A Weird Kitchen Crisis

All kinds of things can go wrong in the kitchen, but what do you do when the knob handle on your biggest pot lid falls off?  I had used this lid, which fits on my largest pot as well as a large frying pan, for several decades.

I tried to fix it, but

Candied Walnuts: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?

Candied walnuts are an extra-special treat added to salads.  They provide crunch and sweetness—something a little extra that even the crispest radishes or cucumbers can’t give you.  You can also add them to cookie batter, knead them into a homemade coffee cake or press them into the icing on a cake. 

Candied walnuts are also a satisfying snack.  They’re easy to make, and they keep for months in the fridge.  If you don't have any walnuts, pecans are a good substitute.

Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons: What Are They and How Do I Use Them?

This is an easy question, and you probably know the answer. But I bet you don’t always use these cooking tools when you should.  I know I don’t, and sometimes the end result suffers.

When I don’t use them?

Old Cookbooks

I was cleaning out my cookbook collection this morning and stumbled on some very odd recipes in some equally odd cookbooks.  Brussels Sprouts in Cream, White Salad and Pear Macaroon Salad. What on earth was I thinking when I bought these books?

I guess it was my way of avoiding the bland, boring dishes I usually ate when I was growing up.  I had my first Eggs Benedict in college and my first Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce (so exotic to me at the time) a few months after joining the New York working world.  Tabbouleh Salad at my local Lebanese restaurant was an eye-opener.

The Healthy Reuben Bagel

There’s nothing like biting into a Reuben Sandwich and having corned beef juice dribbling down your face and sauerkraut falling into your lap.  The Reuben Sandwich of my dreams is so stuffed with these ingredients, plus melted Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread, that I can barely get it into my mouth.

I happily dealt with that problem for years until I decided that too much fatty meat was not good for me.  So I gave up eating Reuben Sandwiches. But I never forgot the taste.

Then I bought a dozen mixed bagels and discovered a rye bagel in the bag.  “Aha!” I thought.  “Time for a Reuben Sandwich.”

Question for Mom

I have a recipe that calls for BBQ sauce, but I don’t have any.  Can you suggest a substitute? – Daryl W.

Make your own BBQ sauce.  It’s easy, although it’s only worth it if you already have most of the ingredients.

Childhood Food Memories

Whenever I talk to my lifelong friend Lynne, we usually find ourselves reminiscing about our teen years.  Those conversations remind me how good Lynne’s house always smelled when I’d stop by after school.  Her mother was a first-class baker, and she apparently spent many afternoons making bread, cakes, cookies and cloverleaf rolls.

Maybe Lynne’s mother, whom I will call Mrs. B, is the reason I was never daunted by yeast

Cooking Fast Often Means Cooking Small

Early in my kitchen days I figured out that the quickest way to get cooked meat, potatoes and vegetables on the table was to cut them up into small pieces before cooking them.  It takes more than 1 hour to roast a chicken, 20 minutes to poach a boneless chicken breast in water, 8 minutes to grill or broil a skewer of chicken kebabs and 2 minutes to stir-fry 1/2-thick strips of chicken.  If I were truly in a hurry, stir-fry was my cooking method of choice.

Similar timetables hold true for beef, lamb and pork.

Easiest Ever Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Unless you’re wedded to can-shaped cranberry sauce, make your own.  It’s probably the easiest dish you will ever create, and you will be unduly praised for it.

Of course, there is always a way to go wrong—adding too much water.  My mother often wound up with cranberry soup.  But even that can be remedied by continuing to cook the cranberry sauce until the excess water boils away.

The Plantain: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

The first time I saw a plantain in the produce aisle, I thought, “Who would buy this overripe banana?”  The skin was mostly black.  In fact, the whole pile of what I thought were big bananas looked ready for the compost pile.

Banana at top, Plantain below

Here’s what I didn’t know:

Mom Money-Saving Tip 24

Save money by making your own garlic mayonnaise: mix 2 tablespoons store-bought mayonnaise with 1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1/8 teaspoon dried dill and a few drops olive oil. The olive oil gives the mayonnaise a slightly golden hue and suggests it’s homemade.

See all my Money-Saving Tips!

Mom Money-Saving Tip 15

Do you frequently make your own pizza? Instead of paying for bottled pizza sauce, spend much less on an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. Mix in a few tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir and use.  Penzeys makes its own Pizza Seasoning(ingredients undisclosed).

See all my Money-Saving Tips!

Spelling Appetizer Is Easier Than Spelling Hors d’oeuvre

Roasted Beets, Feta Cheese and Candied Walnuts with Mixed Greens (photo by Andy Mills)

I first heard the word ‘appetizer’ when I was a kid, helping my mother set up a card table in the living room.  We’d put out a pitcher of tomato juice and a plate of Ritz Crackers.  The red and gold color combo worked for me.  I felt very grown up with my glass of TJ and a cracker, waiting for dinner to be served.

My next encounter with appetizers came a few years later on New Year’s Eve.  My friend Lynne was visiting, and our task was making appetizers for my parents’ friends.  We used a gadget that looked like a miniature cookie press—a 2-inch-long metal tube with a plunger at one end.