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Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Orange Ginger Chicken Tabbouleh
2008-08-12 06:00:00
This month's Royal Foodie Joust brings on 3 ingredients that seem to have left a few people stumped: citrus, ginger and whole grains. Having just written about Tabbouleh at Short Order Mom, I knew right away that I would make a new tabbouleh-with-a-twist, and so I did.This was really delicious. I love the bright flavors of orange, ginger and mint, and combined they are refreshing and wonderful. Orange Ginger Chicken Tabbouleh2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepperSea or Kosher salt to taste1 large orange - zested and juiced*1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced2 tablespoons sliced green onion1/2 cup cracked wheat1 cup warm water1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced*If you do not have 3/4 cup orange juice from the freshly squeezed orange, add enough store-bought to make that amount. The zest should amount to 1 tablespoon total.1. Toss chicken cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of the ginger, 1 tab...
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Book Review: Eat, Shrink and Be Merry!
2008-08-10 06:00:00
Yes, you read that title correctly - it's Shrink, not drink - and that's only the beginning of the fun word-puns that fill this very funny, very informative and truly delectable cookbook written by the already-successful Podleski sisters. Eat, Shrink and Be Merry , Janet and Greta Podleski's third book, is absolutely wonderful. I love reading cookbooks from front to back, and they have made it so easy to want to read this book. Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny, but it's so chock-full of interesting and essential tips that you won't find yourself picking it up simply to browse for a recipe. It's not possible to just look for a recipe with this book. I know; I've tried. No matter how many times I looked up a recipe in the index, I found it was impossible not to read every little tidbit on the page and just get to cooking. I did get to cooking though, and each and every recipe is fabulous. They've taken healthy eating to a whole new delicious level. Do you know what real...
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Pernod - More Than Just a Drink
2008-08-08 20:30:00
The original Pernod was a wild concoction with an even wilder reputation. Today's Pernod no longer contains absinthe and is the only pastis made without liquorice. The result is a milder version of pastis that lends itself well to cocktails and many dishes. We tried Pernod in glasses with ice water at a 1:5 Pernod to water ratio. I can't honestly say that I was immediately enamoured, but I can see how it would be one of those things a person grows fond of over time. If you really want to know about Pernod pastis, visit the website. If you want to know more about pastis in general and how the Provençeaux feel about it, I suggest the chapter 'A Pastis Lesson' in Peter Mayle's book, Toujours Provence. It may not all be factual, but it will leave you wanting to sit back, kick off your shoes and sip a pastis while the time whittles by.If you're interested in cooking with pastis, something quite common in Provence, then this recipe won't let you down.Pastis Soaked Chicken1 roasting...
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Cooking with Anne: The Video
2008-08-05 14:09:00
Well, not really. This cute 30-second bit was put together in about 10 minutes at ANIMOTO, and thanks to Vidiblogs. It's a really simple process involving uploading 10 photos, choosing music and sitting back while someone else does the work. I think it's neat, and now that I know what is involved, I'll probably make another. Try it for yourself; the 30-second clip is FREE.
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One Year Ago Today ...
2008-08-02 16:11:00
If you don't regularly read this blog, you may have no idea what transpired in my life a year a go today. You can always check out this link and catch up (you'll have to backtrack to the beginning), but if you don't have time, I'll summarize.One year ago today I was hanging out with the kids (August 2nd was a Thursday last year) and doing our normal 'lazy summer day' nothiningness. Marty - my husband - called and asked for the web address to my Family.com blog; he wanted to show off my work to the guys on one of their cell phones. I obliged and we hung up. Shortly after that, maybe half an hour or so, I got a call from his office manager, Sasha, that began, "We don't know the extent of the injuries yet ..." I think I went blank because, while I know the details of what was said, I can't remember exactly how it was spoken. All I knew was that my husband had fallen off of the roof he was working on and was being airlifted to a hospital. The height of the roof has changed a few...
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LOK/CWA Cooking Challenge Entries
2008-08-02 01:42:00
This is the final LOK/CWA Cooking Challenge , at least on my end. There will still be a cooking challenge, but it will now be hosted by Lots of Kids and Renee at Cornbread & Cookies. Please keep checking those links for the new challenges!Here are the entries for the last challenge, and I have to say that they all look better than mine did:Annie Jones at Real Life LivingKim at Growlies for the GangMichelle at her blog on Large Family NetworkMy own here at Cooking with AnneWell, we're not exactly Eric Riperts, but with so little to work with, it wasn't all so bad.

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
2008-07-30 20:07:00
This month's Daring Bakers ' Challenge is hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte. Chris chose a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream by Carol Walter from her book, Great Cakes. You can find the full recipe HERE at Chris's delicious blog.This one just about wore me out, which means it was a terrific choice for The Daring Bakers! It was absolutely scrumptious. The best part was the leftover praline paste - I put it together with some chocolate chips and a little milk, melted it all together and, voila! - my own version of Nutella! The kids couldn't have been happier with that part.Please check out the blogroll and see everyone else's wonderful versions of this delicious cake!

Local Flavor - Part II
2008-07-29 15:58:00
A couple Thursdays ago a few of the kids and I made our way across town to the Bethlehem Farmers' Market. I haven't been there very often since we moved from the South Side and I was pleased to find that it was still there. The venue has changed, it used to be held in a large parking lot and now is set up at Campus Square at Lehigh University.I was very happy to find that Suyundalla Farms was still there. They were one of the first vendors at the market and are the only surviving original vendor. Kudos! They still sell some of the finest produce and have branched out into selling fresh lamb products.Our first stop was their stand and these are a few of their wares: Garlic scapesSnow peas Beautiful red cherries Napa cabbagesCucumbers We took home everything above, except for the Napa cabbage, and added some of their broccoli and fresh lamb sausages as well.We stopped by Bechdolt's Orchard stand for fresh honey and then hit up The Flour Shop for a loaf of truly awesome semolina bre...
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Funky Monkey Snacks
2008-07-28 15:20:00
The kids and I just tried out 3 of the 4 flavors of Funky Monkey freeze dried fruit snacks. The consensus was, "Yum!". We had Bananamom, freeze dried banana chips sprinkled with cinnamon; Purple Funk, freeze dried banana chips sprinkled with acai berry; and Carnaval Mix, a mixture of freeze dried banana chips, pineapple, apple, papaya and raisins. We really liked the pineapple - so much so that everyone dug our every piece they could find before eating anything else! There's also Jivealime, freeze dried pineapple and lime juice - we have got to get our hands on that one!I love that they travel well - we took a package on a walk and the baby loved sitting in her stroller and munching on banana chips. I loved that there are no artificial ingredients at all and no added sugar. They are gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free, as well. Best yet is the fact that each ounce provides 3 servings of fruit!The website is totally cute! There are nutritional facts, a spot to order online and a ...
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Where's Tony?
2008-07-27 16:29:00
Now, wouldn't that be fun? A little game based on Where's Waldo?, but with the goal being to figure out where Anthony Bourdain would be each week hosting his No Reservations show. Well, no need to guess, at least for this week. Allow me the pleasure of telling you.This week (July 28, at 10pm EST) finds Anthony Bourdain and his brother in Uruguay. If you thought the Columbia episode was delicious, wait 'til you see this! ?Meat the Bourdains? is all the meat you can stand, and more. Here is a CLIP of the newest episode, and you can find a post about the trip by Anthony's brother, Chris Bourdain, HERE. As always, Tony will be posting about the trip at his blog, HERE.

Family.com New Community and Contest
2008-07-26 21:17:00
Family.com has just revamped its community and made it more personal and more fun. Not only do I blog at Family.com, I also belong to, and am active in, the community there.Make your own avatar or family portrait from personalized avatars; join a group; let everyone know what you're up to moment-by-moment throughout your day; decorate your profile, add stickers or even make some of your own to upload!Here's the best part - From August 1 to August 31, if you join and become an active member, you'll be eligible for a PRIZE A DAY in the Way To Go! Contest . There are awesome gifts being given including a 4 person tent, a web cam, an iPod, a DeWalt cordless screwdriver, a Bluetooth headset and MORE! Full rules are HERE.Head on over and check it out for yourself. My profile is HERE, give it a look and you'll get an idea of what's so fun about it all!
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4Real is Real Good!
2008-07-25 15:34:00
If you're a parent chances are you've done it; gotten busy and caved in to buy a kiddie meal from the refrigerator or freezer section of your local market. If you've ever read the ingredients panel on those things, you know that there are more preservatives and junk in them than anyone should consume let alone a child.What if you had a better choice? What if there was a line of kid meals that were actually good for your child? What if you could actually read the entire ingredients panel and know what each ingredient was? Oh, I know, the kids wouldn't like it then, right? Wrong. Now there is 4Real Foods - a brand new line of kids' meals with no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives and less fat and sodium than other kids' meals. And you know what? They are really GOOD. We had the Cheese Pizza and Cheesy Pizza Quesadillas. My kids were crazy for these, and they're a tough bunch to please. I tried them myself and was very surprised. They didn't taste like chemicals, th...
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Veggie Wednesday: Gardenfork.tv
2008-07-23 06:01:00
A couple weeks ago I came across a quirky little video about garlic scapes, something I had seen quite a bit but knew nothing about. By the time the video (which also captivated my 18 year-old daughter) was over, I knew all I needed to know and picked up some scapes on my trip to the local farmer's market. Man, were they good. I knew they would be though, because I had that great video to teach me. Where did I find this little gem? Gardenfork.tv.So, what is Gardenfork.tv? Well, it's Eric, this guy who describes himself thusly, "I have this eclectic background and know enough to be dangerous about many things. And I have this compelling drive to share with everyone the stuff that swirls through my head, whether the world wants it or not."He made these great little down-home videos and pitched them to the big guys. They all turned him down (and I know they'll be sorry some day!) so he did his own thing and developed Gardenfork.tv. His videos are not the highly polished type with a ...
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Mail From Japan
2008-07-18 16:50:00
I love when the mailman comes. I know it's juvenile to get all excited when I hear the clunk of the mailbox lid as it opens, but I can't help myself. Most of the time I get what everybody else gets - bills, but some of the time it's good stuff like products for review, birthday cards or packages from friends.A few weeks ago I got the "good" kind of mail - a package full of goodies from my friend Jodie in Japan . She had told me about a few cookbooks she no longer wanted and let me know she'd be sending them. Well, I'm not one to say "no" to a cookbook and I've had friends send others as well, so I waited excitedly for my package.When it first showed I thought it looked odd - it was packaged in a bag from the Japanese postal service. Not a box like we'd send from here, but a large shopping type bag, really neat.The surprise came when I opened the bag and found more than cookbooks! Take a gander at all Jodie packed in there:Look at all that stuff! Four really great Japanese cook...
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Veggie Wednesday: My Garden
2008-07-16 15:51:00
It may be a healthy interest; it may be an odd fascination; it may be OCD - I don't know which, but I look forward to my daily morning walk to the backyard to check on (and often photograph) my garden. I head out in the morning to see what's grown overnight (yes, overnight!) and then head to the front of the house to check on the flowers' progress.Every night before bed I water both gardens and look forward to doing it all over again the next day.I've always been interested in the things we make or grow ourselves. I think growing up in the 70's had something to do with it. Everything we consumed came from somewhere else; a can, a bag, a box or a wrapper. Machines had taken over many jobs that had once been done by hand and crops from all over the world made their way into shiny plastic containers to be picked up, opened and dumped onto a plate.One of the largest influences in my life was the Little House on the Prairie series of books. I devoured them over and over and stored a...
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Fried Squash Blossoms
2008-07-12 18:59:00
I've been growing zucchini for several years now and I never really took the time to pay enough attention to determine which flowers were male and which were female. As a result I've missed out on many a fine dish of fried blossoms.This year I went out and took photos as the buds, and then flowers, were growing and figured it out. Now I'm going to pass on this wealth of info to you - aren't you happy to have found my blog? The male flowers are attached to longer and thin stems. It's was fairly easy to figure this out once I took into account the fact that none of those stems was sturdy enough to support a growing zucchini. Then I found the zucchini that were growing and not only are the female flowers smaller, they are attached directly to the tip of the growing zucchini, which grow from the base of the plant.So, there you have it. Leave the girls behind and pick the boys as soon as they open. Rinse them off, make sure there are no bugs inside and remove the stamens. Now they'...
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Local Flavor - Part I
2008-07-10 22:13:00
I was afforded the small luxury yesterday of stopping by a local farmers' market, Elias Market at 3131 Linden St. Bethlehem (Phone: (610) 867-8111). I've driven by many times and used to shop there often when it was Pichel's Farm Market. I'm not sure why I haven't been in since it changed hands, but I made a point of turning in instead of driving by this time.I'm very glad that I did. Elias Market (I believe it's in the same family as Elias Farm Market in Allentown) is one of those stores I'll be frequenting from now on. I was on the lookout for hazelnuts and, having had no luck finding them, I decided to check at Elias. Elias is owned by a Middle Eastern family and sells one of the largest selections of Middle Eastern foodstuffs anywhere in the Valley.I was wide-eyed at the varieties of falafel (there's one brand at my usual store), the cans packed with stuffed grape leaves and the many, many bags of seeds, nuts and grains available. I found those hazelnuts at a very good ...
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Veggie Wednesday
2008-07-09 15:05:00
A single photo should do it for today ~ this is that zucchini flower from last week, opened. How pretty is that? For anyone keeping up with my husband's health saga, there is an update HERE.
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No Reservations Season Premiere
2008-07-07 03:51:00
Tonight's the night and you don't want to miss it! For all my fellow Anthony Bourdain fans, the newest season of No Reservations kicks off tonight. This season promises to be another no-holds-barred romp across the globe starting with a visit to Laos.Check out the video HERE to see what this season has in store - and tune in tonight, Monday July 7th at 10 p.m. ET.If you've never watched No Reservations , my only question would be, "Why not?" Anthony Bourdain does travel the only way it really matters; as it pertains to cuisine. Any culture is best revealed in its food, and Mr. Bourdain dives right in with his unmatched style and unfettered wit. He may be raunchy and downright eyebrow raising at times, but that's what makes this show one that can't be missed.Make sure you're tuned in tonight - I know I will be.
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Tostones
2008-07-05 04:00:00
I live in an area that has a heavy Hispanic influence, and as such I've had the opportunity to try many foods that I may never have had a chance to shop for much less eat.Plantains are one of those plentiful-around-here foods, but I'd never cooked with them. After the final episodes of season four on Top Chef, I finally decided to give them a whirl. On the next-to-last episode of Top Chef, the chefs were given the task of coming up with frituras (or fried snacks) using plantains. I watched with interest and a bit of excitement, storing away the many uses they conjured up for the green banana look-alike.One thing that two of the chefs did was to make tostones. They are, simply put, fried green plantain. I was intrigued, so I did a little reading about tostones and then went shopping to make my own version of an appetizer tostone.What I found when I was reading were several recipes calling for dipping the plantains in salted water between fryings (they are fried twice), but I also f...

Happy Birthday!
2008-07-04 16:24:00
To America, and to Cooking with Anne! This is the 3-year anniversary of the start of Cooking with Anne and I can't wait to roll on to the 4th year. This is what Cooking with Anne looked like in November, 2006. I love the Internet Archive.Thanks, to all of my loyal readers and to everyone stopping by. Comments today are very much appreciated! If you've been lurking, pop in and say, "hello"!
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Veggie Wednesday: Grow Your Own IV
2008-07-02 17:08:00
Part four! Yes, I'm going to continue this until I can effectively convince at least one person to attempt to grow his or her own veggies. I mean really, this is definitely one of those, 'if I can do it, you can do it' deals.I'm no farmer Brown, and yet I've managed to grow my own vegetables and herbs in a very small plot for 5 years (non-consecutive). I've done it completely organically, as well, and I am of the mind that anyone can achieve the same.I don't get bumper crops, but I do get enough to extend our food stores for several months in the summer, and that's good enough for me. Everyone should grow some type of food whether it's in a container, the ground or hydroponically. If we all did it, there would be quite an impact on our not-so-happy-at-the-moment earth.So, here's what is going on in my backyard:Lovely mint. It grows all by itself with very little need for me at all. I make the most killer Mint Pesto from this and dunk it in almost everything I drink. A zucc...
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This week ...
2008-07-01 11:37:00
I have some food things I want to share this week, but life, as usual, is a bit crazy here.Today is my Ian's birthday, he is 4! He shares his birthday with my grandma, she would have been 100 today. We'll celebrate for her with extra cake. His cake and a snippet of him with his favorite gift are HERE.*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*I lost a step-brother on Sunday evening. He lost his fight with leukemia at 51 years old. His wife and two young-adult daughters are devastated as is my step-father. Steve was one of the truly good guys in the world and he dearly loved his family.
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Daring Bakers' Challenge: Danish Braid
2008-06-29 12:15:00
This month's Daring Bakers ' Challenge is hosted by Kelly of Sass & Veracity, and Ben of What?s Cookin?? and is Danish Braid. Have you ever made croissants? This is nearly the same intensity in folding and turning and rolling. Time-intensive, but so worth it!I didn't have any problems with butter oozing out or falling out in pieces, but I had a tiny little advantage in that I've done this before, numerous times in culinary school. We made danish and croissant until our hands cramped! I love the result of that effort, though.I chose the apple filling for mine, and the recipe can be found HERE or HERE. If you do try this yourself, keep in mind that sealing the edges of the dough around the butter before the first fold helps it to stay put. Also, the chilling time in-between can be more than 30 minutes depending on the weather in your area. Humidity plays a huge factor in all baking, so keep and eye on that, as well.

LOK/CWA Challenge
2008-06-28 18:13:00
This isn't due until Monday, June 30th, and I am not allowed to submit anything, but I did take up this challenge on myself and wanted to share what I did for inspiration in case anyone needs it.This month's challenge was based on one that Chef Eric Ripert also faced. You can read about his challenge HERE, but I'll sum it up for you. Unlike the challenge that we've put up, his challenge was to make meals using food from a 99 cent store that sold more than dry goods. The store happened to be Jack's 99-Cent Store where one can evidently purchase things like cheese tortelloni, gumball-size mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, frozen crab cakes, canned coconut milk, jasmine rice and salmon filets.My local Dollar Tree doesn't have a refrigerated or frozen section, so my choices were severely limited. Meat, for instance, was a toss up of potted meat, Vienna sausages, chicken salad or Treet, Armour's version of Spam.There was quite a bit of pasta to choose from, but I swore that I wouldn...
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Product Review: Mott's
2008-06-27 10:16:00
We had a chance to try out Mott's for Tots juices and Mott's Plus applesauce recently and this is what we thought. When my younger children drink juice I usually cut it with water at a rate of about 50/50. Mott's for Tots has already done that for me. We had apple and fruit punch and the kids sucked them down like every other juice box we've ever tried. As far as they were concerned, it was just the same, in fact I think they asked for it a little more often than mom's doctored juice. For us, thumbs up! If you check out their website, there are Printable Coupons for $1 off two Mott's products for kids. Available in multi-serve bottles, as well as nine-packs of individual juice boxes Four delicious flavors to choose from Convenient pre-diluted juices, made of 100% juice and purified water 40% less sugar than regular juices No artificial sweeteners 100% vitamin C *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Mott's Plus applesauce isn't necessarily for kids, but they all tried it and loved it ...
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Product Review: Frito Lay's new Pinch of Salt Snacks
2008-06-27 09:29:00
Frito-Lay recently unveiled a new line of snacks called Pinch of Salt. The new Pinch of Salt line checks in at 30 to 50 percent less sodium than the original snacks at 75 mg per one-ounce serving. They come in four types: Lay?s Classic Potato Chips, Ruffles Potato Chips, Tostitos Tortilla Chips and Fritos Corn Chips. We tried the Ruffles Potato Chips and we really liked them. I have one kid who couldn't keep her hands off of them and I thought they tasted far more potato-ey (I know that's not a word) with less salt - that's a good thing! We didn't miss the salt at all and I'm looking forward to trying the other flavors, as well.
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Veggie Wednesday: Hummus and Tomato Melt
2008-06-25 08:14:00
We all have things we eat that we love but are for some reason afraid to share. Maybe people will think it's 'weird' or maybe it's just too simple to be thought of as something that anyone else would eat. This is one of those things, and I'm not sure why I haven't shared it. I'll give in and share this time. I have these often for lunch or a late breakfast. More often than not I use plum tomatoes and the hummus and cheese varies. This was today's breakfast (shared with two small noseminers).Hummus and Tomato Melt1 whole wheat pita or flatbread2 Tablespoons roasted red pepper hummus3 slices ripe tomato2 Tablespoons shredded Monterey jack/Colby blend cheeseMrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoningSpread the pita or flatbread with hummus, top with tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese and add Mrs. Dash to taste. Heat in the microwave until cheese is melted - my microwave takes 1 minute to do this.
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Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Gingered Pork Wontons
2008-06-23 17:46:00
This month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients had me excited at first; and then I had too much time to think. I got to the store today and told my oldest daughter what the three ingredients were and asked her opinion on them. She drew a blank as well as I because of the butter.You see, the three ingredients are ginger, apricots and butter. I've been baking quite a bit lately and didn't feel like a pastry was in the cards for me, so I was going a savory route. The butter ... the butter kept throwing me. Salad; no - what would I do with the butter? A steak with gingered butter; nah, not inventive enough.So, my frustrated eldest sighed and said, "OK, pretend it's a 'Quick-Fire'." If you don't watch Top Chef, you won't know what that is. It's the short segment at the beginning of each episode where the chefs are given a quick assignment and a short time-span in which to finish. I laughed and told her that after an hour and a half of milling around Whole Foods I would be disqualif...
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There's Still Time!
2008-06-23 07:03:00
There's still time to join in on this month's Lots of Kids/Cooking with Anne Cooking Challenge! You don't want to miss this one, it's a challenge that Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin himself faced (OK, he had a little more leeway).You can check out all the details HERE or HERE. Have fun!
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