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15 lessons from a year of pandemic cooking | Food | lancasteronline.com - Fly Magazine

15 lessons from a year of pandemic cooking | Food | lancasteronline.com - Fly Magazine

Posted: 28 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PDT

If you have ever cooked in a friend's kitchen or in a new-to-you apartment, you may have noticed that the stovetop was perhaps smaller than yours or slower to heat up. The counter layout was in fact counterclockwise and you couldn't find a wooden spoon to save your life. Right on the spot, you were forced to adapt, and yet you still made dinner happen. Kind of like cooking in a pandemic.

For all the uncertainty and forced isolation of this past year, the pandemic has been a great teacher to this longtime cook. First, the hard-to-admit stuff: For the first time in my adult life, I got weirdly weary of cooking — and hatching menu ideas for — every ding dang meal. (I even got a little resentful.) Grocery store shopping became a source of anxiety, and in my rush to get in/out and sanitize, my creative spark suffered. (Of course, all of this pales to being truly hungry, homeless and/or held captive by the coronavirus.)

All this time at home pushed my innermost thoughts to an uncomfortable edge, on the proverbial front burner. Will I still like my husband when this is all over? Will winter ever end? Will I remember how to socialize in public again? Could I get honest about my nightly wine pour?

As I looked inward, my breath began to deepen. Suddenly, I saw the gift — rather than the burden — of all this extra time. I looked behind the closed doors of the pantry and plunged into the depths of the crisper drawer. Enough talk about eating down the fridge; it was time to just do it and yes, find joy again. Let the new tricks run up that sleeve and get reacquainted with some old ones. Cooking is the constant; it's me, and you, who are different one year later.

What follows is a running list of the little things that are currently sparking joy as I cook for me and him. What's on yours?

Dancing while chopping

Music has long been an important ingredient of my meal prep, but now I make an extra effort to put on some tunes, especially if the workday has gone long. I don't know of a better way to chase away a bad mood. Friday afternoons are for "Funky Friday" on WXPN, weeknights are for jazz on WBGO and Saturdays are for reggae via "Positive Vibrations" on KEXP. (Available via streaming or on a smart speaker.)

Spreading knowledge

If you're the designated cook, you can and you should teach your beloveds how to make some mealtime favorites or get them involved with prep. My husband is the proud granola maker in our household and has recently expressed interest in learning to make pizza dough. This is progress, people. Share the load and the love will follow.

Saltines

The pandemic taught me that saltines make excellent breadcrumbs in a pinch. Pulverize in a food processor or high-powered stand blender, and you've got crumbs for days. Just remember, there's a reason they're called "salt-ines"; adjust the salt as needed for your recipe.

Fridge applesauce

When I discovered that I could easily buy bushels of apples from Lancaster County orchards well into winter, I got on an applesauce kick. About once a month, we'd haul home the equivalent of four dozen apples (Cortland is a personal favorite for sauce). The ritual goes something like this: Keep the skins on — they release their pigments and dye the sauce into a gorgeous shade of pink. Add about 1 cup water, or enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Quarter the apples and put them in a large pot (depending on the size of the pot, you may have to cook apples in batches.) Place the pot over medium-high heat and cover. Within a few minutes, you'll hear the apples making noise and you can start mashing. Keep the pot covered while the apples cook, checking frequently on their progress. You'll have apple sauce in about 15 minutes. No sugar, no lemon, just cooked down apples. Once the sauce is cool, I run through a food mill, then portion into jars and store in the refrigerator. We eat it for breakfast with the husband's granola.

Chicken wings, roasted, not fried

If you like chicken wings and would like to try making them at home, there is no need to buy an air fryer or set up a deep-frying rig. You can roast them instead. Here's how: Preheat the oven to 400 F. For 1 pound of wings, coat with 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. To help render the fat and ensure a crispy skin, place the wings on a rack that fits comfortably in a roasting pan or on a sheet pan. Roast for 45 minutes. Take things to the next level and toss wings in sauce/seasoning of your choice, then back on the rack for about 15 minutes.

A second rack

Speaking of cooking racks, it took the pandemic for me to buy a second rack that fits inside a sheet pan and is meant for something other than cooling a cake. It has become a favorite new tool. Make sure you do the math so the rack actually will fit inside your pan.

Steamed spinach in the microwave

Not as an end point, but as a first step, microwaved steamed spinach is a ridiculously easy way to prep spinach for the skillet or oven, plus it changes the texture from slimy to meaty. Rinse well, place in a glass bowl and steam in microwave for 60 seconds. Drain well; this is important. Then briefly cook in olive oil in a skillet, with garlic and/or ginger, or add to pasta, grains, omelets or on top of pizza.

Chopped pineapple

As much as I love sliced cherry tomatoes as a sweet antidote to spicy dishes, I have made extra room this year for chopped pineapple. If you can't find fresh, look for cans. Consider for your next plate of nachos, anything curried or a large cut of meat, like a Puerto Rican-style pernil.

Chopped fresh rosemary, especially  on pizza dough

For years, I aromatized my pizza dough with oregano. But then one day last year, I ran out. I snipped a few sprigs from my hardy rosemary plant in the yard, finely chopped and sprinkled all over my dough round. It's a revelation, like an aria you didn't expect to hear. Pair with a simple tomato sauce and pecorino shaved with a vegetable peeler.

Speaking of pizza dough…

If you got the bug for making your own pizza dough, rest assured you can put it in the fridge and make the next day. Or even on day three. In fact, the dough will deepen in flavor and develop more character (and yeast bubbles). Store in a covered container or bowl or loosely in a zip-style bag. Make sure you bring the dough to room temperature before rolling. Find my recipe at lanc.news/PizzaDough.

A scrambled egg

You may know this, but it bears repeating: It takes 90 seconds to scramble an egg. That means if you're hungry and don't know what in the world to make, you can be eating in mere moments. Remember: Keep the heat on low to coax the proteins from liquid into solid and avoid overcooking into a cardboard-like state. Salt is good!

A baked potato or sweet potato for dinner

Sometimes that's all I have the energy for — and that's OK. You'll need an hour of cook time, depending on the size, but that's an hour you can daydream, read or call a friend. Find my favorite method at lanc.news/BakedPotato.

Remove all wire fasteners and rubber bands from produce

You won't believe how much longer produce lasts when you release it from the stranglehold of labels and twist ties. You can practically the carrots and parsley sighing out loud in gratitude.

Green tea afternoons

As I get older, coffee is off limits after 12, but green tea is a welcome friend. It's got a little caffeine but does not keep me from sleeping when bedtimes comes around. I am a big fan of the whole-leaf "Moroccan Mint," from San Francisco-based Samovar Tea.

A whole lot less wine

What started as a mostly dry January morphed into February, and within weeks, I lost 10 pounds. But more importantly, I changed my relationship with wine, which I drank nightly without fail at dinner, for a few decades. Now, I have one or two glasses a week versus per night and I'm sleeping really well. But most of all, I don't miss it.

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We Know WeHo: Cooking Up Fantastic Dishes with Sweetfin’s Chef Dakota Weiss - WEHOville

Posted: 27 Mar 2021 01:00 PM PDT

Chef Dakota Weiss

The celebration of Women's History Month continues as Chef Dakota Weiss joins the We Know WeHo team this week as the featured guest. Chef Dakota has literally cooked her away across America after having graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. She got her start at Santa Fe's legendary Coyote Café, did a brief stint at Dallas' Mansion on Turtle Creek and then headed to Atlanta to study with world-class French Chef Bruno at Menard Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead where she became Chef de Cuisine for the Sarasota private Ritz-Carlton Beach Club.

Los Angeles foodies went wild when Dakota transferred out to Jer-ne at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina Del Rey, and Angeleno magazine named her "Best New Chef" in 2006. She then found herself in the heart of West Hollywood at the Executive Chef at the Sunset Tower's Hollywood A-list dining room. Chef Dakota helped open Parc in Philadelphia and then returned to her California roots to reopen Santa Monica's Shangri-LA as their executive chef. She served as the executive chef for Nine-Thirty restaurant and The Backyard at the W Westwood and was the executive chef and owner of Estrella, a rock and roll bohemian restaurant located in the IAC building on The Sunset Strip.

Her newest venture is Sweetfin, a healthful California inspired poké and plant based bowl concept that uses local produce, sustainable fish, and innovative ingredients. Their entire menu is gluten free and all of their menu items are made in-house, from scratch, daily. Sweetfin was founded in Santa Monica, CA in 2015 and has eleven locations servicing Southern California.

Chef Dakota competed as a chef-testant on Top Chef Texas and at one time served her own brand of innovative gourmet popcorn at Dakota's POP Parlor. (Insider tip – try the white chocolate, matcha, coconut and sesame seed gourmet popcorn on the Sweetfin menu!)

Food and cooking are Tracy and Maxine's favorite hobbies and they have a blast talking to Chef Dakota and discover that her female chef inspirations include Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken from their popular "Too Hot Tamales" show on the Food Network in the 1990's. Maxine gets the details on reality cooking shows from Dakota's Top Chef Texas appearance and Tracy veers slightly off course and asks Chef Dakota, do you think you could beat Chef Bobby Flay? We aren't giving away any spoilers, you will have to listen to find out her answer and also her signature dish she would select for the challenge!

Back to the Village

Spring is in the air and Maxine and Tracy did up the village in an epic Sunday Funday impromptu celebration that started with brunch at Tesse to support a "cocktails for cause" offering for Black Women Lead and several bowls of the (duck fat) fries.

Sunday Brunch spots dominate the rest of the food segment with an insider tip to make your reservations as Wolfgang Puck returns to the Sunset Strip with two concepts at The Pendry West Hollywood.

Show Notables

Chef Dakota's Picks: Sweetfin, Mickey's Drag Queen performances, brisket at Slab, Griddle Cafe pop up at Yamashiro

Sunday Brunching: Tesse, Norah, Ysabel

Wolfgang Puck's Return:  Merois and Ospero at the Pendry West Hollywood

Listen to the podcast:

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Food Network Plans Cannabis Cooking Series ‘Chopped 420’ Competition - Deadline

Posted: 27 Mar 2021 12:26 PM PDT

The Food Network is about to launch a true "high concept" television series.

Chopped 420 is a spin-off of the popular Chopped series, in which four chefs battle it out through appetizer, main course and dessert stages using picnic baskets filled with challenging foods. As the name of the new series suggests, it will explore cannabis cookery as a basket element.

The host will be comedian Ron Funches, and judges include chefs Esther Choi, Luke Reyes and Sam Talbot; drag performer and cannabis activist Laganja Estranja, and comedian Tacarra Williams. The show will start streaming on discovery+ on April 20, the annual holiday by those who indulge celebrating the best time of day to fire one up.

The new series will mark the "first time in Chopped history" that chefs will "utilize cannabis to enhance their dishes," says Food Network president Courtney White. "Viewers are in for a wild ride."

Contestants will vie for a $10,000 grand prize on Chopped 420.

It should be noted that the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under federal law for any purpose. However, at the state level, policies vary greatly, with 16 decriminalizing it, and 36 states making it legal for medical purposes.

Pandemic cooking: Americans experimenting with new recipes - TODAY

Posted: 27 Mar 2021 06:10 AM PDT

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03:38

Cooking at home has become a big part of people's lives during the pandemic, and some are experimenting with new recipes from America's Test Kitchen. Weekend TODAY's Kristen Welker, Peter Alexander and their families join the fun and try out a recipe for butternut squash and apple fattoush.March 27, 2021


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