Which Pork Chops Should I Buy? Thick pork chops (about 1- to 1 1/4-inches thick) are best for brining and cooking if you want to keep the meat from drying out. The bone-in chops are my favorite—I think they have more flavor, like anything that is cooked on the bone. You can also use boneless chops, which are actually bone-in rib chops with the bone cut away. Both are very lean, which leads me to the next point....
Video: How to Make Easy Poached Salmon Start to finish, it takes only 15 minutes (at least with a small fillet), and it doesn’t stink up the kitchen the way broiling or frying salmon can. The method we use is “shallow poaching.” Rather than submerging the salmon into a poaching liquid, we rest it on a bed of shallots, parsley, and dill, with a little white wine and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook....
The soup consists of onions, celery, garlic, yukon gold potatoes, corn, green poblano chiles, and chicken stock. Near the end, you swirl in cream (chiles love cream) to balance out the heat of the chiles, and add a splash of lime juice for brightness. It’s like a green chile tamale, in soup form. So good! Green chiles are always better if you roast them first, blackening them either over a grill, on a gas stove, or under a broiler, to give them more flavor and to help remove the tough outer skin....
“These,” she said, pointing to the bright red jaw-breaker sized orbs in the thorny shrubs, “are rose hips. And mom says people make jelly out of them.” We were surrounded by thousands of them. “Sure!” said I. Thank God for the Internet. A Quick Rose Hip Primer So, what are rose hips? They are the seed pods of roses; if you leave the flowers alone to wither on the plant instead of picking them, they will produce rose hips....
It wasn’t until I started eating poke bowls a few years ago that I warmed up to the idea of dishes with raw fish! What Is a Poke Bowl? A poke bowl (pronounced po-kay!) is a Hawaiian dish of diced fresh fish served on top of rice with plenty of extra fixings like avocado, radishes, and cucumbers. The fish is usually tuna, but salmon and other sashimi-quality fish can be used as well....
For my Memorial Day BBQ, we huddled around the fireplace, while the brave ones (or those more appropriately dressed for the weather) manned the grill. I don’t want to complain too loudly though, lest some of you enduring the heat wave that’s sitting on much of the country send those searing temps back towards us. We’ll get our share later, I can assure you. For those of you who do find yourself in stifling heat, and are looking for something cooling, I can recommend this cucumber salad, recipe courtesy of a certain tall, dark, and handsome Frenchman....
To start the week, there’s sautéed shrimp that cooks up in no time, quesadillas, and an easy steak salad. And for after the holiday, there are recipes to use up some of that leftover ham or turkey in a hearty chili and a simple-yet-satisfying sandwich. All of these recipes are designed to take minimal effort, but I threw in a few other suggestions in case minimalism just isn’t in your DNA....
This winter comfort food that everyone can enjoy! Pumpkin is a nutritional superstar: it’s low in calories, high in fiber, and provides more than double your daily dose of Vitamin A in just one serving. Plus it tastes great! I’ve replaced the butter, milk, and cream you’ll find in many pumpkin soup recipes with coconut milk and coconut oil. These ingredients give the soup its richness and creaminess. The coconut flavor also pairs nicely with the pumpkin – it’s subtle and not overly sweet....
A baguette is thinly sliced and toasted into crostini, the base for this bite-sized starter. The toppings are delicious layers of tangy cream cheese, pickled cucumbers, and cured salmon. The combination of crunchy toast, velvety cheese, pungent cucumbers, and briny seafood makes for a crowd-pleasing hors d’oeuvre. What’s great is you can make the toasts, pickles, and spread several days ahead for quick and easy assembly so that you can enjoy your guests....
Carrie and I share something in common when it comes to pretzels— our favorite version comes from Pennsylvania. I went to college outside the City of Brotherly Love and I have vivid memories of traveling into the city for a day of museums and wandering along South Street. These trips always included at least one (maybe two) street vendor soft pretzels. The buttery crust. The sharp crunch of the salt....
This was how greens were supposed to be served—alive, vigorous and most of all, emerald green. So you can imagine my shock when I first encountered Southern-style collard greens. My First Time Eating Collard Greens It was more than 20 years ago. I was one of the only white employees of a black-owned weekly newspaper in Madison, WI. At some point in springtime we all gathered for a company picnic, and these greens were part of the spread....
Migas in Spanish literally mean crumbs, and the Spanish ‘migas del pastor’ is associated with a shepherd’s dish of combining the fried crumbs with whatever meat or vegetables might be at hand. You can find both Mexican and Tex-Mex style migas but they are not the same as Spanish Migas. My version of Spanish Migas is made with softened peppers, tomatoes, and asparagus infused with the meaty flavors of bacon and dry-cured chorizo then crowned with a fried egg all while dotted with torn pieces of toasty bread....
Here, the Bloody Mary picks up Mexican ingredients and opts for tequila instead of vodka, with layers of smoky chipotle in adobo. Fresh orange juice and zest add sunny flavors, while a few ounces of crisp beer make the drink a bit lighter and more refreshing. Basically, this is the perfect cocktail for sipping with breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros, or chilaquiles! What Kind of Tequila Should I Use in a Bloody Mary?...
According to The American Century Cookbook, recipes first starting showing up for Swiss steak in the 1930s. Reynolds Wrap Aluminum popularized it in the late 40s by promoting the recipe as a use for its foil. Their recipe had you line a roasting pan with foil and cook the steak in the oven. (Ours below is done on the stovetop.) The “Swiss” in Swiss Steak has nothing to do with Switzerland, but refers to the process of tenderizing a tough cut of meat....
There are several things to consider when buying an ice maker because most have different features. You should look for a countertop ice maker that makes your preferred shape of ice, particularly if you’re a fan of nugget/pellet ice. Speed is another factor to look into, especially if you like to entertain larger groups and don’t want to run out of ice mid-party. Lastly, if you’re concerned about maintenance, it’s best to choose a self-cleaning model....
Trader Joe’s offers a diverse selection of reasonably-priced wines, sometimes at lower prices than the same bottles sold in other wine shops. Here are seven wines under $11—plus, one that comes in at about $22—that I recommend for any holiday table: 1. La Burgondie Crémant de Bourgogne ($10.99) Produced by a well-known French winery that also creates very high-end wines, this sparkling wine bubbles with flavors of strawberry and apples....
But because espresso beverages can be pricey, true devotees seek out ways to get their fix at home, and the Nespresso machine (which uses pre-loaded capsules of espresso to create coffee drinks) makes that process extremely easy and user-friendly. Nespresso offers a wide array of different capsule types to use with its machines. So, I did the research and taste-tested a few of my picks. I brewed up the pods in my Nespresso machine, slurped and sloshed the espresso like it’s a fancy wine, and rated them on the classic coffee elements (bitterness, acidity, saltiness, and sweetness)....
Whoever thought of soaking bread and frying it should be nominated for sainthood. This recipe uses gluten-free bread and a vegan batter so that everyone at the table can enjoy a slice. Top with caramelized bananas for an extra-decadent breakfast. Typically, gluten-free bread leaves a lot to be desired, but this batter of almond milk, pureed banana, and chia seeds transforms any sad slice of bread into a star. In fact, this dish is so delicious you could fool any French toast aficionado into believing you used regular dairy milk and eggs!...
But I actually prefer ice cream made with coconut milk over ice cream made with eggs and dairy any day of the week. I love the flavor and natural sweetness of coconut milk, and think it really shines when made into ice cream. If you’ve never made dairy-free ice cream before, you’re in for a treat: it doesn’t require much in the way of fancy ingredients. I’ll walk you through making the ice cream base below, but a few things to know first:...
