CHEFS Mix – a kitchen & cooking blog by CHEFS Catalog

The Foundation for Every Memorable Pie

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT

“The first law of pies: No pastry, no pie.”
Janet Clarkson, in her book Pie: A Global History

Pie eaters will forgive a dicey fruit filling if your crust is crisp, flaky, and flavorful. But present them with a soggy, tasteless, cardboard-y crust and you can expect—rightly—that your pie will go uneaten. And that would be sad, sad, sad.

Many people thinking creating a perfect pie crust is a task more difficult than the second labor of Hercules—killing the Hydra, a nine headed serpent with one immortal, and therefore indestructible, head. But that’s—mostly—because they haven’t tried.

Two schools of thought

Grandma always made her pie crusts with her own hands. That way she could tell exactly when the crust had reached the right consistency. These days, many are using a food processor to create pie crusts because, as Alton Brown, creator and host of the Food Network television show Good Eats would say: “My best advice: Handle the dough as little as possible.”

My preference is the food processor method, but more because I like machines and gadgets (woot, woot, woot!) and I hate getting my hands messy. But let’s take a look at both—then you can choose which works best for you.

Food processor method

Another benefit for me with this method is that I don’t have to guess at what to do when and for how long—plus it’s faster. Here is the recipe and the process from CHEFS catalog’s recipe collection:

Basic Pastry Dough

Ingredients

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup well-chilled butter

1 tablespoon well-chilled shortening

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions

In a food processor add flour, sugar, and salt. Add well-chilled butter and well-chilled shortening. Pulse this 3 to 4 times for 2 to 3 seconds each time, until it’s crumbly.

In a small bowl blend egg yolk and water. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the flour mixture in the food processor and pulse 2 to 4 times, for 2 to 3 seconds each time, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and clings together.

Now remove the dough, cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Flour work surface and rolling pin when working the dough. With a rolling pin, roll to desired size, handling as little as possible.

Now, let's look at doing the same thing, only by hand.

By hand method

This method, a little more in-depth than the video, comes from John Phillip Carroll’s book, Pie, Pie, Pie: Easy Homemade Favorites, and is used with permission. See this recipe and method online in CHEFS catalog's recipe collection.

Basic All-American Pie Dough

Crisp and flaky, this dough is suitable for any pie.

Ingredients

For a 9-inch pie shell

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable shortening

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

For a 9-inch two crust pie

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening

7 to 8 tablespoons cold water

Cooking Instructions

Your hands are the best tools for making pie dough, so plunge them into the flour and shortening and forge ahead. You will become familiar with the feel of the dough right away, and be surprised how quick and easy it is. When friends taste your pies, they will want you to show them how you did it.

Blending the flour and shortening

Put the flour and salt in a bowl large enough to hold the ingredients, with room for your hands, and stir them together with your fingers. Drop in the shortening, then with your fingers break it in to several pieces as you push it around the flour.

Now put both hands in the bowl with the flour and shortening, and rub the fingers of each hand against the thumbs, lightly blending the shortening and flour together into smaller lumps and flake-shaped pieces. Your goal is to rub the shortening into the flour while keeping the mixture light-textured and dry.

Work as quickly and comfortably as you can, lifting your hands often and letting the mixture fall back into the bowl. You know when you have blended enough when you do not see any lumps of shortening and you have a mixture of particles the size of coarse and fine bread crumbs.

Adding the water

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over the dough and stir briskly with a fork. Continue adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition and concentrating on the areas of the dough that seem the driest. When the dough forms a rough, cohesive mass, reach into the bowl and press the dough together into a roundish ball. If it does not hold together, or if parts of it seem crumbly and dry, sprinkle on a little more water.

Rolling the dough

Rub some flour on your hands and pat the dough into a smooth cake about 1 inch thick and 3 to 4 inches across. (If you are making a two-crust pie, pat it into 2 cakes, one slightly larger than the other.)

Sprinkle your rolling surface (about 12 inches in diameter) lightly with flour. Put the dough in the center, using the larger piece first if it is a two-crust pie, and sprinkle lightly with flour. Flatten the dough a little with your hands, then begin rolling it into a circle, rolling from the center out to the edges. Lift and turn slightly every 5 or 6 rolls to help keep it round. A size-marked pastry dough board can help you gauge the right size for your pie plate.

If it sticks, toss some more flour under the dough as you lift it gently with the spatula. If the top of the dough is damp and sticky, dust it with additional flour as well. Although the edges will probably look uneven, keep the shape as round as possible without agonizing over it. When you have a circle 11 to 12 inches across and about 2 inches larger than the top of your pie pan, you have rolled enough.

Putting the dough in the pie pan

Pick up the whole circle of dough and set it in the pie pan, centered. If it tears, push it back together. Pat the dough snugly into the pan, starting around the edges and easing toward the center.

You should have ½- to 1-inch of overhanging dough all around the pan. If there is more than an inch, cut it off with scissors or a sharp knife. If there is less, brush the edge lightly with water and press one of the scraps of trimmed dough onto it.

For a two-crust fruit pie, roll out the second piece of dough just as you did the first. Transfer it to a sheet of waxed paper, and set it aside.

Put the pie filling into the dough-lined pan as directed in your recipe. Using your finger, a small brush, or a wet paper towel, brush the rim of the dough generously with water. Transfer the rolled-out top crust from the waxed paper and place it over the filled pie. Press firmly all around to seal the top and bottom crusts together. Trim the edges, using a sharp knife or scissors, so you have about half an inch of overhang.

Fold the overhang under itself to make a thick, upstanding rim. Flute the rim. With the point of a sharp knife, cut 10 to 12 slits, or vents, in the top crust, so steam can evaporate as the pie bakes. Be as random as you want with the vents.

Bake according to recipe directions. It is okay to open the oven and check your pie during baking. If you see the edges of the crust becoming too brown, remove the pie from the oven. Gently cover the edges with 2-inch strips of foil (or a pie crust protector) and then return to the oven.

Advanced techniques

Once you're perfected a basic pie crust, there are other options you may want to consider that will make your baked pies prettier and more appealing, including different decorative ways to crimp your pies and creating even more elegant lattice-work tops for your pies. The first video from Pillsbury will show you how to crimp creatively. The second video shows you the process of creating that pretty lattice top.

Plus, you can make special occasion pies by taking cookie cutters of stars, hearts, Christmas characters, Halloween images, what-have-you, and cutting shapes out of your top crust. Want to see a video on how to do this? Or consider a decorative pie top cutter.

Your turn: Which method of pie crust preparation will you try first, hand mixing or using a food processor? What's your favorite kind of pie?

Nordic Ware Giveaway This Week!

This week is Pie Making Boot Camp week at CHEFS Mix Blog! Leave a comment on any of this week's blogs and be eligible to win this week's prize: A 10-inch Nordic Ware Pie Pan With Lid. The winner will be chosen Monday, June 24, from all commenters on our pie blogs through Sunday, June 23. When you comment, leave a way for us to reach you if you're the winner. Or, check back on Monday--when we start talking about another kind of pie: Pizza!

Boot Camp for Pie Makers

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”
David Mamet, American author, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and film director

To a pie soldier like me, making pies is work. Important work, tasty work, fun work. But still serious work. I agree with Mamet that stress disappears in the presence of pie.

So, today we begin a series of blogs on making pies. Consider this series Pie Making Boot Camp. Before you step into that kitchen, soldier, you’d better be prepared for whatever you may face. Pie Making: For the few, the proud, the bakers.

I imagine it beginning something like this:

“Do you want to bake pies, recruit?”

The drill sergeant moved into my personal space, his jet black eyes boring into mine.

“Um, sure. I love pie,” I mumbled, as I backed up against the island in my kitchen.

“I didn’t hear you clearly, recruit,” he bellowed, nose now one inch from my own.

“Yes! Yes, I want to bake pies.”

“Yes, what, recruit?” I didn’t dare fan the flour away from my face as it poofed off him and onto me.

“Yes sir, Sir!”

“On the counter recruit, and give me 20—crusts, I mean. And they better be flaky.”

A basic skill that needs perfecting

Okay, maybe that’s extreme. Maybe.

But baking an excellent pie is both a basic skill and a skill that you’ll perfect over time. Over the next several days, we’ll help you think about what tools you need, how to create the perfect crust, specific tips for fruit and cream pies, and, lastly, we’ll recruit you for the mini pie revolution.

You ready for this? Then let’s begin.

Here are some basic tools you’ll want in your duffel bag—er, kitchen.

The right tools for the job

Just like a fiction writer needs a pen, a plumber needs a plunger, and an accountant needs a calculator, the baker of pies needs some basic tools. Of course, there are additional, non-essential tools for the more experienced baker (like the writer’s plotting software, the plumber’s water leak detectors, and the accountant’s financial forecasts). But first, let’s determine what’s essential.

Essentials

Pastry blender: This tool is really two tools—a pastry blender to create a fluffier consistency to your dough and a dough crimper to quickly seal and create a fluted edge for your pie crusts. Plus, you can also use it to mash potatoes, bananas (for breads or cakes), or avocados (for dips and toppings).
Pie crust protector: This adjustable silicone pie shield fits 8-, 9-, and 10-inch diameter pies and prevents the crust edges burning. Flexible and lightweight to gently cover crust, keep edges intact, and allow thorough baking of the center. Eliminates the task of piecing together tin foil sections and stays in place throughout the baking process.
Nonstick oven liner: Since pies frequently boil over during baking, this simple tool will save you that task of cleaning your oven after you bake a pie. Use over and over.
Pie plates: All shapes, all sizes, all colors. Each chef needs a variety of pie plates.

Nice-to-have tools

These may not be essential, but they sure are nice to have.

Ceramic pie weights: These dishwasher-safe ceramic pie weights are placed on top of your crust as it bakes to prevent air pockets from forming. Air circulates around the weights, ensuring a perfect crust. Eliminates the need to pin-prick your crusts before baking.
Split pie plate: For those who can’t make up their minds—or who can’t agree—this unique pie plate ends those arguments.
Easily create that “pretty pie” effect: Create decorative apple, leaf, heart, or lattice designs right into the tops of your piecrusts with these ingenious cutters. Just roll out dough, press the pie topper in to cut out shapes and place the dough on top of the pie.
Pie storage: By the pie or by the slice, this pie keeper keeps your creation fresh, ready to serve or transport.

Your turn: Are you afraid of pie crusts, recruit?

Nordic Ware Giveaway This Week!

Smoothies: On-The-Go Treats Loaded With Nutrition

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Smoothies are one of the most versatile and delicious treats around. Are they a snack? Yes. Can they be a sweet treat for your sweet tooth? Sure. What about as a way to add more fruits and vegetables into a life that needs better nutrition? Absolutely!

In fact, smoothies are perfect for hanging out on your patio with friends, unwinding alone after a busy day of running errands, or just about any time in between. The best part is they are easy to make and can be customized to make use of whatever you have in your kitchen—all you need is a good blender—and a little creativity.

Fruit smoothie

Fruit smoothies are quickly becoming the standard go-to snack for those trying to eat healthier. But, like any other treat, they can range from being super healthy and charged with antioxidants to being more like a decadent dessert—all based on which ingredients you choose.

There are three basic mixer ingredients for a smoothie: milk, yogurt, or water. Which of these you choose to use will greatly affect the nutritional value of your smoothie. If you use water your smoothie will be much lower in calories and fat than one made with whole milk—and yogurt smoothie (or those made with low-fat or skim milk) will fall somewhere in the middle.

Which fruits you use also highly affect how healthy your smoothie will be. For instance, for a blast of antioxidants (from the blueberries) to keep you healthy and a taste to satisfy your craving for an afternoon snack, try this recipe:

Strawberry-Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk of your choice (skim, whole, soy, almond, etc.)

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh strawberries

6 ounces Greek yogurt, plain

Splash of vanilla

Directions

Mix the ingredients in a blender until smooth and then enjoy your healthy treat as you power through the rest of your day!

Protein enhanced smoothies

We all lead busy lives, and between work, family and our friends it can be hard to fit in time for ourselves. Carving out a little you-time by establishing a workout routine is not only great for your physical health, but also for stress management. Don't undo all the work you put in at the gym, however, by skipping out on a post-workout snack or by filling up on treats loaded with carbs and sugars.

Research has shown that eating protein within an hour after finishing your workout is important for your bodies’ recovery process. It plays an important role in helping the muscles repair themselves after all the hard work you put them through and even prompts the development of new muscles, making your body stronger as a result of your training.

Since most of us are tight on time and can’t sit down for a protein-packed meal, blending up a smoothie can seem like a simple solution. But why not ramp up the benefits by including in your smoothie some protein powder? If you do, you'll be off to the next destination on your busy schedule—and your body will get what it needs to recover.

For a delicious post-workout protein drink, try this:

Almond-Raspberry-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1 banana

1 1/4 cups raspberries

10 whole almonds, unsalted

2 tablespoons water

1 cup ice cubes

3 tablespoons chocolate (or vanilla) flavored protein powder

Directions

Blend together the banana, strawberries, almonds, water, and ice cubes until smooth.

Then, add the protein powder and pulse until it is evenly distributed throughout the drink.

Here’s another smoothie—for something a little different. What you can make a smoothie out of is limited only by your imagination. This one was created for the Vitamix blender.

Hawaiian Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

2 tablespoons apricot jam

1 (12.3 ounce) Silken tofu

1/2 cup ice

Directions

Place all ingredients into Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid. Select Variable 1. Turn on machine and slowly increase speed to 10, then to High.

Blend for 30 seconds with tamper or until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately.

Green smoothie

Is there a trendier drink than the green smoothie? Green smoothies are the “it” snack for weight loss and management because they support a healthy metabolism, have cleansing detoxification properties, and are generally low in calories. The key to an ultra-healthy green smoothie is to strike the perfect balance of ingredients. Here are some guidelines to help you create your own:

Greens. Kind of a “no kidding” category, right? But many people skimp on this ingredient or are not sure which varieties to use. If you are new to green smoothies, try starting out with a very neutral, yet nutritious, green such as spinach or romaine lettuce. Since their flavors aren’t overpowering, it will be easy to combine them with other fruits and veggies for a tasty snack that may rival your old favorite blueberry smoothie. Flavor is important because the idea is to incorporate them into your diet—if they don’t taste good how likely are you to do that? Once you get hooked on your spinach smoothie, you can experiment with other greens, such as kale, collard greens, celery, or cucumbers, that are loaded with nutrients.
Fruits or veggies. Here you can stray from the constraint of choosing only green produce. Think about the goals you are trying to achieve, whether it be weight loss or detox, and consider the flavors that most appeal to you. This may come across as common sense, but with all the fruits and veggies we have available to us, it can be overwhelming to decide which ones to try out. Keep in mind that, as with the greens, you want to make sure the different flavors go well together so you will be more likely to continue including green smoothies as part of your diet in the future if you find they help you meet your healthy living goals.
Supplements. Since green smoothies are often used for dietary reasons, it’s a good idea to add powdered supplements to the mix to make sure they are as loaded with nutrients as possible. While they shouldn’t be a replacement for all your meals, they sure are a great way to get in all the vitamins and minerals that are missing from your diet.

KitchenAid’s new Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender makes some seriously delicious summer treats. Visit these other blogs on CHEFS Mix for the details:

Your turn: Are you on the smoothie bandwagon yet? What health benefits have you experienced from smoothies?

Beat the summer heat with frozen treats

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Summer: the season for pool parties, vacations, spending time outdoors, and—heat waves. When the heat of summer starts to reach its peak, it’s important to find ways to stay refreshed and hydrated.

A frozen drink is the perfect way to instantly lower your body temperature, especially when you are out and about or just can't imagine spending a beautiful summer day indoors. Stay cool at any time of the day with these great frozen drink ideas that you can make right in your own home:

In the morning

Start your day with a chilled beverage and set the pace for keeping cool no matter the temperature. If you, like many others on the go, simply can’t start your day without caffeine, consider substituting your hot coffee for a frozen frappuccino. Frappuccinos are great for getting that boost of energy in the morning while helping to keep your body temperature down.

However, instead of going through the drive-thru at your nearest coffee shop on your way to drop the kids off at day camp, why not make yours at home so you can control the amount of sugar that goes into your drink, play with the ingredients to tailor to your taste, and even save a little green.

Coffee shop frappuccino

Ingredients

3/4 cup double strength of your favorite coffee blend

3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to your taste)

1 cup milk of your choice (low-fat, almond, soy, etc.)

2 cups ice

3 tablespoons chocolate or caramel syrup

whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

To make this coffee shop favorite, start by brewing double-strength coffee in your coffee maker. (If you use 1 tablespoon coffee per cup when you brew, use 2 tablespoons for this recipe.)

After the coffee has brewed, chill before using. Then, pour the double-strength coffee into a blender with the sugar, milk and ice, and pulse until the ice is crushed. Pour into your favorite mug or to-go cup and top with whipped cream and syrup.

Beat the midday heat

When the day has reached its hottest, you are going to need some respite from the sun. In the middle of the day, what could be better than whipping up frozen slushies for you and your kids? They are quick, easy, and incredibly refreshing—perfect for parties or just spending time around the house. What’s even better is that the flavors can be easily changed from drink to drink, so if one of the kids doesn’t want the same flavor as everyone else, there’s no need to expend extra energy in getting them to all agree.

Slushies

Ingredients

Juice of choice or lemonade

Club soda (if desired)

Granulated sugar (if needed)

Ice

Instructions

To make simple slushies, use a snow cone maker to shave ice as directed for the number of servings you want to make. Once you've crushed the ice, pack it into cups and add your favorite fruit juice or lemonade to flavor it.

For a little extra fizz, mix the juice with some club soda to your taste preference before adding it to the shaved ice. Many recipes will call for sugar, but some fruit juices can be so sugary to begin with that you may want to wait to add more until after you’ve tasted your mixture.

Cool down in the evening

As the day winds down and the sun starts to set, the air becomes a little cooler. Despite the cool down, it may still be hot, so set the mood for a relaxing evening with a frozen cocktail, such as a daiquiri, to help you unwind.

In addition to being a great way to relax, daiquiris—which are simple to make—are great for serving at pool parties or cookouts. At your next cocktail party, set up a daiquiri station with a shaved ice machine, rum, and strawberry mixer so you don’t have to be the one making drinks all evening—and your guests can control the strength of their daiquiris.

Strawberry daiquiri

Ingredients

Light rum

4 ounces fresh strawberries

4 ounces lime juice

1/2 cup white sugar

Ice

Instructions

Before your guests arrive, prepare a couple pitchers of strawberry-lime mix for them to make their frozen drinks with. For eight servings, mix white sugar, strawberries and lime juice together in a blender until the strawberries are pureed. Pour into a pitcher and let it chill in the refrigerator.

Keep bags of ice in a cooler near the cocktail station so friends can easily add more to the ice shaver as needed. To create these refreshingly sweet drinks, all you need to do is scoop ice into a cocktail glass and pour in rum and strawberry-lime mix.

Summer is a great time of the year. With these simple “cool-down” drinks you can keep your cool—physically and mentally—and enjoy the fun and sun!

KitchenAid’s new Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender makes some seriously delicious summer treats. Visit these other blogs on CHEFS Mix for the details:

Your turn: What is your favorite way to stay cool during a summer heatwave?

Hot Summer Parties Call For Cool Summer Drinks

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Nothing says “summer party” like a crisp margarita or a pitcher of sangria. When the sun is blazing down, the chilled and refreshing flavors make these drinks perfect for kicking back and relaxing poolside.

Even if you aren’t on vacation, these beverages can help relieve your stress and make your unmown backyard feel less like a chore and more like a retreat.

The ultimate happy hour drink

Everyone agrees the Margarita, a Mexican cocktail, is the king of happy hour. What no one seems to agree on is the origin story of the drink. According to legend (and Wikipedia), there are no fewer than four popular tales for how the Margarita came to be:

Don Carlos Orozco: Perhaps the most popular claims Orozco invented the drink at Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada, Mexico, for a prestigious visitor, Margarita Henkel. Henkel was the daughter of a German ambassador and lived with her husband Roy Parodi near the city in Rancho Hamilton. Orozco concocted a mixture of equal parts tequila, orange liqueur, and lime, served over ice, in a salt-rimmed glass.
Carlos “Danny” Herrera: Another common story claims Carlos “Danny” Herrera invented it a few years earlier at the Rancho La Gloria Hotel, halfway between Tijuana and Rosarito, Mexico, for Marjorie King, a former Ziegfeld dancer.
Santos Cruz: Yet another legend says Cruz created the Margarita in 1948 for singer Peggy (Margaret) Lee, naming it after the Spanish version of her name.
A Different Daisy: One tale that has a hint of logic, claims the Margarita is merely a popular American drink, the Daisy, remade with tequila instead of brandy. Why? Because during Prohibition people drifted over the border for alcohol where tequila was more popular. Margarita is Spanish for Daisy.

Regardless of how it all began, with restaurants touting claims to the best margaritas in town and regularly offering specials on these festive cocktails, the Margarita is wildly popular and just begs to be sipped on outdoor patios. Serving them at your next barbecue or pool party will instantly tell your guests that a fun, carefree night is about to ensue.

Making the ultimate Margarita

There are a couple tricks:

Skip the bottled limeade.
Use only 100 percent agave tequila. Choosing a blanco instead of other varieties helps preserve the kick of flavor that comes with the liquor.
Serve your drinks in fun margarita glasses for an authentically good time!

Classic Margarita recipe

For the best margaritas your friends and family have ever had, try this recipe:

Ingredients

100 percent agave tequila (see amounts in directions)

Triple sec

Limes for juicing and slicing into wedges

Coarse salt

Ice

Mixing directions

Using a juicer, squeeze limes to make fresh lime juice.
Rub the rim of chilled margarita glasses with a lime wedge before flipping them upside down and rubbing them in a plate of coarse salt.
A great rule of thumb for making margaritas is to use a 3-2-1 ratio when mixing the ingredients. So, that’s three times as much tequila as there is lime juice and two times as much triple sec as lime juice for the perfect balance. Add the measured-out quantities, along with some ice, to a blender and combine at high speed until the mixture is like a slushy.
Pour into chilled margarita glasses, garnish with a lime wedge, and serve immediately.

In addition to serving margaritas frozen, they can also be made on the rocks or without any ice at all. In these instances, combine tequila, triple sec, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker and mix well before pouring into glasses.

Another smooth summer tradition: Sangria

Maybe you’re looking for a more laid back feel and wild fun for your gathering? Consider whipping up a pitcher of sangria for your next cookout, in addition to the expected pitchers of lemonade and iced tea.

Sangria can be as simple as red wine with some sliced citrus like lemon, lime and orange. But if you really want to be creative, it can also be more complex with the addition of ginger ale, brandy, honey, or other sliced fruits. The only limit is your imagination! Tailor your sangria to match the occasion and the foods you’re serving.

Hot shot debut internationally

While sangria is believed to have been around for centuries, it made its international debut with a big splash in the Spanish Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. It’s enjoyed popularity ever since. Traditionally a red wine is used to make sangria, but white wines can also be used for a fruitier sangria blanco.

Here’s the recipe that started it all:

1964 World’s Fair Sangria Recipe

Ingredients

1 bottle red Spanish wine

2 tablespoons sugar

1 lemon, cut into slices

½ orange, cut into slices

1 ounce Spanish brandy

1 ounce Cointreau

2 cups ice cubes

1 cup cold club soda

Mixing Instructions

Cut lemons and oranges into slices and add them to the pitcher.
Add the red Spanish wine, sugar, Spanish brandy, and Cointreau to the pitcher and mix well.
Allow the fruit to steep in the mixture for several hours before serving. If possible, let it sit overnight so that the flavors of the individual ingredients have had time to fully come together.
A few hours before serving the sangria, place the pitcher in your refrigerator to chill the beverage.
Remove from the refrigerator and add the club soda and ice immediately before serving.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with other wines and fruits to create a signature sangria. White wines such as Rioja, pinot grigio, or a riesling are great for making sangria blanco and would pair well with other fruits and berries outside of the citrus family.

Which is right for your next party?

Both of these drinks are extremely easy to serve.

Sangria will make your party feel more like a summer holiday and is easy to make in advance.

But even margaritas, although a little more work than the sangria, can be a simple and fun addition. Consider setting up a margarita station to take the pressure off of you and allow your guests the fun of creating their own.

KitchenAid’s new Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender makes some seriously delicious summer treats. Visit these other blogs on CHEFS Mix for the details:

Your turn: Are you more of a margarita maven or a sangria sipper?

Product Review: KitchenAid Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:00:00 GMT

For a busy chef, a great blender makes all the difference. Whether I’m planning a party or just feeding myself for the day, I’m always in a rush! What would I do without being able to make a smoothie before running out the door in the morning? Having a reliable and powerful blender, like the KitchenAid Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender, is a necessity. It helps keep me on time and healthy.

From the time I brought this blender home, I haven’t moved it from the counter top. It has quickly become essential because of its efficiency. Whenever I’m behind schedule, whether it is getting to work, running errands, or making it to my kids’ soccer game on time, it only takes me five minutes to toss an assortment of fruit and veggies into the blender and produce a delicious smoothie that satisfies my hunger—and prevents me from defaulting to a drive-thru and ruining my health regimen.

Using the Vortex

Not only is my Vortex extremely efficient, but it’s easy to use. The different settings function exactly as you expect them to, creating a variety of textures and consistencies to suit the needs of whatever you’re preparing.

The first thing I made, of course, was a fruit smoothie. After adding strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and yogurt, I put the lid on and set it to puree. After a minute or two, I turned it off and poured out my smoothie.

The first couple times I used the blender, the pitcher was a little difficult to remove, but the rubber feet on the base helped hold it in place while I twisted with both hands. After a couple uses, though, I have no problem removing the pitcher.

Unlike my previous blender, the KitchenAid Vortex has an exceptionally smooth pour. I didn’t lose a single drop of my smoothie. The fruit was evenly pureed, making the smoothie easy to drink through a straw—but not so thin that it was watery.

Getting adventurous

After experiencing the blender’s effectiveness with my go-to blender use—fruit smoothies—I decided to step it up a notch and test it with an ingredient that wasn’t as soft: the ice for margaritas!

In addition to the five blending settings—stir, chop, mix, puree, and liquefy—there is also an option to crush ice cubes. The ice-crushing function created the perfect icy slush for this frozen drink. I even threw in a few fresh strawberries that blended up wonderfully. My girlfriends raved.

Finally, I decided to put my blender to the real test. I had read that KitchenAid blenders can handle the heavy work of chopping and pureeing vegetables, so I decided to try making a green smoothie. I have wanted to sample this diet, but have been leery of how a blender would perform. I did some rough chopping before adding the ingredients and then tossed them in to see how the blender would fare.

While my KitchenAid took a little longer with the veggies and kale than it did with the fruit, it certainly got the job done! For this experiment I used the pulse function of the blender, which progresses on its own through the five settings. The pulse action evenly broke down all the ingredients, leaving veggies like celery and kale just as smoothly blended as the banana I included.

Cleanup

Regardless of what I made, cleaning up after using the Vortex was a breeze. The blender’s signature action prevents excessive splattering, so there is no mess on my counter tops from smoothie drips when I remove the lid. The pitcher and lid are both dishwasher safe, or you can fill the pitcher half way with water, add a drop of soap, pulse a few times, pour it out, rinse, and be done. Just be extremely careful of the blade because it is quite sharp.

KitchenAid’s new Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender makes some seriously delicious summer treats. Visit these other blogs on CHEFS Mix for the details:

Your turn: What is the first thing you would make in a new KitchenAid Vortex Blender?

Product Review: Wusthof Gourmet Ridge Chef’s Knife

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:05:00 GMT

With summer underway and my veggie garden just about ready for its first harvest, I was eager to start trying out new recipes with my fresh, homegrown produce. However, I quickly learned the knives I owned would not be sufficient for the cutting and chopping I wanted to do.

At first, I didn’t realize the difference a high-quality knife makes, but after using my new Wusthof Gourmet 8-inch Ridge Chef’s Knife, I can’t imagine settling for anything less.

A good knife makes a huge difference in the kitchen. It enabled me to chop my vegetables and slice my fruits faster than my old knives, and with greater precision. For instance, when I cut tomatoes I no longer have to poke the fruit before slicing—and each cut was clean and even, gliding right through the fruit without any snagging. Plus, the slices fell away from the blade so I didn’t have to stop in between each cut to move them aside by hand.

This is clearly a sharp blade, but because of the precision and balance of the blade, I never worried about cutting or knicking myself.

Anatomy of the Wusthof Gourmet Ridge Chef's Knife

Taking care of your knives

In order to keep your knives sharp and precise, it is important to take proper care of them. Mom always said “a good knife can last a lifetime.” Judging by how long she’s had her chef’s knife, I am inclined to believe her on this!

The key to owning knives that are long-lasting is to buy ones that are of superior quality to begin with. There are many different types of knives on the market, but the most important ones you’ll want to have in your kitchen are a chef’s knife, a paring knife (or two), and a bread knife.

For a chef’s knife, the Wusthof 8-inch Ridge is a great model to start with. I found it efficient and precise for fruits and vegetables, making it a great, multi-purpose kitchen knife. After you get a good knife or two to start off your collection, there are a few additional measures you can take that will go a long way in extending the lives of your knives:

Always use a cutting board. Hard surfaces can quickly dull a blade, no matter how high quality it was to start with, so it’s important to always cut on a cutting board.
Never leave knives in the sink. After you’ve finished preparing the ingredients and no longer need your knife, don’t just leave it in the sink to wash later. Not only is that a safety hazard (it can be easily hidden by other dishes in the sink), it can also damage your knife. Left in the sink with other dishes, it can get banged up by pots, pans, and even the sides of the sink. This has the same effect on the knife as chopping on a hard countertop without a cutting board.
Hand-wash kitchen knives. While it’s tempting to just put them in the dishwasher, knives don’t belong there. They can bang together from the force of the water and the heat can cause the metal to become weakened and warped.
Be selfish with your knives. It may seem silly to not let other people use your good equipment when they offer to help in your kitchen, but the best way to ensure the knives retain their quality is to not let others use them—especially if the friend in question has seriously dull knives in his or her kitchen.

Featured highlights of the Wusthof Ridge Knife

Deflecting ridge on the side of the knife pushes away food, while holes in blade create pockets of air to release, significantly reducing drag and friction. Slice, chop, dice, and mince exactly. Ingredients slide off the blade.
Laser-cut from a single piece of high-carbon rust-free steel.
Sharp definitive point to pierce cleanly and exactly, and keep delicate interiors intact.
Penetrates tough-skinned vegetables, fruits, melons and breads, using minimal pressure. Prevents crushing of interiors and exteriors for excellent presentation.
With a slightly-curved angle and wider blade, the Wusthof ridge knife is an advanced chef's knife, allowing the rocking motion and instant release to prep with the proficiency of a professional chef.
Multi-use vegetable knife.

Knife techniques from Wusthof

If you'd like tips on how to use a kitchen knife properly, see this video from Wusthof.

Your turn: Do you have a few select knives, a complete set, or someone's hand-me-downs?

Review: Cuisinart Commercial Quality Ice Cream & Gelato Maker

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:00:00 GMT

For a kid raised on hand-churned ice cream, trying my first electric ice cream maker almost seemed like blasphemy. What would Grandpa think?

But my first electric freezer was decades ago and still involved surrounding the ice cream container with ice and rock salt—and cleaning up that mess afterward. More recently, I graduated to one of those electrics that use a freezer bowl (sort of like this one) and was blown away by the ease of preparation and cleanup—as well as the creamy taste of the ice cream.

Sorry Grandpa! There’s no going back now!

But, I couldn’t put the freezer bowl in the dishwasher and the bowl, once clean, took up a lot of precious freezer space in a household that doesn’t have an extra chest freezer in the garage. Soon, we weren’t keeping the bowl in the freezer and once that happened, we made less and less ice cream because the bowl had to freeze for 24 hours before using.

Recently I had the opportunity to try the Cuisinart Commercial Quality Ice Cream & Gelato Maker. What a revelation! Here’s the process, in a step-by-step, time-stamped look:

11:27 a.m.: Get the hankering for ice cream.
11:32 a.m.: After flipping through recipe booklet, choose “Simple Chocolate Ice Cream.”
11:56 a.m.: Finish preparing ice cream recipe.
1:56 p.m.: Finish two-hour chilling step. (This involves putting your liquid pre-ice cream in the refrigerator and waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Two agonizing hours of wondering if this step is really necessary and reminding yourself that you had to do this with the other makers too.)
1:56:01 p.m.: Whisk now chilled (finally!) recipe and pour into ice cream maker, close lid, flip on switch. Begin more intense anticipation.
2:41 p.m.: Ding! Cuisinart (we’re now on a first name basis) tells me the ice cream is ready. (Five minutes ago I could have mixed in chopped walnuts or pecans through the opening in the lid if I'd thought about it. Drat, a missed opportunity.)
2:41:01: Mmmm!

So, from idea to bliss—with no mess, no fuss, no muss—3 hours and 14 minutes! And, with the built-in compressor, no bowl to freeze. If I wanted to, I could do a second batch right away. All I have to do, after eating my bowl of ice cream, is put the paddle, bowl, and lid from the Cuisinart (and my dishes) in the dishwasher then take a damp rag and wipe down the ice cream maker.

What could be easier?

The Cuisinart has a recipe booklet, and there are even more recipes online, but you can use your favorite recipes too in this 1.5 quart machine.

Note: Don’t be put off by the fact the Cuisinart is “Commercial Quality.” It is not bulky (11 1/4"W x 16"D x 8 1/2"H) and easily sits on your countertop during use and is just as easily moved into a storage area when not in use. The maker comes with a second paddle, specifically for making gelato—which I also did (Mixed Berry). Same excellent results.

Hmmm. Wonder what flavor to try next? Hang on! Why wait? Start the countdown timer and let’s have ice cream!

Your turn: To wrap up our week looking at frozen desserts, here’s a fun infographic from Visual.ly. How much of this did you know?

”You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.” If that’s you, you may want to visit some of our other blogs about the joys of frozen desserts—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Sherbet or sorbet? Same thing—or different?

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:00:00 GMT

If you find yourself wanting to buy dessert as you finish up your next grocery shopping trip, the warm weather may have you headed toward the ice cream aisle. With all the other healthy foods already piled in your cart, it’s okay to indulge in a little something sweet.

Next to the chocolates, rocky roads, cookie doughs, and Neapolitans—there’s something a little different. Quarts of sherbet and sorbet. Those are just fancy names for fruit-flavored ice cream, right?

Not exactly.

Sherbet and sorbet are both made with fruit juice, however they aren’t ice cream at all. They also aren’t interchangeable names for the same frozen dessert—there are a couple key differences between the two.

Sherbet: Sometimes known as “ice milk” because it is usually made with milk, rather than heavy cream, sherbet has a lower fat content than ice cream. This makes its colors more vibrant and is why a strawberry sherbet is much more brightly colored than a strawberry ice cream.
Sorbet: This dairy-free dessert is a great for people who are lactose intolerant or trying to stick to an anti-inflammatory diet. It can be made from fruit juices, purees, or even tea infusions. It’s also common to add a little liquor or wine to give your dessert that little extra kick of fun and flavor.

Is sorbet served differently than ice cream?

If you've ever been to a fine dining establishment and were served a scoop of something icy and sweet between courses, you’ve likely had sorbet. Lemon sorbet is traditionally used as a palate cleanser and is often served before or after the main course of a meal. The tartness clears the taste buds and enhances the dining experience because it eliminates flavors that compete with each other.

If you’re trying to impress someone with your culinary skills—say a new boyfriend or your mother-in-law—including a sorbet in a classic dessert dish instantly adds elegance and sophistication to the meal you have planned.

Of course, you can also serve a sweet sorbet as a refreshingly light dessert to top off that masterpiece of a dinner you created.

What about sherbet?

Sherbets are the perfect light dessert to follow a large, filling meal. They are just enough to satisfy your guests’ cravings for something sweet after dinner, but not so sweet they’ll nod off in a sugar coma during after-dinner conversation.

Another way sherbet is commonly served is in punch. Orange sherbet, particularly, is used to give punch a little extra oomph. Add a few scoops to the punchbowl at your next gathering and watch your guests congregate around it. You can even slip a little alcohol into this sweet and fizzy drink to spice up the party—as long as the kids can’t get to it!

Frozen desserts for your next soiree

You could buy your sherbets and sorbets from the grocery store—but what’s the fun of that? It’s not that hard to make these delicious frozen treats yourself—and it can be less expensive. Both dessert types are excellent ways to use up fresh fruit before it has a chance to go bad.

Puree your fruit in a blender or food processor so it is nice and smooth. If you’re making something citrusy, instead of pureeing the fruit, you will want to juice it and make zest from its peel.

The first thing you’ll need to do is make a syrup to mix with the rest of the ingredients. The syrup is essentially just sugar and water, so it is really easy to whip up. Place the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. In about three to five minutes, the sugar should dissolve.

Once it dissolves, boil the water for an additional minute before removing the saucepan from the heat and pouring the syrup into a container. You can make as much syrup as you need for the recipe, or you can make extra to save if you will be making another sorbet or sherbet soon. Place the container in the refrigerator and let it chill for about an hour.

After you’ve made the syrup, all you need is a few simple ingredients and an ice cream maker to mix it all together.

Tips for making a sorbet

Sweet! Add some sugar, a little at a time, to the puree along with the lemon juice. The fresher the fruit, the less added sugar you'll need to enhance the flavor.
Taste test. One of the benefits of being the cook is that you get to taste-test as you go. This is particularly beneficial when making sorbet.
Optional kick. Adding alcohol, while not necessary, will help keep the dessert’s consistency because it prevents it from completely freezing. Experiment with different alcohol and fruit combinations to create fun and unique sorbet flavors.

Tips for making a sherbet

Sherbet is made similarly to sorbet, except that it has dairy added to it. Sometimes, a sherbet recipe will also call for eggs. Egg whites can be beaten to make a meringue so that the sherbet has a more desirable consistency. Let your personal taste and consistency preferences determine egg usage.

Some sorbet recipes to try

Easy Lychee Sorbet

Ingredients

4 heaping cups fresh lychees, peeled, pitted and halved

1 cup water

Juice and zest of 1 large lime

2/3 cup light agave syrup or simple syrup

2-4 heaping tablespoons fresh mint or basil leaves, chopped (optional)

Additional mint or basil leaves for garnish

Cooking Instructions

If your blender jar is small, you may need to puree the ingredients in two batches.

Place lychees in blender jar and puree until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Chill well in the refrigerator.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, process the puree in your ice cream maker for approximately 20-25 minutes. If desired, add chopped mint or basil leaves during final five minutes.

Freeze sorbet in covered container for at least 2-3 hours before serving. To serve, scoop into small bowls.

Garnish sorbet with mint or basil leaves, if desired. Eat immediately.

Sour Cherry Sorbet

Ingredients

3 cups frozen pitted tart cherries

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup white wine or white grape juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

Place cherries in a food processor; cover and process until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients, cover and pulse until blended.

Pour mixture into freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze overnight or until firm. Makes 6 servings.

Cantaloupe Sorbet

Ingredients

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

2-1/2 pounds cantaloupe cubes

2/3 cup tangerine or orange juice

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Mint sprigs, optional

Cooking Instructions

Place sugar and water in a 1-1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat to medium and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved to make simple syrup. You will have 1-1/4 cups of simple syrup. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.

Place the melon cubes in a food processor. Pulse to chop, then process until completely pureed. You will have about six cups cantaloupe puree. Stir in the tangerine or orange juice, corn syrup and cooled simple syrup. Cover and chill for two hours or longer.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, process cantaloupe mixture in your ice cream/sorbet maker until thickened. The sorbet will have a soft, slushy texture, similar to freshly scooped Italian ice. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for about two hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Garnish each serving with a mint sprig, if desired.

Recipe from Cuisinart

”You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.” If that’s you, you may want to visit some of our other blogs about the joys of frozen desserts—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: Have you ever had a dinner where sorbet was used to clear the palate between courses? What did you think? Did it work?

Think Beyond the Bowl

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:00:00 GMT

“Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of
having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone.”
Jim Fiebig, American businessman

I understand what Mr. Fiebig is saying and I can’t say I disagree, unless—and it’s a big unless—that ice cream falls from the cone and into another dessert thereby turning the simple elegance of a frozen treat into an otherworldly delight.

You see, ice cream in a bowl or on a cone is only the beginning. Ice cream—and your tastebuds—are destined for so much more. In fact, some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had has been in a pie! I fondly recall a Lemon-Meringue Ice Cream Pie at a summer pitch-in one year that I’d gladly pay money to have again.

Our friends at Cook’s Country couldn’t agree more. In fact, they were so excited about ice cream desserts beyond the norm that they compiled four of their favorites (with photos!) from over the years to share—with dessert-specific notes about what makes each dish so delish. Enjoy!

Ice Cream Bonbons

Small scoops of ice cream can easily be made to look like bonbons when dipped in melted chocolate. If you’d like, dust some bonbons with nuts and others with sweetened flaked coconut for variety. The chocolate hardens very quickly, so sprinkle each bonbon with nuts or coconut as soon as it has been coated. Use any ice cream flavor without chunks or nuts. Vanilla, chocolate, and coffee are all good choices.

Why This Recipe Works:

Ice cream bonbons have been wildly popular for at least one national ice cream chain, but we wanted a recipe we could prepare at home. Bittersweet chocolate gave our bonbons recipe the best flavor, and adding a little vegetable oil ensured that it spread smoothly over the balls of ice cream. Scooping the ice cream balls and refreezing them for at least 1 hour kept them hard when dipped in the chocolate. The chocolate hardens quickly, so we immediately add chopped nuts or coconut for a professional-looking finish.

This recipe makes about 16 bonbons and serves 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients

1 pint ice cream

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 teaspoons finely chopped nuts (optional)

8 teaspoons sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

Instructions

Scoop ice cream: Line two large plates with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place plates in freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Use very small ice cream scoop to make about 16 balls, each with about two tablespoons ice cream, and place them on two chilled plates. Lightly cover plates with plastic wrap and chill until ice cream is very firm, at least one hour.
Dip ice cream in chocolate: Melt chocolate and oil and stir until smooth. Let cool completely. Remove one plate of ice cream from freezer and, working quickly, use two forks (one in each hand) to dip and roll one ice cream ball in chocolate to cover. Pick up ball by sliding it onto one fork and let excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Return bonbon to lined plate.
Garnish bonbons: If desired, immediately sprinkle bonbon with one teaspoon nuts or coconut. Working with one ball at a time, repeat dipping and garnishing ice cream balls remaining on plate. Return plate to freezer. Remove second plate of ice cream balls from freezer and repeat process with eight remaining balls. Freeze bonbons until firm, at least one hour or up to one day, before serving.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

Combination foil-and-paper cupcake liners work best in this recipe. Use plain whipped cream or our Chocolate Whipped Cream (see related recipe).

Why This Recipe Works:

Cake and ice cream is a combination that’s hard to beat, so we used it in our Ice Cream Cupcakes recipe. For the base of our “frosted” ice cream cupcake, we found that a store-bought pound cake works well. The cake is dense enough to be cut easily without crumbling, and it also absorbs the melting ice cream. We included a secret jam center in our recipe. Since it doesn’t freeze hard, the jam lends the cupcake an interesting textural contrast, not to mention a boost of flavor.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients

1 (10- to 12-ounce) store-bought pound cake

¼ cup strawberry jam

2 pints strawberry ice cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cut pound cake and spread jam: Arrange 12 cupcake liners in 12-cup muffin tin. Cut pound cake into ½-inch-thick slices. Use 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut 12 circles. Reserve remaining pound cake and scraps for another use. Spread one teaspoon jam on top of each pound cake circle. Place circles in cupcake liners.
Add ice cream: Place nicely rounded scoop of ice cream on top of each pound cake circle. Cover muffin tin with plastic wrap and place in freezer until ice cream is very firm, at least two hours or up to two days.
Frost with whipped cream: Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks. Remove muffin tin from freezer and cover ice cream with whipped cream, leaving cupcakes in muffin tin and spreading whipped cream to form sloped sides with peak.
Freeze and serve: Return muffin tin to freezer to allow cupcakes to set overnight. Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and serve.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Why This Recipe Works:

In refining our Chocolate Whipped Cream recipe, we found that well-chilled cream whipped the most effectively. Chilling the bowl and the beaters as well as the cream provided extra insurance that the cream would stay cold enough to remain firm. Adding the cocoa powder and the sugar in our recipe before whipping produced the most even texture. And of course whipping cream for too long can make it curdle, separate, or turn to butter, so it’s best to keep a close eye on it while beating.

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons sifted cocoa powder

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer fitted with whisk, beat, gradually increasing speed from low to high, until cream just holds stiff peaks. Do not overwhip. Whipped cream will keep, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, for up to 6 hours. Whisk whipped cream for several seconds before using.

Tiramisù Ice Cream Cake

Our version of the classic Italian trifle fills a ring of coffee-soaked ladyfingers with coffee chip ice cream and crowns it with whipped cream enriched by mascarpone cheese. Depending on the brand, 14 ounces is about 42 to 60 ladyfingers. Topped with a light dusting of cocoa, this frozen cake is as elegant as it is easy to assemble.

Why This Recipe Works:

To assemble our Tiramisù Ice Cream Cake, we found we had to soften the ice cream before spreading it over the ladyfingers. To make this process easier, we scooped the hard ice cream into a large mixing bowl and then used a wooden spoon or large rubber spatula to break down the scoops into a smooth consistency that was easily spreadable. We had to be careful when purchasing ladyfingers for our recipe. Avoid fresh ladyfingers: Their soft, cakelike texture becomes mushy when soaked, so they won’t work in this recipe or in other layered cookie and custard desserts.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

2½ cups brewed black coffee, room temperature

6 tablespoons dark rum

1½ tablespoons instant espresso powder

14 ounces dried ladyfingers (savoiardi)

1 gallon coffee ice cream

¼ cup (1½ ounces) mini chocolate chips

8 ounces (1 cup) mascarpone cheese

¾ cup heavy cream, chilled

¼ cup (1¾ ounces) sugar

Cocoa powder

Instructions

For the soaked ladyfingers: Stir coffee, five tablespoons rum, and espresso powder in large bowl until espresso dissolves; set aside. Working with one cookie at a time, quickly dunk ladyfingers in coffee mixture and transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; let sit for five minutes.
To assemble: Grease tube pan with vegetable oil spray and line with parchment paper. Lightly coat parchment with oil spray. Line prepared pan with soaked ladyfingers, packing gently to ensure that there are no spaces between cookies; freeze until firm, about one hour. When cookies are firm, scoop ice cream into large bowl and mash with wooden spoon until softened; fold in chocolate chips. Transfer softened ice cream to cookie-lined pan, smooth top, and wrap with plastic wrap. Freeze until ice cream is firm, at least four hours or up to four days.
To serve: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat mascarpone, cream, sugar, and remaining one tablespoon rum until stiff peaks form, about two minutes. Gently invert pan to turn out cake onto serving platter and discard parchment.* Using rubber spatula, top cake with one cup mascarpone mixture and dust lightly and evenly with cocoa. Serve with remaining mascarpone mixture.

*A large tube pan with a removable bottom works best here. If your tube pan doesn’t have a removable bottom, it may be necessary to soak the bottom of the pan in a large bowl of hot water for 30 seconds to help the frozen cake release from the pan.

More specialty ice cream recipes from CHEFScatalog.com

Butter Pecan Ice Cream Cake with Bourbon Glaze: This easy ice cream cake provides a perfect ending to your favorite meal!
Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake: Devil's Food Cake and peppermint will make any occasion special.
Rose Syrup Ice Cream Tunnel Bundt Cake: Rose syrup makes a special occasion cake!

”You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.” If that’s you, you may want to visit some of our other blogs about the joys of frozen desserts—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: What is your favorite way to eat ice cream? (Yes, it’s okay to say in a cone.) And what is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Frozen Yogurt: One of the Hottest Cold Desserts

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Enter frozen yogurt and health benefits in your favorite search engine and you’ll quickly find evidence of an ongoing debate about whether frozen yogurt is better for you than regular ice cream. There are even those who defend it as a health food. (Seriously?)

My thinking: Frozen yogurt is a frozen dessert. I don’t know about you, but if I have a hankering for a frozen dessert, I’m not thinking about health benefits—even if there are some. I’m thinking rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth-and-slide-down-your-throat yummy. Toward the end, I’ll share a little of what I found interesting in the debate, but for now let’s just look at the divine dessert known informally as froyo.

How does it differ from ice cream?

Well, according to Wikipedia—and good, solid logic—it’s different because it’s made with yogurt instead of milk and/or cream. Although frozen yogurt, depending upon the recipe, can include dairy products too. It typically is more tart than ice cream and a little lower in fat content (this does not make it a diet food). It may or may not contain active bacteria cultures—if you’re interested in that. (I’ve always found the idea of eating bacteria distasteful.)

Historically, it’s a baby

As early as the 10th century, ice cream was widespread among the Arab world’s major cities, including Baghdad, Damascus, and Cairo, according to Wikipedia. Whereas frozen yogurt has only been around since the early 1970s, taking off as a viable alternative to ice cream in the 1980s.

Another resurgence in popularity of this treat was seen from the fall of 2010 to the fall of 2011, according to a June 2012 U.S. News report by Rachel Pomerance. Pomerance’s article attributes part of the craze to frozen yogurt being a novelty and to the “health halo” effect surrounding frozen yogurt.

In my house, we’re traditionalists. Generally, we prefer ice cream (or a less caloric, but still not diet, alternative like gelato). But, for a while, we partook of frozen yogurt precisely because of that halo effect. We believed we could, in effect, have our ice cream and eat it, too.

But, like most desserts, the health benefits (or detriments) are as much dependent upon the one who eats as they are on what is eaten. In other words, Aristotle was right when he advised “moderation in all things.”

So, when considering a frozen dessert I now wonder less about how healthy it is or is not, and more about “if I’m going to eat this, how can I create the best version of it possible? What tools do I need and what recipes work best?"

Making your own

Like any other food, it’s easier to make your own with the right tools. And if the right tools are also fun, so much the better. One such tool is the Yonanas Frozen Dessert Maker. With this machine, you can enjoy delicious, healthier soft-serve desserts in just minutes.

What’s a Yonana? As you might guess, it’s a frozen yogurt made with bananas—but not just bananas. This frozen yogurt maker churns frozen bananas, berries, melons, and other frozen fruits into creamy delights with zero fat, zero cholesterol, and half the calories of traditional ice cream. Plus, since it uses bananas, you also get the benefits that come from that fruit—fiber, potassium, vitamins B6 and C, and antioxidants.

Another option would be the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt Maker. This machine makes a full two quarts of your favorite frozen yogurt—but that’s not all! It also creates sorbet (read more in an upcoming blog) and regular ice cream—as well as frozen drinks. The Pure Indulgence is fully automatic and allows you to put ingredients in the bowl—and let it do the rest in just 25 minutes. The freezer bowl (just place in your freezer the day before you want to use it) is double insulated for fast and even freezing.

Frozen yogurt recipes

These recipes come from our friends at Yogurt-Everyday.com and are used with permission. You can make any of them with less sugar if you are diabetic. You can use nonfat, low fat, or whole milk frozen yogurt. Whatever you need to suit your diet.

Basic Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

3 cups strained yogurt or Greek-style yogurt

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate one hour.

Freeze in your frozen yogurt maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Frozen Blueberry Yogurt

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

2 1/2 cups plain yogurt

1 cup half and half

1 cup sugar

Cooking Instructions

Mash blueberries and combine with remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Freeze in frozen yogurt maker according to manufacturer's directions.

Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 (1 1/3 ounce) envelope dream whip whipped dessert topping mix

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt

Cooking Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla; set aside.

In a small bowl, gradually add milk to dry whipped topping mix; stir or whisk until well mixed.

Gradually whisk into peanut butter mixture; then add yogurt.

Place mixture in frozen yogurt maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.

Yield 1 quart (8 servings).

Fresh Peach Frozen Yogurt

Light, fresh, and creamy, this frozen yogurt is bound to be one of your favorites.

Ingredients

1/3 cup of fresh peaches, peeled and chopped

2-1/2 cups of plain, whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup of raw sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Cooking Instructions

Combine all the ingredients, chill for two hours.

Place in frozen yogurt maker and churn to manufacturer’s directions.

Honey-Lemon Frozen Yogurt

One of my favorite frozen yogurt recipes! Honey and lemon go together beautifully in frozen yogurt. The honey gives the dessert a smooth texture and natural sweetness, while the lemon imparts a bright snap to the taste.

Ingredients

2/3 cup of honey

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind

pinch of salt

2 cups of plain, whole milk yogurt

2 egg whites

Cooking Instructions

Combine the first four ingredients in a heavy enameled or stainless steel saucepan over medium heat and stir until well blended. Then set the mixture aside to cool.

Mix in the yogurt and chill two hours.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, gently fold them into the yogurt mixture, and churn the dessert according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes two quarts.

About those health benefits

Many of the health benefits attributed to frozen yogurt rely on the consumer’s self-restraint. If you load up your froyo with all sorts of candy add-ons, and if you let go of your natural tendency toward portion control, then frozen yogurt is likely no better for you than ice cream.

In my research, one of the most interesting (and balanced) pieces I found appeared on Shape.com and was written by Karen Borsari, an editor for the site. She examines five froyo myths and offers advice for those looking for a healthier frozen snack. Here’s a condensed version (but you can read the full article):

Myth 1: Frozen yogurt is naturally nonfat or low-fat so I can have as much as I want. Borsari says this is sort of true, but remember the calories do still add up. Her advice? Moderation. Go for the smaller serving to save calories.
Myth 2: The toppings (at a froyo store) don’t pack many calories. Again, sort of true, if you go for fruit toppings that are fresh, not in a syrup, she says. But avoid the granola toppings, which are typically high in calories.
Myth 3: Frozen yogurt has health probiotics that support your immune and digestive systems. Another sort of true one. Borsari notes, however, that most of the probiotics, because of the processing and cold, don’t survive long enough to be of much benefit.
Myth 4: Frozen yogurt is a great lunch. Borsari doesn’t equivocate here: False. Frozen yogurt (or regular yogurt) is not appropriate as a meal, she says. But it can be a healthy accompaniment to a light lunch that includes protein and vegetables.
Myth 5: “Real” or “natural” frozen yogurt is better for you than a brand name. Not necessarily. She suggests always comparing the ingredients, calorie counts, fat counts, etc. As usual, be smart.

But this does point out another benefit of making your own: You control what goes in the frozen yogurt maker and therefore have more knowledge and say-so about the calorie and fat content.

Frozen yogurt is a great dessert option. Empower yourself to make the choices that are the best for you and your family.

”You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.” If that’s you, you may want to visit some of our other blogs about the joys of frozen desserts—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: Which do you prefer—ice cream or frozen yogurt? Why?

Make Memories and Make Ice Cream

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 09:00:00 GMT

One of my fondest memories from childhood summers is making homemade ice cream with my grandparents. My grandparents were the best! They would often have the whole family over, of course, but they also took time to have each grandchild over separately for special two-on-one time. And my times during the summer more often than not ended with making ice cream.

Grandma made the ice cream. (“Recipe? Oh I suppose there is one, honey, but I just generally do it like this.”) To this day I don’t know exactly what she did—and no contemporary recipes quite hit the mark of Grandma’s ice cream—but it involved sugar, milk (whole, of course), eggs, vanilla, and cream. I can’t prove it, but I think what made it so special was that she always stuck her pinkie in the ice cream to taste it (and let me do it, too). That little bit of “Grandma” as an ingredient cannot be replicated.

However, once Grandma’s pinkie made contact with the liquid—and the ice cream angels sang—it was time for Grandpa to turn Grandma’s magic into a solid, edible, frozen treat. Here, the recipe for success never changed: Wooden bucket, hand crank, ice, rock salt, muscle, and manly silence.

Not to say we never talked, but the communication was often different and words were not essential. I got to help surround the ice cream bucket with ice, but Grandpa handled the salt. Once he had it the way he wanted, he nod at me and that meant “Get ‘er started.”

I eagerly grabbed the crank and took off while Grandpa sat back and watched—and waited for my arm to tire. It was a point of pride for me to “turn the ice cream” for as long as I could, and each time longer than the last. I would go and go and go, my arm muscle, such as it was, screaming. But I’d never stop until Grandpa smiled at me and that meant, “Let me finish ‘er off.”

He’d crank a while—until it was “right”—and then he’d pull the freezer out of the tub, wrap it in a towel, take it inside, and put it in the sink. Grandma would get the “ice cream spoon” out of the drawer, open the freezer, and begin pulling out the paddle, scraping the golden treat off each paddle and giving me the first spoonful.

There was nothing—nothing in the world—like the taste of that first spoonful as it entered my mouth and slid joyfully down my throat. All that remained was to scoop out huge dips into bowls, add generous squirts of chocolate syrup, and plop down on the floor in front of the TV for Lawrence Welk. Ah, “Wunnerful, Wunnerful” it was.

These days it’s harder to find a hand crank ice cream maker, but a number of electric ice cream makers, some with their own compressors even, are available to choose from. While my Grandpa might frown at not turning it himself, chances are you won’t miss that muscle-ache creating chore. And, despite not having access to Grandma’s pinkie, they make a pretty darn good homemade ice cream or sherbet or sorbet or gelato.

Cuisinart Commercial Quality Ice Cream & Gelato Maker

Over the recent Memorial Day weekend, we used this machine to make some of the finest ice cream we’ve ever eaten.

What I like about this one is it’s always ready to go—no bowl to pre-freeze. With its own compressor/freezer, I’m able to make ice cream as soon as the idea pops into my head, which it does often. In fact, I can make more than one batch in a row for those times when I want butter pecan ice cream and my wife wants a lemon gelato.

Not counting mixing the recipe, each batch takes 40-50 minutes of churning time. For a more soft-serve consistency, eat it as soon as the freezer is finished. If you prefer a harder consistency, plan in advance and leave time to transfer the ice cream from the freezer into a freezer-safe container where it can harden in your freezer for several hours or overnight.

Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Sorbet Maker

Looking for something a little quicker? If you’ve remembered to put this machine’s freezer bowl into your freezer 24 hours earlier, you can have homemade ice cream (or less caloric, but no less delish frozen yogurt) in 20 minutes or less.

Simply add your favorite ingredients to the bowl, press the “on” button and the compact machine with the heavy-duty motor does the rest. The fully automatic large capacity 1 1/2-quart maker features a new patent-pending mixing paddle that works 25 percent faster than before.

You can have ice cream ready in less time than it would take to load the family in the car, drive to the local ice cream establishment, and order their overpriced ice cream.

Cuisinart Mix-It-In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

For an approach that’s a little more experience-oriented, consider this maker that creates—and dispenses—soft serve ice cream right into your homemade waffle cones or sundae dishes in as little as 20 minutes.

Plus, with three condiment dispensers, your family can customize their ice cream treats with sprinkles, minichips, and nuts as they choose.

Ice Cream Recipes from CHEFScatalog.com

Here are a few of my favorite ice cream/frozen treat recipes. Find even more in our recipe database.

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream

Ingredients

Mint leaves from 2 bunches fresh mint, washed and dried

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

3 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Cooking Instructions

Roughly chop fresh mint and place in a glass bowl. Add cream and stir until blended. Cover and place in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Place sieve over clean bowl. Strain mint-cream mixture into bowl. Press mint firmly against sieve to extract all the liquid. Discard the mint.

Stir sugar, salt and chocolate into the mint cream and mix well with spatula.

Transfer to ice cream freezer and process according to manufacturer's directions.

Store ice cream in tightly covered container in freezer until ready to serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup egg substitute

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup strawberry jam

Cooking Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, egg substitute and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the cream and vanilla. Freeze in an ice cream machine as directed by the manufacturer, until almost frozen.

Stir together the jam and 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Just before the ice cream is finished, pour the jam through the hole in top of the machine. Allow the paddle to rotate about four times just to swirl the jam through the ice cream. Stop the machine. Remove the paddle and transfer the ice cream to the freezer until hard.

Makes 2 quarts

Two Cranberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup, plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 1/3 cup heavy cream, chilled

2 cups buttermilk, chilled

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

Place fresh berries and three tablespoons sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, pausing to scrape sides. Stir in dried cranberries. Refrigerate.

Combine cream, buttermilk, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk well.

Pour mixture into the canister of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

When ice cream is done, remove dasher and gently stir in cranberries. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze at least two hours or until firm. Makes one quart.

”You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.” If that’s you, you may want to visit some of our other blogs about the joys of frozen desserts—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Or, what’s your favorite grandparent memory?

Outfitting Your First Kitchen

Fri, 31 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Moving into your first apartment is exciting. Whether you’re a college student breaking free from dorm life or you’ve finished your degree and are moving out on your own, there’s much to prepare for—and many items to buy.

One of the most important rooms to consider is your new kitchen. You don’t want to get halfway through a recipe and realize you don’t have all the tools to finish preparing it. Planning ahead will help you avoid frantically running to the drug store or texting all your friends to find the missing tool.

Essential kitchen utensils

It’s easy to overlook the things you take most for granted. You use them all the time without thought, so it’s easy to forget that kitchen utensils don’t come standard in all kitchens.

After you’ve whipped up some pancake batter is not the time to realize that mom’s trusty spatula—which you’ve used for years—is all the way back home, leaving you with a bowl of batter and no way to flip your flapjacks.

In addition to a spatula or two, consider:

Can opener, bottle opener, and corkscrew. Without these handy tools, you can forget about getting anything open.
Garlic press and vegetable peeler. These are essentials if you plan on using any fresh produce while cooking.
Measuring cups and spoons. Occasionally you can get away with imprecise measurements in cooking—after all, each person’s taste is not the same. But for the basic kitchen, a set of measuring cups and spoons is essential. Many times, too much or too little of an ingredient can significantly alter the outcome of the dish.
Oven mitts. The casserole you made for dinner sure smells good—Mom would be proud. Now the timer has gone off and—oops!—you have to rush to the bathroom for a bath towel since you don’t have any oven mitts. Not the impression you’d hoped to make on that attractive neighbor who stopped by to borrow a cup of sugar.
Wooden spoon, ladle, whisk, and slotted spoon. All of these are handy for mixing ingredients and serving up your finished meal.
Knives. You will want a good, sharp set of knives for chopping, slicing, and dicing your ingredients.

Basic cookware

Browsing through your mom’s cabinets, you may have noticed she has a collection of different pots and pans such as nonstick, stainless steel, or cast-iron. You may assume that a pan is a pan is a pan—as long as it can fry an egg. But, for beginner cooks it may be wise to stay with nonstick cookware, at least at first. You can always branch out later. (See more blogs on nonstick cookware.)

Additional cookware you’ll need:

Mixing bowls. Your cereal bowl is not going to get the job done when it comes time to mix ingredients. Mixing bowls are big enough to bring all the ingredients together without creating a mess. Plus, they can even double as popcorn or chip bowls when you have company!
Baking pans and cookie sheets. These kitchen staples are good for a variety of different foods. Baking pans can be used for cakes, brownies, and lasagnas, while cookie sheets come in handy for cookies, French fries, and toasted sandwiches.
Colander. Another easy to forget tool is the colander. If you plan on cooking any pasta—and who wouldn’t?—you will need to drain the water from the noodles. Colanders are also useful for washing veggies and salad greens.

Helpful kitchen gadgets

After you’ve finished stocking up on the basics, there are a few kitchen electronics you may also enjoy. Perhaps not immediately essential, but these small gadgets are great because they help save time and can easily be put in cabinets to free up counter space when not in use.

Blender. Like smoothies, milkshakes, and margaritas? Then consider adding a blender. In addition to beverages, a durable blender can handle processing veggies so you can make things like soup that store well for later meals.
Hand mixer. Mixing batter the old fashioned way can literally be a pain and take a long time. An electric hand mixer, though, saves you a lot of aches, time, and frustration. Have a little extra green on hand and looking toward the future? You may want to consider a stand mixer instead.
Popcorn popper. What would a movie night be without popcorn? While bags of microwave popcorn may be easy to make, it definitely isn’t healthy. Popcorn poppers are useful for making natural popcorn and even allow for custom flavors as you experiment with spices.

Food storage

Now you have everything you need to prepare some basic meals. Congratulations! Once you’ve cooked and eaten your culinary creations, you’ll want to store the leftovers to save money and reduce waste. You could use the lo mein containers you’ve saved from all that Chinese takeout, but a good quality set of food storage containers that are safe to heat up, won’t leak in your lunch bag, and will last you a long time would be a solid purchase.

Getting ready to set up your own kitchen for the first time? College student trying to survive in the dorm? Check these blogs for advice and tips and how to survive and thrive on your own—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: What’s not on this list that you would consider an essential kitchen tool?

Small Appliances + Friends = Big Fun

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Study group is winding down at the library and as your group of friends is packing up, someone says, “Man, I’m hungry. How about some pizza?”

You’re up for the eating part, but pizza again? Seriously?

Before consensus is established, you say, “Hey, why not come back to my room instead? I’ll grill some steaks, veggies—maybe even bake some cupcakes.”

“Yeah, right. Steaks, that’s funny. Besides, you can’t cook in the quad. And the cupcakes are probably store bought.”

You smile. “Baked fresh—and perfectly legit.”

As they all head to your room, once again you’ve saved the day—foodwise. Now if all that studying will just pay off tomorrow, it’ll be another great week.

What do you know that your friends don’t? You have the Cuisinart Oven Central back in your room and, with its help, you can do all of that and more—all with no open coil heating element.

Now you’re only problem will be getting your friends to eat in the cafeteria again once they get a taste of your cooking.

This thing does it all

If you’re looking for one cook-in-a-small-place appliance, it’s hard to beat the Oven Central and its 6-in-1 capabilities: oven, steamer, toaster, broiler, roaster, contact grill. All with a footprint so small (9 ½”W x 13”D x 6”H) it will easily fit on top of most dorm refrigerators.

With a multitude of options and foolproof operation, you can toast bagels, fry pancakes or eggs, and bake a dessert. The temperature control adjusts up to 450 degrees, allowing you to broil shish kabobs or T-bone steaks to perfection. Plus, it comes with everything you need: nonstick baking pan, 4-slot cupcake/muffin pan, roasting/steaming rack, and four metal skewers.

Yo! Yogurt with ease

Sleeping until beyond the last possible moment is a college tradition. But, don’t skip breakfast—it wakes your brain up and sets your body for optimal functioning. So, what to do?

Consider making your own yogurt with an individual yogurt maker. Set one of these babies before you go to sleep and wake up to fresh yogurt—your choice of flavor, thickness, fat content, and sweetness.

Plus, it’s far easier on your wallet than buying prepared yogurts from the grocery store—and your yogurt will be fresh and to your liking every time.

Banana lover?

Maybe you like yogurt, but you’re looking for something a little more, well, quirky? The Yonanas Frozen Dessert Maker may be just what you need. Create healthy breakfasts and desserts without calories (what?).

What is a yonana? Like the name suggests, yonanas are frozen yogurt desserts made from bananas (or berries, melons, other frozen fruits). These creamy delights contain zero fat, zero cholesterol, and half the calories of regular ice cream—plus all the health benefits of bananas (fiber, potassium, vitamins B6 and C, and antioxidants).

For the “pure in heart”?

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven once said, “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.” Of course, this was before the Cuisinart Soup Maker and Blender came to town.

Now, all you need to make soup (or smoothies, frozen cocktails, sauces, etc.) is this sleek-looking blender. In addition to normal blender functions, it also sautés, simmers, and boils your soup ingredients. Pureness of heart is optional.

Everyone’s dorm room essential

When you miss dinner, have no money to eat out, and the refrigerator is empty, there’s still one thing you can fix to satisfy the gnawing of your empty stomach: popcorn. In our house, every Sunday evening is popcorn and movie night—and we take it seriously!

Did you know popcorn enthusiasts have their own jargon? It’s true. A popped kernel of corn is known as a “flake”—and there are two shapes of flakes. Personally, I prefer the “butterfly” flake over the “mushroom” flake. Butterfly flakes are irregular in shape and have a number of protruding wings. Mushroom flakes are largely ball-shaped, with few wings.

I like butterfly flakes because of their stellar mouthfeel (told you we take this seriously). They have greater tenderness and less noticeable hulls. But mushroom flakes are less fragile and so are more often used for packaged popcorn or caramel corn.

Unpopped kernels? Well, unfortunately the industry calls them “old maids,” but with a popper like the Cuisinart EasyPop, you’ll have far fewer of those to worry about. The motorized stirring mechanism continuously mixes the kernels for even popping and highest yield. Plus, with you controlling the amount of oil, butter, and salt, you can create popcorn that is much healthier (and more full of flavor) than typical microwave popcorn.

In my view, popcorn is at its best with just some butter and salt, but occasionally we do like to add some additional flavoring. Here’s one of my favorite recipes for flavored popcorn. It’s a “can’t miss.”

Chocolate Covered Popcorn

Ingredients

2 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup pecans, or nut of choice, rough chopped

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup white corn syrup

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup white chocolate melted (optional)

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 F. Oil a 10x15 inch rimmed baking sheet.

Place popcorn and nuts into a large, metal bowl, and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and butter. Heat on medium-high until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, then immediately pour over popcorn and nut mixture. Stir until the popcorn is well coated.

Spread the popcorn into the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Break any large pieces into smaller clumps. Drizzle popcorn with melted white chocolate, if desired. Allow to air dry. Store in an airtight container.

Getting ready to set up your own kitchen for the first time? College student trying to survive in the dorm? Check these blogs for advice and tips and how to survive and thrive on your own—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: Which small appliance is most useful to you, as a college student?

Student's Friend: Multi-Purpose Small Appliances

Wed, 29 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

These days, even the tools we use are expected to multi-task effectively. Our phones play music, take pictures, hold our schedules, play games—oh, and you can call someone on them if you want. Our computers serve as televisions and vice versa. Our cars have always been a home away from home as well as a portable office.

Why expect less from our kitchen appliances?

For college- or small-kitchen cooking, Cuisinart’s Griddler has that prized multifunctional capability. In one relatively small, easy-to-store package (13"W x 11 ½"D x 6 ¾"H and 12-lb.) you have five separate cooking options. Add the optional waffle plates to make it six.

All day cooking machine

Like the grill cook at your favorite diner, The Griddler can handle it all.

Fixing breakfast? The Griddler easily prepares bacon, sausage, pancakes, French toast, scrambled or fried eggs.
Longing for lunch? Never fear, this bad boy’s ready to go again with grilled sandwiches, hamburgers, or panini’s.
Dine in dinners: Yep, call on the Griddler for steaks, grilled fish, grilled veggies, or quesadilla wraps.
Wait, there’s more?: You betcha. You can also pull this tool out for some quick snacks, appetizers, or desserts.

The Griddler is a contact grill, Panini press, full grill, full griddle, or half grill/half griddle—all done with removable, reversible, interchangeable, dishwasher safe, nonstick cooking plates. Yes, yes, yes. You can put the cooking plates in the dishwasher. Almost makes me want to go back to college.

But the good thing is, you don’t have to be in college—or even have a small kitchen—to fall in love with the Griddler.

Recipes for the Griddler

These recipes came from Cuisinart’s site and were specifically created for The Griddler.

Breakfast

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast

Ingredients

8 slices (preferably thick sliced) cinnamon swirl or cinnamon raisin bread

5 large eggs

1 cup evaporated fat free milk (not reconstituted)

¼ cup half & half (may use fat free)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg (freshly grated is best, but not required)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°F. Place a rack on a baking sheet and place in oven.

Arrange the bread in two 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dishes. Whisk eggs, half-&-half, salt, spices, and vanilla until smooth but not foamy. Pour the batter over bread. Turn the bread over, let sit 5 minutes, turn the bread over again.

Preheat the Griddler in the open griddle up position at 325°F. When the Griddler is hot (indicator light will turn green), arrange the soaked bread on the hot griddle. Cook until deep golden brown on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from Griddler™ and serve or keep warm in low oven. Serve with warm Cranberry Maple Syrup or another favorite of yours.

Lunch

Grilled Reubens

Ingredients

¾ cup sauerkraut

8 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened

8 slices rye or pumpernickel bread

4 tablespoons prepared fat free or regular Thousand Island or Russian dressing, divided

4 ounces reduced fat sliced Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese

8 ounces thinly sliced corned beef

Instructions

Rinse the sauerkraut and drain. Press out all water and place on a triple thickness of paper towels.

Brush one side of each slice of bread with softened butter. Place 4 slices bread on work surface buttered side down. Spread each of those slices with dressing. Layer each with ½ ounce sliced cheese, 2 ounces corned beef, 3 tablespoons sauerkraut, and the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining bread, buttered side up.

Preheat the Griddler fitted with the griddle plates in the closed griddle position to 375°F. Arrange the sandwiches (depending on the shape of the bread, you will be able to cook 2 or 4 sandwiches) evenly spaced on the bottom griddle plate. Close Griddler and apply medium pressure for 10 seconds. Cook until bread is toasty, filling is warm, and cheese is melted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with mustard.

Dinner

Chicken Quesadilla Wraps

Makes 2 quesadilla wraps, 2 servings

Ingredients

1½ cups shredded/chopped cooked chicken

½ cup chopped cooked onion (sautéed until tender)

2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño peppers

6 tablespoons shredded lowfat Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

2 9-inch flour tortillas or wraps (can use plain, herb, spinach)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Insert the plates on their grill side. Preheat Griddler to high with the unit closed.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, onion, and jalapeño peppers.

Sprinkle half the cheese in the center of each tortilla. Top with the chicken mixture, keeping the chicken mixture in a “log” about 1½ inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long in the center of the tortilla.

Fold one side over the filling lengthwise to cover, fold top and bottom over short sides to cover, then fold last side over to close. Turn over so that flap is on bottom. Lightly brush the tops and bottoms of the wraps with the olive oil. Place quesadilla wraps on preheated Griddler. Close, using medium-light pressure. Grill/bake for 3½ to 4 minutes, until tortilla is warm with grill markings, filling is warm, and cheese is melted.

Serve with salsa if desired.

More Griddler recipes on CHEFScatalog.com:

Toaster ovens

Another multi-tasking small kitchen appliance is the venerable toaster oven. If The Griddler in many ways replaces a stovetop, toaster ovens replace both toasters and ovens—huh, funny that, given the name. Toaster ovens have been around since the early 1900s.

For a small (or nonexistent kitchen) a toaster oven makes a lot of sense. But choose carefully if you’re buying one for a dorm room—not all beat the “open coil” prohibition. Toaster ovens heat quickly and keep foods like pizza and French fries crispy in all the right places—unlike a microwave. Most can defrost, cook, broil, or just keep food warm.

According to Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, on the blog The Kitchn, toaster ovens can do more than you might think. She listed her Top 10 Things to do with a toaster oven. Here are a couple of those ideas (See her full post):

Warm plates before serving. Many large ovens only go down to 200°F which can be too high. A counter-top oven goes lower. I like heating plates for five minutes at 170°F.
Toast nuts. Arrange in a single layer on included pan or a sheet of aluminum foil. 350°F for 10-15 minutes, agitating to turn nuts every five minutes.
Small is good. Make small batches of cookies, muffins, individual cakes.
Roast: Roast small batches of meat: a whole roaster chicken, quartered, fits easily, as does a pork tenderloin, a few pounds of ribs, etc.
Recycle: Re-heat leftovers.
Spudville: Bake potatoes.

The perfect dorm room choice

There are many toaster ovens. For the budget conscious (and what college student isn’t?), you can get one of the top names in the business, Cuisinart, with most of the bells and whistles you’ll need plus all of the essential functions, for under $80.

The Cuisinart Custom Classic Toaster Oven is simple to use and has toast, bake, bagel, and broil functions. It’s big enough to toast four slices of bread at a time, bake an 11-inch pizza, broil two steaks—and still use minimal counter space (15 ¾"W x 11 ¾"D). Plus, the broiling rack, baking pan, and crumb tray are all dishwasher safe. Woot!

Getting ready to set up your own kitchen for the first time? College student trying to survive in the dorm? Check these blogs for advice and tips and how to survive and thrive on your own—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: Do you like multi-function kitchen appliances? Share you experience with a toaster oven or The Griddler.

Induction Cooking: No Open Coils!

Tue, 28 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

In the paperwork nearly every college freshman receives is a set of rules for what you can and cannot bring to the dorm. Near the top of most of these lists is a prohibition against the dreaded “open coil” heating devices. In other words, no hotplates or toasters.

At least their reasoning is sound. Open coil devices stay hot for a long time after you’ve finished using them. In the close quarters of a typical dorm room the only smooth surface on which you’d place a hotplate is also the smooth surface on which you do your studying—so there are loose papers everywhere.

Plus, when you get up at 7:30 a.m. for an 8 a.m. class across campus (why did you sign up for that 8 o’clock class?) and you’re rushing around heating water for tea or coffee, gathering last minute notes, and, oh yeah, pants, it is far too easy to go off and leave the hotplate on. Since you likely won’t be back to your room until lunch time (if then), you’ve just left a fire hazard turned on all day.

So, the dorm administrator is justified—even wise—to prohibit open coil devices.

Fortunately, there are other options. Cooking technology has advanced significantly since your father’s days in college. One of those advances is induction cooking.

What is induction cooking?

Induction cooktops use electromagnetism to directly heat the cookware rather than create a flame or heat source to conduct through it. The cookware used on an induction cooktop must contain iron.

Iron is a poor conductor of electricity, so when the cooktop sends an electromagnetic pulse through the cookware, it turns the electric current into heat. This means that the cookware itself is acting as the heat source rather than being heated by the something else. As a result, the temperature of the cookware is consistent and the food cooks more evenly.

But more important to the dorm cooking police, the cooktop itself cools down rapidly when the pan you use is removed from the cooktop—significantly less of a fire hazard.

Do I need special pots and pans?

Yes you do.

Well, yes and no. It’s true that without help some pots and pans (aluminum, glass, copper, stainless steel, and porcelain) will not work on an induction cooktop. It’s also true that there are some specially made pans that are designed for transferring electromagnetic energy. But, cast-iron and enamel-coated pots will work on an induction cooktop, as will many others.

How do you know which of your pans will and which won’t work on an induction cooktop? Simple. Take a magnet to the bottom of any questionable pans—if it attracts, you can use that pan on the induction cooktop!

There’s also another solution: The Max Burton 8-inch Induction Interface Disk. This disk converts all cookware so it can be used on an induction cook-top. Aluminum, glass, copper, stainless-steel, and porcelain cookware can all be used if this disk is in place.

Benefits of induction cooking

In addition to avoiding the open coil prohibition, induction cooktops have other advantages over gas and electric stoves that make them an appealing choice for cooking in the dorm—and elsewhere.

Speed

Because iron is such a poor conductor of electricity, the currents are transformed into heat rapidly, causing the cookware to heat up almost instantly, thereby reducing your cooking time by 25 to 50 percent. But using an induction cooktop also speeds up cleaning. Since the cooktop itself never becomes hot, any sauces or food that splash out of the pan or drip onto the surface don’t get baked or stuck on—just wipe it clean.

Control

Because the cookware itself is the heat source, induction cooking offers more precise control than any other method of cooking. Induction cooktops tend to have more temperature settings and respond to increases or decreases in heat more rapidly than a gas or electric stove.

Safety

Remember, huge points here for no open coil. Additionally, the cookware is so responsive to the currents that once you turn off the cooktop, the pots and pans almost immediately cool down as well.

Energy efficiency

Finally, induction cooking is also a good green solution. The efficiency of a gas cooker is only 40-50 percent—and regular electric cooktops aren’t much better at 55 percent. Induction cookers come in at 83-90 percent efficient. You’ll use less electricity to cook plus the cooktop won’t heat up your room.

Getting ready to set up your own kitchen for the first time? College student trying to survive in the dorm? Check these blogs for advice and tips and how to survive and thrive on your own—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: What ways have you tried to cook in a dorm room?

First Time Cooks: College or On Your Own

Mon, 27 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

You have mixed feelings about sending your college-age child off on his or her own—either to a dorm room or an apartment. Probably some of your angst revolves around whether he or she will eat right. Did you teach them everything they need to know to survive in a kitchen? Did they pay attention? Will he be an emaciated waif next time you see him—or a slightly overweight freshman with an extra 15 pounds around his waist?

Valid concerns. Often when sudden freedom is combined with a dining hall meal plan (or a new credit card) common sense becomes rarer than seeing a senior at an 8 a.m. class. This week, in a series of blogs, we’ll help you help your child prepare to continue eating well—even while bleary-eyed from all of those “late night study sessions.”

Point one: Do your research

The rules vary widely. Most dorms will allow microwaves and mini-refrigerators—but not all. Some will have grills—outdoors!—others won’t. Some will allow small, in-room appliances (such as slow cookers, toaster ovens, Panini presses, etc.) as long as they pass the “Open Coil Rule,” others see them as fire hazards or power hogs. Young adults moving into apartments, rather than dorm rooms, have other challenges. Don’t let your student be caught by surprise—it becomes all too easy to let the fast food places make eating decisions when you’re uninformed.

The key, according to a report by Jackie Burrell on About.com, is to help your child figure out what he has and what he still needs, then to develop a small repertoire of easy-to-prepare recipes suitable for a dorm room, communal kitchen, or a first apartment.

Cookware 101

Think small. Don’t think “wedding-shower-setting-up-a-new-life-together.” What does a college student need in a dorm room? Burrell suggests:

For the microwave: Cereal type bowl, a mug, and a pasta boat.
Kitchen basics: Mixing bowl (doubles as a serving dish for popcorn, salad, etc.), small cutting board, a good knife, a mixing spoon, measuring spoons, and a measuring cup.
A nonessential, but nice, extra: Coffeemaker allows your caffeine addict to make her own brew.

If you’re outfitting an apartment kitchen, rather than a dorm room, consider in addition:

Two saucepans, one small and one large
Two skillets, one small, one large, both nonstick
A cookie sheet and a 9 x 13 baking pan
Oven mitts
Utensils, including a wooden spoon, whisk, spatula, tongs, and a large slotted spoon
A paring knife
A cheese grater
An ice cream scoop
Flatware, plates, bowls, cups, glassware, and napkins (paper is preferred)
Other cleaning and food prep essentials such as dish soap, sponges, dish towels, paper towels, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, trash can
Some basic seasonings, such as salt, pepper, sugar, cinnamon, garlic powder, chili powder or taco seasoning, oregano or Italian seasoning
Basic condiments: oil, olive oil, vinegar, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise

Point two: About that “Open Coil” Rule

As Franklin D. Roosevelt, our 32nd U.S. President once said: “Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.” And the principle behind the Open Coil Rule is, “Don’t burn down our school.” Face it, these are young adults not too far from childhood and facing practically no restrictions on their behavior for the first time. Residence hall managers are weighing individual freedom against the loss of life, limb, and dorm—plus someone has to eat that Mystery Meat in the cafeteria, right?—and choosing the lesser evil.

Can’t say I blame them.

But, if you’ve done your research (See Point 1 above) then you’ll know if cooking is completely banned in dorm rooms or if the ban is really on open coil heating devices, such as hotplates. Cooking technology has moved forward significantly since the day of the hotplate. Now there are several other options for cooking in dorms—or a small first apartment. Later in this series we’ll look at a wider array of small appliances useful to collegians or new cookers, but for now a couple options to replace that iffy hotplate:

Hot water heaters

You can do more than make hot tea with one of these.

Zojirushi Water Boiler: With four keep warm settings, your student can make tea and instant coffee, sure. But he’ll also have hot water at his fingertips for hot chocolate, soup, instant oatmeal, and the ever-present Ramen noodles.
Chef’sChoice Cordless Electric Glass Kettle: This 1-3/4 quart, 1,500 watt, kettle heats a full pot to boiling in less time than a dorm microwave—and looks good doing so.
Cuisinart 12-Cup Coffeemaker with Hot Water System: This gem double dips by brewing coffee and having on demand hot water for tea, soup, oatmeal, etc.

Electric skillets/woks

If your student’s school bans open coil devices, these should be acceptable. If they ban cooking in the rooms at all—well, it can’t hurt to ask.

Cuisinart Electric Skillet: An extra-large 12"x15" nonstick cooking surface makes this 1,500-watt skillet especially versatile. Skillet is fully immersible in water and dishwasher-safe.
Breville Hot Wok: Generous-sized, 6-quart electric wok prepares fast, easy meals with no added oils.

Point three: Caveats and pitfalls

As you know, cooking is fun. Cooking in college can also be fun—as well as an independence-builder and a money-saver. Burrell suggests a few potential problems you—and your college student—need to be aware of.

Check your cool: Mini-refrigerators are great, but be certain it’s cold enough to keep food safe.
Germy, germy, germy: Be sure your student knows the importance of safe cooking practices, like hand washing. But also, not using the same cutting board and knife for raw meat as you do for vegetables—without a thorough cleansing with soap and hot water.
Date your leftovers: No, seriously. Make sure your fledgling chef knows that chicken only keeps for a few days and that mold is not a good sign.

Point four: Recipes

Here are a few recipes that are cheap, easy, and healthy. Preparing a couple of these, rather than indulging in fast food—and taking advantage of the campus gymnasium—can help keep the dreaded Freshman 15 (pounds, that is) from settling around your student’s waist.

Easy Frittata

Use your leftover meat and veggies to whip up this quick and simple frittata.

Ingredients

4 jumbo eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cheese, of choice

1 cup vegetables, of choice

3/4 cup cooked meat, of choice

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8-inch, oven-safe fry pan. Add meat and vegetables to pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs together with milk until well combined. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture over meat and vegetables.

Cook in preheated oven 25 to 35 minutes until eggs are completely set and edges have browned. A toothpick, when inserted in the center, should come out clean. Allow to rest three to four minutes before inverting on a plate.

Makes one frittata.

Spicy Black Bean & Quinoa Salad Tacos

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced

1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 lime, juiced

15 ounce black beans, cooked

1 pound sweet yellow corn

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 mango, diced

2 large avocados, diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cups quinoa, cooked

Salt and pepper to taste

8 to 10 corn tortillas, 6-inch

Queso fresco, for garnish

Cooking Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, chili powder, lime zest, and lime juice. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, mango, avocado, cilantro, and quinoa. Stir to mix. Pour olive oil mixture over vegetables and stir to coat.

Serve with tortillas and queso fresco. Serves 8 to 10.

Toaster Oven Pizza

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast, 0.25 ounce

1 teaspoon sugar

2-1/2 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup marinara sauce

1 cup cheese, grated

Toppings of choice

Cooking Instructions

Preheat toaster oven to 450 F. Preheat baking stone or lightly grease pizza pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Let to stand 10 minutes to allow yeast to bloom. Stir in flour, oil, and salt. Mix until smooth. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic. Roll out into a round or pat into shape on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or greased pizza pan.

Spread sauce, cheese, and toppings evenly across the surface of the dough.

Bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for five minutes before serving. Makes 1, 12-inch pizza.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking sherry

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce, optional or to taste

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound chicken, 1/4-inch slices

1 head broccoli, florets divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup roasted cashews, unsalted

2 cups steamed rice

Cooking Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together sherry, soy sauce, garlic chili paste, and corn starch.

Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Cook chicken in batches for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from wok. Add onion and stir fry 2 to 3 minutes.

Add broccoli and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender crisp.

Add chicken and cashews and stir to combine. Add soy sauce mixture and stir to coat.

Cook until liquid has thickened slightly. Serve with steamed rice. Serves 4.

Ramen Noodle Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients

1 package chicken flavor ramen noodles, 3 ounce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon garlic chili paste

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 cup cooked chicken

Unsalted chopped peanuts, garnish

Cooking Instructions

Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add noodles, reserve flavor packet, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Drain noodles.

Add soy sauce, peanut butter and garlic chili paste to pan and stir to combine. If needed, add cooking liquid to smooth out sauce.

Add cooked noodles and stir to coat noodles. Add cooked chicken and stir to combine. Top with chopped peanuts. Serves 2.

Getting ready to set up your own kitchen for the first time? College student trying to survive in the dorm? Check these blogs for advice and tips and how to survive and thrive on your own—right here at CHEFS Mix:

Your turn: What other suggestions do you have to help college students and other first time chefs be successful?

Celebrate Memorial Day in Style!

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Memorial Day: Remembering and Celebrating!

This is one of those holidays that strikes close to home for many of us here at CHEFS. We have spouses, family, and friends who have served or are serving in the armed forces. On behalf of all of us here at CHEFS, THANK YOU! We hope your Memorial Day is blessed with family, friends, and loved ones. Of course, we also hope your Memorial Day is filled with fun and delicious food, too!

This weekend is the unofficial start to summer. Many students are finally finished for the semester and the much anticipated Summer Vacations have begun! If you are a graduating senior headed to college, or a college graduate starting a new job and setting up a new home, check out our posts next week. We will look at some special electrics, tools, and recipes perfect for the college student--and some important tips for those setting up a new kitchen!

Until then, we picked out some delcious recipes perfect for your weekend cookout or picnic. All of these summer favorites, plus additional grilling, side dish, and summer dessert recipes, can be found in the recipe collection at CHEFScatalog.com.

Today is also the official start of CHEFS Memorial Day Sale. Save up to 75 percent off on kitchen electrics, cookware, bakeware, cooking tools, kitchen cutlery, and more! Shop this weekend and get FREE Standard Shipping on your order!

Recipes for your picnic

Appetizer

Grilled Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken wings

olive oil

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce:

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

Buffalo Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup hot sauce

salt to taste

celery and carrot sticks

Cooking instructions

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl add sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, green onion, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and stir. Dipping sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Preheat the grill to medium heat.

Separate the chicken wings at the joint and remove the tips, then add to a bowl.

Drizzle some olive oil over the wings and season with salt.

Place wings on the grill and cook for about 30 minutes.

Buffalo Sauce

Add melted butter, hot sauce, cider vinegar and salt to a large bowl. Mix well.

Add cooked wings and toss to evenly coat.

Serve with blue cheese dipping sauce, celery and carrot sticks.

Main dish

Grilled El Diablo Burger

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh ground beef

1/2 cup finely chopped, pickled jalapenos

Hot sauce (your favorite brand and flavor)

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup cayenne pepper

2 eggs

Sliced pepper jack cheese

Cooking Instructions

Combine beef, jalapenos, garlic, cayenne pepper and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle generously with hot sauce and mix in.

Preheat the grill to medium heat for 10 minutes.

Form beef mixture into burgers and place into open burger basket. Lock basket and place on grill for about 5 minutes. Flip and keep on grill for another 5 minutes to desired meat temperature.

Remove from basket and place burgers on buns adding pepper jack cheese.

Side dish

Carolina Style Slaw

Ingredients

1 16-Ounce package shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

1/2 red bell pepper

1 small onion

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Cooking Instructions

Empty cabbage or slaw mix into large mixing bowl.

Slice red bell pepper into thin slices.

Chop onion into small pieces.

Add onion and red bell pepper to cabbage.

Mix oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper and sugar in a small bowl.

Add oil and vinegar mix to vegetables.

Toss to coat evenly.

Let rest five minutes, then toss again.

Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Beverage

Chef Shellie's Watermelon Juice

Ingredients

1 medium watermelon, peeled, seeds removed, roughly chopped

1 bunch mint leaves, cleaned

2 sprigs basil leaves, cleaned

1 to 2 inch piece ginger, peeled, chopped

1 cup simple syrup, plus more to taste

3 limes juiced, plus more to taste

Gin of your choice (optional)

Lime wedges and mint sprigs, for garnish

Cooking Instructions

In a blender combine mint, basil, ginger and enough watermelon to come 2/3rd's of the way up the blender jar. Puree until smooth and transfer to large container. Puree remaining watermelon in batches and add it to the container. Taste the fruit in the large container as you add more watermelon and feel free to add more herbs or ginger in the pureeing process if you desire it.

Add the sweet (simple syrup) and the sour (lime juice) components. Adjust amounts to fit your palate. Chill.

When ready to serve, stir in gin (if desired) and pour over ice. Garnish with lime and mint.

Dessert

Grilled Banana Split

Ingredients

6 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced in half

extra virgin olive oil

vanilla ice cream

chocolate sauce

whipped cream

almonds

maraschino cherries

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the grill to low heat.

Brush the bananas with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill each side for about one minute.

To serve, place 2 banana halves on each plate and top with vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, a handful of almonds and a maraschino cherry.

Your turn: What's your favorite Memorial Day activity or memory? Who do you remember at Memorial Day?

Food Explorer: Into the Heart of Artichokes

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Here’s what I often wonder: Who was the first person to do (fill in the blank)? Usually this is something that seems completely ridiculous to attempt--say, bunjee jump off of a bridge. Who was the first person to say they'd like to tie giant rubber bands around their ankles and leap head first off a bridge?

Another such question was raised when I was asked to write about artichokes. How hungry was the first person who looked at a field of artichokes and thought, “Yeah, I can eat that.”

The name alone threw me off for years: arti-choke as in “stop breathing because of a blockage in your throat.” But then I got a look at one and, well, those spikes on the leaves did not help.

But, you know, I’m an intrepid person. I have a sense of adventure. So I thought that I would look up artichoke and learn more. And did I!

That’s when I learned that artichokes are—are you ready for this?—a thistle. Wikipedia—oh, come on, you check things there too—says a thistle is “a flowering plant characterized by leaves and sharp spikes….” Anyone else start salivating at the idea of eating “sharp spikes?” Yeah, me too.

So, we’re back to the original query: How hungry do you have to be to look at a field of artichokes—which can grow almost 7-foot tall—and think, “I’m going to eat that thing with the spikes on its leaves.”

Our friends at Wikipedia don’t record who that fearless individual was, but they do tell us the plants were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans, so apparently this is not a new trend.

Therefore, in the interest of education (and because no one calls me chicken!) I decided to eat an artichoke. First, I made sure my will was up to date and then I followed these steps from Simply Recipes:

How to cook an artichoke

If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves, take a kitchen scissors and cut off the thorned tips of all of the leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke. (Michael: Definitely take the time for this step. Aesthetics are important.)
Slice about ¾-inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke.
Pull off any smaller leaves toward the base and on the stem.
Cut off excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them.
Rinse the artichokes in running cold water. (Michael: Some sites suggest cleaning the artichoke by submerging it in warm salt water for an hour. I did not do this. I live on the edge.)
In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off. Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker (about 15-20 minutes cooking time). Cooking time depends on how large the artichoke is, the larger, the longer it takes to cook.

How to eat an artichoke

Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonnaise. A favorite dip is mayo with a bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in. I chose mayo with some cracked pepper.

Pull off outer petals, one at a time.
Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal. Continue until all of the petals are removed.
With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the “choke”) covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

From Simply Recipes

What did I think?

Well, all things considered, artichokes are--different. It's tough to adequately describe one if you haven't eaten one, but here are my impressions:

Texture: Sort of soft, creamy/waxy.
Taste: I'm tempted to say they taste like artichokes, because they really don't tast like anything else I've ever eaten. But that's not very helpful. Sort of like potatoes or parsnips, but not completely. I also got hints of asparagus.
Overall: If you like avocadoes, you'll probably like artichokes. I'm not a huge fan of avocadoes.

I'm glad I tried them, and many people are rabid for them. A giant plus is that they're fairly healthy eating, since they are high in antioxidants, have been known to help reduce cholesterol by raising good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad (LDL), and are high in fiber.

Will I eat them again? Let's just say I will no longer avoid them simply because I haven't tried them. But, be aware, while prep and eating are not difficult, both are pretty labor intensive for what you get. Not that that's a bad thing.

Recipes you can use

Being new to the world of artichokes, it surprised me to find so many recipes for them. Perhaps adding them into other meals, rather than eating them alone, will be a better solution for me. Here’s one from Taste of Home that I’m looking forward to trying.

Chicken Artichoke Bake

Ingredients

2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted

1 cup mayonnaise

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup seasoned stuffing cubes

Directions

In a large bowl, combine soup and mayonnaise. Stir in the chicken, artichokes, water chestnuts, rice mix with contents of seasoning packet, mushrooms, onion, pimientos, and pepper.
Spoon into a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with stuffing cubes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until edges are bubbly and rice is tender.

Yield: 6 servings.

Everyone loves a good spinach artichoke dip. This one from Food.com with the parmesan cheese and garlic appeals to me.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 cups parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts.
Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with crackers or toasted bread.

More recipes from CHEFScatalog.com:

Want to learn even more about artichokes?

Vist our In Season page!

Your turn: Have you tried artichokes? If so, what did you think? If not, why not?

Canning, Food Storage, and Safety

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 GMT

You’ve successfully canned your vegetables and fruits. You’ve made two kinds of jam, three varieties of jelly, applesauce, and even canned homemade marinara sauce from all those bushels of tomatoes that grew in your garden.

Now, what are you going to do with all those jars? And, for that matter, is all that food now preserved for eternity, or are there limits to how long you can store even canned food?

What are the safety concerns with canned food?

Smart of you to ask, because it does matter. Here are some guidelines from RecipeTips.com, plus a few other food storage options in addition to canning.

The canning seal of approval?

First of all, what about your jars? Did you check to make sure you have a good seal? There are three simple ways to check your seal (after the jars have cooled 12-24 hours):

Press to play: After removing the bands, take your thumb and press down in the center of the lid. If it moves up or down, it’s not sealed properly.

Get lifted: Again, with the bands off, lift each jar by the lid. If it loosens, bad seal. If it holds, good seal. (Hint: Place your other hand under the jar—just in case your seal is not a good one.)

Eyeball it: Bring your jar up to eye-level (or squat down to jar-level) and inspect your lid. If it curves down slightly in the center, you got it right.

What if you have a bad seal or two? Do you have to trash the contents? Not at all. Again, you have a couple options. You can reprocess them and go for a proper seal or you can refrigerate improperly sealed jars and use them within 2-3 days.

If you want to try reprocessing, be sure to check the rim of your jar for nicks. If you find a nick, pour the contents into a good jar and prepare a new lid. Then reprocess, following all the standard steps.

Dry, cool, and dark

After you’ve checked your seals, be sure to wipe off any residue from the jars and lids and label them with the content and the date of processing.

Store your canned goods in a cool, dry, and dark place. My grandmother always stored hers in the basement in a closet under the stairs. She then hung a pretty red-checked gingham curtain to close off the area.

The curtain is optional, but if your basement is damp the lids may start to rust and affect the seal. Plus, if your cans are exposed to a lot of light or warm temperatures, it can affect the color and flavor. Store at temperatures between 50°F and 70°F. If stored under the proper conditions, canned food should be able to be stored for about a year before the quality is affected.

Don’t spoil the party

Even if processed and sealed properly, it is possible for canned foods to spoil while in storage. If that happens, dispose of the food properly. To catch spoilage always check each jar before using the contents.

But how do you know if your peaches or beans or applesauce has gone bad? Well, there are a couple things to look for, but the No. 1 thing you do not want to do is taste the food to check. Why? Because spoiled canned food causes botulism and that can be deadly.

Here is a list of what to look for from RecipeTips.com:

Check the jar’s seal. If the center of the lid is concave, the seal is still good.
Look for leakage or streaks of food that have dried on the jar that are coming from the top.
Rising air bubbles indicate an improper seal.
Check the color. If the content is very dark, that is an indication of spoilage.
If the contents are slimy, shriveled, or have a cloudy appearance, they’re spoiled.
When you open the jar, if the contents spurt out, discard it.
After opening, look for signs of mold (could be white, blue, green, or black). Be sure to check the bottom side of the lid for signs of mold as well as the contents.
If the content has an unnatural odor, discard it.
Do not taste the food to determine if it is spoiled.

Spoilage in low-acid foods and tomatoes is not always evident or may appear differently. If you have any suspicions, better to discard the food then take a chance.

Canning tips

As we bring our series of canning blogs to an end, here are a few tips for you to think about as you start canning.

For the best color and flavor use quality mature food that is free of blemishes and is not diseased.
While preparing to can, soak foods such as apples, apricots, peaches, pears, and nectarines in water that has some lemon juice added to reduce browning.
Only can the quantity that you will use within a year.
Don’t use commercial jars (such as mayonnaise jars) for canning. They are not strong enough and can crack or break during processing.
Wash the jars in the dishwasher before canning to sterilize them.
If, like us, you live at a higher altitude, increase processing accordingly. Check online search engines for details for your area.

An alternative?

Canning is a great idea and much easier than many think. However, if the concept is too intimidating you might consider another alternative: Freezing.

All you need to freeze food is, of course, a freezer—but also freezer-ready containers. While it’s easier than canning, food in the freezer is still susceptible to problems, including freezer burn. And, like canning, it’s not intended to be an eternal storage method.

However, with a vacuum sealer, you can easily fill your freezer with meats, vegetables, fruits—all manner of edibles.

Vacuum sealers use plastic bags for storage. They protect food against freezer burn by suctioning all of the air out of the bag and creating a tight-fitting seal.

Benefits:

Breezy meal prep: You can freeze an entire meal (or make your own frozen lunches) and then boil or microwave your food right in the bag.

Saves money: Buy your food in bulk and prevent spoilage of perishables and items with limited shelf-life.

Extend food freshness: Vacuum-sealing works in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry longer than conventional freezer wrap, container, or zip-style bags.

Safe: Thick durable sealer bags are dishwasher-safe, boil-safe, microwave-safe, reusable, and BPA-free.