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If you are feeling like you need to steer yourself away from the heavy/starchy foods of December, like me, then here’s a great recipe for you. It’s light. It’s bouncy and lively while still being wintery. It’s snowing outside my window and I’m thinking that this needs to be lunch tomorrow. You in? WILD RICE SALAD adapted from epicurious.com
1 lb wild rice For vinaigrette 1 cup long-grain white rice
1. Rinse wild rice in a sieve under cold water, then combine with cold water to cover by 2 inches in a 5-quart pot. Simmer, covered, until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 2. Make vinaigrette while wild rice is simmering: 3. Cook white rice 4. Assemble salad:
We can all agree that chocolate is necessary for any holiday sweets spread, yeah? Today’s cookie recipe is a holiday variation. Check it out: Read more
Here is a recipe that is near and dear to my heart. Mom and I would make these every year and although I wasn’t a fan of eating them as a kid, I LOVED making them. And being in the kitchen with my mom working on holiday cookies was pretty sweet. On many levels. So, here it is for you! Enjoy! Coconut Macaroon Wreaths 2 8oz pkg. shredded coconut Stir together coconut, milk, vanilla & food color. Drop by teaspoons, 2″ apart, onto well greased cookie sheet. With tip of spoon and your fingers, shape into wreath. Trim with candy (3 placed around the wreath or 3 in a clump). Bake at 350 for 8 min. Immediately remove to cooling rack.
The next in the line of cookie recipes is a really super tasty one. I love shortbread of all kinds–especially chocolate chip, but this one is right up there and it also makes a beautiful presentation in a cookie tin. Enjoy!
This week we’ll be talking about cookies. Holiday cookies are a necessity in my world. I love desserts. We all love a fancy chocolate torte or impressive yule log, but in December you gotta have cookies. Shortbreads, gingerbreads, thumbprints and macaroons. I love them all. Today we have the holiday classic–the sugar cookie for cutouts. Gotta have it. I have nothing but sweet, surgary memories of making them with my mom. We’d make a boatload of cookies for a family gathering at my grandmother’s house ever year. In fact, I have to email mom and ask for her recipe for coconut macaroon wreaths. I never ate them, but I LOVED making them. Go and make some cookies with your kids. It’s the right thing to do. I’ll be making them with my son later this week. If it doesn’t get too messy, we’ll post some pictures!
A friend asked me recently to recommend a good set of cookware for a holiday gift. Given that I’ve been working up somewhat of a gift guide here, I thought I would include my ideas here. Now, this is what I would recommend for those in need of a good set of cookware that is a good balance between cost and value. I think that all things considered the 7-piece All-Clad Stainless is the best bet. I’m a big fan of the All-Clad pots and pans. These are GREAT pans. The best thing about them is the heat distribution (your food will always cook evenly as long as your stove is level….which mine is not, sadly) as well as their ability to heat fast. You can heat pasta water so much quicker in one of these bad-boys. they retain heat better your average pots and pans. I thought a lot about the set that has a copper core as well as aluminum, but I think that’s really only “necessary” if you are a real chef of some kind or a SERIOUS home cook. Copper is nice, but I think it’s money you don’t need to spend (it’s twice as expensive) to get a good set of pans for home use for peeps who like to cook. I have one copper pot in my kitchen and honestly, I don’t like it any more than i like my All-Clads. it’s not like I wish I had more copper. So, save the dough. As for a non-stick option…… I am willing to bet that if you get yourself some good All-Clads, you will use them more than you think—even for things you usually rely on the tephlon for. I use mine for nearly everything, you just have to adjust how you cook a bit. Granted, you still need a non-stick for eggs and what-have-you. All-Clad makes them, too. I am sure they are GREAT pans, but I would advise not to spend that much dough on a non-stick. The bottom line is they are great while they last, but they don’t last. Not even the “good ones” as far as I know, anyway. All tephlon peels and breaks down at some point. Hubby bought me a REALLY nice one a few years ago and it’s looking pretty shabby now. So, I recommend spending less because they will need replacing at some point. Get yourself (or whoever is on your list in need of new kitchen gear) a good Calphalon or 2. They are great pans and will totally serve you needs. There you have it! Happy Shopping!
Holiday Gifts for the cook :: BOOKS! Given that it’s December and the holiday season is in full swing, I will be dedicating some posts to good gifties for the cook or foodie on your list. I wanted to feature some great cookbooks, but honestly, Epicurious.com did it already and better than I could. So, go have look and see what they are promoting. 2 books in this list that I was planning to talk up are Jamie Oliver’s new book called, “Cook with Jamie,” and Alice Waters’ book “The Art of Simple Food,” which they call Alice Waters is the founder of the famous Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley. She sort of pioneered the whole “eat locally grown food and cook it simply” movement in the culinary world, which is so popular now, but she started it in the 70s. You can read more about her on the Chez Panisse website. Jamie Oliver’s claim to fame was as “The Naked Chef” on the Food Network. You’ve all heard of him, I’m sure. He’s got a spiffy new Holiday Blog that’s a fun read. You might even catch post from me over there sometime. More gift ideas to come and of course, cookie recipes! Soon. Cheers!
So, epicurious.com is having a really fun contest this holiday season. The basic premise is that you make a video showcasing your cool cooking technique or recipe. Or maybe pretty table setting or signature drink you can mix up. Then the fine folks at epicurious choose winners. The Grand Prize is a Michael Chiarello 10-piece cookware collection. And who couldn’t use some really nice new pots and pans, I ask you? I’m drooling over this set, myself. You simply must check out some of the favorite videos posted on the site even if you don’t have the cojones (like me) to submit one. And remember if you are thinking of making a video, but are feelin’ a little camera shy, you don’t even have to be in it! Take it from the folks who made the video called, “Julian’s Yogurt-Eating Tricks” or “Paul Pizzaro’s Easy Hors D’Oeuvres. I laughed out loud. And now I’m making a snack and going back to watch a few more. It’s totally entertaining.
I love salad, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that I do. Salad can get boring, you know? I have to remind myself that if I don’t expend a little extra energy and get creative, it’s easy to ignore the much needed greens. Here’s a great little recipe for a tasty salad that’s not *that* much more than tossing a handful of lettuce together with some carrots and shaking on a little Newman’s. But the extra effort will be worth it. I promise! Beet and Endive Salad with Garlic and Herb Vinaigrette 3 to 4 small red beets, greens trimmed 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 2. On a baking sheet lined with foil, place the beets on top, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then fold the edges to make a packet. Roast until fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Once they are cool, peel the skins from the beets, trim the ends, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. Quarter the endives lengthwise, and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch thick moons. Combine the beets and endive in a salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Season with additional salt and pepper. Garlic and Herb Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except for the olive oil. Whisk until well-combined. Whisk in the olive oil in slow stream until and whisk more. Need more? Here’s a great salad recipe from Simply Recipes. Cucumbers with Feta—what could be betta? (sorry, I couldn’t resist.) And here’s whole blog devoted to Easy Salad Recipes! Go on—Explore!
There’s nothing easier or yummier than a good pasta dish on a cold almost-winter night. This one is light and lemony and feels good going down. It’s a refreshing change from the heavy Thanksgiving fare and it features one of my latest obsessions—Artichokes! Spinach Fettuccine with Artichokes & Sun-Dried Tomatoes Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add artichokes, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sauté until artichokes are tender—8-10 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for a few more minutes. Add reserved water, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme and stir. Add pasta and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with Parmesan. YUM! Here’s another great recipe I came across from coconutlime.blogspot.com, it’s for Steak, Spinach and Artichoke Pasta. It uses Balsamic Vinegar, which I LOVE! Image by foodnetwork.com |
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