02/11/2010

Dining Out: Dim sum in West Warwick
The savory treats are all made fresh to order

02/10/2010

If Cupid owned a vineyard …
What’s more romantic than a bottle of wine shared between lovers?

New Cranston bakery caters to people and dogs
A new bakery that sells gourmet cupcakes for people, and elegant treats like peanut butter cookies for dogs, has its roots at local farmers’ markets. To have developed products and business at such a grassroots level is a great tale of success in 2010.

Food Notes: Specials galore this Valentine’s weekend
News

Chef’s Secret: Specialty lasagna from Tuscany is worth the effort
A funny thing happened on the way to the Chef’s Secret recipe for Stracci from Walter’s Ristorante d’Italia and chef Walter Potenza. Two women asked for it.

Recipe: Stracci
Stracci

Recipe: Braised Savoy Cabbage
Braised Savoy Cabbage

Recipe: Braised Beef Shanks
Braised Beef Shanks

Choose the right potatoes for mashing
Q: I made mashed potatoes for potato dumplings, but they are too starchy and gummy. Is there a way to fix them?

Bringing back the family dinner in a few easy steps
So, you’re taking the plunge. You’ve decided, darn it, you’re reclaiming family dinner, making it your own, an oasis of contentment among the daily chaos.

Recipe: Flat Roast Chicken
Flat Roast Chicken

Recipe: Mexican Egg Scramble
Mexican Egg Scramble

Recipe: Sausage, Mozzarella and Broccoli Rabe With Shells
Sausage, Mozzarella and Broccoli Rabe With Shells

Beer notes: New tasting spot for Newport Storm; new Sam Adams Noble Pils for spring
There’s a Storm brewing in the City by the Sea; in Boston, voters celebrate spring with the Noble Pils

An unlikely pairing: Bacon and chocolate
It’s also scrumptious with pancakes

Homemade Chocolate-Covered Bacon
Homemade Chocolate-Covered Bacon

Recipe: Apricot-Orange Glazed Salmon
Apricot-Orange Glazed Salmon

Recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks
Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks

Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

Recipe: Braised Tuscan Chicken with Fennel and White Beans
Braised Tuscan Chicken With Fennel and White Beans

Recipe: Baked Shrimp Scampi
Baked Shrimp Scampi

Recipe: London Broil with Potatoes and Peppers
London Broil with Potatoes and Peppers

Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Think pink when love is in the air
Sparkling wine is an essential pour on Valentine’s Day, especially when there are expectations of a sensual, one-on-one dinner. Heighten the sense of the moment by pouring a rosé sparkling wine. You’ll get extra bang for your buck, thanks to the romantic color.

02/04/2010

Dining Out: You can’t beat the burgers at Ozzi’s
Be sure to leave room for a great shake and fries

02/03/2010

Chef Walter’s new venture
Add culinary arts teacher to the Federal Hill restaurant owner, TV personality and cooking school founder’s resumé

Year of Tiger starts with a bang at Johnson & Wales
Ushering in the New Year seems oh so right when it’s done with the fresh and varied flavors of vegetable dishes, salad greens dressed with a miso vinaigrette and lotus root chips, combinations of black rice and sweet potato and banana-mango spring rolls for dessert. When it’s fresh young chefs coming up with the recipes, that’s all the better.

Where to find Asian ingredients
Many of the ingredients for these recipes may be unfamiliar, but they could be at your neighborhood grocery store. Ask. Many, such as prepared miso, are more easily found than you think. If not, you can find them at Whole Foods’ two Providence locations or in Cranston and at Eastside Marketplace, Providence.

Recipe: Selena Hopkins’ Cashew Chow Mein
Selena Hopkins’ Cashew Chow Mein

Recipe: Aaron Pratt’s Tat Soi Salad
Aaron Pratt’s Tat Soi Salad

Recipe: Aaron Pratt’s Blushing Miso Vinaigrette
Aaron Pratt’s Blushing Miso Vinaigrette

Recipe: Christopher J. Ausura’s Seitan Asian Stir Fry
Christopher J. Ausura’s Seitan Asian Stir Fry

Recipe: Christina Manipon’s Vegetarian Pot Stickers
Christina Manipon’s Vegetarian Pot Stickers

Recipe: Pot Sticker Dipping Sauce
Pot Sticker Dipping Sauce

Recipe: Tiffany George’s Black Rice with Sweet Potatoes
Tiffany George’s Black Rice with Sweet Potatoes

Recipe: Kepler Sprinkles and Hazel Wetmore’s Banana and Mango Spring Rolls with Ganache
Kepler Sprinkles and Hazel Wetmore’s Banana and Mango Spring Rolls with Ganache

Eating Out: Several new restaurants in and around R.I.
From Iron Works Tavern in Warwick to Sorellas in North Providence to the Mermaid Cafe in Westerly

Food Notes for Feb. 3
This week and weekend

Chef’s Secret: Warm, sweet bread pudding from Cattails City Grill
Gina Dias just had to write to me after visiting Cattails City Grill in East Providence, first with her husband, David, and then with a few of her girlfriends. She felt she had made a great discovery. They all enjoyed their meals enormously, she said.

Recipe: Cattails Portuguese Sweet Bread Pudding
Cattails Portuguese Sweet Bread Pudding

Recipe: Caramel Sauce
Caramel Sauce

Recipe: Pecan Brittle
Pecan Brittle

Pan-seared scallops from America’s Test Kitchen
Here’s a lovely recipe for a light, antioxidant-rich dinner. I found it in “Light & Healthy 2010” from America’s Test Kitchen. And it made my always hungry husband very happy. Before you start, remove the muscle on the scallops. Now you say you buy clean scallops and there is no muscle, but I beg to differ. In fact, I shared this fact with a friend who just happened to be making scallops that night and she was shocked — shocked to find the small crescent-shaped muscle on many of her scallops. This muscle will be incredibly tough when cooked. And it’s so easy to simply peel it away from the side of the scallop. I had a dozen scallops and all but one had the muscle waiting to be removed. As for this recipe, I made the reduction sauce first and then seared the scallops. That way I was able to make some rice and haricots vert.

Pan-Seared Scallops
Pan-Seared Scallops

Recipe: Pomegranate Juice Reduction
Pomegranate Juice Reduction

Party Food: A quick huddle before the big game
What if you threw a cocktail party and a Super Bowl broke out?

Food Q&A: Oops! I put in too much pepper
Q: Two related questions: “If you make soup or chili too spicy, what can you add to tone it down enough to eat it?” And, “if you add too much pepper to a vegetable soup, is there a way to reduce that taste?”

It’s a secret: You would never guess where some ingredients will turn up
White pepper in your fruit tart? Black beans in your brownies? Prunes in your pasta sauce?

Recipe: Surprise Tomato SauceIt’s a secret: You would never guess where some ingredients will turn up
Surprise Tomato Sauce

Recipe: Clementine Cream Tart
Clementine Cream Tart

A cookbook with recipes for runners or couch potatoes
When Mark Bittman talks, people listen.

Recipe: Pancetta Spaghetti
Pancetta Spaghetti

Recipe: Naan Pizza with Canadian Bacon, Asparagus and Fontina Cheese
Naan Pizza with Canadian Bacon, Asparagus And Fontina Cheese

Recipe: Cape Cod Baked Scallops with Lime
Cape Cod Baked Scallops with Lime

Recipe: Broadmoor Tomato Sauce
Broadmoor Tomato Sauce

Recipe: Chicken Scaloppine with Linguine and Spinach
Chicken Scaloppine with Linguine and Spinach

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake

Cabbage, sausage come together for quick meal
If your cabbage consumption is limited to a creamy deli coleslaw or the occasional helping of tangy sauerkraut, now’s a good time to give the humble vegetable another chance.

Recipe: Hearty Cabbage Skillet Supper
Hearty Cabbage Skillet Supper

02/02/2010

Burrillville meat company expands recall to sopressata products
Sopressata products added to Burrillville meat company’s list, after salmonella is found

01/28/2010

Enjoy cozy, fireside dining at The Little Inn
The Italian-influenced menu is extensive and is carried out with a contemporary flair

01/27/2010

Spice up the dessert lineup with mini parfaits
Is it time for dessert yet?

Recipe: Mix-and-Match Spiced Mousse Minis
Mix-and-Match Spiced Mousse Minis

Recipe: Chocolate Stout Red Velvet Cake
Chocolate Stout Red Velvet Cake

Recipe: Cold-Oven Clove and Crystallized Ginger Cake
Cold-Oven Clove and Crystallized Ginger Cake

Recipe: Chocolate-Biscotti Pudding
Chocolate-Biscotti Pudding

Ben Ford among celebrity chefs coming to Mohegan Sun
Harrison’s eldest boy, a star in his own right, comes to Mohegan Sun this weekend for Wine Fest

Mohegan Sun Wine Fest Saturday and Sunday
Other than the Grand Tasting, which is sold out for Saturday, there are still tickets for events at Mohegan Sun Wine Fest on Jan. 30 and 31. Tickets ($70) are available for Sunday’s Grand Tasting from noon to 5. The Grand Tasting showcases more than 600 wines and an extensive variety of boutique ales. Tasting portions from New England chefs will be available for a minimal charge.

Channel 36 hosts wine gala Feb. 6
For years now, Channel 36 WSBE, Rhode Island’s Public Broadcasting station, has held a wine gala as a major fundraiser. Though the popularity of wine and wine collecting has grown over that time, the event has not grown, said Jeff Hartley, auction director.

FOOD NOTES: Jan. 27
This week and weekend

A cook explains confit
Confit (cahn-FEE) comes from the French word “confire,” or preserve. It refers to a technique of preserving meat using fat. Before refrigeration, it was common to salt meat, usually duck, goose or pork, and then cook it slowly in the animal’s own fat. The rendered fat was then poured over the meat in a crock, completely covering it and sealing it off from the air. In an oxygen-free environment, the meat would keep a long time without spoiling. The confit technique endured because it is so delicious.

Portabello, Parmesan pair up for hearty meal
Whole wheat linguine completes this fast, vegetarian dish

Recipe: Portobello Parmesan
Portabello Parmesan

Recipe: Linguine
Linguine

Chef’s Secret: Wildfire shares recipe for Homestyle Chicken Escarole Soup
Gia of North Providence wrote:

Recipe: Wildfire Chicken Escarole Soup
Wildfire Chicken Escarole Soup

Easy appetizers make get-togethers a snap
Even a last-minute get-together doesn’t have to stress the host or hostess. Choose a time, call friends, and run to the supermarket. It’s not necessary to cook all day. You can assemble a hearty antipasto platter, then add quick and easy appetizers.

Recipe: Brie With Fresh Raspberries
Brie With Fresh Raspberries

Recipe: Avocado Crab Bites
Avocado Crab Bites

Recipe: Dijon Yogurt Dip
Dijon Yogurt Dip

Recipe: Artichoke Dip
Artichoke Dip

Recipe: Queso Bean Dip
Queso Bean Dip

Recipe: Salmon Bites
Salmon Bites

Recipe: Cheese Shot Glasses
Cheese Shot Glasses

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche Canapes
Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche Canapés

Recipe: Warm Spinach Mascarpone Dip
Warm Spinach Mascarpone Dip

Local 121 winner Mayors’ Culinary Cup
The U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Restaurant Association and Culinary Institute of America last week announced Local 121 as the winner of the Mayors’ Culinary Cup at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Cuban Revolution, Black Rep add music
Call it the marriage of Providence food and entertainment scene.

Farm to table, Italian-style: Husband and wife’s cookbook is also lovely travelogue
Two years ago, Melissa Pellegrino and Matthew Scialabba quit their jobs and left their home in Guilford, Conn., to head to Italy to pursue a dream.

Recipe: Spinach Dumplings in a Butter-Sage Sauce
Spinach Dumplings in a Butter-Sage Sauce

Recipe: Penne with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Penne with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Thank the Girl Scouts for these grown-up recipes
They’re not all healthy, but they sure are fun

Recipe: Peanut Thai Chicken
Peanut Thai Chicken

Recipe: Fried Samoas Shrimp
Fried Samoas Shrimp

Recipe: Berry Munch Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
Berry Munch Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Recipe: Lemon Sorbet Cups
Lemon Sorbet Cups

Recipe: Berry Munch Bread Pudding
Berry Munch Bread Pudding

Pork belly by any other name is just as delicious
Pork belly is an indulgently rich yet homey dish that makes you ache for more. Increasingly, it’s appearing on menus in fine dining restaurants across the nation and on our dinner tables.

01/21/2010

Ichigo Ichie delights the eyes, too
In a breathtaking setting with a thundering waterfall and huge chandeliers, chefs dazzle diners with their rapid-fire skills at the hibachi grills

01/20/2010

Now’s the time to sign up for farm-fresh food
It wasn’t that many years back when I was talking with my friend Sara, who thought she’d hit the lottery because she got a CSA membership here in Rhode Island. With few farms participating, it was almost like scoring season tickets to the Red Sox or Patriots.

Thinking inside the box: A year of eating locally
Membership in a community produce group can help bring organic –– and sometimes exotic –– fruit, vegetables and herbs to your dinner table

Meals on Wheels offers dining out at three Providence restaurants for the 60-plus crowd
Meals on Wheels sells $5 coupons to be exchanged for meals at three Providence restaurants

Wine Expo in Boston this weekend
This weekend’s event features educational seminars, tastings, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs

Food Notes: Jan. 20
Wine and beer events

Chef’s Secret: Capriccio’s potatoes au gratin
Cream and two types of potatoes are combined for this rich side dish

Capriccio-Style Short Ribs
Capriccio-Style Short Ribs

Capriccio Potato Au Gratin
Capriccio Potato Au Gratin

93-year-old’s Depression-era recipes are ‘all about stretching it out’
Is it any surprise that YouTube sensation Clara Cannucciari — her cooking videos have been a hit since debuting earlier this year — now has a cookbook?

Recipe: The lonely meatball
The Lonely Meatball

Home-style cooking helped us through a tough year
With the gloomy economy, more folks nationwide turned to the comforts of home cooking as they tightened their belts and ate out less.

Recipe: Chicken Frangelico
Chicken Frangelico

Recipe: Fontina Risotto With Chicken
Fontina Risotto With Chicken

Recipe: Manchego Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs
Manchego Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs

Recipe: Lamb Loin Chops with Port Wine Sauce
Lamb Loin Chops With Port Wine Sauce

It’s a pinot noir smackdown: Oregon vs. California
Oregonians famously don’t want you to move there, but they don’t mind a visit — unless you’re Californian. Then don’t bother, please, and thank you. Regional dislikes are nothing new: Connecticut people loathe New Yorkers (especially those behind the wheel); Texans have legions of detractors across the South; and Wisconsin residents are dismissed as cheese heads by those in Illinois.

Many underappreciated pleasures of port
It takes courage to drink port. You can find yourself labeled old and doddering, a Lord Plushbottom sort slumped deep in a leather chair in a decaying men’s club, nodding off over a snifter and a smoldering cigar.

Roast a chicken for a next-day bonus
Having cooked chicken on hand is convenient in a pinch

Recipe: Simply Seasoned Roast Chicken
Simply Seasoned Roast Chicken

Doing things in the kitchen can be amazingly stress-reducing
Chopping, dicing and stirring a recipe brings relaxation and comfort

In the right recipe, you’ll love anchovies
The tiny, salted fish add depth and flavor to a dish

Recipe: Penne With Uncooked Puttanesca Sauce
Penne With Uncooked Puttanesca Sauce

A healthier take on a classic dish
When it comes to cold weather entertaining, fondue is a classic.

Recipe: Cheesy Beer Fondue
Cheesy Beer Fondue

01/14/2010

North Providence’s Wine & Cheese a welcome addition to neighborhood
NORTH PROVIDENCE — Wine & Cheese is casual dining at its neighborhood best and you don’t have to like either wine or cheese to enjoy it.

01/13/2010

A pot of soup warms winter’s chill
Soup is just so wonderful.

Recipe: Chicken & Rice Soup
Chicken & Rice Soup

Recipe: Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Recipe: Mushroom Soup with Marsala
Mushroom Soup with Marsala

Recipe: Meatball and Escarole Soup
Turkey Meatball and Escarole Soup

Recipe: Moroccan Vegetable & Pasta Soup
Moroccan Vegetable & Pasta Soup

Recipe: Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Anna Thomas’ ‘Love Soup’ recipes are totally accessible
For those who are truly serious about making soup but haven’t done a lot of cooking, I suggest checking out the new book “Love Soup” by Anna Thomas (W.W. Norton, $22.95). There are 160 soup recipes and all are vegetarian.

Recipe: Basic Light Vegetable Broth
Basic Light Vegetable Broth

Recipe: Rustic Leek and Potato Soup
Rustic Leek and Potato Soup

Chef Rabar leaves corporate world for his own Rumford kitchen
Life promises to get a little tastier in Rumford this summer.

Berries at the root of sloe gin
The true liqueur, unlike syrupy imitations, is a smooth, berry infusion bottled in Europe

Recipe: The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises

Food Notes: Jan. 13
News

Capturing pure flavor of olive oil
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — It was nine years ago that Al Courchesne took a fall trip to Tuscany and fell in love with the region’s olive oil, a zesty, pungent nectar so revered that locals knock it back like vodka. Courchesne worked the harvest, plucking purplish olives from trees and celebrating the bounty at Italian festivals.

Recipe: Lemon Biscotti
Lemon Biscotti

Recipe: Lemon Garlic Pasta
Lemon Garlic Pasta

Recipe: Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chocolate Sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chocolate Sauce

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus

Can-do foods — in a can
Don’t look down on those cans. There are times when canned ingredients come together speedily and well, providing easy-to-make weeknight meals.

Recipe: Tuna in Tomato Sauce With Linguine
Tuna in Tomato Sauce With Linguine

Strike it rich with Greek yogurt
It’s thicker, tarter and more concentrated with nearly twice the protein and less lactose

Quick, versatile, freezable crêpes
I mastered the art of making crêpes nearly 10 years ago after reading a Paris freelancer’s story on the subject. Since then, I even got a crêpe pan — a much cherished gift from coworkers — and it has gotten plenty of use. For me, making crêpes is a labor of love.

Recipe: Baked Egg Crêpe Cups
Baked Egg Crêpe Cups

Basic Crepes Recipe
Crêpes

Dijon is a strong and versatile mustard
Dijon mustard is one of my go-to ingredients for making sauces, dips and glazes.

Recipe: Penne With Broccoli, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Dijon Cream
Penne With Broccoli, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Dijon Cream

Eating rules promote healthful diet
New book has simple rules that promote author Michael Pollan’s back-to-basics philosophy

Beer and cheese is a good play
Treat your football buddies to a sampling of different brews, served with creamy cheeses

Chocolate tours in New York
NEW YORK — After the fall of the Soviet bloc, Romanian Carmen Botez had the freedom to travel and to taste. And taste she did: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate with fruity, boozy, smooth and nutty interiors, chocolate mixed with spices. It was a far cry from the only chocolate she knew as a child which came from China with a waxy taste.

01/12/2010

A sad auction in Manhattan
NEW YORK — Mirrors and Christmas ornaments reflected the light of Tiffany-glass chandeliers as Frank Sinatra filled the air at Tavern on the Green last week.

01/06/2010

Here’s to a delicious, ‘sustainable’ 2010
Saying goodbye to 2009 doesn’t sound so bad, but there were some very wonderful things that happened this past year, foodwise that is.

Food trends for 2010 point toward healthful eating, continued thrift
Spicing up dishes with salt-free seasonings and pinching pennies will be in vogue, as we watch our waistlines, wallets

Recipe: Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe: Apple Cobbler Spice Cake
Apple Cobbler Spice Cake

Recipe: Spiced Waffles
Spiced Waffles

Recipe: Cheddar Ginger Sauce for Cauliflower
Cheddar Ginger Sauce for Cauliflower

Jennifer Vecchio makes the cut in TV’s ‘Worst Cooks’
There are still a few chances to watch the premiere episode of Food Network’s new reality series “Worst Cooks in America” and see Cumberland’s own Jennifer Vecchio face her first challenge and make it to week two.

Food Notes: Jan. 6
News

Baking ‘stollen’ brings flavors of Germany home
It’s a buttery, dense bread filled with rum-soaked raisins and often marzipan

Recipe: Cindy Salvato’s Stollen
Cindy Salvato’s Stollen

Recipe: Elfe Witherell’s Dresdener Stollen
Elfe Witherell’s Dresdener Stollen

Chef blends Swedish, Ethiopian heritages
Marcus Samuelsson is just another accomplished New York City chef with an upscale restaurant who wins acclaim, writes cookbooks and attains the celebrity to be invited to cook at the White House.

Recipe: Shrimp Piri Piri
Shrimp Piri Piri

Recipe: Piri Piri
Piri Piri

Recipe: Berbere
Berbere

Recipe: Spiced Butter
Spiced Butter

Recipe: Doro Wat (Chicken Stew)
Doro Wat (Chicken Stew)

‘Breakfast brews’ get cold shoulder from FDA
“I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer. The future’s uncertain and the end is always near,” crooned Jim Morrison and the Doors in the song “Roadhouse Blues.” Nowadays, an increasing number of brewers are adding coffee to their porters and stouts to produce beer that you might actually want to down as an eye-opener.

Food Q&A: Removing skins from peanuts
Q: Is there a trick to removing the skins from raw peanuts?

You can buy Maine shrimp by subscription
Sustainably harvested shrimp from Maine will be available through a subscription service starting Jan. 9 at the Wintertime Farmers’ Market Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. The shrimp will come directly from Midcoast Maine Fishermen’s Coop who sells their seafood under the Port Clyde Fresh Catch brand name.

Take sweet time with young readers
A good children’s book is nourishment for the soul, as fine as a bowl of chicken soup on a winter’s day.

Recipe: Teatime Coconut Layer Cake
Teatime Coconut Layer Cake

Recipe: Chocolate Mousse with Banana Puree
Chocolate Mousse with Banana Purée

Recipe: Chocolate Pâté in Orange White Chocolate Cream
Chocolate Pâté in Orange White Chocolate Cream

Recipe: Coconut Meringue Buttercream
Coconut Meringue Buttercream

01/02/2010

Cumberland woman among contestants on “Worst Cooks in America”
Food Network’s new reality series “Worst Cooks in America” is the perfect show to start on Jan. 3 when New Year’s resolutions are fresh and new. Usually, watching anything on this network will make you crazy hungry. But this show that premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. won’t send you into food cravings and into the kitchen for something tasty. I can promise you that.

12/31/2009

Another look at restaurants reviewed in the Dining Out column
From pizza parlors to bistros, 2009’s Dining Out reviews covered a wide variety of restaurants. We found bargains visiting diners and Asian buffets and we opened the wallet wide for upscale spots with elegant meals. We enjoyed small plates, family-style portions and pizza by the slice. We even cooked our own food at the table.

12/30/2009

Food for Thought on Pompadour Pudding by Gail Ciampa
Providence Journal food section readers rarely disappoint. So it is with the story of Pompadour Pudding.

Recipe: Pompadour Pudding (revised by Chef Gary Welling)
Pompadour Pudding (revised by Chef Gary Welling)

Recipe: Pompadour Pudding (Anne B. Wagner’s version)
Pompadour Pudding (Anne B. Wagner’s version)

Recipe: Pompadour Pudding (Carol Cavanagh’s Wellesley College Recipe)
Pompadour Pudding (Carol Cavanagh’s Wellesley College Recipe)

Recipe: Wellesley College Pompadour Pudding
Wellesley College Pompadour Pudding

R.I. author of ‘Couch Potato Diet’ advocates exercise
Gregory J.E. Ladas advocates making new choices and adding some exercise, but still enjoying food

Recipe: Low-Carb/Fat Nachos
Low-Carb/Fat Nachos

Psychology of menus
NEW YORK — Many restaurants around the country are feverishly revising their menus. Pounded by the recession, they are hoping that some magic combination of prices, adjectives, fonts, type sizes, ink colors and placement on the page can coax diners into spending a little more money.

Food Notes
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Tips on not getting too tipsy
Armed with a little knowledge of one’s own alcohol capacity and how well you metabolize what you drink, you and those near you will get through New Year’s Eve partying in a dignified, enjoyable way.

Tapioca for grownups
To make this Tapioca Parfait more of a grownup dessert, I layer the tapioca with a homemade blueberry sauce. The sauce, made with frozen blueberries, takes minutes to create and provides a nice berry blast in the middle of winter.

Recipe: Tapioca Parfait With Blueberry Sauce
Tapioca Parfait With Blueberry Sauce

Lemons zip up dish
If capers or roasted lemons are not typically in your cooking repertoire, give them a try in this dish. The chicken recipe is simple to make, and the capers and lemons lend sweet, sour and salty notes.

Recipe: Chicken with Capers and Roasted Lemons
Chicken With Capers and Roasted Lemons

Flavor-packed ginger cookies lower in fat, and a snap to make
Still in a holiday cookie mood? Looking for one that will make The Big Guy, um, less big? Try these Ginger Cookies, a chewy version of a low-fat ginger snap.

Recipe: Ginger Cookies
Ginger Cookies

Get most for your money with healthful walnuts
I’m a pecan lover, I admit. But a recent foray into the nut section of my local supermarket changed my mind, at least for this year. Pecan prices have gone up. A 10-ounce bag of chopped pecans was $7.35. I passed them by and reached instead for a similar bag of walnuts. Those cookies will taste just as good with walnuts, I thought. The walnuts were $5.15.

12/24/2009

Restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Here is the list of restaurants that have told us they will be open Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If you have another place in mind, give them a ring to learn their hours.

12/23/2009

Pavement to plate: DEM hands off fresh roadkill deer to sportsman’s club chef
SMITHFIELD –– During the rutting season, Joe Buban, a state Department of Environmental Management law enforcement officer, finds himself responding to one of the less-pleasant parts of the job: Removing the white-tailed deer left as roadkill along state roads and highways.

Hawaiian stew a winter warmer
What a nice way to eat your dark, leafy greens. The recipe comes from an Eating Well cookbook, in stores next month, that provides recipes and meal suggestions that add up to about 500 calories. This gingerrific main course is part of a 500-calorie menu that includes a 1/2-cup serving of quinoa or brown rice (we liked it with brown rice) and either a 12-ounce glass of pilsner or a piece of Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (another recipe featured in the cookbook).

Hawaiian Ginger-Chicken Stew recipe
Hawaiian Ginger-Chicken Stew

Recipe: Breast of Veal Braised with Chiles
Breast of Veal Braised with Chiles

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins
Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins

Cookbooks make fine last-minute presents
Gift ideas for chefs who study the Food Network to cooks who have next to no time at all

Veal roast great for your made-up holiday
A few years ago, a friend of mine started a new tradition: Thanks-mas.

Versatile mini-muffins showcase festive, healthful cranberries
Like a choir of holiday angels, cranberries wear the halo of good health.

Take a cooking lesson from ‘Julie & Julia’
What a treasure trove of special features on the Blu-ray version of “Julie & Julia,” the movie that tells the true, parallel stories of blogger Julie Powell and icon Julia Child.

Recipe: Fruited Pork Stew
Fruited Pork Stew

Crock-Pot cooking can save both time and money
If, like most of us, you’re feeling pinched these days, both for time and money, here’s a cookbook you’ll find helpful: “Joe Simmer’s All American Slow Cookin’ ” (2 Martini Press, $15.95). What is different about this collection of Crock-Pot recipes is the emphasis on flavor to make less expensive meats and beans appealing. The “All American” tour includes everything from Creole white beans to San Francisco cioppino, Low Country shrimp to Yankee boiled dinner. There are even dessert recipes.

Sweetener agave has calcium, iron
Agave — it’s not just for tequila anymore. The nectar from the agave lily may be the “it” sweetener for 2010.

Recipe: Cappuccino Pizzelles
Cappuccino Pizzelles

Pompadour Pudding a fun, retro dessert to end the holiday meal
Want to get a little nostalgic this holiday season? Come along for a culinary adventure with Portsmouth’s Janice Kinder and chef Gary Welling of Johnson & Wales University.

12/23 Food Notes
News

Recipe: Orange Pizzelles
Orange Pizzelles

Recipe: Ninni’s Pizzelles
Ninni’s Pizzelles

Chess pie an Americana recipe
Q: I’ve been looking high and low for a custardy chess pie recipe I had in the 1960s and ’70s in Thomasville, N.C. It was made by the Tasty Bakery in our small town. This pie didn’t have the transparent type of filling as in pecan pie, but was more akin to an egg custard pie but with that unmistakable brown sugar flavor. I’m hungry to relive this exquisite taste treat!

Crispy, thin pizzelles a favorite cookie for celebrations
The slightly sweet wafers originated in Italy, where they were hung from tree branches at festival time, but Americans love them on Christmas cookie plates

Recipe: Basic Pizzelle — Thin
Basic Pizzelle — Thin

Recipe: Caramel Chess Pie
Caramel Chess Pie

Recipe: Pompadour Pudding
Pompadour Pudding (revised by Chef Gary Welling)

Eleven wines ideal for gift-giving when you don’t know what to choose
Wine is a most useful and delicious present to give at the holidays. The question always is: Which one?

Make holidays a season for delight, not stress
Ten years ago, Nigella Lawson hit the food scene as a “domestic goddess.” Now with her seventh cookbook, she is no less pagan about her identity, calling herself a “domestic druid,” nor any less direct about setting a tone of celebratory indulgence in “Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities” (Hyperion, $35).

Try something new for this year’s holiday toast
For most of us, Champagne is a special-occasion drink, raised as a New Year’s toast and sipped at weddings or landmark birthdays. It is too expensive to be an everyday tipple, and because we drink it only rarely we tend to stick with the familiar labels of the big Champagne houses. Even if you don’t drink it much, you’ve probably heard or seen at least some of these large-house names: Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon, Mumm’s, Taittinger, Pommery, Bollinger. These brands and others offer reliable quality, even if sometimes at premium prices. And these large houses produce enough Champagne so that you can walk into just about any wine store and find something worth drinking.

Recipe: The Nigella
The Nigella

Recipe: The Nigella (Take Two)
The Nigella (Take Two)

12/17/2009

Dining Out at Gavi Trattoria: Classic Italian fare in small, cozy setting
Tasty comfort food, plus the Sons of Italy lounge is right there for drink orders

12/16/2009

Tradition endures of serving seven fish dishes on Christmas Eve
La Vigilia, the tradition among Italian-Americans of serving seven fish courses on Christmas Eve, lives on, but it is not necessarily your grandma’s feast.

Recipe: Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp Italian Style
Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp Italian Style

Recipe: Stuffed Calamari
Stuffed Calamari

Recipe: Fried Calamari Rings or Smelts with Balsamic Pepperoncini Sauce
Fried Calamari Rings or Smelts

Recipe: Fennel & Basil Salmon
Fennel & Basil Salmon

Recipe: Frutti Di Mare Over Linguine
Frutti Di Mare Over Linguine

Recipe: Mom’s Struffoli
Mom’s Struffoli

Recipe: Jean’s Baked Fish
Jean’s Baked Fish

Recipe: Baccala Salad
Baccala Salad

Recipe: Broiled Smelts
Broiled Smelts

Grace the holiday table with a juicy roast
Pick a recipe, follow a few rules of the roast, and voilà — you’ve created the centerpiece of a sumptuous Christmas dinner

Recipe: Herb-and-Sea-Salt-Crusted-Bone-In Rib Roast with Truffled Steak Fries and Creamed Spinach
Herb and Sea Salt-Crusted Bone-In Rib Roast with Truffled Steak Fries and Creamed Spinach

Recipe: Roast Prime Rib of Beef With Shallot & Shiitake Mushroom
Roast Prime Rib of Beef With Shallot and Shiitake Mushrooms

Recipe: Madeleine’s Pork Crown Roast with Poppasquash Point Oyster and Cranberry Stuffing
Madeleine’s Pork Crown Roast with Poppasquash Point Oyster and Cranberry Stuffing

Food Notes for Dec. 16
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Ribs just taste better braised
Ribs improve in flavor when braised, especially when done a day or so in advance. To do ahead, cook as directed, then cool the ribs completely, uncovered. Once cool, cover and refrigerate. To serve, reheat the ribs, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve these short ribs with buttered egg noodles tossed with chopped fresh parsley, or mashed potatoes or rice.

Where’s the beef?
Stout-Braised Short Ribs

Grinch has learned to make holidays a do-it-yourself time of the year
I’m a bit of a Grinch. Each Thanksgiving, I give thanks that I have a friend who hosts the holiday dinner so I don’t have to. And I own an artificial Christmas tree with lights already attached because I can’t tolerate all those tangled strands.

Recipe: Cherry-Almond-Coconut Granola
Cherry-Almond-Coconut Granola

Recipe: Snowflake Pretzel Rods
Snowflake Pretzel Rods

Raisins and currants explained
Q. What is the difference between Sultana raisins, Thompson Seedless raisins and currants? Can currants and raisins be used interchangeably in recipes?

How can you resist a warm popover?
I love how popovers give the distinct impression that you made a major fuss, when in reality you pretty much threw together a glorified pancake batter, poured it into a funny-looking pan and then let a super-hot oven work its magic.

Recipe: Rick’s Perfect Popovers
Rick’s Perfect Popovers

12/10/2009

Restaurant review: Thornton’s Grille on Federal Hill has all-American cuisine
Plenty of salads and sandwiches and seafood plus a great grilled rib-eye steak

12/09/2009

Fresh-baked cookies a sweet way to welcome holidays
What’s better than the simple gift of delectable, beautiful, homemade cookies?

Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies

Recipe: Gluten Free Crunchy Fudge Cookies
Gluten Free Crunchy Fudge Cookies

Recipe: Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops
Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops

Recipe: Cranberry Almond Cookies
Cranberry Almond Cookies

Recipe: Pistachio Biscochitos
Pistachio Biscochitos

Recipe: Sweet Italian Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Sweet Italian Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Recipe: Amaretti con Pignoli
Amaretti con Pignoli Pine Nut Cookies

Recipe: Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Recipe: Bananas Foster Bars
Bananas Foster Bars

Craft beer has mild chocolate flavor
Just as we try to eat seasonally, we celebrate drinks according to the time of year. And we all want to opt for the local food and drink first.

Familiar pedigrees for wine books
There’s good value per page in search for labels you can trust

Food notes for Dec. 9
News

Twisted Popcorn a spicy treat from Twist on Angell
Linda F. Tancrell wrote:

Recipe: Twisted Popcorn Butter
Twisted Popcorn Butter

Wine pouring is not very difficult
Pet peeve: Servers who fill wineglasses close to the top, sometimes emptying the entire bottle at one pouring. The practice makes for easy accidents and looks pushy on the part of the restaurant, as if it’s trying to force another sale.

Holy orders’ mail-order goods a delicious way to show support
Products range from the usual fruitcake to spice blends, jams, cheese, truffles and even coffee

Recipe: Brother Victor’s Pear Clafoutis
Brother Victor’s Pear Clafoutis

Blintzes a tasty way to celebrate Hanukkah
Fresh lemon zest and dried blueberries make the creamy ricotta cheese filling in these blintzes special. When heated, the blueberries become plump and tender. If you lack the time or inclination to make crêpes, look for pre-made in the produce section at your market.

Recipe: Lemon And Dried Blueberry Blintzes
Lemon And Dried Blueberry Blintzes

Recipe: Blood Orange-Lime Compote
Blood Orange-Lime Compote

Cookbook offers recipes to celebrate Hanukkah
Looking for something totally different in an ethnic cookbook?

Recipe: Hanukkah Cheaters’ Doughnuts
Hanukkah Cheaters’ Doughnuts

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Apple Latkes
Sweet Potato and Apple Latkes

Q&A: Freezing pomegranates
Q. What is the best way to freeze pomegranates, whole or as seeds?

Cranberries remain revered tradition
Can’t resist popping the bubble wrap that comes tucked in all those holiday packages?

Recipe: Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce
Spicy Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce

12/02/2009

Fresh home for Providence food pantry
As the demand grows, the program settles into larger quarters at the First Universalist Church

Restaurant scene: New foods, prices, atmospheres
Over the past few months, a variety of restaurants have opened their doors offering a multiplicity of foods, prices and atmosphere.

Food Notes for Dec. 2
This week and weekend

Food for Thought: Turkey Day weekend taught me five lessons
Five things I learned over the holiday weekend:

Finally, banana bread with big flavor, moist texture, good crust
Cooks commonly complain that their loaves fall victim to an assortment of ills

Recipe: Hallelujah Banana Bread
Hallelujah Banana Bread

Meatloaf is versatile, easy to make and tastes great
Meatloaf has been a staple since the mid-1800s, when ground beef first became available as a grocery item in America. For decades thereafter, recipes for meatloaf abounded in women’s magazines and cookbooks, where it often was teamed with mashed potatoes, gravy and canned green beans.

Recipe: Reuben Meatloaf
Reuben Meatloaf

Recipe: Thousand Island dressing
Thousand Island Dressing

Recipe: Vegetarian Meatloaf
Really Good Vegetarian Meatloaf

The glories of cooking in clay
I don’t think I’ve ever met a clay cooking pot I didn’t like . . . or didn’t want to own.

How to use sale items from the supermarket
You spot a 3-pound-plus hunk of boneless beef round steak in a supermarket meat case — $4.99 a pound, $15.62 total — and think: Can’t afford that.

Recipe: Salisbury Meatballs With Mushroom Sauce
Salisbury Meatballs With Mushroom Sauce

Ragu just like grandma used to make
Ragu, the long-simmered meat sauce Italian mothers and grandmothers traditionally serve for Sunday supper, is often called “gravy” by Italian Americans. It’s a simple dish, but minor variations can provoke passionate arguments.

Recipe: Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese Sauce

2 great chicken meals for the effort of one
If you roast two birds at once, you’ll have a big head start on another fine dinner for your family

Recipe: Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy
Roast Chicken With Pan Gravy

Recipe: Chicken Gyros with Cucumber Salsa and Tzatziki
Chicken Gyros with Cucumber Salsa and Tzatziki

Blue cheese dip makes lots of elegant aooetizers
Guests will appreciate the rich flavor, and it’ll seem like you went the extra mile to please them

Recipe: Blue Cheese Spread
Blue Cheese Spread

11/26/2009

Restaurants open on Thanksgiving
 Thanksgiving meals offered for the holiday vary from spot to spot. Prices usually do not include taxes or gratuity. Here’s the list of what’s open.

11/25/2009

A family tradition of ‘dining out’
About 15 years ago, John and Camille Dickson’s 7-year-old twins, Jim and Sara, came home from school with a question: If the Pilgrims ate outdoors for the first Thanksgiving, why does their family eat indoors on the holiday?

Thanks for giving us last minute tips, ‘Ciao Italia’
If you are reading this and have company coming for Thanksgiving, you are either very well organized or in really big trouble.

Recipe: Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Banana Tartlets (Tortine di Gianduja e Banana)
Chocolate, Hazelnut, Banana Tartlets (Tortine di Gianduja e Banana)

Recipe: Potato Casserole (Patate in Casseruola)
Potato Casserole (Patate in Casseruola)

Recipe: Cauliflower Salad Insalata di Cavolfiore
Cauliflower Salad (Insalata di Cavolfiore)

Recipe: Mushroom, Spinach, and Cheese Tart (Tortina di Funghi Spinaci e Formaggio)
Mushroom, Spinach, and Cheese Tart (Tortina di Funghi Spinaci e Formaggio)

Recipe: Spicy Soppressata Tartlets (Tortine di Soppressate)
Spicy Soppressata Tartlets (Tortine di Soppressate)

Recipe: Baked Apples with Nuts and Marmalade (Mele al Forno con Le Noci e Marmellata)
Baked Apples with Nuts and Marmalade (Mele al Forno con Le Noci e Marmellata)

Food Notes
This week and weekend

Correction
Last week’s Lifebeat Food story on how to make the perfect pie crust included an incorrect measurement from chef Gary Welling. Start with 12 ounces of flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, eight ounces of butter and four ounces of water taken from an iced pitcher. That amount makes three pie crusts. When adjusting for more or fewer pie crusts, follow a parts flour, 2 parts butter and 1 part water formula. Here’s the recipe.

Chef Gary Welling’s Pie Crust (corrected)
Chef Gary Welling’s Pie Crust

Holiday cooking hot lines
Holiday cooking hot lines

Living for the leftovers
Turkey’s neutral flavor makes it adaptable for American, Asian and Latin dishes

Centerpiece improves the ambiance
The food may be the crowning glory of any Thanksgiving table, but an imaginative centerpiece on the holiday table can whet the appetite and make a meal memorable.

Families use ethnic roots to flavor Thanksgiving meal
Mexican clan glazes the turkey with a tequila and chile sauce, while Indian chef uses spicy rub

Toast the holiday with U.S. wine
American vineyards offer top-notch varietals that pair well with traditional Thanksgiving feast

11/19/2009

Restaurant Review: It’s easy to rack up the accolades at Ribs & Company
The dishes are well-prepared and the service is top-notch

11/18/2009

Culinary Primer: How to make a no-fail pie crust
Susan Bucci was so happy making pies with ready-to-use Pillsbury Crust from her grocery store.

Recipe: Cindy’s Walnut Crunch Pumpkin Pie
Cindy’s Walnut Crunch Pumpkin Pie

Food For Thought by Gail Ciampa: Kickoff time for groggy guests
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m already waiting for everyone to leave on Thanksgiving.

Food Notes for Nov. 18
Wine and beer events

Chef’s secret: Flan side dish from Le Central is worthy of the holiday table
Christy Law Blanchard of Barrington wrote:

Recipe: Le Central Butternut and Green Apple Flan
Le Central Butternut and Green Apple Flan

Video game works up an appetite while teaching you to cook
Made for the Nintendo Wii, it’s a lot of fun and gets you prepped to succeed in the real kitchen

Recipe: Stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli
Stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli

Freeze hors d’oeuvres ahead for relaxing party day
If we spread out the cooking over several weeks by making and freezing one or two hors d’oeuvres a week, getting ready for any party should be a breeze. Plus, it’s easier to handle the cost of entertaining when you can spread the grocery purchases over several weeks.

Recipe: Crostini With Spanish Bean Puree and Piquillo Peppers
Crostini With Spanish Bean Puree and Piquillo Peppers

Recipe: Olive-Stuffed Cheese Puffs
Olive-Stuffed Cheese Puffs

Recipe: Pecan & Cranberry Cheese Log
Pecan and Cranberry Cheese Log

Recipe: Pork Dumplings
Pork Dumplings

Potato casserole uses reduced-fat ingredients
This Au Gratin Potato Casserole uses reduced-fat dairy products to trim the fat and calories from this creamy, satisfying comfort food that few of us would be willing to banish from the dinner table.

Recipe: Au Gratin Potato Casserole
Au Gratin Potato Casserole

Green bean casserole a must
I’m not allowed to make this grown-up green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. A member of my family will bring the mushroom soup version which is what the crowd demands. But if I were in charge, this would be served at my table.

Recipe for Green Bean and Gruyère Casserole with Spicy Onion Rings
Green Bean and Gruyère Casserole with Spicy Onion Rings

In general, white wines work well with turkey
For turkey, you can’t go wrong with a good pinot noir

Need quick help? Call a hot line
When your holiday dinner looks more disaster than decadent, finding expert help is just a call or click away.

Two pecan pie variations for something new for dessert
Love a pecan pie but want to try something new?

Recipe: Cranberry Pecan Pie
Cranberry Pecan Pie

Recipe: Chocolate Pecan Pie with Sweet Bourbon Whipped Cream
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Sweet Bourbon Whipped Cream

Recipe: Sweet Bourbon Whipped Cream
Sweet Bourbon Whipped Cream

Mashed options: Sweet alternative
These mashed sweet potatoes are delicious — and slightly sweet — without the benefit of marshmallows. But if you must have marshmallows on them, transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a casserole, top with small marshmallows and broil until just golden.

Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed options: Garlic and sage spuds
Take your mashed potatoes to another level with garlic roasted in simmering oil and fried fresh sage. A potato ricer or food mill produces especially smooth potatoes, but if you don’t have those, you can just skip ahead to the mixer step.

Recipe: Roasted Garlic and Sage Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Garlic and Sage Mashed Potatoes

Great mashed potatoes call for plenty of dairy
If your Thanksgiving isn’t complete without the traditional mashed potatoes, this is your recipe. This rich and creamy rustic version calls for leaving the skins on, but feel free to peel if peels don’t appeal.

Recipe: Traditional Mashed Potatoes
Traditional Mashed Potatoes

How to cook a turkey in shorter time
If you want to get your turkey in and out fast, this might be the year you try my friend Rose Mahdesian’s High Heat Turkey.

Simple vegetarian Thanksgiving
Guess who’s coming to dinner? It’s a vegetarian. This is a rather common occurrence these days.

Recipe: Basic Brown Sauce
Basic Brown Sauce

Recipe: One-Dish Thanksgiving Dinner
One-Dish Thanksgiving Dinner

Turn Brussels sprouts into their favorite dish
Brussels sprouts are little vegetables that provoke one of two outsize responses: great affection or great disdain.

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts With Cranberry Balsamic Dressing
Brussels Sprouts With Cranberry Balsamic Dressing

Squash as an entrée
Acorn Squash Stuffed With Apple-Almond-Cherry Basmati Pilaf

The word on the bird
The Thanksgiving feast is not a one-cook show.

Recipe: Roasted Turkey
Roasted Turkey

11/15/2009

Thanksgiving meal should cost same or less than last year
Cash-strapped consumers looking to keep a lid on holiday spending in 2009 will catch a break for Thanksgiving because the cost of turkey and the fixings for the traditional meal should be about the same, or less, than in 2008, according to food industry members.

11/12/2009

A tasty ‘second home’ in old mill building
Elegant décor is matched by the dishes coming from the kitchen