Flavors 518

We went to NYC earlier in the week, and it made me feel very nostalgic. I saw glimpses of a ghost of my former self everywhere: getting first job in a museum; going on first dates with fiancé; losing my wallet, totally freaking out, having museum security guard give me a $20 bill to get home, and random woman mailing it to me from one of the busiest intersections in the world; writing 40 page papers for grad school; going out way too often, and staying out way too late; getting sexually harassed at my waitressing job; exhilarated, scared, and a little alone. I also remembered the first meal I ever cooked when I moved in with Scott. I think I only owned one cookbook at that time which Scott's mother had given me for Christmas the previous year. I made Chicken Tikka with all the condiments. It was the first time I used a food processor, and I remember being surprised how delicious it was to mix yogurt, ginger, garlic, and mint together. Then, I made a cake from the only cookbook ...

Some very wise last words : Karola Saekel Craib, who joined the San Francisco Chronicle in 1955, died Monday of complications from cancer. She was 81. “Only a week or so ago Karola wrote a note — on her iPad no less — thanking her friends for enriching her life,” writes Michael Bauer. “In her notes to her daughters before her death, she included the strict admonition, ‘Never eat margarine!’ That was Karola. The real thing. No margarine; only pure butter.” It's true. Margarine is no less caloric, usually has trans-fats that are far worse for your health than butter , and tastes awful. (Bread tastes better plain than with margarine if you need to cut calories.) I always liked Anthony Bourdain's line in Kitchen Confidential : "Margarine? That's not food. I can't believe it's not butter? I can!"

Here's a great technique for a healthful vegetable side. Gently mix a healthy portion of fresh, cleaned spinach with a little olive oil, the zest of one lemon, and salt and pepper. Then steam for a few minutes in a vegetable steamer. Simple, yet very tasty...

So tonight we made a great Armagnac Chicken recipe from a cookbook we have discussed in the past . Then we were left with a lot of bones. I have been wanting to try making homemade stock for a while. It is the basis of so many dishes and sauces I can think of. And what a great way to reuse parts of foods you already have. So since we are basically acting like Julie Powell with her Julia Childs obsession, I consulted Ad Hoc at Home . So first you want to really wash all the bones and remove all the food particles. This took me a while, but you really want to make sure you don't end up with cloudy stock. You rinse the chicken bones in cold water, and then put them in a large stockpot and cover them in cold water. You can put the pot to the side of the burner as this creates a current, and makes it easier to skim the fat throughout the process. You gradually bring the liquid to a simmer, and continually skim the pot. Once you get it going, add a whole bunch of ice cubes which wil...

I am going to start by reiterating something Scott has already touched on, that this is an amazing book , and that Thomas Keller is a genius. I am not really that interested in cookbooks which basically tell you how to assemble things. While I will once in a while watch cooking shows, and read Rachel Ray's magazine, I don't really want to be told just to add pine nuts to everything and call it gourmet. "Ad hoc at home" is so valuable because it actually teaches you techniques, and explains why these work (which they totally do). My mom used to make "Chicken a la King". I don't know how, but it was the chicken/peas/carrots/creamy sauce flavor profile served over toast. This to me is the ultimate comfort food, and something I have been on the hunt to reinvent in my own style, made from scratch with all fresh ingredients. I have in the past fallen hard for Cook's Illustrated's chicken pot pie with buttermilk topping, and that is delicious, but onc...

Caribou Coffee . I could not have gotten through my undergrad in MI without it. Coffee is smooth and non-acidic. Mixed drinks are actually half way healthy sometimes. The white chocolate is so amazing you can have them put it in everything from the smoothies to the regular coffee. Mmmm, big leather chairs fake-Alaska vibe, love it. For now, I'll just have to settle for a tasty drink on layovers at MSP Airport, and buying enough to stock up the freezer. Au Bon Pain - Coffee is ok, but anyone who has ever tried the crème de fleur knows what I am talking about. (On second thought maybe it is good we don't have that). Trader Joe's I'm not really the hugest fan but it was really useful in NYC where you had to shop at 4 different places anyway to find affordable but still quality ingredients for something as simple as a Greek salad. There were some things that were pretty good though, and I am actually surprised there isn't one. Anthropologie What the hell? Reason to...

Over Christmas I had a bridal shower thrown for me in Calgary, AB and I pooled all my cash gifts together for this . Funny enough, I also have a friend who just got engaged, and her parents immediately sent her a food processor because apparently that is what one recieves when one is getting married these days. The idea that you never needed to eat before getting engaged, and the fact that most people live on their own for years before marrying in contemporary society, are things I won't argue with since it is such a superb product. I had originally read a product review in Cook's Illustrated which stated  that the Kitchen Aid model was the way to go. We were at Different Drummer's kitchen , and  the extremely helpful salesperson said that the Cuisinart model had recently been improved with a few features. These included that the top snaps in and releases really easily with a quick release button (Easy On/Off Locking System with Push-Button Release), and the seal tight g...