Suggestions for Baked Cheese in Pastry — Other Than Brie?
Q: I know baked brie is quite common (and usually very popular) and I’ve seen some interesting variations on the norm — but to be honest, brie isn’t really my thing.Are there any yummy (holiday) variations of brie en croute that use other cheeses?Sent by JessicaEditor: Jessica, why yes, there are certainly other options.
Dec 30, 2011
Jobs at The Kitchn
The Kitchn does not at this point in time accept freelance pitches for stories. We work with a small, dedicated team of freelance writers. Meanwhile, feel free to submit resumes or writing clips via our Contact Form. If you encounter a problem with the online application, please contact us at hr@apartmenttherapy.
Dec 30, 2011
Outside the Box: 5 Sweet & Savory Ways to Eat Panettone
Tall, golden loaves of panettone are everywhere this time of year. Traditionally eaten around Christmas and New Year’s, this fruit-studded sweet bread can be enjoyed plain or simply toasted — but it doesn’t have to be. How about crisp-custardy panettone french toast or even a savory panettone panzanella with pancetta and brussels sprouts? • Panettone Bread Pudding at BBC Good Food: Fluffy panettone bakes into a beautiful, flavorful bread pudding.
Dec 16, 2011
Breakfast Recipe: Slow Cooker Spiced Porridge for a Crowd
I love lazy holiday weekends, emphasis on the lazy. This creamy slow-cooker porridge of steel-cut oats, dried fruits, and spices cooks overnight and is ready when we wake up. Perfect for when I have family visiting and want an easy breakfast that makes everyone happy. Make another pot of coffee and bring on the lazy morning! Cooking steel-cut oats and dried fruit in a slow-cooker does something amazing to both.
Dec 15, 2011
Make A Wreath You Can Eat
Although some find the ritual of packing and unpacking holiday decorations soothing, I’ve never been one of those people. My biggest problem are wreaths. They crush easily and usually require special attention. Forget specialty plastic boxes and skip storage all together. Instead, make one you can eat! • Read the full post at Re-Nest
Dec 15, 2011
Drink Recipe: Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate Soda
Pink grapefruit and pomegranate comprise the main ingredients in this gorgeously hued soda, and yet you might have a hard time picking out either flavor. What it does taste like is the holidays: merry, bright, a little spiced and very festive.To make the syrup for this seasonal fruit soda, you simply simmer grapefruit and pomegranate juices with sugar and star anise.
Dec 14, 2011
The Best Cocktail Recipe Apps
For us bigger kids, a cocktail can help kick off merriment while hosting a holiday shindig. But there are literally thousands of different ways to make a drink from an even wider variety of ingredients; this is where a good drink mix app may come in handy as reference while playing Jimmy the Bartender at
Dec 14, 2011
Pinterest Food Groups: What We Eat, According to Pinterest
Are you a Pinterest addict? Pinterest, at its heart, is a collective pinboard of photos that people find interesting enough to bookmark. Lots of these visual bookmarks are food-related — and we have been noticing some repeat themes, watching the food that people bookmark and pin over and over again.Read on to see some of our thoughts on what America wants to eat, judging from Pinterest. Do you agree? Add your own reflections on Pinterest food groups!• Visit Pinterest: Pinterest.
Dec 12, 2011
Gingerbread Play Dough
The holiday party season is well underway. If you’re juggling the invitations and trying to come up with a good gift to bring for the kiddos, think homemade play dough with a special twist. • Read the full post at Ohdeedoh
Dec 12, 2011
Wine or Juice Tumblers Like Those In Italian Restaurants?
Q: For years I have been looking for the short, narrow, juice-glass type wine glasses often used in old school Italian restaurants. My brother loves them and has been asking for them for at least a decade (they are a great space saver in tight city apartments). He’s recently engaged, and I am on a hunt for these glasses.Does anyone have an idea of what I’m looking for and/or where I might find them?Sent by JeniEditor: Jeni, are these close to what you’re looking for?
Dec 9, 2011
Can Dan Barber Produce a Humane Foie Gras?
Several years ago, we posted Dan Barber’s amazing TED talk about how he witnessed a more humane way to produce the delicious but controversial fatted goose liver called foie gras. The talk is classic Dan Barber, full of self-deprecating humor and his clearly passionate relationship to food. After his discovery of this more humane method, which eschews gavage, or force feeding, Barber (sort of) vows to never serve conventional foie gras in his restaurants again.
Dec 8, 2011
Cheese and Tea Break
The other day, I had the privilege of diving into a few cheeses my friend David made from scratch! Can you believe that last sentence? Sampling a Muenster and Camembert with a nice cup of black tea, it set my heart and tummy over the moon. What a gift to have friends who drop by
Dec 8, 2011
The Key To Creaming Butter By Hand
5 months ago my stand mixer broke. I’m sure it’s something simple to fix, but I just haven’t had the time. Lame right? Totally. Instead, this holiday season I’ve made all my cookies by hand and there’s one major think you have to pay attention to when not using a mixer — creaming the butter! Creaming butter is an important step in the process of baking. It gives your sugar lift and spreads out all the little granules and adds some air to your mixture.
Dec 7, 2011
Use a Sheet of Paper to See if Your Fridge is Wasting Energy
If you’re conserving energy by going without heat for the fall months, but your power or gas bill isn’t shrinking, you might have developed an energy leak somewhere. To see if your refrigerator is the culprit, you don’t need to hire a professional and toss away your precious holiday spending money, just grab for a
Dec 7, 2011
Cookbook Author Diane Morgan’s Timeless Kitchen
Today we get to tour the kitchen of a culinary professional! Prolific cookbook author Diane Morgan renovated her kitchen fifteen years ago, but she designed it to feel both solid and timeless, so as you will see it still looks fresh and modern.This kitchen has been the site of development for over seventeen cookbooks. Come peek into the incredibly organized cabinets and drawers of a professional food writer! Diane Morgan’s kitchen is beautiful, functional and highly organized.
Dec 6, 2011
Which Cookbook to Buy? 7 Questions to Help You Choose
In a perfect world, I’d have a bottomless well of money, time and shelf space, so I could buy all the noteworthy cookbooks that come out each year.Alas, this isn’t a perfect world, which is why I’m bookmarking reviewer T. Susan Chang’s list of seven questions she asks herself when rating cookbooks. I think it is going to come in handy when I’m trying to decide if a cookbook is worthy of a spot on my shelf.
Dec 6, 2011
Winter Recipe: Pork Ragu with Semolina Gnocchi
With December finally here, I can’t seem to find enough hours to get through each day. Between Christmas shopping, holiday parties, and work projects, life on Monday through Saturday is hurried and I’m sprinting just to keep up. But then, just in the nick of time, there is Sunday.I diligently set aside Sunday as a time for personal rest and relaxation. Don’t expect me to brush my hair, and don’t even ask why I still have mascara on my face past noon.
Dec 5, 2011
Check it Out! Watch Cocktails Explode in Slow Motion
It’s been a long week. Maybe you had a little too much turkey over the weekend and you’re still feeling a little…full. Or those relaxing days off were soon negated by a few stressful catch up days at work. Either way, it’s time to take a moment and watch cocktails explode in a super cool slow motion video! Phantom Cocktails from Ty Migota on Vimeo. Filmed with a Phantom camera at 5,000 frames per second, exploding beverages have never looked so cool. Enjoy!
Dec 2, 2011
Recipe: Thai-Style Brussels Sprouts
I had the best Brussels sprouts of my life last week at a lovely little restaurant in Brooklyn called Vinegar Hill House. It was just before Thanksgiving and it got me thinking about the dwindling stock of green food coming from the earth this time of year. Winter eating can be depressing for a girl like me, but given the limits and challenges of cold-weather cooking, some pretty amazing stuff can pop through this kind of tabletop sorrow.
Dec 1, 2011
LEGO Recycling Containers
For awhile now I’ve had a secret beef with recycling bins. For starters, you often need multiple bins to properly sort different items according to your city’s standards, but as soon as that happens, things start to feel clunky and unattractive. These new LEGO bins might be just what the modern-recycling doctor ordered. • Read
Dec 1, 2011
A Home Bread Proofer: The Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer Product Review
Get deep enough into bread baking and you’ll eventually run into one of the biggest home baking X-factors: temperature control. Pro bakers have special proofing cupboards to keep the environmental temperature steady while doughs and starters do their thing. We home bakers make do with warm ovens, radiators, and all other manner of improvised set-ups. This new small-sized, folding proofer from Brød & Taylor helps bridge the gap.I admit that I was skeptical about this proofer.
Nov 30, 2011
Look! Make Your Own Maple Cream
We polished off another small bottle of maple syrup with a post Thanksgiving brunch and I just had a feeling I’d need more sooner rather than later. If I had only listened to myself and picked up a bottle I could have whipped up a bit of maple cream tonight! Read on for the surprisingly simple (only one key ingredient!) recipe.Doesn’t the thought of thick maple cream spread on freshly baked pound cake sound like something worth trying?
Nov 30, 2011
Ice Cube Tray Buffet for Toddlers
It’s tough to plan a menu for a toddler party that is healthy, looks festive, and is appealing to small and picky guests. Sydney’s mom, event and interior designer Jennifer Bishop, came up with these “toddler buffets” for Sydney’s second birthday party. • Read the full post at Ohdeedoh
Nov 30, 2011
Are You a Foodie? Or a Culinarian?
The word foodie is a surprisingly controversial thing to call someone, or self-identify yourself as. This is in part because different people have different understandings of what the term means. Some think it’s a compliment, an acknowledgment of a passionate interested in food. Others consider it a pejorative, an insult, actually. A foodie is frivolous and trend-following and not to be taken seriously. Lately, I’ve been hearing another term slipping into the language: culinarian.
Nov 29, 2011
Turn Spare Keyboard Keys Into Fridge Magnets
What a great DIY idea from Decoratrix for using spare keyboard parts for fridge note posting duty (oh wait, it’s the very same idea we had awhile back!). Glue-gun one of those tiny super strong magnets inside a keyboard key and you can not only post things up onto the fridge, but spell out the
Nov 29, 2011
Love Beer? Create A Bottle Cap Backsplash
People who love beer often keep the bottle caps as a memento of the unique beers they’ve tried. But the problem is, unlike corks for wine people, there aren’t great ways to use or display them. Yes, you can make fridge magnets, but beyond that I haven’t seen anything worth the effort… until I saw
Nov 28, 2011
What’s the Best Way to Keep a Turkey Warm?
Much of the challenge associated with Thanksgiving has little to do with recipes or actual cooking; culinarily-speaking, it’s a pretty straightforward meal. Logistically, however, cooking so many dishes for a large crowd of people can feel overwhelming. Here’s one question that invariably comes up: How do I keep the turkey warm while getting the rest of the meal on the table?
Nov 23, 2011
Drink Recipe: Asian Pear Sparkler
With several of my family members and friends allergic to alcohol, I’m looking at the holidays as a time to invent seasonal, booze-free drinks that still feel special. This Asian pear sparkler is smooth and refreshing with an enticing undercurrent of warm autumn flavors. I love making drinks with seasonal fruit, simmering the juice with sugar, honey, and other ingredients to form a simple syrup that can be mixed with fizzy water and adjusted to each person’s preference for sweetness.
Nov 23, 2011
Last Minute Appetizer: Crispy Brussels Sprouts Chips
I couldn’t bear to throw away all the tough outer leaves left behind from making roasted Brussels sprouts last week. So what did I do? What any enterprising and frugal home cook would do: I doused them with olive oil and made sprout chips. I figured if you can transform rugged leaves of kale into a crispy snack, why not Brussels sprout leaves? I hovered anxiously near the oven while they baked, resisting the urge to check on them too frequently for fear of letting the heat out.
Nov 23, 2011
Tiny Food Worlds: An Interview with Christopher Boffoli
Tiny toy figures are hard at work in a world of giant food in Chris Boffoli’s photography series Disparity. Humorous and occasionally dark, the scenes depict food in a way that is both beautiful and a little monstrous. The Seattle-based photographer, food writer and avid cook spoke with us about his creative process, the ingredients he works with, and his thoughts on Americans’ relationship with food.What inspired you to use food as the backdrop in this series?
Nov 23, 2011
Mayflower Dinner Bread Boats Set Sail on Your Table
If you have school age children, it’s likely they have been talking about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower recently. In this spirit, Lisa brought American history to life right on her dining room table. • Read the full post at Ohdeedoh
Nov 23, 2011
The Great Stuffing Debate: Pepperidge Farm vs. All the Rest
Sometimes, you’ve got to let things go. For instance, if you’re set on convincing your family that homemade stuffing can rock way more than anything in a bag: let it go. If you have a competition with said family and a blind taste test and you end up losing: it’s time to let it go. If you keep coming back thinking this could be the year it all changes, it’s really time to let it go.
Nov 22, 2011
Oyster Stuffing: Is it Worth All the Shucking?
We’ve never had oyster stuffing. Have you? Whoa, it’s a lot of work if you’re talking about shucking dozens of fresh oysters to chop and bake with your bread cubes. But the payoff (we hear) is that the bread soaks up the oyster liquor, and you get a richness that’s beyond what sausage or a little chicken broth can offer. As for the origins of oyster stuffing… it’s complicated.
Nov 22, 2011
Why You Should Go to the Farmers’ Market on Rainy Days
The week before Thanksgiving is probably a busy one at your local farmers’ market. People descend in droves to gather their ingredients for the big day: potatoes, fresh cranberries, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, fresh herbs. The farmers respond appropriately by harvesting big, hiring extra booth workers and hauling everything to the market site.So what happens when it rains and people stay away?What happens is the farmers lose. A lot.
Nov 22, 2011
Mix It Up: 10 Ideas for Mashed Potato Add-Ins
Plain mashed potatoes are great on their own, but sometimes you want to mix it up a bit. Mashing in other vegetables adds flavor, color and texture, transforming the usual bowl of starch into a totally new side dish. How about mashed potatoes with butternut squash or caramelized shallot and sage? Get these recipes and more ideas below!
Nov 22, 2011
Thanksgiving Dinners Inspired By Ethnic Cuisines
Every Thanksgiving, I sit at the family table – which has included such fare as chapchae, steamed rice, and Peking duck – and imagine all the other melting-pot meals taking place across the country. Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday, and what better time to celebrate the diversity of our cuisines?For some families, no holiday table would be complete without lumpia, kugel, or fattoush alongside the turkey and mashed potatoes.
Nov 21, 2011
Look! Make Edible Bowls with a Muffin Tin
Needless to say, my mind was rather blown when I saw this tip over on Lifehacker. Flip a muffin tin upside down to make edible bowls out of cookie dough? I can get on board with that.It really is as simple as it sounds. Make a batch of cookie dough, turn over your muffin tin, and press the dough around the individual muffin wells (now muffin domes). A spritz of non-stick coating over the muffin tin helps ease the bowls off after baking.
Nov 21, 2011
Mail-Order Turkey: Williams-Sonoma’s Organic Willie Bird Product Review
Now that you’ve seen how beautifully this turkey turned out, I can confess how much actually went wrong while cooking it. The turkey cooked in half the time I expected, while my guests were an hour late. When re-heating the turkey, I managed to forget it was in the oven. I neglected to remove the giblets. And so on.But in spite of all my mess-ups, this was still one of the best turkeys I’ve ever eaten.
Nov 17, 2011
3 Espresso Machines to Make You an Instant Barista
Are you like us and depend upon your morning cup of coffee to get started…and maybe even last through the day? Sometimes a whole day can come to a halting stop without that cup. Call us snobs, but common drip coffee doesn’t cut it, so we’ve been researching espresso machines to fulfill our caffeine urges
Nov 17, 2011
Tip from Christina Tosi: Brown Butter in the Microwave
Browned butter is one of my all-time favorite flavors of fall cooking. I could eat any one of these recipes without being asked twice, and then lick the plate clean. Dangerously for me, and probably you, Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar has just made the process of browning butter a whole lot easier.I honed in immediately on this gem of a tip in Tosi’s new cookbook Momofuku Milk Bar. Here is a lady who knows when to put in the time and when to cut corners for the sake of efficiency.
Nov 16, 2011
5 Entertaining Items That Are Built to Last
As our household has transitioned from college grads to working adults, we have been taking stock of our kitchen items and upgrading as we are able, purchasing a few entertaining and cooking workhorses that will last for decades and focusing on elegant, timeless pieces that will only get better with age. Here are some of
Nov 16, 2011
Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf in a Pumpkin
It was a lonely late fall a few years back. I had moved back to the apartment my husband and I owned to oversee its sale. Two thousand miles from family and with Thanksgiving fast approaching, I was just about to buy a last-minute ticket for a flight home when my big sister showed up on my doorstep and turned my frown upside down.
Nov 15, 2011
Why You Should Call Congress About the Farm Bill
While we recognize that the food movement has come a long way in recent years, legislation that directly affects our food–and the local farms we’d ideally like it to come from–is going to be voted on very, very soon. Here’s what you can do to help send a sustainable-food-friendly message to Congress about the Farm
Nov 15, 2011
Recipe: No-Bake Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies
This past weekend was a big football game for my boyfriend and me. Our respective colleges happen to be old rivals, and once a year our love for each other is compromised only by our love for the game. We surround those four treacherous quarters with friends, family, and good food. It just makes the tension seem a little bit more bearable. It just so happens that my boyfriend’s family is famous for their tailgating skills. I’m not joking here; these guys are pros.
Nov 14, 2011
Quick Tip: Choosing the Best Meat for Beef Stew
It’s fall. It’s chilly. Maybe you have friends or family coming over later. Beef stew is on the menu. It’s tempting to spring for some steak to make your stew extra-special, isn’t it? But, friends, save your pennies because slow-cooked stews are where cheaper cuts really shine. It’s totally counter-intuitive. You know you want tender bites of beef in your soup, so it seems natural to gravitate toward the tender cuts of meat.
Nov 14, 2011
Slow Cooker Recipe: Peppered Beef Shank in Red Wine
‘Tis the season for braises, slow-cooked meat that falls apart into tender chunks. Here’s a new favorite cut of meat for me: The inexpensive, incredibly delicious crosscut beef shank. The crosscut beef shank is basically just what it sounds (and looks) like: A crosscut piece of the animal’s leg. It’s full of tendons and muscle, and a chunk of bone. It doesn’t look very pretty, and if you tried to cook it fast, it would be tough and hard to chew.
Nov 11, 2011
Cold-Weather Cocktail Recipe: Pumpkin Buttered Rum
pumpkin butter Alcohol always warms the body, and hot alcohol doubly so. Delight your guests, and warm your insides, with this tweak of an old recipe. Now, if you have never had hot buttered rum before, you may be a bit skeptical. Alcohol and butter? Believe and do not doubt. Butter adds a certain richness to this drink, as well as a bit of flavor. Imagine drinking a warm glass of boozy pumpkin pie. Don’t you love fall? Nancy Mitchell loves a hot drink on a cold day.
Nov 11, 2011
Make-Ahead Vegetarian Recipe: Beet & Sweet Potato Stacks
It’s the details that matter the most at fancy dinner parties and holiday meals. Take this recipe. Really, it’s just a warm beet salad. But assemble it in pretty layers, add some toasted walnuts and a citrusy vinaigrette, and suddenly you have a dish that elicits oohs and ahhs as you carry it proudly to the dinner table. Equally impressive is the fact that most of this recipe can be made ahead of time. The beets, sweet potatoes, and walnuts can all be roasted.
Nov 10, 2011