Archive for April 2011

When I lived in Paris, my most favorite breakfast treat was the pain aux amandes–an almond croissant filled and topped with almond cream and sliced almonds and baked. Similar to it was my favorite afternoon snack, bostock, a thick slice of brioche topped with–you guessed it–almond cream and sliced almonds, and baked.

My host “sister,” a stereotypically thin French woman if there ever was one, also loved pain aux amandes. Only of course while I could put away one and a half, she would just barely finish a third of one before grinning, “my, that was rich,” and …

April 22, 2011 marks the 41st anniversary of the first Earth Day. According to Wikipedia (therefore, everything I’m about to write is undoubtedly true), Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson created the first Earth Day as a teach-in. He chose April 22nd because it was a convenient date for almost all college students. It was after spring break, Easter, and Passover but before finals. This is the only real “holiday” that is specifically geared toward college students (except spring break), so it stands to reason that every student should do something to commemorate the day. Here are some fun and …

Potato Kugel with Sauteed Shallots • Passover Brisket • String Beans with Mustard Dressing • Matzoh Crunch • Chocolate Chip Macaroons • Manichevitz

Vodka Lemonade laced with Basil and Mint • French Deviled Eggs • Rosemary and Garlic Grilled Lamb Chops • Feta and Herb Dipping Sauce • Scallion and Olive Orzo • Patisserie Fruit Tart

Our Great Minds Eat Alike series mixes up the usual BGSK offerings with interviews and submissions by cooks and eaters whose mentality towards cooking and eating meshes with ours. Today we bring you a how-to all about food presentation from Rachel Manley, a London-based foodie, blogger, and supper club host.

Rachel’s day job is on the BBC Food website, which means she gets to talk about food all day and sometimes go to photoshoots. She also hosts supper club/pop-up restaurant in the summer (in London!) and seems to be making all of her friends’ wedding cakes too. She loves …

One of the perks of being a food writer is that you get a lot of unsolicited inspiration. This is especially lucrative when you come from a family of fabulous cooks, who do not write about the food they make (though they should!).

A few months ago, I received an email from my Uncle Denny with subject line: recipe. Attached was a document containing instructions for John McPhee’s chicken, which apparently an old girl friend of his managed to glean from a book by the author.

The summer I lived in Los Angeles, my Uncle Denny and Aunt …

Favorite Grilled Cheese Cobos: Grilled Cheddar Sandwich with Roasted Pears & Pecans; Perfect Grilled Cheese; Prosciutto & Fontina Panini with Arugula Pesto and Pickled Shallots; Radicchio & Mozzarella Toasts; Pesto Grilled Cheese; Grilled Mushroom-Cheddar Melts

You know we love grilled cheese (for evidence, see above). In early January, I posted about this Grilled Cheddar Sandwich with Roasted Pears & Pecans. We reposted it on Huffington Post later on and were awed by the cheese sandwich suggestions that readers came up with. So we figured it was time to get back in the kitchen and …