First, we were reminiscing over cartons of fresh-picked berries. Now we're swooning over seasonal sweet corn custard. That a typically savory grain could be made into such a sweet-sounding dessert is not unusual. (After all, who hasn't -- knowingly or not -- indulged in a little high-fructose corn syrup?) But the fact that it was whipped into such a smooth, butter-colored custard is a rare treat, indeed.
This multiscoop serving was captured by Andrea from High/Low Food/Drink after a late-night run to pick up a pint from restaurateur Danny Meyer's iconic New York Shake Shack. Though Andrea admits the yellow kernels were added at home "for artistic effect" only, they pop beautifully against the blue bowl, making the sweets look all the sweeter.
Everyone loves breaded foods like chicken, fish, crispy zucchini, either to munch alone or to dip in luscious sauces. Whenever I make my buttermilk chicken fingers, they quickly disappear from the plate, but sometimes I like to shake things up and make my breading with ingredients that add health benefits and unique textures.
Quinoa Cooked quinoa has a creamy texture that kids love, but what do you do with the leftovers? I take cold quinoa and mix it into seasoned breadcrumbs to make a healthier bread crumb coating. Dip your chicken pieces in egg and then press them into the quinoa breadcrumb mixture. Coat both sides with a thick layer of cooking spray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. Quinoa not only adds dimension to the breadcrumb mixture -- it also happens to be a complete protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. Get more of Jennifer's beneficial breadcrumb alternatives after the jump.
Risotto, like polenta and grits, is one of those dishes to which the maxim "patience is a virtue" is frequently applied. And this photo, taken by Elise at Simply Recipes, beautifully illustrates why. A bowl of creamy, nutty grains of perfectly cooked rice, crowned with mushrooms that have been sautéed and cooked in cognac and cream, is glorious payoff for the constant care that risotto requires. While the idea adding cup after cup of stock to a pot of slowly cooking rice may not be everyone's idea of fun, results such as this one prove -- to borrow yet another maxim -- that good things do indeed come to those who wait.
If you happen to be anywhere near Georgia this Saturday and have a hankering for grits -- consider a drive to Warwick. The town -- approximately 82 miles south of Macon -- holds its 12th annual National Grits Festival on April 11, complete with a cookoff, a Miss Grits pageant and the Grits Pit -- a creamy tub designed to get grits lovers, well, gritty (see photo above).
"That's a big attraction at 2 o'clock in the afternoon now," festival coordinator Bob Holland told Slashfood.
Warwick hosts this ode to the Southern larder despite the fact that it doesn't produce grits, though it does have a lot of corn growing amid the cotton and peanuts on nearby farmland, Holland said.
"You can do anything with grits," Holland said. "It depends on your taste and your imagination."
More gritty talk and the late great Bill Neal's recipe for shrimp and grits that turned me into a grits fan after the jump.
Inspired by fellow Slashfoodie Monika Bartyzel's recent post on using ingredients we already have, I decided to cook up a few of the many grains I've hoarded over the past few months...okay, more than just a few months. There's no other kind of food I buy more compulsively. Stone-ground grits, hard red wheat flour, orzo, coarse polenta, pasta in a variety of shapes, fregola sarda - shall I go on?
The starch closest to my heart, though, may be jasmine brown rice. I first learned of this lovely product during a charmed encounter at Bangkok Center Grocery, a jewel box of Thai ingredients in Manhattan's Chinatown. Another customer, a Thai lady, had taken an interest in me because she saw that I was buying ingredients to make my own curry paste and, after I had paid, she, along with her equally winsome Chinese friend, urged me to buy a shrinkwrapped bag of jasmine brown rice imported from Thailand. The price of the rice alone did not meet the credit card minimum, and I had no cash, but the store owner saw my distress at turning down the ladies' recommendation, and he let me take the rice on credit.
"Pay next time," he said. In Manhattan. And I a first-time customer. I thought that only happened to valued clients in tiny towns.
I gave away most of my foodstuffs when I moved from Atlanta to New York, but I did transport a half-empty bag of jasmine brown rice (pictured). Like regular jasmine rice, it cooks up to be fragrant and fluffy, nutty and chewy - perhaps even nuttier and chewier due to its being brown. The method for and a picture of my pilaf - not very Thai at all, mind you - follows the jump.
In my experience, Orwellian doublespeak is usually confined to government pronouncements, corporate advertising, and the occasional politically-correct op-ed piece. Recently, however, IHOP surprised me by employing it in the service of their "Hungry Consumer Relief Plan." Basically, this plan involves all-you-can-eat pancakes, and will be offered at many locations until January 22, 2009.
So far, so good. Like many closet carb junkies, I am foursquare in favor of all-you-can-eat pancakes, particularly when the economy is in recession and eating out is becoming a major luxury. However, I have to seriously question IHOP's claim that this is a "stimulus" plan. Fake maple syrup aside, referring to pancakes as a "stimulus" borders on the ridiculous. Personally, I can think of few things less stimulating than a big plate of starchy fried deliciousness; to be honest, pancakes generally make me want to lie around the house and focus on digesting.
In other news, the breakfast chain is also offering free pancakes from 7 to 10 AM on January 24, 2009. This program is intended to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network and other charities. I can only hope that their incredible generosity provides a major stimulus to charitable donations!
The less said about this batch, the better. I rolled 'em too thin, left them in the oven a minute or two too long, used too little liquid, achieved little to no loft, and skimped on flavor by switching from lard to vegetable shortening. Perhaps in the hands of a master biscuit maker, these factors wouldn't matter, but perhaps at this point, I need some training wheels in the form of commercial baking powder or self-rising flour.
My other muck-up -- I fell prey to fear of touching the dough too much and barely allowed the ingredients to mingle either during the bowl mixing or the kneading. While I've heard from all and sundry that overworking the dough is the kiss of death, there's got to be a happy medium. And hopefully a few sky-high biscuits.
Tips and more after the jump, and as always, I'd love any advice you feel like sharing.
I do not come from a biscuit making people. That's not to say that I led an entirely biscuitless youth -- just that the addition of water to a measure of Bisquick, and the joyless lumping thereof on a cookie sheet does not, what I consider a biscuit, make. Though this is a matter of great conjecture for folks from all walks, my particular biscuit paradigm is a balance of moist, fluffily layered, lard-laced innards and a crisped-up, nearly brittle top and bottom. A crunch through should grudgingly yield to a just off-sweet, pillowy, melting mass of deliciousness. With shards of salty country ham, a rich swipe of sweet butter, or just steaming hot from the oven, it's handheld heaven.
I can't make biscuits like that to save my life. In '09, that all changes.
With the aid of every cookbook, internet tip, and friends' advice at my disposal, I'm on a mission to perfect my biscuit making. I shall seek the counsel of Southern grandmothers and hound professional chefs until they begin to assail me with dough blenders. I shall become tiresome on the subject. I'm sure my husband would assert that I already have. 'Sokay -- he'll get fresh biscuits out of the deal, as will my colleagues, dogs, dog walker, friends, neighbors, cashiers, subway train drivers. Heck, I probably don't even know you, and you'll likely end up with a leftover biscuit from me.
I dig 'em with the tang of buttermilk and lard's sweet, creamy kiss, but for the sake of scientific exploration, I'll entertain alternate liquids and fats. I've been a good li'l stockpiling squirrel and plundered the shelves of several Harris Teeters and Food Lions during a recent sojurn to North Carolina so that the ingredients may possess the ideal terroir as borne by Southern flours like White Lily, Red Band and Southern Biscuit. I have chilled my lard, readied my sifting hand, and offered a small homage to the spirit of the dearly departed Edna Lewis. I am ready to begin.
This may not be my heritage, but it is my destiny.
If I was ever going to envision the perfect cereal website, it would probably come pretty close to Me and Goji. In a clear, easy-to understand manner, the site allows users to design their own cereals, using a wide-ranging collection of flakes, nuts, fruits, and flavors. As customers add and subtract from their "bowl," the sidebar keeps track of the price and nutritional info of their concoction. Information about the origins and composition of ingredients is available at the click of a mouse, as are recommendations and advice. Having designed the perfect cereal, customers can name it, save the recipe, and order capsules of it. Delivery is quick and easy, and the saved recipe makes re-ordering a snap.
For my cereal, I used Goji's artisanal cereal, a robust mix of grains that stood up nicely to milk. Keeping it simple, I added dried goji berries, cashews, and coconut, which resulted in a delicately-flavored cereal with a nicely varied texture. I also tried Me and Goji's seasonal blend, a mix of their "flaxed and flaked" cereal with goji berries, cranberries, apple, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon. While their mix was much more interesting than mine, I found the massive quantity of dried fruit to be a little too chewy for my tastes, and the flaxed and flaked cereal quickly grew soggy. In future experiments, I will probably go with other cereal bases, as I'm a big fan of sturdy flakes.
Food writers have been extolling the virtues of a simple pot of beans since the beginning of food writing. I'm a relatively recent convert to the world of dried beans, but these days, I can't get enough. Cooked up with bacon (pork or turkey both work) and a little sauteed onion (sometimes I throw a bit of red or green pepper in if I'm feeling adventurous) they make a wonderful, easy, abundant meal.
I like to cook them up a little juicy, so that when the beans are fully cooked, the result is something between a traditional pot of beans and bean soup. I serve them over brown rice and top them with a rotating assortment of grated cheese, cubed avocado, chopped cilantro, salsa and minced raw onion.
The other nice thing about this meal is that while it tastes wonderful, it's fairly simple, which is just the ticket after the indulgences of the holiday season.
Having eaten more than my fair share of dense, nutrient-rich energy bars over the years, I have to admit that I was a little wary of Kind bars. After all, most protein bars, energy bars, and other supposedly healthy meal-replacement snacks are long on nutrients, short on flavor, and have a taste that is reminiscent of high school chemistry class. So, when I got my first "Mango Macadamia" bar, I closed my eyes, gingerly nibbled, and tasted...food. Truth be told, it was absolutely delicious, with a sweet, gooey nuttiness and a complex texture that pleased both my palate and my tongue. Looking at the ingredients, I was happy to note that the bar only contained two ingredients that I could not easily picture (potassium citrate, calcium sulphate), and had a pretty solid nutritional profile.
This is not to say that all Kind bars are created equal. While I loved the Mango Macadamia and Strawberry Nut Delight, the Almond and Cashew was bland and the Almond, Walnut, and Macadamia was dry, somewhat sawdusty, and a little too close to a traditional granola bar. Also, at $2 per bar (a fair bit less if you buy online), the price is a little high for a daily snack.
On the other hand, Kind, and its parent company, PeaceWorks Holdings, donate 5% of all profits to charity, focusing their efforts on promoting peace across the world. Thus, although the pricetag might not be a little big, it supports a good cause. Moreover, when a bar tastes as good as the Mango Macadamia, even $2 a pop seems like a great deal!
Farro (emmer wheat) and spelt are not the same thing, as this New York Times essay amusingly points out. While farro cooks like pasta, high-protein spelt needs waaaay more time and love to become edible. So what is spelt, that oft-mocked hippie grain, good for? Apparently those brick-like 1970s "health loves" have gone the way of the Earth Shoe, and the new generation of spelt bread is like wheat bread but with a tougher crust. And spelt flour can be made to make genuinely edible pancakes, pizza dough, pasta and crackers as well. Plus, for those of you concerned with organic foods, spelt is easier to grow without pesticides. The essay includes recipes for spelt-flour crackers, and mushroom farro (no, you can't substitute spelt).
As we head into the holiday season, aka the Season of the Endless Buffets, portion control sticks in the back of any health-conscious or body-conscious mind. You know, at least while that mind is sober.
How are your portion control skills? Check them here on WomensHealthMag.com in a test where you are presented with pictures of two separate servings of pretzels and you have to guess which one you think is the 100 calorie serving. Sound tough? It is!
I got it wrong. Whatever, I just ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's. That's about 100 calories, right?
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to declare that all those 100 calorie packs totally bite, except maybe the Wheat Thins. They taste like the cereal version of whatever they're supposed to be. When I want Oreos, I don't want 100 calories worth of hexagonal Oreo-inspired crisps.
Everyone knows the secret of a good diet is to go ahead and eat what you crave, just don't eat too much of it. My entire pint of Ben & Jerry's? Well, I guess I'm not on a good diet today. Blame the economy. I don't know why, just do it.
By the time McDonald's introduced Happy Meals, I was too old to enjoy them. I've always felt kind of gypped by the whole Happy Meal thing. Now that the fast-food giant may discontinue the Pasta Zoo Happy Meal in its Australian restaurants, I'm even more disappointed. Actually that's a lie, I've never even heard of Pasta Zoo until today. It sounds like the pasta version of animal crackers.
Pasta Zoo was introduced back in January, but after poor sales, McDonald's is seriously considering replacing it with something else. The animal-shaped pasta with dipping sauce was part of the company's efforts to provide healthier Happy Meals.
This isn't the first failed product for Macca's, as the chain is known Down Under. Last spring the chain tested several dinner items, including spaghetti Bolognese and beef rendang, that were dropped from the menu. As a fan of Malaysian food, I don't whether to be happy or disappointed that one can no longer get a Big Mac with a side order of rendang in Australia.
When new bloggers join the Slashfood team, we like to make sure they get a proper introduction to our readers. You've metGretchen Roberts, Eric Diesel,Mike Pomranz, and Annie Scott. Now meet the latest addition to our team, Amy McDaniel. Do you have a personal blog? That's kind of personal question. And, no.
What is your day job, or rather, what do you do when you're not food blogging? I do some freelance writing for Saveur, and I'm working on my first book. Somewhat more profitably, I teach English at a small liberal arts college. Hmm, I wonder if my students ever google me. Should I censor myself on Slashfood?
How long have you been blogging with Slashfood and what is your favorite post? This is my third or fourth post. My favorite so far is the one that mentions Alice B. Toklas because someone referred to her recipe for Hashish Brownies in the comments this one (upon reflection).
Do you have any non-food-related, non-blogging hobbies? I co-host a poetry and fiction reading series in Atlanta with an impolite name.
Not every foodie does, so we have to ask: Do you cook? Why yes. Earlier this week I made dinner for one: roasted halibut with shitake-miso broth and udon noodles. When I entertain, I either go all out, which usually involves charcuterie, or for something more casual I stick to my grandmother's southern recipes.
What is your most prized utensil/gadget in the kitchen? A wooden spoon that belonged to my great-grandmother.
Inspired by fellow Slashfoodie Monika Bartyzel's recent post on using ingredients we already have, I decided to cook up a few of the many grains I've hoarded over the past few months...okay, more than just a few months. There's no other kind of food I buy more compulsively. Stone-ground grits, hard red wheat flour, orzo, coarse polenta, pasta in a variety of shapes, fregola sarda - shall I go on?.jpg)
In my experience, Orwellian doublespeak is usually confined to government pronouncements, corporate advertising, and the occasional politically-correct op-ed piece. Recently, however, IHOP surprised me by employing it in the service of their "Hungry Consumer Relief Plan." Basically, this plan involves all-you-can-eat pancakes, and will be offered at many locations until January 22, 2009. 
.jpg)
If I was ever going to envision the perfect cereal website, it would probably come pretty close to Me and Goji. In a clear, easy-to understand manner, the site allows users to design their own cereals, using a wide-ranging collection of flakes, nuts, fruits, and flavors. As customers add and subtract from their "bowl," the sidebar keeps track of the price and nutritional info of their concoction. Information about the origins and composition of ingredients is available at the click of a mouse, as are recommendations and advice. Having designed the perfect cereal, customers can name it, save the recipe, and order capsules of it. Delivery is quick and easy, and the saved recipe makes re-ordering a snap.
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Having eaten more than my fair share of dense, nutrient-rich energy bars over the years, I have to admit that I was a little wary of Kind bars. After all, most protein bars, energy bars, and other supposedly healthy meal-replacement snacks are long on nutrients, short on flavor, and have a taste that is reminiscent of high school chemistry class. So, when I got my first "Mango Macadamia" bar, I closed my eyes, gingerly nibbled, and tasted...food. Truth be told, it was absolutely delicious, with a sweet, gooey nuttiness and a complex texture that pleased both my palate and my tongue. Looking at the ingredients, I was happy to note that the bar only contained two ingredients that I could not easily picture (potassium citrate, calcium sulphate), and had a pretty solid nutritional profile. 
As we head into the holiday season, aka the Season of the Endless Buffets, portion control sticks in the back of any health-conscious or body-conscious mind. You know, at least while that mind is sober.
By the time McDonald's introduced Happy Meals, I was too old to enjoy them. I've always felt kind of gypped by the whole Happy Meal thing. Now that the fast-food giant may discontinue the Pasta Zoo Happy Meal in its Australian restaurants, I'm even more disappointed. Actually that's a lie, I've never even heard of Pasta Zoo until today. It sounds like the pasta version of animal crackers. 
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