Posts for May 17th 2011

Fall Looks From Madewell
Sugar Shout Out

Sugar Shout Out: Check Out the Latest Looks From Madewell!

First look! Madewell's Fall lookbook Another guy proposes to girlfriend with some movie magic Celeb moms who've rocked a bikini while pregnant Video: Katie Holmes puts on her swimsuit for a pool party with Suri while Tom films!
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What Is This Greek Dessert Called?
Guess Who

Name That Dish!

Earlier today, we went to an amazing lunch that featured Greek wines; we asked one of the winemakers what foods he considered to be quintessentially Greek.
by Earlier today, we went to an amazing lunch that featured Greek wines; we asked one of the winemakers what foods he considered to be quintessentially Greek. He mentioned the dessert, which consists of layers of phyllo, that is pictured below. Do you know what it's called?

Pasta With Morel Shallot Pesto
recipes

Spaghetti With Morel Shallot Pesto

Adapted from Jess Thompson, Edible Seattle Spaghetti With Morel Shallot Pesto Notes If you can't locate fresh morels, you can use dried ones: place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
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Spaghetti With Morel Shallot Pesto

Spaghetti With Morel Shallot Pesto

Notes

If you can't locate fresh morels, you can use dried ones: place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soften for 30 minutes, rinse, and pat dry before chopping.

Pasta With Morel Shallot Pesto

Ingredients

1/4 pound morel mushrooms (or 1/2 ounce dried morels), cleaned and roughly chopped
1/2 pound high-quality bucatini or spaghetti
1/4 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
2 small shallots, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Finely chopped parsley, for serving
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs to the dry pan and cook, tossing occasionally, until the breadcrumbs are toasted. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, make the pesto: Whirl the shallots, garlic, and thyme in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, morels, and salt and pepper to taste, and pulse until the mushrooms are finely chopped but not pasty.
  4. When you start cooking the pasta, melt the butter over medium heat in the big skillet. Add the pesto, and cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the shallots are soft. Add the olive oil, stir to blend, and keep warm on low heat until the pasta is cooked al dente. Toss the pasta with the pesto. Fold in the cheese and breadcrumbs, and serve hot.
  5. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley, and more Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Information

Category
Main Dishes, Pasta
Cuisine
North American
Yield
Serves 2 to 4.
Gwyneth Paltrow Lands June Bon Appetit Cover
Food News

Yummy Links: From Shark's Fin to Horse Meat

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Source: Flickr User InterContinental Hong Kong

A Food's Color Can Change the Way It Tastes
Food News

Would You Eat Gray Cheetos?

Earlier today I watched an interesting clip on Good Morning America about how a food's color affects perception of taste.
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Earlier today I watched an interesting clip on Good Morning America about how a food's color affects perception of taste. In the video, children and adults are given the same flavor of jello and chocolate pudding, but it's been dyed several different colors. Both the tots and grown-ups assume each color is a different flavor.

Most food is artificially colored in some way and at the end of the segment they point out that showing the natural color of certain junk foods, like Cheetos, might get more people to stop eating them. Cheetos are naturally gray and they're given a bright orange artificial color. Would you eat them, and other junk foods, in their natural state? How do you feel about artificially colored foods?

Source: Flickr User jeffeaton

Foods to Try in Hawaii
Hawaii

Top 10 Tastes to Tackle in Hawaii

It was the surf and sand that drew me to Hawaii, but one year and two trips later, I can say for sure that it's the food that's gotten me hooked.
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Spam Musubi

It was the surf and sand that drew me to Hawaii, but one year and two trips later, I can say for sure that it's the food that's gotten me hooked. Sure, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, and other metropolitan cities are notable dining destinations, but for an entirely enlightening cultural experience, take a trip outside the continental US to visit America's 50th state.

Abundant natural resources and a rich history of Polynesian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean settlers makes Hawaiian food one of the most intriguing cuisines in the world. It's an unlikely mishmash of Portuguese baked goods, Korean barbecued meats, and all-American picnic favorites, which guarantees dining in the islands will never be dull. Here are a few of the state's most iconic bites.

Poke Plate Lunches Malasadas Lomi Lomi Salmon Haupia Shave Ice Spam Musubi
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Would You Register For China?
Wedding

Would You Register For China?

Since I'm a huge fan of entertaining, and in particular hosting dinner parties, one of the things I'm looking forward to is selecting a beautiful set of china.
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Since I'm a huge fan of entertaining, and in particular hosting dinner parties, one of the things I'm looking forward to is selecting a beautiful set of china. Although I'm currently single, when I get married, I'm definitely registering for it! However, the tradition of china can spark debate. Many modern couples don't throw dinners, and others don't have the storage space for a second set of dining ware, so they simply won't register for china. How do you feel about it?

Ramp Pesto Recipe
onsugar

Ramp Pesto

Enjoy ramps while they last!
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Enjoy ramps while they last! Need a place to start? Take a nod from OnSugar blog Fresh Tart and make garlicky ramp pesto.

ramp pesto

The calendar says May, but the temperature reads February, with mean little snow flurries icing our not-spring cake.

It pretty much sucks.

But there are ramps!  Lovely, garlicky-grassy ramps, which taste like spring, and that means something.

There's a recipe — and more! — after the break

How to Cook Fiddlehead Ferns
Spring

In Season: Fiddlehead Ferns

If there's any time to prioritize hitting up the farmers market, it's during Spring.
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If there's any time to prioritize hitting up the farmers market, it's during Spring. Blink and you might miss some of the season's most prized — and fleeting — produce, like fiddleheads, the unfurled sprouts of the plant known as the ostrich fern. Harvesting season for these wild greens, which are native to the northeastern United States, only lasts a few short weeks in May, so don't miss out! A few important things to know about cooking with them, when you read more.