"Cookthink" news and stories

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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