MyAbilene.com Dining
Abilene Dining : Food News
Recipe for Tamagozake
This traditional Japanese cold remedy is almost always eaten from a bowl with chopsticks. Outside Japan it often is referred to as "sake-nog" due to it's resemblance to the classic holiday drink.Recipe for Chipotle-Bacon Salsa
This simple, but intensely flavored salsa can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until served. If you can't find slab bacon, substitute an equal amount of lean Canadian bacon.Recipe for Rice-lentil Porridge
The green lentils in this recipe actually are dried, split mung beans that are quick-cooking and an excellent source of protein. The optional curry leaves have a flavor a bit like mild curry powder with hints of pepper and citrus. Look for them in Indian and Asian food markets.Recipe for Garlic Soup
Next time you have a cold, beat back the sniffles with this Cuban take on soup for what ails you. When whisking in the eggs at the end be sure to use a rapid motion to prevent the eggs from cooking into one thick chunk.How to serve a perfect glass of beer
Yes, there is a better way to serve beer.While American beer once meant light lager, today it encompasses a wide array of flavors concocted by innovative craft brewers whose varieties � and in some cases alcohol content � approach the breadth of wine and spirits.
THE HEALTHY PLATE: Apple butter keeps cake moist and low-fat
Moist, tender cake � it must be loaded with fat, right? How about a cup of fat-free apple butter instead?Recipe for Do-Ahead Pumpkin Pancakes
These aromatic pumpkin pancakes are made in the blender and are easy to start the night before. When you're ready to cook, simply add seltzer water and baking soda (which keep the pancakes light) to the blender.Recipe for Chocolate Mille Feuille
This exotic variation on a classic cream pastry � a standard at French patisseries � is served by Philipppe Gauvreau at La Rotonde restaurant in Lyon, France. It is made in three stages.Recipe for Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas are a staple of the Palestinian diet. In this salad, they are seasoned with a pungent but pleasing blend of cumin, olive oil and lemon juice.IDIOT IN THE KITCHEN: Smoking fish without a lot of smoke
Living in densely packed Brooklyn, N.Y., has put a damper on my dreams of making smoky backyard barbecue.Recipes for shrimp and wild salmon
Shop carefully for seafood that's been harvested in a responsible manner, then make the most of it by giving it star billing in boldly flavored dishes such as these from Paul Johnson's "Fish Forever" (Wiley, 2007, $34.95).Recipes for making the most of honey
Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is an opporunity to let your sweet tooth reign. Honey is considered symbolic of wishes for a sweet year to come. Here it is used in a braise for beef and as the dominant flavor in a moist cake.Cooking for two
For the parents of younger children, this is the time of year when the calendar once again becomes inked with school schedules, sports practices, music lessons, PTNO meetings and on and on. But for parents of older children off to college, it can mean the proverbial "empty nest," which translates at dinnertime into "table for two."
ON THE TABLE: Short recipes that are easy to swallow. Today: Southwestern beer bread.
Beer bread is quick, easy and comforting. To give this Southwest variant even more kick, substitute jalapeno or garlic Jack cheese for the Cheddar.Recipes for preserving fresh herbs
Have a freezer full of preserved herbs? Here's a couple simple recipes for putting them to good use.Chocolate and zucchini -- a match made in France
It's hard not to envy Clotilde Dusoulier. She's young (27), slim, pretty, French, a successful blogger and, as of quite recently, a published author. As her cookbook, "Chocolate & Zucchini" (Broadway Books, 2007), and her blog (chocolateandzucchini.com) illustrate, she's also an extremely accomplished cook. Not a show-off, but a home cook with a respect for good ingredients, a sense of adventure and a good deal of personal charm.ON THE TABLE: Recipe for Pesto Baba Ghanoush
Make use of the grill and prepared pesto to create an effortless baba ghanoush, an eggplant puree popular in the Middle East. Any eggplant variety works, but be sure to reduce cooking time if using slender Asian varieties.THE HEALTHY PLATE: Bulk up your burger for flavor and healthy eating
When it comes to ground beef, the flavor is all in the fat.Which can be a problem is you're trying to stick with a healthy diet. Yet eating right doesn't have to condemn you to a dry, flavorless burger.