book is Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. If you haven't heard of Hopkinson, chances are you aren't English; in Britain, this book was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a group of chefs, food writers, and readers.
Yesterday, czken asked what sides to serve with an Easter leg of lamb, so we figured we'd highlight Roast Chicken's recipe for the main attraction. Oh, and in the book, Hopkinson recommends mashed potatoes as a side dish. (Related: We'll feature a recipe for puréed potatoes with parsley later this week that might work with this dish, too.) Enjoy!
Win 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories'
To give you a taste of how useful this book is, we're excerpting a dish a day this week. Today's follows, after the jump. If that whets your appetite, you can find Roast Chicken on Amazon or enter to win a copy here on Serious Eats.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 26, 2008 at 12:45 PM
This week's Cook the Book is Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. If you haven't heard of Hopkinson, chances are you aren't English; in Britain, this book was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a group of chefs, food writers, and readers.
Win 'Roast Chicken and Other Stories'
To give you a taste of how useful this book is, we're excerpting a dish a day this week. Today's follows, after the jump. If that whets your appetite, you can find Roast Chicken on Amazon or enter to win a copy here on Serious Eats.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 25, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Which came first—the chicken or the egg? Well, since we've already highlighted an adapted version of Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken recipe, I guess we've already ended that discussion. To play catch-up, today's featured recipe is for Oeufs en Meurette, essentially "eggs in gravy," as Hopkinson says his mother once described the dish. "[She] thought it disgusting. I love it," he says.
And, if you're just now tuning in, be aware that we're giving away five (5) copies of this book this week. Enter here to win »
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Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 11, 2008 at 4:45 PM
This week's Cook the Book is a little different—and sweeter—than most. Usually, we feature one book the entire week, excerpting adapted recipes as the days go by. This week, in honor of Valentine's Day, we've put together a list of our favorite books on chocolate, and we'll be featuring a recipe from each.
First up is Alice Medrich's Bittersweet
, and a recipe for cocoa brownies. Think brownies are too pedestrian for Valentine's Day? Think again. They're pure comfort—perfect for expressing how dear your valentine has become to you over the years.
Bittersweet is indispensable for anyone who loves baking with bittersweet chocolate. Each of Medrich's recipes is tailored to the stuff, and the book covers every question you might have about substituting one type of chocolate for another, how to decorate with chocolate, and almost anything else you'd want to know about the confection.
Win the Serious Eats Chocolate Library
You can win Bittersweet, along with four other fantastic chocolate books (to be revealed as the week progresses) by answering the following question in the comments:
What is your favorite chocolate recipe?
One (1) winner will be chosen at random from among the comments of this post. Comments will be open until 6 p.m. ET February 12. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, December 14, 2007 at 2:30 PM
And here's a bacon-filled dessert you can make over the weekend, now that you've got some extra time. In Germany, these cookies are known as Speckkuchen, and, as James Villas, author of The Bacon Cookbook, says, rarely do you find a pastry shop in that country that doesn't have at least a small selection of them.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 23, 2007 at 1:45 PM
We're going to take it down a notch from yesterday's pressed pig's ear dish. This one's safe even for vegetarians. Who'da thought that'd be the case from a book called Beyond Nose to Tail?
With its striking red and green color, make sure to serve this salad on a white plate for best effect.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 22, 2007 at 1:45 PM
And the first recipe from Beyond Nose to Tail is go! Here's what'll do you for Pressed Pig's Ear, a dish Henderson describes as "thin slivers of joyous piggy jelly, within which there is a beautiful weave of ear."
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 19, 2007 at 1:15 PM
And so we've come to the final featured recipe from John T. Edge's Apple Pie: An American Story. This one gets its name because it's made with a dough similar to that used for those curiously addictive bread-basket inhabitants. The savoriness of the cheese in the crust is the perfect foil for the apple filling.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 17, 2007 at 2:15 PM
In John T. Edge's Apple Pie: An American Story the author travels the country eating the best pies and highlighting them for us. (Tough job, eh?)
Hypocrite Pie is so named because its creator, Beth Tartan, creates a false impression with the custard topping—it disguises a hefty layer of apples hiding beneath. Here, Edge substitutes buttermilk custard for Tartan's more traditional milk version.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 16, 2007 at 1:45 PM
In John T. Edge's Apple Pie: An American Story the author introduces us to a number of pie bakers, among them Dora Leung, whose piecrust recipe is kind of a "drop crust" and which "does not rely upon chilled ingredients or exacting measurements." Perfect for inexact bakers.
In one of the book's chapters, Leung's pie represents for one man, Paul Myers, a sort of platonic ideal of apple pies. Edge deftly tells Myers and Leung's story while extracting a recipe that readers can test at home against their own ideal pie.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 15, 2007 at 3:15 PM
And our first recipe out of the gate this week is for Pecan Apple Rye Pie. You thought we were going to throw you a more classic version, eh? That'll make its appearance later this week. Edge says he adapted this pie from The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. Enjoy!
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 12, 2007 at 1:30 PM
And so we've come to the last dance with this week's Cook the Book entry, Anissa Helou's Savory Baking From the Mediterranean. Today's recipe is for Gougères Bourguignonnes, "Gougères From Burgundy." While gougères are often made on a baking sheet, where they expand and merge while baking, Helou makes hers in individual ramekins.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 11, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Today's Cook the Book recipe for petits pains au lait, "Little Milk Breads," is one that author Anissa Helou says is made all over France. Unlike the also-ubiquitous baguette, however, Helou says these treats can be just as good as those from a baker, provided you use very good flour, butter, and milk.
The recipe comes from Helou's Savory Baking From the Mediterranean.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 10, 2007 at 2:30 PM
When you think "flatbread," it's likely that one of the first flatbreads that comes to mind is pita bread. Anissa Helou, who wrote this week's Cook the Book selection, offers this recipe for home baking in Savory Baking From the Mediterranean. Because of the automated process and high-temperature commercial ovens found in most Lebanese bakeries, she says, these might not have the most even, thin layers—and they might not separate equally when they puff up in the oven—but that shouldn't stop you from experiencing the pleasure of homemade pita.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 9, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Today's Cook the Book recipe is for a type of Turkish flatbread that's typically called a börek (or burek) in the West. They're more a filled savory pastry than what you may think of as a typical flatbread, but they're no less delicious.
The recipe, of course, comes from Anissa Helou's Savory Baking From the Mediterranean.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 5, 2007 at 1:15 PM
And so we've come to the end of the road with this week's installment of Cook the Book, the late James Beard's Beard on Food.
"Lentils," Beard wrote, "might have been devised for winter meals. They are a marvelously nutritious, satisfying, and economical food, and to me, their flavor is more interesting and distinctive than any of the beans, except perhaps the fava."
And while it's a probably a little early to start thinking about winter, I don't see why you couldn't make this soup on a chilly fall day.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 4, 2007 at 4:15 PM
James Beard, "the dean of American gastronomy," on capers: "I use capers a lot. I like their distinctive, herby flavor and the additional bite imparted by the vinegar, which makes them a most piquant and interesting condiment or seasoning."
This recipe, English in origin, is for what Beard calls a "famous and rather unusual cream sauce, to which the pickled buds are added at the last minute, as the traditional accompaniment to boiled leg of mutton or lamb."
As with all the Cook the Book entries this week, this recipe comes from Beard on Food.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 3, 2007 at 3:00 PM
Today's Cook the Book recipe is one that the late James Beard, "the dean of American gastronomy," recommended as a dish to serve "at a buffet party, with cold meats for luncheon, or to take on a picnic." (Of course, you better hurry on that last one.)
As with all the Cook the Book entries this week, this recipe comes from Beard on Food.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 2, 2007 at 3:15 PM
Today's Cook the Book recipe is one that the late James Beard, "the dean of American gastronomy," describes as "one of the greatest—and simplest—chicken dishes" that he knew. "The whole process," he wrote, "takes less than 30 minutes, and you have a dish you could serve to the most critical group of food buffs." Coming from Beard, who moved among the most picky food folks of the time, that's a ringing endorsement. All you need to round out the plate is a salad or vegetable and a simple fruit dessert.
As with all the Cook the Book entries this week, this recipe comes from Beard on Food.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, October 1, 2007 at 2:45 PM
As Serious Eats reader Jasmine D. pointed out, it's National Vegetarian Awareness month, and to give a nod to our veg-eating friends, we'll start out this week's Cook the Book with James Beard's Potatoes Byron recipe. In the section of Beard on Food titled "Potatoes Without Meat," Beard says, "It can be both a challenge and fun to seek out things that are substantial and good enough to replace meat. There's pasta, of course, beans, lentils, and split peas—and also potatoes. How often does one think of potatoes without meat? Yet they are a great food in their own right."
The recipe follows after the jump, but before I send you there, I'd like to point out our archive of meatless dishes here on the site. As Jasmine rightly points out, Serious Eats is chocked full of meat, but I'm also surprised at the number of vegetarian recipes on the site.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 28, 2007 at 3:00 PM
You know how I urged you to bookmark the previous two Cook the Book recipes for winter? This one you're going to want to bookmark for spring. Sure, it's not strawberry time, but we wanted to highlight produce-aisle citizens from across the spectrum this week.
Anyway, this hotcake recipe is from How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons, a book that's all about where the foods in the produce aisle come from, when they're at their best, and how to pick a prime example of whatever it is you're in the market for. The recipe follows after the jump, but first a couple of tips from Parsons.
- How to choose: There are a lot of little indicators of strawberry quality, but the most important is probably the simplest: smell. Great strawberries have a distinctive candied aroma that you can't miss. Beyond that, the berries should be completely red (the exact shade of red will depend on the variety); avoid any with white tips. The green hull should look fresh, not dried out. The berries should be glossy, without any matte spots where the flesh has started to break down. Always look at the underside of the berry basket—that's where crushed berries may be hiding and where spoilage will start. It's not at all uncommon to pick up a basket of berries that are beautiful on top but are as gray and fuzzy as a freshman dorm refrigerator underneath.
- How to store: This is a tough one, because refrigerating damages the flavor of strawberries, but the fruit is so tender that not chilling will lead to rapid spoilage. The best solution is to buy berries from a local farmer and eat them the same day without putting them in the refrigerator. Failing that, transfer the berries to a plastic bag (to prevent excessive drying) lined with a paper towel (to absorb excessive moisture) and refrigerate them.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 27, 2007 at 8:00 PM
This week's Cook the Book entry, How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons, is all about where the foods in the produce aisle come from, when they're at their best, and how to pick a prime example of whatever it is you're in the market for. Today's recipe (or should I say, "this evening's recipe," as it's a little later than usual) again gives you something to look forward to, since, like yesterday's winter greens entry, it stars an ingredient that usually rolls around in winter—turnips. This Turnip and Potato Gratin makes good use of the root vegetables, so be sure to bookmark it for later. The recipe follows after the jump, but first a couple of tips from Parsons.
- How to choose: Choose roots that are free from nicks and scars. Check the top of each turnip, where the greens once were. As the roots sit, they will continue to sprout new greens, which the produce manager will trim. The more the tops have been trimmed, the older the root probably is. In Japanese markets you can find small white turnips that have the tops attached. These are milder and sweeter than other turnips.
- How to store: Store turnips in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 26, 2007 at 3:15 PM
This week's Cook the Book entry, How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons, is all about where the foods in the produce aisle come from, when they're at their best, and how to pick a prime example of whatever it is you're in the market for. Today's recipe gives you something to look forward to, since its starring ingredients are the hardy cooking greens of winter—mustard, kale, collard, beet, turnip, and chard. Southern Comfort Soup, makes good use of them, so be sure to bookmark it for the day these greens really come into season. The recipe follows after the jump, but first a couple of tips on greens from Parsons.
- How to choose: Greens should be rigid and firm, not wilting. Avoid greens with black spots on the leaves, which are a sign of breakdown.
- How to store: Greens should be refrigerated immediately in a humid environment, such as the crisper drawer. Keep them in plastic bags, but if you're going to store them for very long, slip in a paper towel to absorb any condensation.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 25, 2007 at 1:30 PM
This week's Cook the Book entry, How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons, is all about where the foods in the produce aisle come from, when they're at their best, and how to pick a prime example of whatever it is you're in the market for. Arugula, Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad, one of the recipes that goes along with the chapter on pears follows, but first a couple of pear tips from Parsons.
- Where they're grown: Pear trees need more cold than most other fruit trees, they are susceptible to a wide variety of climatic ills. For this reason, between 90 and 95 percent of the total U.S. crop is grown in California, Washington, and Oregon....
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 24, 2007 at 1:55 PM
If you read the previous post, you'll know that this week's Cook the Book entry, How to Pick a Peach, by Russ Parsons, is all about where the foods in the produce aisle come from, when they're at their best, and how to pick the best example of whatever it is you're in the market for. Applesauce with Bourbon, Sour Cherries, and Hazelnuts, One of the recipes that go along with the chapter on apples follows, but first a couple tips from Parsons:
- How to choose: All apples should be smooth-skinned and deeply colored. Yellow apples should be golden, and striped apples should have a background color that is nearly golden. Apples should be heavy for their size and firm to the touch.
- How to store: Apples should be kept as close to 32 degrees and with as much humidity as possible. Store them in an open or perforated plastic bag to retain moisture without collecting water. Put the bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 21, 2007 at 2:30 PM
OK, folks, break out your candy thermometers, 'cause you're going to need 'em for this one.
These caramels, which come from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich use whole ground vanilla beans and golden syrup, which makes them extra delicious. If you're having trouble locating golden syrup, ask for Lyle's Golden Syrup, which is the most well-known brand in the U.S.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 20, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Alice Medrich, author of Pure Dessert, from which this recipe comes, took inspiration for this Italian Chocolate-Almond Torte from Claudia Roden's torta di mandorle e cioccolata in Roden's Book of Jewish Food. The chocolate in this torte is ground, rather than melted, so it's easy to make.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 14, 2007 at 2:45 PM
The last of the week's Cook the Book recipes is for Peanut Soup. It's a soup that John T. Edge reminds us in Southern Belly, was "au courant in the mid-1970s, when a farmer from Plains, Georgia, took the oath of office." It's also a soup that has fallen out of favor, with a few holdouts still serving it, such as the Hotel Roanoke, in Roanoke, Virginia, from which this recipe is adapted.
If you'd like to read more about other Southern delights, grab a copy of Southern Belly for yourself.
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Posted by Alaina Browne, September 13, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Country fried steak (or chicken fried steak, or CFS for short), for you non-Southerners, is beef that has been pounded, battered, fried, and then smothered in gravy. If you want to taste the real deal, you best head to the Texas "Chicken-Fried Steak Belt," as defined by Robb Walsh in his definitive chicken-fried steak piece. The recipe that follows was adapted from Threadgill's in Austin, Texas.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 12, 2007 at 2:30 PM
The Shrimp Creole recipe that follows is that of the late Austin Leslie, whose notable career is briefly chronicled in John T. Edge's Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South.
Leslie began cooking at the D. H. Holmes Department Store on Canal Street in New Orleans, bounced around to various local kitchens, and eventually landed at Chez Helene, the neighborhood restaurant that inspired CBS's short-lived sitcom Frank's Place.
Leslie was an icon of New Orleans cuisine, was known as the "Godfather of Fried Chicken," and received raves from patrons and food writers alike for dishes such as Oysters Rockefeller and Fried Chicken with Persillade. Sadly, he died soon after being rescued from his attic after becoming trapped there during Hurricane Katrina.
His legend and recipes live on after him.
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Posted by Ed Levine, September 11, 2007 at 3:30 PM
In Louisville, Kentucky, says John T. Edge, author of Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South, the Brown Hotel "has been the epicenter of the social whirl. Debutante parties, Christmas balls, weddings by the score."
The Hot Brown Sandwich, Edge says, was created by the hotel's chef a few years after the place opened and is "the ideal hangover food." Click through to the recipe, and see if you agree.
If you'd like to read more about The Brown Hotel, the Hot Brown Sandwich, and other Southern delights, grab a copy of Southern Belly for yourself.
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Posted by Ed Levine, September 10, 2007 at 3:45 PM
In Pensacola, Florida, you'll find The Coffee Cup, according to John T. Edge, a "de facto clubhouse, the place where cops and attorneys, drywall hangers and artists, dilettantes and debutantes gather to eat grits and eggs in the morning."
An adaptation of The Coffee Cups' grits recipe appears in Edge's Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South, and that recipe in itself is a riff on one passed on to The Coffee Cup through many hands. Now, it passes to you.
If you'd like to read more about The Coffee Cup and other Southern delights, grab a copy of Southern Belly for yourself.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 4, 2007 at 4:45 PM
The first of our Cook the Book recipes for the week is for cheese-stuffed cheeseburgers. As in, the cheese is inside. Whenever I write about cheese-stuffed cheeseburgers (like the Jucy Lucy) on A Hamburger Today, people seem to go wild for them. The recipe follows the jump here, but before you get to it, I'd give you two pieces of advice before making and eating this thing.
1.) In Step 4, Make sure you seal the patties tight. If you don't, the melting cheese will ooze out.
2.) Let your burger rest a bit before biting in. The hot, molten cheese can scald you.
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Posted by Ed Levine, August 6, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Corn salads are one of my favorite dishes to serve in the summer, when freshly picked corn is readily available just about everywhere. Eric Gower's is particularly full-flavored and zesty, perhaps because of the habanero pepper he throws in. If habaneros scare you, substitute a jalapeño or an ancho chile, which are both much milder. Make sure that, no matter what chile is used, you remove all its seeds—they're where much of the heat is concentrated.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, August 3, 2007 at 1:15 PM
This recipe for Oven-Baked Tuna with Savory Topping caught my eye as I was paging through Nancy Harmon Jenkins's Cucina del Sole. It's a recipe that really seems of a place—southern Italy—with its olives, capers, basil, and cherry tomatoes—instead of just another generic baked tuna dish.
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Posted by Ed Levine, August 2, 2007 at 3:00 PM
What I love about this omelet from Nancy Harmon Jenkins's Cucina del Sole is its versatility. It's substantial enough to serve as a light supper with a tossed salad or a plate of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Of course it would make a stupendous breakfast, brunch, or lunch dish as well. Although the recipe calls for hot cured sausage, you can easily substitute fresh hot or sweet sausage instead.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, August 1, 2007 at 7:00 PM
Today's featured recipe from Cucina del Sole is for deep-fried zucchini blossoms. If you grow your own zucchini, you should have no problem procuring blossoms. If not, check at a farmers' market.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, July 31, 2007 at 1:45 PM
The second featured recipe from Cucina del Sole is one that's as simple as it is delicious. The lemon and rosemary give the roasted chicken here a Mediterranean flavor, as is befitting the book's southern Italian theme, and the garlic provides a nice pungent counterpoint to the citrus.
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 30, 2007 at 1:30 PM
The first recipe that caught our eye in Cucina Del Sole is a simple pesto made with fresh tomatoes (it is after all vine-ripened tomato season) and toasted almonds. As Jenkins herself writes: "For those who think pesto comes only from Liguria and always includes masses of basil and pine nuts, this delicious alternative may come as a surprise." She also opines that although this pesto can be made in a food processor, she prefers to make it with a mortar and pestle.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, July 20, 2007 at 1:15 PM
To give extra kick to her Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie from Baking: From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan adds freshly grated ginger to the lime custard filling. Besides that I love lime meringue pies, I was caught by her description of the flavor as being, "big, bright and sassy." How many pies in my lifetime of pie eating have every been declared sassy? Possibly none, sadly. Not only is the pie sassy, but apparently the combination of lime and ginger will give your body the illusion of feeling cool, a good property for a pie to have in this hot, muggy weather. Why use air conditioning when you can eat pie?
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Posted by Robyn Lee, July 19, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Muffins compose one of my most favorite categories of baked goods. They're cake-like and sweet, but not so indulgent that I would feel guilty about stuffing my face with a chocolate muffin or carrot muffin first thing in the morning. It's like cake...for breakfast! (Admittedly, I wouldn't feel guilty about eating dessert cake for breakfast either, but this practice is probably frowned upon by most people who don't want a sucrose-fueled morning.)
I also love muffins because they're ridiculously easy to bake, resulting in a high effort-to-deliciousness ratio. The next muffin I bake will be Dorie Greenspan's Corniest Corn Muffins from Baking: From My Home to Yours. They're cornier than your average corn muffin due to the inclusion of corn niblets. Lots of niblets. Mm, niblets.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, July 18, 2007 at 1:30 PM
I love a good madeleine, the buttery, single-serving cake, distinctively smooth and scalloped on one side and bulging with excess cake on the other. Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleines from Baking: From My Home to Yours turns the dainty French pastry into something more indulgent. These aren't the golden lemon-flavored cakes I ate in Paris; they're cocoa-flavored, with small bellies filled with Marshmallow Fluff and dipped in chocolate ganache. Greenspan calls this "a madeleine for the nonliterary set." If being nonliterary involves eating Marshmallow Fluff and chocolate, I'm cool with that.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, July 17, 2007 at 1:30 PM
I love peaches, but they're so fragile that after buying a bucket's worth I end up having to quickly devour most of them before they turn into sad, brown, bacteria-infested versions of their former delicious selves. While I have no problem eating lots and lots (and lots) of peaches, maybe it's better to preserve the essence of those fresh peaches by making them into a dessert. Dorie Greenspan's crunchy and custardy peach tart from Baking: From My Home to Yours nearly made me weep for combining three of my most favorite things: peaches, tart crust, and custard. A streusel topping gives the tart an extra layer of sweet buttery pastry goodness. Try out the recipe after the jump.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, July 16, 2007 at 1:40 PM
Can cookies bring world peace? I'm willing to try the enticingly titled recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours to find out. Unsurprisingly, the cookie is the brainchild of French pastry mastermind Pierre Hermé; if anyone could mellow out the war-bent with a magically delicious cookie, it would be him. Get the recipe to make your own after the jump.
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 13, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Dave Pasternack is probably best known for introducing crudo, Italian-style raw fish, to American palates. Think of it as sashimi with an Italian soul.
I have eaten this Albacore Tuna Crudo at Dave's restaurant, Esca, hundreds of times and never tire of it. Some people get nervous at the thought of making a raw fish preparation at home. Captain Dave says, "Don't be. Obviously it's imperative to use very fresh fish. If you're not a fisherperson yourself, you need to develop a relationship with a local fishmonger who will steer you to the freshest fish he's got. Once your fishmonger selects your fish for you, ask him or her to cut it into crudo-size pieces, 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick."
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 12, 2007 at 1:30 PM
Rock shrimp are delicious, forgiving, and so easy to cook with. Peppers and corn are the essence of summer eating, and when you combine them with rock shrimp and fettuccine you end up with the perfect, hassle-free summer dinner.
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