Today's better-late-than-never gift suggestion is a book you should be able to pick up at your local bookshop: Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home. Surely you're looking for something for that person who's not sure how to organize his or her kitchen? Martha's "Golden Rules for Kitchen Organization" will solve that, and many other problems your recipient probably didn't even know s/he had. For obsessive homekeeping advice, Martha Stewart is your gal. $27 at Amazon.com, prices may vary at your local bookstore.
Month: December 2006
Grant Achatz has made the…
Grant Achatz has made the use of pure scents – complementing the taste of food with items used for their smells alone – a hallmark of his inventive cuisine. "This year, for instance, rosemary branches began appearing on Alinea’s tables as centerpieces, only to become aromatics when, midway through the meal, they were placed into holes in the restaurant’s specially designed terra-cotta serving pieces, which were heated to 400 degrees." When I ate there last spring, I was served black cod on a pillow that released the scent of orange as it deflated. It was spectacular.
Photos by Matt Armendariz…
Photos by Matt Armendariz
Matt Armendariz explains how he creates beautiful food photos like those seen above. Of course he's got great gear, but he says natural light is best. This is my downfall: lighting. I never have enough good natural light when I need to shoot food — usually because it's dinner time and I'm just about to eat it! His good tips will certainly help me.
For bakers everywhere, especially during…
For bakers everywhere, especially during the season of fruitcake and gingerbread, the distinct spicy, earthy flavor of unrefined cane — the taste of cane syrup, brown sugar and molasses — is irreplaceable. That rich sweetness is one of my favorite things about holiday desserts. Mmmm….molasses…
It's the last day…
It's the last day for gift ideas from handycraft site Etsy and today's selection is this awesome Weiner Dog Screen Printed Shirt! Alas, there's only one in stock, but it looks like they'll have more so maybe this is one of those "gifts" you just order for yourself. Who wouldn't want a t-shirt with this worried little weiner on it? I know I'd love one. $19.00 from Etsy. And next week, gifts procrastinators can (hopefully) pick up locally.
Can an upstart fry pan…
Can an upstart fry pan that costs a quarter of the price of All-Clad come from the kitchen-supply shop and reach the top? Over at Serious Eats, I pit two frying pans against each other to determine whether expensive pans are necessarily better. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, so please feel free to share at the end of my article.
What happens when you limit…
What happens when you limit yourself to spending $30 on food, for the entire month of November? You lose 18 pounds in one month, drink only water, and learn a lot about yourself and other people. Evan went Hungry For a Month and blogged about it every day. Wow.
The chef and staff of…
The chef and staff of Montreal's Au Pied de Cochon wrote their new cookbook over two years on Mondays, when the restaurant is closed. "That is also the day when they do their pickling and preserving, so they held editorial meetings while making enough cornichons and corn relish to last through the winter." They self-published and sold out their first press run of 6,000 copies in three weeks. It sounds like a crazy, entertaining cookbook. I'd really like to eat there on my next trip to Montreal, whenever that is.
Looking for something for someone…
Looking for something for someone who's Oh So Retro? What about this Oh So Retro Half Apron. It's red with white polka dots. "Half-length apron with a flattering, slimming style and a flirty, flared skirt. Long ties at the waist make it adjustable for many sizes." And machine-washable! There's only one in stock like this, but the seller has other awesome aprons to chose from. $25 from Etsy.
It's official, the end times…
It's official, the end times are upon us. Erin McKean, Editor-in-Chief of American Dictionaries, appeared on the Rachael Ray show last week to present a Certificate of Recognition to Rachael. EVOO is going into the next edition of the Oxford American College Dictionary. That's extra-virgin olive oil, for all you non-Food Network, non-Rachael Ray folks out there. Now that's it's official, I'm shall start to use it, but I'll pronounce it "ee-vous".