December 27, 2007
...and what have I done?
Well, I have cooked. And eaten. And drank. And fed people. And then started cooking again.
I have baked sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, macadamia nut cookies and date cookies.
I have feasted on London broil, cocktail shrimp, pad Thai, crab dip, meatballs, miniature egg rolls, lobster amandine, pistachio-crusted salmon, chicken piccata, breakfast casseroles and much more.
I have torn open boxes of Frango chocolates and cans of piroulines; crates of tiny, liquor-filled chocolate bottles and bags of Belgian candy; pillowy sacks of brownie mix and pancake mix.
I have stocked my kitchen with cooking-themed gifts -- a pink spatula, a digital thermometer, a tea pot, a tea ball, a fridge magnet with measurement breakdowns, a tiny frying pan for melting butter or browning nuts.
About 10 days (and probably 10 pounds) later, I wonder which dish, which candy, which gift I treasure the most. But it isn't any of those tangible things. Instead, it was the chance to laugh with my dad over a plate of Thai food and to get in the kitchen with my mom and cook up a big meal like we used to.
Food would be nothing without fellowship. That's what the holidays always teach me.
But I cannot ignore the dishes I learned to make and the joy of eating them, too. Surprisingly, when I thought back on my Christmas holiday, I found that the easiest, most simple dish I learned to make was my favorite. And the most subtly sweet cookie I learned to make tasted the very best.
Here are my top two recipes of the holiday season. If you aren't tired of cooking yet, give them a try! And please write in and share your own culinary experiences this holiday season. Which recipe are you most likely to make again before next Christmas?
Continue reading "So that was Christmas..." »
December 13, 2007
My plan for next week's Front Burner column was to write a little about oysters and other Christmas seafood and then move on to breakfast casseroles in the second half of the article.
But that's before I sat down to write and just couldn't shut up about the oysters. That topic, along with the oyster recipes I'm also running, took up all the space I had.
Thank goodness for Plan B: The Fridge Magnet blog!
Breakfast casseroles are one of my favorite ways to dial back the stress when I've got a house full of company. I wanted to share a couple of casserole recipes with you guys in the hopes that you'll find them helpful within the next couple of weeks.
There's nothing like the ease of waking up, walking into the kitchen, turning on the oven, pulling a pan of pre-made breakfast casserole out of the oven and popping it in. Voila-- you're back to the living room to watch the kids (or the kids at heart) opening their gifts.
Continue reading "Breakfast casseroles: a cinch in a pinch!" »
December 12, 2007
Last night, I had my annual pre-Christmas freak out.
As much as I have always adored this holiday, I couldn't help but think about all the presents I still need to buy and wrap, the foods I still need to purchase and prepare for our annual gathering with friends, the cards I need to mail, the cleaning I need to do, and the logistics of spending equal time with four sets of parents in three different cities.
And I don't even have children!
At the risk of sounding like Carrie Bradshaw here, I couldn't help but wonder: Am I the only one who cannot get through the holiday season without a moment of sheer panic over all of the chores I need to accomplish before the big day?
Continue reading "Wrapping and shopping and cooking...Oh, my!" »
December 11, 2007
During the winter, do we really all scream for ice cream? Or do we scream because it's freezing cold outside and the thought of eating something frozen makes our hair stand on end?
This is the very serious question that I pondered for tomorrow's Front Burner column.
The topic might seem a little out of season, but I truly wondered how so many ice cream parlors in the Roanoke area manage to stay open all year long.
As it turns out, a lot of people crave ice cream almost as much during the winter as they do during the summer. And it doesn't hurt that you can find some tantalizing and sinful holiday-themed treats this time of year.
Continue reading "We all scream..." »
November 28, 2007
If you're like me, you can't go Christmas shopping without finding at least a half-dozen "toys" you want to buy for yourself. Most of my wish list, of course, includes kitchen gadgets or food items.
Fortunately, I can satisfy my urge to buy those things by getting them for the other foodies in my family. If you still need to buy a gift for someone like that or you're looking for gift ideas for yourself, check out these nifty products I found online.
If you've got any other ideas or would like to tell us what you wish Santa would bring for your kitchen, do tell!
Continue reading "All I want for Christmas..." »
November 26, 2007
Well, Thanksgiving is over and my 16-pound turkey has already been reduced to a big pot of stock that's waiting at home in the fridge rignt now.
But when I walk in the door today and smell that rich odor of turkey still hanging in the air, I'm not sure turkey soup will sound very appetizing.
Not that this year's Thanksgiving bird didn't earn a rave response from my guests. I bought it from Weathertop Farm in Floyd County and I don't believe I'll ever buy another store-bought bird. My Dad said it might've been the best turkey he's ever eaten. Now there's a compliment!
I brined mine overnight in a brown sugar and kosher salt brine, then stuffed it with celery, onions, carrots, apples and bay leaves and sprinkled the top with rosemary and pepper. In a roasting bag, it took less than three hours to reach 165 degrees.
But no matter how delicious it was, after a couple plates of leftovers and a turkey sandwich or two, my appetite for turkey is waning. At least I haven't resorted to making turkey waffles like Sally Forth in yesterday's comics.
In an effort to put an exciting twist on the last bit of turkey in my fridge, I believe I'll try out the Thai Chicken Noodle Soup recipe that ran with last week's column. A little hot sauce, some cilantro, some rice noodles and voila! Maybe we can power through the last scraps of the little bird.
In case you missed that recipe, here it is again. And if you're looking for another tasty way to transform the last of your turkey, keep an eye on the video player below for a casserole demonstration that should appear within the day.
Continue reading "Last of the turkey" »
November 14, 2007
If you haven't seen today's Extra section or perused Roanoke.com, you're in for a whole mess of special Thanksgiving recipes, turkey tips and information about what local restaurants are doing on the holiday.
Today's Front Burner column features many of the 35+ Thanksgiving recipes that were submitted by you, the lovely reader. I want to thank you all very much for sharing those. If you don't see your recipe in print, do not fear. All you have to do is go here to see the complete list of recipes and a Web page stuffed with all sorts of other holiday news.
As for the leftover turkey, I plan to test out a recipe tonight for a turkey-broccoli casserole that promises lots of warm, cheesy, noodly goodness. I'll let you know how that turns out.
If you have not yet seen my video of Sue Reavis talking about the significance of her pumpkin pie at their family Thanksgiving table, here it is. It's not too late to share your own poignant or funny Thanksgiving memory. We've set up a message board on the Thanksgiving 2007 page where you can share away. If you don't want to do it there, feel free to comment on the Fridge Magnet blog.
And finally, some very exciting news for anyone interested in what's going on in the music, arts and dining scene in Roanoke. The Roanoke Times will soon be launching our E-Cast, which will go up on the site every Wednesday and offer lots of information about fun stuff to do the following weekend.
The E-Cast will officially go live in a couple of weeks, but here's a sneak peek especially for you: http://www.roanoke.com/multimedia/video/ecast/wb/134420
If you get a chance, give me a shout and let me know what you like -- or don't like -- about the E-Cast. As they say, there's always room for improvement!
November 9, 2007
When my relatives start asking what I want for Christmas, my response usually includes some sort of cookware or kitchen gadget that I've been longing for.
While I don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to get a KitchenAid mixer in some wacky color of the rainbow (I'll have to save up for that myself), I have been blessed to receive some of my best kitchen tools as holiday gifts. Example: the microblade my father gave me, a vegetable and pasta cooker from my mom and and a lovely china platter from my husband's stepmom.
Since you are all reading this blog because you love to cook and eat, I'm guessing your Christmas lists typically include some sort of culinary tool or toy. If that's the case, I want to tell you about an interesting event at Ladles & Linens Kitchen Shoppe in Roanoke this Sunday. Unfortunately, guys, this one is supposedly just for the ladies.
"Ladies' Afternoon" is a chance for women to visit Ladles & Linens and create a "wish list," or gift registry, for the holidays. The store will then mail copies of the wish list to anyone you choose. They'll also be providing refreshments and will give away door prizes at the end of the day. And whoever completes a list receives a free gift.
Outdoorsy types can also create a wish list at Walkabout Outfitter, the outdoors store next door. I believe both stores are owned by the same person.
Although this is supposed to be a "ladies only" event, the folks at Ladles & Linens told me the more guests, the merrier. So guys, if you wander in and ask to make your own list at either store, I'm guessing you won't be turned away.
"Ladies' Afternoon" takes place from noon to 3:30 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Roanoke store (305 Market Street) and from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18 at the Lexington location (13 S. Main Street).
Start making those lists!
November 8, 2007
After I re-ran a former blog post about grilling turkeys in my Front Burner column yesterday, I received a hearty response from readers. Many say they've been grilling the Thanksgiving bird for decades now and wouldn't have it any other way.
The first call I got was from a fellow named Chris who left me a voicemail message saying he grills his bird on a low flame (about 200 degrees) for 5 1/2 to 6 hours.
"It comes out fine every time," he said.
Then, Rebecca Seaster rang me up to say that she and her husband grill birds all the time. Even better, they use an old Southern Living recipe that calls for brining the turkey first, then stuffing the cavity with onions and other vegetables for extra flavor. Mmmm mmmmm!
Rebecca insists that you must cook the turkey breast side down, saying it turns out a deliciously crispy skin. She promised to drop her recipe in the mail for me, so as soon as it comes I will type it up and post it on the blog.
Here are a few more reader responses:
Continue reading "Grill, you know it's true" »
October 31, 2007
As I said in today's Front Burner column, there are 101 different ways to prepare winter squash besides the standard roasting methods. They can be sliced and grilled, pureed like mashed potatoes, whipped into soups, incorporated into sweet pies and cakes or jazzed up with stronger flavors like garlic, ginger or curry.
I only had room for two recipes in today's paper, but I found a few more I wanted to share, so here they are:
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
1 medium spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except spaghetti squash over medium-low heat and whisk until smooth and creamy, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the spaghetti squash strands to the sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Serve immediately.
Source: www.razzledazzlerecipes.com
Continue reading "Squash state of mind" »
October 19, 2007
I'm impressed that anyone would attempt to cook an entire turkey on a gas grill.
However, according to the folks at Cal Flame grills, it's not only doable but fairly easy.
Alternative turkey cooking techniques have been of interest in the past few years; many, many folks have fallen in love with the crispy skin and juicy meat of a deep fried turkey. I've had one of those myself and can personally vouch for the results. On the other hand, how many of us have heard horror stories about some inept cook who tried to fry a turkey and blew up his garage or himself instead?
Looks like grilling a bird might be a safer alternative.
As you can see in this photo, Cal Flame grills and others can be fitted with rotisseries. I would imagine that makes it easier to pull this off. But they do say it's possible to grill the bird in a pan placed directly on a grate -- the key is to keep water in the pan to create a moist environment inside the grill.
I'm going to copy grilling directions below and would love to hear from anyone who has tried this before or plans to try it out this year.
If the weather stays as unseasonably warm in November as it has to date, grilling the bird might be a nice way to keep the heat (and all the nosy backseat chefs) outside the kitchen.
Continue reading "Who grills a turkey?" »
October 18, 2007
Noooooooooooo!! Make it stoooooooooooop!!
|
.....Advertisement.....
|
