Food Lush

Interview with Chef Alex Guarnaschelli

By Nora

To say I was excited to have the opportunity to interview Alex Guarnaschelli is an understatement. As any good foodie does, I watch the Food Network regularly, and Alex is one of the chefs whose shows I truly love watching. Whether it’s on The Cooking Loft or Alex’s Day Off, I can’t help but admire how she seems to have a real reverence for her ingredients. Her love for cooking is infectious. Have you ever heard Alex describe how she feels about bacon? You will never be the same.

Can you describe your recipe creation process? Where does inspiration strike for you?

Honestly, I grew up in a house with a lot of cooking and I’ve been doing nothing but cooking for over 20 years, so I guess it’s really just about whatever mood I’m seeking to create with the dishes I choose, and then what ingredients are seasonal. Those are my two driving forces. But I couldn’t give you a time frame for creating my recipes—it doesn’t work that way for me. I think for some chefs it does, but you know sometimes I won’t make anything for a week and then I’ll make five things in one day. It’s not regimented, how my recipes come to be. Does that make sense?

Absolutely. You said you cook seasonally--do you have a preferred season for cooking, based on the ingredients that are available?

I really enjoy every season because by the time one season is ending and another is beginning, I’m looking forward to those ingredients. Of course, summer is kind of amazing, let’s face it. But my favorite time of year is August through November because it ranges from tomatoes to corn to squash to Brussels sprouts. That’s probably my favorite--end of summer, beginning of fall.

Okay, here’s a tough one. If you could spend a day in the kitchen with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

The problem with the question you ask is that I already spend the days in the kitchen with the people I would choose! I have such an amazing kitchen staff at my restaurants (Butter and The Darby in NYC) and I’m so blessed. While I guess the logical answer to that question would be Julia Child or James Beard, I’m so happy and lucky to be surrounded by a great staff, that they’re my first pick.

Since the holidays are approaching, I have to ask: What’s your favorite holiday dish, either to cook and/or eat?

My favorite holiday food is cranberry sauce, to be honest. I love taking something bitter and inedible in raw form and watching it transform on the stove with spices and sugar and orange into something that’s so delicious. And I don’t think there’s a condiment that goes better with its partner than turkey with a dollop of cranberry. I find that really rewarding. It’s my favorite thing. And I have to say that the faster I answer these questions, the longer the answer has been true for me. I am kind of obsessed with cranberry sauce.

Does that mean you’re opposed to the cranberry sauce in a can?

No! My mother made fresh every year, and we also put a can out. You gotta have both.

So, let’s say it’s a busy weeknight. What’s your go-to recipe?

I cook whatever strikes me. I go to the store, I buy stuff, and I make different things all the time. You know, when you’ve cooked for so long, so intensively, I would say that it’s almost as if I don’t have a repertoire—but I do have the ingredients that I prefer. And it also depends on who I’m cooking for. If I’m making something for my daughter it’s one thing, if it’s cooking with or for a friend, it’s another. I have a pastry chef friend who doesn’t like to eat dessert! Totally depends on who I’m hanging out with—does that make sense? I would love to say, oh here it is, my perfect recipe, but that’s too complex for my brain.

Having been a judge on Chopped and a contestant on Iron Chef (and soon to be on The Next Iron Chef: Redemption), which position do you think is tougher---to judge someone’s food, or cook in a high-pressure situation and have your food judged?

You know, when you’re a judge you have the responsibility of honoring the person who cooked the food, and taking them through the judging process with as much integrity as possible. So that’s very hard emotionally. When you’re cooking and you’re being judged, it’s almost harder physically, because you’re pushing through and you’re trying to use your skills and experience to get things done. And you’re working against the clock. I’d say one is more draining mentally and emotionally, and one is more draining physically. But I think the choice really comes when you decide which you actually find more tiring. When you’re physically depleted and you’re brain is somewhat functioning--or the other way around. So they’re very different things, but equally stressful in their own ways. Like an orange and an apple—they’re both fruit but they couldn’t be more different.

I think the judging of people’s food would be the hardest for me. I watched the episode recently where the teen chefs competed. They were incredible.

They were amazing. It’s absolutely awful to have to tell someone they’re not going to win. I don’t enjoy that because I see how hard these chefs work on their dishes. I think it’s a show that looks very easy when you watch it at home on TV, but it’s so hard when you’re doing it for real.

Can we expect a cookbook from you in the future?

Oh, yes! Thank you for asking. My own cookbook will be coming out next fall. I’m publishing my first cookbook with Clarkson Potter. It’ll be a home-cook cookbook, using French techniques and American ingredients.

Okay, one last question that I have to ask. What’s your most indulgent guilty food pleasure?

You know, every day is an indulgent food pleasure for me. But Haagen Daaz Ice Cream, definitely.

And you’ve actually contributed to an eBook that Haagen Daaz has recently released, right?

Yes, and I’m really excited to work with them in this particular way. They created an eBook called Ode to Summer, which includes 50 favorite summer moments to help sustain us through the gloomy winter. The other thing that’s genuinely cool about it is that for every download of the book--which is free, by the way--Haagen Daaz is donating $5 to honey bee research, to protect honey bee colonies. And I didn’t know this before I starting working with them on it, but honey bees are responsible for pollenating a third of the world’s natural food supply. I think we think of bees as being pretty cool, but they are also critical for our food supply. So, as a chef, the fact that I can eat ice cream and think about summer moments and help sustain something so essential to our food supply is kind of amazing. All you have to do is download something for free, and honey bee research gets $5. It’s easy to get behind something like that. I love it.

Well, I’ll be downloading the Ode to Summer eBook right after I talk to you.

And I will be eating the Haagen Daaz. It’s such a rough life.

Download the free Ode to Summer eBook!

Google Play

Amazon

iTunes

Planning for Thanksgiving: Cookbooks

By Nora    

Hey, are you guys big Thanksgiving nerds like I am, and start thinking about/planning menus like WAY in advance of the actual holiday? As someone who loves to cook and feed her family, Thanksgiving is a sacred day, and thus I must prepare accordingly.  Last year we spent Thanksgiving at my in-laws, and while it was nice to get together with the extended family, I have five words for you: Mashed Potatoes from a Box. I know. I know. Thank you all for your sympathies.

One of the things I like best about planning the Thanksgiving meal is finding new recipes in magazines and going back to the old favorites in cookbooks i've collected over the years. I am one of those people who likes to try new recipes every year. Here are some of the best Thanksgiving cookbooks i've come across, which can help you craft the perfect holiday meal.  Or, you could always just order a ready-cooked meal from Boston Market, which is what my father suggests EVERY YEAR, even though he cleans his plate every year regardless of what I make. Aren't family traditions wonderful? 

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Thanksgiving 

(Buy this now. Seriously. The photography and recipes are fanastic and it's only like 6 bucks on Amazon for the hardcover.)

 

Barefoot Contessa: Parties!

(Not a Thanksgiving cookbook per se, but there's a whole section on cooking a Thanksgiving meal and other great holiday recipes, which are simple and delicious)

 

 

Martha's Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations

(Expensive, but hey, it's Martha. Everything she does is perfect. Not only does this cover Thanksgiving, but she does other holiday meals as well.)

 

Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday with America's Thanksgiving Expert

(I'm not sure what makes someone a "Thanksgiving Expert", but this is a great book for the first-time Thanksgiving host)

Mulled Cider. In the Crockpot!

By Nora

I am fairly obsessed with apple cider from about October 1st through the end of November. We have it in the fridge almost constantly. I love it cold, I love it hot, and I especially love it mulled and spiked on a chilly night in front of the fireplace. But, I think to get the very best mulled cider, you really need to let it cook for a good long while in order for all of the spices and flavors to steep into the apple-y goodness.  This requires a bit of planning and attention, and who wants to do that, especially when it comes to cocktails?  This is where the crockpot comes to play. Mix the following ingredients in the crockpot, set it on low in the early afternoon, and by happy hour, you've got yourself some pretty tasty mulled cider (you can leave out the Calvados, if you want the whole family to be able to enjoy it).

Crockpot Mulled Cider

2 quarts apple cider

3-4 pieces of orange peel (about 3 inches long each)

1.5 cups of Calvados (apple brandy)

6 cinammon sticks

12 whole cloves

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup brown sugar (if you like it sweet)

1/8 tsp ground ginger

 

 Another benefit of mulling cider in a crockpot is that it makes the whole house smell absolutely delicious while it's heating. And once it's ready to serve, I like to garnish with a cinammon stick and an orange slice (I know, apples and oranges? But it works.) 

 

(photo from myrecipes.com)

No-Knead Bread Dough: The Most Useful Recipe I've Found through Pinterest, EVER

By Nora

I have been experiencing a real love/hate thing with Pinterest lately. While I love getting lost in it when I have nothing better to do with my time, some of the pins really aggravate me to the point of wanting to throw my laptop across the room. However, I very recently came across a recipe on Pinterest that intrigued me, and so I pinned it. I think I have probably actually tried about 5% of the pins i've ever pinned, but this one will stick around in my permanent baking rounds.

The pin linked to a website called Simply So Good, and the recipe apparently was printed in the New York Times at some point, but actually comes from a guy named Jim Lahey, of Sullivan Street Bakery. I don't know you, Jim, but you are my new hero.

If you work long hours, or are a busy parent, or hate taking the time to knead bread, or love having fresh baked bread on hand at any given time but don't want to purchase a bread maker, or any combination of these situations, then this recipe will be a game changer. I linked to it above, but if your'e lazy and don't feel like clicking on it and opening a new window, here's what you do:

Mix 3 cups of flour, 1 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp active dry yeast in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, stir together to create a "shaggy" dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it sit on your counter for 12-18 hours. After that time has passed, roll the (very sticky) dough onto a heavily floured surface, form into a round, and then drop it into a cast iron pot that has been preheated for 30 minutes in a 450 degree oven. I think it goes without saying, but the pot will be VERY HOT so use good oven mitts (a kitchen towel will not suffice). Then put a lid on the pot and cook at 450 for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and let cool.  

This is what it will look like:

{I took this photo of bread I baked this afternoon, while I was working. THAT EASY.}

This bread has a firm crust and a chewy inside and tastes reminiscent of Sourdough bread. You seriously can't mess it up (unless you overcook it, I think).  The absolute best thing about this recipe is that you can add different ingredients to invent your very own bread flavors. I added chopped garlic, parmesan, thyme and rosemary to the dry ingredients before adding the water and mixing it together. It was delicious. And just in case any of my family and friends were wondering, EVERYONE GETS BREAD FOR CHRISTMAS.

Make Homemade Soft Pretzels and Be the Hero of your Family

By Nora

We are big fans of Fall around these parts (we are from New England, after all) and so once the cool weather rolls around, bring on Octoberfest (or Oktoberfest, if you are particular to the authentic German spelling). This, of course, means that we have many, many varieties of Octoberfest beer in our house, because my husband is slightly obsessed.  And what's the perfect food to pair with Octoberfest beer? Soft pretzels, of course. Although unless you live near a mall and have easy access to once of those pretzel stands, they're not always easy to come by. However, I discovered that it is very easy to make your own soft pretzels at home, and once you do your family will worship and revere you as the god(dess) that you are.  I used this recipe form Alton Brown on the Food Network site, and they turned out great.  Check it:

Don't be intimidated by boiling the pretzels in water/baking soda before baking (this was the part I was a little nervous about).  It only takes a few minutes and it really makes a difference in the texture and taste.  And I would definitely recommend buying some pretzel salt to go on them for that authentic soft pretzel taste (but kosher salt works in a pinch, too). 

P.S. The day after I made these for my husband, he volunteered to take my daughter out for a few hours so I could have some "time to myself". Without me even asking. Behold the power of the soft pretzel.

Who Doesn't Like a Good Bundt?

By Nora

With fall quickly approaching (does anyone already have a crap-ton of leaves in their yard? what's up with that?), I thought I would get into the spirit of fall baking and dive into the Grandma recipe archives to try one I hadn't tried before. I had a giant jar of applesauce in the fridge that I knew would go to waste if I didn't find some creative way of using it, and of course, Grammy had just the recipe for such a dilemma. So here it is, my friends. Just don't overbake it like I did (I did 60 minutes instead of 50). But my toddler still declared it "YUM!" so I consider it a success anyway.  It's spicey and appley and tastes like an autumnal cake should taste. I would also advise adding a tablespoon of canola oil to the recipe below, as this will increase the moistness factor (but it's not necessary). Enjoy!

Nora's Grammy's Applesauce Cake

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp Allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup applesauce

1 cup of raisins and nuts (optional, I left them out)

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In a larger bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar, and then add the egg and beat until fluffy. Add the applesauce, and then gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Add the raisins and nuts (if you decide to include them), and pour into a bundt pan or an 8-inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Frost, if desired, but it doesn't need it.

Evidence of the cake's deliciousness.

Food Fiction

By Nora

I’m a big reader. I love when I find a book that I can lose myself in. I find that the books that I love the most are the ones that often involve food in some way. Not that the plots have to be about food, but when the characters describe mouth-watering meals or talk about making recipes that have some significance in their lives, it somehow makes me more invested in the story (because it feels real to me). So, needless to say, I LOVE when fiction books include recipes for the dishes that are mentioned in the story, or even better, have spin-off cookbooks!  I KNOW that in most cases, this is a marketing ploy to get suckers like me to buy more books.  But I fall for it every time.  Here are some of my favorite spin-off cookbooks and books that have recipes within the context of the story. 

 

If you’re a fan of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series, you’ll know that Kay Scarpetta is the Virginia State Medical Examiner AND an avid Italian cook. Many of the recipes in  Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta’s Kitchen are really legit in terms of being authentically Italian. It’s also worth mentioning that Cornwell published another little vignette/cookbook out called “Kay’s Winter Table”, but it’s more focused on holiday food and has a story to accompany it.

 

Good Enough to Eat is actually a book that Dani reviewed a while back, and which I loved as well.  As Dani so eloquently put it, it’s a book about “weight-loss, health food, love, friendship and good, delicious, hearty meals.”  The recipes for many of the dishes featured in the chapters are included, and some are----gasp---healthy!

 

 

Like Water for Chocolate. If you haven’t read this book, please set aside a weekend soon to devote to reading it. It takes place in turn of the century Mexico, so you can only imagine the amazing traditional recipes in this novel/fairy tale about forbidden love, complicated family relationships, and how food fits in to all of those elements of the story.

 

 

So I can’t personally vouch for this one, but I thought it was hilarious and worth mentioning. The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. If Lamb Stew with Plums sounds good to you, this cookbook is for you.

And Tara C. just wrote a post about the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, which I plan to buy in the near future. Head on over to her post and enter to win a free copy!

If you know any other fiction books with recipes or awesome cookbook spin-offs, please share! 

(Photos from Amazon and Barnes&Noble)

Because sometimes you just want a warm cookie

By Nora

I am one of those people that when I have a dessert craving, it must be satisfied by any and all means necessary. And if that requires running to Baskin Robbins at 9:30 at night for Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, then that's what happens. We are not people that always keep dessert in the house either. Occasionally we'll have some Skinny Cows around, or leftover pie (in case you hadn't heard, I LOVE PIE), but I rarely buy cookies or sweets to always have around, because that is dangerous and my pants are already getting tight and it's not even fall yet. But I do love me some fresh baked cookies (and i'm not talking about the Pilsbury kind, here), however it's such a production to make fresh baked cookies. Lately though, i've been seeing recipes around for slice and bake cookies, where you can make a roll of cookie dough, freeze it, and cut off a few cookies at a time to bake whenever your'e in the mood.  This is so perfect for me, I can't even tell you. I have two rolls of these Oatmeal Crispies in my freezer right now, and plan to make these cookies that Pioneer Woman recently posted about (I love you, Ree). 

So go ahead, make a batch of cookie dough and indulge at your own pace (rather than making an entire batch at once and sneaking one out of the tin every time you go in the kitchen, which can easily equal 10 or more cookies a day OMG).

(photo from Pioneer Woman)

Storing Spices

By Nora    

I don't know about you, but I have been at war with my spice jars for quite a long time now. I have SO many, and not enough space to house them. I used to have a spice rack on my counter, but I got sick of looking at it there and got rid of it recently, which only led to more homeless spices in my kitchen. I have one designated cabinet/shelf for my spices, and i'ts not nearly big enough for everything. And as cute as some of those spice storage systems on Etsy are, I just didn't want to buy something that I might get tired of looking at in a few months. I just want to be able to store my spices in cabinet and find the one I need when I need it! Is that so wrong?

So I did a bit of exploring on Amazon and came across the SpiceStor Organizer Spice Rack. It's a simple concept, and it fits in a very small space, which is what i'm dealing with. You mount the clips on the plastic board depending on the spice jars you want to store, and then stick the track on the shelf above and the board easily slides in and out, thus preventing the avalanche of falling spice jars every time you need the ground cloves. It hasn't solved ALL my spice storage issues since I have some awkwardly sized jars that I still don't know what to do with, but for now it has at least prevented me from having an anxiety attack when I open the spice cabinet. 

(Image from Amazon.com)

Microwaved Bacon CAN Taste Good!

By Nora

As you may have read in his guest post a few weeks ago, my husband has some issues with bacon. However, I love it. The only issue I have is cooking it.  The tastiest bacon is fried in a pan in its own fat, but that’s a very unhealthy method (especially if you eat it fairly frequently). I’ve started baking it in the oven lately, but it just takes so dang long. And microwaving is quick, but you lose some of the nice crispiness that you get with other bacon-cooking techniques. So what’s a girl to do?

I found a pretty satisfying solution while at Marshall’s the other day, and it’s helped with my bacon issues.

It’s the Joie Piggy Bacon Tray!  You put 4-5 slices on the tray, cover it with the piggy top, and microwave according to directions (usually 4 minutes for 4 slices). I was very happy with the results. I got the crispiness that you get from frying bacon, but less grease and still yummy. One caveat---if you try to cook center cut (thick-sliced) bacon on this tray, the results will not be as good. Use the regular thin sliced stuff and you’re in business.  And it’s cute to boot!  As long as you don’t mind being reminded that bacon comes from cute little pigs. 

(Photo from: Amazon)