food love project

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Squares

2011-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

1 and 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 banana

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cup flour

1 and 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line an 11″- x 7″-inch pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, banana, eggs and oil until smooth.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and brown sugar. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

Rustic Italian Breadsticks

2011-11-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 Tbsp honey

3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp salt

olive oil

1-2 Tbsp butter

2 cloves of garlic

Parmesan cheese

*makes at least 8 large breadsticks*

In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and stir in the honey
Let this sit for about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate (it should get a little bubbly/frothy looking)

if it does not activate, your water was probably not warm enough

Add the flour and salt, and mix with a dough hook on high speed for about 5 minutes (or knead by hand), until the dough is smooth and tacky, but not sticking to your hands
Coat the mixing bowl with some olive oil, and place the dough back in the bowl
Cover with plastic wrap or a dish cloth and let it rise for at least 1 hour

Press the air out of the dough and lay it out on a cutting board in a rectangular shape
Let it sit for another 20 minutes, and then slice it into sticks
Place the breadsticks on a nonstick cookie sheet: brush with garlic butter*, and sprinkle with Kosher salt and Parmesan cheese

*melt garlic and butter in the microwave or on the stove...ta-da*

Bake at 425 (F) for about 12 minutes (if you want a little extra golden brown color, turn on the broiler for just 1 minute at the end of the baking time)

Enjoy!

(The soup is my favorite Butternut Squash Soup recipe- let me know if you want it!)

Creamy Orzo with Pesto and Asparagus

2011-10-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

This is my new take on "pasta pesto and peas", since my husband doesn't like peas, and since I love the creamy goodness of orzo.

1 cup orzo

butter, olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

asparagus

1 cup white wine

2-4 cups chicken broth

pesto (recipe follows)

Parmesan cheese

1~heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat, and add the diced onion, cooking til almost soft

2~add the orzo, and let it get very slightly toasted-

3~then add your wine (delicious smells occur immediately)

4~turn heat to medium/low, and stir frequently.

5~when the wine is evaporated, add enough chicken broth to just cover the orzo.

6~stir frequently, and repeat this simmering process until the orzo is al dente (this may take about 15 minutes)

7~toss in your asparagus along with the last addition of broth- that should be just long enough for it to get tender

8~gently stir in pesto, and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some extra Parmesan cheese

PESTO

(these are approximations- make the pesto to your taste!)...(or just buy it in a jar.)

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/8 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

~Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil until the pesto reaches the consistency you like! The end.~

*Be careful adding salt- remember that the Parmesan cheese is already very salty.

Cobbler LOVE

2011-10-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Another recipe review!

Guess who? Another Pioneer Woman masterpiece! Follow this recipe exactly, and it will be amazing.

Or, follow my few tiny changes if you are feeling crazy.

The only changes I made were: 1.) mix blackberries with a big squeeze of lemon juice and the zest of a half a lemon. 2.) dump the berries in the dish first, and pour the batter all over the top of them. 3) When you sprinkle the top with sugar, also sprinkle it with a little kosher salt. YUM!

See how BEAUTIFUL it is??

Food Blog Comeback!

2011-10-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have been completely out of it for the past 2 months with the arrival of our new baby boy. It has been wonderful and exhausting, and I have finally gotten back in the kitchen recently. Confession: I am slightly obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. I have been testing out some of her recipes, and I am here to let you know that they REALLY DO come out as amazingly delicious as she says they do.

Here is the play-by-play. It is a pretty basic pot roast, but the addition of fresh rosemary is wonderful. For a detailed recipe, visit her website :)

(Mostly) Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast:

I used a london broil, because that's what I had. Start by covering it in salt and pepper, and giving it a good sear on both sides in olive oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven.

Then grab some red wine, pour it in, and whisk away to get up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Lay the roast back in, and add onions, carrots, potatoes, and fresh rosemary. (I also threw in a few whole cloves of garlic!)

Pour a little beef broth in (just enough to go half way up the piece of meat).

Place the whole thing in the oven for 3-4 hours at 275f.

I forgo to take a picture of the finished product because we were so hungry, but I promise, it is lovely!!!!

Spending Money on Organic Foods

2011-07-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is an ongoing dilemma I've posted a little bit about before over at The Graduate Wife. Eating organic, local, or "natural" foods is very important to me for the long term health of my family- but it is so expensive!
At least once a week, my husband and I will be out for a walk and see someones beautiful vegetable garden, full of summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries...and the green produce monster of envy overcomes me.

One day, I say, I will have a beautiful vegetable garden full of goodies, and a little chicken coop so that I can have fresh eggs. I picture all my future kids, dirt under their fingernails, happy smiles on their faces, carrying baskets of beans, zucchini and basil, and collecting eggs from the hen house every morning...ah... :) Maybe some day.

Until then, I try to take advantage of grocery store sales matched with coupons for as much of my shopping as possible, but I have to weigh what is worth couponing for, and what is worth buying organic. Most of the time, I will only buy organic apples, berries, lettuces, other soft-skinned fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, chicken, and beef. If the "organic" chicken or beef is just too outrageous (which it often is), I will buy the "natural" version- which, while not USDA certified organic, contains no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics.

With the fruit and vegetables, it's clearly the pesticides that concern me- especially if it's an apple or head of lettuce that you won't be peeling. Rinsing your fruits and veggies in the sink when you get home is always a good idea in order to wash away general dirt and grime from being handled in the store, but doesn't do anything for the chemical residue. Pineapples and bananas, for instance, I don't stress as much about.

When it's milk and meat, the big fear is the nasty hormones and antibiotics that have been pumped into the product in order for mass production. My hormones are already messed up enough as it is; I don't need a boost of fake chicken hormones too, thank you.

Great! But what about the cost? It is definitely more expensive to buy higher quality food, but fear not: coupons do exist! Just this week, my grocery store sent me a "natural and organic foods" coupon booklet, which, while only about 6 coupons, was a very fun surprise. Websites like Money Saving Mom feature weekly organic coupon deals. Many organic or natural companies offer coupons on their website or Facebook page, just for signing up or "liking" them (I have a second email address that I use to register for things like this). Try Muir Glen, Seventh Generation, Stoneyfield, Udi's, Athenos, Silk, Cascadian Farms, and Kashi, for starters. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, you know that often times their prices are amazing and they have great organic foods- but did you know that they also accept coupons? Check out Healthy Life Deals for their weekly coupon match-ups! Also, Whole Foods offers a printable coupon section on their website.

Don't forget about the farmers market, either!

Let me know if you have any other great tips for buying healthy foods!

Upcoming Posts

2011-07-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Homemade pasta recipe
Perfect risotto
Spending money on organic foods

Don't forget to submit any questions! They will be answered every Friday.

A New Adventure: Pickling and Jarring

2011-07-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have been curious about jarring (canning, whatever you want to call it) for a while now. I don't own a pressure cooker, so I did it the old fashioned way: with a pot of boiling water. I read up about the sanitation process (boiling the jars and lids), and settled on a recipe: Pickled Okra. I love pickles, I love okra...so I went for it. The end result turned out well - good flavor, but the okra became a little softer than I wanted it to. I wanted it crisp enough to snap in half, but the final boiling process (to seal the jars) cooked it slightly. No worries, I will still eat it all eventually :)

I bought a little starter kit which included a jar grabber (I am very technical with my terminology), a lid magnet, a funnel, and a bubble-popping/measuring device, which I didn't feel the need to use.

Here is the recipe for the brine (taken straight from epicurious.com):

1 pound okra (3 1/2 to 4 inches long)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 cups cider vinegar (24 fluid ounces) *I used Braggs Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar- I love vinegar, but others may think this is too strong*
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons dill seeds *Next time I'd make it 2 Tbsp
1 tablespoon mustard seeds *Next time I'd make it 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Special equipment: 6 (1/2-pt) canning jars with screw bands and lids; an instant-read or candy thermometer

After some more reading, I found that you can just put the jars in the dishwasher on the "sanitize" setting if you don't want to boil them.

Supplies

Adding the brine

Filled jars

Finished!

A few tips I have recently read on keeping the okra crispy:

*Add a grape leaf to each jar

*Add alum to each jar

*Before adding the brine, soak the okra in an ice bath for about an hour

Here is a great step-by-step to follow, with a slightly different brine recipe.

Anyone with canning experience- please feel free to leave comments!

Homemade Pizza Dough

2011-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

I truly love making homemade pizzas. I get to have complete control over my ingredients, so I can use whole wheat flour if I'm feeling healthy, and I can use whatever toppings I happen to have on hand and throw them all together on a crust. Also, I can make them any messy shape I want to, and call it "rustic". Plus, while I usually let the mixer do all the work, kneading by hand can be a great zone-out time. (Another fun way to make homemade pizza is to grill it, but we'll save that for another post.)

The Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (or 1 packet)
1 1/2 cup warm water (specifically, 120 degrees F. It needs to be warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot)
3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon honey
olive oil

The process: By hand or with a mixer

Pour the warm water into your mixing bowl, add honey, sprinkle the yeast, stir, and let it rest for 5 minutes

When you come back, the mixture should be frothy:

Sift half of the flour over the yeast mixture and mix just until smooth - with a wooden spoon or with your dough hook attachment:

Add salt and remaining flour
If you are using a mixer with a dough hook attachment, turn the machine on medium speed and let it knead for about 5 minutes, or until it is very smooth. If necessary, add more flour a tablespoon at a time so that the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. It should be tacky, but not wet enough to stick all over your hands:

If you are kneading by hand, lightly flour your counter or board, and knead by 1.) pressing out with the heel of your hand, 2.) folding the dough in half, and 3.) turning 1/4 of a turn. Repeat until the dough is very smooth (about 5 minutes)

Keep adding flour as necessary to prevent it from sticking all over your hands. Add slowly, though! It should still be a little bit tacky.

1.)

2.)

3.)

Grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl to rest. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel

Let the dough rest in a dark place for about an hour and a half, or until it has doubled in size:

Once it has finished rising, punch out all the air and let it rest for 15 minutes (if you don't let it rest, it will be way too elastic to form into a large crust)

Either divide it into 4 personal pizzas, or make a big one! You can use a rolling pin, stretch it on your fists, push it out with your fingers...whatever you want. *if you find that the dough keeps springing back on itself, just walk away for 5 minutes, let it rest, and then come back and stretch it again

Cover with toppings, drizzle the crust with olive oil to make it nice and golden, place on a hot pizza stone or a well oiled cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes

New Look

2011-07-13T17:05:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the ever-changing design lately! I am trying to make the site clean and easy to use. I will stick to one soon!

How to : Sharpen Kitchen Knives

2011-07-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Things you will need:

-A sharpener (I use a tri-stone. Other options are electric or other manual sharpeners)

-Honing oil or mineral oil (if you are using a stone)

-A honing steel

The honing steel, while not 100% necessary, makes a big difference in the final product of your newly sharpened knife. Its job is not necessarily to sharpen, but to take the microscopic tattered edges of the blade and pull them into a straight line.

Instructions for using a tri-stone:

1.) Apply about 2 teaspoons of oil to the coarse side of the stone (enough to make it well lubricated. Note- it will quickly absorb. That's OK)

2.) Place the blade of your knife at a 20-25 degree angle, and starting at the base of the knife, act like you are slicing off a thin piece of the stone, quickly sliding up to the tip of the knife by the time you reach the other end. Really, it's just like you are making a half moon shape over the whole stone, while holding the knife at the same angle.

Repeat this half-moon shape 10-15 times, and then turn the knife around and repeat with the other side of the blade.

3.) Repeat the same process with the medium side, and finally with the fine side - don't forget the oil!

4.) Now, wipe off the blade with a paper towel, and hold your honing steel in one hand (in the air is fine, or with the tip down on a towel if you want). Use the same basic motion to run the blade down the steel, working from the base to the tip in a quick half-moon swipe. Repeat this 10-15 times on each side of the blade.

Pound Cake

2011-07-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been craving some perfect pound cake. Luckily, I remembered this post from The Graduate Wife. I just thought I'd pass is along for everyone to try. I will be making it tonight!

Burning Questions : Cooking Healthy Veggies

2011-07-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

What is the healthiest way to prepare vegetables? I mean the obvious answer is "not drowning them in butter", but is it true that boiling vegetables causes some large % of their nutrients to escape into the water? And is it true that overcooking vegetables causes their healthy fibers to break down?

So, I am not a nutritionist, but from what I know I will say yes- boiling vegetables definitely causes vitamins and some minerals to get dumped down the drain with the water. Sauteing or steaming until bright and slightly tender are better options. You can use a microwave for this (I don't even have a microwave, so I never do this. I think it makes everything taste nasty and it sort of freaks me out), or a mesh colander with a lid over a pot of boiling water if you don't own a steaming basket. Or, just add just a little tiny bit of water in your pan with the veggies, cover it up, and let it and steam itself. That way, you don't dump out a big pot of vitamin water :)

In the same sense, some fiber is definitely lost when veggies are overcooked. I would again recommend sauteing or steaming so that they remain a little crisp. I almost always saute my vegetables in olive oil. To get the most fiber, raw veggies are probably best.

One random exception to keep in mind is tomatoes: while the vitamin levels (lots of vitamin C) decrease in cooking, the amount of lycopene increases dramatically, and is better absorbed by the body, when the tomato is cooked. Yummy antioxidants!

Open Question and Answer Session : Go!

2011-07-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

Leave a comment in the comment box below, or email me at vasinfo1(at)gmail.com to have your cooking/kitchen/food questions answered!

Summer-inspired food

2011-07-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Just a bright, beautiful, casual summer dinner on the back porch! Corn on the cob, sugar snap peas, garden tomatoes, barbeque pork, and melon. Ahh...

Dust it Off - Ice Cream Maker: Strawberry Sorbet (and Popsicles)!

2011-07-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I decided to buy an ice cream maker. It is a really inexpensive and fun kitchen appliance! Naturally, I get it out of the cabinet and dust it off mostly in the summer (french vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, or strawberry ice cream, berry sorbets....yummmmmmm!).

If you don't have an ice cream machine and don't plan on buying one, don't fret! Just follow the same instructions, and pour the mixture into Popsicle molds instead :)

I keep the ice cream "buckets" in the freezer, covered with plastic wrap, so that they are ready to go when I decide I need sorbet now.

For this simple recipe, I took about 4 cups of strawberries and 1+1/2 cups of water and tossed them in the blender.

My hubby doesn't like seeds, so I passed the puree through a fine mesh strainer, pressing through with a rubber spatula.

Next, just stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar, a good squeeze of lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt.

Pour into the (already turned on) ice cream maker.

The mixture should be frozen in about 30 minutes. It will come out nice and slushy soft, so eating it right away is best. You can put the rest in the freezer.

*Note: If you are not pregnant (dang it!), try adding a tablespoon or two of liquor (rum, framboise, vodka...whatever you like- it helps to keep the sorbet soft after you put it in the freezer. Otherwise, it freezes up very hard)

How to : Butterfly and Grill a Whole Chicken (not for the faint of heart)

2011-06-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Grilling a whole chicken is a fun alternative to oven roasting. Here I will show you step-by-step how to butterfly the chicken and grill it to crispy and moist perfection. Warning: the following pictures are of me butchering a whole chicken...if that grosses you out, skip this post :)

1.) After rinsing the chicken under cool water, pat it dry, lay it breast-side down, and - with a very sharp knife or good kitchen shears (shears would really be the best) - hold on to the neck and start cutting down one side of the backbone.

2.) Cut down the other side of the backbone (yes, you will be cutting through little rib bones). When you get close to the tail end, it will require a little more muscle. Cut out the whole backbone.

3.) Lay the backbone aside and pull that chicken open.

3.) Now you will remove the keel bone, or breast bone. It is the long white bone (more like cartilage) running straight down the middle. Make a small slice in the top of the bone, and run your knife down the sides to loosen it up.

4.) Run your fingers down the sides to wiggle it loose, and pull away. It may take a little digging, but you should be able to pry it up without too much trouble (careful- it can break!)

5.) Here is the butterflied chicken with backbone and keel bone removed.

6.) Time to season the pretty little chicken: I made a rub out of a few cloves of crushed garlic, cracked pepper, salt, lemon zest, and dried oregano. Use whatever you like.

7.) The rub goes under the skin to flavor the meat itself. You should be able to easily pull the skin away from the breast meat and slide your hand inside to get the rub in there! Access the thigh and leg meat from the outside, where my ring finger is in this picture (yeah...gross...I should have taken them off first).

8.) Season the outside of your new friend with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a little more lemon zest if you like.

9.) Set your grill on medium heat, and lay birdie skin-side down. Now sprinkle the under-side with more salt and pepper. Close her up, and cook for 15-20 minutes (watch for big flame-ups) or until she is nice and dark brown and crispy.

10.) Flip! Cook on the other side for another 15 minutes or so, until the thickest piece of meat reads 160 on a meat thermometer, or all juices run clear.

11.) Remove your beautiful grilled chicken to a carving board, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving. This will keep a lot of the juices from running out. Since you have de-boned it, the thighs and legs should pull away from the body easily, and the breasts and wings will come off together as well.

Have questions? Post in the comments and I will get to them ASAP. Enjoy!!

Recipes: Apple Bread - as promised

2011-06-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

A yummy and fairly healthy recipe to use up that apple pulp from yesterday:

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup oil (canola or vegetable oil is fine, but olive oil will make it healthier)

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups apples pulp (I re-moistened mine with a little of the fresh apple juice)

Directions:

Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder together

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla

Add the dry ingredients

Stir in apple pulp (it's ok if there are chunks of apple or skin- they will cook down)

Pour into a greased cake pan, loaf pan, or muffin tins

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (for a cake pan, shorter for muffins)

Dust it off: Juicers

2011-06-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

I posted on my other blog a while back about my juicer. I go through stages of using it all the time and then not using it at all. This is a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer, and overall I have been very happy with it. It is easy to use and easy to clean!

The great thing about juicing is that when you buy a bag of organic apples that turn out to be too mushy for you and your picky apple eating husband, you turn them into a pitcher of fresh apple juice, and you turn their pulp into a batch of apple muffins (healthy, yummy, fiber-ful recipe coming soon). When juicing, it is best to drink the juice within a few hours in order to get all the great nutrients out of it.

Other things I like to juice: carrots, kale, spinach, apples, lemons, oranges, grapefruits...

Don't juice mushy fruits like bananas and avocados- it won't work
Do peel your citrus fruits before juicing them- the peel will go through, but it will make your juice taste bitter
Try a healthy juice blend of carrots, apples, kale, and spinach! It will be very dark green, but so sweet from the apples and carrots!

So, if this is one of the kitchen gadgets that you never think to pull out of the box, let this be a little inspiration for you!

I cored my apples with a melon scoop (If you don't plan to use the pulp and just want the juice, skip this step. The juicer can handle a whole apple, peel and all. I did not want seed and stem bits in my muffins.)

Turn on the juicer, and drop in a few apple halves (or a whole apple)...

And before you press down, remember to put a cup or bowl under the mouth! Otherwise your counter gets pretty messy...trust me (also be sure the pulp container is attached in the back...that is an even bigger mess)

When you're all done, you will have pulp in the container, and probably a lot stuck under the lid that you want to use, too!

The juice will be a nice dark brown color, like cider, and will probably have foam on top- no worries, just give it a stir. Fresh juice is delicious! I have covered and refrigerated my pulp for later, when I will make those muffins for you.

Recipes: Ginny Hendricks Cocktail

2011-06-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

This blog won't generally be about alcohol, but this one was too good not to share.

While we were out of town, my husband treated himself to a few overpriced cocktails. One of them, the Ginny Hendricks, I begged him to order just because I saw someone else drinking it, and I decided that he had to try this tall glass of mystery, garnished with a slice of cucumber and a huge sprig of fresh rosemary, just so that I could smell it. He loved it. I loved smelling it. If you like a gin and tonic, try spicing it up next time!

Here is one recipe that I have found for it; slightly altered to match what we ordered:

2 oz Hendricks Gin
4 oz Tonic
juice of half a lime
4 slices of cucumber (pureed or muddled in the bottom of the glass)1 sprig fresh rosemary (used as a garnish and to stir, or muddled in the bottom)

Disclaimer: Since I am pregnant, I can't test this recipe! I just know that it is the same ingredients as the one that my husband had. I will have him test it out soon :) I'm sure he won't object.

The most delicious food in the entire world

2011-06-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I just spent a great weekend in Asheville, NC, as a last little getaway before our baby arrives in a little over a month. While we were there, we had to eat - no questions asked- at our favorite restaurant in the world: The Corner Kitchen. The few times we have eaten here, we have just stared at each other in frozen silence with each taste of whatever was on our plates. Speechless. This place is so yummy, and not very expensive or fancy. Their menu changes almost daily because all the food is local and seasonal.

We started with almond-crusted baked brie stuffed with cantaloupe, with balsamic strawberries and crostini. After not having eaten any soft cheeses for the past 8 months, I was beyond joyful to stuff my face with baked brie. I justified that it was perfectly fine since it was baked; so just let me think that and don't tell me I'm an irresponsible baby incubator. My husband had a roasted chicken leg stuffed with tons of feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach, with broccolini and Greek style fingerlings. I had a bowl of vidalia onion and potato soup. I just thought I'd share a photo of the sadness that happens when the food is gone (plus, somebody was too hungry to remember to take a picture of the food before we destroyed it):

ah....

Burning Questions: Salted vs. Unsalted Butter

2011-06-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

I just made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and the recipe called for unsalted butter. What is the difference between using unsalted butter versus regular butter (besides the salt, obviously!) ?

I LOVE BUTTER
Actually, the difference is just the salt! When you use unsalted butter, you have more control over the amount of salt that goes into the recipe. Some people care about this for dietary reasons; others for taste. Different types of salted butter have different amounts of salt in them, so some may make your recipe taste different while others wouldn't change the taste that much. Also, if you are cooking a recipe that calls for yeast, remember that salt controls the yeast activity (and too much salt will just kill it), so if there is butter involved there, definitely use unsalted so that you know how much you are getting! No one likes dead yeast ;-(

Hope that helps!

Burning Questions: Fondue and Oven cooking

2011-06-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Two questions from a reader in the UK:

I want to know how to make food crispy in an oven that always makes it soggy-but-burned (no matter what).

Unfortunately, you may need a new oven that isn't old and British :) It also depends on what you are trying to make crispy: Veggies- put the oven on broil, toss in a little olive oil, and roast quickly on the top rack. Oven Fried Chicken, for example- Coat with breadcrumbs, spray with oil from a spray bottle or drizzle lightly with oil, and bake at 350 f. If you cover anything with aluminum foil, it will obviously get soggy... the burned part could be a mystery...Also, if you have a cast iron skillet or grill pan, getting it good and hot in the oven before laying your food on it can make nice crispy grill marks.

How about what kind of cheese or chocolate is the best to melt for fondue?

The classic cheese to use for fondue is Gruyere (a Swiss cheese). Don't use something like cheddar that just sweats when it heats up- and try something creamy like mozzerella mixed in with the Gruyere if its flavor is too strong for you on its own. Mix in a little white wine to get the conistency you like, and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.
For chocolate, there is no wrong choice. Use dark, semi-sweet, or milk. Bars, chips, whatever you like. Mix in a little cream again, and add a few splashes of raspberry liquor, a scoop of peanut butter, maybe some cayenne pepper, or keep it plain. YUM!!!!

First things first

2011-06-16T06:43:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the food love project!

What do you want this blog to cover? I am prepared to share great recipes, go over uses for the kitchen tools and appliances that you never use, talk about restaurant and food experiences, and answer your foodie questions.
Do you need to know how to season a cast iron skillet? How to make risotto? How to make your family love Brussels sprouts? Ask away! I am opening up the blog to questions for my first post, and then will get to town on sharing recipes and fun tricks with you all!
When we get enough followers, I will be hosting giveaways! So keep coming back :)
Follow and Enjoy!
-Tori