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Author Archives: Sarah Angileri

Food Blog of the Week: Life’s a Feast

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Name: Jamie Schler
Blog: Life’s a Feast

Location: Nantes, France

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
We always cooked dishes here and there, but the first complete meal for company I can remember cooking was a Thanksgiving feast I prepared with my brother when we were both living in Brooklyn: a roast turkey with homemade cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, homebaked breads, apple and pumpkin pies, cakes, and cookies.

I will never eat:
Brains, kidneys, and hearts.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
The entire Hazan family: Marcella and Victor, Lael and Giuliano, and their daughters. Passionate, knowledgeable cooks and passionate eaters who obviously enjoy sharing great food.

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what food it be?
Chocolate. I am a passionate baker and most of my blog recipes are for sweets; chocolate is so diverse of an ingredient, marrying perfectly with a multitude of fabulous flavors. It’s also an ingredient that allows for the creation of desserts and snacks in so many forms: cakes, cookies, puddings, creams, mousses, and soufflés to name just a few.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged chocolate, france, Life's a Feast | 1 Comment

Food Blog of the Week: A Spicy Perspective

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Name: Sommer Collier
Blog: A Spicy Perspective

Location: Asheville, North Carolina

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what would it be?
Sea salt.

I will never eat:
Tripe.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
Ina Garten.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
Grilled pork loin rubbed with cinnamon and cumin, and served with grilled veggies.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
Curate Tapas Bar in Asheville, North Carolina. I order sautéed eggplant, Spanish tomato bread, and shaved ham.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged From the Food Blogs | 1 Comment

Food Blog of the Week: Food Wanderings

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Name: Shulie Madnick
Blog: Food Wanderings

Location: Fairfax, Virginia

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
My first cooking memory was rolling out dough in my mom’s kitchen for sweet Indian steamed dumplings. We were an assembly line — someone rolling, someone filling, and so on. My mom was at the stove orchestrating over us.

I will never eat:
Anything slimy, like snails or frog legs.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
My first cookbook author crush, Paula Wolfert (but I would be super intimidated!)

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
There are many, but if I had to choose, I’d choose simple pleasures, like Katz’s Deli’s pastrami on rye with mustard and Taim’s green falafel, both in New York City. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is on my bucket list.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged Food Wanderings, Indian, indian food, Virginia |

What We’re Cooking: Unusual Ice Cream

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

I’ll admit it. I’m not the best at making decisions, especially when it comes to matters of food. And when faced with a veritable buffet of ice cream flavors, I’m usually the annoying customer who greedily asks for her scoop in both a cup … and with a cone on top. Although I’ll remain forever loyal to my favorite flavors, the summer months present me with an opportunity to whip out my ice cream maker and get a bit eccentric.

When the heat is on, I keep it zen with a scoop of herb-infused Basil or Lemongrass Ice Cream. For something a bit heartier, leftover bacon does the trick when crumbled into a rich and smoky Bacon and Egg Ice Cream . Or if I’m really feeling extra daring, I’ll try earthy Porcini and Honey Ice Cream made with porcini power and thick drizzles of honey.

What’s the wackiest ice cream you’ve ever tried?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged Bacon, basil, dessert, frozen yogurt, ice cream, summer | 2 Comments

Weekly Roundup: Picnic Fare Favorites

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Nothings seasons a meal quite like the glow of sunshine, and a picnic is the perfect opportunity for noshing on the season’s best produce while soaking up the allure of dining al fresco. Pack up the ultimate outdoor feast with our favorite salads, spring rolls, beverages, and more.

Farro with Sweet Peas, Fresh Herbs, and Ricotta from Food and Style is creamy and light with just a touch of lemon zest and balsamic to brighten up the flavors (pictured above).
The Gouda Life’s Shrimp, Arugula and Asparagus Salad is dressed with chopped cilantro, basil, pea pod puree and parmesan cheese.
Menu Musing’s Cajun Chicken Salad takes the traditional for a spicy ride with the addition of chopped andouille sausage and creole seasoning.
Naturally Ella’s noodle-filled Swiss Chard Spring Rolls are wrapped in thin rice paper and dunked into spicy ginger-peanut sauce.
Keepin’ It Kind’s vegan Wild Mushroom Pistachio Pizza with Tofu Chevre subs traditional marinara for mustard green and pistachio pesto.
Two Tart’s Apple Brie Baguette tops thinly-sliced apple and peppery arugula with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Wash it all down with a mason jar full of Alaska from Scratch’s fragrant Basil Lemonade.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged al fresco, picnic, Spring, spring produce | 1 Comment

Image of the Week: Roasted Pineapple Tamales

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Kitchen Konfidence sweetens up traditional tamales with a roasted pineapple filling flavored with vanilla beans and honey. A final scoop of Riesling-soaked raisins adds a welcome surprise when unwrapping the steamed bundles.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged mexican cuisine, pineapple, raisins, tamale |

Food Blog of the Week: Table for Two

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Name: Julie Chiou
Blog: Table for Two

Location: Washington, D.C

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what would it be?
Pasta. It’s so versatile!

I will never eat:
Durian fruit.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
Friends and family. I love to entertain and share my dishes and love for food.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
I used to hate onions, but now I can’t cook without them!

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
Vintage Pizza Bistro in Washington, D.C. I always order the half Matchbox Meat and half Spicy Meatball pizza.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged Pasta, Table for Two, Washington D.C. Foods |

What We’re Cooking: Seasonal Greens

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Wilted Greens with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette

If there is one food that should be making a more regular appearance on my plate, it’s leafy greens. For only a meager amount of calories, greens provide countless nutritional benefits, including a punch of Vitamins A, C, and K, as well as Iron and Magnesium. Health benefits aside, they’re also a blank canvas when it comes to sprucing them up, raw or cooked.

In my kitchen, many a bunch (particularly of the kale and spinach variety) have passed through a pan hot with oil or a simple squeeze of lemon, and are all the better for it. But it’s time to mix things up. A healthy breakfast sets the tone of my food choices for the rest of the day, and Kemp’s Eggs on Toast with Dandelion Greens is the ideal balance of protein, whole grains, and vegetables to do just that. I like to dress my fanciest locally-grown greens with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette, allowing the heat from the dressing to tenderize and slightly infuse each leaf. For greens that are just starting to turn, or for using up those attached to beets and other root vegetables, purée them into Creamy Fennel and Greens Soup.

How do you like to prepare fresh greens?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged collards, Dandelion Greens, Greenmarket, greens, salad | 2 Comments

Weekly Roundup: Pineapple Perfection

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Whisk your taste buds away to the tropics with pineapple-inspired recipes boasting floral notes and a beautiful balance of tangy, tart sweetness. Although you can find it canned, fresh is always best. To check for ripeness, sniff the bottom of the pineapple. If it smells slightly sweet, it’s ready to eat.

Three kinds of chile peppers—ancho, guajillo, and chipotle—make Cook and Be Merry’s Pork Tacos with Achiote & Grilled Pineapple literally hot off the grill (pictured above).
Veggie Belly’s Pineapple and Coconut Rasam is a spiced, broth-based soup from South India that’s flavored with tamarind pulp and fresh sprigs of cilantro.
Chewy, dried chunks of ginger and crushed pineapple dot Bakingdom’s Pineapple Gelato with Fresh Rosemary.
Closet Cooking’s Korean Pineapple BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are dripping with jack and cheddar cheese and spicy Korean-style salsa roja.
Delicious on crackers, eCurry’s cumin, coriander, and cinnamon-scented Indian Spiced Pineapple Chutney is bold enough to pair with your favorite pungent cheese.
Mama’s Gotta Bake’s juicy, caramelized slices of Roast Pineapple and Pistachios are cooled down with a dollop of creme fraiche and torn mint leaves.
Like a lunchtime rice pudding, Coffee and Vanilla’s chilled Rice Salad with Pineapple, Red Kidney Beans, Corn and Raisins is dressed with sour cream and lots of fresh black pepper.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged fruit, pineapple, sweet | 1 Comment

Image of the Week: Salt and Vinegar Grilled Pork

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Pork belly is like the dessert of all meats. It’s rich, fattening, and utterly decadent. Hiding beneath a thick layer of fat is a belt of tender-sweet pork, so soft and melt-in-your-mouth you’ll want to make sure any marinade that dare touches it is only an afterthought. The Hungry Giant keeps the sauce simple and secondary with a balanced salty-sour marinade of white cane and apple cider vinegars, peppercorns, and a splash of fish sauce.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged grilled, pork, pork belly, salt, vinegar |

Food Blog of the Week: Sandwicherie

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Name: Karolina Wiercigroch
Blog: Sandwicherie

Location: Warsaw, Poland

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day, what would it be?
Potatoes. They’re beautiful, delicious, and versatile and they are the love of my life. My blog, Couch Potato, would permit me to spend the whole day working my potato magic. Sweet potatoes and red potatoes, russet potatoes, and blue potatoes, young potatoes, and even regular potatoes would be craftily turned into purées, French fries, baked wedges, loaded skins, crispy crisps, gratins, casseroles, soups, salads, pies, and, obviously, sandwiches. I do have one potato sandwich on my blog, but there are hundreds yet to come.

Is there a food you used to hate but now you love?
Like many young minds of my generation, I was a victim of the anti-spinach propaganda. Kids were expected to hate spinach, so I decided it could never come anywhere near my mouth without even tasting it. Now I enjoy spinach, especially when paired with blue cheese. Also, I used to be afraid of chanterelles, which seems completely absurd given how astonishingly beautiful and breathtakingly delicious I find them now.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, the eponymous inventor of the sandwich. Genius. Probably the most brilliant man in human history. And Goethe, who, according to a completely fictional story by Woody Allen, was Earl Sandwich’s consultant and significantly improved hamburgers by suggesting to serve them on buns. And Woody Allen, too. And I do realize that most of these people are dead, so it would be just me and Woody Allen, surrounded by sad, empty chairs.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
SOLEC in Warsaw. They only use local, seasonal ingredients from organic farms. Their truly innovative approach to Polish culinary tradition results in unexpected combinations, like chicken livers in orange syrup or beetroot horseradish whipped cream. The menu changes daily, so I don’t stand a chance to order the same thing twice. I particularly enjoy soups (like white wine-infused bread and cheese soup, or celery cream soup with caramel and rosemary).

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged deli, poland, pub, Sandwiches | 6 Comments

What We’re Cooking: Miso

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Bold and versatile, this popular Japanese condiment should be a staple in kitchens across the globe. Similar in flavor to a soy sauce, miso is made by fermenting grains like rice and barley with soybeans, salt, and a fungus called “koji.” The paste is becoming ubiquitous enough now that you can even find soy-free versions made with chickpeas. Be forewarned: Miso is extremely salty and pungent, so go easy on any additional seasonings.

For inspired grilling or roasting, shiro miso gives Marinated Salmon with Citrus and Shitakes a meatiness, while zesty cilantro, lemon, and orange keep the level of umami in check. I like to keep this creamy Miso Dressing on hand for topping grilled vegetables and burgers or tossing with shredded cabbage for an Asian-style slaw. And for a quick side, miso- and scallion-based compound butter rounds out nutty, pale-fleshed Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes.

How do you like to cook with miso?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged fermented, japanese, miso, salmon, soy | 1 Comment

Weekly Roundup: Cinco de Mayo Favorites

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

I celebrate Cinco de Mayo every year with a fiesta filled with south-of-the border-inspired bites. Start off your feast with crispy chips and dippers, slow-cooked tacos, fruity salsas and more. ¡Salud!

Pair smoky roasted tomatillos and olives in Foodie Crush’ Roasted Tomatillo and Green Olive Salsa (pictured above).
Pull out the slow cooker for Bakeaholic Mama’s cheesy seven-layer Corona and Lime Chicken Bean Dip.
The Tomato Tart’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Salsa makes for a sweet and sour seasonal dip.
Simple and mild, One Lovely Life’s Pineapple Guacamole gets a fragrant, floral hit from this juicy tropical fruit.
Top the Turntable Kitchen’s tender, pull-apart Slow-Cooked Beef Tacos with smooth avocado and crunchy pickled radishes.
Scarletta Bakes’ creamy corn salad esquites, or Corn Cups, are tossed with a zesty cilantro, lime, and queso fresco-based dressing.
Don’t throw away used lime rinds! Instead, fill them with Brit & Co’s creative Margarita Jello Shots and keep the fiesta going long past appetizers.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged appetizers, Cinco de Mayo, Mexican recipes, salsa | 1 Comment

Image of the Week: Homemade Pasta

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

No matter how good the sauce, I can always distinguish soft and tender handmade pasta from the dried and boxed variety. For me, fresh pasta is the marker of a great Italian meal. Swiss-based food blog House to Haus teaches you a simple technique for crafting orecchiette at home using just a serrated knife and a little elbow grease. With a drizzle of high-quality olive oil and freshly torn basil, these “little ears” make for a comforting meal. Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano is a must, too.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged bolognese, homemade pasta, italian food, Orecchiette, Pasta, Switzerland |

Image of the Week: Avocado Toast

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Avocado’s buttery texture and neutral, albeit slightly earthy, flavor makes it a fitting ingredient for dressing up crostini, the fancy monicker for a simple slice of topped and toasted bread. Cookie + Kate utilizes bright, peppery vegetables, like shaved radishes, asparagus, and arugula, plus a sprinkle of sea salt and a squeeze of lime, for a no fuss way to nosh on spring’s delicate bounty of produce. Be sure to leave the toast dry, since avocado’s crowning attribute is it’s high fat content that can replicate the mouthfeel of oil and butter.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged avocado, Crostini, Spring, spring produce, toast | 1 Comment

Weekly Roundup: Grilled Cheese

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

It’d be next to impossible to go all of April without acknowledging that it’s also National Grilled Cheese Month. Food blogs have been oozing with crispy, chewy, and melty additions to this comforting classic. While scoping out my favorite combinations, I had a revelation: grilled cheese is the best thing since sliced bread. Here’s to hoping April brings a side of tomato soup along with those May flowers.

Our Kitchen Sinks’ Grilled Gruyere and Sweet Onions layers sweet onions and sharp cheese with dill pickles for the makings of a perfect sandwich (pictured above).
Panini Happy’s Brie, Basil, Bacon & Blue Panini is green, grilled and blue all over… a crusty french baguette.
Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich from Honest Fare piles worcestershire-spiced onions on top of dense, home-baked beer bread.
E is for Eat’s whimsical Brie and Green Bean Casserole Grilled Cheese Sliders nixes the Cream of Mushroom in favor of fresh cimini, shredded green beans, and hand-battered shallots.
BS In The Kitchen’s Beet, Arugula and Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese takes the famed salad trio for a spin on the griddle.
Like an elegant cheese platter, buttery havarti and crisp pear sit side-by-side on Foodie Crush’s Sweet Pear and Rosemary Honey with Havarti Grilled Cheese
Closet Cooking perfects pub fare with a Corned Beef Grilled Cheese boasting deeply flavorful Guinness caramelized onions and sharp cheddar.
From Away teaches you how to avoid the pre-sliced plastic variety of American cheese in favor of a less mysterious, but equally palatable Homemade American Cheese.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged bread, grilled cheese, grilled sandwich, panini, Sandwiches | 1 Comment

Image of the Week: Asian-Inspired Meatballs

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Photo: Denise Woodward

The meatball, like the taco and the hotdog, has fallen into a trap of trendy reinterpretations. But with its simple substitution of ground pork for beef and panko for Italian-style breadcrumbs, Eat Boutique’s Asian-Inspired Meatballs and Spaghetti gets it right by maintaining the ball’s integral plump tenderness. Caramelized in a syrupy glaze and served atop a mess of chewy soba, it’s like eating a sweet and spicy deconstructed dumpling!

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged Asian, dumpling, meatball, pork, soba, spaghetti |

What We’re Cooking: Fresh Ricotta

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Photo: Romulo Yanes

To the home chef, cheesemaking might appear to be a laborious process and an enigmatic art form. How can an ingredient as pure and simple as milk be crafted into hundreds of different varietals? Though I prefer my cheese hard and pungent−the kind that makes itself known as soon as its peeled from the protective plastic wrapping—there is something about a mild and silky fresh ricotta that screams springtime.

The cheesecloth veil has lifted, and with only three fridge staples plus a bit of salt, you can easily make your own Homemade Fresh Ricotta to top pasta, like Warm Pasta Salad with Roasted Corn and Poblano, or to turn into nutmeg-dusted Ricotta Gnocchi. However, a schmear of the fresh stuff on crusty bread with a little drizzle of honey and black pepper should never be underestimated either!

Posted in News & Events | Tagged Gnocchi, homemade cheese, Pasta, ricotta | 2 Comments

Weekly Roundup: Tarts

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

A beautiful thing happens when flour is cut with fat: the pastry is born, and with it, a variable array of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. The tart, marked by its crisp, crimped edges, is often reinterpreted. Fold the crust free of form and it becomes a galette, or build it top to bottom for an upside-down tarte tatin. Each remains a buttery vessel for showcasing fresh fruits, savory vegetables, or rich cheeses. Crumbs will fall.

Yummy Supper’s Spinach Galette with Wild Mushrooms amplifies the earthiness of fresh mushrooms and peppery spinach with a heaping cup of salty Parmesan (pictured above).
Cook Republic’s Sour Cream Tart tops a thick layer of creamy, tangy ricotta and sour cream with roasted eggplant, sweet potato, and Spanish onion for a savory twist on the custard-filled pastry.
Willow Bird Baking’s Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hand Tarts combines smoky sausage, cumin-scented black beans, and sweet potatoes in a savory, adult-friendly take on Pop Tarts.
With a little mustard and a lot of butter, Delicious Shot pulls off a unique crust that can stand up to the richness of her Onion and Goat Cheese Tart.
An Edible Mosaic’s Belgian Endive Tarte Tatin finds this bitter-turned-caramelized chicory playing a game of hide and seek under a blanket of puff pastry.
Feasting at Home grabs the poppy seeds and ditches the cookie-cutter tart shell for a Rustic Strawberry Galette with Seeded Rye Crust brimming with ripe, red berries and a bit of balsamic vinegar.
Drizzle and Dip’s Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart oozes gooey caramel sauce beneath a thick layer of honey-scented chocolate ganache.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged Baking, entertaining, Galette, pastry, tart, tarte tatin | 1 Comment

Image of the Week: Purple Pickled Eggs

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Sarah Angileri

Easter: a Sunday synonymous with cornucopias of Cadbury, bunnies (one in particular), and your childhood self wrestling with dozens of candy-stuffed plastic eggs. In the spirit of the fast-approaching holiday, Please Note transforms the iconic into the edible by pickling her hard-boiled version in beet juice. To make two strikingly colorful halves twice as fun, devil the yolk.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged easter, egg, hard-boiled, Pickled, purple | 4 Comments