Liberate yourself from the kitchen. Become a guerrilla chef Photograph by Creatas Images. My daily homework in third grade was to write down a word and its definition from the dictionary. One day, the kid next to me forgot to do the assignment. As the teacher passed through the aisles, sharing our polysyllabic selections aloud, my seatmate borrowed my dictionary and scribbled something down. “Cook: to prepare with heat,” the teacher read from his journal. I can’t recall any other vocabulary words we learned that school year, but I remember this incident in detail—the paperback dictionary, the name and face of the classmate who moved away that summer, and the disapproving glare the teacher gave him. That four-word definition has stayed with me for 25 years, though, because there’s value in recognizing the essence of what can become a complicated act. Most importantly, nothing about a kitchen. It all started at work. At my office, it wasn’t convenient to pop out and buy something, so I had to improvise. Entry costs for guerrilla cooking are low.
Swing Wine Bar in Olympia: Menu Call for our nightly specials. Menu items subject to change. Vegetarian (V), Vegan (V+), Dairy Free (DF), Gluten Free (GF) options available Happy Hour Jarlsberg and Caraway Fondue | 5 jarlsberg cheese, caraway, cream, with house made cheddar and stout bread (V) Gorgonzola Stuffed Mushrooms | 5 mushroom caps, Gorgonzola cheese, shallots, garlic, panko, served with wildflower honey (V) Thai Peanut Wraps | 5 artisan romaine, chicken breast, bamboo shoots, red bell pepper, thai peanut sauce (DF) Chévre Toast Points | 5 cheddar stout bread, imported chévre cheese, parmesan, sundried tomato and roasted red pepper tapenade (V) Truffled Popcorn | 5 popcorn, black truffle butter (V+, GF) Appetizers Jarlsberg and Caraway Fondue | 10 jarlsberg cheese, caraway, cream, served with house made cheddar and stout bread (V) Gorganzola Stuffed Mushrooms | 9 Thai Peanut Wraps | 9 Chévre Toast Points | 10 Olive Medley | 10 imported olives, spiced almonds (V+) Olive Oil Trio & Housemade Bread | 6 Swing Flatbread | 11 Soup Salads
Balsamic BBQ Glazed Chicken A homemade balsamic bbq sauce is used to glaze chicken as it’s grilling. The result is tender chicken with a slightly sweet, and tangy taste. Summer is one of my favorite seasons for one simple reason: grilling. We finally invested in a Big Green Egg last year and it completely changed the way I think about grilling. I could go on and on about it, but I won’t, because I’m sure I’ll be talking plenty about it in a few months when it’s not cold and wet here in the Midwest, and we actually get out to use it. This recipe is all about the balsamic bbq sauce that you use to baste the chicken while it’s grilling. While I used a grill pan with great success, I know this recipe would turn out even better using a grill. Is anyone else just itching for Spring to arrive? Prep Time: 5mn Cook Time: 35mn Total Time: 40mn In a sauce pan, combine balsamic vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, black peper, and garlic powder.
Cooks.com - Recipe Search and More Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Pasta Carbonara Recipe Print Spaghetti pasta alla carbonara. Luscious and wonderfully indulgent, pasta carbonara takes as long to make as it does to cook the pasta. The ingredients are simple—just spaghetti (or other long pasta), pancetta or bacon, eggs, Parmesan, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Did I already mention indulgent? The trick to making a successful carbonara? Some people add cream to their carbonara. Updated recipe and photos, first published 2012. This recipe uses raw eggs, which are essentially cooked by tossing with hot pasta. The garlic is optional. Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter1/2 pound pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced1-2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 teaspoon (optional)3-4 whole eggs1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese1 pound spaghetti pasta (or bucatini or fettuccine)Salt and black pepper to taste Hide Photos Method 1 Heat pasta water: Put a large pot of salted water on to boil (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water.) Hello!
bacon cups I had an occasion calling for bacon themed food and my mind immediately turned towards the famed bacon mat. I needed something a little more single-serving though, so I decided to attempt bacon cups. In the bacon mat instructions there is mention of draping the mat over an overturned metal bowl and cooking it so that it would turn out in as a bowl shape. I decided to try using the backs of various muffin and mini cake pans, I ran out of bacon before I got to try as many as I would have liked so I’ll have to try more at a later date. I set the oven at 400 degrees and carefully formed foil over the back of the muffin pan. This all took three hours and my house filled with smoke, but it was worth it. For cup shapes I used the back of this Wilton King-Size Muffin Pan. For the first try I used two layers of bacon on the sides and wove it like a basket, or at least like I imagine a basket would be woven: I turned out to not be enough after the bacon cooked and shrank:
Kitchen Helpers I found these helpful charts last week and just had to share! Both of these beauties are from Chasing Delicious (aka one of the most fab foodie blogs out there)! Aren’t they faaaaabulous?! Buy them here. (Note: There are lots of little charts like this online, but these are my favorites). I love tea, but I’m no expert. For people of the UK, have this one with you while you’re meal planning or grocery shopping! I’ve fond some other helpful charts that I’ll share in another post! Yay charts!
cheesy, oozy guacamole bean dip I first had this at a party about 10 years ago. That recipe was my inspiration for this healthier version. We like to make this for football games. Reminder: this recipe doesn’t belong in the superhero family, but it’s loads better than what you usually find in party dips. Serves 8 Ingredients 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans3 large avocados3 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 (8-ounce) containers nondairy sour cream1 packet taco seasoning (I use Bearitos, but if you are avoiding all white sugar, make your own mix with chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, hot paprika or cayenne, and salt)1/2 cup diced mild green chiles, drained1/2 cup sliced black olives, or more if you like 5 tomatoes, chopped2 cups shredded vegan Cheddar cheese Steps Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Do you guys have any kind snack ideas for the game this weekend? Related Stories: My Husband’s Fave After Breakfast SnackMissi Pyle’s Adventures with SeitanDelicious Sunday DinnersCheese, Chicken, and Mud Pies! Recommended
Watermelonade Recipe at Epicurious photo by Roland Bello yield Makes 1 gallon (serves 16) active time 30 min total time 30 min You would be hard-pressed to find something more refreshing than watermelon. Garnish: lemon slices; mint sprigs Preparation Cut watermelon flesh into 2-inch chunks and discard rind. Cooks' note: Watermelonade can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Baked Eggs with Bacon and Spinach Do y’all remember the scene in Runaway Bride (that’s an Oscar contender if I’ve ever seen one…) where Julia Roberts realizes that she doesn’t know how she likes her eggs? You know, because she’s always turning herself into the girl that the guy she’s marrying wants to be with? Yeah. That’s not me. I know how I like my eggs, although I will say that it depends on the day. Hey, I’m an independent woman…throw your hands up at me. Now that we’ve established my egg-eating habits, though, I have to say – baked eggs are kind of amazing, an unexpected new love in my egg-eating life. Serves 2, but this can be split in half easily to make them in small individual ramekins. 4 whole eggs3-4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped1/2 cup loosely packed spinach2 Tbsp cream2 Tbsp butter, meltedsalt and pepper to taste1/4 tsp thyme Preheat oven to 375. So now it’s your turn – egg fan?
Most Amazing Miniature Food Artworks by Shay Aaron Shay Aaron is a brilliant artist from Israel who makes the most astonishing miniature food jewelry. These foodstuffs look so beautiful that we would desire to eat them. Actually, there’s a whole market out there for miniature food. Comments comments Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe According to food historian and blogger Janet Clarkson, the very first printed recipe for chowder appeared in the Boston Evening Post in 1751. Written as a poem, it described a stew with onions, pork, fish, herbs, and biscuits (hard tack, I think). Over the years “chowdah” evolved into a dairy-based stew in New England, and during the late 1800s the first tomato-based chowders showed up on the menu at Delmonico’s in New York, perhaps influenced by Portuguese immigrants who often put clams together with pork and tomato sauce. If you are used to thick (or thin) cream-based, cracker-riddled, white clam chowder, this Manhattan clam chowder is a completely different beast. I originally had this soup in mind for Lent, and then remembered that it starts with bacon. If you have an ample supply of quahog chowder clams, feel free to use them in addition to the smaller clams, use them in place of the canned clams called for in this recipe. Ingredients Method 1 Render the bacon fat.
Dutch Baby Recipe, German Pancake Recipe Method 1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the oven and heat for at least 8 minutes. 2 Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan or in a microwave. 3 In a blender, put the eggs, egg white, milk, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. 4 Carefully remove the very hot skillet from the oven. 5 Once the Dutch baby is done baking, remove the skillet from the oven (again, take care, the handle is HOT) and use a thin spatula to gently coax the pancake onto a large plate.