| A LOOK BACK AT SOME FAVORITE DISHES FROM 2006 | | Posted Monday, January 01, 2007 1:12:10 PM by Blog57 Team | | We're tick-tocking out of 2006 and I'm thinking it should've been a better dining year. It should've held more distinctive taste memories, it should've served forth more nuanced dishes, it should've incorporated more of what's out there in the world of ingredients on local plates. Are chefs here in our hometown counties that hug the mighty Atlantic getting stodgy? Are they stuck in the safe, in the familiar, in the rut of the common? It often seemed that way as I dined out in the last 12 months: The flavors that intrigued elsewhere were all but ignored here, dished dubbed trendy and edgy by local chefs are literally from another century, dining styles and kitchen techniques that are revving up restaurants in other parts of the country are nowhere to be found in our back yards.... | |
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| | | Dabbling in mustard | | Posted Monday, November 13, 2006 11:13:00 PM by Blog57 Team | | Cooks always seek new ways to create deep flavor without having to spend too much time on a dish. Too often, we overlook the original culinary quick fix: mustard. Its stimulating flavor goes especially well with the rich foods of fall, and there are countless varieties from which to choose. Quality prepared mustard provides a subtle and sophisticated background note. One dollop can supply all the elements a dish needs for both balance and zing. Domestic mustard isn't limited to yellow stuff in a squeeze bottle ? wonderful beer-flavored and Dijon-style mustards are made in Northern California as well as a slightly spicy Dulcet Madras curry mustard that comes from Oregon. It's also worth seeking out excellent French mustards, such as violet, a purple-hued, sweet-sour mustard made from grape must ? fresh grape juice before it's fermented into wine; and walnut, with a slightly tannic, enveloping nuttiness.... | |
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| | | Recipes for salmon burgers offer rainbow of flavors for your plate | | Posted Saturday, November 11, 2006 11:33:56 AM by Blog57 Team | | Everyone has their own vision of the perfect grilled meal. I love ribs and chicken and even burgers, but every now and then I just gotta have fish. Especially fresh salmon. I serve it grilled, broiled, poached and pan fried. But the highlight of my salmon fiesta is always my salmon burgers. Everyone loves them, and since I start with fresh salmon (as opposed to the canned stuff), the meals are light, healthy as well as incredibly and amazingly delicious. A really great salmon burger should be tender and moist with a crispy crust. You can experiment with your own combinations of spicing because salmon readily adapts to a variety of different herb and spice combinations. Minced parsley, chives, garlic, onions, shallots, green onions, fresh ginger, basil, oregano and minced jalapeno peppers are all particularly good.... | |
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| | | Salmon dish with tortellini | | Posted Friday, November 10, 2006 1:26:15 PM by Blog57 Team | | Jareene Barkdoll of Baltimore wrote looking for some "truly tasty" recipes that used canned salmon as an ingredient. She said that she usually makes salmon patties or salmon loaf but finds that they both can be dry and sometimes have a strong fish taste. Susan Petrie of Owings Mills sent in some recipes that she has enjoyed over the years that use canned salmon in different ways. Her recipe for Salmon Tortellini Gratin, an easy one-dish meal, seemed interesting and worth a try. Thanks to the use of store-bought tortellini and Alfredo sauce, this dish can be whipped up in no time. I recommend making it with red canned salmon, which I find in general has a milder flavor than the pink. This creamy dish reminded me of old-fashioned comfort food like tuna noodle casserole. Salmon Tortellini Gratin Makes 3 (1 1/2 cups) servings one 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini 1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets, large pieces cut up one 10-ounce container refrigerated light Alfredo sauce one 6-ounce can boneless, skinless pink or red salmon, drained and flaked 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package, adding broccoli during the last 4 minutes of cooking time.... | |
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| | | Try Hanger Steak Near Greyhounds at Metro Marche: Alan Richman | | Posted Wednesday, November 08, 2006 7:15:51 PM by Blog57 Team | | Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- To the owners of Metro Marche, I award the Croix de guerre. For bravery. Not yet for cuisine. Their new restaurant flouts every fundamental rule of modern New York dining: It's French, it's small, it's old-fashioned and it's situated where the stylish crowd has no desire to gather -- the Port Authority Bus Terminal. As one of my guests said, ``You need a sense of humor to eat here.'' Metro Marche, located in the south wing of the terminal, has two entrances. The one on Eighth Avenue opens into a takeout shop. The indoor one has gratifying brasserie affectations -- glossy paint and menu items in block letters. The south wing sure beats the north. It bustles with shops and people carrying luggage. The north wing seems a haven for people stealing luggage.... | |
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| | | A loaf of bread ... a jug of wine and thou. | | Posted Monday, November 06, 2006 3:30:05 PM by Blog57 Team | | In every marriage there is often a set of recurring themes and recriminations that come to the surface when the gloves come off. Some men complain they don't get enough sex. Other men complain their wives spend too much money. My husband complains that I never bake bread for him. Somewhere, in the really bad fights, my husband starts to sound a little childish (don't we all). "You don't care about me," he says. "You don't love me," he complains. "How can I show you that I care? What do I not do?" I demand, hurt and childish myself. "You could bake bread for me." Now before you think that I'm married to a keep-my-wife-barefoot-and-pregnant-in-the-kitchen sexist pig, let me explain. My husband is Swedish.... | |
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| | | Free rice leaflet | | Posted Wednesday, November 01, 2006 11:33:41 PM by Blog57 Team | | If you're a rice devotee and are looking for new ideas, get a free copy of Surprisingly Simple, a colorful brochure from the USA Rice Federation. It features seven award-winning recipes (from the eighth annual Rice to the Rescue! contest) that can be prepared in 30 minutes using six ingredients. Among them are Salmon & Rice Packets With Fennel, Orange & Raisins from David Dahlman of Chatsworth. Mail a business-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope to Surprisingly Simple, c/o USA Rice Federation, 4301 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 425, Arlington, VA 22203 or visit usarice.com/consumer to download the winning recipes. .... | |
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| | | New Dining Options Fly into the AIRMALL® at Boston Logan ... | | Posted Saturday, October 28, 2006 1:35:41 PM by Blog57 Team | | BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Travelers can now enjoy more tasty fare in the AIRMALL® at Boston Logan International Airport. American classic McDonald's and Asian Fusion eatery Asian Too Express have landed, offering flavors sure to please all who pass through the AIRMALL®. "Asian Too Express and McDonald's make great additions to the dining options at the AIRMALL®," said Mike Caro, Vice President of BAA Boston. "With a mix of well-known national brands and exciting new concepts, travelers have a variety of options to choose from so there is something to please everyone's taste buds." The Asian Too Express, located in Terminal B, represents the first location in the New England area and the first unit in an airport for the brand. The restaurant offers a variety of pan-Asian cuisine in a quick-serve environment.... | |
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| | | COOKBOOK: Recipes pass the test for good taste, clarity | | Posted Friday, October 27, 2006 7:13:57 AM by Blog57 Team | | Neighborhood and church cookbooks often have great recipes, but sometimes the instructions aren't clear. That's not the case when America's Test Kitchen develops a recipe for its books, magazines and public television show. There's no doubt the recipes taste good, and the procedures are detailed. The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007 has 150 recipes that the test cooks say are their favorites from the past year. Every recipe comes with tips as well as why it qualifies as one of the best. Seared salmon is included because the cooks have perfected the cooking technique, determining that a non-stick skillet is the best pan for the job. The fish forms a deep, even crust; it doesn't stick to the pan, and cleanup is a cinch. Salmon fillets, like meat, have enough residual heat to continue cooking briefly after they come out of the pan.... | |
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| | | Over The Rivers, Through The Woods | | Posted Wednesday, October 25, 2006 3:12:12 AM by Blog57 Team | | At the turn of the 1960s, Jim Kern returned to his home in Florida after a backpacking trip on the storied Appalachian Trail. Kern brought more than calloused feet and pack full of dirty clothes back from this 2,400-mile trail that links the foothills of Georgia with the peaks of Maine. He brought back a vision of creating a long-distance hiking trail in Florida. A few years later, in October 1966, Kern, now founder of the Florida Trail Association, stood near Clearwater Lake in the Ocala National Forest and painted the first of the many orange blazes that mark the path of the Florida National Scenic Trail. Today, Kern's dream has never been more alive. Through the toil and dedication of countless thousands of Florida Trail Association volunteers, the Florida Trail stretches from the forested clay bluffs on the Florida-Alabama state line to the wild wetlands of the Everglades.... | |
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