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Showing posts from January, 2008

Rachel's Stir-n-Drop Sugar Cookies

Rachel, another sugar cookie enthusiast (notice that I didn't say "nut" as I, myself, find sugar cookies to be the most perfect of all cookies ... I can't make that claim for Rachel), has read my sad laments in my search for the "perfect sugar cookie." She very kindly sends a recipe which sounds somewhat similar in results to this recipe but I am quite intrigued by her description, which I have included below. For one thing they sound so simple. For another ... my mouth is watering! Thanks Rachel, I can't wait to try these! I read in your entry entitled "Christmas Baking?" that you are looking for a sugar cookie recipe. The one I have isn't a cutout, but I think it's quite good. It's in an old recipe booklet called Baking Fun and Facts for Teens, published by Wesson Oil sometime in the early sixties, I think. The trick is that instead of cutting out the cookies, you drop them by spoonfuls on the cookie sheet. Then you oil the b

Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables.

These are the very first sentences of the introduction to Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto . The rest of the book is spent supporting those seemingly simple sentences. I am only about a third of the way into the book, however, it is clear that Pollan speaks nothing but common sense about food, the way we view it, and how we need to stop viewing mainly it as a nutrition delivery system. Saveur has an interview with him on their website which gives a sense of what he is communicating in the book. I highly recommend you go read it if you are interested in how Americans eat ... or simply how you eat. Here's a nibble ... This seems an odd time in which to offer a defense of food, since if you open a newspaper or turn on the TV you'd think we were in the midst of an explosion of popular interest in chefs and cooking. Why do you believe food needs defending? The way I see it, food is under attack from two corners. One is the food industry, which is bu

Calloo, Callay, O Frabjous Day ...

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I'm smiling because... Tom's mom gave me a Borders gift certificate for Christmas and they've got a whole bunch of the Culinaria books on sale for $10 each. In a way this makes one think of an updating of the Time Life Foods of the World series ( reviewed here ) although these are done with less of each writer's personality and more continuity between volumes. These books look at the cuisines of countries in depth. When I say "in depth" think about 450 pages, oversized, covering every aspect of culture that relates to food. In short, a foodie's dream. Until now only the hardbacks have been available and they are huge . I mean to say, you don't want to fall asleep reading one because you'd be crushed to death when it fell on you. Sadly, I heard that the original company went out of business but that means the series was picked up by another printer and is being republished in paperback. It is still high quality printing on heavy paper and still huge

Creamy Garlic Dressing

I believe I got this from the Cook's Illustrated Family Cookbook which I checked out of the library a while back. It was served over a salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and diced avocadoes. Mmmmmmmm. Of course it also works on any less carefully constructed salad that you have thrown together with whatever happens to be in the fridge also. 3/4 c. olive oil 6 tablespoons sour cream or mayonnaise 3 tablespoons lemons juice 4 teaspoons Dijon 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon pepper Whisk all together. Makes 1-1/2 cups dressing.

Cheesecake Bombs

It really isn't fair to start off the New Year with a recipe like this is it? Unless your goal is deliciousness! This comes from The Anchoress who was good enough to share it a few days ago. I haven't had a chance to try it but I have a movie night group meeting in a couple of weeks and I think I know just what would be perfect to make ahead and take! Thanks Anchoress! 1 pound cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/3 cup whipping cream Tiniest pinch salt 12 ounces chocolate, melted 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line an 8x8 or 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place pan on prepared baking sheet. 2. Mix Cheesecake Batter ingredients until smooth. Pour into pan. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Cool well in fridge. Cut into small squares (24 to 32). Place squares on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze 1 to 2 hours. 3. Meanwhile,

I See the Government is Determined to Get Me to Buy Organic

FDA Is Set To Approve Milk, Meat From Clones Three years after the Food and Drug Administration first hinted that it might permit the sale of milk and meat from cloned animals, prompting public reactions that ranged from curiosity to disgust, the agency is poised to endorse marketing of the mass-produced animals for public consumption. The decision, expected by the end of this year, is based largely on new data indicating that milk and meat from cloned livestock and their offspring pose no unique risks to consumers. "Our evaluation is that the food from cloned animals is as safe as the food we eat every day," said Stephen F. Sundlof, the FDA's chief of veterinary medicine, who has overseen the long-stalled risk assessment. Read the whole story at the Washington Post How about this? We already have a way to produce animals and milk. Don't need that cloned stuff. Now, if I lived on Mars, which admittedly has very little to offer in the way of farmland, that would be di