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Friday Five: Inspirations and a Video

Rachel Tayse — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:25:10 +0000

Here are five cooking thoughts trolling through my taste buds:

1) Lil ate root vegetables! – I agreed to make a video featuring Newman’s Own ingredients in exchange for a video camera and some of their products. I do honestly purchase Newman’s Own products and genuinely like the brand, so this was an easy video to kick out. What surprised me was that my co-star, picky daughter Lil, actually ate the sweet potatoes and beets in the recipe I prepared! She hasn’t willingly eaten either ingredient in years! Watch our goofy video if you want and I’ll share the recipe Tuesday for what I made.

2) Brined green peppercorns – This ingredient was used by Del Sroufe at his recent Hills Market cooking class. I was fascinated as I’ve never heard of or tasted Brined Green Peppercorns. They packed a big flavor punch into the pasta dish he made. I want to make them myself (of course) and figure it can’t be that hard with only four ingredients listed on the bottle: vinegar, water, salt and peppercorns.

3) Smoked fried chicken – I am reading Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work, a cook book for true food nerds. It details the scientific reasons behind the way food behaves. I have been obsessed with the idea of their cold-smoked then fried chicken even though I don’t have a cold-smoker.

4) Alpaca – I was browsing Dine Originals Restaurant Week menus online. There are so many great ones but I was truly surprised by the Ohio alpaca terrine offered by The Refectory Restaurant and Bistro. What I know of the alpaca industry is that the animals are most often raised for fiber. I’m curious where the chef is finding meat alpacas and what in the world they taste like.

5) Cooking to make an emotional experience – Yesterday, I listened to Fresh Air featuring Alinea chef Grant Achatz. He described that in designing his highly creative meals, he aims to affect a person emotionally. I’ve never deliberately tried to affect others’ feelings with my cooking, but I certainly do address my own emotions in what I cook.

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Friday Five: Inspirations and a Video is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Open a Hard Winter Squash Without a Knife!

Rachel Tayse — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:20:47 +0000

How do you open an acorn squash? Or a huge Cinderella pumpkin?

I usually pull our big cleaver from the magnetic knife strip. I hold it with both hands and smack at the tough skin. The squash rolls and I try to right it. The cleaver gets stuck and I smash down further anyways.

Alex sees me, fears for his beautiful countertops and my fingers, and takes over the job.

Recently, my friend Susan let on that there is a better way….a method so simple a five year old can do it with no knife!

In our preparations for Christmas Eve pumpkin soup, I decided to try it. I handed Lil a large white pumpkin grown by a friend, whispered the instructions, and turned on the video camera.

What do you think? Will you try the throw and crash method to open a winter squash soon?

Added to Hearth and Soul Volume 29.

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Open a Hard Winter Squash Without a Knife! is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Watch me on 10 TV!

Rachel Tayse — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:02:53 +0000

10TV is filming a live segment with me at 7:50 am this Sunday. Set your DVRs for my first extended television appearance, one that will hopefully not involve too many ‘umm’s, ‘err’s, or stumbles.

I’ll be talking meal planning, cooking as a family, and doing a cooking demonstration.

If you just can’t wait for Hound video, check out this example of what Lil learns from listening to Alex:

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Watch me on 10 TV! is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Meal Plan Week of February 22, 2010

Rachel Tayse — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:00:35 +0000

We’re switching things up a little bit here because Lil wanted to do a video yesterday afternoon. Here she is to tell you about our Mindful Menu of the week!

Monday – Lil is eating with my Mom, Alex and I are FEASTing at Haiku. Perhaps I’ll earn a $1000 grant for a play with your food workshop!

Tuesday – Roasted chicken and alphabet vegetable soup

Wednesday – Lentil spaetzle and chard - Columbus Foodie wrote about spaetzle last week and it reminded me of this dish I used to order at the Bier Garten when we lived in Portsmouth VA.

Thursday – Chicken / bean burritos – using leftovers from Tuesday’s chicken

Friday – Select winners of the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show ticket giveaway, grilled sandwiches using leftover pork from Sunday

Saturday – Chinese restaurant and we’re going to Disney on Ice. We’re the best parents ever for sacrificing our good taste to be part of the mouse magic and I hope Lil never forgets it.

Sunday – my How to Cook with your Kids class, 1 – 2 pm at Sprout Soup, birthday dinner for my sister

The meal planning lesson for this week is: cook extra meat to use in dishes later in the week.

Finally, if you haven’t had enough video in this post, here’s an interview I did with a Hallmark greeting card writer during my trip to Blissdom.

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Meal Plan Week of February 22, 2010 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!