Kitchn Katchup

I have been hopelessly behind on my blog reading, and in browsing through the last month or so of Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn posts, I thought it might be a good idea to collect some of the best tips, questions and recipes.

Magnetic Spice Jars { Covetable Item }

I am loving these magnetic spice jars by Gneiss Spice. Some readers pointed out that exposing the spices/herbs to sunlight might impact their flavor. Others noted that at 1.5oz each, they would not hold a full store-bought container, defeating the space-saving purpose of the jars. One last complaint? You can’t see the labels.

I think all of the above issues are easily remedied. The jars could be positioned on the side of your fridge, which is usually shadier. The benefit of the jars is not only the space they save, but that they’re “green.” If you have spice jars, why would you buy packaged spices? Buy bulk! As for the last complaint, the jars are labeled and, in any case, I identify most of my spices and herbs by eye.

Pancetta-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts w/Almonds{ Recipe }

Pros:

• Brussels sprouts haters will eat them because they are wrapped in pork.
• They are a sophisticated-looking hors d’oeuvre.
• They are easy to make.
• Almonds? ‘Nuff said.

Cons:

• …..nada!

Find the recipe here.

22 Fast, Fresh Pasta Dishes For Weeknight Suppers { Recipes }

Todd is in love with pasta. I’m mostly “meh” about it. It’s not my favorite starch (bread and potatoes hold that honor), but living with Todd has resulted in many weeknight pasta dishes. He practically jumps with excitement when he finds out I am making it for dinner. The Kitchn pulled together 22 varied pasta dishes, perfect for weeknights (read: relatively easy).

I have three favorite recipes, the first is spicy broccoli (which I previously wrote about paired with polenta). I love using farfalle (otherwise known as bow-tie) pasta for this dish.

The second is penne paired with a classic tomato sauce. It’s taken me FOREVER to perfect a tomato sauce, as I am incredibly picky (I don’t like onions, semi-raw garlic or any kind of ground meat). I adapted it from Marcella Hazan’s The Essentials Of Italian Cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh roma or vine tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 lemon
• A hearty pad of butter
• A drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and toss in the whole tomatoes. Allow them to blanch for roughly 2-3 minutes (or until the skins start to blister and open). Remove to a colander. When tomatoes have cooled, peel off and discard the skins. Slice tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Chop the tomatoes roughly. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet. Cut onion in half, removing skins, and place cut-side-down in the pan. Throw in tomatoes. Add about a 1/4 to 1/2 of the lemon. Allow the tomatoes to cook on medium-high heat for a few moments, stirring and crushing the tomatoes. Add a pad of butter and allow the sauce to cook down some more. Salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes if you’d like some heat. Remove the onion and lemon pieces.

I love this sauce served with penne and tons of parmesan.

The third is a ricotta gnocchi paired with mushrooms, sweet corn and sage brown butter. It’s a wonderfully decadent recipe from Suzanne Goin’s Sunday Suppers At Lucques. I promise to share the recipe with you down the road.

You can browse through The Kitchn’s pasta recommendations here.

Five Pizzas for Late Summer { Inspiration }

I have yet to perfect perfect pizza dough, but these five pizzas are a huge inspiration to bust out my copy of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and get cracking.

Also, beets? On a pizza?

Where/What Do You… { Good Questions }

I always love when The Kitchn polls their readers with the most simple questions. Where do you eat dinner, and what do you do while you wait for your food to cook?

Q: Our post in defense of eating in front of the TV stirred up quite a bit of controversy! It got us curious about our various eating habits: where do you sit down (or stand up!) to eat your dinner?

A: Honestly, I wish I could say that Todd and I eat dinner at the table like proper adults, but we rarely do. Most nights dinners are eaten in the office at our desks (where we typically catch up on shows like Mad Men, which we watch on iTunes) or in the living room. Todd is very firm about this changing when kids come into the picture, and I agree. For now, give me the couch.

Even for the quickest meals, nothing ever times up perfectly. There are always little bits of down time here and there while we wait for water to boil or onions to soften or some meat to thaw. What do you do during these moments?

I bring my laptop in the kitchen, and I typically have music or a video (Friends is a favorite while cooking, strangely enough). This is typically just for background noise (I MUST have background stimulation at all times). My “down” time is typically spent refilling my wine and/or water glass, preparing another element of the meal, talking to Todd or flipping through a magazine.

What about you?

Organic Brand Ownership { The More You Know… }

I am already incredibly cynical of “organic” anything and find most brands highly suspect. This chart, which details who owns what in the land of organics, doesn’t help. I’m not sure that I trust a company like General Mills to prioritize the health benefits of organic food over profits. I like Lucky Charms and all, but come on.

10 Kitchen Staples For Weeknight Dinners { Pantry Talk }

Faith at AT shared her list of must have staples that she turns to often for last minute meals; israeli couscous, pasta, polenta, onions & garlic, canned tomatoes, anchoives, broth & stock, eggs, frozen spinach & artichoke hearts, and bacon.

I’m with her on a few of these items, but I would change my list up a bit.

• Chicken Stock (we make our own and freeze it).
• Parmesan (it makes almost any dish more delicious).
• Long Grain White Rice (I find it’s the most versatile grain).
• Wine & Soy Sauce (often the base for marinades).
• Olive Oil (naturally, who can live without it?).
• Garlic (this is the one perishable item that I had to include, because I use it constantly, and it does last a very long time).
• Butter (I use this when I want a richer taste when adding fat to a dish).
• Polenta (I love polenta and enjoy that it’s versatile–I can use it soft for a homier dish or grill up small pieces for appetizers).
• Pasta (it’s always so easy, and it’s delicious with just butter).
• Canned Chickpeas (I usually have these around because they have infinite uses).

Herbs In Tubes { Hot, Or Not? }

Ugh, not. These things have always freaked me out a bit. I’d rather use dried herbs or none at all. What do you think?

Fall Cakes { Birthday Girl }

I love this for both selfish (my birthday is at the end of October) reasons, and reasons of taste (I am, indeed, Team Cake). The German chocolate cake is making my mouth water.

How To Cook A Pot Of Beans { Good Questions }

I have no idea how to cook dried beans, so I was thrilled with this post, and all of the comments!

How To Host An Iron Chef Party { Best Idea Ever }

What a cool idea! I want to host a party like this very soon.

When To Splurge & When To Save { Food Budgeting }

This is a tough one, because I am not known for monitoring my spending. However, I do have some specific recommendations for when to fork over and when to hold back.

Produce (Save) – If you have a produce stand or farmer’s market nearby, always hit them up for your produce. It’s cheaper and it’s local. Always buy in season. How do you know what’s in season? Check out this website. Another indication is price. If those artichokes are $5 apiece, they are likely not in season.

Fish (Splurge) – Always ask your fish monger what is fresh. Also, never buy fish on a Sunday.

Wine (Splurge) – But not too much. $15 is my max at the moment, which is way over my budget. Shh…..

Non-Perishables (Save) – If you insist on buying Barilla pasta, wait for it to go on sale and stock up.

Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar (Splurge) – It makes a HUGE difference, especially with the vinegar.

Herbs (Splurge) – Fresh is always best, and most herbs can either be frozen (parsley) or dried (dill).

Milk (Splurge) – Milk is the only organic product I buy. Okay, I also buy organic chicken, just in case.

Canned Anything (Save) – Always buy generics, it doesn’t make a difference.

Salt (Splurge) – Buy fleur de sal (cheaper than the French version), but only use it after the food is cooked. Otherwise, use the cheap stuff.

Water (Save AND Splurge) – Buy a Brita for flat water. However, if you (like me) like sparkling water, the more expensive it gets, the less carbonated it will be. I stock up on Pellegrino when it’s on sale.