Recipes, Old: David Eyre's Pancake, and New: Culinary Apps

Here's my daughter, ALE, last Christmas with a double batch of David Eyre's Pancake

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate the holiday! For today's Christmas post, I want to share something from the past and some things very much from the present.

First things first: one of my favorite recipes from my childhood; its flavors resonate deeply, inextricably tinged with my memories of time and place, of pleasures experienced in my mother's kitchen long ago.

My father clipped the recipe for David Eyre's Pancake out of The New York Times newspaper when it was first published in 1966 (it was a Craig Clayborne recipe). It became one of our family's favorite special-occasion dishes. And we weren't the only ones; apparently this recipe is the most popular that the Times every published. The skillet-sized pancake was impressive as it came out of the oven all golden and puffed. And when it was dusted with confectioner's sugar, spritzed with lemon juice, and cut into wedges, we savored its delicate sweetness.

When my children were young I introduced the recipe to them, and it became one of the first things that they could prepare themselves (with a little help putting the skillet in and taking it out of the hot oven). Even though the pancake is relatively easy to make, for us it remains a dish for special occasions, particularly Christmas morning.

The recipe can be found here along with a fascinating account of the recipe's history. The recipe is also contained in Amanda Hesser's 201o release, The Essential New York Times Cookbook (I've spoken about this book before - I cannot recommend it highly enough.)

My mother always made the pancake from the original 1966 newspaper clipping. Soon after it was published the recipe was discovered to have too much butter, and a correction was quickly published in the newspaper (the measurement of butter should be 4 tablespoons, rather than 8 - the or half a stick was correct), but Dad never saw the correction and we always went by the yellowed clipping taped to the front and back of a recipe card:



Last Christmas, rather than pulling out the recipe card, we opened my brand-new copy of The Essential New York Times Cookbook for the pancake recipe. My daughter read for the first time that there had been a correction to the recipe over 40 years ago! I'm sure that somewhere along the line we may have periodically used less butter but I have to say, the pancake we typically made, swimming in butter, highlighted by the lemon juice and powdered sugar, is part of my memory of the deliciousness.

I heartily recommend this celebrated recipe for your Christmas breakfast (preferably without the extra butter!) It would be equally good for any lazy Sunday, or a weekend when you have house guests. But unless you make a double batch in a large skillet - as my daughter did in the photo above - you might have to make a second pancake so everyone has enough!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for the present:
If you have just received an iPad, iPhone or Android under your tree, or if you need a very last minute gift for the cook or baker in your life, a culinary app might be just the thing!

Similar to my cookbook post, here I've gathered a few links to lists of "best apps" of a culinary/food nature. At the end I'll put in a plug for a couple apps that have caught my attention.

Bon Appetit's Top 10 Best Food & Cooking Apps for the iPhone and iPad
Huffington Post's Best Cooking Apps for iPad, iPhone and Android
Nextweb, 12 Seriously Tasty Apps for Foodies
Gizmodo, The Best Cooking Apps
The Washington Post's Top 10 Food-Related Apps

n.o.e.'s notes on apps:

I have only dipped a toe into the proverbial sea of culinary apps, and here are a few that I've experienced:


In a stunning technological achievement, The Professional Chef (the Culinary Institute of America's textbook) is now available as an iPad app., enhanced by video how-tos. You can buy the entire book for $59 or individual chapters for $2.99 (which is what I did). The soup chapter is available as a free download. [in the interest of full disclosure; one of my daughter's lifelong friends works for Inkling, the company that developed this app, but I did not receive anything from the company. I paid for my own app download]


Given how much I've enjoyed the Food 52 website (see, for example, the rum balls recipe I posted earlier this week) I had to give the Food 52 Holiday Recipe and Survival Guide app a try. It's smart and beautiful (just like the website!) and has a nice selection of recipes, both sweet and savory, as well as a video on making a gingerbread house. We baked the brown butter and cheddar apple pie for Thanksgiving and it was heavenly.


Dorie Greenspan's app, Baking With Dorie, is on my Christmas list this year. Although it doesn't have a ton of recipes, I'm looking forward to seeing Dorie demonstrating baking techniques via video clips. Dorie's cookbooks give the feeling that she is right there stirring and measuring with you; this app brings her even more vividly into your kitchen!

If you have a favorite childhood Christmas recipe, or a favorite culinary app, please share in the comments!

Big Cookbook Roundup, 2011 version

I had so much fun compiling last year's cookbook post, that I thought I'd do it again for the 2011 holiday gift-giving season! I've kept my eyes peeled for links and lists of top cookbooks and giving guides and other cookbook-related information. Most of the links feature cookbooks published in 2011, but there are some more far-reaching cookbook projects worth mentioning.

I hope that by perusing the lists and compilations you will find some gems to give as gifts or to round out your own cookbook holdings. You can purchase the books at your local independent bookseller, or order from Amazon up until the very last possible moment.

[edited December 31, 2011 to add:]
The wonderful search-your-own-cookbooks site, Eat Your Books (see my description below) has amalgamated voting from 195 "best of 2011" cookbook lists (including my post!), to come up with a consensus top cookbooks of 2011. Check out their findings here, and click on links to all of their individual source links of lists.

Cooking Light; 25 years:

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the magazine, Cooking Light is compiling a list of the 100 best cookbooks of the past 25 years:

"As we contemplate turning 25, we decided to pick our favorite 100 cookbooks, which we’ll unveil over the next year across 15 categories. We looked at best-seller and awards lists, and talked to editors, authors, and experts. For consideration, books had to be published in the United States since 1987 and either be in print or easily available online. Winners emerged after passionate debate about voice, originality, beauty, importance, and a clear mission or vision. Yes, we tested the recipes. "

In November, the magazine listed the 9 Best General Cookbooks (I was pleasantly surprised to find that I own 5 of the 9 - and the yellow gourmet but not the green). Next came December's compilation of the 7 Best Baking Books (I have 3 of the 7) Tune into Cooking Light's site each month for more categories of Best Cookbooks of the past 25 years.

Best Cookbooks of 2011 ~ lists from media & content sources

New York Times - The year's notable cookbooks (registration may be required for access to New York Times articles)
New York Times Sunday Book Review - Embracing Home; Books About Cooking
Bon Apetit - Best Cookbooks of 2011
Zagat - Holiday Gift Guide: Cookbooks
The Guardian - list of Books for Giving; Food
NPR - 2011's Best Cookbooks: Revenge Of The Kitchen Nerds
...and NPR's runners up
NPR interview - 2011's Best Cookbooks, Tested and Tasted
Chicago Tribune - Holiday Cookbook Haul
The Seattle Times - cookbooks by local Seattle authors
Huffington Post - The 11 Best Cookbooks of 2011
Epicurious list of The 10 Best Cookbooks of 2011
The Eater Fall 2011 Coobook and Food Book Preview
Amazon's recommended best cookbooks of 2011
Top 10 Cookbook Bestsellers (on amazon: updated hourly apparently)
Esquire, Best New Cookbooks 2011 (five word reviews of selected cookbooks)
Fox News, Top 10 Best Holiday Cookbooks
Irish Times, Best Foodie Books of 2011
[edited Dec 13 2011 to add:]
Washington Post, Top 10 Cookbooks of 2011
[edited Dec 18 2011 to add:]
Lynne Rossetto Kasper of the Splendid Table's Not-So-New Books for Entertaining Ideas
[edited Dec 19 2011 to add:]
Food & Wine editor's picks of 5 Favorite Cookbooks of 2011

Best Cookbooks ~ lists from food writers and bloggers

David Lebovitz, Best Cookbooks of 2011
Ruhlman, Season's Best Books and Others I Like
Pioneer Woman, Cookbooks for Christmas (some current books, some old chestnuts)
Running with Tweezers, 2011 Cookbook Roundup
Cheryl Sternman Rule's list of 16 cookbooks to give
Simple Bites (blogger) list of top cookbooks of 2011
Pastrygirl 2011 holiday baking cookbooks
[edited December 20 to add:]
Dorie Greenspan, Cookbooks by Friends: The 2011 Collection
[edited December 21 to add:]
Nancie McDermott's Holiday Gift List: Cookbooks from the 2011 Bumper Crop
[edited Dec 25 2011 to add:]
Shine (Yahoo), 16 Cookbooks Every Home Should Have
[edited December 28 to add:]
Sarah Moulton's Favorite Cookbooks of 2011 (on Good Morning America)

Also of interest:

- Check out this fascinating article "Recipe for Paring a Cookbook Collection" by Amanda Gold of the San Francisco Chronicle about how she and her husband winnowed their cookbook shelves complete with lists of their favorite cookbooks. Following that article, Bill Daley of the Chicago Tribune listed his 10 keeper cookbooks.

- SF Foodie has been compiling a list of best of cookbooks lists, which are posted here, with promises to update the list:

- Goodreads Award for Best Food and Cooking Book (by popular vote)

- New York Times article about cookbooks written by chefs for home cooks
(registration may be required)

- the kitchn asked: What Was Your Favorite New Cookbook of 2011?

- Observer Food Monthly had a reader poll of best cookbook of 2011

- the 2011 James Beard Foundation cookbook nominees and winners

Cookbooks in favor in my kitchen in 2011:

When I was in my kitchen in 2011, these are the books that most frequently graced my kitchen counters. Because I don't get any free cookbooks, I tend to buy them when I can, and consequently, I'm rarely cooking from the very latest. That's fine with me; when I find a book I like I tend to use it for a long time. I hope you find books here (and among the 13 I recommended at the end of last year's cookbook post) worthy to add to you own bookshelves.



Amanda Hesser, The Essential New York Times Cookbook, - This cookbook falls in the "brick" category; so chunky and substantial that it could double as a doorstop (of a very heavy door). It is comprehensive and impeccably edited. I've tried a dozen or more recipes from this book and all have been exceptional; the Spicy Red Chili is our new go-to recipe.

Dan Lepard, Short and Sweet, - I am a huge fan of the British baker Dan Lepard. He understands both the science and the art of baking, and is always exploring new techniques and flavors. The "short" in the book's title doesn't refer to the length of the cookbook - it's a hefty tome that manages to reassure and instruct beginning bakers while still providing delightful inspiration to more those more comfortable with their ovens. I've made his vanilla ice cream (good) but otherwise have only delved into its riches by while sitting on the sofa. This book isn't yet available in the US; I ordered it from amazon.co.uk and it arrived in a week's time at a total cost $30 including delivery from England. That's not bad for an excellent 576-page book.

Coleman Andrews, Country Cooking of Ireland - I discovered this book when I was writing last year's cookbook roundup post, and I'm glad I did! Although there are entire chapters I'm not likely to explore, there are enough wonderful, rustic, intriguing dishes that call me to turn to this book when I'm looking for something just a bit different, such as a memorable soda bread that I made with freshly ground whole wheat flour.


Sam Beall, The Blackberry Farm Cookbook - This book, from the country resort hotel the Inn at Blackberry Farm, is glossy and pretty and just a little highfalutin' to read, but the recipes are quite accessible and top-notch in flavor. I've made some lovely pies and exceptional ice cream.


Molly O'Neill, One Big Table - I think of this book as a super-charged (in size and quality) version of those spiral-bound regional cookbooks. Molly O'Neill traveled across the US gathering recipes and talking with restaurants and home cooks. She makes the pages come alive by including stories about the people who contributed the recipes. This book is as fun to read as it is tasty to cook from.


I haven't cooked from this book, not one thing, but I didn't have any of Jacques Pepin's cookbooks and when I saw this one at Costco in November I pounced on it. I've been happy to see that it's made some of the top cookbook lists, above, and look forward to exploring it.


I wrote about meeting Jeni Bauer and about her ice cream previously, but wanted to mention her book again. Jeni has devised a startlingly different way to make ice cream, using no egg yolks, but adding cream cheese, corn (or tapioca) starch, and corn (or tapioca) syrup to her ice cream base. The resulting ice cream has great texture and the book presents a wide array of creative flavor combinations for which Jeni's ice cream is famous.


Finally, if you love cookbooks (and I cannot imagine that you've read this far if you don't care about them) I highly recommend the web service Eat Your Books. It acts as a search engine for your own collection of cookbooks and helps you find the perfect recipe in books on your very own shelf. I receive nothing from the site; I pay for my $25 annual membership just as you would (although membership is free if you index 5 books or fewer), and believe me, it pays me back in savings of time and in providing the satisfaction of using my own beloved cookbooks more fully.

If you have cookbook recommendations you can leave them in the comments. I'd love to hear them!

Best Cookbooks - Links and Lists

If you like cooking, or reading, or cookbooks, or if you just like reading about cookbooks, this post is designed for you. Round about early December I started seeing, and reading, year-end lists of best cookbook. I saved the links and now I have a sizeable collection from various sources. Most are lists of books actually published in 2010. There are books that appear on nearly all of the lists, and there are some that show up only once. But each book has a reason for being listed, and it makes for fascinating reading, and wonderful gift-planning, to sort through them.

I've arranged the links thus: the first group contains lists from familiar media sources, such as major newspapers and food magazines; the second group has lists from food writers and bloggers. Next I've singled out a few notable cookbook review projects that are a bit out of the ordinary, and finally I've provided my own list of the books, some new and some older, that were most useful in my kitchen this year.

There are enough links here to provide you with material to while away long winter hours - and that's without even ordering anything! You'll also find suggestions to help with your Christmas gift-giving, and truth be told, gift-receiving.

After sifting through these lists, I now have a steady stream of USPS carriers and UPS trucks bringing packages to my doorstep. Many of my intended gift recipients happen to be readers of this blog, now they can expect cookbook gifts! And I am confident that there will be *ahem* a cookbook or three under the tree for me on Christmas morning.

Whether you choose to purchase at your local independent bookseller, or order from Amazon up until the very last possible moment, if you love to cook from cookbooks it's a safe bet that you will find something fabulous somewhere in this post.

I apologize for the formatting glitches in this post. Try as I might, and I actually tried to decipher the html, I couldn't get rid of some inconsistencies.

Best Cookbooks of 2010 ~ lists from media sources

The Washington Post's Top Cookbooks of 2010
Bon Appetit's Favorite Cookbooks of 2010
Amazon's Best Cookbooks of 2010

Amazon's Top 20 "Most Wished For" Cooking, Food & Wine Books
The Guardian's 25 Best Cookbooks of 2010
Epicurious' Best Cookbooks of 2010
NPR's Best Cookbooks Of 2010

Publisher's Weekly Best Lifestlye Books of 2010 (5 editors' picks)

Publisher's Weekly (25 more favorites)
The LA Times Great Cookbooks to Give and Receive

The New York Times Year's Best Cookbooks

Best Cookbooks ~ lists from food writers and bloggers

Gluten-free girl's 10 Best Cookbooks of 2010(Plus 2 More) [not necessarily gluten-free]
Michael Ruhlman's Books for the Holidays
Pastrygirl's The Best of Baking Cookbooks 2010
David Lebovitz's Best Cookbooks of 2010
the kitchn's My Favorite Baking Books of 2010
Cheryl Sterman Rule's Notable Cookbook Releases of 2010

Of particular interest:

In his list, food writer Jonathan Gold didn't focus on newly published cookbooks but on those books in his kitchen which are the most worn and stained. Here's the resulting list: 10 most battered cookbooks in Jonathan Gold's kitchen:

In order to generate a more accurate list of best cookbooks of the year, the Huffington Post Food editors first looked at a bunch of other lists. Only those cookbooks that had been listed on several other lists made the final cut: http://huff.to/guMTUV .

More than a single list, Food writer Kathleen Flinn is writing a series of posts in the month of December that she calls 25 Important Food Books - 2010. In her words, "I’ll be showcasing 25 books that had an impact on me in the past year. They’re not necessarily new books or classics or the ones you’d expect, but rather 25 books that I think everyone should know about for one reason or another". http://kathleenflinn.wordpress.com/ (The book posts are the ones from December 6 through 31)

The 2010 Tournament of Cookbooks, aka The Piglet, is a project of the fabulous site Food 52. Sixteen top cookbooks published in 2010 were placed in brackets, and an impressive array of food-world judges rendered verdicts on each matchup. The tournament is now complete, with a final winner declared, but you can explore all of the action by checking out the links in the right hand column on the tournament page. I found this to be wildly entertaining, and promptly lost half of a morning to reading this year's match-ups. When I realized that the 2009 Tournament was also accessible online, I lost the other half.

A Baker's Dozen of Cookbooks I Enjoyed in 2010

I. Savory and/or Comprehensive

Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything - This book may not have absolutely everything in the world, but it certainly has everything I'm likely to cook and a good bit that I'm not. It's clear, it's comprehensive, and it's good. When I want to research an ingredient or a method of cooking, I'll reach for Bittman or my old Joy of Cooking.


Dorie Greenspan, Around My French Table - As a devoted fan of Greenspan's previous book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that I'd buy this 2010 book. Greenspan branches out into savory food in her newest work, and she brings to it her trademark clarity and charm. Recipes I've enjoyed include the kuri squash soup and the fish en papillote. Oh, and I've made the sweet and spicy cocktail nuts three times already.

Rick Bayless, Mexican Every Day - Last year I was lucky enough to eat at Bayless' restaurant Topolobampo in Chicago, and at the end of the meal I purchased this book. For the most part the recipes are quite quick but the techniques and flavor combinations are far beyond the average Mexican-inspired recipes. Bayless' avocado and mango salad has become a standby in my kitchen, and I've loved several of the fish dishes as well.

Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc At Home - I bought this book when it was first published in 2009 when I got an excellent price on Amazon, but I suspected that I'd never actually cook from it. The book is gorgeous, and is sized more for the coffee table than the kitchen table, but it would be a shame to keep it for display. I read in an interview that Thomas Keller wanted the book to be used so much that it ended up spattered and stained, and at this point my copy is well on its way. Although some of the recipes are a little (or a lot) more complicated than my usual fare, Keller is clear and precise in his directions, and I've loved everything I've cooked from the book. The leek bread pudding was a favorite at Thanksgiving and we enjoyed the duck breasts for Christmas dinner last year (yes, both were in 2009 but I have continued to cook from the book this year)

Ruth Reichl, The Gourmet Cookbook - If you're feeling nostalgic for Gourmet magazine, this book might be the most comforting place to turn. You can most likely find all of your old favorite recipes between the yellow covers of this cookbook, and discover new favorites too. Since I started cooking my collard greens and kale Brazilian style, I've not prepared them any other way. And the chili is just about the best I've ever tasted.

II. Baking and Sweets

Alice Medrich, Pure Dessert - For my birthday last year I went to the bookstore to purchase a specific cookbook, but this book caught my eye and I came home with it instead. The book is organized by flavors (milk, nuts, fruit, etc.) rather than type of dessert (cake, cookie, tart, etc.) The recipes are unusual but not weird. I've made the lemon bars, Italian chocolate torte, and chocolate wafers.

I just bought Medrich's new cookie book, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy, and I anticipate that I will love it also. I've tasted five of the cookies, baked by Medrich herself at a baking class. I enjoyed all of them, especially the ginger cookies, which are extraordinary, and which I immediately baked in my own kitchen.

Davis Lebovitz, Ready for Dessert - For this 2010 book David Lebovitz completely reworked and updated all of his favorite recipes for sweets. The result is a large book completely packed with beautifully-photographed temptingly-presented desserts. Although Lebovitz is known for his chocolate creations, non-chocolate selections make up significantly more than half of the recipes. The fresh ginger cake is beyond wonderful, and the chocolate racines cake was also delicious.

Lebovitz's previous book, The Perfect Scoop, is now available in paperback. It is a comprehensive collection of frozen confections, from the basic - but perfect - vanilla ice cream to more unusual flavors such as black pepper ice cream. I make ice cream at least once a week and this book is almost always on my counter.

Nick Malgieri, The Modern Baker - What initially drew me to this book is that it has a savory pies and tarts section, tucked in there among the cakes and specialty yeast breads and cookies. But I baked other things, including the yellow cake, the blackberry jam cake before making the delicious walnut, scallion and gruyere tart, and what I love about the book is that Malgieri streamlines the baking process for each baked good, so the preparation is simpler, and more elegant.

Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson, Tartine - This book is stylish and the recipes I've tried have been impeccable. I've especially loved the almond breakfast cake and the soft gingerbread cookies. Based on my success with this book, I'd be excited about the new-in-2010 Tartine Bread.

Dan Lepard, The Art of Handmade Bread - Dan Lepard, a baker from England, has devised a revolutionary method of preparing bread dough, and his breads have totally revolutionized my life. The only reason that this book is not constantly open is that I have memorized the recipe for his Simple Milk Loaf; it's simple and simply the best toasting bread I've ever had. There are other brilliant bread recipes, but the Milk Loaf is worth the (very low) price of the paperback book.

Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker's Apprentice - I've been - very slowly - baking my way through this book; I've now passed the halfway mark and can truthfully say that there's not been a bad recipe to date. The book is worth owning for the bagels alone - making those homemade with his recipe is truly life-changing. Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads is similarly terrific, but I didn't use it much in 2010, as I was busy with the BBA recipes. I also have Reinhart's newer book, Artisan Breads Every Day, but haven't baked from it yet.

Dear Santa: Christmas gifts for the kitchen

There are still a few shopping + shipping days until Christmas, so I thought I'd share with you a few products that make my time in the kitchen a lot more enjoyable. I've acquired most of these since I began this blog (and actually started drafting this post more than a year ago!)

The single best piece of equipment in my kitchen is a digital kitchen scale from Will Knott Scales, the Salter 6055 . Although my scale has a handy storage spot, it rarely leaves the countertop. I use it dozens of times every day. With a little bit of practice, and recipes that are written with weights as well as volume measurements, you can nearly eliminate the use of measuring cups.



Although there are times when only a wooden spoon will do the task at hand, for most tasks that require a rigid spoon, a Tovolo silicone spoons is a an even better tool because it is heat resistant and non-stick. The spoon's handle is perfectly rigid, and that stiffness extends beneath the silicone layer of the bowl as well.



It's hard to beat the pungent spiciness of freshly ground pepper, and this 4" clear acrylic pepper grinder by William Bounds is a favorite. With a twist of the top, you can choose from three levels of grind. The whimsical fine print along the top ring reads, "made on the third planet from the sun."

Next to the digital scale, my digital thermometer has made perhaps the biggest difference in my cooking and baking. I use mine to test the temperature of ingredients, the gauge the internal crumb of bread, and check the done-ness of meat or poultry. The high-end thermapen is probably wonderful, but for a fraction of the price, I've loved this one: CDN Q2-450.

The Silpat baking mat is designed to line a baking sheet so that baked goods brown evenly and release easily. But the mats are also useful for lining a counter when you have to roll out dough or form loaves of bread.

My knife skills are mediocre at best, but with this Henckels 4 Star Santoku knife, I feel like an old hand at the cutting board. It's reasonably priced, well balanced, and a versatile size for most cutting and chopping jobs. I love the way it dices garlic and chops herbs.
Silicone muffin cups are wonderfully handy to have in the kitchen. You can fill them with batter and set them on a cookie sheet to bake. They make un-molding even the trickiest muffin or cupcake a fairly easy task. Because they are flexible, you can just push the muffin from the bottom. The cups are useful when a recipe makes a generous amount of batter and you need a couple of extra of cups beyond the 6 or 12 in your muffin pan. Additionally, when I'm baking a cake, I've often reserved some of the batter and baked a single cupcake for tasting purposes.



My Microplane brand grater/zester is a tool I use nearly every day, especially to zest citrus, grind nutmeg, and grate Parmesan cheese. The hundreds of tiny blades are razor-sharp, making quick work of grating tasks.


When I ordered an electric coffee grinder to use for grinding spices, it seemed like such a guilty indulgence. But I've ended up using it quite a bit, and love the time that it saves and the wonderful taste of freshly ground spices in the recipes I prepare. I use it most often for ground cloves and allspice, but it also grinds up dried vanilla pods (which I use in making vanilla ice cream - it really saves money over using just the seeds.)

Once you begin baking from recipes that list ingredients by weight rather than volume (those in many bread books, for example, or European recipes) you will eventually wish that you could measure in smaller amounts than your everyday scale can reliably deliver. That's when an Escali pocket scale is useful. When I reduced a bread recipe recently, this scale helped me measure the correct amount of yeast and salt.

I'd love to hear about your favorite kitchen tools - let me know in the comments.

Roasted Chile Lime Chickpeas with Cilantro

We were looking for a great-but-not-too-unhealthy munchy snack and these Roasted Chile Lime Chickpeas with Cilantro fit the bill nicely; we started with dried chickpeas which we soaked, cooked, then roasted as directed in this recipe (which uses canned), and ended up with irresistable bits of crunchy spiciness (check the recipe for other flavor combinations) which carried the added benefit of an impressive nutritional profile!

Of Galley Kitchens

For the past few weeks my husband and I - and the dogs - have been living in the basement level of our house while the floors on our main level are being refinished and the rooms repainted. I've been preparing meals in our laundry room, in what is generally called a "galley" arrangement - two opposite counters with a narrow floor running between them. The room has our extra fridge, a kitchen sink, and a microwave in addition to a washer, dryer and utility sink.

This weekend we visited our daughter A.L.E. in Buffalo New York and spent Saturday morning at the Naval Park touring three WWII era ships: the USS Croaker (diesel sub), the USS Sullivans (destroyer) and the USS Little Rock (cruiser). I got an up close look at a real galley, which made cooking in my laundry room "galley" look downright luxurious! The picture above is a line of huge pots in the destroyer's galley; they could make a serious amount of soup or pasta!

What really caught my attention was the shipboard mixers. The destroyer had a floor model (above). I could not imagine how anyone ever lifted the mixing bowl in and out of the mixer, especially when it was full. The little diesel submarine had a much smaller countertop mixer (below)- but it was still many times bigger than my Kitchen Aid! I would love to have seen what those Navy cooks mixed up in those big mixers.

After my brief experience in our galley laundry room my hat's off to the cooks who prepared meals for an entire ship's worth of sailors in tight quarters!

Hats off to the Future Chefs!

The National ProStart Student Invitational culinary competition is being held this weekend in San Diego - teams of high school students must prepare a 3 course meal in 60 minutes. 37 teams from across the US are participating.

Among its host of rules, the contest has significant limitations that most of us don't face in our home kitchens:
- no running water or electricity
- 2 banquet tables are the workspace for the 4 cooks
- 2 propane burners are the only source of heat to prepare 5 dishes.
A panel of judges will grade them strictly on such things as: sanitation, technique, waste, knife skills. A separate panel conducts a blind judging of the food.

Last week I had the opportunity to see the Georgia team in action at a pre-Nationals demonstration. What a fascinating glimpse into the development of some dedicated and inventive future chefs! The students on Meadowcreek High School's team are repeat Georgia state champions and are looking to improve their top-10 finish from last year's National event. They work with a faculty member (modern day "home ec" teacher) and also with a professional chef mentor. The students developed/adapted the recipes themselves, and worked it into a sample menu offering:


Here's what each of the students did:

Student #1: "Fabricated" the chicken. Started with a whole chicken and cut it, ending up making "airline" chicken breasts that she then filled, rolled, and cooked. Then made a sauce. (question: why is cutting a chicken into pieces called "fabricating"? Seems like it's the opposite!)

Student #2: Prepared vegetable timbales and polenta cakes

Sorry about the bad pictures! The plating was professional quality but by the time I could get close the 2 servings were being divided and distributed to the 6 randomly-chosen tasters. The appetizer was already gone!

Student #3: Made caramel for the bottom of the flans and for sugar baskets. She next stirred up a custard, which she baked into flans in a steam oven over a propane burner (she developed the technique). She also prepared two kinds of berry sauce and hand-whipped berry cream. Lots of tricky techniques in under an hour!


Student #4: Prepared the appetizer from start to finish - mixed up a saffron pasta, rolled it very thin, filled with a shrimp mixture, quickly cooked it, then made a lovely pan sauce.

It was fascinating to see how they took turns with the two burners, and how they kept everything warm, including the plates.

I had a blast watching them cook. Good luck to all the hard-working student chefs!

Sweet Wishes

To a very special girl on her big 21st birthday!
Happy Birthday, J.D.E.!!!!