Posts for May 24th 2011

Sugar Shout Out: 10 Ways to Wear a Little White Dress
Sugar Shout Out

Sugar Shout Out: 10 Ways to Wear a Little White Dress

From tribal touches to neon accents, spice up your little white dress Justin Bieber flaunts tattoos and hits the beach with bikini-clad Selena Pancetta-wrapped asparagus is quick and easy app Stars reveal their favorite drugstore beauty products Oprah's 25 best pointing moments A sneak peek of Stella McCartney Kids' Fall/Winter collection Designer beach towels to keep you stylish in the sand Summer TV preview: what to watch while everything else is off 5 numbers to program into the phone before you leave home How to tone your triceps Weird and wonderful zoo babies: pygmy marmoset Cool effects to add to your digital photos DIY: how to update an old pair of jeans Video: William and Kate return from their honeymoon to meet the Obamas!
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Vegan Barbecue Side Dishes 2011-05-24 14:50:56

20 Vegan Barbecue Sides

Memorial Day is almost here, which for a lot of us means camping, grilling, and backyard parties. And what's great about barbecues are all the side dishes! While classic barbecue side dishes like potato salad and macaroni cheese are favorites for many of us, they don't always work for those following a vegan diet. If you're planning a barbecue this weekend, here are 20 side dishes that will have your vegan friends coming back for seconds.
Ramp Risotto Recipe
recipes

It's Ramp Season! Make Scott Conant's Risotto

There's a reason why foodies are so fanatical about ramps; the wild leeks are the first sure sign that Spring has arrived, especially in areas home to a long Winter.
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There's a reason why foodies are so fanatical about ramps; the wild leeks are the first sure sign that Spring has arrived, especially in areas home to a long Winter. But be aware of their short season: the minute ramps arrive, the window on their availability is already beginning to close.

If you're not deterred by garlicky breath, uncooked ramps have a pungency that adds punch to homemade pesto. Or, enjoy them in a mellower state, as I like to do, by sauteing their stalks and greens until translucent, and slowly melding their sweetness into a rich, creamy risotto. The recipe, when you continue reading.

Scott Conant Ramp Risotto Recipe
recipes

Ramp Risotto

If you can't locate vialone nano rice, try another risotto variety, such as arborio or carnaroli.
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If you can't locate vialone nano rice, try another risotto variety, such as arborio or carnaroli.

Adapted from Scott Conant

Ramp Risotto

Scott Conant Ramp Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ramps
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
1 cup Vialone nano rice (Conant recommends Campanini brand)
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
4 cups chicken broth, simmering in separate pot on stove
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Kosher salt to taste

Directions

  1. In a wide, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Finely chop ramp greens and stalks, reserving greens for later. Add shallot, ramp stalks, and pepper flakes, and stir until the shallot is translucent, about two minutes. Add rice to pot and cook over medium heat for two minutes, stirring to coat rice with oil.
  3. Pour in 1/4 cup of the wine and boil until almost absorbed; a little liquid should remain on top of the rice. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot broth at a time, stirring the rice constantly until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1/4 cup of stock, the remaining wine, and a tablespoon of olive oil, continuing to stir.
  4. Add the ramp greens and more stock as needed and continue cooking and stirring until the risotto looks creamy but is still al dente, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from heat and let the risotto stand for about 30 seconds. Add a drizzle of olive oil, butter, and cheese; stir until well combined. Season with salt, and serve immediately.

Makes four first-course portions, or two regular-sized portions.

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Food Network Show Extreme Chef Premieres June 30
TV

Are You Over Cooking Reality TV Shows?

Between the Top Chef franchise, Next Iron Chef, and Food Network Star, there are probably enough reality TV cooking competitions to comprise an entire network.
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Between the Top Chef franchise, Next Iron Chef, and Food Network Star, there are probably enough reality TV cooking competitions to comprise an entire network. But the buck doesn't stop there.

On June 30, Food Network's Extreme Chef will air, taking a set of brave chefs to a new level of thrill and adventure. We're talking gathering ingredients from a bucket of rattlesnakes, cooking off a hot car engine, and making a meal on a deserted island! Exciting stuff, people.

I've got to be honest: my enthusiasm for cooking reality TV shows has long waned. And with America's Next Great Restaurant getting canceled, and an utterly lackluster Top Chef Masters 3, I can't help but think the rest of the country's interest has ebbed, too.

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Granola Bars, S'mores Cake, and More Delicious Food Stuff From the Web
Link Time

Yummy Links: From Granola Bars to S'mores Terrine

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Pork Cooking Temperature Lowered to 145
Cooking Basics

Pork Is OK Pink

This morning, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a new guideline when it comes to cooking pork.
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This morning, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a new guideline when it comes to cooking pork. Tenderloin, chops, and roasts are safe to be consumed when they reach a temperature of 145°F. The pork should be allowed to rest for three minutes before eating. It will still be pink, but it will also be succulent and delicious.

The lower pork cooking temp is one that has been practiced by chefs for years. Of the news, Tom Colicchio tweeted, "USDA confirms what chefs have been saying for years Pink Pork is Safe. Temperature 145 down from 160," while chef Michael Symon said, "wish they dropped it 10 more degrees!!" I've always enjoyed pork medium rare, so the news won't really affect my cooking style.

How about you? Are you OK with pink pork?

Source: Flickr User tvol

Fast and Easy Pasta Dinners
Fast and Easy Dinner

Fast and Easy Pastas to Add to Your Dinner Arsenal

Do your glands salivate at the sound of spicy bacon spaghetti?
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Fast and Easy Pasta Dinners

Do your glands salivate at the sound of spicy bacon spaghetti? Does your "last meal" scenario involve ribbons of perfectly al dente pasta? If so, here's something right up your alley. It's a compilation of our favorite go-to weeknight pasta meals. From sausage to strawberries, there's little that can't be made better with the addition of some bucatini or tagliatelle. For more inspired workday Italian, keep reading.

Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Asparagus Rotini Pasta With Fresh Tomato Sauce Spaghetti With Strawberries Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad Secret Single Pasta Rigatoni With Ricotta and Beets Spicy Scallop Capellini
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What It's Like to Host a Cheese Seminar
community

A Look at Laura Werlin's Lastest Cheesecapade

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel the world teaching seminars on cheese?
by Guest Writer

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel the world teaching seminars on cheese? We have, so we asked the food industry's most glamorous cheese lady, Laura Werlin, to give us a glimpse at her delicious life! Here, she shares a recent experience.

Most people don’t feel sorry for me when I tell them I have to go to places like Aspen, Pebble Beach, South Beach and similar hardship locations to conduct cheese and wine pairings (not). This week’s trip was no exception. I got to go to the other mile-high city, Boulder, to talk grilled cheese and wine.

The event was a fundraiser for Attention Homes, which is a pretty amazing organization that provides residential treatment and shelter to at-risk kids between the ages of 12 and 18. Attention Homes is also heavily involved in helping the area’s approximately 150 homeless kids by getting them the help they need.

Who ever thinks much about the problem of homeless kids? Evidently it’s a much bigger problem than we knew. But I digress. What better way to shine the spotlight on such a great organization than through the joie de vivre that comes from an evening devoted to good cheese and wine in a fantastic setting?

To learn what kind of sandwiches she served, keep reading.