Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feed_logo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Flashback to the Seventies: All-Purpose Marinarahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-all-purpose-marinara/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-all-purpose-marinara/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-all-purpose-marinara/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Ripe summer tomatoes. Photo: The Ewan, Flickr.
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When I was a kid, the end of the summer brought with it a painful, unpleasant tradition. Every August, when the farmers' market was filled with tomatoes, my parents would buy a few bushels, and the whole family would spend a couple of days blanching, peeling and processing the fruits. Every time, the process resulted in clothing and skin that reeked of tomatoes, fingers that stung and a freezer full of watery tomato sauce that we would defrost throughout the year.

As an adult, I have continued the tradition, although I make my sauce in the fall, when cooking pleasantly warms and perfumes the house, rather than turning it into a sweatbox. I also prefer using canned tomatoes, rather than fresh ones: In addition to sparing my fingers from burns, they produce a sauce that is richer, more flavorful and has a better texture than my parents' marinara. On the other hand, I still use my mom's recipe, which she learned from her Italian godmother, although I add a little bit of red wine vinegar, which gives the sauce more depth. Ultimately, it's a spicy, fennel-accented marinara that freezes well, tastes delicious and is inexpensive to make.

Get the recipe for all-purpose marinara after the jump.

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsmarinaraPortia SaponaroPortiaSaponarospaghetti sauceSpaghettiSaucetomato sauceTomatoSauceBruce WatsonMon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Microwaved Lime Cheesecake Tartshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-microwaved-lime-cheesecake-tarts/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-microwaved-lime-cheesecake-tarts/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-microwaved-lime-cheesecake-tarts/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

sliced lime
Fresh Summer Limes. Photo: Flickr, Darwin Bell
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Back in the early 1980s, when my Aunt Evie was putting together our family cookbook, my mother volunteered a recipe on my behalf. Titled "Brucie's Microwave Cheesecakes," it stood alongside my cousin Teddy's "Sesame Street Cookies" and my cousin Cathy's "Oven Fried Chicken," evidence that, at age 8, I was already a kitchen prodigy. However, it was all a lie: My recipe was stolen from the "Sunset Microwave Cookbook."

Years later, I found out that my cousins' recipes were also reprinted from various sources. In the meantime, however, I felt like a plagiarist and was always careful to point out that it wasn't my recipe, but rather one that I made a lot. Even so, there was something about my culinary larceny -- intentional or not -- that rubbed me the wrong way.

Recently, as I was working my way through various family dishes, I decided to give this one another shot. While the recipe that follows owes much of its inspiration to the fine folks at "Sunset," the ingredients, preparation method and taste are definitely my own, and I take full responsibility for all of the above!

Get the recipe for lime cheesecake tarts after the jump!

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Microwaved Lime Cheesecake Tarts

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]]>lime cheesecakeLimeCheesecakemicrowave cookingMicrowaveCookingmicrowaved lime tartMicrowavedLimeTartSunset microwave cookbookSunsetMicrowaveCookbookBruce WatsonFri, 28 Aug 2009 16:00:00 ESTBeware the Wine List!http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/07/beware-the-wine-list/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/07/beware-the-wine-list/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/07/beware-the-wine-list/#commentsFiled under: ,

My 'Bete Rouge': Red Wine. Photo by bhollar/Flickr
This last weekend, much to our dismay, my wife and I drank our first $300 bottle of wine.

Our neighborhood in the Bronx is not blessed with an overabundance of great restaurants, so we have learned to turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of our local dives. For example, one of our favorite places has outstanding food and is beautifully decorated, but also has incredibly aggressive waiters who endlessly try to upsell us. Still, in the grand scheme of things, we've decided that pushy waiters are the kind of thing that we can overlook, particularly when the restaurant makes the kind of adoration-worthy pizzas that are its stock-in-trade.

Last weekend, a few old college friends were in town for a visit, so we took them there. After we ordered a couple of appetizers and three of the restaurant's distinctive gourmet pizzas, my wife picked a reasonably priced Italian red that seemed like a good bet to accompany our meal. A few minutes later, the waiter returned to double check on our order. My wife, who was dealing with our daughter at the time, glanced at the wine he pointed to, noted the name, and replied that, yes, it was the one we wanted.

Continue reading Beware the Wine List!

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]]>gretchen robertsGretchenRobertsHanna RaskinHannaRaskinoverchargerestaurantsupsellwine listWineListBruce WatsonFri, 07 Aug 2009 15:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Vichyssoisehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/31/flashback-to-the-seventies-vichyssoise/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/31/flashback-to-the-seventies-vichyssoise/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/31/flashback-to-the-seventies-vichyssoise/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

leeks
Beautiful fresh leeks. Photo by LollyKnit/Flickr
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

My father loved to cook, but few of the recipes in his regular repertoire could really be described as "gourmet." The major exception was his vichyssoise, a cold potato-and-leek soup that he would pull out when the weather got hot and he was in the mood for something refreshing.

Of course, "refreshing" is a relative term; after eating a bowl of his rich, cream-laden soup, I would usually feel like I'd covered my lips in a thick layer of grease. While my version could hardly be described as "low fat," it uses a fraction of the heavy cream that his required and is a lot lighter on the palate. Best of all, it really lets the flavor of the leeks and potatoes shine through. Although this requires a lot of advance time, it refrigerates beautifully and makes a great summer soup!

Get the recipe for vichyssoise after the jump!

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Vichyssoise

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsleekspotage parmentierPotageParmentierpotato and leek soupPotatoAndLeekSouppotatoesvichyssoiseBruce WatsonFri, 31 Jul 2009 15:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Crab Diphttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/24/flashback-to-the-seventies-crab-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/24/flashback-to-the-seventies-crab-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/24/flashback-to-the-seventies-crab-dip/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Photo: jmurawski/Flickr
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

In the mid-1970s, when my mother put "Margaret's Hot Crab Dip" in our family cookbook, the recipe seemed exciting and somewhat exotic. After all, the simple combination of crab, scallion and cream cheese was basically a reverse engineering of the kind of appetizers that upscale restaurants were serving in Maryland and Washington, D.C. at the time, and its simple-yet-spicy flavor made it a hit at parties.

However, years later, when a girlfriend took me to meet her family in South Carolina, it took all of about 10 seconds to convert me to the wonders of chilled Carolina crab dip. This was lucky, as it seemed like every restaurant carried the stuff and passed it out with every meal. My girlfriend's mother's recipe changed depending upon the day, the amount of crab on hand, and whether or not I was taking notes. What follows is a pretty close approximation of her concoction.

Get the recipe for South Carolina-style crab dip after the jump.

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsCrab dipCrabDipSouth CarolinaSouthCarolinaBruce WatsonFri, 24 Jul 2009 17:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies - Barbecue Blue Cheese Meatloafhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/10/flashback-to-the-seventies-barbecue-blue-cheese-meatloaf/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/10/flashback-to-the-seventies-barbecue-blue-cheese-meatloaf/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/10/flashback-to-the-seventies-barbecue-blue-cheese-meatloaf/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

blue cheese
Photo: Dewet/flickr
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Going through my old family cookbook, I came across my Aunt Renie's recipe for blue cheese meatloaf. Like many of Renie's recipes, this one has a long pedigree and an old school gourmet touch. However, the original had a heavy touch of sage, which made the loaf fairly bland.

Experimenting with various sauces in my kitchen, I found that the meatloaf tasted amazing when served with a hearty dollop of barbecue sauce. My modified version, featured below, integrates the barbecue sauce into the meatloaf, along with a huge amount of blue cheese. This, combined with a shorter cooking time, yields a finished product that narrows the distance between meatloaf and paté. With that in mind, you might consider serving this dish with sliced pickles, mustard or other paté accompaniments!

Get the recipe for barbecue blue cheese meatloaf after the jump!

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies - Barbecue Blue Cheese Meatloaf

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsblue cheeseBlueCheesefeaturedMeat loafMeatloafBruce WatsonFri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Bread-and-Butter Pickleshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/02/flashback-to-the-seventies-bread-and-butter-pickles/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/02/flashback-to-the-seventies-bread-and-butter-pickles/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/02/flashback-to-the-seventies-bread-and-butter-pickles/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

pickles
Photo: Dvortygirl/Flickr
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When my mother, who had been raised on kosher half-sour pickles, first tried bread-and-butters, she was immediately overwhelmed. For someone who was used to the tart flavor of Northeastern dills and half-sours, the Southern sweetness of the bread-and-butters were an absolute delight.

Through a combination of compliments and guile, she managed to get hold of our friend Millie's recipe. From that year on, we had a huge picklefest every summer, when we'd spend two or three days putting up bread-and-butter pickles.

While these are extremely sweet pickles, I have kept the recipe almost exactly the way my mom made it. This is partly due to the necessities of pickling, and partially due to a sense of tradition. Mostly, though, it's due to the fact that I regularly swap these pickles out for gherkins or sweet pickle relish.

Get the recipe for bread-and-butter pickles after the jump.


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]]>bread and butter picklesBreadAndButterPicklesBruce WatsonThu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Grasshopper Piehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/25/flashback-to-the-seventies-grasshopper-pie/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/25/flashback-to-the-seventies-grasshopper-pie/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/25/flashback-to-the-seventies-grasshopper-pie/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

hydrox cookies
Hydrox is one of the ingredients. Photo: Chazz Layne/flickr
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When I was a kid, Creme de Menthe was a pretty big deal. A local restaurant used to make parfaits that were loaded with the stuff, and the mix of vanilla ice cream and super-sweet mint liqueur soon entered my pantheon of top childhood delights.

When it came time to update my Aunt Evie's recipe for Grasshopper Cake, I played with the idea of kicking it up a notch, but higher level mint liqueurs and Godiva chocolate liqueur seemed excessive, like putting truffles on a hamburger. In the end, half of the joy of this boozy, sweet concoction lies in the humble nature of its ingredients.

While my family traditionally made this dish in a pie plate, I opted to go for a springform pan. The crust, which I deliberately left uneven, rose and fell to reveal the bright green filling, and the crumbled cookies on top offered a coarse yet tantalizing finish. Needless to say, this one disappeared pretty quickly!

Get the recipe for Grasshopper Cake after the jump.

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]]>Aunt EvieAuntEviebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsGrasshopper cakeGrasshopperCakeBruce WatsonThu, 25 Jun 2009 14:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Korean Barbecued Tofuhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/19/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecued-tofu/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/19/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecued-tofu/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/19/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecued-tofu/#comments
tofu goki
Roasted marinated tofu makes a tasty snack. Photo: Bruce Watson

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

In general, tofu is usually a little too bland for my tastes. A few years ago, however, I discovered the joys of marinated, roasted tofu. When well seasoned and cooked, the flavorless white mass becomes a dense dish with the texture of cheese and the taste of ... well, whatever you want to add!

Not long after I started marinating tofu, I decided to try it with a modified version of my mom's Korean barbecue sauce. It was the perfect mix: Simultaneously spicy, sweet and garlicky, the "Tofu-Goki" was great as a hot or cold snack, and made a perfect basis for many Asian dishes, including the Napa cabbage salad that I made last year.

Get the recipe for 'tofu-goki' after the jump.

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Korean Barbecued Tofu

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]]>Bruce WatsonFri, 19 Jun 2009 15:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Dilled Pea Saladhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/11/flashback-to-the-seventies-dilled-pea-salad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/11/flashback-to-the-seventies-dilled-pea-salad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/11/flashback-to-the-seventies-dilled-pea-salad/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When I was a kid, pea season was a mixed blessing. On the bright side, it meant that we would get fresh sweet peas on the table. Whether from our family garden or from a local farmers' market, the just-harvested peas were invariably sweet, crunchy and delicious. On the other hand, our regular servings of fresh peas translated into hours spent on the porch shelling the bright green pods. Even under the best circumstances, it was dull, tedious work.

My mother's pea salad recipe, which combines the sweetness of peas with the light flavor of dill, tended to overshadow the peas with a heavy helping of sour cream, mayonnaise and scallions. My modified version, included below, lets the flavor of the peas shine through, but retains the original's cool summer flavors.

Get the recipe for dilled pea salad after the jump.

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]]>beyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsdillDilled pea saladDilledPeaSaladpea saladpeasPeaSaladBruce WatsonThu, 11 Jun 2009 15:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Korean Barbecuehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/05/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecue/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/05/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecue/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/05/flashback-to-the-seventies-korean-barbecue/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Over the last few years, Korean barbecue has gained fresh relevance in the United States. Whether served on hot dog buns in Manhattan, tortillas in Los Angeles or rice in Korean restaurants around the country, the sweet, oniony flavors of bulgoki, japchae and galbi are incredibly delicious and increasingly popular.

When I was a kid, bulgoki (also spelled bulgogi, pulgoki, pulgogi and any number of other ways) was a staple in my house. My parents, who lived in Korea before I was born, loved the stuff and would cook it on an electric griddle at our dinner table. As my sisters and I got older, we got involved in the fun; some of my first cooking experiences involved flipping bulgoki with a pair of bamboo tongs.

I've played with amounts and ingredients, but my mother's basic bulgoki recipe is fantastic. In fact, my only major change is in the dipping sauce: while my parents used light soy sauce with a sprinkle of pepper, I prefer a more traditional garlic/vinegar sauce, which I've included below.

Get the recipe for bulgoki after the jump.

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsbulgogibulgokiKorean foodKoreanFoodpulgogipulgokiBruce WatsonFri, 05 Jun 2009 15:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Red Onion Cucumber Saladhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-red-onion-cucumber-salad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-red-onion-cucumber-salad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/28/flashback-to-the-seventies-red-onion-cucumber-salad/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When I have access to fresh produce, cucumber season becomes one of my favorite times of the year. Although it runs from May to August, the wonderful green beauties won't reach their full flourish until later in the summer. Still, it's hard to resist the cool, summery flavor of the first cukes of the season. With that in mind, I decided to flip through my family cookbook in search of some great cucumber recipes.

My Aunt Renie's cucumber salad manages to halve the distance between sharp and smooth, sweet and sour, creamy and intense. In my adjusted version, I cut back on the onions, switched in Greek yogurt and tossed in some fresh dill.

The final version had the soothing coolness of a traditional cucumber salad, but also retained a nice vinegar tang that keeps me on my toes. This is great by itself, or as an accompaniment to barbecue or any other strongly seasoned dish.

Get the cucumber salad recipe after the jump!

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Red Onion Cucumber Salad

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]]>beyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsCucumber saladcucumbersCucumberSaladgreek yogurtGreekYogurtBruce WatsonThu, 28 May 2009 11:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Pickled Beet Diphttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/26/flashback-to-the-seventies-pickled-beet-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/26/flashback-to-the-seventies-pickled-beet-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/26/flashback-to-the-seventies-pickled-beet-dip/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Beets are funny: while they are among the hardiest of winter root vegetables, their gorgeous color brings to mind the energy and exuberance of early summer.

In our family cookbook, my Aunt Evie tipped her hat to this weird dual nature with her recipe for pickled beet dip. Filled with the earthy flavors of winter vegetables, the dip's brilliant pink color suggests the joy of Easter eggs, cotton candy and sunsets. Pairing the coarseness of winter with the energy of summer, it's the perfect spring food!

While most dips tend toward blandness, this one has a nice kick. It goes well with crackers, but really shines as the centerpiece on a tray of crudite. Although the ingredients may sound odd, they blend nicely and the finished product is one of those rare beet dishes that even avowed enemies of the dark red vegetables will love. One warning, though: be sure to let everyone know that it's beet dip. Given the color, some people will assume that it is a cherry or raspberry dish!

Get the pickled beet dip recipe after the jump.

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]]>Aunt EvieAuntEviebeyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsexpire-images:2009-6-25Norwich Meadows FarmNorwichMeadowsFarmPickled beetsPickledBeetsBruce WatsonTue, 26 May 2009 15:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Swiss Squareshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/15/flashback-to-the-seventies-swiss-squares/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/15/flashback-to-the-seventies-swiss-squares/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/15/flashback-to-the-seventies-swiss-squares/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

When I came across a recipe for "Swiss Squares" in my family's cookbook, I got excited. Although the dish seemed like a basic chocolate cake recipe, it used sour cream for leavening. As this is a pretty uncommon choice, I wanted to see its effect on the product.

Overall, I found that the bars were a bit richer than expected, with a nice moist crumb. In my finished version, I massively increased the chocolate and dolled up the frosting. Still, at its heart, this is a recipe for a rich chocolate cake. Then again, even the simplest cake can be pretty profound!

Get the Swiss squares recipe after the jump.

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]]>bakers chocolateBakersChocolatebeyond rice krispiebeyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieBeyondRiceKrispieTreatschocolate liqueurChocolateLiqueurswiss squaresSwissSquaresBruce WatsonFri, 15 May 2009 17:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: Spinach Diphttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/06/flashback-to-the-seventies-spinach-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/06/flashback-to-the-seventies-spinach-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/06/flashback-to-the-seventies-spinach-dip/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

In my family cookbook, there is a recipe for "Mabel's Spinach Spread," a gelatin-thickened dip that was developed by one of my Aunt Evie's foodie friends. Although the original concoction contains a startling quantity of mayonnaise and a lot of added salt, the basic idea of a molded-gelatin dip was somewhat compelling. Gelatin, after all, is basically a fat-free, sugar-free protein that is, allegedly, great for hair and fingernails. Best of all, it can help a dip to stiffen up without the introduction of cream cheese or some other dense fat.

This recipe combines a basic spinach spread with some Greek flavor notes. The yogurt base is creamy, yet fat free, and the feta greatly reduces the need for added salt. Best of all, the fresh flavors of this dip make it a great, easy-to-prepare snack for long summer afternoons. The recipe after the jump.

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]]>beyond rice krispieBeyondRiceKrispiegreek yogurtGreekYogurtretro cookeryRetroCookeryseventies cookingSeventiesCookingspinach dipSpinachDipyogurt dipYogurtDipBruce WatsonWed, 06 May 2009 13:00:00 EST'Frommer's 500 Places for Food & Wine Lovers'http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/04/frommers-500-places-for-food-and-wine-lovers/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/04/frommers-500-places-for-food-and-wine-lovers/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/04/frommers-500-places-for-food-and-wine-lovers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


When it comes to food and travel guides, some are known for their frugality, others for their edginess and still others for their humor. Frommer's could perhaps best be described as "Old Reliable," with picks that rarely stray far from the well-trodden path and are somewhat on the pricey side. Instead of budget-friendly options and spontaneity, Frommer's devotees could bet on an authentic, safe and somewhat luxe travel experience.

That's why it's surprising that the hot-off-the-press new book "Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers" offers an incredibly wide array of options for every budget. Sure, it tips its hat to the traditional institutions that one would expect from the venerable publisher, but it also offers some down-market choices that should give adventurous gourmands a run for their money. Within its pages we spied Coney Island's Totonno's Pizzeria, with some of New York's most-buzzed-about pies in spite of its location on a scuzzy stretch of Neptune Avenue, and old-school Frank Pepe's pizzeria in New Haven, Conn.

Other Frommer's finds after the jump.

Continue reading 'Frommer's 500 Places for Food & Wine Lovers'

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]]>Cincinnati five wayCincinnatiFiveWayEmpress Chili ParlorEmpressChiliParlorFrank PepesFrankPepesFrommersFrommers 500 Places for Food and Wine LoversFrommers500PlacesForFoodAndWineLoversJell-O galleryJell-oGalleryKossars BialysKossarsBialysMolecular GastronomyMolecularGastronomyThe French LaundryThe Inn at Little WashingtonTheFrenchLaundryTheInnAtLittleWashingtonTotonnos PizzeriaTotonnosPizzeriaZabarsBruce WatsonMon, 04 May 2009 17:00:00 ESTFlashback to the Seventies: An Amazing Jell-O desserthttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/29/flashback-to-the-seventies-an-amazing-jell-o-dessert/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/29/flashback-to-the-seventies-an-amazing-jell-o-dessert/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/29/flashback-to-the-seventies-an-amazing-jell-o-dessert/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Looking back on my childhood, I can remember few potluck dinners that didn't feature some version of Jell-O. While my mother somehow missed out on this particular 1970s cultural phenomenon, every one of our neighbors and friends had some unique, idiosyncratic method for serving the famous gelled fruit dessert. Moreover, since I didn't get it at home, every bizarre concoction was an exciting culinary thrill for me.

Searching through my family cookbook, I was pleased to find what I am now convinced is the ultimate Jell-O dessert. The creator, Karen Mono Little, wasn't a blood relative, but her close friendship with my Aunt Evie (and amazing kitchen wizardry) gained her a place in our collection of family recipes. Although my updated version of her dessert is more naturally flavored and has much less sugar, I have to admit that it also lacks some of the savage, addictive intensity of the original. After the jump, I've included Karen's recipe as well as my own. Enjoy!

Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: An Amazing Jell-O dessert

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]]>JelloJello dessertJelloDessertKaren Mono LittleKarenMonoLittleBruce WatsonWed, 29 Apr 2009 13:00:00 ESTFlashback to the '70s - Sweet and Sour Chickenhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/flashback-to-the-seventies-sweet-and-sour-chicken/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/flashback-to-the-seventies-sweet-and-sour-chicken/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/23/flashback-to-the-seventies-sweet-and-sour-chicken/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

chicken
In the 1970s the handy little ovens we now use to reheat leftovers and frozen dinners experienced a brief golden age, with folks employing them for cooking everything from turkeys to cheesecake. This recipe dates from the glorious reign of microwaves.

Like many of Aunt Evie's recipes, her microwaved sweet-and-sour chicken is easy, convenient and surprisingly flavorful. However, it relies on hard-to-find, annoyingly coarse-textured pickling spice and employs an unnecessary amount of margarine. For the modern incarnation we selected only certain pickling spices and ground them up, resulting in a far more evenly flavored and pleasantly textured dish.

This was an interesting experiment with the tiny oven: Microwaving, which essentially cooks meat from the inside out, didn't really yield chicken that has fully absorbed its sauce (or its savory flavor). Consequently, this recipe yields meat that is tender but bland. With that in mind, stove-top directions are at the end of the recipe. Regardless of which cooking method you use, this is a fun, easy and surprisingly tasty dish. Go, Aunt Evie!

Continue reading Flashback to the '70s - Sweet and Sour Chicken

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]]>beyond rice krispie treatsBeyondRiceKrispieTreatsmicrowaved chickenMicrowavedChickenpickling spicesPicklingSpicessweet and soursweet and sour chickenSweetAndSourSweetAndSourChickenBruce WatsonThu, 23 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST'Save the Liver!' Meryl Streep Channels Mrs. Child for 'Julie & Julia'http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/21/save-the-liver-meryl-streep-channels-the-divine-mrs-child-f/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/21/save-the-liver-meryl-streep-channels-the-divine-mrs-child-f/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/21/save-the-liver-meryl-streep-channels-the-divine-mrs-child-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

juliaAlthough the film adaption of "Julie & Julia" isn't coming out until August, Julia Child fans are already excited at the prospect of seeing America's most iconic cooking superstar served up onscreen. Following last weekend's sale of the film's props, your devoted Slashfood staff has been searching for images of the upcoming film.

Everything about Julia Child was outsized, from her flamboyant cooking style to her rich, fluttering falsetto, to her famously dry humor. This, after all, was the great chef who started her professional life as a purported spy in the OSS during World War II, became one of the few women to attend Paris' Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, and ended up spearheading a home-cooking movement that transformed American cuisine with her TV show "The French Chef."

Given Child's impressive height (she was 6-foot-2), it's perhaps unsurprising that the majority of her imitators have been men. The most famous was probably Dan Aykroyd on "Saturday Night Live." His repeated exhortation to "Save the liver!" captured Child's forceful personality and occasional tendency toward self-parody. An even better tribute was offered by John Candy, with a spot-on impression of Child boxing with Fred Rogers in "Battle of the PBS Stars" on "SCTV."

Click for more Julia after the jump.

Continue reading 'Save the Liver!' Meryl Streep Channels Mrs. Child for 'Julie & Julia'

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]]>dan aykroydDanAykroydjohn candyJohnCandyJulia ChildJuliaChildJulie and JuliaJulie JuliaJulieAndJuliaJulieJuliaMeryl StreepMerylStreepBruce WatsonTue, 21 Apr 2009 17:00:00 ESTAllergy Season Got You Down? Helloooo, Honey! http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/16/allergy-season-got-you-down-helloooo-honey/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/16/allergy-season-got-you-down-helloooo-honey/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/16/allergy-season-got-you-down-helloooo-honey/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

honeyAs winter yields to spring, farmers' markets teem with bright produce and blooms shed their pollen, allergy sufferers experience the first sneezes of the season. While over-the-counter and prescribed drugs offer some level of comfort, they also come with a hefty price tag and slew of side effects.

Though science is far from conclusive on this front, many homeopaths think there may be another (edible) option. Some allergy battlers have found that an old folk remedy of eating local honey can help reduce the severity of their reactions. The logic goes like this: bees in an area collect nectar from the same plants that cause allergies, and honey produced from that nectar contains microscopic quantities of the allergens. By consuming small amounts of the honey, sufferers may be administering a form of homespun immunotherapy.

Others dispute the effectiveness of this treatment, and even its supporters acknowledge that honey isn't an instant fix. Traditionally, allergy sufferers consume small amounts of it every day for an extended period of time in order to build up resistance to allergens. (Some even warn that local honey can actually set off reactions. Be sure to check with your doctor if you are considering this method of handling allergies.)

This is all a long way of saying that we have a delectable honey liqueur recipe for the allergic and the resistant alike. Krupnikas, a delicious Eastern European liqueur made from spices, honey and grain alcohol, makes an aromatic, golden-hued tipple that can be drunk warm in the fall or on the rocks in the summer. With a spicy flavor and bright glow, it is a great way to celebrate the arrival of (a hopefully sneeze-free) spring.

Gallery: Making Krupnikas

IngredientsBegin cookingA little while later...FilteringFinished Krupnikas

Continue reading Allergy Season Got You Down? Helloooo, Honey!

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]]>honey allergyhoney liqueurHoneyAllergyHoneyLiqueurKrupnikKrupnikasLithuanian liqueursLithuanianLiqueursBruce WatsonThu, 16 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST