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June 2008 |
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Cooking Little is a kitchen shopping and tips blog for urban dwellers and anyone who cooks in a small kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, we feature diversions such as culinary travel spots, classes and tasting events. |
 Small Kitchen, Small Apartment? It doesn't matter. Warm weather means we leave all that behind and cook and entertain outdoors. Since so many city people haven't always been, we picnic and BBQ with a vengeance. And any patch of green will do. Just remember: enjoy, don't destroy. Miscellany
Scott Campbell, Executive Chef of The New Leaf Cafe, chatted about summer wines. His advice is to not be too fussy about wine. This is in contrast to the how he and his staff fuss to keep the cafe's menu up-to-the-moment with fresh seasonal ingredients.
Topics
READ MORE ON Park Therapy.
A delicately colored wine that stands up to spicy or complex fish & seafood dishes. Elegant flavors of raspberry and cassis, it is 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah. The wine is made from the first bleeding off of juices after a cool maceration of hand picked grapes. $15.99 AT BEACON WINES Miscellany
READ MORE ON Chef Wine Pick.
Great for outdoor movies and concerts. A durable picnic bag with a flexible design. The big main section has 2 removable bintos -- cooler and dry goods -- which can be used on their own. Mesh pockets and a fold-down work station are smart uses of space. $80.00 AT REI Versatile
 The 4th annual Slow Food Auction is happening now on eBay. Bid on gourmet trips, book collections and gourmet food packages to benefit Slow Food USA. There are auctions and Buy Now opportunities. Even Jack Johnson tickets! Events
 If you picnic on a smaller scale, how about a water proof cooler bag that doesn’t look like a cooler? This freestanding cooler bag has carry handles and a shoulder strap, outside pockets and qualifies for a carry-on. It’s a home and away bag $80.00 AT eBAGS Miscellany
 Short on space, knife skills or time -- this slicer offers prep options in less space than most tabletop mandolines. Designed to fit securely over a bowl - it can be used hands-free. Three thickness settings and a food guide speeds up the prep work. $19.99 AT AMAZON.COM Ergo
READ MORE ON Hand-held Good Grips Mandoline.
 If you are already missing the red in salads try this one. With the OXO hand-held slicer a whole lot of thin cukes are ready in no time. (A paring knife is probably a safer way to slice the berries.) Recipe follows. Miscellany
READ MORE ON Strawberry Cucumber Salad.
 It took three trips to find this wine, but each wine seller said it was worth the effort. And it was. A polished wine with fine clarity. This established vineyard has been converting to organic over the last few years. The screw cap makes it eco and easy for al fresco. under $20 AT WINEACCESS.COM Miscellany
 They are unbreakable, elegant and feel comfy in the hand. Yep, that's a thumb rest, so you shouldn't tire from lazy afternoons of quaffing wine. Made of food/pharmaceutical safe PETG, so they are reusable and recyclable. $1.99 AT WALLY'S WORLD OF WINE Practical
WRAP-N-MATS are solid! Sandwiches, fruit, nuts, bagels, all carried successfully. Keeps a little money in your pocket and plastic bags out of landfills. Now available PVC free. $6.99 and up AT REUSABLEBAGS.COM Eco
READ MORE ON Wrap-N-Mat Original.
 A picnic basket disguised as a messenger bag - the sleek design puts the dinnerware in the pocket & stacks two plastic wine goblets inside the thermal compartment, leaving lots of space for snacks. Swap out the metal utensils and your in-flight meal is on board. $60.00 AT UNCOMMON GOODS Versatile
 Talk of reducing the use of non-biodegradable disposable utensils is right behind the plastic bag ban. Get ready with a utensil roll. Chopsticks, spoon, fork and a napkin in a silk roll. $19.95 AT GLOBAL EXCHANGE Practical
Chef Campbell suggested using pineapple sage with chicken or duck by inserting a good amount under the skin, then roast or grill. To build this flavor, he recommends a pineapple salsa using additional pineapple sage. Recipe follows. Miscellany
READ MORE ON Pineapple Sage?.
 A dry New Zealand Riesling, and a perfect summer wine choice. Under $20 AT WINE.COM Miscellany
Lightweight, insulated, collapsible and on wheels. This design is so city-friendly it's a wonder no one came up with it sooner. Go ahead and make one more stop, the groceries will stay cold. Plus it's big enough to roll the whole party to the party spot. $39.99 AT AMAZON.COM Versatile
 Take a look at the Earth Water story. Net proceeds go to United Nations Refugee Agency and the water and packaging are source locally. Read more about non-profit water. Ingenious
READ MORE ON Earth Water.
Old cookbooks are fascinating. They're a glimpse of the time's popular culture, which can make them wildly entertaining. Flea markets and half.com are the places to find them. Read on for some vintage picnic tips. Be Thrifty AT HALF.COM Books
READ MORE ON Old Cookbooks.
Tiny apartments and BBQ grills don’t mix. Even if you use it at the beach or park, where do you store it? This is a compact propane grill with 225 sq. inches of grill space, an auto-light feature, and it folds & carries vertically. Recipe follows. $169.95 AT REI Vertical
READ MORE ON Iroda O-Grill.
Ingenious
READ MORE ON The Pic & Nick by Jutta Rothe.
 A Brilliant Small Kitchen Tactic A vegetarian, non-cooking friend wanted to eat better. He learned to “assemble” versus cook by mimicking Whole Foods prepared foods. He made versions of the dishes using the Whole Foods brands such as 365. Clever. organic savings AT WHOLE FOODS DIY
 Not that long ago carrying this lunch cube would have meant some good natured ribbing. Now, it says you are doing your green share by not literally brown-bagging it. Part of a new system by Klip-it, these are perfect for impromptu meals anywhere. $4.99 AT THE CONTAINER STORE Practical
 Slip them out, twist the two ends together and dine. The wood and stainless compact chopsticks can go with you adding style to any impromptu meal. At home a set of eight won’t take up much room at all. $11.50 AT EXIT 9 Eco
 Just as you step out the door with picnic goodies in hand, the skies open up. Salvage the evening by spreading the blanket on the floor and watching the 1955 classic movie Picnic with William Holden and Kim Novak available to watch instantly from Netflix. Watch Instantly AT NETFLIX Miscellany
Two amazing iTunes collections for $3.99 each, Volume 1 & 2. Not a stoned soul picnic. More like a rock-altered picnic with folk and new bluegrass overtones. Get Matt Wertz, The Be Good Tanyas, Griffin House, Venus Hum and more. $3.99 AT iTUNES |
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