What’s in your lunchbox today? A sandwich, an apple and, what’s that? Something written on your paper towel? Aww. We might have been a little embarrassed by lunch notes as a kid, but now we think anyone who receives one should count themselves doubly lucky. Because not only did someone make your lunch for you, they cared enough to send a little extra love your way. Feeling all warm and fuzzy yet?
The lack of an office microwave (or the questionable state of one) is no reason to give up on a satisfying homemade lunch. There are plenty of ways to use leftovers and fresh ingredients to make a tasty lunch that doesn’t need any reheating. Here are 10.
If you’re one who likes to spend lunch at a cafe, Chicago’s First Slice Cafe is a good choice, especially if you like to end your lunch with a slice of pie (and really, who doesn’t?). Located in the Lillstreet Art Center, the cafe shares a space with the gallery store where you can find one-of-a-kind dishes and serving pieces made by artists who have come through the center.
Most of us like a little breakfast for dinner every once and a while. Some eggs, bacon, maybe even pancakes or waffles – it’s not such a stretch. But how about dinner for breakfast? We don’t usually consider last night’s leftovers as a breakfast possibility (unless it’s pizza) but one of our favorite Twitter feeds has us reconsidering.
Working in an office usually means eating your mid-day meal away from home, but what about breakfast? Do you prefer to eat before you leave for the day or have a little something at your desk?
Have you ever made an Easter pie? It’s a traditional Italian dish made with a ricotta egg filling that can be flavored with sweet or savory ingredients and served either as an appetizer or a dessert. Either way, it’s a rich treat to celebrate the end of the Lenten fast.
Now that spring is officially here, we’re ready to put aside the hearty winter salads that have gotten us through the cold months and move on to something new. Something fresh, crisp and, most importantly, green! We’ve pulled together 20 of our favorite spring salads – recipes to make as soon as you get home from the farmers’ market. Get your radishes and asparagus ready – we’re putting right them to work.
If it’s a classic deviled egg you’re looking for, you best keep on moving. There’s no mayonnaise or mustard here, and we haven’t even bothered with any fancy piping. What we do have, though, is one pretty delicious bite. These deviled eggs are made with creamy, tangy Greek yogurt, flavored with smoked paprika and sun-dried tomatoes, and topped with crispy frizzled shallots.
We’ve been keeping an eye on Discovery Channel’s Planet Green since Emeril moved over to the network two years ago. In addition to Emeril’s cooking contributions, the network has built up a nice archive of recipes for clean, healthy eating. Most of them are vegetarian, but there’s something for meat eaters, too – like tips on getting the most out of your free-range chicken.
Bar and grill establishments are great for grabbing a casual drink with friends, but they’re not usually at the top of our list when it comes to style inspiration for home dining. We think they’re on to something though with the tabletop caddies for various condiments and utensils. Here are four restaurant-inspired caddies that we’d be happy to have on our table, especially as grilling season approaches.
Spicy, salty, crispy, crunchy. Plantain chips are just what we want in a snack, and this baked version is one we could happily munch on practically every day. The key to the perfect crunch? It’s all about picking the right plantains.
Is the U.S. ready for a food revolution? Depending on who you ask, answers to that question could range from “Yes!” to “A what?” to “Sure, but hasn’t it been happening for a while? Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Eric Schlosser – ring a bell?” Well, there seems to be plenty of revolutionizing to go around, and Jamie Oliver is jumping in with a big network TV reality show set in “America’s unhealthiest city.”
Do you have spring fever yet? Are you counting the days until bundles of green reappear at your farmer’s markets? For those of us who will be waiting for weeks before the first stalk of asparagus pokes its head out of the ground, here’s a roundup of favorite spring produce to help hold us over. What are you most looking forward to?
Have you tried guava paste? We first encountered this sweet concoction in an empanada at our favorite Cuban restaurant. Guava, cheese and fried dough in one bite? Yes, please! But there are lots of ways to use guava paste. We’ve got 10 ideas for you below.
It almost seems wrong pitting one type of recipe against another, but we realize that individual preferences can be quite strong when it comes to Irish soda bread. Did you grow up on the sweet Irish-American version? Are you a purist who sticks with flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk? Or do you like to experiment with a few modern twists?
Top Chef Stephanie Izard is a little obsessed with goat. Perhaps it’s because her last name is a type of Pyrenees mountain goat in French. Or maybe she just finds it delicious. Stephanie stopped by the new Kenmore Studio in Chicago last night to make a batch of Salted Goat Caramel – a sweet/savory sauce that could be served with a variety of dishes. We’ve got the recipe below.
We highlighted several sophisticated citrus dessert recipes from Bon Appétit last week, but the Blood Orange Polenta Upside-Down Cake was the one that really called out to us. We’ve made similar cakes before and loved their simple preparation. This one turned out to be a bit more complicated, but well worth the extra effort.
Some market/cafés seem to be more of one than the other – a shop with a couple of tables and a small menu, or a restaurant with a few retail selections. Both are perfectly fine, but Marion Street Cheese Market seems to have a foot planted firmly on each side. Of course, here at The Kitchn, we’re most interested in what we can bring home to cook with and serve ourselves. On our recent visit, we found quite a bit.
I have a monster hiding in one of my kitchen cabinets. It made really odd noises the one time I used it, but mostly it just sits there, taking up space and collecting dust, haunting me. It’s name is the bread machine. Perhaps you have one of your own?
This is a bit of a warm weather tease, but we ran across this interesting set of salt and pepper shakers on sticks and couldn’t help sharing it. Has anyone seen something like this before? Can you guess what it’s for?