I hope readers had a wonderful break over the holidays and are back at it rested and refreshed. I was able to clear my mind of visions of my digital media course homework, and was pleased to get back to my stove cooking for family and friends. In my mind there is nothing better than breaking bread together, catching up and sharing experiences.
One of the ways I spent my time was browsing the web where I discovered several websites I’d like to share with you. They’re a mix of recipes I’ve stumbled across and really liked, interesting information, and kitchen gadgets that caught my eye.
For example I found two super recipes on NotQuiteNigella.Com and have had success with both. Her Singapore Chilli Prawns (shrimp) recipe is delicious and simple and seems failsafe, allowing one to
be fairly sloppy with quantities. Her mother’s Beef Rendang is also delicious but took longer to cook than advertised. I also cut the chilli quotient by about 75% and it was still pretty spicy. Also be warned that the aroma of the dish is strong and will permeate your residence for hours as it cooks.
Late last year I was privileged to participate in a seminar by Max Falkowitz, National Editor of Seriouseats.com, a site that had previously escaped my notice. His seminar (on pitching editors) was impressive, and I came to like him even more when I read his sensible piece lauding and demystifying white chocolate, one of my personal obsessions.
SeriousEats is a fantastic website that has become an essential bookmark for me. There, just in time for Christmas I learned a lot more than I knew initially about “reverse searing” roasts, putting the technique to good use for a table of 12. The prime rib I cooked was declared the best anyone had ever had. I highly recommend the method (and associated articles) described in detail by Managing Culinary Editor, J. Kenji López-Alt. Poke around the site and you could be lost for several hours, as I was.
Meanwhile at another terrific site for those interested in food, Eater.com, they’ve just come up with a list of most-anticipated cookbooks for 2015. I hope to get my hands on some of them, for sure, and review them for you. In case you can’t wait, see their piece here.
Vox.com has some interesting charts related to food and drink. See “35 maps and charts that explain alcohol” for a bunch of U.S. and world factoids you can bring to bear at the next party you go to. Or “21 maps and charts that explain the obesity epidemic” if you’d like to become more informed on one of the huge issues of our time, in the rich west at least.
If you want various food tips and hacks click here. Some are thought-provoking while others might be truly useful. For example you can see how to keep bananas fresher, seal plastic bags with aluminum foil and an iron, slice many tomatoes in half at once, or keep lettuce fresh for a week, among others.
Neat kit I’d like to try at least once can be found at a “quirky” site that appears to include several inventions cleverly imagined to solve problems you did not know you had. See their site for two relatively cheap items, a “wine stop”, and Citrus Spritzer that look like they could work well.
Finally if you have ever looked in your fridge and wondered what to do with two elderly Brussel sprouts (how did they get in there?), a bottle of ketchup, some butter and a few eggs (that being all you have in there apart from some baking soda and beer) look no further than SuperCook.com, a site that will suggest several recipes addressing what you might be able to cobble together.
Me, I’d rather go out to one of Hamilton’s great restaurants!
One of the ways I spent my time was browsing the web where I discovered several websites I’d like to share with you. They’re a mix of recipes I’ve stumbled across and really liked, interesting information, and kitchen gadgets that caught my eye.
For example I found two super recipes on NotQuiteNigella.Com and have had success with both. Her Singapore Chilli Prawns (shrimp) recipe is delicious and simple and seems failsafe, allowing one to
be fairly sloppy with quantities. Her mother’s Beef Rendang is also delicious but took longer to cook than advertised. I also cut the chilli quotient by about 75% and it was still pretty spicy. Also be warned that the aroma of the dish is strong and will permeate your residence for hours as it cooks.
Late last year I was privileged to participate in a seminar by Max Falkowitz, National Editor of Seriouseats.com, a site that had previously escaped my notice. His seminar (on pitching editors) was impressive, and I came to like him even more when I read his sensible piece lauding and demystifying white chocolate, one of my personal obsessions.
SeriousEats is a fantastic website that has become an essential bookmark for me. There, just in time for Christmas I learned a lot more than I knew initially about “reverse searing” roasts, putting the technique to good use for a table of 12. The prime rib I cooked was declared the best anyone had ever had. I highly recommend the method (and associated articles) described in detail by Managing Culinary Editor, J. Kenji López-Alt. Poke around the site and you could be lost for several hours, as I was.
Meanwhile at another terrific site for those interested in food, Eater.com, they’ve just come up with a list of most-anticipated cookbooks for 2015. I hope to get my hands on some of them, for sure, and review them for you. In case you can’t wait, see their piece here.
Vox.com has some interesting charts related to food and drink. See “35 maps and charts that explain alcohol” for a bunch of U.S. and world factoids you can bring to bear at the next party you go to. Or “21 maps and charts that explain the obesity epidemic” if you’d like to become more informed on one of the huge issues of our time, in the rich west at least.
If you want various food tips and hacks click here. Some are thought-provoking while others might be truly useful. For example you can see how to keep bananas fresher, seal plastic bags with aluminum foil and an iron, slice many tomatoes in half at once, or keep lettuce fresh for a week, among others.
Neat kit I’d like to try at least once can be found at a “quirky” site that appears to include several inventions cleverly imagined to solve problems you did not know you had. See their site for two relatively cheap items, a “wine stop”, and Citrus Spritzer that look like they could work well.
Finally if you have ever looked in your fridge and wondered what to do with two elderly Brussel sprouts (how did they get in there?), a bottle of ketchup, some butter and a few eggs (that being all you have in there apart from some baking soda and beer) look no further than SuperCook.com, a site that will suggest several recipes addressing what you might be able to cobble together.
Me, I’d rather go out to one of Hamilton’s great restaurants!
To see all past columns please see (and “like”) the Food for Thought Archives
Alex (Alex can be reached at fft@thehamiltonian.info or on twitter @AlexBielak)
Alex (Alex can be reached at fft@thehamiltonian.info or on twitter @AlexBielak)
Thanks for the lovely shoutout Alex! I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the recipes. I guess we do like it really spicy so that's a good point about the chillies!
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