Worth the Time Archive

  • You’re definitely throwing down the gauntlet when you name something the “World’s Easiest Dinner.” the second my FIL received his Esquire and found it, they had to try it. Actually, they emailed everyone a scanned copy of the recipe, and tried it that night. We’re up next. The instructions are very easy. Take one air-dried chicken between 3-4 lbs (recipe says between 3-3.5 lbs). Rinse and dry very thoroughly. Make sure it’s dry because that’s the key to roasting rather than steaming the bird. We patted it dry and then left it out a little longer just to make sure....

    Esquire’s “World’s Easiest Dinner” Roast Chicken

    Posted on 2010.05.09 | 1 Comment
    You’re definitely throwing down the gauntlet when you name something the “World’s Easiest Dinner.” the second my FIL received his Esquire and found it, they had to try it. Actually, they emailed everyone a scanned copy of the recipe, and tried it that night. We’re up next. The instructions are very easy. Take one air-dried chicken between 3-4 lbs (recipe says between 3-3.5 lbs). Rinse and dry very thoroughly. Make sure it’s dry because that’s the key to roasting rather than steaming the bird. We patted it dry and then left it out a little longer just to make sure....

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  • A couple of years ago a brown, nutty, slightly chewy grain started appearing in the dishes I’d order at restaurants. It usually came as an accompaniment, a few grains or a small pile amid some fresh vegetables or a flavorful sauce. And maybe once or twice, a bowlful prepared like risotto, rich and cheesy and a bit al dente. I was super curious… what was this curious new grain chefs were sneaking in on the plate? That grain turned out to be farro. Farro, also known as emmer, is a hulled wheat closely related to (and sometimes mistaken for) spelt....

    Hello, My Name is Farro

    Posted on 2010.04.11 | 3 Comments
    A couple of years ago a brown, nutty, slightly chewy grain started appearing in the dishes I’d order at restaurants. It usually came as an accompaniment, a few grains or a small pile amid some fresh vegetables or a flavorful sauce. And maybe once or twice, a bowlful prepared like risotto, rich and cheesy and a bit al dente. I was super curious… what was this curious new grain chefs were sneaking in on the plate? That grain turned out to be farro. Farro, also known as emmer, is a hulled wheat closely related to (and sometimes mistaken for) spelt....

    Continue Reading...

  • Quail are small, dainty, and give off a “fancy” feel. Maybe that’s because they can be sort of expensive — at 2 per person for a main. But they’re good as an appetizer (one or half per person) too if you’re having a dinner party and want to kick it off with some mini-poultry. And I love them (this is probably the only blog out there with multiple recipes for grilled quail). This recipe turned out great — I think that getting the garlic, oil, sage and pepper right up in there in the cavity (and under the skin where...

    Grilled Quail with Garlic and Sage

    Posted on 2010.03.21 | 1 Comment
    Quail are small, dainty, and give off a “fancy” feel. Maybe that’s because they can be sort of expensive — at 2 per person for a main. But they’re good as an appetizer (one or half per person) too if you’re having a dinner party and want to kick it off with some mini-poultry. And I love them (this is probably the only blog out there with multiple recipes for grilled quail). This recipe turned out great — I think that getting the garlic, oil, sage and pepper right up in there in the cavity (and under the skin where...

    Continue Reading...

  • Here’s where I make good on my promise to share not just the good, but also the bad and the ugly with you. Yep, no fooling you. That picture shows a pretty glorious looking apple tart there in the middle, right? And what’s that all over the edge? Could that be horribly charred something-or-other ringing the entire tart? It could be! Ooops! Last week I churned up a batch of Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream to go with this apple tart. That was optimistic because I really didn’t know whether either had any hope of turning out. The ice cream...

    Sunday Dinner: Crispy Apple Tart

    Posted on 2010.03.14 | No Comments
    Here’s where I make good on my promise to share not just the good, but also the bad and the ugly with you. Yep, no fooling you. That picture shows a pretty glorious looking apple tart there in the middle, right? And what’s that all over the edge? Could that be horribly charred something-or-other ringing the entire tart? It could be! Ooops! Last week I churned up a batch of Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream to go with this apple tart. That was optimistic because I really didn’t know whether either had any hope of turning out. The ice cream...

    Continue Reading...

  • I think I’m in love. Yes, in love with an ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and just a touch bitter… and maybe a little too sweet. And when I eat a spoonful, I think, ooh, that’s enough, it’s too rich and too sweet, that’s all I need. Until I find myself dipping my spoon back into the container for another spoonful. And another. And it’s almost gone. I might have to make another batch soon. Or another one of David Lebovitz’s awesome recipes. Because this one is just a teaser for all the others. Or is it the culmination?...

    David Lebovitz’s Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

    Posted on 2010.03.08 | 2 Comments
    I think I’m in love. Yes, in love with an ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and just a touch bitter… and maybe a little too sweet. And when I eat a spoonful, I think, ooh, that’s enough, it’s too rich and too sweet, that’s all I need. Until I find myself dipping my spoon back into the container for another spoonful. And another. And it’s almost gone. I might have to make another batch soon. Or another one of David Lebovitz’s awesome recipes. Because this one is just a teaser for all the others. Or is it the culmination?...

    Continue Reading...

  • Shhh… I actually made this on Saturday but if you don’t tell anyone, neither will I! I know brussels sprouts aren’t most people’s favorites, but for some reason in the past couple of years I have fallen in love with them. They can be a little bitter, but if they’re cooked right (especially golden brown… with bacon) that harshness mellows right out and instead they taste a little caramelized and little like green-vegetable popcorn. Or maybe that’s just my imagination. In this case I shredded the brussels sprouts so they cooked through more quickly, and the lively flavor of the...

    Sunday Dinner: Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Lemon Butter

    Posted on 2010.02.28 | No Comments
    Shhh… I actually made this on Saturday but if you don’t tell anyone, neither will I! I know brussels sprouts aren’t most people’s favorites, but for some reason in the past couple of years I have fallen in love with them. They can be a little bitter, but if they’re cooked right (especially golden brown… with bacon) that harshness mellows right out and instead they taste a little caramelized and little like green-vegetable popcorn. Or maybe that’s just my imagination. In this case I shredded the brussels sprouts so they cooked through more quickly, and the lively flavor of the...

    Continue Reading...

  • I can tell we’re specializing here in dishes that look really cook and impressive but in fact are easy to through together. In fact Monday’s dinner was simple from top to bottom, from the braised scallops to the blueberry cheesecake ice cream (stay tuned for those recipes). The roasted baby artichokes were the dish that took the most prep, but even then, the actual making is simple. And with the instructions in my trusty copy of Saveur (which had a great feature on artichokes a while back), it’s a cinch to prep the baby artichokes. Basically for each baby artichoke,...

    Roasted Baby Artichokes with a Garlicy Twist

    Posted on 2010.02.17 | No Comments
    I can tell we’re specializing here in dishes that look really cook and impressive but in fact are easy to through together. In fact Monday’s dinner was simple from top to bottom, from the braised scallops to the blueberry cheesecake ice cream (stay tuned for those recipes). The roasted baby artichokes were the dish that took the most prep, but even then, the actual making is simple. And with the instructions in my trusty copy of Saveur (which had a great feature on artichokes a while back), it’s a cinch to prep the baby artichokes. Basically for each baby artichoke,...

    Continue Reading...

  • For Chinese New Year we decided to go with a Chinese soup — of Teo Chew origin, with some Hokkien in there too — so well tied to our heritage. It's essentially a big bowl of pork spare ribs, boiled up in all those spices so they penetrate the meat. And I have been craving it all winter. And here I will admit to some laziness. Because while I'm sure there are many recipes to be found (and include ingredients such as ginseng, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic according to Wikipedia), I took the total...

    Sunday Dinner: Bah Kut Teh

    Posted on 2010.02.14 | 1 Comment
    For Chinese New Year we decided to go with a Chinese soup — of Teo Chew origin, with some Hokkien in there too — so well tied to our heritage. It's essentially a big bowl of pork spare ribs, boiled up in all those spices so they penetrate the meat. And I have been craving it all winter. And here I will admit to some laziness. Because while I'm sure there are many recipes to be found (and include ingredients such as ginseng, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic according to Wikipedia), I took the total...

    Continue Reading...

  • Sunchokes may also be known as Jerusalem Artichokes, but they are no artichoke. In fact they are all brown and knobby and look a lot more like overgrown ginger (but don’t taste like ginger) than anything else. I feel like we’ve been seeing sunchokes everywhere (Top Chef anyone?). Lately they’ve been all over restaurant menus too — from fried to pureed — which I really enjoyed — and I was excited to see the sunchoke recipe in the latest issue of Fine Cooking. I whipped up a bunch of the roasted sunchokes with artichoke hearts today during the Super Bowl...

    Sunday Dinner: Sunchokes

    Posted on 2010.02.07 | No Comments
    Sunchokes may also be known as Jerusalem Artichokes, but they are no artichoke. In fact they are all brown and knobby and look a lot more like overgrown ginger (but don’t taste like ginger) than anything else. I feel like we’ve been seeing sunchokes everywhere (Top Chef anyone?). Lately they’ve been all over restaurant menus too — from fried to pureed — which I really enjoyed — and I was excited to see the sunchoke recipe in the latest issue of Fine Cooking. I whipped up a bunch of the roasted sunchokes with artichoke hearts today during the Super Bowl...

    Continue Reading...

  • I haven’t made pie very many times in my life. But today we had some of Gus’s students over for a mini-holiday party — putting up the Xmas tree — so I thought I’d go out on a limb and whip up a pie. I was intrigued by the Brown Butter Pecan Pie from “I Made That” because I love pecan pie — and I love brown butter even more. It was my first attempt at following Ruhlman’s Ratio: 3-2-1 flour-fat-liquid crust recipe. It was easy to follow, and the dough came out well, even if it doesn’t look that...

    Holiday Eating: Brown Butter Pecan Pie

    Posted on 2009.12.06 | No Comments
    I haven’t made pie very many times in my life. But today we had some of Gus’s students over for a mini-holiday party — putting up the Xmas tree — so I thought I’d go out on a limb and whip up a pie. I was intrigued by the Brown Butter Pecan Pie from “I Made That” because I love pecan pie — and I love brown butter even more. It was my first attempt at following Ruhlman’s Ratio: 3-2-1 flour-fat-liquid crust recipe. It was easy to follow, and the dough came out well, even if it doesn’t look that...

    Continue Reading...

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