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October 2009 |
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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. |
 Officially, the book is titled "The Gourmet Toaster Oven, Simple and Sophisticated Meals for the Busy Cook" A fine enough title, but if you are relying on a toaster oven for your meals, the title doesn't even hint at how happy this collection will make you. Instead of another open-faced grill cheese sandwich, how about Artisan Whole Wheat Walnut Loaf spread with Savory Cheesecake? Toaster ovens are no longer the exclusive domain of dorms. People are using then to save energy. The new models use 30-50% less energy than stoking up the big oven for small dishes. With recipes such as Eggplant with Tomato and Cream Sauces, Foccia Doppia, Macaroni and Cheese with Tapenade, and Chocolate Lava Cakes, conservation is no sacrifice. $18.95 AT BN.COM Gifts for Micro-Kitchens
 Built on the utility of neoprene and pared down design, Built NY has been delivering fantastic products for toting food, drink and gadgets for years. Long before our collective minds turned to reusable grocery bags for environmental reasons and bringing lunch from home for recessionary reasons, Built NY was there designing the way. So, I loathe saying anything less than glowing, but as cute as they are I will not be partaking in the fishnet two-bottle wine totes that are such the rage. My loyalty will remain with the original two bottle tote in "Ski Patrol Red" for nostalgic reasons and for this item’s unrelenting usefulness. The first year they were available the two-bottle wine tote saved me at Christmas time. Every wine fan on my Christmas list got one, filled with two of their favorites decorated with a ribbon and a card. The gift and the gift-wrapping in one. Since then I’ve learned that the two-bottle tote is much more than a smart gift for a wine lover or a discrete, clink-free way to carry wine to a dinner party. The two bottle tote can also pull its weight when trying to travel light. It's a no brainer for packing wine discovered on vacation for the ride home. Pack a baguette sandwich on one side and thermos or water bottle in the other. And it also makes quite a resourceful ice bucket for chilling drinks and an ice pack for minor first aid. Still, the fishnet totes are adorable… nope, it is the original for me. Gifts for Micro-Kitchens
 The Kalorik Espresso Maker is an outstanding gift for anyone with a micro-kitchen. In a tiny six by nine inch footprint, this intuitively designed, 3.5 bar boiler pressure espresso machine uses steam to make 2 to 4 cups of espresso in a flash. The swivel jet frother is simple to use and makes substantial froth. For the price of about a dozen specialty cuppas from a coffeehouse, one can have a daily espresso or cappuccino for years. If your typical morning demands that copious amounts of coffee are ready and waiting for you and you have some extra space, the Kalorik Coffee Maker Grinder Combo is worth a look. It grinds and brews 10 cups of coffee in a nine by twelve inch footprint. $43.00 AT AMAZON.COM Gifts for Micro-Kitchens
READ MORE ON Kalorik Espresso Maker.
 A Truly Gourmet SettingEscaping from reality by flipping through the photo essays of food and travel magazines can only keep a city dweller sane for so long. Living the fantasy is actually possible and affordable, even if only for a week or two at this quintessential Tuscan Farmhouse. With terraces on several levels, a pool in an olive grove, four bedrooms and two bathrooms -- a group can commune in this gorgeous spot and still spread out. The town of Lucca, the birthplace of Puccini, is fifteen minutes away. It is a mostly pedestrian town with incredible food, antique and craft shops. Olive oil, truffles and mushrooms are a few of the the local culinary stars and the middle of October is the start of truffle hunting season. Wander the streets around Via Filungo to find small grocery stores, butchers and bakeries. There is a store named Le Sorrelle, that does not sell food, but has housewares and gifts such as olive oil soap that will provide terrific local color to your shopping trip. Then back to the farm house to shoot photos your own magazine-worthy Tuscan feast. $1900/week and up AT HOMEAWAY.COM Travel
 It is time to nibble a 1000 year old culinary tradition. Grana Padano D.O.P, an authentic Italian cheese made to exacting standards, is also the sponsor of two New York Autumn traditions – the Columbus Day Parade and the New York City Marathon. Not Italian or a runner? That’s OK, all are welcome to try Grana Pando cheese at several tastings listed here. Touted as the first hard cheese and Italy’s favorite, there are numerous ways to cook with Grana Pandano. No matter what recipe you choose, remember to reward the cook and try a chard on a slice of apple drizzled with balsamic vinegar while the dish is cooking. Read on for the information on the free Grana Pandano tastings in NYC Find locally AT MURRAYS CHEESE AND AT iGOURMET.COM OUT (of the kitchen)
READ MORE ON Grana Pandano D.O.P.
 Don’t kill the Flavenoids! Be precise about tea temperature and strength to get your perfect cup of tea along with the optimum health benefits. This tea thermometer is easy to use. It comes with battery installed and 18 preprogrammed temperatures for popular tea types such as green, black, white. You just adjust the setting according to the strength that you prefer. Works with cups, pots, loose tea, tea balls and tea bags. $19.95 AT COOKING.COM Gifts for Micro-Kitchens
 Yes, October is when I clear out the spice rack to make way for fresh herbs and spices for the holidays. It is also a great time to experiment with new spices to learn some new moves for entertaining. Urban Accents is a line I came across at the Fancy Food show and I’m experimenting with now. Well, actually, it was hard to miss, since it was show award winner. The Mango Masala Seasoned Salt has proved to be a good transitional seasoning from summer to fall. It blends Greek sea salt, curry and mango. The first time using it the idea was to season pineapple with the spicy salt and grill. We found that dousing the fresh pineapple with the salt before eating resulted in the best flavor; spicy but still refreshing. With curry and mango flavors it is natural in most Indian inspired dishes. True, but after keeping a dish on the table I’ve learned it does quite well in less complicated settings. Sprinkled on eggs cooking in olive oil right before they go over easy, and the oil, spice and salt create a warm liquid glaze over the eggs. It really blends well with avocado whether mashed on toast, in a salad or in a slightly curried guacamole. This weekend’s green market experiments will match Athenian Dryglaze -- a sugar, spice and sun dried tomato blend -- with butternut squash or whatever autumn vegetable is in its prime and the Gourmet Gobbler Kit, a brine and rub kit for a 20 lb turkey. In the meantime, there are plenty of gourmet gift ideas at the Urban Accents site. Right now they are running a buy three of the same and get 10% off” promotion. (So far, I love their products, but 10% off the same three is not the incentive that 10% off any three would be. Oh well.) $7.50 AT URBAN ACCENTS Food Gifts
 Chef Elizabeth Faulkner treated food bloggers to a special dessert creation called Night Flights to celebrate the Chocolate Adventure recipe contest from Scharffen Berger Chocolate and Tuttifoodie. With components that can be made ahead and stashed in the refrigerator or freezer, this is a company-worthy homemade dessert that can be done in a small kitchen. The simple parfait presentation belies its complex flavors, textures and temperatures. It layers: chili chocolate sauce, pandan coconut pudding, chocolate mousse, smoked salt cocoa nib streusel and chocolate ginger mint sorbet. The Chocolate Adventure contest, in its third year, challenges cooks to use Scharffenberger chocolate or cocoa in sweet or savory recipes in combination with at least one of the adventure ingredients such as pandan, black eyed peas and chili. And Scharffen Berger Chocolate is not shy when it comes to rewarding cooks for their creativity. The winning recipe in each of the two recipe categories -- Sweet and Savory -- receives a $10,000 prize. Read on for the Night Flights Recipe. enter the contest AT SCHARFFEN BERGER CHOCOLATE |
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