The Kitchn Archive: Jan 2015

By looking at them it can be easy to mistake parsnips for white carrots. Sure, they’re related, but parsnips do a wonderful job of shining on their own. And, there isn’t a better time than right now to be eating them. Whether they’re new to you, or they make a regular appearance on your dinner table, here’s everything you need to know about buying, storing, and most importantly, cooking parsnips. No, they’re not white carrots.

Q: I have a Romertopf 1 1/2-quart clay baker and I have just noticed that there is a very faint crack in the lower (baking) part. Is there any safe way to repair this or do I just continue baking bread and hope that it doesn’t worsen? Sent by D. Smith Editor: I’d recommend contacting the manufacturer, Romertopf, on this one to see if they do repairs or offer a warranty. Readers, have any of you run into this situation?

When it comes to eating my vegetables, I have a habit of repeating myself. Roasted Brussels sprouts? Check. Salad? Check. Sautéed greens? Check. Now repeat. Can you relate? But there are a few vegetables that, once remembered, lift the boredom and remind me how vibrant, exciting, and delicious they can be. My favorite? Radishes — specifically, roasted radishes. If you are missing something fresh in your vegetable routine, let this be your habit-breaker.

My love of soup comes from my grandmother, who had a big pot of Chinese soup bubbling on the stove a few times a week. She was emphatic about cooking dinner from scratch every night, since she argued that it tasted better that way, but soup was the one thing she made one day and served over the course of the next few days. And you know what? She was right — soup just tastes better the next day!

While poached eggs make a lovely and elegant brunch addition, I find myself shying away from them when I’m cooking for more than a few people. The timing and logistics of poaching eggs for a crowd can be tricky. There may be a solution, though — swapping out your saucepan for a muffin tin and a little bit of water. Whether you want two eggs or two dozen eggs, this method seems quick, easy, and almost too good to be true.

Let’s face it: A crudité platter is really just an excuse to eat dip. As virtuous as I feel eating raw vegetables, the large amount of dip I try to get onto each bite probably negates any of the vegetables’ health benefits. Since carrots are such a staple on a vegetable platter, I’m here to tell you why you should ditch the carrot sticks forever and cut them into rounds instead! To put it simply, carrot rounds maximize your dipping potential.

Eating a plain bag of popcorn by itself is a great way to snack. It’s also incredibly easy to dress up popcorn with spices, salt, and the fat of your choosing (coconut oil, yum). But if you want to push the boundaries of what those small, yet mighty kernels are capable of, step right up. Have you tried popcorn in oatmeal? In cookies? On soup? Trust us — it may sound crazy, but popcorn goes way beyond the snack bowl, as these 10 fabulous ideas from food blogs can attest.

It’s fairly obvious that tomatoes and balsamic vinegar are in a serious relationship. (Rumors have it that they eloped last year, but it has yet to be confirmed.) When used together, you get that signature tangy, sweet, salty thing that somehow totally transforms your dish. What a pair! You’re probably aware that these lovebirds are perfect together in a summer caprese salad, but have you tried adding a few healthy dashes of the vinegar to your bowl of tomato-based chili?

Having a pot of soup around means that you have a great meal secret weapon. It doesn’t take that much more time to make a big pot than a little pot, leaving you with lots of soup to stash away in the fridge or freezer when you need a quick meal that reheats well. But sometimes that big pot of soup is, well, big. Big enough that after a couple of meals, you’re starting to get tired of it. Or perhaps you have just a small amount left but it’s not enough to make a full meal.

If I’m thinking about ordering French onion soup at a restaurant, I take a look around and see if anyone else is eating it. While how the soup tastes is the most important factor, what the soup is served in is almost as important to me, so I try to scope it out before making my decision. Here’s why I’m so picky! What makes French onion soup so delicious? Is it the sweet, rich, deeply onion-y broth? Or is it the crunchy, toasted bread covered with molten, bubbly cheese?

French onion soup is so simple, yet rich, luxurious, and deeply comforting. It’s a bistro classic that combines sweet caramelized onions and rich beef broth, then tops it off with a melty cheese-topped crouton. The ingredient list may be short and sweet, but preparing this soup takes patience and care. Before you take out the soup pot, scope out these mistakes to ensure your soup is the best it can be. Make it now!