Al Dente

Deliciously Simple Lasagne

This is one of the crazy weeks for me when I simply don't have a lot of time. The list is long.

Early yesterday morning, I decided to make a lasagne right away. I needed to get dinner checked off the list. The lasagne needed to be assembled in minutes so boiling and drying the noodles before assembly was out of the question. Hence, I reached for the Barilla no-boil lasagne noodles sitting on the shelf in the pantry!

These noodles are an amazing time saver and yesterday they pulled through once again. Within just a few minutes, I assembled a large savory lasagne, covered it with nonstick foil, and set it aside for dinner. (The recipe on the back of the box is a great guide that I have used numerous times.)

When I got home late in the afternoon, I turned on the oven and shoved the lasagne into the oven on baking sheet. I raced out to the post office, the bank, Sears, and the grocery store and then came home to a big bubbly casserole. Served with some garlic bread and a big Caesar salad, dinner was exceptionally  convenient, affordable, and tasty last night.

So, if you think lasagne is too difficult or time consuming to make, think again. Head for the pasta aisle at your grocery store and reach for a box of no-boil lasagne noodles. They are, indeed, something to be thankful for!

--Melissa A. Trainer

The BlenderBottle is Portable, Low Tech, and Affordable

Have any of you ever tried the BlenderBottle? I wasn't aware of this nifty compact little portable blender until recently.

My son and I had stopped at Seattle Super Supplements after swim team last week. William was famished and started rummaging through the power bar basket at the register. The sales girl astutely picked up on the situation and started offering some advice on how to fuel the body after a workout. She had been on swim team during high school and had lots of ideas. One nugget of advice led to another. The next thing I knew I was at the register buying a nifty BlenderBottle. I am very partial to my Vitamix but the sales girl sold me on this basic portable alternative. It seemed like a good option for an athletic teenager.

The blender bottle is basically a plastic cup with a lid and a pour spout. Inside the blender bottle there is a wire ball that acts as a whisk. The sales girl told us that the bottles are great because they fit in her gym bag. They never leak. And, it's a really easy way to mix up a nutritious drink after a workout. She also told us to add the water to the bottle and then the protein powder for best results. She demonstrated how to shake the bottle for best results. For good measure, she tossed in a couple protein powder samples.

Will tried one of the protein powder samples with water last night. He didn't like that one and gave it a definitive thumbs down. (We never have much luck with protein powders.) I am hopeful that the recipes on the BlenderBottle website will prove more useful. I might try their "On the Run" Fruit Shake or the Classic Blender Bottle Smoothie. The recipes combine a yogurt or fruit juice with a small amount of vanilla protein powder.

For additional information on the BlenderBottle, click here. So, are you a BlenderBottle fan?

--Melissa A. Trainer

Red Hot Super Bowl Battle: Tabasco vs. Frank's Showdown

In Monday's New York Times business section, there was a story about the rivalry heating up between Frank's RedHot and Tabasco, which recently released a Buffalo-style sauce in time to catch the wing nuts who gobble tons of those spicy bites on Game Day. 

I'm a huge fan of pepper sauce and have a rainbow of shades in my pantry that I use on everything from soup to nuts. My tastes have changed over the years, but I think that has more to do with the explosion in the variety of sauce that are now available. Currently, I'm pretty fond of Texas Pete, which is actually made in North Carolina! I also like Crystal Hot Sauce Louisana Pure Hot Sauce and the green version of Tabasco. Sometimes, just for fun, I mix them up until my food looks like a Jackson Pollack painting.

This story stirred something, awakening curiousity, so I took a quick poll among my Twitter pals and Facebook buddies and - hot dang - were people fired up about this hot topic.

Most folks didn't just have one favorite, they had two or three, each with different purposes. A chef friend broke his preferences down like this: Crystal for straight-up fried chicken. Frank's for wings. Tabasco for anything with rice. Another friend said she chooses hot sauce like she chooses wine. It all depends on what's being served.

There was a lot of heat for sambal,  Cholula and Sriracha (aka Rooster sauce), with one of my clever writer friends declaring he loved it so much that he would pour it on cheesecake! Fans of Tapaito and Valentina cheered the peppery goodness. 

I also learned a couple new names: Baron West Indian Hot Sauce from the Caribbean and Secret Aardvark. Another friend raved about the lineup of Marie Sharp's Hot Sauces, an accidental discovery he made years ago while eating oysters in New Orleans. "I thought I was reaching for a bottle of Tabasco, but when I took that first bite I knew it was different. It's got great flavor and great heat." And a friend, who's living in Great Britain praised a sauce she picked up while on a trip to Vancouver. It's called Organic Oddball Nuclear Nectar. 

When the final votes were tallied in this pepper sauce poll, one thing was clear: There was no clear winner. But that's not a bad thing. It just speaks to the bold tastes of a great nation of eclectic eaters. Go team! 

-- Leslie Kelly

Giving Oatmeal An Upgrade

On weekends, breakfast is usually a big eggs-and-bacon-and-pancakes kind of meal, a substantial feast some might even call brunch. Except that we eat way too early for that designation.

But this Sunday morning was so blustery, only hot cereal would do. What should it be? Cream of wheat? Grits? Lately, I've been kind of obsessed with congee, the Chinese rice porridge. I've been ordering at Tom Douglas' Seatown Seabar at the Pike Place Market. It's embellished with chunks of pork and finished with chili and black bean sauce. A poached egg nests in the savory bowl of something you'd never call mush.

That's what my sibs and I dubbed all hot cereal when we were growing up and it was the source of much misery. Mush was best shoveled down quickly because it tasted so paste-y.

But I've learned to make oatmeal properly, Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut variety that takes 30 minutes to cook. Instead of letting it boil furiously, it's best to slowly simmer it. I keep the water hot in the kettle in case it starts to dry out and stick. And when it's done, that's when the fun begins. Chopped fruit and nuts pile on top. Brown sugar and maple syrup sweeten things up. Today, insipration struck and I splashed some rum on currants and zapped in the microwave for 20 seconds. What a good idea!

Guess what my husband said? It was the best oatmeal ever!

-- Leslie Kelly

Sunday Snaps: Please Return Your Trundler Here

You would think when you're travel to an English-speaking country--Queen's English nonetheless--that there'd be little lost in translation. But my travel mates and I encountered enough differences between American English and New Zealand English to keep us guessing and giggling throughout our New Zealand adventure. Case in point: trundler!  It's so superior to "shopping cart" that I think I shall permanently incorporate it into my vocabulary.

Photo: Waiheke Island, New Zealand, Countdown Supermarket

Photo credit: StellaCadente*

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

A Sweet Solution for Super Bowl Sunday and Beyond...

Beer, chicken wings, and nachos always hog the limelight when it comes to Super Bowl menus. Yes, they are great, but what about dessert? Bar cookies and brownies are a great option but why not make a football-inspired cake this year using one of the novelty cake pans found here on Amazon.

I like this one made by Wilton. Called the Wilton First and Ten Football Pan, it sells for about $13 and has received some good reviews from Amazon customers. The pan holds a standard cake mix and apparently the lines are quite visible on the cake once it is baked. If the football cake pan doesn't appeal to you, then check out the helmet pan. And, if you are hestitant about buying such a specialty cake pan, remember that you can use these pans to make birthday cakes for the football fans, young and old,  in your life!

--Melissa A. Trainer

High Praise For Lowly Parsley

Is there a more humble herb than parsley? Often relegated to a garnish that is rarely eaten, this relative to celery is a vitamin powerhouse that deserves a more prominent place at the table.

I'm a convert, looking to spread the gospel of green cuisine. Over the past year, I've boosted my parsley consumption considerably. And, while I don't want to jinx my health, I've managed to dodge the bullet during this cold and flu season. Coincidence? I cannot say for sure and I don't just eat parsley because it's good for me. It's also a real character builder.

Let me explain what I mean by that: On its own -- as that sad sprig sitting next to a pile of hash browns -- parsley has a strong flavor. Whether it's curly parsley or flat leaf, that green tastes mighty green. But mix it with breadcrumbs and lemon zest and you've got a dynamite topping for pasta and soups. You can even give it a fancy name, gremolata. Try tossing a handful of chopped parsley into a green salad to add a new, sharp dimension. I even experimented swirling a couple tablespoons of chopped parsley into the blender with my morning smoothie. That's probably not something I'm going to repeat, though.

My favorite parsley preparation is one I've written about before, a recipe I watched Food Network star Anne Burrell prepare at a demo in Seattle a while back. A mix of equal parts toasted hazelnuts, parsley and Parmesan cheese is pulsed in a blender until it resembles a dry pesto. It's an absolutely terrific salad topper, but I've also spooned it into creamy tomato soup and toasted it on top of slices of rustic bread. Yum!

Unlike stronger herbs such as basil, tarragon and rosemary, parsley doesn't dominate. It doesn't scream, it whispers. And, it's cheap! Compare a bunch of parsley at your supermarket to a Vitamin C supplement. 

What do you say? Have I convincingly made my case for this humble herb?

-- Leslie Kelly

Mashed Potatoes Under Pressure!

Have you ever used a pressure cooker to quickly crank out a batch of mashed potatoes? I have been using my pressure cookers to do this for years. It just makes so much sense!

The pressure cooker requires very little water, and the peeled and diced potatoes cook in about six or seven minutes, which is a fraction of the usual cooking time. I have numerous pressure cookers and all of them have been used to crank out potatoes. This week, however, I used my smallest Kuhn Rikon to crank out a batch of mashed potatoes on short notice. I had some beef stew in the fridge and that stew needed some potatoes!

Hence, I quickly peeled three large potatoes and cut them into chunks. I added a small amount of water to the pressure cooker, put the potatoes in the pan, locked on the lid, and brought everything up to pressure. Within a few minutes, I had soft potatoes ready to be mashed together with milk and butter. In less than ten minutes, stew and mashed potatoes were on the table!

So, if you have a pressure cooker then you might seriously consider using it to make mashed potatoes!

--Melissa A. Trainer

Natural Medicine from New Zealand: Manuka Honey

On the way home from my recent trip to New Zealand I found myself snooping around the airport tchotchke shops looking for some souvenirs to bring Stateside. No surprise, I ended up in the food aisle, perusing local products and happened upon several shelves of manuka honey with varying levels of UMF content. A three-pack for $47+ (New Zealand dollars). Sounds great, I told myself and walked a three-pack up to the cashier, who promptly asked me for [insert choking sound] about $150. You see, the honey was $47 for each 250g (8.8 ounce) container.

Now I was really intrigued. What was so great about this honey? I put two containers back and decided to bring one home still knowing nothing about the honey or UMF and having no time to research it due to my impending flight and lack of internet access.

Once home, I fired up the internet to learn more. Turns out manuka honey is antibacterial and according to this purveyor, can be used to treat different types of infections: sore throats, stomach ulcers, burns, and more. It's made from bees that feed off of the manuka flower. The mysterious UMF that I couldn't make out stands for Unique Manuka Factor and speaks to the strength of the antibacterial potency of the honey (only 10% of the manuka honey produced is considered antibacterial). The higher the UMF number, the stronger the antibacterial properties. The honey can be taken orally or used topically, depending on the ailment.

Here are some Amazon customer reviews on manuka honey that caught my eye:

Wedderspoon Raw Organic Manuka

"I used the first on my wife's wounds following MOHS surgery for removal of skin cancer. The results were amazing and the surgeon and plastic surgeon both asked what we were using to allow the wounds to heal up so quickly with minimal scarring. There was also a staph infection as a result of the surgery that the honey took care of as well. It takes a bit of diligence to ensure daily dressing changes with fresh honey, but the results pay off."

Active MGO 400+ Manuka Honey

"I am very pleased to have found an all natural treatment for so many conditions. I have used this honey for a nasal staph infection I had that wouldn't go away with oral antibiotics. I felt completely safe using honey rather than artificial ingredients inside my nose. After using manuka for a week, the staph infection cleared up. I've used this honey for cuts, burns and any kind of rash (as a massage therapist, I've picked up a few skin conditions) that develops and it has never failed to heal them. When used internally, it's helpful for fighting off colds or at the very least, cutting its duration. This is an amazing product!"

East Cape New Zealand Manuka Honey

"...a spoonful approx. 20 minutes before meals seems to drastically reduce the chances of suffering gastro-intestinal distress (such as from IBS or other upset)."

For more detailed information and research on manuka honey, click here.

Have you used manuka honey to treat what ails you? I'd love to hear about it.

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

Cozy Up with Cocoas!

Sipping hot cocoa brings up cozy, winter memories for me: my mom mixing up Hershey’s cocoa powder with warm milk and a dash of cinnamon (or vanilla) in her old copper-bottomed Reverewear pan. Ooh and my favorite part! The big fluffy marshmallow floating on top... yum!

I still love making My Mom’s “Old School” Cocoa when it’s freezing out. Kids of all ages love it when they need something to warm up with or to relax to.

Cocoa is the perfect vehicle for flavor experimenting from fragrant spices like cinnamon and cloves to the totally unexpected profiles like Indian curry and cardamom.

Adventurous sippers will love my Cha Cha Hot Chocolate Mix, combining smoky chipotle chilli powder, cinnamon and a hint of ground coriander. You can mix up a large batch and have it on hand for a quick treat whenever you like!

But if you’re going for just a quick twist to traditional cocoa, make it signature with a tasty topping of decadent Flavored Whipped Cream.  Just combine 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup of Monin syrup in an iSi Gourmet Whip canister. Give it a blast with1 cream (N₂O) charger, a little shake and and you’ll have a great way to top off any steamy beverage.

From French Vanilla to Spiced Brown Sugar just a little bit of Monin Syrup can go a long way. I’m thinking…
S ’mores Cocoa topped with Marshmallow Whip or a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cocoa with Strawberry Whip — yum!

So get out your favorite mug, mix up some cocoas and sip away the winter chills! -Kathy

 

My Mom’s “Old-School” Cocoa
This is the quintessential classic hot chocolate – a warm, delicious, easy-to-make chocolate fix!

Serves 2 

1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsps sugar
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
2 big marshmallows

Place milk in a small heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and sugar, then whisk into the milk to incorporate. Add vanilla and heat until hot but not overheated. Do not boil. Serve in mugs and top with marshmallows

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™

 

Cha Cha Hot Chocolate Mix
This is a fun twist on classic cocoa and the mix can be made and stored so you always have this spicy little treat on hand!

Makes 2 cups, enough for 10 to 12 servings

1 1/2 cups superfine or baker’s sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp real vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground chipotle chili powder
3/4 tsp ground coriander

In a medium bowl, combine the sugars and vanilla extract together with a whisk. Then add the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly to evenly distribute the cocoa and spices.

Store at room temperature for up to a month in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. Shake thoroughly before using to remix the ingredients.

To make 1 serving of Cha Cha Hot Chocolate:
Place about 3 tablespoons Cha Cha Hot Chocolate Mix, or to taste, in a mug and add three-quarter cups hot milk, mixing well.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™

Making Meatless Monday's Rice And Beans, Italian-Style

I'm a complete and total omnivore, but I have jumped on board the Meatless Monday movement and for the past year or so, the beginning of the week in my home has meant some variation on rice and beans.

That's a fairly famous practice in New Orleans, where Monday was set aside for doing laundry, so Mama needed something simple simmering on the stove. Of course, the traditional red beans and rice has meat in it, but as far as I'm concerned, it tastes just fine without it. Especially if you use a method for cooking beans that I've been using. More about that in a minute.

My newfound love for legumes has prompted me to make soupy pinto beans, which I top with pico de gallo and sliced avocado with a squeeze of lime on top and pair red lentils with the ancient grain farro. Not exactly rice and beans, but close enough to the formula. I've even stretched that definition to include wok-fried brown rice embellished with edamame, aka soybeans.

Inspiration for a new dish struck the other day while I was shopping at DeLaurenti in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market. I love browsing the cram-packed store, which carries a large selection of beans I've never seen anywhere else. There on the shelf, I found Chestnut Lima Beans, which are also known as Christmas Beans and Pope's Beans.

I know there are different schools of thought when it comes to soaking beans, but I don't bother and here's why: I've tried soaking overnight and doing the quick soak, where you bring to a boil, let sit for an hour before draining and cooking. And guess what? It all tastes the same to me. And soaking doesn't seem to eliminate the rumbling in the lower G-I either. You know what does? Eating more beans.

I simmer the beans on the stovetop in a can of beer and enough water to cover, adding more (boiling hot) water as needed. It's also possible to cook in the oven, but make sure to keep an eye on the liquid to make sure the beans don't burn. I've learned the hard way! 

I cooked the beans earlier in the day and cooled them down in preparation for a second simmering, this time with the rice and veggie stock.

For the risotto component of this dish, I used carnaroli rice, which is slightly less starchy than arborio. That's what I learned a couple of years ago during a Tom Douglas Culinary Camp presentation by James Beard award-winning chef Holly Smith from Cafe Juanita. She also instructed the group not to be afraid to let the risotto bubble furiously for a bit without stirring. 

The recipe follows on the jump!

Simplify Super Bowl With Slow-Cooked Smokies!

Are you planning a party for Super Bowl? If so, try the Slow-Cooked Smokies from Taste of Home. I first made these for my daughter's class about four years ago.

Rather than serve cupcakes to a crowd of teenagers back then, I suggested serving these. I assembled and cooked the concoction at home and then carted the slow cooker with a tray of veggies to school. They were a huge hit. The boys repeatedly asked me to bring the smokies for every class party that year!

So, if you are having a party for Super Bowl, consider serving these. They are super simple and can be prepped in advance. I do recommend buying the best quality smokies that you can find...the cheaper brands simply aren't as good.

Note: Even though I adore my All-Clad slow cooker, I use my more basic and less expensive Hamilton Beach slow cooker for this recipe. It is smaller in size and lighter to transport to a potluck or class party. I do worry that my All-Clad would get battered en route.

You can find more Super Bowl party ideas on Amazon Kitchen’s Super Bowl page. It has everything you need to feed and entertain a party of hungry fans.

--Melissa A. Trainer

Celebrating National Pie Day

That's right, the American Pie Council has declared Jan. 23 National Pie Day! I am a true-blue pie fan!! (See photo on the left.)

When it comes to this sweet (or/and savory) treat, everybody seems to have very strong opinions about their favorites. The Twitterverse has exploded today with #NationalPieDay declarations of love. Apple, cherry, blackberry, pumpkin, lemon meringue, chess are just a few of the best-loved names popping up. Remember when every restaurant dessert list had a French silk pie? I miss those days. I also miss the spectacular fried pies from my adopted hometown of Memphis, Tenn. The fried peach pie at Payne's Bar-B-Q was not a thing of beauty, but it tasted fruit-tastic.

A few years ago, I got schooled in making my own pies by the woman who's been nicknamed "The Pie Whisperer." Seattle-based Kate McDermott teaches the Art of The Pie in small, hands-on classes, emphasizing the "anyone-can-do-it" spirit that's infectious. The most essential piece of advice I took away from this entertaining workshop was to stay chill. And that goes for everything from keeping the butter cold to not getting flustered if your crust doesn't roll out smoothly. "Use a little bit of water," Kate suggests. "It's like glue."

Ever since graduating -- your "dipolma" is the pie you to take home after the class -- I conjure Kate's can-do spirit when baking. Just last week, I made a galette, an open-face pie from pears that were on the verge of going soft. It was as easy as... well, pie. It's a rustic presentation, so nobody's going to see any "flaws." (See photo on the right.) Its appearance might have been humble, but that galette got raves all around the dinner table.

Will you be making pie today? What's your favorite kind to bake?

-- Leslie Kelly 

An Epic Failure from My Bread Machine

Yes, folks, haste really does make waste! Yesterday, I realized that my week ahead is going to be quite busy. Therefore, I shifted into high gear. I started by loading my bread machine with the ingredients for basic white bread. I make this bread all the time. It always turns out great, and my Zojirushi rarely fails to crank out a perfect loaf!

Well, yesterday was different. I loaded the machine as usual and turned it on. I then scurried off to the grocery store. Right before I left, the Zojirushi started thumping along as it usually does. The thumping is the surefire sign that the machine is starting to methodically mix the ingredients. I normally double check the ingredients at this point. I open the lid and make sure that the paddles are turning and that the dough is reaching the right consistency--not too dry or too wet. Well, I didn't do that yesterday!

Gasp! When I looked under the lid at the end of the baking cycle three hours later, I was horrified! It was a complete disaster. A crumbly mix of baked dough that looked more like a New York-style crumb cake than a light and airy loaf of bread! I laughed when I removed the "bread." My husband even sampled a bit with butter. 

Even though my bread was a bust, I wanted to minimize the waste. So,  I quickly concocted a tomato au gratin. I topped the au gratin with crumbled bread, olive oil, herbs, and parmesan. It looked pretty good when it was baked, but it was still lacking in flavor and texture. No one even touched it at dinner last night! I still have half a "loaf" waiting to be transformed...Any suggestions? Pitch it or prep it into something else?

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Where There's Smoke, There's Roast Chicken

My daughter made roast chicken at her apartment the other night and before dinner was served, a fire truck showed up. She was crimson with embarassment, but the bird eventually turned out golden and juicy.

To get her meal rolling, I had walked her through the steps I take to prepare Barbara Kafka's suberb recipe from her 1995 book, Roasting: A Simple Art. It involves cranking up the heat to 500 degrees for the first 15 minutes and then lowering it to 450 for the final 45 minutes. As you might imagine, that approach can produce some unexpected consequences. Where there's high-temp roasting, there's likely going to be smoke.

The best way to deal with that pesky problem? My buddy Nick Vergos, one of the owners of the World Famous Rendezvous restaurant in Memphis, Tenn., gave me some great advice once. (And this is a guy well-versed in dealing with loads of smoke.) He said it's important to create a draft before you begin cooking, turning on the fan and cracking a nearby window. This is especially critical at the tail end of the first 15 minutes because you open the oven to add vegetables, onions, carrots and potatoes.

My daughter's mistake was opening the door to her apartment, so the smoke was sucked into the hall and the smoke alarms went crazy. That's one cooking lesson she's not ever going to forget. 

I'm roasting chicken for Sunday dinner and that fan is already fired up. 

-- Leslie Kelly

Sunday Snaps: New Zealand Roadside Farm Stand

My travel mates Matt and Matthew and I were so charmed by this unattended roadside farm stand on New Zealand's Waiheke Island, that we pulled over the car to make a purchase. Offerings included plum jams and chutneys from the first plums of the season (it's summer down there), local honeys, and olives. The kicker for us city folk: the proprietor was absent and had set out a jar collect the cash--payment was on the honor system. I'm trying to imagine a similar set up in my neighborhood, but I think the table would be fleeced minutes after setup.

---StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

'Tis the Season for Chowders!

Yes, Seattle is still gripped in snow and ice. Schools are closed again today. We are all getting cabin fever. We didn't bake yesterday. Instead, we cooked a large pot of chowder using ingredients that we had on hand.

I had celery, onion, potatoes and milk, so I simply needed to fetch some canned clams from my pantry. Yes, canned domestic clams. Of course, we like fresh clams and indeed we dig our own when the opportunity presents itself, but the canned clams were fine for yesterday. We generally modify a recipe found in 50 Chowders by Jasper White. 

The chowder proved very comforting and convenient throughout the day yesterday...it was served after the boys came home from sledding. It made a great lunch and a warming snack in the evening. I also have quite a bit leftover for today.

Over the years, however, I have been creating and compiling chowder recipes. My Dad's Manhattan  Clam Chowder recipe is one of my favorites but that can't be found online. Here are two recipes available online that might be of interest to you:

Harvest Salmon Chowder: I tested and photographed this recipe for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association last fall. I received it from Rose Fisher, a fisherman's wife.  Rose told me that the secret to the recipe involves using canned salmon and all its juices. It is a good solid chowder that has great salmon flavor.

Smoked Haddock Chowder from Olive Magazine: I have not made this chowder myself just yet, but it is at the top of my chowder list. Whole Foods sells some awesome and traditional smoked haddock, so I am convinced that this simple concoction will be superb. I saw this recipe early yesterday morning and I think it is what inspired me to crank out that pot of clam chowder!

Do you have any great tried and true chowder recipes?

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Well, yesterday was an oatmeal cookie kind of day. Seattle is currently gripped in snow and ice. Everything is pretty much shut down. Schools have been closed for days. Roads remain dangerous. Even doctors are canceling appointments.

So, late yesterday afternoon, I decided to bake. I was in the midst of cranking out dinner, but I was in the mood for some homemade comforting cookies. In short order, I decided that only oatmeal cookies would do. I'm not sure why, but I find earthy oatmeal cookies quite comforting.  Of course, I have an array of favorite recipes, but yesterday I was short on time. I didn't want to bother ferreting through my books or my disastrous recipe heap. I needed a good recipe in about ten seconds or less.

Hence,  I simply grabbed the Easy Pour Quaker Oats box  off the top of the fridge and figured that there would be a decent recipe right on back. On the lid, I found their recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. A quick survey revealed that the recipe calls for 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons of butter and there are only six simple steps involved. That sealed the deal for me. I readied my KitchenAid, grabbed my half sheet pans, and preheated the oven.

The cookies were basic, but really quite good. They had a great buttery flavor and a nice somewhat soft but substantial texture. They also had a subtle cinnamon flavor that worked really well with the oatmeal. And, yes, by the evening, they had almost vanished!

Do you have a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe? Do you rely on one from Quaker Oats? My friend, Marissa Villemain, contacted me last night and told me that her Quaker Oats cookie recipe had been clipped years ago and is slightly different from the one currently featured on the box. There are apparently little tweaks in quantities and the inclusion of nutmeg in the older version. Last March, I made the Irish Oatmeal  Cookies from the McCann's oatmeal box. They're great too...

Freezing rain is now tapping at my window...what should I bake today?

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

Snow Cuisine Includes Moose, Deer, Salmon, and Jam Bars!

So, what do you cook when the snow hits hard in your region? Seattle is getting its first storm of the season. Schools were closed yesterday. They are closed again today. Roads are icy. The snow is falling right now. Temperatures are chilly. The wind is picking up.

Yesterday, I opted to stock up on some basics, such as eggs, milk, bread. I also hauled out my large Le Creuset Dutch oven and cranked out a large pot of beef and carrot stew. Served with mashed potatoes last night, it got a thumbs up from the crowd.

When I lived in Anchorage a few years ago, I often baked during a snowstorm...we had lots of storms that winter so I baked a lot. I started making my Jumbleberry Jam Bars back then. And, I often had hot cocoa and Abby Mandel's food processor millet cookies ready for the kids in the afternoon. In Alaska, the kids go to school whether there is snow or not. So, having homemade baked goods for the children after they trudged through the snow was always fun.

While watching the events unfold in Cordova this month, I began to wonder what everyone was cooking and baking up there. Cordova is a small remote town. There are very few restaurants and grocery stores. Homecooking is alive and well in this small town, so I began to think about how the residents were managing to shovel that much snow and also feed their families.The snow situation got so bad that the National Guard was called in to assist with snow removal.

Beth Poole of Copper River Marketing told me that everyone was cooking and eating well. Even with the crisis at hand, homecooking prevailed. I honestly don't know how they managed to do it. Impromptu menus included Moose Sirloin Roast, Deer Stew, Coho Salmon and Eggplant Curry, Homemade Pizzas, and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. Michele Buckhorn, a PhD Fish Ecologist with the Prince William Sound Science Center, also contacted me. She also confirmed that she, too, was cooking at home, cranking out pork carnitas and savory beef burgers.

So, what do you cook or bake when the snow begins to mound outside your door? For the latest video on the snow removal in Cordova, check this out!

Photo courtesy of Beth Poole

--Melissa A. Trainer

Nifty Tips from the Los Angeles Times Food Section

I have been a fan of the Los Angeles Times Food section ever since I was in college in the 1980s. Back then, I was majoring in history and whenever I got tired of reading primary documents and writing essays at the university library, I would take a break and roam over to the newspaper section to grab the LA Times. I loved reading their food section back then. Funnily enough, Ruth Reichl was the editor at that time.

When I moved to Seattle nearly seventeen years ago, I hunted down the paper at Bulldog News and repeatedly went out of my way to purchase the paper weekly.  This always involved carting infants down to the city's University District, but it was worth it.  Now with the online edition, I can simply click their website and enjoy the content right at home.

This morning I clicked onto the food section and enjoyed this sensible little tip for grating cheese! Yes, it can be a hassle grating cheese on a grater because the cheese leaves a residue that needs to be scrubbed off. Noelle Carter suggests spraying the grater or the rasp with a little vegetable oil before grating. Aha! That would work! Noelle also tells readers to spray their knives before chopping sticky items such as dates. Yes, that's a winner of a tip, too. I often spray my kitchen shears with a little oil right before I need to "chop" dates...the oil easily prevents the dates from sticking together. It simplifies and streamlines the operation.

If you aren't familiar with the LA Times food section, I suggest you check it out. The food sections at local newspapers around the country are rapidly dying or becoming extremely weak. In my opinion, many of them are becoming ridiculously narrow and biased in their content.

I am pleased to tell you that the LA Times food section is substantial and seems to be holding its own. They maintain a test kitchen and still test their recipes again and again. They interact with their readers. They hunt down and research stories featuring original content. They seem to see as much value in those quirky culinary tips as they do in tested recipes, trendy ideas, and classic ingredients. I guess there is a reason why I started reading this food section more than twenty five years ago!

--Melissa A. Trainer