A taste of Provence: Layered Pot Roast with Anchovies, Capers and Garlic

Hearty pot roast gets big flavor thanks to capers, onions, garlic and anchovies in this simple dish from the South of France, Grillades à L’Arlésienne. Recipe below.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I ADMITTED TO BEING A MAJOR FRANCOPHILE when I wrote about roasting chicken on a bed of lentils. That caused our friend Karin to tell me about three different French cookbooks. Already having more cookbooks than we have shelf space for, I immediately headed for the library website and ordered them. Of course, all three showed up within days of each other. Continue reading “A taste of Provence: Layered Pot Roast with Anchovies, Capers and Garlic” →

Six great new ideas for the kitchen from the International Home + Housewares Show

The International Home + Housewares Show was in Chicago this week. Here are a half dozen cool new tools and treats we saw there—plus a peek at some things yet to come.

The annual show at McCormick Place is the centerpiece of the International Housewares Association’s efforts to promote the housewares industry, attracting the world’s largest audience of home goods and housewares professionals, more than 60,000 every year. Both the exhibitors and the attendees reflect the global reach of the association. As Marion and I walked around the dine + design section of the show, we were on the lookout for interesting new tools, gadgets and ideas for home cooks. We weren’t disappointed.

1. Garlic Twist, NexTrend Products

I’ve never been a big fan of garlic presses. Too messy and too much garlic left behind in the press for me. So when it comes to chopping or mincing a clove or two of garlic, I’m all about doing it by hand. But when you need a lot of garlic? Or for that matter, any amount of minced or chopped ginger? Now you’re talking serious work.

Enter the Garlic Twist. Throw in a couple/few cloves of peeled garlic, twist it back and forth until they’re chopped to the desired consistency—from chopped to finely minced. That’s all impressive enough, but when we saw the inventor of the Garlic Twist demonstrating it at the show, I wanted to see it work on fresh ginger. We love cooking with fresh ginger, but chopping or mincing this fibrous root is time consuming. Not a problem. He threw a few chunks of ginger, complete with peel, into it, twisted it a handful of times and it was beautifully minced.

Clean up is easy too. Just throw it in the top shelf of the dishwasher. Finding the Garlic Twist is a little tougher. It’s available on a handful of websites, including Amazon.com, and at all Williams-Sonoma stores. Check the Garlic Twist website for details.

2. Scoop & Sift Flour Sifter, Cuisipro

We’re big fans of the smart design of Cuisipro kitchen tools—their silicone locking tongs have become indispensible in our kitchen, for instance. So we weren’t surprised that they had a number of intriguing new things in their booth at the Housewares Show. Including this Scoop and Sift Flour Sifter. Continue reading “Six great new ideas for the kitchen from the International Home + Housewares Show” →

Giving cornmeal its due: Bacon Sage Polenta

Once considered peasant food, versatile polenta becomes a delicious, satisfying side dish with the addition of fresh sage, bacon and corn. Recipe below.

Even current descriptions of polenta reflect its humble beginnings: “Mush.” “Boiled cornmeal.” But despite this apparent image problem, it has been a popular staple throughout Italy just about forever—in fact, in Northern Italy, it outshines pasta. And in recent years, it’s gotten the star treatment makeover, going from humble to haute on numerous high-end restaurant menus.

Traditional polenta is generally slow cooked to a creamy consistency and usually includes some kind of cheese. It sets up pretty firmly as it cools and can be cut into squares or sticks or shaped into balls and fried for a completely different approach. Beyond these basics, there seem to be countless variations on the theme; just a search on Epicurious.com turns up nearly 150 polenta recipes. On its own, “boiled cornmeal” tastes about as bland as it sounds—it’s one of those ingredients, though, that takes on other flavors beautifully. When I came across a recipe in Bon Appétit that called for bacon and sage, I knew I was on to something. Continue reading “Giving cornmeal its due: Bacon Sage Polenta” →

Pomegranates as superfoods: Who knew?

These days we’re constantly hearing of “superfoods” with all kinds of incredible health benefits. Well, pomegranates and pomegranate juice may be one of the most super.

It’s weird the things that stick with us. Because of a grade school teacher’s fascination with Roman mythology, I will forever link pomegranates with winter. Ceres, the harvest goddess, was a working mom who couldn’t always keep an eye on her daughter Prosperina. Naturally, she got herself whisked away by Hades, god of the underworld. Before she could be rescued, the poor child ate a few pomegranate seeds.

As a punishment, she had to return to the underworld for a corresponding number of months each year. Ceres, understandably distraught, would plunge the world into winter while her daughter was gone. Why eating a few pomegranate seeds should invoke such a punishment was never clearly explained. But every time I see a pomegranate, I think of ancient Rome, Ceres and winter.

Now, though, growing research has me looking at these seed-filled red globes in a whole new light. Apparently, Israeli scientists have been studying the health benefits of pomegranates and pomegranate juice for years, and recently, researchers around the world have joined in. And more than two years ago, NPR was proclaiming it the fruit du jour: “There’s pomegranate juice, vodka, salad dressing, ice cream, salsa, lollipops and gummy bears. You can put pomegranate essence in your hair [conditioning rinse] or on your skin [cream and perfume]. In the last few years, hundreds of new pomegranate products have come on the market.” Continue reading “Pomegranates as superfoods: Who knew?” →

Another reason to love bistro food: Chicken with Lentils (Poulet aux Lentilles)

A dry spice/herb/salt rub replaces liquid brining for the chicken, which is then roasted atop the lentils and vegetables, flavoring the entire dish. Recipe below.

YOU KNOW ME AND THE B WORD. Sure, I’m an unrepentant Francophile, but I’m an even bigger bistrophile. Still, when I came across a cookbook titled Bistro Chicken and promising 101 bistro recipes with chicken, even I thought that was drilling a bit deep. Then I looked inside. Continue reading “Another reason to love bistro food: Chicken with Lentils (Poulet aux Lentilles)” →

140 small space solutions, a blogger meat and greet and a do-it-yourself ice cream store

A host of home furnishings and accessories for cramped quarters, hanging out in a swell steakhouse with fellow food bloggers and an ice cream/frozen yogurt/sorbet store that lets you design your own flavors.

Okay, show of hands. Who out there doesn’t have square footage issues? The clever welcome mat above, available at Manhattan’s Tiny Living, says it all for most of us. And it’s one of nearly 150 different items chosen for space-challenged homes and apartments in a recent New York magazine online Shop•A•Matic. There are collapsible measuring cups and nesting measuring bowls for the kitchen; all sorts of storage boxes, units and racks; stackable and foldable chairs…everything designed with a small footprint in mind. And honestly, not everything is strictly speaking a spacesaver—I mean, throw pillows and curtains? But it’s all charming. And while some shops featured are solely New York stores, others like Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, CB2 and Anthropologie can be found elsewhere. There are plenty of online shopping opportunities too. Continue reading “140 small space solutions, a blogger meat and greet and a do-it-yourself ice cream store” →

In like a lion, bring out the lamb: Lamb stew delivers comfort on a blustery night

Lamb, dark beer and root vegetables team up for a hearty, satisfying Lamb Stew. Recipe below.

THERE’S AN OLD SAYING ABOUT THE MONTH OF MARCH, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” It is a transitional month, changing from winter to spring about halfway through. And if the first day of March wasn’t exactly a lion this year, it was no kitten, either. Here in Chicago, we woke to 17ºF and snow blowing sideways. Suddenly, lamb stew sounded like a great idea. Continue reading “In like a lion, bring out the lamb: Lamb stew delivers comfort on a blustery night” →

Breakfast: Mixing it up six ways from Sunday

A host of sources chimes in with ways to keep what is arguably the most important meal of the day interesting. Share your own thoughts on breakfast in the comments below.

Breakfast. Its very name says you should eat it. Literally, it means break the fast. For most of us, the time between our heads hitting the pillow at night and getting up in the morning is the longest time we go without food. And as we face the new day, it’s the time our bodies most need refueling. Studies show that eating a good breakfast helps you concentrate better at work or at school and that skipping breakfast because you’re dieting is a sure way to gain weight, not lose it.

We’re big on breakfast at Blue Kitchen. Not the farmhand affairs that provide enough fuel for you to go milk a dozen cows and plow forty acres, but something simple, quick and reasonably nutritious. During the week, a bowl of some fiberrific cereal, with lowfat milk and maybe some fresh fruit; or a single fried egg with some toast or one of these reduced-guilt English muffins; or in a pinch, even a PBJ sandwich on hearty, multi-grain bread. On weekends, we sometimes get a little fancier and more leisurely—omelets or maybe this French toast with fresh fruit and mint. It all helps to keep this important meal interesting.

So when cool breakfast ideas started popping up everywhere recently, I thought I’d round them up and share them here.

Continue reading “Breakfast: Mixing it up six ways from Sunday” →