Wichita Eagle: Food

Party time? Keep it stylishly simple

Cathy Barrow — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:25 CDT

Soon the flurry of graduations, baby showers and weddings will signal the start of the entertaining season. The weather improves, and we are drawn to gathering on patios and porches.

For many of us, though, entertaining is a hornet’s nest. Normally competent people, wondering what to serve and where to seat the guests, fall to pieces.

It’s time to seek inspiration and encouragement, and for that we need merely to look south — to a place known for its effortless hospitality.

Bonnie Aeschliman: Now is the best time to snap up sweet strawberries

Bonnie Aeschliman — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:14 CDT

Recently, as I wheeled my cart by the fresh fruit in the produce department, I caught a whiff of ripe strawberries. The heady aroma was so compelling. I stopped my cart to check out those berries.

They were bright red, shiny, dewy fresh and very fragrant. I fondly remembered an adage of my mom’s regarding fresh peaches: If it smells like a peach, it will taste like a peach. Adapting her philosophy to berries, I knew those strawberries would be packed with flavor, and I quickly put a couple of quarts in my cart. Although they were not on my grocery list, I knew immediately I could find some very tasty ways to use them.

Strawberries are in season right now, so it is the very best time to enjoy them. But berries are very fragile, and perhaps you have experienced the same thing as this reader.

What’s cooking with the cookbook?

Lori O’Toole Buselt — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:07 CDT

The Wichita Eagle Holiday Cookbook is a nearly 60-year tradition for The Eagle, the community and you, our readers.

That’s why we’re asking for your help.

• We’re looking for the reader who has the oldest edition of our cookbook, which dates back to the 1950s. Have you held on to one through the years, or did you inherit one from a family member?

Bonnie Aeschliman: Brule a breakfast for Mom that kids can make

Bonnie Aeschliman — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:43 CDT

Freshly picked flowers, sweet gifts from children, sentimental cards and breakfast in bed — all precious parts of Mother’s Day.

My children are now grown, but I vividly remember the first time they treated me to breakfast in bed.

As I was tucking my 6-year old daughter in bed for the night prior to Mother’s Day, she reminded me to stay in bed the next morning. Normally, I am an early riser — so I had a good inkling that something was in the works.

A tapas-style take on a Mother’s Day brunch

Alison Ladman — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:39 CDT

A tapas-style meal made up of a variety of small, appetizer-like bites is something we tend to associate with evenings and cocktails. But we thought the same idea of small plates would lend itself perfectly to a Mother’s Day brunch. So we came up with a variety of tapas ideas suitable for Mom’s big day.

Use these ideas as a jumping off point. Accompany them with mini muffins, mini bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and fresh berries served in shot glasses and topped with yogurt and honey. And nobody says you need to give up the cocktails.

Mimosas, anyone?

Homemade crackers, in no time flat

Jane Touzalin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:41 CDT

The day I paid nearly $11 for a 4-ounce box of “artisan” crackers, I had to wonder: Couldn’t I just make these myself?

Flour, olive oil, sea salt. Those were the only ingredients listed on the box. Make my own crackers? It seemed like the answer had to be yes.

The idea struck me as brilliant, for several reasons. It would save money. It would require no special equipment. It would let me customize snacks to my taste. And a bag of rustic-looking crackers, tied with a pretty ribbon, would make a charming hostess gift for the next time I had a hostess.

Bonnie Aeschliman: How to tell if an avocado is ripe

Bonnie Aeschliman — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:52 CDT

Have you ever made a quick trip to the supermarket to pick up an avocado or two that you needed right away? No doubt you discovered some are bright green, some dark green, some mottled with black and some are totally black. To complicate matters, some are hard as a rock; others are soft and mushy, and others all areas in between.

No wonder so many of you have questions about avocados.

Q. How can you tell if an avocado is ripe but not over-ripe?

Bonnie Aeschliman: The right knives are essential in the kitchen

Bonnie Aeschliman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:16 CDT

If you asked a chef what kitchen tool he or she used most, undoubtedly the answer would be the chef’s knife. A lot of cutting, boning, chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing occurs in the kitchen.

If you asked an aspiring cook what kitchen gadget he or she had the most questions about, they might say cutlery. There seems to be confusion about knives: their function, selection and care. Let’s take a look.

Q. My mother recently gave me a cheese knife and tells me she uses it for everything. It is a strange-looking thing with a serrated edge but has holes in the blade. I am wondering why a knife would have holes in the blade.

Know your cuts of meat? They are about to change

Lisa Abraham — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:00 CDT

Once there were pork chops.

Soon there will be ribeye chops, porterhouse chops and New York chops.

They’re the same as the pork chops we’ve been eating all along, but they’ll be packaged under different names to help consumers better understand what they are buying.

Asian-style marinades and sauces transform fried chicken

Bill Daley — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:50 CDT

Southern fried chicken has long preened in the cultural spotlight, thanks in part to such notables as chef Edna Lewis, TV’s Paula Deen and one Kentucky colonel named Harland Sanders. But a new bird is rising out of the East – the Far East – that is capturing some of that shine: fried chicken, Asian-style.

From Myanmar (Burma) in the southeast to Korea in the north, Asia is home to many variations on the fried chicken theme. All are golden and crunchy, but the flavorings can change from country to country.

“Marination gives extra flavor to the chicken,” says Makiko Itoh, a Tokyo-born food writer and blogger living in Vaison-la-Romaine, France, as she explains why Asian-style fried chicken is so popular. Marinating also ensures the chicken stays moist and juicy, she says.

Bonnie Aeschliman: How to tell when food or leftovers go bad

Bonnie Aeschliman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:47 CDT

Have you ever wondered if an ingredient too old to use? Some ingredients such as baking powder, baking soda and even flour can become too old to perform satisfactorily in recipes. Or perhaps you have something hiding in your refrigerator that has been there way too long?

Often we may wonder if the food will still taste good, but the overriding question probably should be, “Is it safe to eat?”

Whenever there is a massive food recall, I often get questions about food safety. Here are the ones I have received this week.

Pork, beef products to get new names

Susan M. Selasky — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:46 CDT

What’s in a name? Plenty when it comes to pork chops, and it’s all about to change.

On labels, different cuts of pork chops are named from bone-in to boneless loin chops, to center cut to thick and thin to loin and rib chops.

Confusing, isn’t it?

Bonnie Aeschliman: Tips for using chives, onions and scallions in the kitchen

Bonnie Aeschliman — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:45 CDT

After the late Kansas snows, spring is finally unfolding around us.

The tulips have pushed their way through the soil and are in full bloom. The grass has turned green, and Bradford pears are a sea of white.

My herb bed is coming alive, as well. I made my first cutting of chives a few days ago. They already have regenerated and are ready to cut again. Chives appear at the first sign of spring and, once planted, come back year after year. Chives add a burst of flavor to salads, sauces and vegetables. When I don’t harvest them often enough, they produce beautiful purple flowers, which make a gorgeous garnish. Yes, I love chives — I think I will plant some more this spring.

The facts on pho – Vietnamese soup

Judy Hevrdejs — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:52 CDT

There are noodle soups and there is pho, Vietnam’s richly complex gift to the world.

In Vietnam and at Vietnamese restaurants around the world, there is artistry in the creation of pho (say: fuh).

From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, chefs at high-end restaurants and cooks at chain eateries understand pho’s power.

Leftover Easter eggs? Try these egg salad recipes

Ellise Pierce — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:26 CDT

Easter always brought lots of hard-boiled eggs, which Mom had to do something with. Deviled eggs were her default, but she often made egg salad, too, which we took to our grandparents’ house in Oklahoma for a picnic lunch later that day.

Which got me to thinking about egg salad and how homey – and easy – it is. And the perfect way to use the decorated, hunted and gathered eggs.

In France, where the love of the egg is unsurpassed – you find eggs on sandwiches (Croque Madame), on and in salads, on burgers and mixed into steak tartare, and in the many different types of quiches available at the boulangeries – I’ve yet to see anything like an egg salad, which seems strange, given, too, the Frenchies’ mayo and mustard-centric culture. How did they miss this eggy fun, I wonder?

Bonnie Aeschliman: Solving the mystery of the baking blunders

Bonnie Aeschliman — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:23 CDT

She walked in carrying two recycled grocery bags. As I greeted the sprightly tiny woman, she explained that she did not have Internet access so could not e-mail me, and she didn’t text either. She thought the best thing was to bring in what she had baked to show me because she needed help right away. She politely inquired if I had time to look at what she had brought in – and, of course, I did.

I will admit, I was more than a little intrigued as I guided her to a table to discover what was in her mystery bags. As she opened one, these were her questions:

Q. I made this loaf of gluten-free bread for my niece. Here’s the mix I made it from, and here’s the pan I baked it in. Look at this bread. It’s very crusty and way too dark. I followed the baking instructions on the package. Would using the convection setting help?

Do-it-yourself Easter candy: Fill a basket with homemade treats

Andrea Weigl — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:06 CDT

For many children, Easter is all about the hunt. They love searching for hidden eggs and snooping for the ultimate Easter jackpot: a basket filled with jelly beans, marshmallow Peeps and chocolate rabbits so large that they make a child’s eyes go wide.

My mother used to make homemade Easter candy. She would make chocolate lollipops in the shape of eggs, bunnies and chicks and my favorite, chocolate-dipped peanut butter eggs.

Now that I’m a mother, I wanted to do the same for my daughter. As a toddler, she doesn’t understand the holiday’s religious meaning, let alone know about the Easter bunny. But I figured it wasn’t too early to continue my family’s tradition of making homemade Easter treats.

Pan-seared pound cake becomes easy Easter dessert

Alison Ladman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:05 CDT

How do you make pound cake even more buttery and delicious? Easy. Pan-sear slices of it with butter and sugar.

If you know how to make a grilled cheese, you can make this dessert, which is a perfect ending to an Easter – or any springtime – dinner. Pan-seared pound cake is decadent and rich, so we’ve paired it with a fresh, minty fruit salad for balance. Looking for even more indulgence? Top the whole thing with whipped cream spiked with powdered sugar and orange liqueur.

Looking for a little less indulgence? Opt for banana bread instead of pound cake and top the fruit salad with a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt.

Two new twists on Easter dinner

Alison Ladman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:04 CDT

Who says the traditional Easter meal has to be traditional?

We understand that there is good reason for many traditions, particularly when it comes to food. After all, many food traditions earned their place because they are simply delicious. The glazed ham is a fine example. And that’s why we decided not to mess with that part of this spring staple.

We did, however, play around with what our ham is glazed with. We decided to ditch the orange marmalade, brown sugar, pineapple-cherry, and various clove-spiked glazing options. Instead, we took our inspiration from an Asian pantry staple – hoisin sauce. It comes ready-made by the jar, usually in the Asian food section of the grocer.

Bonnie Aeschliman: Some cooking mysteries solved

Bonnie Aeschliman — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:29 CDT

Did you ever find yourself puzzling over an ingredient in a recipe? Or wondering why a technique works one time but not another? Or just curious about why eggs look different? Or perhaps you were in the middle of baking and realized you were missing a key ingredient.

There is no need to make a mad dash to the grocery store if you know how to make a suitable substitute.

These are the questions that have come in this week. If you have questions about cooking, ingredients or equipment, shoot me an e-mail. I would love to hear from you.