Yesterday we came across this cookbook at the bookstore by Nigel Slater (celebrity U.K. cook). Just released in the U.S., Tender is a beautiful, hardbound book with gorgeous food photography that would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. Having a couple of his books on our shelves, we can attest that he writes, brilliantly, on simple food sourced with care and shares some of the best recipes for a home kitchen. If you can find it in stock, this is one to get (you may even want to treat yourself).
It’s almost the weekend (!) and Monday is Valentine’s Day, love it or hate, it got us thinking about some of the things we have fallen for:
oysters –
along with this new iPhone app;
noodles;
an eat-in kitchen;
and sour cherry pie. We’re preparing ours with Gefen’s all-natural in-a-can, because the season is still a few months out.
Amy Pennington teaches and reminds us that random kitchen waste (stems, leaves and bones) can be easily used to make stock, sauces or soups instead of throwing them away. Trying to use every last bit of something in your kitchen forces creativity and encourages resourcefulness. Check out these clever designs for even more inspiration and try:
Parsley: Use last bits to make gremolata for fish, vegetables or chicken.
Broccoli: Use leftover large stems to make soup. Chop into large pieces, place stems in water with some salt and a little onion. Cook until tender. Cool. Puree and stir in a big handful of good aged cheddar for a healthy green soup.
Chicken Bones: Leftover bones from roasted chicken can be simmered to make stock or placed in a pot of beans to add flavor to a dish. Try browning the bones and adding to a pot of white bean for a rich flavor.
Hard Bread: Use day-old baguette to make this warming Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken Bread Salad
Sprouted flour was passed on to us from Suzanne’s Erin. It is made from sprouted grain berries (kernels) that are allowed to sprout for about two days, dried at a low temperature to preserve the vitamins, minerals and enzymes and then ground into flour. Compared to regular flour, it is more nutritional and flavorful. As it becomes more popular, look for it at your local natural foods store or you can buy it online.
Recipe: Sprouted Flour Morning Glory Zucchini Bread
“Living sustainably is not just about big technological or scientific innovations. It’s about the little things, too. It can be as simple as changing wasteful habits and using better products.”
Our friend Aviva passed along this great find to us and we wanted to share them with you: they are fabulously stylish, reusable sandwich and snack bags called LunchSkins. We’ve been vocal in the past about the abuse and overuse of plastic bags and we are thrilled to see that these three green moms are making a difference – because we all want products that are healthy for us and healthy for our planet.
December is filled with parties, events and small gatherings. We love it. It gives us the chance to show off some kitchen skills and to give friends something homemade or small that we love. Here are some ways to say “Thank you!”:
- a hunk of delicious cheese.
- a favorite cookbook.
- a playlist of some of your favorite music.
- homemade infused vodka.
- a sweet little red rubber vase, filled with flowers.
Wood is better than plastic when it comes to cutting boards. A surprise to us but, research claims that wood is the safer choice when it comes to the lurking dangers of bacteria. On that note, this beautiful product with a good story recently caught our eye:
Buff Brown worked for a Pennsylvania furniture maker and designer who kept a basket full of small, organically shaped cutting boards on the floor of his office. They were made from choice hardwood scraps he couldn’t bear to chuck onto the burn pile. Buff really liked them as they reminded (him) of the shapes Alexander Calder used for his mobiles and sculptures. Later on, seeing the cutting boards Wharton Esherick made (he’s known as the “Dean of American Craftsmen”), the idea of making a beautiful, one-of-a-kind object out of something as basic and utilitarian as a cutting board hit home. That was about ten years ago. Many people who see the boards say they’re too pretty to cut on. Once they give in to doing so, a long-lasting relationship is formed. “I love the look of a cutting boards surface after years of use – an ingrained tool of daily ritual”, says Buff.
Buff creates his boards in Livingston, Montana. Reasonably priced and in all sizes.
Recipe: Seared Peach Rustic Tart
Some favorite salad greens are the easiest plants to grow and don’t need a lot of space. Starting anytime from April onward, you can start seedlings in a sunny windowsill and then transfer them or plant seeds directly in the ground. Romaine, butterhead, arugula, mache, mizuna, mustard greens, spinach, and flat-leaf parsley would make a nice selection.
We often make our salads dressed only with oil, vinegar and lemon, but everyone has different ideas for what makes a good salad dressing (more vinegar, more oil, etc). Experiment with your greens. For a family meal, fill a large bowl with fresh salad greens and bring bottles of different vinegar (red wine, balsamic, fig vinegar, etc.), lemon cut into quarters, olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to the table. Let everyone dress their own salad.
To Buy Heirloom-Variety Seeds – try these online sites:
Seed Savers Exchange
Seeds from Italy
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
We’re game to try this at home. Are you? 
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