Posts for August 24th 2011

Dessert

4 Desserts We Hope to See on Top Chef Just Desserts — and 4 That We Don't

Staying in this Wednesday night?

Staying in this Wednesday night? Not to worry — with the premiere of Top Chef Just Desserts tonight, there'll be plenty of sugar and spice to keep you occupied. The show, which is back for its second season at 10 p.m., to be hosted once again by Gail Simmons, will feature a new set of pastry chefs living together and facing off in weekly eliminations. There will, obviously, be lots and lots of sweets. Here are four we're hoping will get some screen time — and another four we're hoping to be done with for good.
Photos courtesy of Bravo

grilling

Grill This! Pollo Asado Negro

If you're into Latin cuisine, you've got to get your hands on a copy of Lourdes Castro's Latin Grilling.

If you're into Latin cuisine, you've got to get your hands on a copy of Lourdes Castro's Latin Grilling. A native of Miami with Cuban parents, Castro is a culinary professor and a cookbook author who specializes in accessible food from south of the border. The book is divided into sections by country, and this recipe for pollo asado negro, grilled blackened chicken, is found in the Venezuela section. The marinade ingredients are simple — it's a mixture of garlic, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce — but the resulting chicken is very delicious. It's caramelized, salty, and succulent. It's a great alternative to barbecued chicken and is awesome for entertaining. I recommend serving it with sangria. Keep reading for Castro's recipe.

grilling

Brown Sugar-Crusted Grilled Chicken

From Latin Grilling by Lourdes Castro Brown Sugar-Crusted Grilled ChickenIngredients7 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed Salt 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Black pepper 2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts 2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken legs and thighs 3 limes, cut into wedges Directions Create a garlic paste: Place the crushed garlic cloves on your cutting board and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over them.

From Latin Grilling by Lourdes Castro

Brown Sugar-Crusted Grilled Chicken

Venezuelan Grilled Chicken Recipe 2011-08-24 15:33:36

Ingredients

7 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Black pepper
2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken legs and thighs
3 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. Create a garlic paste: Place the crushed garlic cloves on your cutting board and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over them. Wait a minute or so; you will notice moisture leaching from the garlic. Holding your knife blade almost parallel to the cutting board, scrape the blade over the chopped garlic. Repeat this motion a few times, until the garlic has formed a semisoft paste. (Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle.)
  2. Marinate the chicken: In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chicken, and toss until well coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
  3. Heat the grill to high (550 degrees), close the lid, and wait 15 minutes before continuing. Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.
  4. If using chicken breasts, start them first: Place skin side down on the grill. With the heat on high and the lid open, grill for 10 minutes to crisp the skin and render some fat.
  5. Lower the heat to medium-high (450 degrees), turn the chicken over, add the chicken thighs and legs, and close the lid. Cook for an additional 10 minutes before flipping the chicken a final time. Cook for 10 more minutes, or until the chicken is done. Remove to a platter, garnish with lime wedges, and serve.

Serves 8.

Food News

Burger King's Now On Board the Oatmeal Train

We were just pondering the next big health food trend — and perhaps one to consider is oatmeal, bearing in mind the pivotal role it's taken on as the star of morning menus at Starbucks, Jamba Juice, McDonald's, and other fast food chains.

We were just pondering the next big health food trend — and perhaps one to consider is oatmeal, bearing in mind the pivotal role it's taken on as the star of morning menus at Starbucks, Jamba Juice, McDonald's, and other fast food chains.

Oatmeal's looking like the big cash cow in fast food's breakfast wars. The latest big chain on the oatmeal breakfast train? Burger King, which debuted its whole grain breakfast offering Monday. BK's customers can choose from either the chain's original or fruit-topped maple oatmeal for $1.99 — the exact same price as the pictured oats from McDonald's.

It remains to be seen whether wholesome offerings like oatmeal will help Burger King improve its flagging sales. What do you think?

definition

Know Your Ingredients: Sofrito

If you found the term adobo to be a confusing catchall, then wait until you learn about sofrito.

If you found the term adobo to be a confusing catchall, then wait until you learn about sofrito. Generally speaking, the word describes a combination of aromatics that have been sautéed slowly in cooking oil to make a flavorful sauce. This is used to enhance everything from soups to meat dishes. But despite the fact that the cooking term is widely employed in Latin and Caribbean countries, its specific meaning can differ substantially from one nation's cuisine to another. To understand sofrito's regional differences, read more.

greek yogurt

What's Going to Be the Next Big Health Food Trend?

First it was hummus, then soy milk, then almond milk.

First it was hummus, then soy milk, then almond milk. Now it's Greek yogurt that's the hottest health food trend: sales of brands like Fage and Chobani are through the roof. In just five years, sales of this thick, protein-rich yogurt have grown 2500 percent.

Americans can't seem to stop catching waves of the latest whole foods. But now that açai, goji berry, quinoa, and probiotic yogurt have already been discovered en masse, I can't help but wonder what, if anything, will soon jump the shark. Surely you have some thoughts on what wholesome foods are going to be big next. Share them below!

Cooking Basics

4 Ways to Make a More Exciting Panini

It's National Panini Month and although a panini in Italian refers to any kind of sandwich, I always think of a panini being a hot pressed sandwich.

It's National Panini Month and although a panini in Italian refers to any kind of sandwich, I always think of a panini being a hot pressed sandwich. A crispy panini with gooey melted cheese makes a stellar meal, but it's easy to get caught up in a sandwich filling rut. Tired of the same old ham and cheese? Here's how you can make a more exciting panini:

  1. Add fruit. A fresh blackberry jam pairs perfectly with prosciutto and brie. Sliced peaches add pizazz to pancetta and fontina. Mango and mint take a mozzarella sandwich to a whole new level.
  2. Think outside the condiment box. Mayonnaise and mustard are great, but anything can be spread onto a sandwich to add flavor. Hummus, guacamole, honey, pesto, and salsa are delicious options.
  3. Do dessert. Instead of having a sandwich for lunch, why not have one for dessert? Melted chocolate and nutella taste wonderful in between toasted, buttery bread.
  4. Change up the bread. A panini can be made on any type of bread. Sourdough, focaccia, and ciabatta are perfect vessels for paninis, but so are bagels, croissants, and even hamburger buns!

What's your favorite panini filling?

Source: Flickr User stevendepolo

Food News

Could In-N-Out Be Expanding to a State Near You?

Soon we may have an answer to the question all burger enthusiasts outside of the West have been wondering: will In-N-Out Burger finally expand to the rest of the country?

Soon we may have an answer to the question all burger enthusiasts outside of the West have been wondering: will In-N-Out Burger finally expand to the rest of the country? Now that In-N-Out's opened up a distribution center and several locations in Texas, it's possible that nearby states could soon follow suit. According to the chain's Fort Worth economic development manager, the company is considering expanding to neighboring states.

To maintain freshness and quality, In-N-Out has long held a policy of opening new locations that are within 500 miles of its distribution center in Southern California's Baldwin Park. Now that there's a second distribution hub in Dallas, its track record of opening past locations could support expansion to more than a dozen states, including Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. How would you feel about a new In-N-Out near you?

Source: Flickr User Aaron Friedman