Kitchn Archive - 2011
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Vote For the Winner of Small, Cool Outdoors!
This is it! We’re pleased to announce the six finalists in our Small, Cool Outdoors Contest. Click on the thumbnails above to view each entry again, and then come back and vote for who you think should be the WINNER. Voting is only open until 11:30am EST on Wednesday, August 31, so don’t delay! •
Aug 31, 2011
Seasonal Spotlight: Pink Pearl Apples
These Pink Pearl apples made me gasp when I saw them in San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Market last week. I was so excited I almost overturned the display! Like little ambassadors of fall, this forgotten heirloom variety is hard to find these days. Don’t know Pink Pearls? Read on for more about these little jewels.Pink Pearls are delicious eating apples. Their vibrant, deep pink flesh is crisp, juicy and has an excellent sweet/tart ratio.
Aug 30, 2011
Strong and Sour: Calamansi Lemons
Check out these tiny little lemons! Don’t be fooled by their sweet appearance, though. These diminutive citrus fruits are packing a seriously sour punch.I spotted these particular calamansi lemons at the Mountain View Farmers Market south of San Francisco. At first, I thought they were mandarin oranges or perhaps kumquats. They have the same shape and look as mandarin oranges, but with the coloring and thin skin of a kumquat.It turns out that I wasn’t that far off base.
Aug 30, 2011
Keep Bugs Away with Paper Cup Covers
Summertime is full of outdoor fun, games, parties and more. Along with that comes a healthy dose of bugs which are particularly attracted to sugary drinks that smell oh so sweet. Check out this clever craft that both keeps track of whose cup is whose and puts the kibosh on our winged friends. • Read
Aug 30, 2011
Summer Tip: Eat Your Sweet Corn Raw!
This time of year, the sweet corn is good enough to eat… raw. Yes, that’s right. Don’t bother cooking your sweet corn, or, for that matter, even cutting it off the cob. I’ve had raw sweet corn salads, but I had never just eaten an entire ear of sweet corn totally raw. Not until last week, that is, when I ate this luscious, crisp ear of corn up at The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio.
Aug 29, 2011
Drink Recipe: Sparkling Rosemary Limeade
Do you like limeade? I do. But I find many limeades too syrupy and sweet, and rather lacking in citrus punch. Well, not this one. This drink is punchy. I get sad when lemonade or limeade isn’t punchy enough. Weak, barely a hint of citrus — all sugar. Not this stuff. It punches out on every level. It’s all lime, with a lingering herbal note from rosemary, and with just enough sugar to keep it from being mouth-puckering.
Aug 29, 2011
A Guide To Slow Home Principles in the Kitchen
The kitchen often serves as the heart of the home—whether it’s just you and the dog, or friends and family (and especially at holiday get-togethers), people tend to gather in the kitchen. Making it a place where you can truly appreciate the space and time you have there is part of enjoying a slow home.
Aug 29, 2011
Video: A Sneak Peek of The Pioneer Woman’s TV Show
The first episode of Ree Drummond’s new cooking show, The Pioneer Woman, airs this Saturday. Check out a preview of the episode after the jump! The show is shot on-location at Drummond’s ranch in Oklahoma and, at least judging from the sneak peek above, is as much about life on the ranch as it is about the food. The first episode features a rancher-approved meal of chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and marinated tomato salad.
Aug 26, 2011
Summer’s New Super Small & Stylish Kitchen
(Image credit: The Kitchn) Longtime Apartment Therapy readers will recognize most of the apartment of Chicago designer Summer Thornton. It’s one of our all time most popular House Tours, thanks to Summer’s impeccable sense of style and wonderfully translatable design ideas. But one room we didn’t see was the not-yet-renovated kitchen. Fast forward a few
Aug 25, 2011
Back to School Recipe: The Ultimate Mac & Mornay
Wow. Have your ever had a gastronomic moment when you know you’re eating the best version of a particular dish? Eyes light up, noshing sounds commence and belly sighs exhale as fellow diners exclaim, “No THIS is the best!”, “Oh my God!” and “Praise Mac & Mornay!” This happened recently and thank goodness I had my camera and notebook to document and jot down the ultimate mac and mornay recipe.
Aug 24, 2011
My Celery Dilemma
I like the taste of celery. I like how it adds crunch to salads and body to soups and stews. But I find that if I can get away with it, I often skip it, even when a recipe calls for it. Read on to find out why.With the exception of cream of celery soup (which I never make) celery is seldom the main flavor in dishes. It usually functions like a member of the back up band and, to carry the analogy further (forgive me), it’s often like a rhythm guitar: Nice, but not always essential.
Aug 24, 2011
Garbage Disposal Nightmares: When Objects Get Stuck
So it turns out that my small tumblers are the exact same size as my garbage disposal. I learned this to my dismay late Sunday night and started panicking as idea after idea failed to extract it from the belly of my sink. You’ll never guess what finally did the trick.When I say this tumbler is the exact size of our garbage disposal, I mean the exact size. I could grab the lip of the cup and pull it up, but it would get stuck in the opening, manhole-cover-style.
Aug 24, 2011
Sunday Kitchen Greenhouse Rack
A greenhouse shelving unit with a built-in power socket? My dreams have come true! This system is customizable based on a person’s individual needs. In my case it would hold herbs, gardening supplies, and the latest picks from the farmer’s market! • Read the full post at Apartment Therapy
Aug 24, 2011
Breakfast to Go: Heidi Swanson’s Cottage Cheese Muffins
When the busy fall comes around, breakfast is just as important as lunch — and it’s even more important to make it easy. If you are looking for an easy, grab-and-go breakfast, try my current favorite: These eggy, cheesy, savory muffins from Rose Elliot and Heidi Swanson.Cottage cheese muffins is a rather modest name for these savory, high-protein little muffins. They are made with cottage cheese, eggs, ground almonds, and just a smidgen of flour.
Aug 23, 2011
Can I Make Mac & Cheese Ahead of Time and Bake Later?
Q: Can macaroni and cheese be made a day ahead, refrigerated and then baked before use?Sent by RuthEditor: Ruth, yes, absolutely. In fact, it can even be frozen at this point. (When ready to use, thaw and bake.)Readers, any specific advice for making mac and cheese ahead?Next question?
Aug 23, 2011
Baking Tools: Pastry Cloth
Do you use a pastry cloth? Though little more than a canvas cloth, this old-fashioned kitchen tool is charming in its simplicity and usefulness.Usually made of durable cotton canvas, a pastry cloth makes an excellent work surface for rolling out pie crusts, biscuits, cookies, and other doughs. Rubbing a little flour into the cloth prevents sticking without adding excess flour to the dough, keeping the pastry light and flaky.
Aug 22, 2011
What Is the Best Way to Transport Soup for Lunch?
Q:  I will be student teaching this fall, and packing healthy, satisfying lunches every single day is a huge challenge for me!My plan is to make a big pot of soup every week, but I need a good way to transport it, preferably without the need to reheat at school.Are there any good packing-and-traveling options for soup?Sent by RebeccaEditor: Rebecca, glass canning jars are definitely a good option; they’re inexpensive and easy to clean.
Aug 22, 2011
100% American: How the Crispy Taco Was Invented
Even growing up in Southern California, as a child the only tacos I ate were made of seasoned ground beef, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce and a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese in a crisp, yellow, U-shaped shell. When I was finally introduced to the soft, vegetable-less, cheese-free taco truck version, I realized the tacos I grew up eating were not Mexican at all. But where did the American taco originate? And what’s with the crispy shell?
Aug 22, 2011
Weekend Meditation: At First Light
Sometimes the first few minutes of the day are the only quiet time I have. At first light, before the day has attained its energy and push, before agendas and lists and demands can form, before my mind has revved up with all its ideas and opinions and anxieties, I get out of bed, make a cup of tea and have myself a quiet sit.For most adults, our entire day is crammed with planning and strategizing and problem solving.
Aug 21, 2011
History of Drink: What Exactly is Sloe Gin, Anyway?
The question I get asked most often about sloe gin is: “Sloe gin? What’s that?” Sloe gin is many things – a home-grown British favorite, a triumph of ingenuity, and a forgotten cocktail classic that deserves a second look. To understand sloe gin, we must first answer the question: “what, exactly, is a sloe”? Sloes are little berries, about the size of a dime, that grow wild in hedgerows all over England.
Aug 19, 2011
No Hammer: A Better Way to Break Up Unrefined Sugar
Compressed discs of unrefined sugar like piloncillo and palm sugar add a distinctive depth to dishes, but they are also extremely difficult to break apart. The LA Times Test Kitchen shared a tip for breaking up these sugar blocks without having to resort to a hammer.They use a box grater to break down the sugar before using it, a trick they say “works like magic” and is a lot less messy than taking a swing at the sugar with a hammer. Simple and ingenious!
Aug 19, 2011
Eating Food With Your Hands
There are some foods that create very little controversy when eaten with your hands: Onion rings, sandwiches, toast come to mind. And other foods, like steak or pasta salad, are frowned upon. Some of this divide is practical (such as oatmeal) and sometimes it seems rather random: we eat French fries with our hands and roasted potatoes with a fork, for example. Do you have any food you like to eat with your hands that polite society says you shouldn’t?I do.
Aug 18, 2011
8 Daily Tasks to Help Maintain & Clean Your Home
Preventative measures can feel like more work upfront, but in the end this active approach to keeping house means tasks are easier to tackle, resulting in more downtime overall. Here are some friendly reminders (imagine your grandmother’s firm but loving voice) on how to “save nine” when it comes to cleaning your home. • Read
Aug 18, 2011
How To Make Sugared Raspberries
Sugared raspberries are an elegant touch for any dessert. They are at once crunchy and soft, bursting with sweetness and natural flavor. They are a real surprise when you bite into one and the liquid juices meld with crystals of sugar. Best of all, you can apply this same technique to other seasonal fruits: Blueberries, Italian plums, blackberries, even rose petals are wonderful when sugared. You don’t need very many of these sparkling sweets — they are very potent.
Aug 17, 2011
An All-Naturally Flavored (& Colored!) Lego Cake
Baking from scratch is all the rage. Here’s a great example: This cake was made with love (by Dad!) to allow other party guests with food sensitivities to attend. Not only is it handmade, but it’s all natural, right down to the flavors and coloring used. • Read the full post at Ohdeedoh
Aug 17, 2011
Good Idea: Use a Colander to Serve Ice
Here’s a smart idea from our friends at Real Simple: Use a colander as an ice bucket. Why? Read on to see!When serving ice at a party or just for drinks before dinner, put the ice in a colander. Rest the colander in a bowl or wide vase so that the water from the slowly melting ice will drip down, leaving only solid ice for your guests’ drinks.This is a smart tip! I hate going in for a scoop of ice for my drink and finding half of it water. Watery drinks, no thanks!
Aug 16, 2011
Add Pour Spouts to Canning Jars
Many of us use canning jars for just about everything around the home. Their uses are almost limitless, but did you know that with a simple addition they can do even more? Check out the way this repurposed salt pour makes this jar extra functional! • Read the full post at Re-Nest
Aug 15, 2011
Mixer Math: How To Calculate Alcohol Needs for a Party
Figuring out how many bottles of wine you need for a small dinner party might be easy, but what about planning for a large event like a wedding reception or a family reunion? Here are some guidelines for calculating how much wine, beer, and liquor you’ll need for a party, no matter the size.First, figure out how many drinks you’ll need for the duration of the party.
Aug 12, 2011
Overheard: Navigating IKEA
“IKEA is a retail tower defense game where you are the enemy trying to navigate the maze without losing all your money before the exit.” – Jason Kottke
Aug 11, 2011
Why Can’t My Blender Chop Up Frozen Strawberries?
Q: I got out our old Cuisinart blender yesterday when my fiance said she wanted a strawberry smoothie. I put in milk and yogurt and some whole frozen strawberries. As soon as I turned it on, an air pocket formed around the blade and nothing was blending.Do you think I need a different blender, or do I maybe need to buy sliced frozen strawberries? Or fresh strawberries? The blender has no problem with ice.
Aug 11, 2011
Not Just For Beer: Cooking With Hops
Hops are famous in the world of beer, but did you know you can also cook with the stalks, leaves, and flowers of this easy to grow vine? Over at the Bon Appétit blog, Ian Knauer has some tips for growing and cooking with hops.Knauer was told not to expect any hops within the first year of planting cuttings, but vines burst to life in the rich soil and ample sun of his family farm, and he was able to harvest a gallon of hops.
Aug 11, 2011
Growing Rooftop Herbs in Paris
Just when I think I’ve had it with my tiny apartment and lack of outdoor space, I find a photo that reaches out and pulls at my lack of creativity and “stuck” feeling. Danielle Rubi, a photographer based in Paris, France, grows herbs and vegetables on her roof! So what if she doesn’t have acres
Aug 11, 2011
Skip the Mince: Try Thinly Slicing Your Garlic
Love garlic? Skip the mince.Mincing is great for infusing an entire dish with garlicky goodness without actually overwhelming the other flavors. But sometimes? Well, we want a hit of the real stuff.That’s when you should think about ignoring what the recipe says and leaving your garlic in big healthy slices. Do you ever do this?When you leave the garlic in slices rather than mincing it down to a pulp, you still get a garlic-infused dish. But you also get the occasional bite of pure garlic.
Aug 10, 2011
Potluck Etiquette: What Are Your Rules?
Potluck parties are one of the least stressful and most budget-friendly ways to throw a dinner party. But as with most communal efforts, they work best when everyone works together, so you don’t end up with 10 bottles of wine and not enough food. What are the rules you wish everyone followed when it comes to potlucks? The inspiration for the this post was a recent LA Weekly article on 10 Potluck Etiquette Rules.
Aug 10, 2011
Reader Tip: The Quick & Simple Way to Banish Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are the scourge of the summer kitchen. With plenty of ripe fruit sitting out on the counters, my kitchen has been attracting these little flies for the past couple weeks, so I decided to search this site for a solution. A trick recommended again and again by readers in the comments ended up being the quickest, easiest way to rid my kitchen of these pesky flies.
Aug 9, 2011
Fruits & Veggies Are Not as Nutritious as 60 Years Ago
Did you know tomatoes had 55 percent more calcium and 25 percent more iron in 1950 than they did in 1999?Grist wrote about a study that compared the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables grown in 1999 to those grown almost 50 years before. Breeding high-yielding crops, it seems, has led to a loss of nutrients in our produce.The loss is not just because of depleted nutrients in the soil.
Aug 9, 2011
A Guide to the Pros and Cons of Countertop Materials
(Image credit: Liz Vidyarthi) If you’ve ever undergone a big kitchen renovation, you know about the dizzying array of options for kitchen countertops. With new materials being developed all the time, how do you sift through the marketing folderol and make an informed decision? Here is a roundup of several popular options, with pros and
Aug 9, 2011
Feed a Crowd: Throw a BLT Party
The BLT is a crowd-pleaser at any time of year, but when tomatoes are at their peak during the summer, this sandwich is good enough to be the star of the party. Over at Saveur, they have some ideas for organizing an easy and economical BLT party for a crowd.Winnie Yang throws an annual BLT party for around 50 guests, and she shares her tips for planning and timing an even like this. Almost everything can be done ahead of time, she points out, like making homemade mayonnaise the week before.
Aug 8, 2011
The Small, Cool Outdoors Contest 2011
We’ve seen it all: small interior spaces, small kids’ rooms, even small kitchens. But now we’re moving outside to celebrate your beautiful and creative small outdoor spaces! If you’ve got a balcony, a porch, a terrace, a rooftop garden, or a backyard, and it’s under 250 square feet, we want to see it! If our
Aug 8, 2011
Weekend Meditation: A Short List of Delights & Inspirations
Today I want to share with you a few things that have either made me smile or have inspired my kitchen this week. I hope you enjoy them. And please share with us what inspired you this week in the comments.First up, a few words of wisdom from tea towels!
Aug 7, 2011
How Do You Store Your Bread?
I live alone, so it can take me a good week to go through a loaf of bread. Keeping it fresh can be a challenge. I usually buy unsliced bread, so freezing it is not a practical option and plastic bags only seem to encourage limpness and mold. After struggling with this issue for quite some time, I recently discovered a method to store my bread right there on my kitchen counter that couldn’t be simpler. It requires no additional purchases or fancy equipment. Read on for my solution!
Aug 5, 2011
Ways to Save Money When Running the Dishwasher
Want to know how to get excited about doing dishes? Just wait until you’ve got a home hack to try out. We’re all ears when somebody tells us an easy and money-saving housekeeping tip. It gets us especially excited to tackle mundane chores, eager to see if this nearly too-good-to-be-true tip can really get our
Aug 5, 2011
Classic Recipe Update: Creamy, Herby Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing from a bottle (or mixed from a packet) has a strong allegiance to my culinary childhood and for that reason alone I will not disparage it, just as I will not speak against pop tarts or packaged mac’n’cheese. But now that I’m an adult (what?), I prefer fresh flavors and real ingredients over the powdered additives and unknowable, unpronounceable chemicals of bottled dressings.
Aug 4, 2011
Vintage Glamour for the Tabletop
(Image credit: The Kitchn) I have spent many wonderful days walking through antique shops but this is the first time i’ve seen an antique mirror used as a table top. I could overcome all the practical obstacles of having a table like this if it meant adding some tea time glamour to my life. •
Aug 4, 2011
Quick Tip: Removing Rust Spots from Stainless Steel
I came home from a recent trip to a very unpleasant surprise: my stainless steel prep table was peppered with tiny blooms of rust.I was baffled how this could happen. Stainless steel will pick up some scratches and stains, but it should be protected from rusting by a layer of chromium oxide (one of the characteristics of stainless steel and why we use it so much in the kitchen).I was just starting to despair when I realized the reason for the rusting and found its solution.
Aug 3, 2011
Drink Recipe: Elderberry Shrub
If there’s one thing that can bring us out of mourning the end of elderflower season, it’s the appearance of elderberries. These juicy, tangy, slightly sweet and Vitamin C-packed berries make delicious jellies, wines, and syrups – and, we recently learned, shrubs. Ever had a shrub? Ever since Elizabeth posted about shrubsEvan Kleiman It took us awhile to finally get around to making a shrub of our own but now that we’ve started, it will be hard to stop!
Aug 3, 2011
Help! My Pizza Dough Always Sticks to the Rolling Pin
Q: I have been making homemade pizza dough for a while now and for the life of me can not get the dough to not stick to my rolling pin. I can use a pound of flour or cornmeal and it still sticks. I always end up stretching it by hand which makes for an uneven crust. I have the same problems with anything that requires rolling, but especially pizza dough. What am I doing wrong — help!?!
Aug 3, 2011
No-Recipe Sorbet: The Egg Test
One of the best ways to capture the pure taste of summer fruit is by turning it into sorbet. But hitting the perfect balance between overly sweetened and not sweet enough when making the base can be tricky — unless you use the egg test.We first spotted this trick on Jill Silverman Hough’s website, where she outlined her step-by-step method for making fruit sorbets. After pureeing the fruit, she adds simple syrup to taste.
Aug 3, 2011