Makes you hungry, doesn't it? C'mon; you know you want it. (Photo by Lorenia) WARNING: If you find yourself watching the Food Network with the kind of enthusiasm most toddlers save for Barney, think recipes without pictures are stupid, and constantly refresh your browser to see if anything new has been posted on foodgawker, you may be addicted to food porn.* Food porn addiction, also known as Iron Chef Syndrome, is an affliction commonly found among foodies and amateur chefs. It's often expressed through such profound philosophical statements as, "How am I supposed to know what I want to eat if I can't see it?" and "Me wanty."** Alas, in the interest of economics, many cookbooks tend to skimp on the pictures, rendering many recipes useless except to the most adventurous of chefs. However, thanks to the Internet, there are countless websites with full-color photos and step-by-step instructions on how to make your favorite dishes. There's Smitten Kitchen, a website that combines the deadly force of succulently roasted chicken with the cuteness of cinnamon swirl hair. Or TasteSpotting, a visual carousel of temptingly delicious recipes best not looked at before lunchtime. And the irreverent-yet-tasty Cook to Bang, which aims to not only please the palate, but other parts of the anatomy, as well. So, if you find yourself drooling at the computer screen on your coffee break, dreaming of lobster thermidor while asleep in your bed, or wondering helplessly what to do with those cranberries in your refrigerator, you may be in need of an intervention: a tasty one. * Be wary of typing "food porn" into a search engine. ** Quotes not at all taken from this writer's sister. Suggested Sites... Epicurious - recipes, menus, pictures, and ratings of thousands of dishes. foodgawker - a collection of recipes and images from all over the Internet. Foodista - a food encyclopedia users can edit. Serious Eats - a blog all about recipes, dining, and all things food. The Amateur Gourmet - restaurant reviews, recipes, how-tos and more.

Directory categories: Recipes, Food Blogs, Gourmet Food, Cooking, Ingedients

Archived under: Books, Chefs, Cooking, Fanatics, Food and Drink, Photography, Recipes

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(Photo by foooooey) Cookbooks have a prominent place in my tiny apartment. My kitchen doesn't have a lot to brag about except for its charming built-in bookshelf, which I've packed with my favorite cookbooks. Sure, like most of you, I probably look up hundreds of recipes online (the Yahoo! Directory boasts an amazing collection of recipes). But when I really want to relax and cook something that I know will turn out just right, I turn to one of my trusted "kitchen bibles." In the age of the Internet, Food Network, and food blogs, how does a cookbook survive? The books that make it onto my kitchen shelf are the ones that have withstood the tests of many home cooks. These cookbooks are more than just a collection of recipes: they include explanations that are so nuanced and detailed that they make for an interesting read even when you're not standing in front of the stove. A true example of this is Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." Anyone who's followed her recipes knows that the paragraphs preceding the recipes are as important as the ingredients themselves. For polenta, Marcella instructs you to rain the polenta over simmering water so slowly that you can see individual grains. Her Bolognese sauce is simmered for four hours or more, and you'll know why there is milk in the sauce only if you read carefully. My other kitchen bible is from America's Test Kitchen. Their recipes have gone through the gauntlet of scientific tweaking, and the book explains why each recipe has won out over the rest of the test batches. Try the lemon bars from the book and you'll be a convert (the secret is whole milk -- shh!). Now, cookbook fans, don't get your aprons all twisted -- I didn't forget "The Joy of Cooking" or Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything." Enough poetry has been waxed about these books, so I'll spare you. So, what's your no-fail kitchen bible? Tell us in the comments below. Suggested Sites... Omnivore Books on Food - a bookstore dedicated to cookbooks and all books on food. For Better, for Worse, for Richer, for Pasta - Marcella Hazan, profiled by The New York Times. Jamie Oliver - books and recipes by the Naked Chef. From the Design Desk: Focused on Food - Chronicle Books explain the design behind books on food.

Directory categories: Cooking Techniques, Shop for Cookbooks, Julia Child, Chefs

Archived under: Books, Chefs, Cooking, Food and Drink, Home and Garden, Recipes

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Wonder if the Cream of Wheat man will ever be made CEO, like Uncle Ben was? What's the greatest invention to come out of North Dakota? The "Roughrider State" takes credit for the first parking meter, but in my humble estimation, Cream of Wheat is a far more notable contribution to world happiness. The hot cereal made its debut exactly 116 years ago, when a wheat miller in Grand Forks, ND, sold the first box. I've always liked my Cream of Wheat with milk and honey, but today's online foodies are showing me up with their creations. They're serving up the cereal with coconut milk, rhubarb, and even pumpkin and spices. We're also seeing a proliferation of recipes that use Cream of Wheat for non-cereal, non-breakfast purposes. While I can't vouch for the quality of these recipes, apparently Cream of Wheat can be a key ingredient for such diverse foods as filet of fish, chocolate bread, and dumplings. And for the category of "stuff I learned on the Internet that I never would have asked:" most dogs can safely eat Cream of Wheat. It's not the recommended use, folks, but there’s an eHow article devoted entirely to the question, "Can dogs eat Cream of Wheat?" The answer is yes, but you should remember that dogs, like humans, can have food allergies. Suggested Sites... About.com: Nutrition - find out why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. RecipeZaar - more recipes using Cream of Wheat. The History of Cream of Wheat - 116 years of hot farina cereal. Was the Cream of Wheat Chef a Real Person? - he was, and his name was Frank White.

Directory categories: Food and Drink, Eating Practices, Breakfast Recipes, Nutrition, Recipes

Archived under: 19th Century, Anniversaries, Brands, Cooking, Eating, Food and Drink, In Character, Nutrition, Recipes

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The finished products -- a carnivore's delight (Photo by jessbess1) Two chefs were born on August 15, but one couldn't have reached his television stardom without the trailblazing work of the other. Last week. I celebrated the birthdays of my two favorite chefs -- Julia Child and Tom Colicchio -- by hosting a steak cook-off in my apartment using recipes from each chef. I usually don't need much excuse to eat steak, but I haven't actually ever made it myself because the smoke alarm system in my studio apartment likes to go off at any semblance of real cooking. For Tom and Julia, though, the risk of smoking out my apartment (from the amount of butter used in each recipe) was well worth it. Tom Colicchio is famed for his Craft restaurants and steakhouses, and in the past few years, he's reached heartthrob status with fans of the Bravo television show, "Top Chef." His recipe for steak with potatoes, which I actually found in the "Esquire Recipes for Men" (and don’t get me started on that questionable title), calls for hanger steak. But since there's only one hanger steak on each cow (hence driving up the price), I opted for a ribeye cut instead. Tom had me sear the steak in canola oil and baste it with butter and thyme. Think that's overkill? Never. Tom then instructs us to cook bacon in the same skillet and fry the potatoes in the delicious combination of fat. It seemed like the butter bath in Tom's steak might be hard to beat -- it gave the steak a beautiful, brown crust. But when my three tasters cut into Julia's pan-broiled steak, the decision was unanimous. Julia also had me sear the steak in a combination of butter and oil, but the crowning glory of her steak was a simple pan sauce deglazed with beef broth, white vermouth, and (what else?) unconscionable amounts of butter. The pan sauce was smooth, beefy, and luxurious. The best part was that it took only about five minutes to make the sauce. We raised our glasses to Julia and Tom -- and to the smoke alarm that miraculously stayed silent through our whole meal. If you want to have a steak-off of your own, check out Tom's and Julia's recipes for steak au poivre. In Julia's words, "Bon appetit!" Suggested Sites... Julia Child: Lessons with Master Chefs - official site for the PBS series, with videos, recipes, and cooking tips. Top Chef - from Bravo TV. Season recaps, updates, news, and blogs. How to Order a Great Steak - interview with Tom Colicchio. How to Run a Restaurant - Tom Colicchio explains. Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch - Michael Pollan discusses the influence of Julia Child.

Directory categories: Julia Child, Tom Colicchio, Steakhouses, Beef, French Recipes

Archived under: Authors, Bacon, Beef, Birthdays, Celebrities, Chefs, Coincidence, Cooking, Eating, France, Homemade, How-To, In Character, Meat, Men, Recipes, Restaurants, Steak, Women

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The "S'more Splendide" (Photo by Foodista) In honor of National S'mores Day (August 10th -- so you had the whole weekend to perfect the craft), I went looking for tips, tricks, and instructions to share about making the most delicious of simple summer desserts. But in the process of digging around online for the perfect recipe, I found there’s not much to learn about the humble s'more; rather, I discovered something about myself: I'm a purist. Forget those sites that list multiple recipes and variations on s’mores. You don’t need them and you can’t improve on perfection. Caramel apple s'mores? Sounds like a mess. Chocolate peanut butter s'mores? Save the PB for your J. There’s only one way to make a s'more: with waxy Hershey's chocolate on Honey Maid graham crackers, squished around a jet-puffed marshmallow that was toasted slowly to golden-brown perfection over the lingering coals of an open campfire. Just the description makes you want some more, yes? I'll admit that I once went through a "gourmet s'more" phase. (I wasn't a kid anymore, after all ...) I’d buy those Lu shortbread cookies, place squares of dark chocolate on top, set them just at the edge of the fire so the chocolate would soften while I toasted my marshmallow, and then sandwich the whole thing together in defiance of almost a century of s'more-making wisdom. Was it a gooey delicious treat? Yes. Did it feel right? Not really ... Over the years, many have tried to tame the wild s'more. Wikipedia mentions s'mores kits people can use on the kitchen tabletop. Indeed, the "Cosi" restaurant chain offers diners the chance to order a fondue-style s'mores dessert to toast right at the table. Hershey's, undisputed king of the s'mores chocolate market, went so far as to market a S'mores candy bar. Some heretics have even advocated microwaving s'mores or making them with (I shudder to even write this) marshmallow cream. There's no way around saying this -- the traditional s'more has been under attack. But far from the threat of these urban offenses, the mighty s'more thrives in its natural habitat. The marshmallow bronzes and puffs over the fire with pride at the end of a careful skewer, melting toward its destiny as the heart of the forest's favorite sandwich. Suggested Sites... Smores - who knew three simple ingredients had such a cultural impact? How to Make Smores - really, do you need a recipe? Food Network: Smores - variations on a theme. Solar S'mores - the dessert goes green. How to Make S'meeps - the protean Peep meets graham crackers and chocolate.

Directory categories: Chocolate, Chocolate Recipes, Desserts and Sweets, Campfire Activities, Camping

Archived under: Camping, Candy, Celebrations, Cookies, Cooking, Desserts, Eating, Fire, Food and Drink, Hershey, Homemade, In Character, Outdoors, Recipes, Snacks

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