I’m liking this idea, as I can envision myself savoring strawberries with vanilla sugar over a nice shortcake come October or November. Can’t you?

Here are Janie’s tips:

- Rinse strawberries and pour them onto a baking sheet lined with a paper towel.  Pat dry with another paper towel.
- Put baking sheet in freezer until strawberries are completely frozen (about 2 hours depending on freezer temperature)
- Transfer strawberries to self-sealing plastic freezer bags and place back into freezer.

It really doesn’t get much easier. Hibler insists on freezing the strawberries in exact portions, such as pints and quarts, because strawberries become condensed when thawed (rendering them impossible to measure with accuracy).  She also recommends consuming frozen berries within a year for maximum freshness. “After that, ice crystals will start breaking down the berries’ flesh, and eventually they will lose their flavor,” adds Hibler.

You can see more ideas like this in The Berry Bible.

For berry information and recipes, you can peruse our test kitchen dossier, Berries: Naked Deliciousness.

It’s that glorious time of year when farm stands are beginning to overflow with the season’s finest. Given my tactile nature, I always find myself drawn to the piles of gently fuzzed peaches, seemingly awaiting my greedy touch. My favorites are the elbow-drippers — once you’ve tasted such decadence, it’s practically impossible to eat any other kind of peach.

And though peaches are wonderful on their own, there is something to be said for the allure of caramelization. I’ve grown quite fond of grilled fruits in the past couple of years, and this recipe has become a favorite: Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Sugar

Simple and lustful, this recipe is ideal for using up that last bit of heat from the grill. You can substitute regular milk (or cream) for the coconut milk if you like. The peaches are a perfect foil for quality vanilla ice cream (look for the specks of vanilla!), and capture what is, for me, the essence of summer.

Posted via web from foodphilosophy’s posterous

With all that’s happening around us, I find that my decadent and frugal sides are like rival angels on my shoulders. The stress of keeping so many balls in the air to keep things moving forward — seemingly without a minute to breathe — leaves me utterly worn out, and there are times when I simply want to indulge myself. Of course, I also want to do this without making my wallet cry.

If you’ve read or heard me wax poetic on basil leaves, you know that I can find indulgence in seemingly ordinary places and things, so I’ve decided to share my favorite everyday ones with you. Let’s face it: We could all use a little pick-me-up. Some indulgences will be food, some non-food, but all will relate to engaging the senses without adding the stress of a big expense.

I hope you’ll share yours, too, because I might run out of ideas and will need to pilfer. Oh, stop, I’ll give you credit for it.

As you might imagine, for me, self-indulgence begins with scents, and I like nothing more than smelling deliciously edible. I’ve given up on synthetic-smelling perfumes and instead turned to essential oils to soothe my soul. It’s no secret that aromatherapy can have a profound effect on one’s state of being, and I can think of no better atomizer than the neck. Hair also smells gorgeous with a little drop combed through the ends. Yum.

I discovered the joy of citrus oils after a massage in Los Angeles (back when massages were actually part of my decadent life), so I knew the scent of oranges would send me to my happy place. I found a combination that took it to a whole new level, however.

So if you’re wondering what I smell like, here’s your chance to be a voyeur (sniffeur?). For the past few months I’ve slathered myself with Vanilla Orange Oil from Sun’s Eye. I love that there are tiny slivers of orange peel soaking right in the oil, so you get the full power of both scents. The only drawback is that it needs to be reapplied several times a day, but at $6.75 a bottle, how could I possibly complain about that?

I have other scents that I use for other moods and occasions, but I’ll share those as we go. Did I mention that vanilla is reputed to have an aphrodisiacal effect on the senses? Try it and let me know what happens.

NOTE: You can subscribe to the special feed I’ve created for my Everyday Indulgences, which will include blog posts, audio, some video, and photos. (Note that it says “Everyday” and not “every day.” Have mercy.)

Posted via web from foodphilosophy’s posterous

Chef Mark and Jennifer attend a luncheon at Chef Aaron Sanchez’s Centrico Restaurant made with products from Chile: Merken spice, carica, myrtle berries, avocado oil, pisco, and more.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

As we hope you’ve noticed, we take a great deal of care in creating our work (understatement). We didn’t want to publish the book with any errors (the horror!), so we sent back the proof for another round of corrections. Once we approve the final version, our first big order will be placed, so we expect to have books in inventory and ready to ship in early July. We are currently doing an elaborate ritual dance to keep the printing gremlins away.

If you have already ordered a book, you received a love letter from us today, and we thank you so much for being first in line. We’re sorry we can’t kiss you in person, because we love that sort of thing.

Now, for you squillions and trillions of people who will be ordering books between now and July 31st, we’d like to extend some of that love. If you purchase our cookbook before July 31st, we’ll send a free download link to the full-color digital version of the book as soon as it’s available. That way you can print out those pages and get them all messy instead of your pretty book. You can also see the recipe photos in their full glory.

In addition, we’ve created a Friends & Family discount for you “early adopters,” so after purchase you’ll receive a special code to forward to your favorite fellow food fanatics. Say that five times fast. To learn more about the book, see our full list of annoucements, including a video of the unveiling of our galley copy. Or, you can just:

Buy the book!

Now, we’ve looked it over, and found a few teeny tiny things we’d like to fix, so in order to get you all a better product, we’re going to go through one more round of small edits and fixes before we approve it for printing, so it’ll be another week for those of you who’ve already pre-ordered the book, but the wait will be worth it!

If you haven’t yet pre-ordered, now’s your chance! If you pre-order now, your book will be shipped in the first batch we order, so you’ll have it before the end of June!

The team of was headed by chef Jan Horký of the restaurant Golden Prague in the Hotel InterContinental Prague, along with fellow chefs Martin Svatek, chef of the Hotel Dvořák in the town of Tabor, Adéla Pitrová, chef in the SAS Radisson Alcron hotel in Prague, and Lukáš Skála, chef in the Hotel InterContinental Prague.

When one thinks of Czech cuisine, one often envisions comfort foods rich in flour and butter — the kind of food that keeps out winter’s chill. However, Czech chefs have fully embraced the philosophy of local, sustainable ingredients, and wanted to show us that such heavy-food notions were somewhat off the mark. Certainly, such traditional foods will always remain on the menu, so to speak, but for this luncheon we were treated to a modern interpretation of ingredients like cabbage, pork and dumplings. And fried dough — let us not forget the fried dough.

We started the meal with a sip of Becherovka, a famous herb liqueur from the historic spa town of Karlsbad. Becherovka can be enjoyed either as an aperitif or a digestif, and frankly, I’d be happy to sip it for both. Smooth and herbaceous, this has become a new favorite of mine, so I’m hording the little sample bottles we received in our goodie bags. I was told it could also be mixed with tonic water for a popular Czech cocktail, so I’m happy to experiment with that and get back to you. Hey, I’m all about the research.

When I read the description for our first course, “Smoked duck breast terrine with nut puree and baked chou pastry with honey,” I expected to need a serious nap after lunch, as my thoughts leaned toward a heavy, country-style terrine. Imagine my surprise. The duck was sliced thin as paper and accented by the delicate honey flavor in the pastry. Light and delicate, this course immediately set the tone for the rest of the meal, which alternated lighter and heavier dishes for contrast.

A green asparagus risotto with parmesan cream followed the terrine (my notes refer to it as “gorgeously creamy”), capturing the flavors of spring with delicate slivers of the asparagus.

The pork belly for the main course was served with a garlic confit — heavenly sweet, I might add — and a dumpling that brought back memories of my first love’s family, who would often make these dumplings with pork roast. Mmm. I loved that all of the flavors we sampled were reminiscent of expected comforts, but did not leave us with heavy stomachs.

Our luncheon was capped with a dessert partially composed of fried dough. And fried dough can never, ever be bad. This happy little doughnut was served along with an apple sabayon, apple jelly and chocolate ice cream. Sounds heavy, doesn’t it? Think again.

This entire meal changed my perspective on the composition of seemingly heavy ingredients, as I’m now thinking of them in a new way. Pork, cabbage and dumplings, per the photo above, can be elevated to a level that is quite unexpected. Many thanks to the chefs and Czech Tourism for enlightening us.

We shot a quick video during the event so you can step into the kitchen with us, and you can see more photos on my Facebook profile.

Czech Tourism: www.czechtourism.com

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

When one thinks of Spain, one immediately thinks of red wine and paella; however, Rias Baixas is most well-known for its signature grape, Albariño (al-ba-REEN-yo). A protected varietal, Albariño is the only DO (Denomination of Origin) white wine in Spain, and wines labeled as such must be made with 100% Albariño grapes. Known for flavor profiles of honeysuckle, citrus, pear, melon, and even bright green apple, these wines have grown on me over the years, and I now find them to be a refreshing summer favorite.

Galicia is situated on the Atlantic coast of Spain, just above Portugal. The region was settled by Celts in the 11th Century BC, so it is not unusual to hear bagpipes in a ceremony or two, as one can see a very strong Irish influence in the local culture. (Last year at NYC’s Rias Baixas celebration, the wines were, in fact, piped into the room.) The cathedral at Santiago del Compostela in Galicia’s capital is well-known to Catholics, as it is the final destination of a pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, which begins in Germany and winds its way through Italy and France, ending in Compostela. I do hope said pilgrims take the time to savor a glass or two at the end of such a long journey.

Given the region’s coastal location, Albariño wines are perfectly paired with seafood, so I’m looking forward to exploring the freshest of the ocean’s offerings, particularly given the time of year. We’ll be visiting a number of sub-zones, including Val do Salnés, O Rosal and Condado do Tea, with visits to the vineyards and fish markets, so this trip should provide much fodder for summer cooking creativity. Best of all, we’ll be staying in paradors, which are castles and other ancient buildings that have been converted to hotels. The first, Parador Hostal Reyes Católicos, is considered to be the world’s oldest hotel, and the second, Parador de Pontevedra – Casa del Baron, is the former residence of the Counts of Maceda. (This is my kind of traveling, ladies and gentlemen.)

Along with our hosts from Wines from Spain and Wines of Rias Baixas, two of my travel mates for this journey include wine expert (and sassy gent) Anthony Giglio and Amy Zavatto, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bartending. Based on brief meetings I’ve had with both in the past couple of weeks, I’m counting on them to keep me entertained throughout the trip. Otherwise I can refrain from spitting and keep myself entertained. What inspires me is that Anthony is known for being one of the funniest, most approachable wine experts out there, so all hail those who see wine as a fun source of exploration.

I will do my best to send updates from the road, including photos, tweets and quick videos when possible, but I never know how good internet access will be when I’m abroad. If I can manage to conjure up access, you can find updates here on Food Philosophy, where I’ve also added a Twitter widget to the sidebar, as well as on my Facebook page.

Wines of Rias Baixas: http://www.riasbaixaswines.com
Wines from Spain: http://www.winesfromspain.com

Chef Mark and I recently attended a luncheon in NY to preview some of the Albarino wines, so here’s a quick little video including an informative conversation I had with Paul Grieco, co-owner of Hearth Restaurant:

Kitchen Elves are wonderful, but they tend to burn things.

Yes, they are very handy for washing dishes, peeling potatoes, etc., but they are costing us a fortune in melted spatulas, burned pots, and scorched aprons. They also can’t type to save their lives, so we’re looking for some human help:

Editorial Assistants

Will assist with the management of our editorial calendar (scheduling & some editing), as well as communication with media, food and wine professionals. Some light office duties may also be included.

Our editorial internships require a typo-sensitive eye (we are mental about typos) and an excellent grasp of the English language. We have pretty strict editing standards, so the more conscientious you are (nice word for anal-retentive) the better.

You will also be communicating with food and wine pros of all calibers, so we are looking for someone who is polished and professional. Pleasant also helps, as does knowledge of WordPress and general HTML code.

Please send a resume and cover letter to editor AT culinarymedianetwork.com.

***************
Video Editing Assistants

Will assist with production and distribution of our numerous food, wine and travel videos. Knowledge of FinalCut Pro and familiarity with online video outlets essential.

Please send a resume and cover letter to chefmark AT culinarymedianetwork.com.

***************

Our internships are unpaid at this time, but if you are eager to work with a passionate group of gourmands who are blazing a new trail in the world of cuisine, and where you won’t have to get coffee for anyone (or spend the day in front of the copier), this could very well be the place for you.

As we are a virtual company, you can be located just about anywhere. Having said that, we would prefer someone based in NYC for hands-on help one or two days a week at “HQ.”

Note: We are also seeking cookbook and food book reviewers. If you read either with the kind of passion normally reserved for seedy romance novels, please send your credentials and a writing sample to editor AT culinarymedianetwork DOT com.

We are looking for dedicated, professional, energetic people for whom the pursuit of excellence is standard operating procedure. A sense of humor bordering on salacious is also required.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

With The Gilded Fork Entertaining at Home: A Year of Dinner Parties, we invite you to throw open your doors to friends and loved ones — and offer them a seat at your table. And don’t be afraid to ask them to help — that can be half the fun!

With a baker’s dozen of dinner party menus ranging from casual summer fare to an elegant dinner for two, we’ve compiled colors, flavors and textures from our favorite recipes (along with some new ones!) to indulge your senses with the seasonal tastes that make us happy to be in the kitchen. We’ve also included beverage pairings for each menu, and lots of helpful tips to help take your cooking to the next level.

And in case you haven’t heard, our friends have gotten in on the fun, too! Our readers and listeners helped us to photograph these recipes (some are right there on the cover) and test them extensively, ensuring that our instructions are clear and the recipes as close to fool-proof as possible.

We believe entertaining should be fun and stress-free for all involved, so please feel free to invite us to dinner. We do dishes.

Hand-signed copy. Price includes shipping.

Price: $25.00

Click HERE to be taken to our secure cart for ordering.

Chef Tom Lewis, from the Monachyle Mhor Hotel & restaurant in Scotland, makes us a simple Scottish lunch at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 festivities, promoting Scottish heritage, and urging Scots from all over the world to return to Scotland during 2009. This Chef is so cheeky, he even SERVED us tongue & cheek!

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

It’s discovery week on Food Philosophy!

Scottish Chef Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor Hotel introduces me to tongue (oh, behave) and the joy of Scotch, while Maximilian Riedel changes the world of wine for me in its entirety. Plus I’ve got updates on some new features at CMN, and a whole lotta travel goin’ on!

Monachyle Mhor Hotel: http://www.monachylemhor.com

Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Media Network (www.culinarymedianetwork.com).

Music: Beau Hall (www.beaurocks.com).

Prior to this interactive workshop, I had heard that wine glass shape made a difference, but I was dubious — was this simply another note of wine snobbery in an industry already rife with posturing? Imagine my surprise.

A true showman, Maximilian is a CEO with true passion for his product, and it shows in every vessel Riedel creates. An 11th generation glassmaker, he is the grandson of Claus Riedel, the first designer to recognize that glass shape affected everything about a wine, from its bouquet to its balance and finish.

Fortunately, we were treated to more than a list of information — we experienced the difference in real time. We tasted wines in glasses designed just for their level of acidity, body and bouquet, then tasted them in the “wrong” glasses — from Pinot Noir in Chardonnay glasses to all the wines in plastic cups. The differences were palpable, and it was actually a relief to put the wines back into their proper glasses for a final taste.

Next week you’ll hear the full experience on Food Philosophy, as I was permitted to record the entire session, and I hope it will really give you a sense of our journey of discovery. For me, the relationship between wine and glasses is forever changed (I might become annoying at dinner parties, but I’m only trying to help).

In the interim I wanted to share some images from the event, as well as a photo of “Eve,” the latest in Riedel’s line of decanters. Their pieces can easily be called artwork, and I find them very sensually satisfying. For Riedel, the wine is the centerpiece (their R&D division is essentially the Napa Valley and its winemakers), so their glasses can barely be felt on the lip as one prepares for that first sip of elixir. I found the whole process to be one of sensual indulgence, and invite you to try it for yourself to see the difference.

Chef Mark took some quick video from his digital camera, so pardon the lighting, but we didn’t want you to miss out on this piece. You can hear the gurgling as the elixir winds its way through the decanter, and get a real sense of Maximilian’s passion for his subject.

We’ll be shooting a more in-depth, HD video with Maximilian in the spring, so keep your eyes peeled (and palates ready) for that! (Note: You can also see our Facebook photos from the day here.)

Chef Dennis Johnston of Fid Restaurant takes Jennifer on an o’dark-hundred tour of the Halifax Farmers Market, introducing her to some of his favorite artisanal purveyors. He was also very patient with her morning need for gallons of caffeine.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Part 2 of our latest Food Blogger Play Date, where we do a blind tasting of Artisanal steaks from Carrie Oliver of www.oliverranch.com. Anu Karwa from Swirl Events brings along some great wines to pair with the beef.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

If you’re a beef lover like me, things can get a little confusing when it comes to buying the right thing — or even finding out which beef you like best. You might be surprised at all the nuances involved — I certainly was!

Carrie Oliver from Oliver Ranch is here to help all of us learn a lot more about beef, so this is a veritable primer on grass fed vs. corn fed, Kobe vs. Wagyu, marbling, grading — meaty stuff! (Sorry, couldn’t help it.)

http://www.oliverranch.com

Follow Carrie on Twitter: @OliverRanch

I’ve also got our book contest winner, updates on our latest travels including last week’s trip to Toronto, and news about our upcoming Gilded Fork cookbook!

Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Media Network (www.culinarymedianetwork.com).

Music: Beau Hall (www.beaurocks.com) and George Fletcher’s Bourbon Renewal (www.georgefletcher.com).

On Friday night our lovely hosts treated us to a real taste of Toronto — in the form of a 9-hour marathon of fine dining. I suppose this is somewhat like the Bordeaux marathon, only with less exercise. We had the opportunity to sample the finest in local cuisine from five of Toronto’s best restaurants, and each one delivered a different, memorable experience to our tastebuds.

We began the afternoon at Vertical with Chef Tawfik Shehata, who also gave us our tour of Chinatown and Kensington Market the day before. Chef Shehata has a unique story in that he has gone beyond using local, sustainable cuisine: He’s actually the farmer who grows most of the produce for his kitchen. When he isn’t in the kitchen he’s digging in the dirt, trying to perfect his growing techniques to deliver the finest in baby vegetables and herbs. Even better, his staff helps to harvest the vegetables, so they all have a personal investment in sharing their knowledge with patrons, as well as giving them a heads-up on what’s coming from the farm in upcoming weeks.

Chef Shehata’s menu features southern Italian and Mediterranean flavors, and he started us off with a pickled octopus salad with fennel, arugula and green olives served on grilled organic basil sourdough. Part two of our appetizer was a Digby scallop served on Tuscan kale, chorizo and piquillo pepper with a drizzle of a first cold pressing of grapeseed oil. What I love is that his dishes appear benignly delicious at first glance, but deliver an orchestral zing of flavor when you least expect it. Both the chorizo and arugula in these combinations gave the seafood a nice kick of pizzicante.

Our next stop on the tour of tastiness found us at Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner Museum. Renowned for pushing local, sustainable cuisine to the forefront in Canada, Kennedy and his team treated us to some comfort foods taken to a whole new level.

Sliders and fries are good on any day — on this particular rainy day they were mouthwateringly good. Our “sliders” were open-faced sandwiches of braised short ribs with a dollop of apple butter served on a bed of celeriac cole slaw, and the fries were made from Agria potatoes, which delivered a crunch that essentially drove us to annihilate the entire plate without blinking.

To add one more taste of local, Chef de Cuisine Scott Vivian crafted a mayonnaise using local cider vinegar. We do like eating our fries Belgian-style (with mayo), so I believe the table was very quiet during this particular interval.

Chef Scott spent a good amount of time with us talking about his efforts as the head of Slow Food in Toronto. There seems to be a real sense of community among the chefs of this city, where each is invested in using ingredients that are not only the finest in quality, but that also come from local purveyors. The areas surrounding Toronto are rich in agriculture, from vegetables and Icewines to seafood and cattle, so thankfully the chefs have much to choose from in crafting their menus.

Our next stop on the tour found us at sen5es with Chef Patrick Lin, who is quite playful with his flavors. He rather impishly told us of his desire to tempt our taste memories and buds with aromas and flavors that evoked moments in food time for us (he sat down with me for an interview, so look for that video in the coming weeks). Instead of one or two dishes, we soon found our table covered with an array of color, flavor and texture, from Hamachi to crab cakes and pork belly meatballs.

What stopped me dead in my tracks, however, was a taste that is still lingering in my mind (I’ll address this more in another post, as it deserves a space of its own).

Chef Patrick came out with a little ceramic “egg carton” that had little egg shells filled with some type of delicious looking custard. It turned out to be a savory foie gras creme brulee.

Yes. I’m going to let you sit with that one for a bit.

We then moved on to Epic, where Chef Ryan Gustafson gave us yet another twist on local featuring flavors from the Ocean Wise initiative, Canada’s leading sustainable seafood restaurant program, launched by the Vancouver Aquarium.

Epic, which is housed at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, is unique in that it hosts one of only three rooftop apiaries in the world. The honey is harvested and used in the restaurant, as well as sold locally (I brought home a jar that is torturing me as I write this).

Chef Ryan started us off with a little flavor explosion featuring Niagara prosciutto wrapped around a fig stuffed with blue cheese, accompanied by greens coated with truffle vinaigrette and a slice of orange. Hello, lover. The combination was sweet, tangy, zingy and decadent, all of which make my soul happy under any circumstances.

My main course was a little tower of Arctic Char graced with celeriac puree (a favorite), baby beets and green beans, all drizzled with — wait for it — a truffle port foam.

Hello, other lover.

Interestingly, Chef Mark savored a dish of local salmon, which arrived sans the typical orange salmon color. As these particular salmon feasted on herring instead of the typical diet of krill and seafood, their flesh was white.

Though we questioned whether there was any room left in our tummies for dessert, we were committed to finishing the marathon, and forged ahead. Our final stop was at Scaramouche, where Chef Joanne Yolles prepared a taste of her famous coconut cream pie recipe.

And though I’m not normally a dessert person, this one knocked my socks off. I’ve never had a coconut cream pie quite like this, and I can understand why it’s famous throughout Canada. The cream is light as a cloud, and the fresh whipped cream on top only enhances that sense. The dessert was served with a 15-year-old rum, which served as not only a great accompaniment to the coconut, but also as a perfect digestive for all we had consumed that day.

I must say, Toronto, you certainly know how to host a dedicated gourmand. Chef Mark and I thank you for showing us your broad array of flavors, your well-informed and passionate chefs, and a town we intend to return to as often as possible.

Many thanks as well to all of the chefs and their staff, who delivered an evening to remember, resplendent with excellent service and tastes that will linger on in our mental mouths for a long time to come.

If you want to design your own tour of the city, take a look at the Tourism Toronto web site, which has a collection of offerings to suit any type of palate. To reinforce that, we will have other posts from our time in the city featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, Greek food and more. For us (and for you, we hope), it isn’t about the trendiest, the most expensive or the most controversial. It’s all about the flavor and quality!

*****

I’ve never liked children. In fact, I don’t think I ever really qualified as one. As a person who could read the newspaper at age four, childishness always seemed a bore to me. While other girls played with Barbie, I played “lawyer,” with my next-door neighbor as my secretary. He was good at it.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that through cooking, I could engage a child’s curiosity, could see the process going through his mind as he crafted a sculpture out of ingredients. This was good stuff.

It all started with my twin nephews, Zachary and Alexander. They are frenetic three-year-olds notorious for refusing to eat, so I tried to come up with a way to make their arduous mealtime ritual fun. I thought perhaps if they created the food, they would be more eager to ingest it.

So we made baby pizzas. I was delighted with their enthusiasm as they ladled the sauce, sprinkled the cheese, then watched the pizza bake in the oven. They ate two bites and fed the rest to the dog.

But it was a beginning, and it inspired me to explore the idea further. My friend Lisa runs a progressive preschool, and she and I had discussed building gastronomy into the curriculum. Since her three- and four-year-olds were already starting to work with multiplication tables, I knew these kids were eager to learn.

I was concerned that too many children had no idea what raw broccoli looked like, and didn’t know that a chicken did not naturally come in a plastic-wrapped container, so I figured this audience was ripe for the challenge. Of course, my desire to rid children of their food-related misconceptions was at distinct odds with my desire to stay as far away from children as possible.

Lisa invited me in to teach, and much to my surprise I got really excited about it. The question was, how would the kids feel?

Since I was going in during “Colors and Shapes” week, I wanted a recipe that would reflect the theme they had followed. Pizza seemed to fit the bill. I also discovered through my research that pizza was created to honor Queen Margherita of Italy, so I equipped myself with a tale and a replica of the Italian flag. Perfect! Good story, easy ingredients, and what kid doesn’t like pizza?

The morning of the class I was nervous. What if they didn’t like me? What if they could sense I was not user-friendly? I know that Lisa and some of her teachers had equal misgivings. Could I, the self-proclaimed child-hater, present a lesson that was up to snuff?

Kids have radar for people like me, like a sixth sense where they can tell there is an enemy in their midst. They typically proceed, in such cases, to make said enemy’s life a living hell.

Undaunted, I shrugged off the fear and headed to school. I could do this. As long as no one bit me or peed on me I would survive.

Much to my surprise, the children were calm and collected when asked to sit down around the work table. They even washed their hands. As I told them the story of Queen Margherita they were rapt with attention. (No doubt the visual aids helped.)

Then they sat quietly for thirty entire minutes and put their pizzas together. I let them taste different ingredients to see what toppings they wanted to add. They fearlessly tasted red peppers, broccoli and mushrooms. One of the kids, who will forevermore be known as “The Stacker,” created a pie that was at least three inches high. Turns out he really digs broccoli.

I couldn’t help admitting I was having a ball. The kids ate every bite of what they made (finally proving my theory), and were perfectly behaved.

As I walked out the door, one of the kids popped up from his nap cot and waved enthusiastically — “Bye Miss Jen!” The feeling of victory was complete: I had actually bonded with a child.

I can’t wait for the next class.

**********

Article originally published on The Atlasphere.

Who says vegetarian food can’t be sexy? Chef Mark and I visit Europe’s oldest vegetarian restaurant (founded in 1898), which has one of the busiest — and cleanest — kitchens I’ve ever seen. Managing Director Peter Vauthier gave us full access to the operation from kitchen to dining room…to secret hidden room.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

We have another food blogger play date, getting together to taste new ingredients, and to photograph several dishes for our upcoming Gilded Fork Cookbook! We then explored making dishes with truffles & black garlic. Look for part 2, where we do a blind tasting of Artisanal steaks from Carrie Oliver of www.oliverranch.com.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

We had our first food blogger playdate back in September in the Martha Stewart test kitchens, so Chef Mark decided to arrange another because these gatherings are just so much fun. This time we headed to Chelsea, where our wonderful host Tommy threw open his doors so we could run amok in his beautiful kitchen.

Our fellow bloggers and food friends arrived with cameras, wines and spirits (both physical and otherwise) ready for action. We welcomed Jaden Hair from Steamy Kitchen, Anu Karwa from Swirl Events, Olga Massov from Sassy Radish, intrepid food writer Betty Fussell, Grace Piper from Fearless Cooking, and we even had an uber-techie, Charles Hope, from blip.tv — who arrived right from the airport after attending SXSW and headed straight for the wine. Last, but certainly not least, Carrie Oliver from Oliver Ranch brought the pivotal piece to the table: a selection of gorgeous meats for us to do a blind beef tasting.

The first part of our afternoon was dedicated to testing and photographing recipes from our upcoming cookbook, so we cooked and scrambled to finish that up before the others arrived. Our dishes served double-duty for the night both as props and delicious sides.

Jaden was wonderful enough to help us with some photography tricks, so we can’t wait to see how those shots came out! I’ve included some snaps from the gathering (please forgive — some were taken with my iPhone, and are thus a bit blurry) to give you a peek. There’s a link at the bottom of the post to more photo albums online.

Carrie guided us through a blind tasting of different meats to help us (and thus you) better understand the differences, from the intense grassy flavors of Holstein to the buttery richness of Kobe-style beef. Everyone seemed to have a different favorite, and a lively discussion ensued regarding the labeling used for beef (Grade A, Choice, etc.), grass-fed vs. corn-fed, and what to look for in purchasing meats. Look for more details on our upcoming CMN video.

After the tasting, we began the other tasting — of delicious sides and wines. Anu brought a selection for us to choose from, including a tart, appley (my new word) Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige. We sipped those along with a Cauliflower Puree from Grace Piper, which we dressed with shaved Oregon truffles and a drizzle of olive oil, Pumpkin Bisque with Creme Fraiche and a Honey Port Reduction from our upcoming cookbook, bruschetta made with black garlic courtesy of Jaden, and a Radicchio & Endive Salad with Chevre, Candied Pecans and Figs, also from the cookbook.

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this such a wonderful evening. We look forward to many more of these! You can see more photos on the blogs above and in the following places (I’ll keep adding these as more links come in):

My Facebook photo album

Grace Piper’s Flickr stream

Twitter IDs:

Jennifer Iannolo: @foodphilosophy
Chef Mark Tafoya: @ChefMark
Grace Piper: @GracePiper
Olga Massov: @sassyradish
Jaden Hair: @SteamyKitchen
Anu Karwa: @swirlwinesavvy
Carrie Oliver: @OliverRanch
Charles Hope: @CharlesHope

As a fine arts writer, Matt’s subject matter is more often geared toward oils that cover canvasses; but after reflecting upon the connection between food and art, he made a little discovery that brings them both together:

A well-crafted piece of art should open doors in your mind, and tap into parts of your soul that you have either forgotten about, or never knew of to begin with. And I’m here to tell you; this stuff is certainly food for thought.

Many might argue that food is not art, but if art is something that moves us, inspires us, and invites us to explore the depths of our senses and imagination (in my case, the Mental Mouth), then indeed it is. Thanks Matt!

Our Gilded Fork Cookbook project is coming along nicely, and we’re so thrilled that our recipe testers have been cooking up a storm trying out our recipes. They are an enormous help to us, holding us to task on the smallest details that could be confusing to readers, including pointing out where measurements or ingredients might be misunderstood by readers from other countries. (If you’re in the US, did you know that in Canada has 4 different types of cream? We didn’t! Here we just have heavy cream and half and half. One of our testers told us that they have 10%, Half and Half, 18% and Whipping Cream!)

This week, we thought we’d feature some pictures of various dishes as photographed by different testers.

Our Dilled Crab Salad on Artichoke Bottoms recipe was prepared by Lisa Marie Tran, whom I met last year at Podcamp NYC 2, and Lisa turned out a tempting photo:

The same recipe was tested by Chef Toni Scott, a friend of mine who’s a personal chef in Austin, TX, and owner of Dinner Made Simple. here’s one of Toni’s photos:

Café Brulot is one of the signature drinks of New Orleans, and it’s included in the Mardi Gras Menu in our cookbook. Here’s another shot done by Toni Scott:

Another talented personal chef is Robyn Barber. She’s the owner of Barber’s Bistro Personal Chef Service in Middle Tennessee. Here’s her version of Café Brulot.

We’re blessed to have a number of USPCA personal chefs helping us out with the cookbook (membership has its privileges!). One of them is Lisa Brisch of Dinner Thyme Personal Chef Service in Middletown, Delaware. Lisa tried out our recipe for Milk & Honey Lavender Sorbet:

And here’s another interpretation of the sorbet from Christina Pacella, a talented young cook and budding photographer. The Pacellas are long time friends of our very own Jennifer Iannolo.

We’ll have another roundup next week, with updates on our progress. We’ve received many dozens of photos and great feedback from our testers, and we’ll feature some more next week. If you’re one of our testers, please feel free to blog about your experience cooking our dishes. We’ll be sure to include it next week!

Jennifer and Chef Mark taste the many dishes and drinks on offer at the Savour Food & Wine Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

This is the event’s 7th year, and takes place throughout the month of February with tasting dinners, wine tastings and cooking classes throughout the region. (Now, dear readers, if you’ve been following closely — and we know you have — you saw that our first tasting dinner was at The Five Fisherman.)

Presented by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, Savour has built up a great deal of momentum, showcasing the finest Nova Scotia has to offer. During our time in the region, we’ve learned that said offering is a bounty of culinary riches, from succulent scallops (or SKAH-lops, as we have learned to say when in town) to candy cane beets and nutty ales.

And in case it hasn’t been obvious in some of our recent videos, we love Nova Scotia. The food and wine is as delicious as the people are friendly, and we’re always sad to leave. It was heartening to see so many familiar faces upon our return, and to revisit the wines we can’t get outside of the region (we’re not happy about that either). In addition to Jost, Domaine de Grand Pre and Gaspereau wines, we also discovered Blomindon Estate Winery with its memorable Baco Noir and port wines.

The grand finale of Savour was a grand tasting event at Halifax’s Marriott Harbourfront, seemingly filled to capacity with tasting booths and an eager, sell-out crowd. Chef Mark and I had a wonderful time sampling our way through the event, and even managed to find ourselves being interviewed for Canadian Public Television. (OK, which of you reading this in Nova Scotia has TiVo so we can get a recording? We are prepared to offer a bribe.)

I’m always amused at the way tasting events tend to unfold with a subtle theme or two, as if the chefs were comparing notes behind the scenes. This year Digby scallops took center stage — as well they should — along with sliders made with everything from lamb to Kobe beef. There was also an entire table devoted to sushi, resplendent with colorful platters and bright flavors.

We’ll have more videos coming soon with our adventures in Halifax, including a trip to the farmers market at o’dark-hundred with Chef Dennis Johnston from fid. I believe my final caffeine tally for the morning comprised three double espressos and two cups of coffee, but I forgive Dennis because he made me breakfast. We’ll also recap our meal at fid, along with videos of some behind-the-scenes action with chefs Eric Lee from Onyx and Trevor Simms from 44 North.

Many thanks to Emily Kimber from Destination Halifax, Christine White from the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, Pam Wamback from Nova Scotia Tourism, Jeff Ransome and his staff at the Marriott Harbourfront, and the whole gang who helped to make this trip (and our last one) a magnificent adventure. Next time we’re bringing a gaggle of people with us — and you might not get rid of us. Sociable!

Here is a little sampling of what we tasted last night. We wish you could have joined us at the table — it was a meal to remember! We also had the pleasure of dining with friends old and new here in Halifax, including freelance writer Lola Augustine Brown, Christine White from the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, and Emily Kimber from Destination Halifax.

With dinner and wine also came some ideas for a very special project we’re putting together, but you’ll have to wait for that. For now, feast with your eyes.

Amuse Bouche: Digby scallop on pork belly with pea puree
paired with ‘07 Nova 7, Benjamin Bridge Winery

Scallops and pork belly are a sublime combination — this dish was a little bit sweet, a little bit rich, and a whole lot of loveliness. Our first bite was served with a local (and very hard to find!) favorite, Nova ‘07, made with a hint of ice wine grapes and a hint of sparkle that made it a great match for the scallops.

Barbequed Duck Breast Salad
paired with ‘07 Red Eft Pinot Rose, Bear River Vineyards

The duck breast was treated to a spicy dry rub and served perfectly rare with goat cheese, apples and micro greens. The pinot rose wine was new to us, and we were pleasantly surprised by its light fruitiness. We could envision serving this type of rose with a number of different dishes, and are glad to see roses returning to the table.

Pan Seared Atlantic Haddock
paired with ‘06 Chardonnay, Blomidon Estate Winery, Annapolis Valley

One thing is certain in Nova Scotia — if you order haddock, it was probably caught within the past 24 hours, and once you’ve tasted the freshest of catches, fish will never be the same for you. This haddock was served with a south shore lobster succotash and asparagus, and Chef Mark was in the kitchen to get some video of it being prepared a la minute. Until then you’ll have to suffice with my little photo, but patience is a virtue.

Blomindon’s Chardonnay was wonderful with the lobster, as it had a smooth vanilla finish perfectly paired with lobster (we are huge fans of that combination).

Jost Prost

We do love a nice palate cleanse, so we refreshed ourselves with a glass of Jost, one of my very favorite sparkling wines from Nova Scotia. This twist on a Kir Royale was crafted with a Nova Scotia wild blueberry juice and served with a little knot of lemon rind. I could have danced with this one all night.

Oven Roasted “Oulton’s Farms” Beef Tenderloin
paired with ‘07 Baco Noir, Blomidon Estate Winery, Annapolis Valley

Mmm…beef. And beef served with beef cheeks? Color me happy. This sumptuous dish was served with a wintry combination of sweet mama squash, yams and parsnips, as well as Brussels sprouts.

Baco noir has become a new favorite red for me. Lighter than a pinot noir, it has a complexity that holds up to meats without overpowering them. The grape is originally from France, but apparently they don’t like to talk about it. Better for us, methinks.

Farmers Market Artisan Cheeses & Jellies
paired with Barrel Aged Port, Acadianna Reserve, Sainte-Famille, Annapolis Valley

I loves me some port — any time, anywhere. Coupled with garlic and blue cheeses, along with a dash of pepper jelly, we could feel the afterglow setting in as we awaited the final course.

Poached Valley Pear Tart
paired with ‘07 New York Muscat, Gaspereau Vineyards, Gaspereau Valley

We were delighted to see this bottle arrive tableside, as we had a wonderful time at Gaspereau Vineyards when we visited in October. This dessert wine was served on my own Thanksgiving table, and it is a sublime dessert wine. A bit lighter than an ice wine, it has just the right level of sweetness to pair with your favorite bite of dessert.

Today we’re off to the kitchens to get a peak behind the scenes as local chefs prepare for tonight’s Savour Food & Wine Festival grand tasting. Look for more updates from this event as well as our other food and wine adventures this week, and we’ll do our best to keep up with it all. I may need to limit my wine intake or the blog posts could get…interesting.

Wish you were here!

We’ve taken recipes both old and new and put them into a year’s worth of easy entertaining menus, so from a casual comfort food spread to a romantic dinner for two, you will have a collection of recipes, entertaining tips and techniques at your fingertips.

The Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home, A Year of Dinner Parties
Now more than ever, people are looking for economical ways to entertain, and we’re always up for a friendly gathering at home. We’ve been bringing you our popular Mise en Place menus for the past couple of years to help you take your hosting skills to a new level.

If you’re tactile like us, however, you know there’s nothing quite so satisfying as a tangible cookbook — one we can take with us into the kitchen instead of the printed pieces of paper that always end up crumpled and stained (hey, we like to get involved with our work).

In true CMN/social media style, we’re going it on our own to self-publish and promote the book. Here’s where the fun comes in: We are incredibly grateful for your support and encouragement — so we want you to be involved! This is not about us just putting out a book — we want your input, and for you to be a part of this important step in our evolution.

There are a number of ways for you to get involved and/or show your support:

• Recipe testing: Help us make our recipes the best they can be. We’ll credit you in the book, with links to your site/blog/social media page.
• Photos: Shoot the finished product after testing the recipe for us. Help the recipes look pretty, too, and we’ll give you photo credit(s) in the book.
• Spread the word: This is the most important one. Please tell your friends and family about us, Twitter it, Facebook it, make a video, share our blog posts and generally shout our news from the rooftops (or just whisper it quietly to your best friend in the next cubicle).
• Pre-orders: We will make the book available for pre-orders in April, with a special discount for early birds.

We’ll post updates as we progress, but you can follow along on your own by subscribing to our free RSS feed. If you’d like to participate in testing or photography, please contact us at info@culinarymedianetwork.com. See you in the kitchen!

UPDATE 2/24: Thank you! We’ve had such an amazingly overwhelming response to our call for recipe testers! We now have more than 50 people helping us with this phase, and we’re so thankful. We never imagined we’d get such a response. So we’re set for now, but rest assured we will be reaching out again soon for the next step in the process.

We learn what SWISS International Airlines is doing to improve the image of airplane food with their new In Flight Meal Service in Premium classes. We fly from New York to Zurich and pay a visit to the Gate Gourmet facility where the meals are made.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com