Fried chicken goes international, from Creole to Korean kitchens.
L.L. Bean heiress Linda L. Bean gets ready to mass market Maine lobsters and end Canadian lobster dependence.
A look at "Top Chef" hostess Padma Lakshmi's Sunday routine.
Jewish delis are suffering from waning popularity, and those that are left struggle to keep the meaty magic alive.
The end of Gourmet magazine after almost 70 years, and those mourning its demise.
The dangers of E. Coli and pre-ground beef, and the story of Stephanie Smith.
When cooking becomes boring, A Good Appetite suggests playing "cupboard roulette."
The Minimalist makes a crustless, Pan-Baked Lemon-Almond Tart.
Joining old Italian pros as they chop, stew and jar plum tomatoes in prime autumn tradition.
Cooking with Dexter finally learns the artificial flavor of the fast food beneath the golden arches.
Rogacki is "a temple devoted" to Berlin deli fare, in West Berlin, Germany.
Restaurant: After 10 years, Brooklyn's Saul has only gotten better, Queens' Engeline is a rare slice of Filipino fare and the Lower East Side's Ten Bells mixes wine and charcuterie.
We have a confession to make: We have a really hard time not turning Feast Your Eyes into a direct daily feed from Smitten Kitchen. Not only does the blog's author, Deb, constantly concoct an amazing array of seasonally diverse dishes over and over and over again, she manages to always take incredibly flattering photographs of her subjects.
Case in point: this nectarine galette -- a flat, round tart which Deb claims is "ridiculously easy to make." Making it look beautiful, however, is another story, yet somehow she manages to make that sound simple too: "A single pie crust, a brush of melted butter, a sprinkling of sugar and big wedges of peak-season fruit, in this case, arranged on a bed of ground almonds, baked until the edges are browned and the fruit is starting to caramelize."
Yeah... we'll just watch from over here -- with mouths watering, of course.
'Tarts: Sweet and Savory' Recipes by Maxine Clark Photographs by Martin Brigdale Ryland Peters & Small -- 2007 Buy it on Amazon
Delectable as the payoff may be, tart-making, by nature, is not an art suited to the impatient. Parading the tart from counter to refrigerator to oven and back again ad nauseam can test the commitment of even a seasoned cook -- and that's before the filling's even been tackled.
But there is something to be said for the immense satisfaction one garners from a completed tart. When properly executed (and, you should be forewarned, there is an alarming amount of room for error), the end product is elevated to an artistic form, promising taste, texture and photogenic glory.
We flipped through the recipes of ''Tarts: Sweet and Savory'' to find totally drool-worthy photos -- and were happy to find they held up taste-wise too.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Even though it hasn't cooled off that much in my corner of the world, it is technically fall and that means it's pie season. I like to make a wide variety of pies, and that doesn't just mean the filling. There's a whole world of pie and tart crusts out there for an almost endless list of possibilities this fall. Click through to the next few pages for everything you'll need to know about pie and tart crusts for great pies this fall.
Blind baking is a common practice in the baking world. The definition is to partially or fully bake a pie or tart crust before adding the filling. Since a pie of tart dough has a tendency to warp during cooking, it must be weighted down so that it can retain its shape.
To blind bake, simply line the pie dish or tart pan with whatever dough you're using. Preheat the oven, usually to 325 or 350. Lay a coffee filter or similar type of paper over the lined pan and fill it with some kind of material that will not burn or weigh the dough down too much. Dried beans are the preferred method in most bakeries as they are inexpensive, don't burn easily, and are heavy enough to hold the dough down without crushing it. Also, beans are able to fill all of the corners. I'm not sure how well rice would work, but it might be worth a try.
Blind baking is generally used for pies with wet fillings to give the crust a head start and avoid undercooked crust. I like to blind bake at home just to shorten the final baking time. If the crust has a head start, it won't take the pie quite as long to bake once the filling is in it. Also if the pie is cream or chiffon filled you'd have to bake the pie shell in advance anyway as the filling shouldn't be cooked any further.
Something about this shot struck a deep Pavlovian chord within me. It could be that it's so humid in New York City these days that the very idea of indulging in a citrusy, summery mangolicious dessert is positively refreshing. Or it could be that mangoes are just downright sexy. Most likely it's a combination of all these things.
Either way Nook & Pantry's Mango Lime Curd Tart is a decidedly more elegant way to eat mangoes than my usual method, which involves standing over the sink and slurping. Plus, this tart adds the bracing flavor of lime curd. It's enough to make me want to take up baking. If you feel the same way, click here for the recipe.
Maybe it's the fact that St. Patrick's Day is coming up in a few days, or maybe we just feel lucky to have so many readers here at Slashfood. Last week, we had so much fun hearing from all of our readers, that we're doing the same thing this week by giving away a copy of The Art of the Tart:Savory and Sweet by Tamasin Day-Lewis to one lucky reader.
Last fall, Nicole mentioned the book as one in her Cookbook of the Day series and called it "the perfect book to illustrate the fact that tarts do not only have to be for dessert." You're telling me! Porcini Mushroom and Red Onion and Spinach and Anchovy Tart? If you win, you've got to make that!
So go ahead. Test your luck. Just leave a comment on this post. You have until midnight tonight!
** Last week's winner of The Weekend Chef is Amie. Amie, if you're reading, please check your email for a note from me so we can get you your cookbook and you get cooking.
Cold (and wet, depending on where you live) winter weather tends to make us crave hot, hearty foods, but that doesn't do anything to diminish the appeal of something light for dessert after a heavy meal. In fact, a bright cirtus dessert can serve as a reminder that spring is still on the way - and the Lemon Cream Tartlets from Helene at Tartelette are very spring-like, indeed. The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan's newest book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, and it is rumored to be one of the best lemon tartlet recipes out there, with an intense lemon flavor and silky smooth texture. The texture is due to the fact that an entire cup of butter is used to make the filling for only a handful of tarts, making it anything but light in fat and calories. One bite should make you be enough to forget the nutritional stats and just let you enjoy the heavenly flavor of the tart.
As luscious as fruit tarts can be, there will always be those who insist that a dessert is not complete unless chocolate is involved in it. These particular Little Chocolate Tarts are the creation of Jules, of the food blog Stone Soup. While you will have to bake up the mini tart shells yourself, the filling is surprisingly simple. It is basically the same rich, creamy chocolate ganache that you find in truffles and is made of high quality dark chocolate and cream, melted together and poured into the shells to firm up. Each one, no matter how small you make the tart cases, is going to be an intense chocolate experience and should more than satisfy the chocolate lover.
If only there was slightly more time during the average morning to bake elegant breakfasts, we might all switch from whatever we currently scarf down - cereal, toast, eggs, donuts, etc. - before heading out the door to breakfast tarts. Sam of Becks and Posh created this truly stunning breakfast tart, an artful arrangement of bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and an egg on a crust of pre-baked puff pastry. The puff pastry is pre-baked to prevent it from getting soggy under the weight of the toppings, which are prepared as the crust bakes. The finished dish, egg included, are popped into the oven just until the egg is set and everything is warmed though. Sam doesn't include the recipe, but if you're willing to experiment a bit, it shouldn't be too hard to recreate her steps at home. Just remember to take her advice: don't be impatient, don't be lazy and don't overcook the egg. You'll be eating your own tart in no time.
Chocolate cake and chocolate cookies are all well and good, but when you want to do something a little fancier, a chocolate tartlet might be just the thing. These bittersweet chocolate mini tartlets were cooked up by Anita at Dessert Comes First for a party that had some guests with discerning palates. The tarts are actually not much more difficult to make than cookies would have been since the shortbread-like base is pressed into mini muffin tins to make the shells, which are then filled with a creamy and intense chocolate filling and baked again to set them slightly. The quick and easy tarts, as Anita so brilliantly suggests, can then be topped with any number of things to spice them up a bit before serving. She used cacao nibs, chopped nuts and chili powder.
And for any s'mores fans out there, a marshmallow topping would make this a very adult s'more, indeed.
The clock is counting down slowly, but surely, on tomato season, making fresh tomatoes something of a precious commodity. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Bea, of La Tartine Gourmande, referred to her Roasted Tomato, Red Onion and Arugula Tart as the jewel of summer. The tart is a simple one to make, so you won't have to expend much energy in making it before you get to enjoy it. It uses a sheet of puff pastry as the base and is topped with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic, sauteed onions and mozzarella cheese. The finished dish is topped with a bit of parmesan cheese and some arugula, to provide a sharp contrast to the relative richness of the tart. If you opt not to make the whole tart, at least consider just making the roasted tomatoes, which would be lovely on a sandwich or as part of a pasta dish.
The Art of the Tart: Savory and Sweet is the perfect book to illustrate the fact that tarts do not only have to be for dessert. Nor, according to author Tamasin Day-Lewis, do tarts have to be something you need special pastry skills to make, contrary to what you may have been told before. Tart crusts take some practice, but they use a simple technique and once you have that down, you are ready to bake any tart in the book though the crusts may call for different ingredients. Another benefit to getting the technique down is that you can make the tart dough in batches in advance, so you'll be prepared whenever you're feeling tart-y.
The tart recipes are creative, so even experienced tart-bakers will be able to find a few new recipes in here. Savory tarts include Porcini Mushroom and Red Onion and Spinach and Anchovy Tart, while the sweet tarts cover everything from a light Rhubarb Meringue Tart to a rich Chocolate Pecan Tart. The instructions are precise and easy to follow, and the impressive results are worth the time you'll invest in them.
The flavor combination of chocolate and hazelnut is pretty much a match made in heaven. Just ask anyone who has even had Nutella. This Chocolate Hazelnut Tart has no nutella, but makes use of the flavors in a wonderful dessert. It was made from a recipe in one of Francois Payard's books by Turkish food blogger Zinnur at Our Patisserie and consists of several beautifully matched layers. First, there is the tart crust, which adds a crispness to the dessert and contrasts with the rich filling. On top of the crust, there is a layer of milk chocolate caramel, with hazelnuts stirred in. The caramel is topped with a chocolate mousse and garnished with chocolate curls and more finely chopped hazelnuts. Based on looks alone, a small piece of this rich dessert should be enough to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Need something to feed your pet? How about a 
Maybe it's the fact that St. Patrick's Day is coming up in a few days, or maybe we just feel lucky to have so many readers here at Slashfood. Last week, we 
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
