Soeurved » Tricks of the Trade

Popcorn

CJR — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:28:58 +0000

We were scheduled to fly to Boston on February 26th, the day the nor’easter dumped 22 inches of snow on Manhattan. After Delta canceled our 7:30 shuttle, we re-booked ourselves on Amtrak. Facing a 3 1/2-hour train ride, with an additional hour and 1/2 wait before our 9:15 reservation at O Ya, we mollified ourselves by packing a delicious snack: microwave popcorn dusted with chili powder. It travels surprisingly well.

Sunday Supper

CJR — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:03:47 +0000

After I graduated from college, emerging from the hole of academic hermithood that was my undergraduate life, CAR and I vowed to cook Sunday supper together on a regular basis. Although we’ve struggled to stick to the “regular” part of the plan, we usually manage at least one end-of-the-week meal per month. A proper Sunday supper consists of hearty and comforting fare, but stops short of overindulgence; Mondays are sluggish enough as is.

Last night we prepared butternut squash risotto

Mixed greens with fennel, shallot (having inadvertently chopped more than we needed for the risotto), radish, and shaved carrot

And port-poached Anjou pears with cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise

All the poached pear recipes on Epicurious instruct you to combine the wine, sugar, and spices in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and add the pears. We use a different technique: peel, halve, and core several firm but ripe pears. Place them face down in a glass baking dish. Add enough port or red wine to submerge 1/4 of each pear. Add about 1/8 cup of sugar per pear (taste to adjust the sweetness to your liking). Spice it up with cinnamon sticks and/or star anise and/or cloves and/or cardamom and/or ginger and/or vanilla bean. Bake at 350º for about 40 minutes, basting occasionally, until the liquid thickens and the pears become tender.

Chicken Broth

CJR — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:01:41 +0000

Don’t Balk at the “Bawk”

Many soups, stews, and other recipes call for water as their liquid base. Water is flavorless. Substitute chicken broth instead—unless of course chicken clashes with the flavor profile of the dish (as with Bouillabaisse, par exemple).

Believe it or not, Swanson makes our favorite boxed broth. It packs more chicken punch than the Imagine or Pacific Natural Foods versions. Unfortunately, Swanson’s “Certified Organic Chicken Broth” is also difficult to find. Verified NYC locations thus far: UWS Citarella and Fairway aisle 9

Befriend Your Freezer

CJR — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:22:53 +0000

Certain frozen fruits and vegetables taste just as good as their fresh counterparts: peas, corn, and cranberries.

Nuts spoil quickly. Stash your pecans, walnuts, and pine nuts in the freezer to keep them fresh.

Sandwiches require bread. Bread is susceptible to mold. Refrigeration prevents mold, but ruins bread’s consistency. The answer? The freezer. Frozen rolls and slices take less than 1/2 an hour to defrost, retain their texture, and taste fresh. This trick works especially well with baguettes and brioche rolls. Go figure we learned it from a Parisian family friend.