Dude! That IS a good idea!

I am not the biggest fan of Crock-Pot cooking.  It gives me the he-be-ge-bees thinking of all of that pale toned overcooked gunk most people make.  I am sorry if I am stepping on toes here but throwing a piece of meat in the crock covering it with vegetables and water and calling it stew in 12 hours is not food.  There are exceptions to the rule though, the folks at Americas Test Kitchen know how to get it done.  I can say that their slow cooker Beef Burgundy is exceptionally tasty.

Here is another great idea.  Now I am going to step on another toe and tell you that these are NOT baked potatoes.  These are STEAMED potatoes.  But it does count as a kick ass idea.  My hat is off to you Skiptomylou!

See original story here: Skiptomylou


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Enjoy!

Yes, Water for Chocolate

So I have taken some time off and have not posted in a while but here we go!  For Valentines Day I have this for you:  It seems that  another Rule that shall never be broken has yes, you guessed it...been broken.  We have always been told "DO NOT MIX WATER AND CHOCOLATE"!  Now leave it to some crazy French Chemist to do just that and would you believe it!  Something magical happened:

Here is the link to the whole article on Food52.

But here is the video:



Enjoy!

Presidents Dinner

Asparagus Bisque

Hazelnut crusted halibut with herbed burre blanc mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and green beans in brown butter.

By request, Dawn's incredible Hazelnut cheesecake.

Ruhlman's Bread App

I am a big fan of Michael Ruhlman so I had no problem forking over some cash for his bread app. Here is my first shot at making some sandwich bread, Ruhlman style.

On Demand: 10 Food Movies & TV Shows on Netflix Instant | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

On Demand: 10 Food Movies & TV Shows on Netflix Instant | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

Make or Buy? Tomato Ketchup

Make or Buy? Tomato Ketchup | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

I have made my own ketchup. It's not hard and you might like the outcome. No, it wont be identical to your favorite bottle but that's the point!

COST BREAKDOWN

• Heinz Tomato Ketchup (40 oz bottle)
TOTAL: $2.50
PER SERVING (1 Tablespoon): $0.02

• Homemade Ketchup
1 28-oz. can tomato puree: $1.95
1 medium yellow onion: $1.30
1 clove garlic: $0.06
1⁄2 fresh jalapeño: $0.15
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar: $0.10
1⁄2 cup cider vinegar: $0.30
Pinch cayenne: $0.05
Pinch celery salt: $0.05
Pinch dry mustard: $0.05
Pinch ground allspice: $0.05
Pinch ground cloves: $0.05
Pinch ground ginger: $0.05
Pinch ground cinnamon: $0.05
Salt and freshly ground black pepper: $0.00
Spices are roughly calculated

TOTAL (3 cups): $4.21
PER SERVING (1 Tablespoon): $0.09

My kids would eat that...maybe!

Gourmet Asks the Toughest Critics in the World to Test Pizza--Kids! - Food on Shine

PIZZA WITH FONTINA, PROSCIUTTO, AND ARUGULA

SERVES4

• ACTIVE TIME:10 MIN
• START TO FINISH:30 MIN

DECEMBER 2006

No time to heat up a pizza stone? This easy alternative method yields a crisp crust in just minutes. Good-quality cheese, olive oil, and prosciutto go a long way toward making the pie truly memorable.

• 1 lb pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• 3/4 lb well-chilled Italian Fontina (see cooks’ note), any rind discarded
• 1 garlic clove, forced through a garlic press
• 1/4 lb loosely packed baby arugula (4 cups)
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto
• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Freshly ground black pepper

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

a 17- by 14-inch sheet of parchment paper

• Put a large heavy baking sheet (17 by 14 inches) on lowest rack of oven, then preheat oven to 500°F.
• Meanwhile, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, stretching corners with your hands to form a 16- by 13-inch rectangle. (Dough will be easier to roll out as it warms.) Transfer to a large tray lined with sheet of parchment paper. Lightly prick dough all over with a fork, then slide dough (on parchment) from tray onto hot baking sheet. Bake until top is puffed and pale golden in patches, 6 to 10 minutes. (Prick any large bubbles with a fork and flatten.)
• While crust bakes, shred cheese in a food processor fitted with medium shredding disk (you should have 3 cups).
• Remove crust from oven and brush all over with crushed garlic, then sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake pizza until edge of crust is deep golden and cheese is bubbling and golden in patches, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven, then scatter arugula over pizza and drape prosciutto over arugula. Drizzle with oil and coarsely grind pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

COOKS’ NOTE: In place of the Fontina, you can use 1 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

RECIPE BY LILLIAN CHOU

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROMULO YANES

Enjoy!

Jason