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Posts with tag epi-log

Don't give up that burger quite yet

holstein cows eating grass
We've all heard the that beef is bad for you. It raises cholesterol and increases risk of heart attack. You'd think, knowing those facts, that the safest thing to do would be to try to remove beef from your diet. However, it appears that not all beef is created equal (and so you may not have to give up hamburgers altogether). Switching to grass-fed beef (from the conventional grain-fed beef which is what it typically available in your grocery store) may be the only step you need to make.

According to Eat Wild, grass-fed beef can be lower in fat than commercially raised chicken and has far more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional beef, which is a powerful cancer fighter and aids in brain development. It is also much higher in vitamin E, which is an immune booster.

So don't feel bad about eating that burger, just know what kind of beef you're eating and enjoy.

[via Epi-Log]

The history of war, as told through food


When I first spotted this over at the Epi-Log, I thought, "Oh fun, a little video clip with food playing out a battle." But then I started watching and was instantly transfixed. Directed by Stefan Nadelman, this is a thoroughly planned and cleverly conceived film short film about the history of war on this planet over the last 60+ years. The foods are carefully chosen to represent countries and ethnicities (the United States is played by a cast of hamburgers and fries). It runs a little over five minutes long, but it is definitely worth watching.

[via Epi-Log]

How to peel a butternut squash without also peeling your fingers

butternut squashes in a crate
On more than one occasion, I've let a butternut squash go bad because I couldn't muster up the energy required in order to peel it. I find myself lazily turning to the pre-peeled and chunked bags of squash that you can get at Trader Joe's instead. Sadly, they are often a little bit slimy or mushy, which doesn't make me feel real comfortable about their freshness level.

Over at the Epi-Log, Lauren Salkeld wrote a post about her own battles peeling butternut squash. In that piece, she offers one of the best tips I've ever heard for butternut squash peeling and it's one so simple that I can't believe it never occurred to me. She suggests that you cook your squash in a pot of water on the stove for 3-4 minutes until the skin is soft enough to peel away. This technique does have some downsides, including the fact that you have to wait until it is cool enough to handle, but is so many light-years away from the finger damaging wrestling matches I've had in the past. I can't wait to get my hands on another butternut squash now!

Five coffee-based cocktails from Illy

light coffee cocoaI have a friend who proudly states that she made her husband fall in love with her on their first date by serving him an espresso martini. I have had the opportunity to taste one of these love-inducing cocktails and can vouch for their potency.

I don't have the recipe for the drink she makes, but over at the Epi-Log, Michael Y. Park has posted five espresso-based cocktail recipes created by Illy's master barista Giorgios Milos that blend espresso with spirits, liqueurs and oftentimes, ice cream. Milos flew into New York City and demonstrated all the recipes at the Mobile Illy Cafe that is currently set up in the Time Warner Center until the end of the month. You can choose from a Coffee Mojito, a Tiramisu-inspired concoction, Jamaican Coffee, Light Coffee Cocoa or an American Wings (which uses two different kinds of ice cream, coffee liqueur and whiskey to appealing effect).

Kitchen gadgets--helpful ones and hindrances

flat whisk
I use my serrated edge peeler all the time, it's a kitchen utensil that I've never, not for a minute, regretted buying. However, not every utensil I've brought into my kitchen has inspired the same feelings of affection and appreciation in my heart. The corn zipper was a pain in the butt and totally not worth the money I spent on it. I love my mandolin, but am happy that I picked it up at a thrift store for $3, as I only use it two or three times a year. However, lest you think my kitchen is filled with things I don't use, I am totally devoted to my microplane as well as my flat whisk (so wonderful for making roux).

They are talking about this subject over on the Recipe Swap Forum at the Epi-Log, but I'd love to hear you all chime in about the gadgets you love as well as the ones you wish you had walked past, here in the comments as well.

Epicurious Thanksgiving chat with Melissa Clark

blackened mexican inspired turkeyIt seems like lately the whole food world is turning out to help people prepare and plan for their Thanksgiving dinners. The latest way to get tips and tricks for your turkey day celebration? Epicurious, in addition to being an excellent all-around source for recipes, is going to be hosting a chat with cookbook author and Epi-log blogger Melissa Clark this Friday from 12 noon until 2 pm (that's Eastern Standard Time).

Melissa will be available to discuss general Thanksgiving problems and solutions. She'll also be answering questions about how to prepare the items on the Epicurious Thanksgiving menu that she compiled and tested. Isn't the internet a wonderful place!

A turkey that can go straight from the freezer to the oven

Jennie-O's oven ready turkey
Last week, I found myself shopping for a turkey the day before I needed to cook it. Finding a fresh bird a month before Thanksgiving was something of a challenge but we managed to do it (although the guy at Whole Foods gave Scott attitude when he called to ensure they had a bird). We got lucky with the fresh bird, but there are times when you won't be so lucky and all there will be at the grocery store is a sea of frozen birds.

For those of you to whom this has happened the night before Thanksgiving, take heart. Jennie-O has created a bird that can go straight from freezer section to oven. You don't even have to clean or season it. Over at the Epi-Log, Michael Y. Park took this Frankenbird out for a spin and over all has good things to say about it. It seems a little suspect to me, as it gets cooked in a plastic bag (a practice I've never really trusted) and I don't totally understand how it could be safe to cook a frozen turkey, but apparently it is.

There's a new food blog on the block

a screengrab of the new epicurious website
Ever since friend pointed in me in the direction of Epicurious.com when I was looking for a Passover recipe several years ago, it's been one of my go-to websites for interesting recipes, food tips and the occasional article. They recently launched a redesign of their site, and it's not just the same old stuff dressed up in new HTML. There's a bunch of new features including a recipe bar search, new categories and my very favorite, a brand spanking new blog.

The Epi-log as they're calling it is staffed not only by the Epicurious editors, but also by a pretty nifty assortment of guest bloggers. They've got Amy Sherman from Cooking with Amy (food blogger makes good!), Rick Bayless (who really needs no introduction), food writing extraordinaire Melissa Clark, the grill man Michael Y. Park, wine expert Natalie MacLean and Neal Pollack, who bills himself as Writer, Food Lover, Dad (please read his post about how his son threw a temper tantrum because they were out of capers. It made me giggle audibly).

Epicurious launches a blog

This week marked the launch of Epicurious's new blog, Epi-Log, penned by the site's editor Tanya Wenman Steel (right). In the opening post, Tanya goes over what the blog won't be: it won't be a self-involved daily letter from the editor and it won't be food celebrity gossip. The blog will focus on happenings in the food and restaurant industry as well as highlights of other Epicurious features. Upon first looking at Epi-Log's list of links, I got all excited when I saw what I thought was our own Sarah Gim's The Delicious Life. As it turns out, there's a Houston-based food site of the same name.

Tip of the Day

December may have peppermint bark, but have you thought to incorporate the taste of autumn into white chocolate with a rich pumpkin swirl?

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