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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. |
 For just two more days New Yorkers can find many traditional foods of Austria at their local Food Emporiums. This is an opportunity to discover Austrian pumpkin seed oil and pesto, beer, wine, cheese, chocolate and other foods that until recently were only available at a small number of speciality stores or while visiting Austria. The foods featured at Food Emporium's Austria Week are just a few of the new culinary offerings presented at this year's Fancy Food show. Expect updates as our Austrian food favorites become available in the US over the coming months. In the mean time, we are stocking up on Weiser Wachau vinegars, jams and chutneys while we wait for their wines, cognacs and liqueurs to be readied for import. The liqueurs, delightful on their own, meld beautifully with sparkling wine. if you miss Austria Week or are not in New York, contact Wieser Wachau directly, they ship regularly to people who have visited the the Wachau Valley and must have more. Food Gifts
 At first look, the Fancy Food Show seems like the typical trade show -- a massive and intense event where the pace of a year's commerce is set. And it is all those things, that's just a business reality. Yet, as we want to know more about where our food comes from those producers who are making food with intention stand out. Tim McCollum is founder of madecasse, a chocolate and vanilla company that cultivates its products from the grassroots agricultural level and makes the products in Madagascar where they ingredients are grown and sourced. Impeccable taste merged with fair business. The Rozendal Family, from Stellenbosch, South Africa, make vinegars that are presented as much as a aperitif as an ingredient. Their Mixed Vinegar is macerated with green tea, chili, carob, lavendar, sweet pepper and kelp for a balance, refreshing and quaffable vinegar. They also ask us to seek truth in our food and realize how much of what is labeled balsamic is merely vinegar finished with burnt sugar. Augusto Zuffa, is a poet and winemaker, who in New York for the first time, is thrilled to share his culture and history through the organic wine made on his family farm for many generations. Then there is Aris Kefaloglannis, founder of Gaea, a Greek food company, who by all planing and preparations, should be in politics right now. Instead he is making and exporting traditional and authentic Greek foods. Gaea foods include award winning olives oils, sauces and olives -- all certified to their regions. Gaea also is presenting the first carbon neutral olive oil. They reached this benchmark by first reducing energy use then offsetting the rest. Aris felt that this was necessary to keep the products pure and in line with the essence of the Greek lifestyle. Having tasted several Gaea products, Aris' choice of food over politics, is a happy outcome. More on these and other Fancy Food products in the coming weeks. IN (the Kitchen)
 As dedicated fans of Rick's mean beans(tm) for Bloody Marys, it's all in this year for SMOKRA(tm). Smoked with Spanish paprika and pickled, SMOKRA(tm) is in the race for a coveted sofi award at the NASFT Fancy Food show next week. Other showcased items will be the People's Pickles -- garlicy and crunchy dill pickles that are also low-sodium -- and handy corn(tm) fresh corn preserved and flavored from peppers, lime, brown sugar, and turmeric. All hail rick's picks -- master of the put-up delicacy. $12.99 AT rick's picks Food Gifts
 Skip the Sugar If Fathers Day were to have an official dessert, I would nominate the cookie. If you have ever handed a grown man a plate of homemade cookies, then you know what I mean. Here is a great guy cookie recipe -- Chocolate Black Pepper Cookies. Straightforward for the baker, the flavor is more complex than the plain cookie appearance suggests. The recipe calls for the dough to be made, rolled in parchment then chilled. A necessary make-ahead scenario in my counter-space-free kitchen. The finishing touch is to roll cookie dough in coarse sugar. If you skip this step you have a more sophisticated cookie that goes equally well with red wine, coffee, milk and even a flavorful beer. (Pure Guy Joy.) Martha's recipe follows, along with recipe adaptations and some wine and beer pairing direction. Before Martha made this recipe her own, many cultures offered up a version of this chocolate and pepper flavor combination. The variation is in the spice. The Mayan recipes use cayenne and in healthy amounts; Viennese Chocolate Pepper cookies include allspice; and Mexican Chocolate Pepper cookies, includes the cayenne and cinnamon. Food Gifts
READ MORE ON Fathers Day Cookie.
 Light My Fire, the makers of the Grilliput and it's trusty side kick the Fire Bowl, knew the intuitive design and light weight would make backpackers drool, but apartment dwellers? Sure. The Grilliput is built to last and to travel -- made of stainless steel and weighing a smidge over a pound. It's nothing to store and the compact footprint is right for a petite balcony. You can pretend it's a chiminea! Away from home it slips into a bag for the park, a hike, or even for a last minute weekend rental. A warning -- this dreamy micro grill set up is not well suited to the "look out below" fire escape BBQ scene. (REI, Target and Amazon carry the Grilliput, but Think Geek has the sweetest deal. Or check your local camping store.) $28.98 for the set AT THINK GEEK Gifts for Micro-Kitchens
 Events
 If kicking the paper towel habit is harder than you thought, then get hooked on Twist natural and eco-friendly cleaning tools. The conventional wisdom is if you do something for 28 days you will form a new habit. Try the Twist Sponge Cloths for a month and when you think about reaching for a paper towel remember that you like money and trees and you’ll be saving both. At $3.99 for a three pack and thousands of cleaning uses compared to one per paper towel, it beats whatever you are spending on paper towels each month. You can use Twist with a clear conscious too. This company is frugal with their packaging and reuses production waste. At Twist they mix a serious commitment to the environment with a heavy dose of whimsy -- the cardboard packaging can be folded into bird feeders and other products bear names such as the Dish Dumpling, the Ravoli Scrubby and the Naked Sponge. Our overall impressions…Twist natural cleaning tools make big picture and bottom line sense. They last long, are a pleasure to use and biodegrade. Now, it seems silly to use green household cleaners with paper towels and sponges that waste resources and are dumped in landfills. Read on for the down and dirty details of our product testing, other product pictures and some composting tips for these biodegradable beauties. $2.79-$4.99 for multi-packs AT OUR GREEN HOUSE Eco
READ MORE ON Twist Natural Cleaning.
 Delicious, Healthy, and Helpful Foods In my world, I can look around at any social gathering and see a variety of takes on being a vegetarian, some specialized approaches on healthy eating, the unapologetic carnivores, two or three allergy considerations, a couple of "doctor's orders" and a smattering of lovable picky eaters. Typically, I juggle these specs pretty well, barring anyone switching sides without notice, and I am happy to accommodate. Even so, I was thrilled to discover Organicville Foods -- condiments made from agave nectar, my go-to sweetener, and also gluten-free. The Herbes de Provence salad dressing had a well balanced flavor and made a quick warm green bean and potato salad. Next it was used to marinate chicken breast for broiling. The Sesame Teriyaki, with a generous amount of whole sesame seeds, worked well for stir fries, quick saucing and dipping. Though fairly low in sodium, I diluted it with a mix of citrus juice to bring down the sodium content for some folks. And the pineapple salsa went very fast -- first with chips, then it was tossed into a mixed grain salad -- bulgur, quinoa and black rice -- with minced red onion and jicama and cucumber. The pineapple salsa is tangy and mild, but the Organicville line has other salsas if you like more kick. The best part about opening the bottles and jars and tasting the Organicville treats is that is real food. There are plenty of good stories behind brands big and small, but the folks behind Organicville have been living the organic life for three generations and are committed to making it easier and less of a novelty for the rest of us. You can find their products in a variety of health food and organic shops, but look for Organicville Foods in Pathmark and Costco. Score! And as of this month, the salsas will be available at Whole Foods. If there is no store near you, the Organicville online store sells individual products and bulk. Everything Organicville is very summer-ready! $3.99 and up AT ORGANICVILLE FOODS Versatile
 In New York State, a 5 cent tax on all plastic bags is likely. This market tote design is a humorous reminder of a serious problem. Besides filling up landfills, plastic bags blow into the waterways threatening wildlife. The size is 18"x14" with 5 inch bottom gusset and 23 inch straps with double stitching. Sturdy enough for the wine, grocery, or book store, each tote is hand printed and made in the USA from 100% recycled fibers. If you would prefer a tote with a more subtle message try "Beet the System." Designs by Jen Harris. $16. AT BLACK SHEEP HEAP Eco
 Affordable Green Market Nutrition Service A comment I often hear from new cooks and people trying to eat healthier is that they buy all the right ingredients just to have them
languish in the fridge because they are stumped about what to do with these ingredients. If you can relate, then
the Earth/Body Kitchen email subscription service might be the guidance and know-how you need.
For $3 a week or less subscribers receive weekly menus, shopping lists and recipes based on the seasonal finds at the Union Square Green Market in New York City. Anyone in the North East can use the Earth/Body Kitchen service and shop their local green market, because founder and health counselor Hannah Springer includes ideas for substitutions. You'll breeze through your green market shopping and your weekly meals knowing you are supporting local farmers and a healthier you. Savvy cooks can save time with this service by using the shopping lists as a short cut then they can improvise their own final creations. Three dollars a week to save $30 or more in wasted food and you are actually eating healthier! Spend a little to save a lot. $3 a week or less AT EARTH/BODY KITCHEN Eco
 Even before the doors opened this morning, the Brooklyn Food Conference was a success. In just seven months 300 volunteers created a grassroots food conference that would bring together more than 75 food organizations under one roof for a free event to inform the community with workshops, multimedia and face-to-face contact with the people and organizations that are our local food producers and food agenda thought leaders. The ultimate goal behind the event is to forge a just,secure, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system. Speakers include: Dan Barber, Ana Lappe, Raj Patel,and LaDonna Redmond. There are workshops for kids, teens and adults lunch for sale and tonight -- a casual dress dance. So drop what you are doing, hop on the F train and head to John Jay High School immediately. Visit the site for more transportation info, including the schedule of a shuttle bus from other subway stations. If you can't make it, there is a tremendous amount of educational materials ready for download on the web site, including the launch of a new video series aptly named, "Talking Food" Thanks to everyone involved in making the event happen including: The Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn's Bounty, Why (Finding Answers for Poverty and Hunger), The Caribbean Women's Health Organization, Brooklyn Rescue Mission and all the local farmers and food organizations. Events
 You are doing your thing to green your kitchen. More local food, less packaging, reducing water and energy use and you are rethinking everything from housewares and appliances to paper towels. Keep the good thing going when you dine out. The Green Restaurant Association certifies restaurants, coffee shops and even dining halls that are changing their habits step by step. Check out their certified green restaurant directory to find an eco spot to eat this Earth Day or any day you are not cooking in your own getting-greener kitchen. If you are skeptic or just plain curious, the directory lists how many steps each restaurants has completed. To keep the certification, each year additional sustainable practices must be implemented. Nope, there's no green washing here. Learn more AT DINEGREEN.COM Eco
 A Benefit for the Grand Street Settlement May 7th at the Puck Building it will be a LES neighborhood thing, but folks from all neighborhood acronyms are welcome...UES, DUMBO, MEPA, UWS. If you haven't been to the Lower East Side lately, the 9th annual Taste of the LES will be a tour of over thirty five local restaurants in one venue. The evening benefits the Grand Street Settlement and will help fund their programs that serve low income people of all ages living in the neighborhood. This historic section of Manhattan wasonce the first stop for many immigrants before they moved to other neighborhoods, upstate or to other parts of the country. Since 1916, this organization has established a sense of community and has adapted to reflect the needs of the cultural mix of it's neighbors. For the past nine years, as more restaurants have found their way back to the LES, they have helped make the party by serving up signature dishes and cocktails at this annual event. Restaurants that reestablished the neighborhood scene such as WD-50, The Stanton Standard and Oliva will be joined by newcomers Porchetta and Sorrella. Old school nosh purveyor, Velseka, will be side by side with Think Coffee, the Tiny Giant Sandwich Shop and many more. Thursday, May 7th, 2009 Time: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Location: The Puck Building, 293 Lafayette Street (at Houston) $150 for individual tickets AT TICKETWEB Events
 Chefs have their own styles and they outfit their kitchen to what suits them. This impetuous kitchen tool, the Flavour Shaker, suits Jamie Oliver's style and attitudes about cooking and entertaining perfectly. He favors energetic displays, getting it done and keeping the fun going. Home cooks live their cooking styles too, but the Flavour Shaker may not pass the test for everyone. Those married to the tradition of the mortal and pestle may find this item too cheeky. We gave it a go and saw enough benefits, particularly for small kitchen cooks, to think it has merit. It's saves wattage because you power it; though it can be as loud as an electric grinder. To have a good time with the Flavour Shaker it is important to read the directions. (Shocking, yes.) A few tips will keep you straight. Tips such as making sure it is closed and don't over fill it. At first you might think that it is pear shaped to fit smartly in the hand. That seems true enough, because it does. Ah, but there's more method in the design than just an ergonomic fit. If you invert the shaker so the small side is facing down you can take the grind smaller. Our testing included coriander seeds, star anise, black peppercorn, fenugreek, fresh garlic. and chili flakes. The chili flakes were the only spice that needed more than 20 shakes. And a quick thwap to garlic with the flat of a chef's knife before putting it in the Flavour Shaker may help it get an even crush started. (Or maybe leave the garlic to the press.) Our salad dressing experiment was a beautifully emulsified concoction of fresh oregano, Maldon Salt, black peppercorns, olive oil, pomegranate syrup and balsamic vinegar. As soon as the temperature rises, we move on to how well the Flavour Shake works for the quickie Mojito -- muddle in the shaker and finish in the glass. Comes with spoon for scooping out rustic pesto, spice pastes and rubs. Or shake and pour dressings, marinades sauces and slurries directly into pots, pans or onto food. $29.99 AT AMAZON Ergo
 Pro and amateur grill masters can compete on the YouTube National Restaurant Association Hot Chef Grill Challenge. The winner will showcase their grill creations at a live cook demonstration at the world's largest restaurant event. The 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show takes place in Chicago, May 16-19. Enter your Grill Video YouTube Events
 It's a mere 5 by 5 inch square and three quarters of an inch deep. Why bother?, you ask. Well, the more uses for this petite pre-seasoned cast iron pan that we find, the more we get with the name. A stack of four takes up very little space on a shelf or when on the job. Extra handy for searing meat or fish on the stove and finishing in the oven. Individual pans work for satisfying "rare" and "well done" differences. The energy-frugal can take advantage of a heated oven by sliding a skillet loaded up with olive oil and garlic on to an unused space on the oven shelf while cooking something else. In a small kitchen a small pan makes a complicated dish do-able. Grab it when it's time to toast nuts, seeds and spices. Their cast iron chicness goes from oven to table for tapas and appetizers. Use two Lodge Wonder Skillets for grilling sandwiches. Place the second pan as a lid with a quarter turn. For thin sandwiches it's a mini cast iron oven. For thick sandwiches it's a press. Next? Baking low-profile corn bread! Target.com sells the Lodge Wonder Skillet at the best price, but there is no free shipping deal at this time. Amazon.com prices these higher but they qualify for free standard shipping for orders over $25. Yep, this little cutie works.
$9.99 AT TARGET.COM Versatile
 Food & Wine Finds $10 and under New Yorkers are known for moving fast, but all of this keeping one's job or finding a new one is making the normal hustle hectic. "Cook More" is the mantra to save money, but even those fond of cooking (ahem) can't keep up at this pace. Miracle Grill offers a burger and pint special for $9.99 Sunday through Thursday from 9:00-10:30pm. Folks are taking advantage of this tasty deal to cap a weekend or a way too long work day. For a dollar more you can go spicier with the Catfish or Tilapia tacos served with jicama slaw. (Officially the tacos make the The 10 Spot cut at lunch; at dinner they are $10.95.) Their new Saturday and Sunday breakfast menu and a good portion of their brunch menu also come in under $10. Since breakfast is new, for a limited time kids eat for free. Cha-Ching, if you have kids. Wait until brunch if you don't! Miracle Grill -- 222 7th Ave (between 3rd Ave & 4th Ave) Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY (Breakfast 9am-11am, Saturdays & Sundays. Brunch 11am-3:30pm) Side Trips
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READ MORE ON The Science of Romance.
 It is no mistake that when you open a copy Divine Heavenly Chocolate Recipes it feels exactly like lifting the cover off a box of luxe chocolate. Divine is a delicious fair trade chocolate made from cocoa beans produced by the farmer members of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative in Ghana. Pairing the book with a selection of bars makes for thoughtful gift with a great back story. Linda Collister imparts expertise along with an enticing collection of recipes that she created using Divine cocoa and chocolate bars. Chances are it will be difficult to choose a recipe to try first as you leaf through this beautiful book. There are basic chocolate loaf cake recipes that promise to deliver beyond their simple presentations and new takes on favorites such as the white chocolate brownie with blueberries and macadamia nuts. Other sections cover drinks, dips, mousses, savouries and more. If you know someone fond of chocolate and who interested in where their food originates; this is their thing. Check your local health food store or Whole Foods for the chocolate. Click here for store lists in the US and here for Canada and Europe. In the US, the books are available at Barnes & Noble and Borders. Some Borders store carry the book and the chocolate for the quickest of gifts. The royalties from the book go to the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, who became co-owners in the Divine Chocolate company in 2006 through a donation of stock from The Body Shop, Inc. Yeah, the Divine story is a good one. $28.00 AT BARNES & NOBLE Eco
 St. Valentine's Day is a to each his own kind of holiday. If you absolutely have to have a heart shaped pan, here you go. This is an 8 inch pan made of durable aluminum with straight sides and a limited lifetime guarantee from Wilton. And a thumb's up from Good Housekeeping. $10.50 AT AMAZON Kid-Friendly
 Small kitchens mean making choices. Special shaped pans are just not that necessary. The heart shaped cake, though, is pretty easy to manage without the fancy pan. If you have both a square and round cake pan, try here for instructions. Basically, you cut the round cake in half and position them on two adjacent sides of the square cake. Then you have to give it up for the person using a a tube cake pan. Me? I'd probably just go at a round cake with a knife, a quick v cut at the top and a little off both sides. The bonus of this way is you have snack before you begin to frost the cake. If a two-layer cake is your goal, this approach could still work with two round cake layers. Or a sheet pan could work if you wanted to go completely freehand for a two layer cake. In either case a parchment or cardboard heart make work as a guide. Frosting and berries can hide any imperfections. And let's face it, if you go to the trouble of making someone a cake and they can't get past it's unique qualities, well then, they are just not your Valentine and it's best you found out now. Practical
This desert is sensual and fancy yet it is really just milk, sugar and patience. Three or four hours of stirring seemed like too much effort when one could buy Dulce de Leche on almost any block in the city. Well, the need for thrift and some short cut instructions from Dan has changed things. Keep in mind his recipe is experimental and it may not work for larger batches. (maybe a larger pot will keep his technique intact if you double the dulce.) Use it at will on ice cream, fruit or as a cookie filling. Dan like his as caramel chews. Practical
 February This is one hard working month. In only twenty eight days we celebrate St. Valentine's Day or spend energy ignoring it. There are also the more cultural and intellectual remembrances such as Black History Month and President's Day. The foods inspired by African heritage and dishes signifying matters of the heart are wonderful way to mark these holidays and a lovely panacea for the mid-winter blues. Topics
 IN (the Kitchen)
 It was my first day waiting tables at an infamous Mexican restaurant in Denver called "The Riv" and someone asked me for a red beer. Mystified, the bartender's answer hardly helped, "Tomato juice and draw." Soon I learned that "draw" meant draught beer and that some people *just* like red beer, it's not only a hangover remedy. This memory and a recent blood orange debate inspired this weekend's beverages -- Red Beer, Two Ways -- to be served at a mid-day brunch. The menu is TBD but the event is set -- a festive meal before the annual Movie Marathon on Super Bowl Sunday. Way 1: Add to a chilled glass 1 part tomato juice to 2 parts lager or similarly weighted beer. Have available salt and lime because this is the type of drink people customize. Way 2: Pour the juice of half a blood orange into a chilled beer glass. Top with wheat beer or a Belgium white ale. Any beer that is usually served with a lemon slice will do. Garnish with a slice of blood orange. Depending on what type of beer and what variety of blood orange this concoction can be a cloudier than usual beer or a contrast of gold and magenta. Red beer should be drunk cold and fast. Whether it's the Super Bowl or a movie marathon that you are looking for to..have a weekend. |
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