While perusing the Cook’s Illustrated website recently, I saw that they now have a radio show and hot line for asking cooking questions. I love these people! Call their toll-free number, leave a message with your cooking-related question, and Christopher Kimball (creator of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated) might choose your question to answer on the America’s Test Kitchen radio show. You can also email us your questions to: atk@americastestkitchen.com

Each episode of America’s Test Kitchen Radio features food and cookware recommendations and in-depth interviews. To listen online, click here.

Tags: America's Test Kitchen, America's Test Kitchen Hot Line, America's Test Kitchen Radio, Christopher Kimball, Cook's Illustrated, cooking question

During the Fall and winter months, I like to have cookies baking or a small pan of spiced cider simmering on the stove when I’m expecting company. The moment I open my front door, my guests are greeted with the wonderful fragrance of warm spices. I think it’s a great way of saying, “Welcome to my home”.

What do you do to welcome guests to your home?

Tags: Christmas, cookies baking, entertaining, fragrant house, handy hint, holidays, spiced cider

While searching for recipes the other day, I came across a Holiday Helpers Hotline list (say that 3 times fast) from the fine folks at Saveur Magazine. So if you find yourself in a pickle while making the holiday meal, don’t panic…just call one of the hotlines or visit one of the websites. Also, for those of you still making a Thanksgiving meal game plan, the Butterball website has a handy portion calculator to help you figure out how big of a turkey to buy (and many other great turkey tips). Good luck!

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line
(800/BUTTERBALL; butterball.com)
For 30 years, turkey savants have been fielding more than 100,000 questions annually in the weeks before Thanksgiving. Most frequently asked: “How do I thaw this thing?”

Crisco Pie Hotline
(877/FOR-PIE-TIPS; crisco.com)
Let the pie pros coach you past soggy crusts and failed fillings, aided by online instructions at Crisco Pie Central.

Kentucky Legend Ham Hotline
(866/343-5058)
These folks give advice on buying, cooking, and carving ham. They also advise home cooks on what to do with all that’s left over. One suggested solution entails using mushrooms and whipping cream to make a version of ham à la king.

Ocean Spray Helpline
(800/662-3263)
The experts here can help alleviate cranberry fatigue with fresh recipes for cocktails, salads, and desserts like cranberry—ginger upside-down cake. If you opt against serving canned cranberry sauce, Ocean Spray operators will tell you how to make your own at home.

Tags: Butterball hotline, Crisco hotline, helpline, Holiday meal help, hotline, Kentucky Legend Ham hotline, Ocean Spray hotline, Saveur Magazine, Thanksgiving meal, Thanksgiving meal crisis, Thanksgiving meal help

Tips on Freezing Soups
-from The Foster’s Market Cookbook by Sara Foster with Sarah Belk King

 Since soup usually is made in large quantities, some, or all, of it is likely to be frozen for later use. Here are some tips for freezing soup:

• Before putting soup into the freezer, let the mixture cool to room temperature, then chill it uncovered in the refrigerator and skim the fat off the top before freezing.
• Always store soups in tightly sealed containers, leaving a little space at the top for the soup to expand as it freezes.
• Soups with heavy cream, sour cream, milk, half-and-half, yogurt, and buttermilk break down when frozen. If the recipe calls for these ingredients, do not add them until the frozen soup has been thawed. Heavy cream and sour cream can be added to reheated soups and even brought to a boil. Milk and half-and-half can be added to soups and reheated, but only at a low boil. Yogurt and buttermilk should be added only to cold soups, since they break down when heated.
• Soups calling for pasta or rice are best if made up to the point of adding the pasta or rice. Freeze as directed above. When ready to serve, thaw the soup and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta or rice and cook until the pasta is al dente or until the rice is just tender.

Tags: freezing, freezing soups, Handy Hints, Sara Foster, The Foster's Market Cookbook, tips

It’s the middle of July and we’re full-swing into summer…and, yes, it’s still raining here in Portland. Regardless of the weird weather, our local farmers’ markets are brimming with great produce, artisan foods and handmade products. These people work hard, rain or shine, so let’s get out there and support them!

Check out one of these links to find a farmers’ market near you:
Oregon Farmers’ Markets
Local Harvest 

Do you have a favorite farmers’ market?

Tags: farm fresh, farmers market, fresh produce, local harvest, vegetables, veggies

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Prime, Choice or Select steak was? Here’s an explanation of this USDA grading system and what you should look for when buying steaks.

How to Select the Best Steak
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tip/how-to-select-the-best-steak.html
 
No matter what the cooking method, the same criteria apply to choosing steaks. Look for meat that is bright red with streaks of fat, or marbling, running through it. The red indicates that the meat is freshly cut, while the fat in the interior, most of which drains away during cooking, provides juiciness and flavor. Exterior fat should be white to ivory and firm to the touch.

In the United States, all beef is inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but grading is voluntary. Marbling is the main way beef is graded and priced in U.S. markets. The more marbling, the more tender, flavorful and expensive the beef will be.

- Prime meat, the highest-quality meat with the most marbling, is found mainly in luxury restaurants but has been making its way into more retail markets in the last few years.

- Choice meat, well marbled and tender, is available at many quality markets and butcher shops.

- Select meat, with little to no marbling, is the grade most commonly stocked in supermarkets.

Many supermarkets have their own grading system, which can sound similar to USDA grades; ask the butcher or read the label carefully. Officially graded meat will carry the USDA designation.

Tags: Beef, how to select the best steak, steaks, USDA

I’m always interested in learning more about what makes baking work. Sure, there’s the chemistry behind a recipe that can render a moist cake or one that is as dry as toast. But there are other things besides ingredients that can make a big difference in your baking. I found some handy baking information in one of my books called How To Break An Egg by the fine folks at Fine Cooking Magazine.

Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans: Your Choice Affects Cooking Times and Crustiness
-from How To Break An Egg: 1,453 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, Emergency Substitutions, and Handy Techniques by Fine Cooking Magazine

Size isn’t the only thing that counts when choosing a pan from the many in your cupboard. The material it’s made of will affect both the baking time and the color of your breads, pies, cakes, and brownies.

Glass pans give food a darker, browner crust, so they’re generally best for breads and pies, which benefit from a deeply baked exterior. Because of the way glass transfers heat in the oven, it will bake both faster and darker than most metal pans (the exceptions are very dark, heavy-gauge metal pans, like the black steel pans used in professional kitchens. These intense heat conductors cook quickly and will also turn out appealing, dark crusts).

Lighter colored pans give you a paler crust, which is what you want with delicate cakes and brownies. Light-colored aluminum and shiny stainless-steel pans reflect more heat than glass and dark metal pans. This may mean your baked goods will need a bit more time to finish cooking, but it also means the sugar and chocolate in these pastries won’t be as likely to burn.

Avoid flimsy metal pans, which often bake unevenly and tend to warp at high temperatures.

Tags: Baking, glass vs. metal baking pans, Handy Hints

If you’re someone who uses a slow cooker (whether frequently or infrequently), here’s some handy hints for getting the most out of this popular appliance:

Eleven Tips for Slow Cooker Meals
-from foodnetwork.com

Slow cookers are a wonderful way to make a meal. The key to creating a delicious slow-cooked meal? Knowing the rules. Follow these 11 tips, and you’ll be creating warm, hearty recipes all year long:

1. Temperatures must reach at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe slow cooking. (The low heat on most models is about 200 degrees F.)
2. To keep foods out of the food danger zone, always use fully thawed meats. Don’t use whole chickens or roasts; cut the meat or poultry into chunks to ensure thorough cooking.
3. For best results, a slow cooker should be between half and two thirds full.
4. Resist temptation to open the lid during the cooking process — each peek you take will add an additional 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. Also curb your urge to stir; it’s usually not necessary.
5. Cooking on low heat takes about twice as long as cooking on high heat. A general rule of thumb is that “low heat” means about 200 degrees and “high heat” is about 300 degrees.
6. The ceramic insert in a slow cooker can crack if exposed abrupt temperature shifts. Don’t put a hot ceramic insert directly on a cold counter; always put a dish towel down first. Likewise, don’t put a ceramic insert straight from the refrigerator into a preheated base.
7. You can certainly just pile food into the slow cooker and turn it on, but some recipes come out a lot better with a little prep time. Browning meat — especially ground meat — and sautéing vegetables in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker will greatly improve the flavor of your meal. If you dredge your meat in a little flour before browning, you will get a thicker sauce.
8. For high altitude cooking, add an additional 30 minutes for each hour of time specified in the recipe. Legumes take about twice as long as they would at sea level.
9. Fat retains heat better than water, so fattier foods, like meat, will cook faster than less fatty foods, like vegetables. For more even cooking, trim excess fat off of meats. If you’re cooking a dish with both meat and root vegetables, place the vegetables on the bottom and sides of the insert and put the meat on top.
10. Dairy products, like sour cream, milk or yogurt, tend to break down in the slow cooker. To prevent this, add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
11. If you’re adapting a favorite recipe to the slow cooker, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Liquid is not going to evaporate, so cut back on the liquids by about 20 percent.
• If you’re using herbs, select whole leaves and spices, and use half the normal amount.
• If you’re using ground herbs, add them in the last hour of cooking.

Tags: crock pot, crockpot, slow cooker, tips for using a slow cooker

I found a list of get-happy foods in Woman’s Day Magazine recently. Unfortunately, chocolate didn’t make the list. WHATEVER! All I know is Husband will be in BIG trouble if he ever offers me a can of sardines when I’m PMSing! Anyway, here it is…snacks to boost your mood:

The Best Get-Happy Foods
-from Woman’s Day Magazine, by Abigail L. Cuffey

Fight stress and depression with five nutrient-buffed snacks. Sorry, ice cream isn’t on the list! But the following foods do have nutrients that can help fight stress and depression, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness.

Oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits:
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: Vitamin C
This vitamin helps you cope better in stressful times by lowering your levels of stress hormones. If you get a lot regularly, you’ll feel calmer during tough situations.

Nuts:
Mood-Boosting Ingredients: Vitamin E, arginine (an amino acid) and magnesium
A handful of nuts will keep you full and satisfied because they have a low glycemic index-which means they don’t jack up your blood sugar levels and cause mood swings. It also makes you feel good to eat something that seems decadent (they’re considered a little bit naughty because they’re high in fat) but actually has health benefits.

Leafy greens:
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: Folic Acid
Research has shown that the folic acid in leafy greens such as kale and spinach can reduce depression and even improve blood flow to the brain. If you’re not eating at least one serving per day you’re more than likely low in folic acid, so try getting more or consider taking a multivitamin that contains it.

Salmon:
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid)
The omega-3s in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines have been found to improve your mood while lowering the risk of depression and age-related memory loss. The depression link is so strong that American Psychiatric Association suggests that anyone taking antidepressants and/or going through therapy also boost her intake of omega 3s.

Dried cherries:
Mood-Boosting Ingredients: Potassium, magnesium and vitamin C
These nutrients all work to curb your body’s stress response. Dried cherries also keep your brain healthy because they’re packed with antioxidants (including vitamin C), which prevent damage to your brain cells that can lead to memory problems.

Tags: citrus, dried cherries, foods to boost your mood, get happy foods, leafy greens, mood lifters, nuts, salmon

If you’ve got lots of candy canes and you’re wondering what to do with them, here’s a few ideas I found at MarthaStewart.com. 

The Candy Cane Can
-tips from Martha Stewart Everyday Food and MarthaStewart.com 

More than 1.8 billion of these holiday hooks are made each year. Luckily, candy canes are tasty additions to lots of seasonal treats.

Hot-Cocoa Stirrer: Mix things up in a classic winter drink: Add a candy-cane “spoon.” It melts in the liquid for extra flavor.

Fudge Topper: Make Homemade Holiday Fudge an even sweeter gift with crushed peppermint. This is a great way to use leftover candy canes — simply put them in a zip-top plastic bag and then pound with a kitchen mallet.

Minty Bark: A holiday favorite, Minty Bark gets a cool crunch with peppermints. Blend crushed candy canes into melted white chocolate. Little elves can help break the bark into pieces and pack it in tins for gifts.

Candy-Cane-Chip Ice Cream: Kids love ice cream any time of the year. For a December-style treat, stir crushed peppermints into softened vanilla ice cream and freeze until firm. Serve with more candy on top.

Peppermint Sauce: Stir together equal parts cream and crushed candy canes over medium heat until smooth, then immediately whisk in some white chocolate until melted. Drizzle on brownies for a festive dessert.

Tags: candy cane hot cocoa, candy cane ice cream, candy canes, Christmas, holidays, minty bark, peppermint sauce