Cooking
To cook or not to cook? THAT is the question. Of course, I love to cook. For me, cooking is a creative outlet, a way to share, to experiment and at least partly how I make a living. I also think it's a great skill everyone should know how to do. But I recognize that some people don't enjoy cooking and don't want to cook. I mention this because this past weekend an op ed piece in the New York Times took Michelle Obama to task for saying that she prefers not to cook, if given a choice.
I understand the need for a strong advocate for home cooking, really, I do. But we all get weary of cooking sometimes and if I was Michelle Obama I can imagine having other priorities. Which brings me to the savory tarts from Little Pots and Pans. Thanks to my friends over at Foodzie, I got to try a selection of their terrific pastries.
I have a hard enough time struggling with pastry dough so I was amazed at how crisp, light and flaky the crust was on each of the tarts I tried. The fillings range from a traditional spinach and feta combo to vegan indian curry and my favorite, the roasted tomato, caramelized onion and goat cheese. They heat up quickly in the oven, have a good balance of crust to filling, and delectable seasonings. In short, they are one of the tastiest prepared foods I've tried in a long time. Believe me, a lot of products I try never get a mention.
If I was better at making pie crusts I might consider making something like these pies, but actually I'm happy to let someone else do the cooking now and again.
- Blackberry Mini Tarts Recipe
Last week Driscoll's held a wonderful event for bloggers that I got to have a hand in planning. Bloggers brought dishes made with fresh blackberries, got insider cooking tips from cookbook author and cooking teacher Rick Rodgers and an inspiring...
- Top 20 Cooking Myths
There are lots of myths in regards to cooking. Sadly, they tend to discourage people from practicing a very basic life skill. Here are the myths about cooking that I have heard repeatedly from friends, acquaintances and even cooking pundits. Are any...
- Mini Rhubarb Strawberry Galettes Recipe
I like food in miniature. I like dim sum, mezze, tapas and appetizers of all sorts. Working on the latest recipe development project has been an exploration of many things in miniature. One recipe that sadly will not work for my client was a terrific...
- Amy's Favorite Cookware
Lately I've been getting a number of emails asking me about cookware. I'm no expert, but I'm happy to tell you what I like and why. Cast iron I received a cast iron pan as a "cast off" from someone who didn't want it any longer. I can't...
- No Clean Up Cook Book
So I have this idea for a cookbook. There is a gimmick because if you look on any cookbook shelf you will quickly discover, the "great" cookbooks have all been written. Now it's all about Toast, or Duck or Blender recipes. Honestly, I kid you not,...
Cooking
Little Pots & Pans Tarts: Product Review
To cook or not to cook? THAT is the question. Of course, I love to cook. For me, cooking is a creative outlet, a way to share, to experiment and at least partly how I make a living. I also think it's a great skill everyone should know how to do. But I recognize that some people don't enjoy cooking and don't want to cook. I mention this because this past weekend an op ed piece in the New York Times took Michelle Obama to task for saying that she prefers not to cook, if given a choice.
I understand the need for a strong advocate for home cooking, really, I do. But we all get weary of cooking sometimes and if I was Michelle Obama I can imagine having other priorities. Which brings me to the savory tarts from Little Pots and Pans. Thanks to my friends over at Foodzie, I got to try a selection of their terrific pastries.
I have a hard enough time struggling with pastry dough so I was amazed at how crisp, light and flaky the crust was on each of the tarts I tried. The fillings range from a traditional spinach and feta combo to vegan indian curry and my favorite, the roasted tomato, caramelized onion and goat cheese. They heat up quickly in the oven, have a good balance of crust to filling, and delectable seasonings. In short, they are one of the tastiest prepared foods I've tried in a long time. Believe me, a lot of products I try never get a mention.
If I was better at making pie crusts I might consider making something like these pies, but actually I'm happy to let someone else do the cooking now and again.
- Blackberry Mini Tarts Recipe
Last week Driscoll's held a wonderful event for bloggers that I got to have a hand in planning. Bloggers brought dishes made with fresh blackberries, got insider cooking tips from cookbook author and cooking teacher Rick Rodgers and an inspiring...
- Top 20 Cooking Myths
There are lots of myths in regards to cooking. Sadly, they tend to discourage people from practicing a very basic life skill. Here are the myths about cooking that I have heard repeatedly from friends, acquaintances and even cooking pundits. Are any...
- Mini Rhubarb Strawberry Galettes Recipe
I like food in miniature. I like dim sum, mezze, tapas and appetizers of all sorts. Working on the latest recipe development project has been an exploration of many things in miniature. One recipe that sadly will not work for my client was a terrific...
- Amy's Favorite Cookware
Lately I've been getting a number of emails asking me about cookware. I'm no expert, but I'm happy to tell you what I like and why. Cast iron I received a cast iron pan as a "cast off" from someone who didn't want it any longer. I can't...
- No Clean Up Cook Book
So I have this idea for a cookbook. There is a gimmick because if you look on any cookbook shelf you will quickly discover, the "great" cookbooks have all been written. Now it's all about Toast, or Duck or Blender recipes. Honestly, I kid you not,...