Cookthink - Articles and Posts from Slashfood

Posts with tag Cookthink

Cookthink helps you satisfy your cravings

Posted Jul 28th 2008 2:57PM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: On the Blogs, Food News

what are you craving tool from cookthink

Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at the contents of your refrigerator, knowing that you have mountains of good groceries, but no idea how to put them together into something that sounds appetizing and satisfies your current cravings? (If you haven't found yourself in this state, I am truly impressed by your culinary wisdom and creativity.) For the rest of, the fine folks at Cookthink have invented a new tool, designed to help you pull those separate ingredients and amorphous cravings together into that tasty meal we like to call dinner.

You can search by ingredient, which is handy for using half an eggplant and some elderly french bread. You can also search by cuisine, dish or even the mood you find yourself in at the moment. I have but one word of warning. Make sure you don't use this tool in the hour before lunch time, as it has the ability to stir up cravings you didn't even know you were capable of having. After a search for 'salty' and 'pasta' I am now craving Fettuccine With Guanciale, Egg And Parmesan.

The deliciousness that is pimento cheese

Posted May 9th 2008 5:02PM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: Cheese, On the Blogs, Retro cookery

image of pimento cheese on crackers from cookthink

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Philly-area food blogger potluck. I love these gatherings, because it is an opportunity to taste a huge variety of foods, all prepared by people who more than usually interested in such things. At the last potluck, someone had brought a tray of what looked like plain tea sandwiches. Triangles of white bread, crusts removes, and a thin layer of orange-y cheese in the middle.

I steered clear of this particular tray for sometime, a little appalled that someone would have brought something so seemingly basic. Then, as I was talking to a friend, she said, "Have you tried the pimento cheese sandwiches? They are amazing!"

Upon her urging, I walked over to the food table and picked up a triangle and bit in. I discovered that what I had taken for soul-less white bread was actually a bit chewy and sour, with a fresh, newly baked aroma. And the cheese that was holding the slices together? Pimento cheese that was pungent, sharp, tangy and wonderful. These were not my Aunt Doris's tea sandwiches.

Earlier this week, Cookthink ran a post about the many ways that it's possible to reinvent pimento cheese, which made me start thinking of those potluck sandwiches. I think that there is pimento cheese in my very near future.

Cookthink brainstorms ways to use fresh herbs

Posted Mar 28th 2008 3:06PM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: On the Blogs, How To, Spices

On the whole, I really enjoy urban, apartment living. It's convenient to everything, I don't have to shovel snow in the winter and there's always someone downstairs to receive packages for me while I'm at work. One of the few downsides is that there's no place to have an herb garden.

I've tried growing a few things on my window sill, but my rosemary always gets spindly and the mint shrivels and dies. So when I want fresh herbs, I have to buy them. There's a produce market around the corner from me that sells nearly everything you could want, for around a $1 a bag. However, even when I'm diligent, I never use it all up before it goes bad. The bloggers over at Cookthink are well aware of this dilemma and have posted a piece entitled 10 ways to use up leftover fresh herbs. It has some great tips and suggestions. I think I'll go for #2 this weekend and make an omelette aux fines herbes.

Cookthink launches the Cookthinktank

Posted Feb 4th 2008 6:00PM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: On the Blogs

Cookthink has only been around for a year, but for those of us who hang out on the food interwebs on a regular basis, it is hard to imagine the scene without them, as their voice has been such a positive and lovely addition to the food conversation. Here at Slashfood, we've repeatedly linked to their perfect recipes and gorgeous images. I've been inspired on many occasions to leap up from my computer and head to the kitchen after their Root Source newsletter lands in my inbox.

They recently launched a new feature that they are cleverly calling the Cookthinktank. They've formed partnerships with six food bloggers and cookbook authors, including Jaden from the Steamy Kitchen and Jess from Hogwash, in order to bring their readers even more recipes, tips and images on a regular basis. I look forward to all tasty new creations that will be springing forth from that site because of this collaboration!

Cookthink makes Pho at home

Posted Dec 3rd 2007 12:03PM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: Beef, South Asia, On the Blogs, How To

Last week I mentioned that Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) is one of my favorite cold weather foods. I love the warm, anise-scented broth next to the cool crunch of the fresh bean sprouts and herbs. However, it's one of those dishes that I think of as restaurant-only. I've never attempted to make it, mostly because I know the broth is fairly labor-intensive.

The level of work that it required didn't scare away Brys from Cookthink (it appears that he rarely shies away from complex cooking projects, a trait that endears his blogging to me) and it looks like he created something tasty and close to authentic (except, where's the star anise? *). For those of you who have never made consommé, his narration and pictures will help you navigate those tricky waters.

Me, I'm just looking forward to the next time I can get down to South Philly for a steaming bowl of Pho.

*Even though I read Brys' post three times, I missed the star anise until a commenter pointed it out to me. My mistake!

Tips on how to cook duck breast from Cookthink

Posted Nov 14th 2007 2:39PM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: Dinner, Poultry, On the Blogs, How To, Roasting

Two nights ago, I found myself on the phone with my mother, trying to describe how one cooks duck breast. I had been telling her about a dinner I had with friends on Saturday night and the amazingly scrumptious duck I had eaten. She admitted that the only time in her life she remembers eating duck was once, as a Chinese restaurant, about 25 years ago. She hadn't been impressed then and just stayed away. I talked her through the whole process, but I could just tell that she wasn't sold.

However, thanks to Brys over at Cookthink, there now exists a perfect picture tutorial to show you how to go about pan roasting a duck breast. It is concise, complete and totally hunger-inducing. So go forth and cook duck breast without fear!

Leek and potato latkes make a yummy weekend breakfast

Posted Oct 13th 2007 8:12AM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: Breakfast, Recipes, On the Blogs

potato and leek latke with a fried egg on top

Looking for a creative and tasty breakfast this weekend? Something a little out of the ordinary that isn't too energy intensive? Why not take a page out of Brys at Cookthink's book and whip yourself up a batch of Leek and Potato Latkes? Because latkes aren't just for Hanukkah anymore. He dresses a few up with a spoonful of caviar and tops the rest with a fried egg. After seeing this post, I wished fervently for the ability to crawl into my computer screen and magically travel through time and space to the kitchen where these puppies were created. Sadly, it was not to be.

On a different latke note, if you're the type of person who learns through watching, you might want to check out this here little video in which my friend Scott and I make up a batch of potato latkes. So yummy.

Making gnocchi by feel on Cookthink

Posted Sep 26th 2007 9:22AM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: Dinner, Grains, Vegetables, Recipes, On the Blogs

prepped sweet potato gnocchi, molded and ready for a hot water bath

I must have sweet potatoes on the brain, because is the second post I'm writing this week that involves them. This time I haven't actually done the cooking, I'm simply salivating over the Sweet Potato Gnocchi that Brys made over at Cookthink this weekend.

I've never made gnocchi on my own. I've thought about it more than once, but always talked myself out of the idea because I'd heard from so many folks that it's really hard to get it right. This is why I'm doubly intrigued by this post, because Brys didn't even use a recipe, he just headed out and did it by feel (documenting each step as he went with some really lovely pictures). There are lots of things that I can cook by feel, but homemade pasta is not one of them. However, he makes it look so easy that I think I'm going to have to give it a go sometime soon.

Cookthink's got me thinking about chile peppers

Posted Aug 4th 2007 8:30AM by Marisa McClellan
Filed under: Vegetables, On the Blogs, How To, Spices

In the last few years, I've slowly incorporated hot peppers into my cooking. During my childhood any heat in our food came from the bottle of chile powder that my mother used only very rarely, so it's been a self-taught journey into the Scoville world. The jalapeño tends to be my pepper of choice (mostly because it's the one that's typically available at the produce market across the street from my building), but also because when you remove the ribs and seeds, it isn't too criminally hot.

Peppers can be dangerous to cut. I've often found myself with burning fingers hours after cooking, despite multiple handwashings (I've also rubbed my eyes with pepper laced fingers more than once, talk about pain). I don't use gloves mostly because it seems environmentally unsound to use and toss latex all the time (good thing I don't work in the medical field). Basically, I just suffer with the pain, because the taste is oh-so-good. A little hardship for a good meal is worth it.

photo by Marisa McClellan

This little meditation on the pain of peppers was spurred by Cookthink's weekly Root Source on serrano chiles. They've got a picture how-to on the best way to cut and seed a chile pepper, as well as side-by-side comparison of three popular varieties of chiles. Go forth and be spicy!

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Cookthink helps you satisfy your cravings

The deliciousness that is pimento cheese

Cookthink brainstorms ways to use fresh herbs

Cookthink launches the Cookthinktank

Cookthink makes Pho at home

Tips on how to cook duck breast from Cookthink

Leek and potato latkes make a yummy weekend breakfast

Making gnocchi by feel on Cookthink

Cookthink's got me thinking about chile peppers

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