The Kitchn Archive

Kitchn Archive - 2024
Page 1088
Weekend Meditation: Labor and Love
There are myriad ways to express love and none is better than the other. Much depends on timing and personality and intention. But one of the most common and most powerful ways is though labor–or, to be more descriptive, through making an effort beyond one’s own self-concern.And the kitchen is a perfect place for this labor of love to be expressed.Food is more than the sum of its nutritional and caloric counts.
Dana Velden
May 10, 2009
Jennifer Garner Has Wheat Germ in Her Refrigerator
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Bon Appétit does an occasional Q&A with actors about their food habits, and the latest is with Jennifer Garner. We know Garner is one celebrity whose talk about food and cooking isn’t just lip service. Well, OK, we don’t know for sure; we don’t visit her kitchen. But she’s on Martha
Faith Durand
May 8, 2009
The Bouroullec Brothers’ Hanging Planter Wall
Last month we talked about dividing your open plan studio using shelves and curtains, but what about being able to divide your space while incorporating oxygen producing plants? Introducing Teracrea’s hanging gardens, a great way to have an indoor herb garden, too! • Click here to read the whole post: The Bouroullec Brothers’ Hanging Planter
Faith Durand
May 8, 2009
Mother’s Day Treat: Bouchon Bakery Strawberry Paddies
Remember those Rice Krispie eggs from Bouchhon Bakery that we showed you around Easter? That was a rather easy recipe for colorful crispy eggs. This is one more recipe from Bouchon Bakery. They have these on sale for Mother’s Day, but here we have their secret recipe. It’s a little more complicated than the Krispie eggs, but it’s also a fascinating look inside how professional confections are made.
Faith Durand
May 7, 2009
Brilliant Kitchen Sliders
Genius! Solving a common problem of being isolated in the kitchen while entertaining, this Melbourne home has inbuilt sliding panels that separate the kitchen and the dining room. See more below the jump… • Click here to read the whole post: Brilliant Kitchen Sliders
Faith Durand
May 7, 2009
Tip: Save Your Bacon Fat
This is one practice we think all of our grandmothers probably did that’s fallen by the wayside in our generation.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 6, 2009
Peach Cookies from Cafe Chocolada
Take a look at these peaches! Are ripe, sweet peaches in season already? Well, not exactly, but these look just as good… These are actually peach sandwich cookies (breskvice), a traditional Yugoslavian recipe. Medena of Cafe Chocolada says that she has tried many different versions of these cookies — some from Croatian sources, and some from friends.
Faith Durand
May 6, 2009
Re(al)view: ZeroWater
We’ve been using a PUR gravity fed pitcher water filter system in our household for several years now, a decision that has weaned us off a bottled water addiction. Yet there’s always been this sneaking suspicion that the pitcher’s filter system was only doing a halfway decent job at filtering the water, especially compared to
Faith Durand
May 6, 2009
Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Mango Michelada
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today is a great excuse to eat plenty of Mexican food. Do you love Mexican food? If so you’re right there with Michelle Obama, who said yesterday that it is her “favorite food in the whole wide world.”And if you want a refreshing drink to wash down all that spicy Mexican food, try a michelada. Have you ever had one?A michelada is a beer cocktail with hot sauce, lime, and salt — a beer margarita, if you will.
Faith Durand
May 5, 2009
4 Natural Food Coloring Ingredients
Want colorful cupcakes, but hate to use artificial food coloring? Here are 4 natural ingredients that ensure your baked goods taste as good as they look… • Click here to read the whole post: 4 Natural Food Coloring Ingredients
Faith Durand
May 5, 2009
Colorful, Patterned Kitchen from Colorama
(Image credit: The Kitchn) This black, white, and yellow kitchen from Swedish paint company Colorama incorporates a lot of ideas that can be applied to small and large spaces alike. The designer made some bold moves with color and pattern, along with the incorporation of a few unexpected details… • Click here to read the
Faith Durand
May 4, 2009
Recipe: Cooking By Instinct Pizza Formula (with Morels & Ramps)
Tuesday night some old friends who live upstate came for dinner, and surprised us with an armful of Morel mushrooms and a sack full of ramps. I’d planned a simple roasted chicken and vegetable dinner, but when I saw the gift I’d been brought, I clicked into cook-by-instinct mode, the kind of cooking we are about to start espousing in the second half of our online Kitchen Cure (today is the last day to sign up and catch up.)I had to practice what I’m about to preach.
Sara Kate Gillingham
May 1, 2009
What Every Kitchen Needs: According to Ina Garten
We’ve been talking a lot about essential kitchen equipment during the Kitchen Cure, encouraging you to jettison things you don’t need and to make sure you do have the right equipment to make cooking a pleasure and not a pain. Of course, cooking gear is very subjective, according to how and what you cook. It’s fun to hear what different cooks consider essential. Here is another list from the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten.
Faith Durand
May 1, 2009
Gutter Garden: Growing Your Food in a Small Space
We love a good small-space garden design challenge, especially when it involves finding new and creative ways to grow your own food. Suzanne Forsling of Juneau, Alaska, wanted to grow vegetables, but only a tiny sliver of her outdoor space—an alleyway between her house and the neighbors’—gets any kind of sun. Wanting to save money,
Faith Durand
May 1, 2009
Favorite Fruit: Abate Fetel Pears
Look at this tall, slim pear. Do you recognize it? We found it at our little organic food co-op, nestled between the oranges and beets. We had never seen this particular variety, so we scooped one up and brought it home. Well, now we know: if you see these, buy more than one.The abate fetel (pronounced ah-BAH-tay fuh-TEL) pear, from what we’ve read so far, was bred by monks in Italy several hundred years ago. It is very slim and long; some people describe it as banana-shaped.
Faith Durand
Apr 30, 2009
Three Cool New Sinks from Kohler
Three recent introductions to the Kohler lineup are particular standouts to us. One’s a kitchen sink, one’s for utility, and one’s designed especially for food prep… • Click here to read the whole post: Three Cool New Sinks from Kohler at Apartment Therapy
Faith Durand
Apr 30, 2009
In Praise of the Melon Baller
Although they held a strange fascination for us as children, melon ballers certainly aren’t the first thing that come to mind when we think about essential kitchen equipment these days. But if you’ve unearthed one during your kitchen de-cluttering and are on the fence about tossing it in the give-away pile, we think you should keep it.
Emma Christensen
Apr 29, 2009
Recipe: Quick Pasta with Dried Morels and Fresh Ramps
Spring is progressing, and the season for early spring foraged treats like morels and ramps will be over soon. So eat them while you can still find them! This pasta takes these two spring delicacies and puts them together in one simple, quick pasta.And if these two good things are out of season already, or hard to find, then try dried mushrooms and leeks or scallions instead. In fact, I had to use dried morels myself.
Faith Durand
Apr 29, 2009
Classic French Insulated Teapots
This time of year we almost drink more tea than in winter — especially with the weather not being able to make up its mind. We have two vintage insulated French teapots we adore (one steel, one copper) found at flea markets over the years and you can’t beat their simple, smart design, and how
Faith Durand
Apr 29, 2009
Bacon Pops! Cheese Balls with Herbs, Pecans & Bacon
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Oh yes. All the cuteness of a cake pop, all the fun of an easy appetizer, and it’s all wrapped up in bacon. • Click here for post and recipe: Bacon Pops! Goat Cheese Pops with Herbs, Pecans & Bacon at The Kitchn
Faith Durand
Apr 28, 2009
Austin’s Food Trailer Explosion!
(Image credit: The Kitchn) Austin has long been the home of a great tradition of taco carts and other types of food sold out of roadside trailers. While we’ve enjoyed a number of city favorites for some time now, recently there seems to have been an absolute explosion of food trailers in Austin! See if
Faith Durand
Apr 28, 2009
Style on a Budget: Combining Two Pre-War Apartments
The newest Great Rooms feature from Wendy Goodman and New York Magazine shows us the apartment of photographer Annie Schlechter and bookbinder Russell Maret — it’s a budget-conscious renovation on the Upper East side that combined a studio and a one-bedroom. Our favorite part? The creative and inexpensive kitchen renovation! • Click here to read
Faith Durand
Apr 27, 2009
1% For The Planet: The votes are in!
Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite 1% For The Planet non-profit. We had more comments and votes than ever before, and we’re happy to say that we’ll be giving 1% of our 2008 profits to Sustainable Harvest International — an incredible organization that provides more than 1,800 families in Central America with
Faith Durand
Apr 24, 2009
City Kitchen, Country Kitchen: Ina Garten’s Two Kitchens
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) I have a fresh appreciation for Ina Garten these days, after her recipe for lemon cake turned out to rave reviews on Easter. And now that I’ve gotten a closer look at her city kitchen, I’m smitten with her design taste too. But her urban New York apartment and kitchen are
Faith Durand
Apr 24, 2009
Recipe Redux: Breakfast Poha with Coconut
This recipe has been on my mind for a long time — over a year, in fact. It was published right here on The Kitchn as part of a kitchen tour: Devesh and Tara’s Spice Pantry. It just looked so good, bright, and fresh — comfort food for spring. I had to try it myself!I made it for Easter, along with a spiced lamb roast and a creamy cucumber salad. It’s an extremely easy dish to make. In fact, it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. (A true breakfast dish!
Faith Durand
Apr 23, 2009
No More Mops: Cleaning the Kitchen Floor with a Sponge
A few days ago, Emma asked for your suggestions on the best mop for the kitchen. You all gave a lot of good opinions, but I have one more. See, the mop I use most frequently is attached to my arm. I get down on my hands and knees with a sponge to clean my kitchen floor, and I have several reasons why. First is my own persnickety nature. I like to get eye to eye with the dirt. I want to see the nooks and crannies up close and make sure they’re getting clean.
Elizabeth Passarella
Apr 23, 2009
Good Eats: Kumquats are Warheads for Grownups
Every week we round up our favorite eating and cooking from our friends at Serious Eats. This week the Grocery Ninja takes on kumquats, those sour little explosions of citrus, salty-sour inside, and sweet outside. There’s also really lovely pork tacos, a three-alarm dish of tofu, and a mouth-tingling cheese from Italy.• Grocery Ninja: Kumquats Are Grown-Up ‘Mega Warheads’ – Like Mega Warheads or Super Lemon, kumquats deliver a punch.
Faith Durand
Apr 23, 2009
Dishware: All White or a Mix?
There are a lot of reasons to choose white dinnerware – the emphasis remains on the food, pieces are easy to replace – but for some, standard white can be a bit boring… • Click here to read the whole post: Dishware: All White or a Mix?
Faith Durand
Apr 22, 2009
Quick Tip: How to Clean Morel Mushrooms
Morels are one of our favorite mushrooms of all time, and they’re in season right now! Since they’re harvested from the wild, morels come with a fair amount of grit and all those little nooks and crannies can be hard to clean. Here’s how we do it…There’s a lot of debate about whether morels should be rinsed under water, dry-brushed with a paper towel, or soaked in salted water remove the grit.
Emma Christensen
Apr 21, 2009
Help Us Give 1% To The Planet: Vote For Your Favorite!
We’re almost there! Apartment Therapy is giving away 1% of our 2008 profits to the nonprofit of your choice. You’ve given us your recommendations, and we’ve rounded up your Top 4 and added in 2 top choices of our own. Go to Re-nest to read descriptions on each of these terrific organizations (including Slow Food
Cambria Bold
Apr 21, 2009
Good Question: What Can I Do With Loquats?
Look at the beautiful loquats in this photo from reader Camilla. She is wondering what to do with all this fruit on her tree. What do I do with loquats? I just moved to Southern California, and while I love the other fruit trees in my yard which I could identify, I spent a few weeks just trying to find out what the loquats were and now I’ve no idea what to do with them besides watching the squirrels and birds fight over the fallen fruit. Camilla, lucky you!
Faith Durand
Apr 21, 2009
Kitchen Cleanup: Looking For One Good Mop
Please, just one! We’ve tried all sorts of mops, from those sponge-type ones to smaller home-versions of the industrial cotton string mop. They’re unwieldy, messy, and half the time we just feel like we’re pushing dirt around. We’re in the market for a new one and we’d like a good one this time!
Emma Christensen
Apr 20, 2009
Quick Tip: Freeze Pre-Baked Cakes
When we’re throwing a dinner party or any other kind of gathering, we like to do as much of the cooking ahead of timeJust bake the cake as normal and let it cool completely on the counter. Then wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil to protect it from freezer burn, and lay it flat in the freezer. Don’t forget to label it with the type of cake and the date!
Emma Christensen
Apr 20, 2009
Weekend Meditation: Some People Grow Things
Confession: I do not have a green thumb. I would like one but the truth is I’m lucky to keep a few house plants (barely) alive. I just don’t have the instinct for it like I have the instinct for how to roast a chicken or bake a layer cake. Somehow, when I pick up a knife or a wooden spoon, I know what to do. Without hardly thinking, I understand that a particular recipe would taste better if the onions are browned a little instead of sweated.
Dana Velden
Apr 19, 2009
Appetizer: Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers with Basil Oil
Earlier today we told you about our cocktail party strategyWe’re basically taking a caprese salad and putting it on a stick, and no doubt you’ve seen a variation of these skewers on a buffet or two in your day. But they really are hard not to like, and they couldn’t be easier to throw together.We bought bocconcini, bite-sized mozzarella balls, to make the process even quicker, but you could also cut a big ball of mozzarella into chunks.
Elizabeth Passarella
Apr 17, 2009
Breakfast Fun: Stamp Your Toast via Ohdeedoh
It’s hard not to love toast. Warm bread with butter or jam, it could be one of life’s most perfect foods (or maybe we are just more toast-tastic than most). It’s also a great way to make the day a little more special. For awhile now we’ve had our eye on “toast stampers” that keep
Faith Durand
Apr 17, 2009
Try This: Fresh Wasabi Root
While on a trip in Japan and browsing the local markets, I came across this green, watery root many times. It’s fresh wasabi root – yes, the same nasal-clearing green paste we mix with soy sauce and dip sushi in. What exactly is this root, where can you find it, and how do you prepare it? Read on …Wasabi is a plant in the same family as mustard and horseradish. It grows naturally along stream beds in mountain rivers in Japan, but can be farmed.
Kathryn Hill
Apr 16, 2009
Tips for Organizing a Refrigerator and Freezer
Let’s help Kitchen Cure-taker woodnymph here with their refrigerator and freezer issue. This was their note to me along with the above photos:fridge (notice the gross spill in the bottom – who knows how long that’s been there?)door (thing often fall out when you open or close it)freezer (no idea what’s in back) We need to help this person get their Cure going!What are your favorite tips for organizing your refrigerator and freezer?
Sara Kate Gillingham
Apr 16, 2009
Easy Entertaining: Five Stylish Carafes for Your Table
We tend to associate carafes with Parisian street cafés and shmancy high end dining, but they can have a place at home, too! Serving wine, juice, or even just plain water out of a carafe is an easy way to add a touch of elegance to a dinner party. Here are a few we’re currently coveting…• Cora Carafe from CB2, $9.95 – hand-blown glass and a sleek modern design (via Black Eiffel).
Emma Christensen
Apr 16, 2009
Trailer, RV, and Garbage Truck: Very Mobile Kitchens
Have you ever cooked in a truly mobile kitchen? Maybe one in a boat, or in a bus? How about an offroad survival vehicle? We noticed that there were at least two mobile entries in this year’s Small Cool contest. Here’s a look at their kitchens, plus a couple of mobile kitchens from the archives
Faith Durand
Apr 15, 2009
Hot or Not? Trio Dish Drier by Jordan Bailey
We’ve seen this general idea before: Let the water dripping off of your drying dishes irrigate some plants. In this case, herbs. Read all about it here, then vote… • Click here to read the whole post: Hot or Not? Trio Dish Drier by Jordan Bailey at Re-Nest
Faith Durand
Apr 15, 2009
Recipe: Sour Cream Cucumber Salad with Mustard Seeds
My Easter meal this past weekend was a fusion menu between my own cultural heritage of Eastern European food (fried rolls, rich sweet bread) and Indian cuisine (tandoori-spiced leg of lamb, sunny yellow pressed rice). This cucumber salad bridges the cultural divide between Eastern Europe and India: both cultures have creamy, cooling salads with dairy and cucumbers. Here’s my easy fusion version.
Faith Durand
Apr 14, 2009
Tip: Salt and Drain Cucumbers and Zucchini
I have a thing for cucumbers. I love their watery crispness and the way they taste with a little salt on top. But I don’t like how they can water down a whole salad with their extra moisture. Zucchini are similar; whenever I make a frittata or quiche with zucchini they have to be treated first to keep them from turning the whole thing into a soggy mess. Which brings me to this tip: when you are making a dish with cucumbers or zucchini, it really helps to salt and drain them first.
Faith Durand
Apr 14, 2009
Homemade Pizza: Chicago-Style Deep Dish
Our homemade pizza efforts have always been of the thin-crusted variety. Living in Chicago, if we have a taste for a deep-dish, we reach for the takeout menus. But The Paupered Chef blog has come up with a recipe that has us itching to make our own.More on that in a minute.
Joanna Miller
Apr 14, 2009
Simple Green: Use One Glass A Day
While doing the dishes this past week, we realized with a little embarrassment what a ridiculous amount of cups we were washing up for the day. A glass from the bedroom, a glass from the living room, a couple from the kitchen — and all just for two people. And here we were wasting all
Faith Durand
Apr 14, 2009
Happy Dyngus Day! Try Some Polish Food.
We just learned about Dyngus Day yesterday, and man have we been missing out. All those years we could have woken up to boys throwing buckets of water over our heads or hitting our legs with willow branches. All those times we could have been eating kielbasa and pierogi. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, read on…Dyngus Day is a Polish holiday, celebrated the Monday after Easter.
Elizabeth Passarella
Apr 13, 2009
High/Low: Kitchen Drawer Organization
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Do you have deep kitchen drawers? We have a couple, and they are always getting jumbled up; it’s so easy to throw a lot of stuff in there! Well, we are smitten by these in-drawer organizers from Studio Becker, which we recently spotted at the Washington Spaces blog. Take a look,
Faith Durand
Apr 13, 2009
Weekend Meditation: Taking Refuge
Sometimes when life gets too full of stress and obligation and disappointments, I lock my door, bury my cell phone under the bed pillows and start chopping carrots.When all the carrots are chopped, I move to onions.When the onions are done, I push a few cloves of garlic under my knife.Usually by the time the garlic’s done, I’m more relaxed, present and maybe even a little happy.It’s time to move on to the ginger.It’s time for carrot soup.
Dana Velden
Apr 12, 2009