"braising" news and stories

In Italy, radicchio is quite popular. Usually, it is eaten grilled in olive oil, or mixed into dishes such as risotto. In recent years, it has gained popularity in the United States, but is more often eaten raw in salads. This recipe calls for radicchio di Treviso. Firm, round bitter heads of radicchio (radicchio di Verona) can be found in many supermarkets, but you will probably have to shop at a farmers' market to find the elongated radicchio di Treviso, a variety that is prized for its flavor.

Selection: Heading radicchio should have some give. If it is too firm and heavy, with leaves no longer attached to the core, it is probably over mature and won't last long. With all types, select radicchio as you would any salad green, avoiding specimens that show signs of decay such as brown-edged leaves or browning cores.

Storage: Store in a loose plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Radicchio keeps a few days longer than most salad greens.

(If you can't find the elongated radicchio, feel free to use whatever you can find in your grocery stores.)

From the cookbook: Fresh From the Farmers' Market by Janet Fletcher

Nothing tastes like a good blackening. And it's not even hard.

Many people shy away from blackened foods, thinking that blackening means charring the meat, the vegetable, whatever is being blackened.

Au contraire! Blackening refers to what happens to the Cajun spices! The spices get really hot and kazaam! They explode in the heat, turning black and infusing your fish, meat, vegetables or what-have-you with their flavor. Cajun, delicious, and a lot better for you than frying.

Check out instructions on how to make two seriously delicious blackened catfish fillets after the jump.

For the last few years, I have wanted to own a Staub Cocotte. I am entranced by their braising spikes, and the fact that their dark enamel interiors deters the kind of staining you see on the inside of Le Creuset pots. Plus the fact that they just cook so darn well.

This weekend, I was at my favorite home and kitchen store (Foster's Homeware) and found a few minutes to peek at their display of Staub cookware. As I caressed one of the pots longingly, Kim, the store's events manager came over and we started talking about our mutual love of the Cocotte. She said that she uses hers all the time and if anything were to happen to the contents of her kitchen, it would be the first thing she would replace. I left the store empty-handed, but pondering my Staub future.

As I flipped through the internet this morning, I happened to notice that the Staub 5-quart round Cocotte is on sale at Amazon.com for a single day. They normally run $200, but you can snatch one up for $144.99 today if you are so inclined. I'm skipping the sale, as my Le Creuset is a 5-quart round, and try as I might, I can't convince myself that I need two pots of the same shape and capacity. However, if this happens to be your dream pot, this might be your opportunity to finally own one.

Source

Lidia Bastianich has long been one of my favorite chefs. This may seem strange, given my ardent vegetarianism (and gradual shift toward veganism) and her propensity for meat dishes, but I believe that a good chef is more than just the dishes they create. Presence, skills, and love of food are what separate a good chef from a great one.

Bastianich has the presence and authority of an accomplished chef, while still managing to maintain that grandmotherly charm. She's a strong woman (mother, breast-cancer survivor) who has taught people of the likes of Mario Batali, yet she is never boastful or arrogant - just confident and knowledgeable.

My favorite of her tv episodes are the ones where she makes her own pasta, expertly making little nests with the dough, dropping the egg into the center, and kneading until she winds up with a fresh, doughy ball of goodness. Watching her make gnocchi is great fun - she gently twists tiny pieces of dough into the perfect shapes, all while chatting to the camera.

So, obviously, I was thrilled to find Epicurious's "Easter with Ease" section, featuring what Bastianich does best: traditional Italian food with a fresh twist. From braised artichokes with pecorino for the veggies to braised lamb shoulder for the carnivores (and a decadent-sounding Limoncello tiramisu for dessert with a whopping pound of mascarpone cheese), she's got it all covered.

But you don't have to celebrate Easter to enjoy this food - make these recipes anytime!

Not long ago I posted about an event at the Astor Center in NYC, the annual Head to Tail Dinner put on by Chris Cosentino of Incanto restaurant in San Francisco. I was lucky enough to attend and want to tell you all about it. We'll go behind the scenes in the kitchen before, and just prior to the meal; and follow all the way through the dinner itself. It all started three days prior when I was invited to join the chefs in the kitchen as they started prepping for the dinner.

Chris and his pal, Chef Jonnatan Leiva of the Jack Falstaff Restaurant in San Francisco had flown in on a red-eye after finishing work late the night before. With what little sleep they had on the plane, they went straight to work in the Astor Center kitchen, as they engaged on a three-day binge of Red Bull to keep them alert and local microbrews to keep them sane. Other chefs from around New York state showed up to volunteer and help put the event together.



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