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Meet the Qooq, a Computer For the Kitchen

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:47:16 -0800

I would love to have a dedicated computer to use in the kitchen. Usually if I'm testing a new recipe from one of my favorite food blogs or websites I sit my laptop on the counter and toss a towel over the keyboard to keep it safe from spills or other kitchen mishaps. A French company decided to capitalize on the kitchen computer idea and just introduced the Qooq (warning: the site is in French), a new type of computer specifically designed to use in the kitchen.

The Qooq (pronounced "cook") features an easily-cleaned glass touch screen and comes preloaded with 500 recipes and 10 chef-provided recipe videos. It costs $515 for the device and initial recipes, monthly updates are available for $20. One downside: there isn't a web browser, so recipes are limited to those loaded onto the device - therefore, sadly no Internet browsing for recipes. I love this idea, but right now it's only available in French - time to dust off my class notes from college!

Would you buy a dedicated kitchen cooking device, or do you prefer to use your home computer?

Summer of Salads: Nicoise Salad

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:15:02 -0700

Since PartySugar and I have been infatuated with salads this Summer, I thought it would be appropriate to pay homage to the French national holiday today with a specialty native to the Côte D'Azur region of France.

Salade Niçoise, or Niçoise salad, originated in the town of Nice, and is made with boiled new potatoes, steamed haricots verts (baby green beans), boiled eggs, local olives, cured anchovies, and tomatoes, tossed in a Dijon mustard vinaigrette and topped with tuna. I selected a recipe that uses some classic ingredients, but also incorporates a few unconventional flourishes - like seared tuna and caperberries - for a current twist.

It's extremely important to note that the tuna should be removed from the pan immediately after searing - I left it in the pan after turning off the stove, and latent heat nearly cooked the tuna through. Bring a bite of French countryside to your kitchen when you read more

Come Party With Me: Bastille Day Lunch - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:00:41 -0700

Last week I was all about America's Independence Day, and this week I'm celebrating France's freedom. Bastille Day is July 14 and to commemorate the occasion, why not host an intimate weekend lunch? Like a chic Parisian, select a menu that's stylish yet casual, and wonderfully delicious. Start with a big jar of marinated goat cheese, olives, artichokes, tomatoes, and toasted baguette slices.

A refreshing bowl of vichyssoise - the classic chilled French puree consisting of leeks and potatoes - is an excellent first course, while grilled tuna salade niçoise makes an elegant entree. All three of these dishes can be prepared in advance, leaving plenty of time to mingle in the garden with guests. This delightful menu would also work well at a female-centric event like a bridal or baby shower. To check out the light French recipes, read more.

Marinated Goat Cheese, Olives, Artichokes and Tomatoes
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 pounds fresh goat cheese, softened
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
Salt
1 quart extra-virgin olive oil
20 cooked baby artichoke hearts, from the deli counter
1 cup red cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
1 cup Niçoise olives
Toasted baguette slices, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
In a standing mixer, using the paddle, blend the goat cheese with the toasted pine nuts, rosemary, thyme and paprika. Alternatively, blend the cheese in a bowl using a wooden spoon. Season with salt. Shape rounded tablespoons of the seasoned cheese into balls.
Pour 1 inch of olive oil into a tall 1-gallon glass container. Layer the cheese balls, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes and olives in the container with enough of the remaining olive oil to cover. Let marinate at room temperature for 24 hours. Serve with the toasted baguette.

Serves 12.

Make Ahead: the recipe can be assembled, minus the tomatoes, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Add the tomatoes shortly before serving.

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Vichyssoise
From Fine Cooking

Ingredients

4 medium leeks, trimmed and washed as directed opposite, sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 3 cups)
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 4 cups)
2 cups whole milk
Kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives, for garnish

Directions

Combine the leeks, potatoes, milk, and 2 cups water in a 4-quart pot.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 tsp. salt, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until a potato slice falls apart when you poke it with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream, and let cool briefly.
Purée the soup, preferably using a regular blender and working in batches, filling it only half way each time.
Strain the puréed soup through a fine sieve. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (stirring prevents a skin from forming), and then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Before serving, thin the soup with water if necessary-it should be the consistency of heavy cream. Season to taste with salt. Serve cold in chilled bowls, garnished with the chives.

Makes 6 cups.

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Grilled Tuna Salade Niçoise
From Gourmet

Ingredients

For dressing
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
For salad
3/4 lb green beans (preferably haricots verts), trimmed
1 1/2 lb small (1- to 2-inch) potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold)
1 1/2 lb (1-inch-thick) tuna steaks
Vegetable oil for brushing
1/4 cup drained bottled capers (1 1/2 oz)
3/4 lb Boston lettuce (2 heads), leaves separated and large ones torn into pieces
1 pt cherry or grape tomatoes
2/3 cup Niçoise or other small brine-cured black olives
4 hard-boiled large eggs, quartered
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley and/or basil

Directions

Make dressing: whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste in a small bowl until combined well, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook beans in a 4- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.
Add potatoes to boiling water and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then drain in a colander. Halve potatoes while still warm (peel if desired) and toss with 2 tablespoons dressing in a bowl, then cool.
Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
Brush tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill on lightly oiled rack, uncovered, turning over once, until browned on outside but still pink in center, 6 to 8 minutes total. Let tuna stand 3 minutes, then break into large (3-inch) pieces. Transfer tuna to a large platter and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing and top with capers.
Transfer potatoes to platter with tuna, reserving bowl.
Drain beans and pat dry. Toss beans in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter.
Toss lettuce in bowl with 2 tablespoons dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter.
Toss tomatoes in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter.
Arrange olives and eggs on platter and sprinkle salad with parsley and/or basil. Serve salad with remaining dressing on the side.

Serves 6.

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Onion Dip Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:30:04 -0700

Need something to bring to a March Madness party this weekend? Skip the conventional six-pack in favor of onion dip, a classic crowd-pleaser. Whether you opt for a simple rendition or a more sophisticated version with slow-caramelized onions, exotic spice, and handmade chips, winning and losing spectators alike will get behind the dip's cool, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth creaminess. Become the star of the party when you read more.

Beginner Onion Dip
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Vidalia onions (1 pound total), finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Chips, for serving

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, and chives; season with salt and pepper. Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with chips.

Makes 2 cups.

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Expert Onion Dip
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Dip:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups chopped sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Maui; about 2 medium)
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Chopped fresh chives
Pita crisps:
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 pita breads

Directions

Make dip: Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until onions are deep brown and begin to crisp slightly, stirring often, about 40 minutes.
Add garam masala; stir 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and cool completely.
Mix in crème fraîche. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Make pita crisps: Finely chop enough cilantro leaves to measure 2 tablespoons. Chop enough cilantro stems to measure 3 tablespoons.
Combine oil and garlic in heavy small saucepan; cook over medium heat until oil begins to bubble around garlic, about 5 minutes. Add chopped cilantro stems. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Strain oil into small bowl; discard solids in strainer.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each pita bread round horizontally in half. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place pita wedges on 2 rimmed baking sheets; drizzle with cilantro-garlic oil and toss gently to coat. Arrange pita wedges in single layer; bake 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro leaves and bake until pita wedges are crisp and golden, about 5 minutes longer. Cool. Can be made 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.
Sprinkle dip with chives; place on platter. Surround with pita crisps.

Serves 8.

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Cream Puffs Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:31:35 -0700

Ever since I saw the March cover of Gourmet magazine, I've been craving cream puffs. However, the recipe the cover featured had ice cream and I prefer my cream puffs filled with lusciously smooth cream - like the ones seen here. Cream puffs are a classic dish that every home baker should artfully master. They are lovely with a cappuccino, delightful with a glass of bubbly, and complete crowd-pleasers.

I've found two recipes, one is super easy and the other is a little more time consuming. Experiment with one, both, or combine the two to make your own version! To get started, read more.

Beginner Cream Puffs
From Kraft Foods

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1/2 cup thawed cool whip whipped topping
1 (2oz) square semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface; roll out to 10-inch square. Cut into nine circles with 3-inch cookie cutter or rim of glass. Place on baking sheet. Bake 10 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
Meanwhile, pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cover. Refrigerate 15 min.
Cut pastry circles horizontally in half.
Spoon pudding mixture evenly into bottom halves of pastry; cover with tops. Drizzle with chocolate.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 9 cream puffs.

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Expert Cream Puffs
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, bring the milk, water, 1 stick of the butter, and the salt to a boil over high heat. Add the flour and remove from the heat.
Stir until the dough forms a shiny mass.
Using a mixer, beat the dough at low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, just until slightly cooled.
Increase the speed to medium and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions; be sure to scrape down the saucepan.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. Pipe twelve 1 1/2 inch mounds onto each sheet. Using a moistened finger, round the tops of the dough. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the puffs are golden, shifting the sheets halfway through.
Poke a 1/4-inch-deep hole into the side of each puff and return them to the oven. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the puffs cool and dry out for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, using a mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups of the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until firm. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Cut off the top third of each puff and scoop out the soft dough in the center. Spoon the cream into the puffs, replace the tops and stack them on a plate. Chill for 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, bring the remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream just to a boil. Remove from the heat.
Add the chocolate and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and let stand just until the chocolate is melted. Whisk until smooth.
Drizzle some of the chocolate sauce over the puffs and serve, passing the remaining sauce on the side.

Serves 8.

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Would You See an Unhealthy Doctor?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:47:00 -0700

Whenever I go to the hospital I see a group of doctors and nurses huddled together on the sidewalk smoking. A co-worker recently told me how she was given diet advice from a physician who was visibly overweight. In college I worked at a deli and I can still remember the lunch order of a doctor who came in four times a week - french fries, a Coke, and a pastrami Reuben.

It seems logical that a doctor should be a model of health, but the message some physicians are sending is, "Do as I say, not as I do."

Doctors often work long hours in stressful environments. Top that off with being surrounded by vending machines full of junk food and bad coffee, and you have the beginnings of an unhealthy recipe.

Should doctors be forgiven, then, for picking up a few bad habits? Is it what's "up there" that counts the most? Would you feel comfortable taking advice from a doctor who seems unhealthy?

Sheila Lukins, Cookbook Pioneer, Dies at 66

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:30:38 -0700

In sad news, food legend Sheila Lukins, the author of such famed tomes as The New Basics and The Silver Palate Cookbook, passed away Sunday at her home in Manhattan after a three-month fight with brain cancer.

Lukins was credited with broadening the taste buds of American cooks. At a time when canned cream soups and fussy French recipes were the rage, she made dishes like gazpacho and Indonesian lamb stew accessible to home chefs. In 1977, she opened the Silver Palate food shop, and five years later, the first of four Silver Palate cookbooks followed.
Most recently, Lukins penned Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Recipes For Each, which combined her expertise with 32 chapters on her favorite foods, with 10 recipes for each. When we sat down to breakfast with her not too long ago, she spoke about her rigorous recipe-testing process, the importance of reading recipes thoroughly, and eating seasonally.

Our thoughts are with Sheila's family and friends during this difficult time.

Photo: Francesco Scavullo

Must-Read: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:40:24 -0700

"The best food doesn't have to be challenging in its preparation, but should recall our fondest food memories," Melissa Murphy writes in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. That pretty much sums up the philosophy of this cookbook ($17.82), penned by the brainchild of Brooklyn's popular Sweet Melissa Patisseries. Here, the French Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef reveals the secrets behind the refined, yet homespun, baked treats that the bakery's known for. Was the tome a sweet success? Find out when you read more

Yummy Links: From Lamb Burgers to Lemonade Cocktails

partysugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:50:24 -0700

Learn how to make the perfect lamb burger. - Saveur
A conversation between Adam Platt and Frank Bruni. - Grub Street
The future of fish farming has arrived. - Eat Me Daily
Make French food in a flash with this easy lamb chop recipe. - Serious Eats
What to do if you bust your friend’s china. - Chow
At your next party serve finger food in homemade paper cones. - Hostess With the Mostess
Jen Zevala talks about being the first contestant kicked off of Top Chef.- The Feedbag
Celebrate National Lemonade Day with 10 spiked lemonade cocktails. - The Epi-Log

School Year's Resolutions: Lunch Box Makeovers

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:00:34 -0700

You've moved from brown bagging munchies to an eco-friendly lunch bag, so now it's time to upgrade its contents! Get out of the everyday sandwich rut and start getting creative with what you pack to sustain your kids.

Shape up. Simply changing the shape of the food you are packing can make a big difference. Use cookie cutters to create sandwiches that will put a smile on your lil one's face.
Roll it up. Use creative "packaging" to put a sandwich together. Wraps and pitas can add some interest to the lunch box, as can turning an ordinary tuna sandwich into a sushi-style roll.
Put it on a stick. String some fruit and veggies onto a stick for a mini-kabob that looks more enticing than fruit in a baggie.
Repurpose dinner. Cook up some extra pasta at night and mix it with fresh vegetables and some protein to make a tasty cold noodle salad.
Build it up. Put the ingredients for a nutritious sandwich in the lunch bag and allow the kiddos to build their own creation, in the order they want.
Make it brunch. French toast and fruit salad can easily make their way into the lunch box for a fun alternative.

For some added inspiration, check out these books filled with lunch-bag-ready recipes.

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