Three Kitchen Gadgets That Work

by Amazon al Dente at 8:11 AM PDT, July 2, 2009

Of the roughly 100,000 kitchen utensils and gadgets we sell at Amazon, there are always some that don't work as well as they should, or even though they're nifty, get relegated to the junk drawer. You know the one. With the extra keys don't seem to fit any lock in your house. So it's always a delight to find gadgets that work--really work! Recently I've added a few essentials to my ever-growing repertoire of culinary odds and ends.

Last month when I discovered that one of my favorite brands, Built, now makes oven mitts, I may have actually squealed with excitement. I tote their stylish and practical lunch bag back and forth every day and am always on the lookout for what cool things this brand is going to do next. Their new line of oven mitts and pot holders is made with the same colorful and fun material as the rest of their products (plus, Built uses wetsuit material, which somehow makes their products extra cool). And, while I do like to look fashionable while taking cookies out of the oven, the best part is that the oven mitt is the best I've found in years. Built smartly designed it to hold the shape your hand is in when grasping a pan. No longer do I have to contort my wrist and hand to make those old-style quilted mitts actually grip a searing hot pan. Also, and I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but those classic mitts have seams right where you hold the pan and the heat seeps through after just a few seconds. No more! Now I'm protected and prettified!

My next find of late is not exactly an essential, but it's a fun tool that gives your plating of meals and desserts a little special flair. If you've been to "fancy" restaurants, you've probably noticed that the mashed potatoes don't come heaped on the plate. No, the kitchen takes special care to dollop them on in perfect ovals. And ice cream or gelato? You know it tastes better when presented in smooth ovals rather than commonplace spheres. Piazza's oval gelato scoop comes in handy for all these instances. While I do primarily use it to fancy up ice cream for dinner guests, it's also fun for artful presentations of wilted greens or pretty mounds of rice. Again, not exactly essential, but definitely fun for the home gourmand.

The last gadget I added to my arsenal recently is the Contigo double-wall travel mug. I first saw it in an industry magazine where it touted a lid that is "100-percent leak-proof and 100-percent spill-proof." Now that I had to try! I bring my coffee to work every day and generally have too few hands for all the work necessities and toddler paraphernalia (and toddler) I need to lug out the door. I'd been dreaming of a mug I could fill up and just throw in my bag without worry. THIS is the mug. Not only has it never leaked even a single drop, even when laid horizontally in my Built lunch tote and jostled for miles, but it also has kept my hot coffee hot and my cold coffee cold for hours on end. I've noticed when I make iced coffee at 8 a.m. that when I leave at 5 p.m. the ice isn't even melted. But still, the tumbler had me at "leak-proof"...

Got any essential kitchen gadgets that have recently come into your life? Add a comment and let me know!

--KitchenMaus

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NOT Your Ordinary Breakfast Roll

by Amazon al Dente at 11:17 PM PDT, July 1, 2009

Popovers have made the move from the breakfast nook to the dining table, so it's no surprise then that traditional breakfast rolls are eyeing similar opportunities.

A recent lunch at Bourbon Steak, Michael Mina's steakhouse at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., began with what looked like a buttery cinnamon bun, but was in fact a glorious breakfast roll made with black truffle butter. Pure decadence.

If you love to bake and entertain, this recipe will no doubt surprise and delight your guests. In true baker's fashion, it is written in grams for accuracy. If you don't already have a kitchen food scale, inexpensive versions are easy to find.

Truffle Butter Rolls

Ingredients:
1628 grams bread flour
1136 grams whole milk
16 grams instant yeast (not active dry yeast)
36 grams fine sea salt
196 grams unsalted butter, softened
36 grams brown rice syrup or honey
Truffle butter

Directions:
1. Combine the flour and the milk in a mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for about 1 minute, just until the dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the plastic wrap and add the yeast. Mix on medium speed until the yeast s absorbed, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the salt and continue to mix on medium speed for several minutes until gluten is well developed and 'window panes' is achieved.

4. Add the butter and brown rice syrup and mix until all of the butter is incorporated and the dough is homogeneous and smooth.

5. Place the dough in a plastic container lightly sprayed with canola oil spray and cover with a lid. Move to the refrigerator and allow the dough to retard proof overnight.

6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature - about 30 minutes.

7. Uncover the dough and gently remove from the container onto a work surface.

8. Roll dough down to 1/8" thickness and cover with fine layer of truffle butter.

9. Roll up dough like a cinnamon bun and cut into 1-1/4 inch slices.

10. Arrange into truffled butter cast iron pan giving enough room for bread to double in size.

11. Proof in a warm moist place until doubled in size.

12. Bake in a hot oven 400 degrees F until bottom of buns are golden brown. Slather on more truffle butter and serve.

--Tracy Schneider

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Walla Walla Onions--In the Raw and Oh So Sweet!

by Amazon al Dente at 12:38 PM PDT, June 25, 2009

During the winter months, I rarely use sliced raw onion on my sandwiches or in my salads. I simply find them to be too harsh to eat straight up.

However, now that summer is here and Washington's Walla Walla sweet onions are hitting the markets, I find myself tucking the sweet crisp slices into everything from pita pockets and homemade gyros to burgers, salads, and salsas. They are one of those seasonal regional treats that simply can't be purchased year round.

These onions hail from Washington's Walla Walla Valley, but they are originally from the Island of Corsica, which is off the west coast of Italy. More than 100 years ago, a French soldier named Peter Pieri gathered the onion seed and eventually brought it to this fertile valley in Eastern Washington. The rest is history, and the onion has been revered ever since.

Although there are other sweet onions on the market such as the Vidalia and Texas 1015, Kathryn Fry, the Director of Marketing for the Walla Walla Onion Marketing Committee explained the factors that set the Walla Walla apart.

She said, "The Walla Wallas are hand harvested and open pollinated... with a Walla Walla it's a natural sweetness. It's a really big deal." She also explained that consumers should look for the onion's official sticker which declares "Walla Walla Genuine Sweet Onion." This helps to ensure authenticity when various onions are sometimes carelessly combined in a produce bin at a store.

I had been poking through the onion's official website for ideas and stumbled upon this recipe for Walla Walla Sweet Onion and Watermelon Salsa. It seemed intriguing but odd. I asked Fry if the recipe was good, or if she had any other "best recipes." She told me the salsa is very popular and that it's awesome.

Over the years, I've learned to trust tips from industry folks like Fry. They know their product inside and out and they know what consumers like. So, Fry's endorsement sent me slicing and dicing last night. The salsa is cool, spicy, sweet, crunchy, and herbaceous. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Walla Walla Sweet Onion and Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped watermelon (seeds removed)
3/4 cup chopped Walla Walla Sweet Onion
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeno chilies
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Stir together all the ingredients in bowl. Refrigerate, covered, at least one hour to blend flavors. Stir before serving.

Recipe Courtesy of the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee and The National Watermelon Promotion Board

Photo by Melissa A. Trainer

--Melissa A. Trainer

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Cooking by Kindlelight

by Kitchen Maus on April 13, 2009

Working at Amazon.com has its perks. When the Kindle 2 came out recently, I had definite gadget lust. You know what I'm talking about. I really wanted a Kindle, but frankly, since I spend 100% of my time a) working, b) chasing after a toddler, c) cooking something for someone, and d) sleeping, there really is little room in my life for e) reading. In fact, there's approximately 45 minutes per week, broken up into 5-minute chunks as I drift off to sleep each night, equating to approximately 3-1/2 pages of magazine reading or 2 pages of book reading per day.

So, I decided I should check out the Kindle 2 before buying another gadget I would only feel guilty about not using after the first few weeks. That's when it really pays to work at Amazon, where I was able to borrow a Kindle for a few days. Now that I've given it back, I'm left wondering if maybe I really do "need" the reader. And, not because I've found more time for e) reading. But because it can support my vast amounts of time c) cooking something for someone (which is sometimes related to a) working).

One of the things that really caught my eye when the Kindle 2 first came out was the The Cook's Illustrated How-to-Cook Library, billed as the largest digital cookbook, which, by the way, is completely free right now (and only for a limited time, I understand). As a longtime fan of Cook's Illustrated, I already own many of their annual compendiums, plus the little multiyear index that helps you find what you need across all the annuals. I also own quite a few of their regular cookbooks, always a great resource for any cooking conundrum.

If you're a CI fan, you're already familiar with those cute little How-to books. Their small size makes them supremely collectible (you can never have just one...), and they come in flavors like Cookie Jar Favorites, Pasta Sauces, and Pot Pies and Casseroles. Well, the Kindle edition has 25 of these little guys--all available, all the time, anywhere you go with your Kindle. Browse 25 cookbooks while waiting at the bus stop. Find the perfect stirfry recipe as you also browse the produce specials at the grocery store. Its go-anywhere form makes it the ultimate reference--like carrying around a cooking encyclopedia wherever you go.

The Kindle version is also nicely navigable. You can click directly to individual guides and into recipes from the Table of Contents. You can also search the whole library using the Kindle search function. For instance, let's say you have some extra rhubarb on hand. Search the library and you'll instantly find 10 locations of the word "rhubarb." But, probably the thing I liked best of all was the Kindle's internal dictionary, where you can find out the meaning of any word you come across. I was looking at a clam recipe and had no idea what a quahog clam was. Luckily, Kindle knew the answer.

The biggest advantage for me on cooking with the Kindle wasn't having my own Cook's Illustrated digital library, of course. Or the fact that there are already more than 2,500 cookbooks available on the Kindle, at your fingertips at any given moment (you can even download a free chapter of any cookbook before deciding to buy it). What I loved was that it actually made my way of using cookbooks easier. I am a cookbook reader. I read cookbooks like other people read novels. I start at the beginning, and read every page. I also annotate my cookbooks in various ways so that the next time I pick a cookbook up, I can quickly flip to the recipes or technique chapters I'm most interested in. Seriously, I should buy stock in those Post-it flags. My cookbooks are a rainbow of them. With the Kindle, you can bookmark anything you want, no Post-it necessary. You can also annotate any passage you like. Say you make a recipe and decide it needs more salt--just annotate that section and next time you make the recipe, you'll have the note handy.

Another cool idea I discovered on the Kindle was using the annotate feature to make grocery lists on the fly. You can add little notes to yourself within the recipe, "Buy quahog clams," "Need more parsley." When you head to the grocery store, just take out your Kindle and you've got your list right there. Plus, you'll be able to see just how much you need of the ingredient. No more wondering, "Did the recipe say 1/2-cup of milk...or 1-1/2 cups...?" Also, you'll have instant fame and popularity as all the other shoppers gasp and say "Oh! Is that the Kindle?!" (I can vouch for this.)

Well, as you can see, I'm in love. I might just have to break down and treat myself to the Kindle 2 (pssst! my birthday's in June...). Not that the Kindle is the perfect cookbook-lover's library. For instance, the Text-to-Speech feature didn't live up to my hopes. It's really made to read running text aloud and doesn't have anything built in to deal with recipe formatting and paragraph breaks. Plus, it's unable to read fractions. So, you might find yourself putting 12 teaspoons of baking powder in that cake instead of 1/2 teaspoon. Oops.

Also, to my knowledge, there's no waterproof/splatterproof transparent sleeve for use in the kitchen. Luckily, I solved that problem easily (and cheaply), simply by putting my Kindle in a Ziploc bag while in the kitchen. Worked perfectly, though it didn't do much for Kindle's ego, especially next to my shiny KitchenAid mixer.

Have you tried the Kindle in your kitchen? Add a comment and let me know your thoughts--and especially your trademark tips on making the Kindle a culinary wonder.

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Persian Saffron Ice Cream

by Amazon al Dente at 10:37 PM PDT, June 15, 2009

Given the hot weather, it comes as no surprise that everyone's talking about ice cream. Instead of vanilla or chocolate, might I suggest saffron?

If you have access to Minoo Bakery in Seattle, or Mashti Malone's Ice Cream in Los Angeles, then you can treat yourself to their Persian ice cream, and you're all set.

If not, a wonderful new children's cookbook, Happy Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate the Persian New Year, offers up Cream Crunch Ice Cream, a delicious alternative to bubblegum.

Cookbook author Najmieh Batmanglij is an authority on Persian cuisine, and her cookbook shares Persian culture and cuisine in a kid-friendly format that will delight and inspire kids of all ages.

Cream Crunch Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Crunchy Frozen Cream
1 cup thick cream or whipping cream

Ice Cream
4 tablespoons sahlab mixture (Cortas brand)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads dissolved in 2 tablespoons cooking rose water
1/2 mastic ground in a mortar and pestle with 1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios broken up

Directions:

Crunchy Cream
1. Pour the thick cream into a 4-by-6 inch dish lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer.

Ice Cream
1. In a small bowl dissolve the sahlab in 1 cup cold milk and mix until quite smooth. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of cream, and the sugar and bring to a boil.

3. Add the sahlab mixture, salt, saffron mixture, and mastic and bring back to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, for 10 to 15 minutes, until thick enough for it to coat the back of a spoon.

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

6. Pour the mixture into an cream machine's container.

7. Follow the instructions for the ice cream machine.

8. Remove the frozen cream from the freezer. Break it up into 1/4 -inch pieces and add it to the finished ice cream. Add the pistachios and continue to turn in the machine for another 20 seconds.

9. Transfer the ice cream into a plastic container and cover tightly. Freeze the ice cream for at least 1 hour to allow it to develop texture and flavor.

Makes 1 pint

Adapted from Happy Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate the Persian New Year, Najmieh Batmanglij, Mage Publishers, 2008

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My Cooking Repertoire: Donna Hay's Rosemary Lamb Shanks

by Amazon al Dente at 11:19 AM PDT, May 26, 2009

If you had been invited to my house for dinner in the last few weeks, you would have been served slowly braised rosemary lamb shanks with creamy oven-baked polenta and crispy roasted asparagus. It's my standard springtime menu and a cornerstone of my cooking repertoire.

Amanda Hesser writes about the "cooking repertoire" in her book, Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship with Recipes, and when I first read it, I was sure she was speaking to me:

A few months ago, when visiting Tad's parents, I noticed one of his mother's cookbooks lying on the kitchen counter. It was open to a recipe for slow-roasted turkey. The book was old, the pages a dull yellow. In the margins were notes, some in pencil, come in faded ink. Over the years, Elizabeth had kept a record of her efforts to refine the recipe: "1977," one note read, "12 lb. turkey took 4 hours including 1/2 hour browning." Another read, "Make a tent of foil over all." She had originally followed the recipe and spread shortening on the bird, then substituted margarine in the 1980s. Now she uses butter.

I mentioned this to Tad. "I hope someday I'll have recipes like that," I said. "You know, ones that I'll want to return to for years and years."

Tad nodded. "it's a good idea. You don't really seem to have a repertoire."

Ever since reading Hesser's book, some five years ago, I've been accumulating recipes for my own repertoire, making a note of seasonal dishes that are easy to make and fun to serve.

The lamb shank recipe I use, from Donna Hay's Modern Classics series, is just that. Not only does it require little active prep time, but if you make it a day in advance, it will taste even better. Plus, any leftovers freeze beautifully. And in a happy coincidence, both the polenta and the asparagus can be cooked in the oven at the same time.

The fact is, having a cooking repertoire makes it easier to entertain, and I'm all for that.

Lamb Shanks with Tomato and Rosemary

Ingredients:

8 shanks, trimmed*
Plain (all-purpose) flour for coating
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) red wine
2-1/2 cups (1 pint) beef stock
400 grams (14 ounces) can tomatoes, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Toss the lamb shanks in flour, shaking off any excess. Place half of the oil in a large, deep frying pan over high heat. Add the shanks and brown well. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onions and garlic until golden. Return the shanks to the pan. Add the wine, stock, tomatoes and rosemary and bring to the boil. Reduce the hear, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Remove the shanks and continue to simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Return the shanks to the pan with the parsley, salt and pepper. Mix through and serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 4.

Modern Classics Book 1, Donna Hay, HarperCollins, 2002

*Ask your butcher to trim both ends of the shanks for you. Although not essential, it makes them easier to handle and they fit better into the pan.

Cook's Hints: Like Tad's mother, Elizabeth, I've adapted this recipe over the years. I buy meaty hind shanks, about 1-1/2 lbs. each, from my local grocery store nd need only two shanks for this recipe, which easily serves 4-6 people. I use more olive oil for searing the meat, and add more liquid (red wine and chicken stock, which I use instead of beef), so the lamb is covered completely as it cooks. I cook these heftier shanks longer, about 2-1/2 hours, to be sure they are cooked through and tender, and I simmer the sauce longer for a thicker, headier gravy. To serve, I remove most of the meat from the bone and ladle the meat and sauce onto a mound of polenta. Two lucky people get the bones.

--Tracy Schneider

In topics: Recipes, What's Cooking?

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Kathy Casey: Minty Mojitos Keep You Cool in the Summer!

I’ve included a few different recipes here for you--from a classic, to a quickie, to the inspired. Happy mixing!

Blue Thai Mojito
The infused syrup adds an exotic kick to this tall rum drink.

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
1/4 ounce blue Curaçao
1-1/2 ounces Bacardi Limon rum or silver rum
1-1/2 ounces Coco-Mint Syrup (recipe follows)
1 ounce fresh lime juice
2 ounces chilled soda water

For garnishing:
Fresh mint and/or cilantro sprigs
Shaved coconut (optional)

Directions:
1. Fill a tall glass with ice. Measure in the Curaçao, rum, syrup, lime juice, and soda water. Stir with a bar spoon.

2. Garnish with fresh mint and/or cilantro and a sprinkling of shaved coconut, if using.

Coco-Mint Syrup
Makes 3 cups, enough for about 16 drinks

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh mint, torn
12 large sprigs fresh cilantro
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Directions:
1. Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 1 hour.

2. Strain, pressing out as much liquid as possible, then discard the solids.

3. Let cool to room temperature. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate, for up to 1 month, until needed. Remix before using.

© 2009 by Kathy Casey from Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books
Photo from Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books, Angie Norwood Browne Photography

Classic Mojito
Use this as a classic recipe to get creative with!

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
3 large sprigs fresh mint
2 ounces silver rum such as Cruzan
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup*
Splash of chilled soda water
Garnish: fresh mint sprig

Directions:
1. Tear the mint sprigs and drop into a cocktail shaker. With a muddler, press the mint to release its flavors.

2. Fill the shaker with ice. Measure in the rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. Cap and shake vigorously. Pour into a large glass. Top with soda water.

*Simple Syrup: One cup sugar and one cup water brought to a boil and cooled; keep refrigerated for up to 1 month.

© 2009 Kathy Casey Inc.

Peach Melba Mojito
This quick and easy mojito is made with my Dish D’Lish Mojito cocktail mix. You can substitute strawberry purée for the raspberry if desired.

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
1 lime squeeze
1 large wedge fresh peach
2 ounces Bacardi Peach Red Rum
2 ounces Dish D’Lish Classic Mojito Cocktailor
2 tablespoons raspberry purée
Splash of soda water

For garnishing:
Fresh mint sprig
Fresh raspberry if in season

Directions:
1. Squeeze lime and drop it into cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Add rum, Cocktailor, and purée.

2. Cap and shake vigorously. Add soda water. Pour into a tall glass. Top with more ice if needed. Garnish with mint and raspberry if using and insert straw.

© 2008 Dish D’Lish® Inc

For more Dishing with Kathy Casey and recipes visit www.kathycasey.com/blog

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