Wichita Eagle: Food

Recipe for romantic rendezvous

Judy Hevrdejs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:00 CST

Food and romance are as much a part of Valentine’s Day as chocolates, red roses and sweet whispers. And nowhere does that pair play out more than in the kitchen.

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

Credit Harriet Van Horne, the late columnist-celebrity, for that bit of wisdom. English author Virginia Woolf (“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”) would probably agree.

Through Texas and Oklahoma, these brownies stir up fond memories

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:25 CST

What would Valentine’s Day be without chocolate?

This year, I am digging out my old recipe for Fort Worth Brownies — they are so easy to make and have that yummy homemade flavor. But I am not going to cut them into squares; instead, I will use a heart-shaped cutter and will have fudgy brownie hearts to share.

These brownies are delicious, but they bring a special memory of being welcomed into a new home: With young children underfoot, boxes everywhere and the moving van pulling away from the curb, an older woman rang the doorbell of our new Oklahoma home with a plate stacked high with homemade Fort Worth Brownies. Wow — they were fabulous: rich, dense and laden with chocolate.

Cupcakes for the Super Bowl dudes in your life

ALISON LADMAN — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:34 CST

These are not your girlfriend’s cupcakes. There is no frilly pastel frosting piped on top. They are not delicate. They are not pretty.

They are big, bold, manly and totally down for a Super Bowl spread.

Since ease is key for Super Bowl feasts, we decided to start with a chocolate cake mix. To man-it-up, we made them big and added beer. And instead of pretty buttercream frosting, we’ve dabbed and smeared whiskey frosting all over them. And to really take it up a notch, bacon. Of course, salted peanuts, pretzels or crushed malted milk balls also would also be terrific.

Meatballs for any occasion, including the Super Bowl

Bill Daley — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:36 CST

Sometimes there’s a disconnect between the proclamations of food gurus and what regular folks eat. Not so in the case of meatballs. Once labeled “dish of the year” by Bon Appetit magazine, meatballs are welcome everywhere.

They were the unexpected star of the buffet table at a holiday party I attended with 40 other guys. There sat six — six! — casseroles filled with meatballs, most of which were ground beef in tomato sauce. And nearly every ball was gone by the end of the night.

“Meatballs are the ultimate cure-all for anything that ails you,” write Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow in “The Meatball Shop Cookbook” (Ballantine, $28). Though these New York City restaurateurs are thinking “hangover, breakup, lack of sleep, even a crying baby,” you should think meatballs for your Super Bowl XLVI feast.

Recipe for Tennessee Biscuits offers taste of South

By Aeschliman — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:33 CST

Biscuits have been on my mind lately.

Real biscuits — not the kind that come in the can. And not the breakfast sandwich you may grab on your way to work. Nope, not those.

I am talking real biscuits here — the kind you find when you head South. Real Southern biscuits, made from scratch with soft Southern flour that bake up light and tender.

Cooks are rediscovering the joy of slow cookers

Joe Bonwich — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:33 CST

Home slow cookers have been around for more than 40 years, but today, they’re almost trendy. They’re perfect for braising, a technique that’s a favorite of chefs who have been embracing less-expensive cuts of meat that become hearty and succulent when cooked low and slow.

In addition to braising — cooking food in a little liquid at a fairly low temperature — a spate of new cookbooks have been promoting slow cooking for everything from calorie counting (“Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook”) to new approaches to ethnic specialties (“The French Slow Cooker,” by Michele Scicolone; “Slow Cooking,” by Antony Worrall Thompson, which has recipes inspired by the foods of Asia, Africa and the Caribbean).

And if you live alone or in a small household, slow cookers are great for making a meal to enjoy right away plus leftovers to refrigerate or freeze for later.

‘Party that cooks’ brings folks together

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:31 CST

Sometimes you just need to have a party — and what could be more fun than having a party that cooks? People often gather in the kitchen anyway, so why not share the cooking experience and then sit down and enjoy a meal together.

Not long ago, I hosted such a party. I met an amazing group of people on the Biltmore tour I conducted recently. I constantly find it amazing that travel and food bring kindred spirits together and can even form new friendships. Our small eclectic tour group, mostly strangers, gathered at the airport as we began our journey and quickly found many areas of interest as our days together unfolded. We marveled at the natural autumn beauty of the North Carolina mountains. We were amazed at the massive planning and intricate details as we toured the historic Biltmore and grounds. And, of course, we relished the fabulous food of North Carolina.

Several weeks later, I felt the need of a January party to bolster winter spirits, so I hosted a cooking party for those who participated in the Biltmore tour. The goal was to have a reunion of new friends, to relax in an informal setting and just to have fun. To accomplish that, I made a plan: We would gather in the kitchen and cook a few authentic North Carolina recipes, sit down and enjoy the meal together, catch up on the latest happenings and relive our memories of a fabulous trip.

Make over your diet in 2012

Alysha Witwicki — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:20 CST

Despite the wide array of ways we can feel, look and live better, one thing rings true: Most New Year’s resolutions are so extreme that they have very little staying power.

“People easily become discouraged when they set big goals because they are too overwhelming,” said Sarah Zangerle, registered dietitian at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Weight Loss Center. “In order to keep the motivation going, it’s important to focus on small, achievable goals.”

In other words, baby steps.

Lentil soup takes chill off Kansas winds

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:17 CST

When the cold Kansas winds rattle the windowpanes, having a pot of homemade soup happily simmering on the range is my idea of comfort. Both the aroma and the soft bubbling sounds of the simmering soup indicate good things to come. A good bowl of soup can chase away the winter chill and warm the heart and spirit.

Making soup is one of the easiest things to make. Some of the best soups are made without a recipe and by using what you have on hand. Soups are very forgiving — you do not have to be a great cook to make a good pot of soup. You can make many personal adaptations and still end up with a tasty soup.

A few days ago, I made a great lentil soup in one of my cooking classes. Now, I will tell you right up front, lentil soup was never one of my favorites. But I needed a soup that was both light and healthy, and this one was actually very good and one that I enjoyed.

No need to neglect vegetables

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:33 CST

Now that several days have passed, how are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Most of my friends have resolved to either lose a few pounds or to eat better.

Actually, they are very similar. If we eat more nutritionally, we will no doubt shed a few pounds. In a nutshell, eating better simply means cutting out many processed foods and fat-laden snacks and replacing those with more fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. We would feel better, have more energy and likely lose a few pounds in the process.

Most people don’t have problems with fruit — good crisp apples, juicy oranges or ripe bananas make excellent snacks. However, vegetables are the ones we often neglect. Many people tell me they only like green beans and corn — but there are many others that are delicious as well. Usually the deeper the color, the more vitamins and minerals the vegetable contains.

Food trends for 2012: frugality and healthy eating

Lisa Abraham — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:40 CST

It’s the time of year when all of the prognosticators put on their thinking caps, shuffle their tarot cards and try to predict what’s in store for the food world in 2012.

Often, these predictions have the accuracy rate of Punxsutawney Phil.

Recall last year when every food expert claimed that the cupcake’s reign was over? Here we are in 2012 with more cupcake shops than before, leaving the pie, the whoopie pie, the cake pop and the French macaroon all behind in a trail of dusty cupcake crumbs.

Sweet or not, cornbread tells a story

Bonnie Aeschliman — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:55 CST

My granddaughter, Claire, is in the 5th grade and likes American Girl dolls. She received two new ones for Christmas — one from Santa and one from me, both Civil War era.

When she visited during Christmas with her family, I had a houseful of company. Claire wanted to sleep with Grandma in the king-size bed, and all five of her American Girl dolls came along. She lined three up on the floor, cushioned on pillows and carefully tucked in for the night, but the two special ones were perched in our bed. The next morning, she carefully dressed each one and fixed their hair — one even had braids.

Each doll has a name and a life story. Claire shares the story of each of her dolls, including what happened in their lives in the historical context. It is a great history lesson.

Nuts for Nutella

Joe Bonwich — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:56 CST

The animosity about the Euro might just be mitigated if European community leaders broke bread together — and topped the bread with chocolate-hazelnut spread.

In America — and indeed, across Europe and elsewhere in the world — the best-known version is Nutella. The Ferrero company traces Nutella’s origins to Pietro Ferrero, who formulated a loaf form of what was then called pasta gianduja to extend war-rationed chocolate during World War II.

Yes, this is the same Ferrero company that now makes Ferrero Rocher candies — and also, oddly enough, Tic Tacs. The original loaves evolved into a jarred cream, which was branded as Nutella in 1964 and first sold in America in 1983.

Americans are feeling bubbly about Champagne

MICHELLE LOCKE — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:36 CST

The economy may be in a funk and consumer spending in a slump, but there’s one glass that seems to be more than half full – flutes of Champagne, to be precise.

After seeing sales tumble as the recession hit, Champagne shipments were up nearly 22 percent comparing the first six months of this year to the same period in 2010, with a total of 7.5 million bottles shipped to the U.S. as of June, according to the Washington-based Champagne Bureau.

From July 2010 to June 2011, 18.3 million bottles were shipped, about a 20 percent increase over the July 2009-June 2010 period.

Eating for Life: Rosemary reduces the need for salt

Jill Wendholt Silva — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:35 CST

Want to cut down on your salt intake?

Use more rosemary in your cooking.

Throughout the ages, rosemary’s aromatic addition to food has improved the flavor of all kinds of dishes, including The Star’s Rosemary Grilled Shrimp and Vegetables with Brown Rice Pilaf .

Black-eyed peas get the royal treatment

Bonnie Aeschliman — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:34 CST

Although I have a few Southern roots, I have never been a big fan of black-eyed peas. But all that changed when I lived in Texas many years ago.

I came across a recipe from the late Helen Corbett, who once was the chef at the Zodiac Dining Room at Neiman-Marcus. She concocted a dish with black-eyed peas but served it as a salad and called it Texas Caviar.

To my mind, the name was ingenious — who but a Texan would take the humble black-eyed pea and elevated it to the status of caviar? She made the dish famous, and now many variations of it exist. Instead of a salad, I pair it with chips and serve it as a dip on New Year’s Day and never have any complaints.

American chefs boost fine dining in France

JENNY BARCHFIELD — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:34 CST

PARIS – Paris, once regarded as the gastronomical center of the world, is looking to a cadre of young chefs from a country derided for its love of processed cheese – gasp, the United States – to help raise the bar.

French chefs have been opening fine restaurants stateside for years, but up until about a decade ago, the opposite would have been almost unthinkable. Now, bright young things from New York, Chicago and Seattle are behind some of the City of Light’s most-hyped, hardest-to-get-into establishments.

Chefs such as Spring’s Daniel Rose, or Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian, the pair behind the Hidden Kitchen and the new Verjus, are bringing a fresh energy to Paris’ somewhat rigid fine-dining scene and infusing it with American eclecticism.

Give the gift of confections

Sharon K. Ghag — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:36 CST

We had a ball making these little confections and learned something important along the way. Gifts from the kitchen don’t have to take a lot of time or effort. All these treats are round and rolled. Some are baked, most are not. One requires only three ingredients.

You can make one recipe and roll the finished confection in a variety of coatings, such as powdered sugar, nuts or crushed candy. Or you can make a few for an intriguing combination of tastes. Either way, they’ll look decadently inviting packaged in a pretty box and tied with a ribbon. The recipient will thank you.

Chili an easy way to feed holiday guests

By Bonnie Aeschliman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:34 CST

No doubt most of you have your menu planned for your Christmas dinner and perhaps even the grocery list made. But what about those other meals? At my house, I will have children and grandchildren who have traveled many miles, and they tend to stay several days. With extended-stay houseguests, I like to plan some things that are simple but good. One of my mainstays is a big pot of chili. On a cold winter day, a bowl of red is perfect fare for a quick lunch or supper.

Although this chili is made quickly, the flavor will be better if allowed to simmer for a longer period of time. Sometimes I pour it into the slow cooker and let it simmer for a few hours. Or you can make it in advance, cool it down quickly in a cold water bath and refrigerate it overnight.

The next day, I often will put it in the slow cooker for a slow simmer for serving later in the day.

Sentimental sugar fixes

Sharon K. Ghag — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:27 CST

Holiday bake sales and bazaars are brimming with treats created to satisfy a sweet-tooth craving.

Many of those treats are made with motherly handcrafting that make any family’s dessert legendary.

“This is why we believe America’s best dessert treasures are likely hidden among the butter-crusted index cards buried in boxes and cupboards across the country,” said Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero, the authors of “Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story” (Andrews McMeel, $29.99). The two Sugar Mommas, on a mission to preserve the country’s most memorable treats, offer up recipes for cakes, pies, cookies, bars and candies in their book.