The Kitchn Archive: Apr 2013

Do you have a thing for smoky drinks? Have you sipped a trendy smoky cocktail lately, one that goes way beyond the smoke of Scotch and into new territory? Smoky cocktails are a lot of fun to make at home, I discovered recently, and yes, they involve real smoke, and yes, they’re just about the best party trick ever. Here’s what it looks like to make a smoked cocktail…That’s my friend Chris, who runs the rad blog Man Made DIY.

We’re no strangers to sriracha. In fact, we like it in our beer, our mayo, and sprinkled on everything from roasted vegetables to grilled meats. While it seems ubiquitous now, sriracha as we know it didn’t come around until 1980…A recent article in the Los Angeles Times delves into the hot sauce’s history. David Tran, 68, a former major in the South Vietnamese army, moved with his family to Los Angeles in the late 1970s.

My husband and I always know if the other hasn’t eaten in awhile, and not because we go on about how hungry we are. No — we know because we both suddenly and somewhat inexplicably get grumpy and a little too snippy. What two minutes before was just a mole hill is now a mountain of a mess — clearly! — and you are in my way and this all just sucks. Yes, I should stock up on a few of these cards right now.

Need a pick-me-up this Monday morning? Check out this imaginative and adorable latte art being made by baristas in Japan. NPR talked to two Japanese baristas who share daily photos of their ephemeral works of espresso art on the web. From anime characters to angry cats, the latte art by Kazuki Yamamoto and Kohei Matsuno is much more intricate than the usual milk-foam flower — and a lot more fun.Why spend time creating such detailed images with such an impermanent medium?

Last year we ran a week of posts here at The Kitchn that were in response to reader requests. It was such a hit that we’re doing it again! In two weeks, our Reader Requests Week will bring you only posts that were written in response to a question or request from a reader (we even note on the post who requested it!). We have about 80 post slots to fill, and we’re wide open: What do you want to read about during Reader Request Week?

Ralph and Julie live in a spacious apartment in Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighborhood. It’s a dream space (handed down to them from a family friend) that retains many of the original period details you’d expect in an Altbau Berlin apartment. The standout detail, though, is the bright, glossy green floor in the kitchen — a last-minute DIY project that completely makes the whole space! So cool.

Eat your greens… and your reds, and your yellows, and your violets. That’s the message of this bold and informative poster. Want a reminder of just which nutrients are in your fruits and vegetables? Hang this on your kitchen wall. This infographic and poster was designed by Russell van Kraayenburg of Chasing Delicious. (Remember his great seasonal produce calendar?

There are cocktails. And there’s green juice. Ne’er the twain shall meet… or so we thought. From what we’re reading, the latest wave in cocktails could be a move to using greens in lieu of the traditional herbs.  Details magazine thinks so, anyway. Their interviews with a few prominent bartenders across the country prove that “it’s all about the vegetables.

• Who wrote it: Claudia Pearson • Who published it: Chronicle Books • Highlights: We love illustrator Claudia Pearson’s tea towels, calendars, and totes featuring seasonal fruits and vegetables. Now she’s encouraging others to pick up a pencil and explore the shapes, colors, and textures of food.

Recently Serious Eats published a piece on their Slice blog touching on why making pizza at home can make you happier and ends up being easier on the pocketbook. They lay out five detailed reasons — which, when taken together, are more than enough to convince even those who think good pizza only comes out of a master pizzaiolo’s wood-fired oven.

Do you have entertaining anxiety? I did (and I still come down with a touch of it every now and then, especially if someone important is invited). How did I get over it? It dawned on me that I had never once resented being invited to someone’s home. I never wondered, “Chips and dip? BYOB? Really? That’s it?” or “Wow. Look at that stain on the sofa. These people are real slobs.” Nope.

Hello Saturday. Popular posts this week on The Kitchn include 10 cocktails for Game of Thrones fanatics, how to make crunchy caramel popcorn, a Palm Springs kitchen renovation, 50 cocktails from 50 states, and Faith’s big kitchen renovation reveal! 15. Should Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Be Refrigerated?14. Kitchen Before & After: A Palm Springs Kitchen Gets a Luxury Makeover13. Party Recipe: Savory Scones with Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomatoes 12.

When we talk about food and cooking, we talk about senses.Usually taste comes first, that one is easy. Smell is a close second, as it is a major neurological trigger to everything from memory and dreams to salivation and stomach groans. Then comes sight; spend thirty seconds on Pinterest or Instagram and you’ll see what I mean: we are obsessed with looking at food.

Has fennel crossed your kitchen threshold yet? If you’ve never tried fennel, it helps to know that it’s used as an herb as frequently as a vegetable. It is very aromatic, with a slightly sweet, little-bit-spicy anise flavor. The super versatile bulb is shredded to make salads and side dishes, braised with chicken or fish for heartier dinners, and pureed into soups and sauces. I’ve even had fennel ice cream, and it was quite wonderful.

Discussing a shot with the visuals team on set in a Portland, Oregon winery!It’s been a long time coming. In the years since I started The Kitchn in 2005, Apartment Therapy has published three design books, and Faith and I have each published two of our own cookbooks, but until now, there hasn’t been a cookbook to share The Kitchn with the world beyond the internet. For the last several months we’ve been hard at work on the biggest book yet.

I’ve had appliances on my mind, as you know, having recently bought an entire set appliances for my kitchen. Yesterday I shared some of my chat with Thomas Johansson, the Design Director of Electrolux, who talked about how he thinks that the refrigerator is the appliance that needs the most rethinking. Well, take a look at this idea from one of the 2012 Design Lab finalists: is this the fridge of the future? Wait, you’re probably saying — this is a fridge?

I’m not ashamed to admit it: the dream of the ’90s is alive in my kitchen. But when I’m done cooking and guests start to arrive, I play it a little cooler with a mix of current indie favorites and older R&B, soul and funk music. Want to hear for yourself?

Even before I lived in the music capital of the world, I loved music. It has a way of quickly elevating a particular mood or emotion, and it can do the same thing for your dinner party (and party prep)! Here’s a peek at what I’m grooving to as the meal and evening all comes together. I turn on my dinner party playlist when I begin the final preparations before guests arrive — so that I don’t forget to turn on the music if someone pops in early.

Recipe: Ortine’s Mediterranean PlatterI have been busy testing recipes for a big, exciting project (one that we’re going to share more of with you later this week!). While making spicy-sweet popcorn and pan-fried potstickers, I’ve been thinking about appetizers and their role in a meal. An appetizer is often my favorite part of a meal — here’s why.An appetizer, by its very definition, is one that you eat when you are most hungry!

At a dinner party, where you sit and who you sit next to can make the difference between a fun-filled two hours and an evening of awkward conversation and polite boredom. Choosing the right seat isn’t as easy as you might think; you have to consider the shape of the table, the number of seats, and — heaven forbid — what if there are two tables? Lucky for us, designer Alex Cornell has created a helpful (and funny!) infographic on finding the right seat at the table.