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January 5, 2007
We're vulnerable right before Christmas. You've run out of ideas and suddenly that mechanical dog that wags its tail to a catchy tune sounds just right for impossible Uncle Ed. But now it's over, and sober January is here.
This makes the news about an "electric temperature controlled portable" butter dish underwhelming. The news release promises that the ButterWizard by Alfille Innovations from Britain will make your life easier (only $59.95 plus shipping).
Another gadget to clutter the counter is how I'd see it.
Here's my suggestion:
1. Take butter out of refrigerator 15 minutes before use.
2. Put on a small plate.
3. Place on counter.
4. Spread slightly soft butter on bread. No fuss, no extra expense.
I might have sprung for that ButterWizard a few weeks ago when I was desperate for one last gift. But now January's thriftiness has set in. And who's eating butter this month, anyway?
Posted by Alison Arnett at 05:13 PM
January 5, 2007
For a change! Between everything I baked myself, and everything sweet that everyone else made, I was on a pretty serious sugar binge for a while.
Now it's time for real life. I joke a lot about platters of steamed vegetables and poached chicken in broth. But that's what I do when it's time to cut down. There are always containers of steamed green beans
and steamed broccoli florets
in the fridge, along with cucumbers already sliced, cherry tomatoes halved, radishes rinsed and sliced.
When you're hungry, opening the fridge and finding lots of healthful foods is fine. But when you want something to eat right away, you probably won't start topping and tailing green beans and waiting for them to steam. When a friend would ask her son why he ordered pizza when the fridge was full of food, he used to say: "Mom, there's no food in there. It's all ingredients!"
Here's a tip: Undercook everything, and rinse it with a cup of cold water. It keeps better. You can always cook something later for another minute.
I'll race you down five pounds.
Posted by Sheryl Julian at 12:12 PM
January 3, 2007
San Pellegrino bottles have slimmed right down! Do you think it's the sparkling water inside that they've been enjoying?
Posted by Sheryl Julian at 12:25 PM
January 3, 2007
Remember the days of quiche? When no brunch was complete without a mushroom or ham quiche, or for vegetarians, a broccoli version? When real men ate quiche? Well, actually, when everybody ate quiche.
Fondue made a comeback in the last couple of years, but quiche hasn't really roared back into popularity, left out of cookbooks and food magazines.
Unless you consider that the rise of the savory tart, such as the onion, bacon, and cheese version I made for New Year's Eve, is really just a case of semantics. What in the 70s and 80s was called quiche is now a tart. Like many other culinary issues, it's all in the name -- and the quiche, or, oops, tart, was divine.
Posted by Alison Arnett at 12:18 PM
January 2, 2007
The anti-trans fat bandwagon is rolling along. Now giant Starbucks has dumped trans fats from the baked goods sold in half of its stores across the United States. Boston is one of the cities where muffins, gingerbread, and other goodies will no longer contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, according to an Associated Press story.
New York is another, but then the city banned trans fats in restaurants in December anyway. Boston is mulling over such a ban. When Americans get going on something -- whether low-carb diets or mocha lattes -- they go all out.
Cutting out trans fats can only be a good thing. But to actually trim obesity, Starbucks customers might want to think about drinking coffee black -- or at least without the caramel and whipped cream.
Posted by Alison Arnett at 05:45 PM
January 2, 2007
Our New Year's Eve menu. The portions were small (honestly!).
The flutes were not empty for long:
We began with homemade crackers, served with crudites and sliced French feta on a stunning Italian platter that was in my Christmas stocking:
At the table, we had eggs en cocotte with a dot of wild salmon caviar:
The main course was pork shanks, also known as stinco:
With fregola, a Sicilian couscous:
Then salad, with rosettes of mache lettuce and my new favorite vinegar made with cava.
Finally, an old favorite -- hot milk cake:
Sables, the little buttery French cookies (the recipe will be in a magazine column this month):
And stuffed dates:
One of the guests brought Garrison chocolates from Providence, which we nibbled with wild mint tea.
Menu for the month: club soda, lots of steamed vegetables, turkey breast, more club soda. Happy New Year!
Posted by Sheryl Julian at 10:59 AM
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