Gourmet Live Blog

Author Archives: Kelly Senyei

Personal Chef Remixes Iconic Gourmet Covers

Garbo's Gourmet Biegnet

Photo: Chef Garbo

We came across personal chef Claude Garbo‘s Gourmet magazine styling series and couldn’t resist sharing a sneak peek with you. Chef Garbo finds inspiration from her collection of Gourmet magazines dating back to the 50s and 60s, replicating the food and styling setups of the iconic covers, such as the beignets pictured above.

Chef Garbo selects the dishes to replicate based on the food she prepares for her clients, as well as on the vast array of vintage cutlery and serving dishes she’s collected over the years. She uses natural light to capture the true essence of each meal, from the perfectly placed cocktail glasses to the artfully styled ingredients.

Just as Chef Garbo has drawn inspiration from iconic Gourmet recipes, you too can share in the memory by entering our Gourmet Retro Recipe Remix. Head over to our Facebook Contest page for more details and to enter for your chance to win five Gourmet Special Edition cookbooks!

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Now In the Store: Red Carpet Foods

Gourmet Live: Red Carpet Foods

We’re gearing up for an Oscar-worthy spread with awards show fare in our Red Carpet Foods collection, now available in the Gourmet Live Store.

Kickoff your star-studded bash with our Red Carpet Cocktail that blends vodka, cranberry juice, and fresh citrus. Pair your celebratory sipper with homemade Tomato Focaccia and Mesquite-Grilled Red Snapper, and then cap off your evening with a slice of Raspberry Crumble Tart.

Download the free Gourmet Live app then head to the Library to access the Store for our Red Carpet Foods collection.

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Gourmet Retro Recipe Remix: Cánapes Brésiliens

Retro Recipe Remix

We’re excited to announce the first Gourmet Retro Recipe Remix, which gives you the chance to put your own fresh twist on a classic Gourmet recipe. Once you’ve remade the specified recipe, snap a quick photo and upload it, along with your recipe, to our Contest page on Facebook. You’ll then be entered for a chance to win a set of five exclusive Gourmet Special Edition Cookbooks. Your photo may also be featured on Gourmet.com!

Our first Retro Recipe Remix pays homage to the Oscars with a 1961 Gourmet recipe for Canapés Brésiliens (pictured above).

Canapés Brésiliens (as published in Gourmet magazine)

  • Combine 1 pound moderately lean round steak, ground twice, with 1/4 pound cooked crumbed bacon, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Form the meat into bite-sized patties 1/4 inch think. Broil the patties in a very hot broiler for 2 or 3 minutes, or until they are nicely browned on both sides.
  • Cut firm-textured bread into thin slices and toast them lightly. Cut out 40 rounds of toast with a cutter 1 1/2 inches in diameter, or use a star cutter.
  • Butter the rounds or stars lightly and immediately put the meat patties on them, topping each with a paper-thin slice of banana that has been soaked in lemon juice.
  • Serve immediately.
Remix this recipe based on your own tastes and preferences, and then head over to the Gourmet Facebook page to submit your updated take on this iconic dish.

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02.15.12: The Hollywood Issue

Gourmet Live: The Hollywood Issue

This week we’re name-checking, noshing, and getting in the mood for the Oscars with our Hollywood Issue. Download the free Gourmet Live app for access to all of the issues and recipes, and visit Gourmet.com to read this week’s issue in full, including:

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On Newsstands Now: Gourmet Comfort Special Edition

Gourmet Comfort Special Edition

From creamy pastas to slow-simmered soups, comfort foods are always in season, and now you can curb your cravings with the Gourmet Comfort Special Edition, available now on newsstands and at retailers nationwide.

Gourmet Comfort is packed with 112 all-time favorite recipes, including  Parmesan French Toast, Garlic Herb Bread Sticks, Chicken Potpie, Chocolate Layer Cake, and more. You’ll discover a dish for any meal and every occasion along with kitchen tips and tricks for perfect omelets, easy-dinner shortcuts, and 10-minute jams.

Find all of these recipes and inspirations in Gourmet Comfort, which can be purchased at retailers nationwide, including Barnes & Noble, Whole Foods, and Hudson News.

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Five Kitchen Gadgets I Can’t Live Without

Flexible Cutting Mats

Photo: Pampered Chef

Whether you’re a professional chef or an amateur cook, chances are you have your select go-to items when it comes to kitchen gadgets and gear. Every single nook and cranny of my tiny New York City apartment is packed with everyday and obscure items, from my favorite tongs and Dutch oven to my OCD cutting board and leopard print oven mitts.

Check out my list below for the top five kitchen gadgets I can’t live without, and then share your go-to gadgets in the Comments section below!

  • Flexible cutting mats: You name it, and I slice and dice it on my colorful array of foldable plastic cutting mats (pictured above). The mats’ flexible shape allows for the easy transfer of chopped foods from your countertop to your stock pot, while a variety of colors create contamination-free cutting with specific mats for chicken, fish, veggies, and beef. Best of all, they’re dishwasher-safe.
    Price:  $16 (for a set of three)
    Where to Buy: Pampered Chef
  • Fish Spatula: I was first introduced to the many uses of fish spatulas while in culinary school, and I have been hooked ever since. In addition to mess-free fish flipping, this flexible, thin spatula is the ultimate tool for handling pancakes, crepes, cookies, tarts, veggies, and more.
    Price: $12.95
    Where to Buy:
    Crate&Barrel
  • BeaterBlade: I’m a recent convert to the popular spatula-slash-paddle attachment for stand mixers. This simple gadget takes on the dual role of mixer and bowl scraper, leaving you less to lick from the bowl and more to pour into the cake pan.
    Price: $24.99 – $29.95  
    Where to Buy:
    BeaterBlade
  • Salt Pig: The salt pig has become my new favorite kitchen staple, as it not only keeps my most essential spice within reach, but it also prevents salt from attracting moisture and clumping together. Salt pigs feature a wide mouth for easy access and ensure your salt is dust- and stray-food free.  
    Price:  $19.95
    Where to Buy: Williams-Sonoma
  • Silpats: My mom introduced me to the wonders of Silpats when I was first starting to cook, and needless to say, I have since made the switch from parchment paper to the no-stick mats as the ultimate baking companion. Available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, the mats’ stick-free surfaces produce perfect baked goods time and time again.
    Price: $11.95 – $23.95 (depending on size)
    Where to Buy:
    Silpat
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What We’re Baking: Citrus-Inspired Desserts

Key Lime Coconut Cake

Lazy winter weekends are my favorite time of the year to bake up a storm while huddled in my tiny apartment. The preheated oven provides ample warmth, while a few stray chocolate chips or a bowl of leftover brownie batter are just the trick for staving off the cold-weather blues.

This weekend I’m adding a tangy twist to my dessert spread by baking up a Key Lime Coconut Cake. And if the citrus burst via slice of cake isn’t enough to transport me to a tropical island, then I’m resorting to Grapefruit Macarons, which sandwich grapefruit marmalade between light and crunchy wafers.

What is your favorite way to bake with citrus?

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Now In the Store: Chocolate Lover’s Delight

Chocolate Lover's Delight

From bittersweet to semisweet and every taste in between, curb your cocoa craving with our Chocolate Lover’s Delight collection, now available in the Gourmet Live Store.

Jump-start your sweet splurge with our classic Chocolate Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting, and then add a kick of coffee to your dessert spread with Chocolate Espresso Pots de Creme. A final bite of Double Chocolate Mocha Brownies is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Download the free Gourmet Live app then head to the Library to access the Store for our Chocolate Lover’s Delight collection.

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02.08.12: The Valentine’s Day Issue

Gourmet Live: The Valentine's Day Issue

This week we’re celebrating February 14 with romantic dinners, a look at the interplay between dating and food, and a chat with chef Marcus Samuelsson’s model wife in our Valentine’s Day Issue. Download the free Gourmet Live app for access to all of the issues and recipes, and visit Gourmet.com to read this week’s issue in full, including:

 
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Five Tips for Restaurant-Free Romance on Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day Spread

Photo: Chris Gentile

I’m skipping the crowds this Valentine’s Day and trading in a two-top at my favorite restaurant in favor of a memorable meal created in my very own kitchen. A DIY dinner may require a bit more time and planning than making an online reservation, but you can bet it will also be infinitely more romantic.

Make it a memorable February 14 with a few of my tips for the ultimate restaurant-free romance:

  • Mood Before Food: As you brainstorm the perfect meal for two, also consider the fantastic four elements of ambiance: music, flowers, candles, and lighting. Soft candlelight will create the perfect mood, but remember to only use unscented candles so that there are no competing aromas with the enticing scent of your meal.
  • All that Sparkles: Up the romance factor by opting for sparkling water in place of traditional flat. The bubbles add an element of elegance and allow you to dress up your cup with a wedge of fresh citrus or DIY citrus-infused ice cubes (made by placing small slices of lemon or lime in ice cube trays, covering with water, and freezing until solid).
  • Disconnect to Connect: Make it a meal for two instead of 2,000 by unplugging from the world of social media for the evening and enjoying the company that’s in your own home. Snap photos of your sweetheart or your spread but save the online sharing for after the meal.
  • Dress to Impress: The key to stress-free entertaining at home is organization, and I’ve always found the best way to stay organized while prepping multiple dishes is to make sure I get myself all ready (think hair, makeup, attire, etc.) before I start cooking. This timeline prevents any last-minute kinks in my cooking from forcing me to greet my guest(s) in my pajamas.
  • A Sweet Sendoff: Dessert is an essential course of any Valentine’s Day spread. Cakes, cupcakes, and tarts are all a great way to end your feast, but you can also keep it super simple with a quick-fix fondue for two. Melt your favorite chocolate in a double-boiler (consider adding a splash of your favorite liquor) and serve the hot and creamy confection with your choice of dippers, such as fresh fruit, cubes of pound cake, coconut macaroons, and bite-sized cookies. 
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Now In the Store: Ambitious Foods

Gourmet Live: Ambitious Foods

Test your culinary skills with seven sweet and savory recipes in our Ambitious Foods collection, now available in the Gourmet Live Store.

Let the flour flinging begin by making puff pastry from scratch, and then move on to the more challenging molecular gastronomy techniques by making guacamole “pasta” using agar flakes and plastic straws. Chocolate truffles doused in cocoa powder are the ultimate sweet finale to this ambitious feast.

Download the free Gourmet Live app then head to the Library to access the Store for our Ambitious Foods collection.

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02.01.12: America’s Top Food Entrepreneurs

Gourmet Live: America's Top Food Entrepreneurs

Meet the upstarts and start-ups driving change in the culinary world, from Kickstarter’s latest to the kings of coconut water, all featured in our America’s Top Food Entrepreneurs Issue. Download the free Gourmet Live app for access to all of the issues and recipes, and visit Gourmet.com to read this week’s issue in full, including:

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Super Bowl Snacking: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

We’re joining forces with our food media friends for a virtual potluck starring all of our favorite Super Bowl recipes. From classic beef meatballs to tangy Buffalo wings, going gourmet on game day has never been easier thanks to the communal table of appetizers, entrees, and desserts we’re assembling online.

Although savory sliders and creamy dips have their place in the spotlight, we couldn’t resist sharing one of our favorite ways to work a little festive red into your spread. Our whoopie pies layer sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting between two moist red velvet cakes. Opt for an added garnish by rolling the pies in your favorite chopped nuts or sprinkles.

Grab a taste of Red Velvet Whoopie Pies then check out all of the other dishes being served up this year for the Big Game. And feel free to share a link to your own favorite Super Bowl dish in the comments section below or on Twitter (#pullupachair)!

Drinks:
Liquor.com: Lights Out Punch, Marvelous Frothy Margarita and Black Velvet
Food52: Bubbly Manhattan

Dip Recipes:
Food.com: Buffalo Chicken Dip
BlogHer: Warm Tomato Basil Dip
Yahoo! Shine: Artichoke Dip

Appetizers:
EatingWell: The Best Guacamole
Devour: Sweet and Sour Pork Sliders from Ching-He Huang
The Daily Meal: Fancy Potato Skins With Chorizo
Food Republic: Spinach Artichoke Balls
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Pork and Avocado Quesadillas
Fox News: Cheddar Jalapeno Hush Puppies

Mains:
Epicurious: Classic Beef Meatballs
YumSugar: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Wings:
Men’s Health: Angry Dijon Mustard and Honey Glazed Chicken Wings
Healthy Eats: Baked Buffalo Wings
FN Dish: Alton Brown’s Buffalo Wings

Desserts:
Gourmet Live: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies


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Now In the Store: Soups, Stews, and Chowders

Soups, Stews, and Chowders

Fight the winter chill with rich and satisfying recipes from our Soups, Stews, and Chowders collection, now available in the Gourmet Live Store.

Kick up the heat with a fiery bowl of Thai-Spiced Tomato Soup, or keep it classic with Chicken Soup with Rice made with store-bought broth and rotisserie chicken. For fresh flavor from the sea, opt for a mug of Seafood Stew that’s loaded with baby squid, white fish, and veggies, and finished off with a splash of dry white wine.

Download the free Gourmet Live app then head to the Library to access the Store for our Soups, Stews, and Chowders collection.

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01.25.12: Winter of Our Content

This week we’re tucking into cozy chowder and robust braises, as well as food for thought on slow cookers, yeast, and a farmer’s delight in winter produce in the Winter of Our Content Issue. Download the free Gourmet Live app for access to all of the issues and recipes, and visit Gourmet.com to read this week’s issue in full, including:

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Five Tips for the Ultimate Super Bowl Bash

Super Bowl Party

Photo: Chris Gentile

I’m ignoring the fact that my hometown team, the San Diego Chargers, never made it to the NFL playoffs this year. I consider their lackluster performance to be no reason to shy away from celebrating one of my favorite food days of the year: the Super Bowl. Nachos, sliders, soft pretzels, snack mix—if it can be found in a stadium, I’m serving it up fresh from the comfort of my kitchen (or couch).

Get prepared for the big game with five tips for a winning Super Bowl XLVI spread:

  • Throw the Flag: Don’t stop at decorating with your team’s colors. Add yellow and red napkins to mimic the referee’s flag and the coach’s challenge flag. This simple decorative touch will add an element of coffee table competition to your spread.
  • The Perfect Spot: Keep things simple by positioning food near your TV, with sweets kept separate from savory dishes. You don’t want guests to be forced to choose between watching the game and eating. It’s a Super Bowl party, not a seven-course dinner.
  • Tebowing for Trophies: Celebrate the NFL season’s breakout star by organizing your own Tebowing competition complete with score cards and trophies.
  • Pre-game Warm-Up: Include a mix of both hot and room temperature foods, the latter of which can be prepared and set out ahead of time. Opt for a few appetizers that can even be made a day or two in advance, such as homemade snack mixes, potato chips, and roasted nuts. 
  • Call for Substitutions: It’s not all about the booze. Don’t forget to include kid-friendly mocktails like freshly squeezed lemonade or fruity iced teas for those who are looking for beverages that don’t have to be shaken or stirred.
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01.18.12: Eating Up Asia

Eating Up Asia

This week we’re visiting China, Kurdistan, India, and Vietnam with expert food guides in our Eating Up Asia Issue. Download the free Gourmet Live app for access to all of the issues and recipes, and visit Gourmet.com to read this week’s issue in full, including:
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01.11.12: Diet Daze

Diet Daze

This week we’re cutting through the fat on popular diets and sweeteners and sharing personal reflections on weight and health in our Diet Daze Issue. Download the free Gourmet Live app for access to all of the issues and recipes, and visit Gourmet.com to read this week’s issue in full, including:

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Image of the Day: Butternut Squash and Pecan Pancakes

Butternut Squash Pecan Pancakes

Pinch of Yum kicks up the flavor of a traditional breakfast classic with her recipe for Butternut Squash Pecan Pancakes. Top fluffy whole wheat ‘cakes with a sweet and savory mix of butternut squash, crunchy pecans, and a thick drizzle of maple syrup.

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What We’re Cooking: Ravioli

Artichoke Ravioli

Photo: Romulo Yanes

Every year when winter rolls around I turn to one of my favorite comfort food dishes to fight the cold: ravioli.

Sausage-filled, brown butter-soaked, cheese-topped − I don’ t care how it’s stuffed or sauced, if it goes by the name “ravioli,” then chances are it’s going to be on my dinner menu. Although I love to keep it simple with a four cheese-stuffed ravioli, my latest discovery, Artichoke Ravioli with Tomatoes, has led me to explore the wide variety of stuffings and sauces for my favorite pockets of pasta.

Up next on my Tour de Ravioli are Arugula and Goat Cheese Ravioli, which are topped with a quick-fix lemon and garlic butter sauce. But for a culinary nod to the season’s most festive ingredient, I’m turning to Chestnut Ravioli with Sage Browned Butter. (Note the common ingredient in both is butter.) A sprinkle of grated Parm and dinner (and the next day’s lunch) is served!

What are your favorite ravioli fillings?

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