Al Dente

Add Pizzazz to Your Snacking and Pizza-ing

Having been an Amazon.com Kitchen editor for, oh, about nine years, I’ve seen my share of intriguing and interesting items. But even after seeing lots of these eye-catchers, the Presto Pizzazz pizza oven instantly made me do a double-take the first time I saw it. It just looks a little odd: an oven that’s open to the air for the most part. My first thought was: total gimmick, which probably doesn’t work (well, call me a skeptic). My second thought was: wait, I should try it before being skeptical. And then I forgot about it for awhile (we do have approximately 33,000 appliances after all), until seeing it again, going through the first two thoughts again, and then, this time, picking one up so I could test it out. And you know what? It actually works really, really well. 

What makes it work are the independently controlled top and bottom heating elements. It looks like what’s cooking would just get heat from the top when it rolled under that element, thereby taking more time, but really the heating is happening all the time, and the cooking happens continually. And, it doesn’t have to preheat, which means it tends to cook faster than a conventional oven. It’s obviously shaped for pizza, and the box swears that it works as well for fresh as for frozen, so the first thing I tried was a homemade pizza (I took it for granted that for frozen pizza it would work dandy). I was pretty unsure at first--mostly because I don’t usually watch something cook in an oven throughout the whole process. The end result was tasty though, with a crisp crust and well-cooked toppings. It did take a touch longer than I thought, but no more than cooking it in a regular oven.

I wanted to try the Pizzazz with some snacks, too, as the box also says it’s not solely for pizza and, well, I like snacks. This had me one afternoon dropping a couple of frozen taquitos and cheese-stuffed-and-fried-jalapeño-popper things on the oven and starting it up. Now, here, is where it really shined, as it had the recently-frozen delights cooked and crispy and ready for snacking about 5 minutes faster than the recommended oven-cooking times listed on their boxes. For snack-intensive days (football games, all-day parties), the Pizzazz is a dream.

A couple final notes: first, the heating element does get hot, necessitating that you’re careful when removing items. And definitely don’t touch it. There is a timer, which helps, and an shutoff function hooked to the timer for added safety, and another automatic shutoff feature that kicks in if over-heating occurs. The Pizzazz is a snap to clean, and super-quick to set up--which means quick snacks, no waiting. This is a good thing, because when that snack craving hits, no one wants to wait around.

--A.J. Rathbun

The Warlock: A Halloween Cocktail that’s Spooky Good

Not sure what to serve up at this year’s Halloween fright fest (serve up to the adults, that is: the kids get all the candy they can eat. By the way, for other Halloween party fun, check out the Amazon Halloween Store)? Or, are you looking for a signature cocktail to serve the next time you invite friends over for a night of bloodcurdling horror movies featuring Christopher Lee? Let me introduce you in the below video to the perfect mix for these situations, the chilling (well, chilled, at least) cocktail called the Warlock. Featured in my new book Dark Spirits, the Warlock combines brandy, Italian favorites Strega and limoncello, freshly squeezed orange juice, and Peychaud’s bitters, with an end result that has a bit of a kick and lots of flavor. One warning: the Warlock might turn you into a sorcerous zombie. But that’s a risk worth taking.

--A.J. Rathbun

Calling Gin Lovers: Get Gaz Regan’s Gin Compendium Today

Really, this post should be titled “Calling All Cocktail Lovers,” because even those who think they don’t love gin (maybe they just like it, or are okay with it--but really, everyone should love gin, because it’s so cuddly and loveable) will want to pick up Gaz Regan’s new book, the bartender’s GIN compendium. It not only goes through the interesting and intriguing history of gin, but also provides detailed tasting notes on most gins on the market today, as well as the newer Old Tom gins now available (finally, a proper Tom Collins can be made again), making it easy to find a gin that suits your tastes. As if that wasn’t enough, there are a host of handy and sip-able recipes (over 250!) like the Leo Di Janeiro, which mixes Tanqueray gin, pineapple juice, and Angostura bitters, topped with a lemon twist. If someone could bring me one of these right now, I’d be awfully happy.

A book loaded up with gin history, recipes, and helpful notes about current types and brands of gin would be pretty darn great all on its own. But what really makes this book a must for anyone who likes a drink here and there with friends at the bar is the wonderfully enjoyable writing by author Gaz Regan (who’s also known here and there as Gary Regan). Gaz has written a bunch of worthy booze books, and is not only one of the world’s top experts on the subject, but also a charming, witty, raconteur, the type of drinking companion you want to joke with, learn from, and talk to all the way until closing time. Gaz’ great personality, which comes through on every page, is why the GIN compendium will be a bar book you actually enjoy reading (maybe not quite as much as you’ll enjoy testing the recipes, but it’ll be pretty close). So pick it up, pick up some gin, and start shaking and turning those pages.

--A.J. Rathbun

What’s Your Juicer Ideal: Extractor or Lever Model?

Much like the rice cooker dilemmas detailed in an earlier post, wading into the juicing waters (or wading into the juice, if you want) can be a bit confusing. There are a number of types to choose from, including small handheld models that can look like a fish, larger handheld models, lever models, ones that fit on your food processor or stand mixer, and then the larger motorized models usually called juice extractors. What’s a juice-lover (or someone who wants to drink more juice at home) to do when faced with this array?

Well, first off, let’s agree on a couple points. Fresh juice is good for you (this is a pretty recognized fact). Fresh juice tastes better, and is an awesome addition to food and drinks (especially the latter--cocktails are instantly better with fresh juice). Finally, buying fresh juice everyday is a pricey proposition. All of which means that having a juicer is a fantastic idea, once you know which type is right for you. To make it easy, I’ve broken juicers out into four groups.

1. Handheld Juicers
These are those that you can store in a drawer, those that can be cute in shape, but also can be sturdy and handy. The top products in this area (if you want to use your juicer, and not solely have it for decoration) tend to have two arms, and squeeze the juice out, such as the Oxo juice squeezer. They’re a good bet if you are mostly juicing limes and lemons (oranges can get too large), and not planning on squeezing a lot of them--say, squeezing enough to make a glass or two of limeade a week. If having a party, or going through a lot of juice, you’ll want to step up.

2. Lever Model Juicers
These are counter sitters, because they’ve got decent-to-large size, and tend to be fairly tall to accommodate the lever that you pull when juicing. Models such as the Hamilton Beach juicer are sturdy, and can handle some heavy-duty citrus juicing, including oranges, lemons, limes, Clementines, and more. They’re great if you’re going to juice a lot of fruit, and aren’t hard to use at all, though operating the lever can wear out an arm after a while. But they’re definitely a step up from a handheld model. Be sure to pick one you like the look of as they don't always store easily.

3. Juicer Attachments
These are juicers that use the power of another appliance to do their work (which means you can’t use them without that appliance), such as the Cuisinart stand mixer attachment. They tend to be able to handle all the citrus fruits, and don’t take much muscle power to use, and can deal with a large amount of juicing at once. The only downside is they tend to also be plastic, and are dependent on the appliance they attach too. But if you have a stand mixer, food processor, or (in some cases) blender already, they can be an easy upgrade.

4. Juice Extractors (or, Professional Style Juicers)
These are the true workhorses of the juicing world, and really what’s needed if you want to juice more than citrus fruit. As opposed to the above, which squeeze the juice out, these juicing machines spin, masticate, and do whatever it takes to extract all the juice from a fruit or vegetable, and then discard the pulp. Let’s take the mighty Omega Juicer 8006 as an example. It has a serious commercial motor (with a gear reduction equal to a 2 horsepower motor), and can extract juice from really any fruit, vegetable, or leafy green (the list covers everything from apples to yams). These types of juice extractors are for the user who really wants to juice a lot, and understands the benefits of fresh juice (really, it was the perfect pick for someone like me, who bought a lot of those Naked juices and wanted to cut down on how much money I spent, because you can make the same juices, cheaper, with a juice extractor). Some of the more advanced juice extractors (such as the 8006) can even double as a pasta, nutbutter, and frozen dessert maker, adding a bit or versatility. This is a plus, because when picking up a juice extractor, you’ll probably want to leave it on the counter so that you use it as much as possible.

There you have it: fresh juice is good, tasty, and, with the right juicer, easy to have at home. Now all that’s needed is to find a reliable grocery store, farmer’s market, or farmer to get your produce from on a regular basis.

--A.J. Rathbun

What’s Your Food Threshold (or, Do You Go to Monkey Brain)?

It’s always interesting to discover what people will eat, and why, and when (in the way that people and food are always interesting, to me at least). For example, though I’m a vegetarian, I also eat cheese, and will eat and adore the stinkiest cheese, cheese that many of my meat-eating friends who consider themselves adventuresome would never try. I also have one or two friends (such as my pal Jeremy Holt) who will eat absolutely anything, true omnivores. This interest is the levels of what someone will eat is why I find the food threshold chart below, which I found on Dana McCauley’s food blog, so much fun. While my ovo-veggie-ness leaves me only at a 5, I figure that my ability to eat nutty cheeses (and the fact that I’ll drink anything--maybe there should be a separate chart for that) may get me a few more points. Where do you fall? Are you willing to go all the way to Monkey Brain? Or do you stop at insects? 

Perfectly Imperfect Pecan Pralines: The Flaw Makes the Sweet

Do you ever start, for reasons you can’t pin down, dreaming about particular food? I certainly do. For example A, out of nowhere the other Tuesday I started thinking about pralines. Though it traces back to an almond treat created in the 17th century by the cook of a French industrialist, the praline as I envision it comes out of Louisiana and contains pecans, and has a little chew to it. Luckily, when I started going from thinking about pralines to seriously craving them (and this is the normal path in this situation I believe), I found the following recipe from Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt by Christie Matheson, which is an awfully fun and handy book for those that aren’t afraid to have a hint of savory in their dessert-y treats. The author says about these pralines that, “This simple version, spiked with a little bourbon, is my favorite. Making pralines becomes incredibly easy when you skip the step of trying to form them into perfect 2 1/2-inch rounds, like they do in the South, but instead spread the whole mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and break it up into bites once it’s cool.”

Makes 25 to 30 good-size pieces

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
1 cup lightly toasted pecan halves

Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, butter, salt, molasses, and bourbon and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. After it starts to boil, boil for another 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool just until the mixture stops bubbling completely. Add the pecan halves and stir them in well, then quickly pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out as much as you can. (It will get thick quickly while you’re doing this--so this is the time to remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect!)

4. Let cool completely, then break the praline up into bite-size pieces (you get to decide what “bite-size” means…and snack on the little shards that don’t measure up).

Recipe from Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt by Christie Matheson. Copyright 2009, Harvard Common Press. Photo by Joyce Oudkerk Pool.

Arancini: Another Reason to Move to Italy

Every time I think of moving to Italy (which is, honestly, once a day at the least and once an hour on the average) I realize that I’d never be able to come back. Not because I wouldn’t miss everyone at the Al Dente HQ, but because I would eat so much when there that I wouldn’t be able to get out of a door. Okay, that’s somewhat of a joke, but really, I keep discovering new Italian favorites that I think I might just over-indulge in if there all the time. For example, arancini, the tasty and resourceful creation named after the orange that uses leftover risotto in a delicious fashion, mixing it with cheese and other ingredients and then frying it (this recipe on About.com is for mushroom arancini, for example, but many have various meats as well) into a ball--sometimes a very round ball, and sometimes a little pointed as in the below. Absolutely yummy, and again, one of those dishes that I haven’t found quite right yet anywhere outside of Italy, where I had them for the first time about 4 months ago. Though I’d be happy to hear about worthy members of the species anyone has had outside of Italy, I’ve now added arancini to my list of edible reasons why I should, really, move to Italy.

 

--A.J. Rathbun

A Big Canner, the Right Canning Tools, and Black Forest Preserves

I can admit it: I’m lucky. If not in every single aspect of life (I’ve never flipped a coin twenty times and had it come up all heads, for example) at least in the fact that I have a giant Rainer cherry tree in my backyard. It delivers a host of the slightly sweet, usually yellow-reddish delights each year in early summer, and the birds and I split them up--they get the ones way up high and I get the more easily reachable fruits. There are always enough that I partial them out, some for snacking, some for soaking in bourbon, and some for making into jam or jellies. In the past, I’ve always gone for just straight cherry jam, but this year I decided to branch out and tried a recipe for Black Forest Preserves, adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preservation. As you’ll see below, this recipe mixes up cherries with the normal sugar, plus a little bit of chocolate and amaretto for an end result that’s out of this world, especially good with cream cheese and crackers or mixed in with vanilla ice cream. Before getting started though, I had to get my tools together, which means bringing out my large Columbian Home 33-quart jar canner, which is black enamel on steel. It’s quite a monster, and usually I use it for larger batches of everything from jam to tomato sauce to canned red peppers, but since it comes with a sure-fitting rack, it worked for this slightly smaller batch of preserves.

As you can see in the above picture, I also opened up my Back to Basics canning tool kit. It includes a jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter (the crucial tool for removing lids and bands from boiling water), a canning funnel, kitchen tongs, and a jar wrench. I’ve found that if I keep all these helpful tools together in the box when done using them, I never have a problem finding them when I need them. The fact that they’re highlighted in a nice bright red does make it shame to box them up and not show them, but if you knew how fast I could lose something in my kitchen cabinets, you’d understand.

A couple hints about these preserves: I used 4 cups of cherries when 3 were suggested, and chopped them a little less, and all came out fine, and I used Di Saronno amaretto and it added just the right amount of flavor. It makes about 7 half pints, and the results were luscious, pretty and tasty.

Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 cups pitted and roughly chopper Rainer cherries
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 three ounce packages liquid pectin
4 Tablespoons Di Saronno amaretto

Directions:
1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes.

2. In a bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir well.

3. In a large saucepan, combine cherries and lemon juice. Stir in cocoa mixture. Over high heat, stirring constantly, cook until it reaches a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

4. Stir in pectin. Bring back to a boil and boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in amaretto. Remove from heat and skim off foam if needed.

5. Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving approximately 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles if needed, wipe rim, and then center the lid on the jar. Screw bands on tight.

6. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil, and then process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, and then remove jars. Place them on a flat surface until set.

--A.J. Rathbun

How Much Rice Really Comes from a Rice Cooker?

I love my rice cooker (which happens to be the Micom 5-1/2-cup model in stainless steel from Zojirushi), and use it for everything from making plain white rice for my puppy Sookie when she recently had to be put on a very bland diet (after eating something she found buried in the dark recesses of the yard) to making more off-the-beaten-path things like polenta with gorgonzola. But when I was searching out which rice cooker I wanted, I got pretty confused by what the “cup” numbers meant in the titles--such as a 3-cup model. Does it mean 3 cups of rice can fit in it, or 3 cups come out of it? After researching and double checking with some vendors and looking at various models and even a little testing, I finally figured it out.

It should mean how much rice the cooker can deliver, not take in (and if you’re in a brick and mortar store and the clerk tells you different walk away. Same if on an online site). Seems easy enough, right? But it can be awfully confusing, especially as many models look quite similar. Take this Black & Decker rice cooker line, for example (which are dandy rice cookers, from all I’ve seen and from all reports, and I’ve tested this close relative, and like it lots, too). There are three: 3-cup, 6-cup, and 17-cup models (that last one is a lovely monster by the way, especially if you have a big family, or a reunion, or a restaurant). They all visually look similar, only differing if you hold the actual rice cooker in your hand. Even when holding the boxes it can be hard to tell how much they’ll take in or deliver. That’s why you have to remember: the 3-cup one delivers a maximum of three cups cooked rice, the 6-cup one delivers a maximum of six cups cooked rice, etc. The “cup” in the title does not refer to how much you’ll put in the cooker. Whew, it seems simple, but with all the various and random information floating out there, it can be confusing. And the last thing you want is to bring a cooker home for a big dinner and then have half the rice you need. Or to give someone a gift and give the wrong size.

Of course, when making more advanced numbers like a gumbo in your rice cooker (and these really can do so much more than just plain rice), or making Japanese sticky rice, or a rice cousin like risotto, it might be a slightly different yield than the “xx-cup” amount. This is why I would always suggest getting a rice cooker that comes with a good and detailed recipe and instruction book, to help get you started. After using a few of the recipes they provide, naturally you’ll want to branch out and experiment. But without that good bedrock of recipes and instructions, and without knowing going in how much rice can come out of your cooker, you won’t enjoy it half as much.

--A.J. Rathbun

Kitty Bento Box: Too Cute to Eat?

While I enjoy cuteness in foods as much as the next happy eater, I tend to think of cuteness as being more the territory of dessert foods (Spanno’s Wild Things cupcakes for example). In that situation, the sweetness of it all seems to work well, and it doesn’t seem odd to open up and start eating. But the following kitten bento box (which I found on What’s For Dinner) is as cute as rice-y buttons--I think, perhaps, too cute. The way it’s laying on its back with seaweed eyes closed and paws outstretched, and how it seems to be smiling and waiting for a little belly scratch, all make me think I might be unable to take that first bite (unlike the cute bento box of cat heads Kitchen Maus highlighted earlier, which seems more approachable in its just-heads nature). Not to mention that I’m not sure what the pink parts might be made of, and that the food around it looks unreal somehow. This wavering leads to the question: is this kitten personification taking cute-i-fying food a little too far? Should this be considered more art than lunch? And if you opened up your own bento box (say this one from Zojirushi, which is the one I have) without knowing this would be in there waiting, would it make you hungry, make you miss your own pets, or just seem a little off? I’m wavering, but, then again, I’m really a dog person.

--A.J. Rathbun

Zucchini Weenie: Intriguing Fair Fusion or Just Odd?

Summer fairs (state, county, and city) are not only places to view award-winning livestock, ride the Tilt-a-Whirl, and get taken by carnies. They’re also where you can find the most inventive and outrageous fried food in the world. With that, I expect a certain amount of deep-fired craziness when walking onto a fair grounds: deep-fried Oreos, for example, or deep-fried corn on the cob. Deep-fried ice cream and deep-fried pizza almost seem quaint these days. But never, until recently reading an article on Wral.com, had I heard of the deep-fried zucchini weenie. Featured at the OC Super Fair, it is (seriously) a hot dog stuffed inside a zucchini  that’s then battered and deep fried. To me, that’s just wrong. Wrong! For one, how did they hollow out that zucchini? For two, do hot dog lovers and zucchini lovers really belong together? Take a look at the below photo (from Flikr) and tell me: does that look appealing to you?. Okay, maybe a little. But it’s still an abomination of nature. Even though, now, maybe, I want to try one.

--A.J. Rathbun

Are You the Cucumber Bandit?

As reported recently on the 9 News site, “More than $10,000 worth of cucumbers have been stolen in 11 separate robberies in the past three months” in Adelaide, Australia. This is an outrage. Think of the deprivation occurring: no Chicago style hot dogs? No cucumber relish? No pickles down the road a bit? What kind of wicked criminal could devise such a dastardly vegetable demise? And will this mastermind hold those cukes hostage? Police are stymied, because, as Chief Kym Zander said, “The issue with the cucumber is, how do you and I tell who owns a different cucumber?” I call on any cucumber thieves reading this: turn yourselves in today.

But seriously, what could one do with $10,000 worth of cucumbers? Start a cucumber sandwich takeout business? I love cucumber salad, but don’t think I could eat it for months on end. Or am I missing something entirely that cucumbers are good for, some dish or invention that makes a giant cucumber heist worth it? Let me know, cucumber fanatics, and I promise not to turn you in to the cops.

--A.J. Rathbun

Why Oh Why Isn’t the Aero Bubbly Chocolate Bar in the U.S.?

Pal and co-worker Jeff B recently took a little vacation up north (north of Seattle that is) to celebrate the Canadian Civic Holiday (why don’t we have a civic holiday in August by the way? It’s a great idea) and brought back a heaping helping of Canadian candy and candy bars to share. There were Coffee Crisps, KitKat Chunkies, Cadbury Flake bars, and more, but what I grabbed was a Nestle Aero bar. As we don’t have them easily available here in the states, I haven’t had an Aero bar that many times. However, every time I have had one has been memorable, because the Aero bar is super-delicious. Made of air bubbles and chocolate (the slogan is “feel the bubbles melt”), it’s lighter in personality than many candy bars while still retaining a smooth chocolate taste--eating one is like snacking on a heavenly chocolate cloud or like floating weightless in a much sweeter outer space. There are a couple of different flavors, including the mint version I’m eating right now, and all share this lovely consistency and chocolaty charm. Now, I’m also a big fan of the Canadian KitKat (why is it better? Not sure. Just is), and the other delicacies mentioned above, but the Aero is tops for me today. Which leads to one question: why can’t we have it available here at every corner candy store? Why is there this embargo on specific candies? Is there anyone else who has a favorite candy from another country they wish was more readily available? And should we write a chocolate-smudged petition to the major candy companies? Start a candy revolution?

--A.J. Rathbun

DeLonghi BQ100 Grill and Broiler: Helpful and Handy Indoors and Out

While it’s really called an “indoor” grill, I gave DeLonghi’s BQ100 grill and broiler a try the other night and  used it outdoors, and found it worked perfectly, there, too. Here’s the thing--it’s really hot right now. It’s the end of July, and the temperature here in Seattle has risen to record-setting heights, which makes it just impossible to want to stand over a hot stove. And while I’m a fan of salads (and eating in an air-conditioned restaurant, for that matter), sometimes even in the warmest weather you want to make a meal at home. Which is why I plugged in the BQ100 outside in the yard to give it a test run.

The grill is sturdy, and has a longish cord, so I set it up on the picnic table and plugged it in to the outside plug and turned the thermostat to Max. The coolest (no pun intended) and unique thing about this grill-broiler combo is right there in the name: it has a heating element in the middle, with a nonstick die-cast grill plate that goes on top of the element and a broiler drawer underneath the element. I think if you were a steak-lover you’d like it even more than I did, because you could sear the steak up top then finish it in the broiler (due to the placement of the heating element, you get to use both at the same time, making it simple). We were listening to the Mariners play while cooking though, and so we made giant Italian dogs, first grilling up a bunch of onions on the grill top. Then, when the onions and dogs were ready, we toasted the buns in the broiler. Delicious.

The grill heated up pretty quickly, and then cooled down nicely after clicking the switch to off. Though we didn’t have to use it (not a lot of grease rolling off the dogs), there is a nice drainage cup built into the grill plate, which drains off excess oil and stuff in a way that helps with cleaning. The BQ100 measures 20-1/2 by 15-3/5 by 7 inches, so it wasn’t tough to transport from indoors to out either--I just picked it up and carried it. Overall, a good summertime cooking experience, not too hot, not a hassle, and tasty.

--A.J. Rathbun

Dreaming of a Jacket Potato with Cheese and Beans

Here’s a simple question: why can’t I get jacket potatoes from a takeout window here in Seattle? Or a jacket potato truck? Are there any, to be less local, jacket potato windows or trucks in the whole U.S., for that matter? In the U.K., the jacket potato is a revered form of food, readily available and possible to pick up from lunch to late night (when it’s especially good). If you don’t know, a jacket potato is the same thing (with a much cooler name) as a baked potato. But unlike the baked potato, which is usually topped with the slightly mundane sour cream or bacon bits, you can find jacket potatoes topped with almost anything, from the classic cheese and beans (pictured nicely in the accompanying photo from Benito’s Wine Reviews) to Bolognese sauce to Indian curry to prawns with mayonnaise. The first one I ever had? Cheese and coleslaw. Delicious, with the creamy coleslaw and melted cheese oozing all over the hot potato. If any one reading this is looking for a surefire business opportunity, open a jacket potato van (or truck, or stand) somewhere in downtown Seattle--being sure you have the full range of toppings, including British-style beans. I, at least, will ensure you don’t run low on business.

--A.J. Rathbun

The Beauty of Good Banana Bread

There are various theories on the best way to start a day (food-wise, that is). I’ll admit to floating between different ones. Somedays, I think eggs in some way, shape, or form are the only way to wake up (usually, I feel this way on Sunday, and want them spiced liberally). Other days, give me nothing but a good croissant (if only such a thing were to be found easily outside of France or Italy.) On yet other days, like today, for example, I know that the best way to get the motor going is with a big slice of banana bread. Healthy-ish (well, it seems like it should be healthy, with bananas and nuts and such), hearty, tasty, banana bread is by far my favorite breakfast bread. Luckily, this morning pal and Al Dente scribe AndreaLeigh brought in some of the yummiest banana bread I’ve had in years. I didn’t have a camera handy, but it looked just like the below (which is from My Spiced Life), and started my workday perfectly. I suggest that today or tomorrow (depending on when you’re reading this), you get your banana-breading on early--unless you’re nutty enough to want to make a case for a better breakfast bread?

 

 

--A.J. Rathbun

Top 5 New Small Appliances

Want to give your culinary summer a jump start, or just add a little more electrical power to your kitchen? Or maybe you’re just the kind of cook (here’s the category I fall in to) who always desires the newest gadgets to work with? Either way, here are my picks for the coolest and most helpful new small appliances available this season (and, as the Amazon.com home appliances store was just rated the No. 1 shopping spot for small appliances, floor care products, and air conditioners in the leading consumer research magazine for a fourth consecutive year, well, you know it’s a dandy place to shop for these pluggable marvels).

Breville’s The Smart Oven
I love to cook, but sometimes want to be a little lazy about it, which is why the Smart Oven's Element IQ set up is so nice on those keep-it-simple days. It has 9 pre-sets (for toast, bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, and warm) which deliver the right power at the right time for cooking different things and--this is cool--if you adjust one to personal taste, it remembers the adjustment. Oh, I also really like the ejecting rack, which keeps you from having to reach in, because I was always getting burnt on my last toaster oven.

Back to Basics Electric Ice Shaver
I cannot tell a lie (and my waistline would show I was lying if I tried to), I love Sno Cones and shaved ice. And pretty much any other chilly sweet treat. But for having shaved ice and other chilly bites of deliciousness at home, this ice shaver is ideal--just dump in ice cubes (it comes with ice molds, too), hit the power button, and it starts delivering fine, fluffy snow. You can also pick up Back to Basics’ premium syrup to add, or add your own flavorings.

Krups Intuitive Stainless-Steel 1-4/5-Quart Kettle
Sometimes, it’s just nice to heat up water without any hassle--and this kettle is just right for those times. It comes with a concealed 1500-watt heating element and can get 1-4/5 quarts to a rolling boil in little time, which means that instant coffee, tea, hot chocolate, oatmeal, and more is available quickly. As it’s cordless, it’s good for parties, too, when you might be filling up things across a room or in multiple locations. This may sound a bit hazardous, but there’s a safety unlock button to reduce the chance of accidents.

DeLonghi Programmable 5-Quart Slow Cooker
Okay, it’s summer, and you probably aren’t thinking “I’m going to make up a big batch of something hot for dinner” as much as in fall and winter, but forget that--slow-cooking is dandy even when the temperature’s high, because you don’t have to use the full-on stove, and because you can cook when you’re out of the house, then have it ready as you get home (which lets things cool off when you’re actually there). What's best about this model is its 10-hour countdown timer, touchpad control panel, three cooking modes, and how it goes automatically to "warm" once cooking is done.

Cuisinart Vertical Countertop Rotisserie
This rotisserie looks chic with its brushed stainless housing (and I’m guessing you can tell by now that stainless is a top stylistic choice at the moment), and can roast up to 8 pounds at a time, basting as it rotates. It has easy-to-use touchpad controls, an LCD readout, and five preset temperatures: 325, 350, 400, 425, and 450 degrees F. And, thanks to the viewing window, you can watch the food as its cooks, which I think is a lot of fun (though it goes against the whole “watched pot never boils” theory, your items will get done in here even if you watch them--trust me). This rotisserie cleans up easily and comes with a handy recipe book to get you started.

--A.J. Rathbun

Have a Red, White, and Green Holiday with Pretty Party Pinwheels

I think it’s un-American to have a Fourth of July weekend shindig without good snacks. And sorta sad, too. Especially when the below recipe for Pretty Party Pinwheels (from Party Snacks, 2008, Harvard Common Press) is darn easy to make, scrumptious, and colorful, with its combination of cream cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and some spices to ensure your party isn’t tasteless. Of course, it does flip in green for blue in the traditional fourth color scheme, but maybe you can serve it on a blue patter? One thing that’s for sure--your guests will love these, and you don’t have to stress out much when making them. That’s a step on the road to party success on any weekend.

Pretty Party Pinwheels
Makes about 70 pinwheels

Ingredients:
2 jalapeño chilies, quartered (leave the seeds in if you like it hotter)
4 green onions, coarsely chopped
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 of a 0.4-ounce package ranch dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
5 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, washed and dried
5 to 7 Roma tomatoes, seeded and very thinly sliced
Salsa or Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

Directions:
1. Put the jalapeño and onions in a food processor, and process for 3 to 5 seconds, until well chopped. Add the cream cheese, dressing mix, and pepper, and process again until all is well mixed.

2. Using a spatula or butter knife, spread the mixture evenly over one side of each flour tortilla. Add 1/2 cup spinach and a few tomato slices on top of the mixture on each tortilla.

3. Roll up each tortilla, making a tight roll. Once all are rolled and stacked on a plate, cover with plastic wrap or foil and put them in the fridge to chill for about an hour.

4. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice each rolled tortilla into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Arrange attractively on a platter. Serve with salsa or a bottle of Louisiana-style hot sauce on the side.

 

--A.J. Rathbun

Almost Edible Photo: Deep Fried Macaroni and Cheese

It's nearly 11:30, and I skipped breakfast this morning (I know, I know, most important meal of the day and all that, but I had an early meeting, and then starting answering emails, and now it’s almost lunchtime, so why eat breakfast), which means that I’m starving, and almost anything might start me salivating, and start my stomach to growling loudly enough that the person in the cube next to mine is starting to look at me strangely. But, even so, I don’t know that there’s anything I could contemplate having for lunch that would make me hungrier than the below photo of deep fried mac-and-cheese, taken from the Biggest Menu. Mac-and-cheese is already a serious favorite, but then deep fried (which naturally makes anything better), and in easy-to-handle bite-sized form? I think I might just faint.

 

--A.J. Rathbun

Wake Up Right this Weekend with an Apricot and Berry Smoothie

Weekend breakfasts are so great: no worries about having to rush to work, happily a little slow to wake up, the time to create something truly tasty for mid-or-late-morning eating. If you’re thinking pancakes or waffles for the upcoming weekend, or even something eggier like a quiche, then can I suggest augmenting it with a delish apricot and berry smoothie? Having that side of smoothie starts the weekend day on an even nicer note (if that’s possible), and, luckily there’s a swell video of Adéle Schober blending up this very thing in the awe-inspiring Breville Hemisphere 2-speed blender. Not only will the video ensure you get the measurements right, but you’ll get to learn the recipe while listening to a cute accent, which is never a bad thing.

Mix It Up: Breville Apricot and Berry Smoothie from Breville on Vimeo.

PS: If you wanted to make dad a drink this weekend, but didn’t want to go for the New Orleans Buck too early in the day, then I think this smoothie fits the Father’s Day bill wonderfully. If you want to buy him the blender too, well, you're an awfully good kid.

--A.J. Rathbun