"The bitten word" news and stories

Happy National Eggs Benedict Day!

According to legend, eggs Benedict were created to please two regular patrons -- Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict -- who complained that Delmonico's in Manhattan had no new offerings on its lunch menu. The attentive maitre d' and Mrs. Benedict supposedly sat down to discuss options, coming up with a base of toasted English muffin halves individually topped with Canadian bacon or sliced ham, poached eggs and a dollop of hollandaise.

The classic eggs Benedict recipe pictured here by The Bitten Word is a simple concoction, with the only minor challenge being perfectly mounded poached eggs. But fret not -- adding vinegar to boiling water at a ratio of one cup vinegar to eight cups water will help the eggs stay compact, forming the perfectly sized bundles to top an English muffin.

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Photo: thebittenword.com, Flickr.

As cooler temperatures brighten the appeal of a toasty kitchen, gratins become increasingly enticing. We find ourselves plotting to spend afternoons by the oven creating warming dishes in anticipation of cold-weather weeks, since there's hardly anything more comforting than coming home to a ready-made meal that needs only to be popped into the oven.

And what could be more appropriate than this Root-Vegetable Gratin adapted by the bloggers at thebittenword.com. Clay and Zach boast that "the sweetness of the squash and sweet potatoes plays perfectly off the more earthy, turnip-y taste of the rutabaga." And yet as polished as this gratin may appear, the dish involves little more than the assembly and baking of mandoline-sliced vegetables, with the addition of heavy cream, chicken broth and a light panko topping. Check out Food & Wine's original recipe here and a plethora of gratin inspirations here.

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I've only had a deep fried bloomin' onion once in my life, as a county fair near Charlottesville, VA. It was about nine years ago, but the taste memory of it is still with me. However, they are deadly as far as calories go and so I've stayed away. However, thanks to the advent of this roasted version from the guys at The Bitten Word, I think I may have finally found a suitable substitute.

Thanks guys, for adding this luscious image to the Slashfood Flickr pool!

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Is it Pac-Mac, on his way to eat some pellets? Or a elementary school fraction problem?

If you guessed "None of the above" you're correct. It's actually an Apple Stack Cake from the guys at The Bitten Word, with one delicious slice removed. It's a cake that Zack's grandmother used to prepare, and he made it in her honor as she recently passed away (one of the things I love about food is the way it can bring back wonderful memories of friends and family who aren't around anymore). It's nothing more than vanilla cake and a spiced apple spread, making it a great way to top off both a simple dinner with friends, or your family's holiday meal.

Thanks guys, for adding your gorgeous picture to the Slashfood Flickr pool.

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I didn't grow up eating fried chicken. My mom was always more of a baked chicken kind of person (she liked to keep things as healthy as possible). In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times in life I've eaten friend chicken. And to be honest, I've never made it myself. And yet, I find it fascinating and totally hypnotic. I love the idea of good fried chicken and aspire to one day giving it a try in my kitchen.

The guys at The Bitten Word have no fried chicken fear and recently whipped up not one, but two batches of the stuff. They put Clay's mom's fried chicken up against Thomas Keller's recipe and invited a whole bunch of friends over to help them with the taste test. Clay's mom's recipe was the winner, mostly for its classic taste and super crispy skin. Sounds delicious!

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