AOL is counting on a cast of former Gourmet magazine editors, celebrity chefs and instructors from a top-notch culinary school to get you cooking — and clicking.

The company, already home to the culinary blog slashfood.com, launched the new KitchenDaily.com on Wednesday, a star-powered site focused on cooking basics.

“We really want to help moms and busy home cooks with that dreaded question: ‘What’s for dinner?”‘ says Cheryl Brown, editor-in-chief of KitchenDaily.com and a former editor at Gourmet, which closed last October.

The site focuses more on basics than bells and whistles. It features good, simple cooking with a simple layout. Users can search by recipe or ingredient, then generate grocery lists. Much of the content is dedicated to the sort of how-to material so many of today’s cooks need.

That’s because while the economy has been driving people back to the kitchen, when they get there they often find they lack many skills once considered 101-level, such as how to cook a ham, says Brown.

KitchenDaily isn’t trying to compete with online food juggernauts like Epicurious.com and Chow.com, which Brown calls “serious” cooking sites. AOL is focused more on getting people off the ground.

To get its site off the ground, AOL recruited several former Gourmet editors, New York Times columnist and author mark Bittman, award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson and top Chef judge Gail Simmons.

Brown says she was fortunate to be able to enlist her old Gourmet colleagues, but says she didn’t want the kind of recipes they produced for the magazine. “I told them, ‘I want to know what you’ve been cooking at home for the last 15 years,”‘ she said.

The site will feature will feature more than 250 original videos, with a focus on healthy eating, cooking for a crowd, baking and desserts, do-ahead meals, and recipes geared to specific kitchen appliances or cookware, such as slow cookers and Dutch ovens.

KitchenDaily also is partnering with the Culinary Institute of America to help explain the essentials of home cooking.

“People don’t want to compare themselves to Mario Batali,” says Brown. “They want a meal that is nutritious and an easy.”

• KitchenDaily:http://www.kitchendaily.com

(CookingLight.com) — Long before the first band marched in South Boston’s now-famous -parade, and long before Chicago colored its river green, Irish Catholics quietly honored St. Patrick on March 17.

In Ireland it was a national holiday, the anniversary of the death of a patron saint who converted pagans to Christianity.

Until the 1970s, Irish bars weren’t even allowed to open.

St. Patrick’s Day Feast

This idea of a more reverent, religious holiday was carried to America. Margaret Johnson, a second-generation Irish-American and Irish food expert who now lives on Long Island in New York, recalls St. Patrick’s Day from her childhood as a time for family, community, and food.

“I grew up in Newburyport, Massachusetts,” says Johnson of the small, mostly Catholic community where she lived. “Almost all my friends had last names like McLaughlin, Sullivan, or O’Keefe. My maiden name was McGlew. So we were all alike.”

There was a large Irish population, but also quite a few French-Canadians and a couple of parochial schools: Immaculate Conception and St. Louis de-Gonzague.

“They were always simply called the Irish church and the French church, the Irish school and the French school,” Johnson says.

Of course, she attended the Irish school, where she always participated in the annual St. Patrick’s Day pageant, which preceded a school holiday.

Cooking Light: Healthy Irish recipes

At home, her extended family celebrated by gathering for corned beef and cabbage prepared by her mother. though not traditionally Irish, this dish was the closest thing they could find to approximate the bacon and cabbage Margaret’s Irish-born grandmother knew in the old country, where butchers cured pork in a manner similar to Jewish-American corned beef.

Cooking Light: Traditional Irish meals

She also recalls that her family often drove to Boston — 40 miles away — for the parade during the 1950s and ’60s because Newburyport didn’t have one. in the big city, Johnson watched starry-eyed as bands marched by and music filled the air, but she always liked the Irish pipe bands best.

Like her mother, who never visited Ireland, Margaret dreamed of one day going to the motherland, a goal she finally realized on her 40th birthday when her husband took her and her children. Now, 25 years later, she’s made 50 trips and visited all 32 counties.

Johnson, the author of seven Irish cookbooks (two published in Ireland), knows a thing or two about authentic cuisine. asked if she cooks Irish food year-round or only for St. Patrick’s Day, she responds, “People eat Italian food 365 days a year, so why not Irish?”

Root veggies like parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and of course potatoes are popular in Irish cooking.

“It’s not uncommon to serve potatoes three or four different ways,” Johnson says. “Boiled, mashed, and fried — all in the same meal.”

Although we tend to think of lamb, beef, and pork, Ireland is also known for its seafood, like smoked salmon.

“And considering that the country is an island surrounded by some of the cleanest water on the planet, the fish there is wonderful,” Johnson says.

A meal is typically served with hearty Irish soda bread, be it brown or white. The real deal is quite different from the American version, which is usually sweet and more cake-like, with raisins and caraway seeds.

Today, Johnson lives in Westhampton Beach, New York, where many New York City residents have summer homes. The Irish influence may not be quite as strong, but this sleepy winter town comes to life on St. Paddy’s Day. Restaurants that close for the winter open for the day.

And as she did in her childhood, Margaret now gathers her family to celebrate. The morning begins at her home with a hearty breakfast or brunch of Smoked Salmon with Tangy Horseradish Sauce, an easy recipe to manage, as the salmon is store-bought. She makes the sauce and her famous Brown Soda Bread up to two days ahead. Then they bundle up, plop her young grandchildren in the little red wagon, and head out to The Patio restaurant, their designated spot to watch the local parade.

Afterward, they head back home, where Margaret starts a pot of her favorite Irish stew for dinner. While they wait, she sets out a traditional Irish Ploughman’s Lunch Platter of Irish cheeses, cold meats, salad, and sweet-tart Tomato Chutney. And, of course, they drink a Guinness or two.

Cooking Light: Five traditional Irish favorites

RECIPE: Beef and Guinness stew By Margaret Johnson

Serving size: about 1 cup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1 tablespoon butter, divided 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 teaspoon salt, divided 5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth 1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught 1 tablespoon raisins 1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces) 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces) 1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces) 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour.

3. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon.

4. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.

5. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.

7. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan.

8. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil.

9. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

10. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip.

11. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

12. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional information

Calories: 365 Fat: 19.4g (sat 6.8g, mono 8.6g, poly 1.7g) Protein: 25.3g Carbohydrate: 18.8g Fiber: 3.6g Cholesterol: 62mg Iron: 2.6mg Sodium: 454mg Calcium: 52mg

For more tips on making healthy taste great, try Cooking Light – CLICK HERE

Copyright 2009 Cooking Light magazine. All rights reserved.

Anis Nabilah, who hosts Icip Icip, makes cooking a delightful experience.

MALAYSIA is a gastronomic food haven offering a wide range of cuisines. Its multi-ethnic society has created a melting pot of culinary delights encompassing Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya, Portuguese and international cuisines. the mere description of its dishes is enough to make anyones stomach growl.

As testimony to the countrys rich culinary diversity, the Asian Food Channel (Astro channel 703) is airing a new programme, Icip Icip, which highlights the countrys delectable treats. the programmes name is derived from an old Malay expression which means a taste or sample, according to its host, Anis Nabilah Umaruddin.

Malaysian food has a certain charm to it. what I really love about Malaysian cuisine is that we use different spices to bring out the best of food. I also like how spices blend really well with each other.

Throughout my travels overseas, I have tasted dishes of other cultures but at the end of it, I am all for Malaysian food.

I grew up eating Malaysian food so the sight, smell and taste of local dishes remind me of my childhood. And as we know, childhood memories strike a happy cord in us, said Anis during the shows launch in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, recently.

On Icip Icip, Anis prepares a few traditional dishes and shares new recipes. Her mantra is cooking is fuss-free, fun and easy. She also simplifies methods so that cooking can be completed in a shorter time.

I cut short methods to save time. these days, women have limited time. the programme teaches you how to prepare dishes (with the same ingredients) but within a shorter time.

Traditional recipes have been simplified so that its easy for viewers to try out. I also made a few simple French-fusion dishes and Japanese dishes that can be prepared without much hassle, said the 24-year-old lass who hails from Subang Jaya, Selangor.

On the show, Anis travels to different parts of Malaysia and Bali, Indonesia, to inspire viewers that anyone can transform ordinary ingredients into delicious dishes.

In Kuching, she prepares Sarawak laksa, tumis pedas ikan terubok masin (fried salted toli shad cooked with chilli paste) and umai (spicy raw fish salad).

In Perak, she cooks prawns with coconut milk and birds eye chillies and gulai tempoyak ikan patin (pangasius cooked with fermented durian).

In Pahang, she prepares venison with herb sauce, yoghurt-coated chicken with pasta and goes Japanese with okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake) and sushi.

In Bali, she cooks popular Balinese dishes such as dendeng Bali jegeg (pounded beef cooked with spices), chicken satay and sayur lodeh (vegetables cooked in coconut milk).

Petite Anis, who is of Pakistani and Malay parentage, graduated with a diploma from the Food Institute of Malaysia (FIM) in Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya, in 2008.

She developed a passion for cooking at a young age, inspired as a child growing up in the kitchen, where her mother and seven siblings (six sisters and one brother) prepared meals.

I learnt how to prepare an omelette when I was 10 years old. As a teen, I frequented the kitchen and spent hours baking and cooking. I started off preparing pastas and quick meals and eventually graduated to Malay cooking, said Anis, citing asam pedas and nasi kandar as some of her favourite dishes.

In 2006, Anis represented FIM and won second prize at the Junior College Culinaire contest of the Maggi-New Straits Times Culinaire competition. the following year, she won a bronze medal at the International Malaysian Culinaire 2007 under the main course category.

The attractive lady has added another feather to her cap by being the youngest cook show host on AFC. Despite being excited, Anis feels the pressure of having to represent Malaysia alongside world-renowned chefs like award-winning French food specialist Daniel Boulud, grill king Robert Rainford, pastry pro Anna Olsen and Oriental cooking guru Martin Yan.

Its definitely a lot of pressure being the youngest cook on AFC. however, I have lots to offer and believe Icip Icip is my stepping stone to greater heights, said Anis, who will host two cooking programmes, Sesedap Rasa (RTM1) and Enak Tradisi (RTM2) this month.

Icip Icip airs on Thursdays (9pm) on the Asian Food Channel (Astro channel 703).

Posted By Sara Francis Posted 5 hours ago

Eating appetizing food while getting all the right nutrients is the premise for a new recipe book by Cochrane-based author Patrician Green and her sister Carolyn Hemming of Toronto.

“Quinoa: the Everyday Super Food 365″ shows the average consumer how to incorporate the rice-like seed into all kinds of foods from salads, to main courses, breakfasts, desserts and even baby food.

“Our goal is to bridge the gap between traditional eating habit and increasingly nutritious food choices,” said Patricia Green, a Saskatoon-native who’s made Cochrane her home with her husband and two children for the last 3.5 years.

“Growing up, everything was homemade and then when you have your own family you want to instill those values in them as well with healthy eating,” said Green.

Quinoa is gluten-free seed high in protein, iron, fiber and has a low glyecmic index. It’s an environmentally-friendly crop that grows in drought conditions in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.

“It’s complete protein with all eight essential amino acids so it is a very efficient food,” said Green. “When people go and buy their foods and they are looking at how much nutrient value is in it, quinoa is one of those items where they can say I’m really getting my nutrients for the dollar.”

Green started preparing meals for her family using quinoa six years ago after a vegetarian friend introduced her to it. she then introduced it to her health-conscious sister who trains for marathons and got her cooking with it. Together they started collecting and creating quinoa-based recipes and eventually submitted their compilation to a publisher.

“There was no book on the market that targeted the average consumer like myself and my children who are average eaters, they are not extreme vegetarians, they like the tastes that everybody else enjoys,” said Green.

White quinoa is neutral and can be used in place of white rice, while black and red varities are similar to wild rice. the simplest way to prepare quinoa is in a rice cooker and then slowly incorporating it into breakfast cereals, salads and shakes. it also comes in the form of flour and flakes.

While the books boasts 170 tried and true recipes Green recommends her favourite — fresh cucumber and toasted almond salad with dill or her moist chocolate cake.

“It is just made with a quinoa seed, it is cooked like you would rice, then you can put it in your blender and mix it with your dry. you don’t even know it’s not white flour and you don’t know it’s not a regular chocolate cake.”

Butter usually takes centre stage in baking. Think butter tarts, buttercream frosting and shortbread cookies.

But in warm-weather Mediterranean countries where olives grow, and where butter spoils quickly, sweets are more likely to be made with age-old olive oil. In Italy, bakers add olive oil to everything from biscotti to apple cakes. In Spain and Morocco, the zesty character of orange semolina cake is enhanced with fruity-flavoured olive oil. the tender, crumbly Greek cookies kourambiedes, too, are made with olive oil.

Indeed, ancient Greeks and Romans considered butter an “uncouth food fit only for northern barbarians,” writes Aliza Green, author of the baking bible Starting with Ingredients (Running Press), and who is also a big fan of baking with olive oil.

Effy Ligris is another olive oil devotee. In her sunny kitchen in Laval, Ligris makes all manner of cookies, cakes and muffins, even ice cream, with extra-virgin olive oil from her family’s olive grove in Kalamata, Greece.

“People here are stuck in the rut of putting olive oil only on a green salad. other than that, they seem confused about what to do with it,” Ligris said recently over coffee in Mile end. “But in Mediterranean countries, it’s used all the time.”

Ligris says olive oil is especially prevalent during Lent when Greeks trying to avoid meat and dairy products turn to olive oil in their recipes. and then at Easter, olive oil plays a starring role in the traditional cookies melomakarona, which are made with semolina flour, orange zest, sugar, cinnamon and brandy and dipped in honey and walnuts.

Ligris, whose company Kalikori imports olive oil into Canada, says she likes the distinct flavour and golden colour that extra virgin olive oil imparts to baked goods.

“The more intense the olive oil, the more flavour and fruitiness will come through in the dessert. I like that extra dimension it gives.”

For those worried about the cost of extra virgin or its assertive flavour, she recommends mellower, less expensive refined olive oil.

In some recipes, though, butter is irreplaceable, not just for its distinctive taste, but also for its leavening role.

When butter and sugar are creamed, or beaten, together, the batter becomes light and fluffy. As the cookbook author Green explains it, the tiny air bubbles in the solid fat (butter) are trapped and then expand in the heat of the oven, lifting the cookie or cake, helping it to rise. because oil is pure fat without air, it

doesn’t produce steam when baked, so the dough doesn’t get the kind of lift that gives cake and cookies that incomparable crumb that butter does.

But in some sweet baked goods, oil is actually a bonus.

“Oil will tenderize batter and help keep it moist,” says Montreal’s Marcy Goldman, cookbook author, master baker and host of www.Betterbaking.com.

So it is often used in fruity, dense quick breads and muffins that are leavened with baking powder and baking soda. the trick is keeping mixing to a minimum to prevent developing tough strands of gluten. Goldman likes olive oil in multigrain bran muffins and chocolate chunk muffins and in loafs with dates and raisins, for example.

She says olive oil is also handy when you are in a hurry and can’t wait for butter to come to room temperature.

“Let’s not knock butter. it tastes great and it’s healthy,” said Goldman, whose latest book the Baker’s four Seasons (Harper Studio) is being published next month. “But it’s not the only fat in a baker’s repertoire.”

Refined vegetable oils, especially canola, are the most-commonly used oils in baking. They are less expensive than butter or olive oil and neutral in taste.

But, increasingly, bakers are looking to olive oil to add extra colour and flavour to their recipes. the new York celebrity chef Mario Batali put olive oil’s sweet side on the map when he began serving olive oil cakes and gelatos at his restaurants and featuring the recipes in his cookbooks.

New York baker Nick Malgieri likes to use olive oil in pie crust dough to give it tender texture and excellent flavour. Olive oil dough, he says in the Modern Baker (DK Publishing), is more forgiving to the beginner baker. the oil won’t melt and become sticky and unmanageable, as butter will, if it takes longer than it should to roll out, he says.

There are health benefits, too. the monounsaturated fat and polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil play an important role in heart health. and, of course, olive oil doesn’t contain any of butter’s cholesterol.

The trick is to choose lighter-tasting late-harvest extra virgin olive oils or milder flavoured virgin olive oils for baking. the dominant taste of full-bodied extra virgin olive oils may interfere with subtly flavoured of cookies and cakes.

To substitute olive oil for butter in a recipe, the general rule is to use an amount equal to three-quarters the amount of butter called for in the recipe.

For example, a cup of butter would be replaced with 3/4 cup of olive oil. A half-cup measure of butter would be replaced with 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (For a full conversion table see cookbook author Carol Firenze’s website www.thepassionateolive.com/tips/baking-olive-oil.html).

ssemenak@thegazette.canwest.com

Tender and Sweet Cookies and Cakes

Here are a few of our favourite sweets made with olive oil:

Olive Oil Chocolate Sun Cake

Here’s the recipe for one of Effy Ligris’s favourite cakes. of course, she loves the bold, distinctive flavour of her own full-bodied Kalikori oil in it.

Serves 10 to 12

1/2 cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan

1 cup (250 mL) all purpose unbleached flour

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda

1/2 cup (125 mL) plain full fat yogourt

1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 C). Grease a 9-inch (2.5 L) springform with a little olive oil.

Using a rasp or the fine side of a grater, finely grate zest of the two oranges. cut oranges in half and squeeze them. Reserve 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the juice.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In another bowl, on high speed, beat eggs, sugar and half the orange zest for a few minutes, until the batter is thick and yellow.

Reduce speed and add yogourt, vanilla, olive oil, orange juice and remaining orange zest. Mix until well incorporated. Reserve 1/2 cup of this batter and set aside.

Fold dry ingredients into remaining batter, mixing by hand. Pour batter into springform pan. Add cocoa powder to the 1/2 cup (125 mL) of reserved batter and stir well. Pour this onto the centre of the cake. Moving the side of a fork through the batter, create a sunburst pattern.

Bake on centre rack of oven for about 45 minutes, or until done. Remove cake from oven, lift from pan and serve.

Olive Oil Pie and Tart Dough

New York baker Nick Malgieri uses this dough for savoury pies, but also for dessert tarts. it takes five minutes to make and is quite forgiving.

This recipe, from the Modern Baker, makes enough for a single crust.

11/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) sugar

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder

1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil

2 tablespoons (25 mL) water

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times.

Add the olive oil, egg, egg yolk and water. Pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a shaggy ball. Don’t overmix or the oil might separate from the dough and make it impossible to handle later on.

Invert the food processor bowl over a floured work surface to turn out the dough. Carefully remove the blade and transfer any dough on it to the work surface. Press the dough into a 1/2-inch thick disk without folding it over on itself.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to fit a 10 or 11-inch (25 or 28 cm) pan. with olive oil dough, you can press harder, and you will need to, because this dough is much more elastic than a butter-based dough.

Bake according to recipe instructions. (Or wrap in plastic and refrigerate until needed. this dough can chill for several days.)

Olive Oil Cookies

This recipe, with its Italian flavours, comes courtesy of Mark Bittman, the new York Times columnist and food blogger. He likes the cakey interior and nicely crisped surface the olive oil brings to these cookies. He recommends extra-virgin olive oil for a more pronounced taste and colour.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

21/2 cups (625 mL) flour

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder

1/8 teaspoon (0.5 mL) black pepper

1 teaspoon (5 mL) minced fresh rosemary

3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil, plus a little for the cookie sheet

3/4 cup (175 mL) dry red wine

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Combine the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs with the olive oil and wine. use a rubber spatula to stir the liquid mix into the dry one, just until well combined.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the batter onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool a couple of minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool further.

Marcy’s Bundt Cake

Montreal baker Marcy Goldman was inspired by the hit movie my Big fat Greek Wedding to create this tender pound cake, fit for a crowd, with the help of a Greek grandmother at a local bake sale.

Serves 12 to 16

1 cup (250 mL) light olive oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted or light olive oil

2 cups (500 mL) sugar

2 cups (500 mL) plain yogourt

2 teaspoons (10 mL) lemon zest, finely grated

2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda

4 teaspoons (20 mL) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt

4 cups (1 L) all-purpose flour

Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Generously grease a 9- or 10-inch tube pan (23 or 25 cm – not with a removable bottom) or bundt pan.

In a mixer bowl, with the paddle attachment, on slow speed, cream the oil, butter and sugar together until well blended, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, yogourt, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and blend well, about 2 minutes. Fold in baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour and blend well, making sure no uncombined ingredients cling to the bottom of mixing bowl.

Spoon into prepared pan. Set pan on baking sheet.

Bake until cake is set and tests done when pricked with a skewer, about 60 to 80 minutes. the cake will have fine cracks on the surface. (If the cake is browning on top but still seems wet inside, reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (160 C) and let bake at lower heat until done.

Remove from oven and cool in pan 15 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire cake rack to cool completely.

Dust with sifted confectioner’s sugar and serve, perhaps with berries or lemon sorbet on the side.

Writing this column merely days after the 2010 BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival, I find my cookbook interest still centered on cutting calories, probably because of the excess calories I consumed during that weekend. That may be the reason for you to be interested, or you simply may be looking for a healthier way to eat. in any case, these books offer options.

Marion Sullivan,Books for Cooks

“Light & Healthy 2010: This Year’s Best Recipes Lightened Up.” when the cooks at America’s Test Kitchen decide what they want to achieve, they don’t count the number of tries it takes to get the desired results, which is why Christopher Kimball’s staff can be relied upon. in this case, it was reducing the fat and calories from the year’s best recipes without reducing the flavor. They lightened nearly 200 recipes. in soups, they kept Broccoli-Cheddar rich and creamy without cream by substituting fat-free evaporated milk and adding pureed leeks. in desserts,

brownies remained rich and fudgy by substituting low-fat sour cream for most of the butter and Dutch-processed cocoa for most of the chocolate.

In fact, the effort was so successful that this book will be the first of an annual series. Hardcover. America’s Test Kitchen. $35.

“The Conscious Cook: delicious Meatless Recipes That will Change the way You Eat.” One of the most marvelous meals I had the last time in California was at Ubuntu, a vegetarian restaurant in Napa, where the food was beautiful. I suspect that if author Tal Ronnen opened a restaurant, it would be much the same, only vegan. Consultant to the stars, he has created dishes that are lovely to look at and, he says, “rich and delicious.” from Lemongrass Consomme with Pea Shoots and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings to Beet Mosaic with Gold Beet Vinaigrette, Balsamic Glaze and Cucumber Salad, and Agave-Lime Grilled Tofu with Asian Slaw and Mashed Sweet Potatoes, his dishes beckon. Hardcover. William Morrow. $29.99.

Marion Sullivan is culinary programs specialist at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. Send your cookbook questions to Booksforcooks@bellsouth.net.

Burnt Granny Smith apple ring made by Cathy Wu.

• Eat Your History
• Michael Pollan, Garden Fresh

  The ‘In Defense of Food’ author on picky-eating kids, Obama’s menu for America, the 100-Mile Diet and more.

• Will we ever Eat Well again?

  End of Food author Thomas Pawlick believes there’s hope if we begin with ourselves.

[Editor's note: the Tyee is proud to co-publish with Rabble.ca a multi-part investigation of Maker Culture -- the do-it-yourself movement fast evolving in North America and beyond. this is episode nine of 11, running Fridays (usually).]

It’s an unusual Friday night at Grinder, a small coffee shop in Toronto. There’s an alien in someone’s cup, hearts in another and someone else sees their face in their mug.

The cause of this madness is an event we created called “MEDIUM: Coffee — Live Latte Art for Non-Latte Artists.” we wanted to see what ordinary artists would do if we let them play with their food. “It was different,” says Abra Dolman, a participating artist. “I can’t say I’ve ever used coffee, espresso, or milk as a medium before.”

The winner in the final round, Stefan Berg, used syrup to draw a portrait of one of the judges, glasses and all. however, the newly-indoctrinated coffee artists aren’t the only ones using food in unique ways. Whether for consumption, beauty, art, or hacking purposes, Maker Culture is meeting food everywhere.

The Dried Fruit Project

Cathy Wu loves jewelry and she loves food — and in true maker fashion she has discovered a way to combine the two. She’s blended her love of origami with a new material: dried fruit.

For Wu, it all began when she went to Italy and enjoyed eating cereal with dried kiwi in it. “When I went back home, I remember having lots of trouble finding cereal with real pieces of dried kiwi,” she said.

“At a point I gave up looking and decided to buy kiwis, slice them up and dehydrate them.” And, for Wu, that led naturally to the “Dried Fruit Project.” she has produced jewelry by dehydrating fruit, folding the slices, and layering them on top of one another.

A recent English graduate who lives in Texas, Wu says that after the layering, she ended up with pendant-like pieces, which is why she took it one step further to a whole line of fruit jewelry. Apples, pears, plums and even vegetables such as sweet potatoes have become the “gemstones” of her baubles.

Wu said she’s glad to be using a medium like food because of its uniqueness. “You don’t see many people wearing food,” she said.

She used to worry about her pieces rotting away, but according to Wu, it’s not a concern. “I’ve made my jewelry for more than a few months now, and they’re still perfectly fine,” she said. “It must be because they’re dried, they can last a lot longer.”

A wad of art

When Jamie Marraccini was 16 years old, he chewed so much grape-flavoured bubble gum that he couldn’t touch it for the next ten years.

Today, the 39-year-old artist from Washington D.C. spends his spare time chewing away on art creations made of his favourite medium — gum. His work is called “Gum Art” and it features handmade and individually selected gum colours that form pieces of artwork on canvas.

“I focus on letting the gum shine as gum,” he said.

As a child, Marraccini was fascinated with preserving gum. He put it in the fridge before basketball games and dinners, and he stuck all his gum on the inside of his locker. this was his art. “When you create opportunities or ideas where you want to turn something into a product for people, you’re a maker,” he said.

Like Marraccini, some artists have always considered themselves makers because doing-it-yourself is the most expressive art form.

In an art school on Toronto’s West End, art instructor Mike Goodge sits in a class of six children. the project of the day is to create cat masks out of beans and to use your hands to make something different than the shown example.

Goodge, 39, watched his class as a blank piece of cardboard transformed into a bean-filled eye catcher. “The beans are transformed into another identity… they stop being food and they become a visual tool for the masks,” he said.

The children are makers and Goodge is one too. Letting his class create art on their own always makes him feel proud of the finished product. “It can be therapeutic and can provide a comic relief [or] an escape from everyday mundane routine,” he said.

But using food as a medium is quite different. Yael Raviv is the festival chair of the Umami festival in New York City, an event that connects food and art as an experience. For her, using food to replace paint is a positive medium — one she feels is always left out in society. “Food is a positive creative force… it’s not about counting calories and vitamins,” she said.

Open-source recipes

After a day of shopping and a night of stirring, seasoning, tasting and waiting, you’ve created a food symphony — a perfect meal and a killer recipe. now, thanks to open-source recipe sharing, you can make your recipe public for chefs everywhere to recreate.

The concept is simple: make a recipe, post it online and other people find it and make it for themselves. this is what democracy tastes like. Michael Smith, long-time television chef and host of Chef at Home, is an avid Twitter user and supporter of the open-source recipe movement.

“I find it really interesting how social networking and new media forms have really revolutionized the whole idea of what recipes are and what food is and can be… ideas can fly around the globe so quickly now [that] influences from one culture can mash up with influences from another culture,” says Smith.

John Sinopoli, executive chef of Table 17, an upscale bistro in Toronto, thinks open-source recipe sharing online has a few flaws. “The problem with [the online world] is that none of the sources are vetted, so you don’t know who is writing what… I can suss out for myself whether something makes sense or not, but I know that, in a book written by a particular person, it’s been tried and tested,” he said.

Despite his reluctance to use the internet to share recipes, Sinopoli said he often meets up with old friends that are chefs for “food chat” over beer, and sometimes “piggybacks” what they are doing in their restaurants.

Derek Kennedy, executive chef of eight Wine Bar and Restaurant in Toronto, is a believer in old-fashioned techniques. He doesn’t use the Internet to share recipes, and doesn’t see himself doing so anytime soon. Drawing similarities between his and Gordon Ramsay’s style of cooking, Kennedy said he uses “proper food, treats it the proper way, and doesn’t mess around with it.”

“There’s no point in trying to take something and re-invent it,” Kennedy said.

On the other side of the culinary spectrum, molecular gastronomy is a modern culinary practice which combines complex and simple chemistry with conventional cooking techniques.

Joseph Watters, executive chef at Taste Restaurant, practices molecular gastronomy at his restaurant — though he prefers the term “hyper-modern technique” — and has studied with masters of the art in France. Watters defines molecular gastronomy as the combination of “chemistry with classical French technique.” the roots of molecular gastronomy, according to Watters, can be traced back to Ferran Adria of Spain.

At the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo held in Toronto, a horde of camera-toting foodies huddle around Watters’s tent to try to get a glimpse of what he is doing. the 27-year-old chef has drawn a sizeable crowd with a stainless steel bowl overflowing with a heavy white cloud. Watters is making eggnog ice cream with liquid nitrogen.

Unlike many chefs, Watters sits on the fence about sharing his secrets and recipes. “I don’t mind [open-source recipe sharing] to a limit. I definitely wouldn’t give away all my secrets, but there’s nothing wrong with building up your peers.”

“Good food tastes good when it’s cooked well. If it’s cooked well by molecular gastronomy, or by traditional practices — that’s all,” Sinopoli said. And that’s advice, Sinopoli says, he’s happy to share.

U-brew

Highly-taxed spirits are no match for a maker with a homebrew still.

In many countries, alcohol is heavily taxed by the federal government and only a few institutions have the legal ability to sell alcohol. When the government of New Zealand increased the tax on alcohol around six per cent in half a year, “scottsbutcher” — who prefers to go by his YouTube moniker for privacy reasons — took a DIY approach.

The Auckland resident created what he calls a “kiwi” still, which is a complex contraption consisting of multiple large barrels, two aquarium pumps, an air conditioner and dozens of plastic tubes. For the past year, scottsbutcher has been brewing wine, beer, lagers and whiskey out of a brew room in his house and has stopped consuming commercially distilled liquor altogether.

“For the price of one bottle of average blended whiskey I can make 10 litres of whiskey o the same strength,” he says, adding that his finished product doesn’t contain the harmful fusel oils that develop in commercial pot stills. “[My whiskey] comes out at around 85 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), and I get no hangover.”

Duncan Strathearn of Waterloo, Ont. distills out of his home too, but it’s a little bit risky. in every country except New Zealand — and a few European countries that turn a blind eye — distilling alcohol at home is illegal. Strathearn, 20, first started distilling alcohol in his second year of high school to prove to himself that he had the required scientific knowledge. using a basic homemade still that cost less than $50 to build, he eventually developed a vodka with over 95 per cent ABV for occasional personal consumption.

“I figure if it’s only for personal consumption, then there’s nothing wrong with it. as soon as you start selling your alcohol for profit, that’s when the government will get involved,” says Strathearn, admitting that he has never sold his liquor.

Aside from the pure enjoyment of creating their own alcohol, many home distillers create makeshift basement breweries because it’s economical — an alternative to an industry controlled by a monopoly. some do it to oppose consumerism as a whole — the true definition of a maker.

Growing makers

Most of us would be doomed if we were forced to grow our own food. Fighting pests, rotating crops, tracking weather and preparing for winter is hard work. Muscles ache, money is often tight and sleeping in on the weekend is a fond memory. no wonder that for many of us, buying our food from a grocery store is easier than buying a plot of land in the country.

But, to the resourceful maker, the city provides everything anyone could need to start a successful organic farming project. FoodCycles, a Toronto-based organic farm, took advantage of vacant land in the city’s north end.

“We have one greenhouse and about an acre of outdoor space,” says FoodCycles co-founder Sunny Lam. “While that doesn’t sound like a lot, we’ve been able to grow and sell a tremendous amount of fresh food.”

FoodCycles is the first farm that was built into Toronto, as opposed to being swallowed by it. FoodCycles was started by Lam and David Wild. Both were inspired by Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based organic farm. “They were doing a lot of good down stuff there,” says Wild. “It seemed important to bring that farming model to Toronto.”

The mission for FoodCycles is more than growing organic food. For Lam and Wild, the main priority for FoodCycles is to teach.

“We want to teach people about their food,” says Lam. “We want to teach people how to grow their own food and how to create a healthy outlet for their lives, [including] how to get some exercise and to re-connect with the outdoors.”

Lam is optimistic about the future of urban farming. “I think there’s only so much of the daily rat race people can take in a city,” he says. “With all the stress, people are going to start looking for some kind of hobby or outlet,” says Lam. “Getting your hands in the dirt and getting back to the land is going to attract a lot of people.”

Arti Patel, Vincent McDermott, Sonya Benjamin, Adam Vrankulj and Christian Nathler are third year journalism students at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.

NEW YORK, Mar 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) –AOL inc. today launched KitchenDaily, http://www.kitchendaily.com, its new food website designed to help busy home cooks put easy and delicious meals on the table every single day. KitchenDaily’s key feature is a recipe database, which includes thousands of recipes that have been tested by top chefs, food magazine and cookbook publishers and trusted brands such as Campbell’s. Industry partners with The Culinary Institute of America, celebrity chefs Curtis Stone and Marcus Samuelsson and Food & Wine Special Projects Coordinator Gail Simmons provide quality, original content by iconic voices within the food industry.

“KitchenDaily is designed to help busy home cooks, moms in particular, make smart, informed decisions about food and cooking while also helping to instill confidence in their abilities in the kitchen,” said Stephanie Dolgins, senior vice president, AOL Women’s and Lifestyle Group. “We aim to offer real food for real life and want our audience to know they don’t have to sacrifice quality and nutrition for speed. our extensive video series shows our experts making healthy and inexpensive dishes in the same amount of time it would take to get a pizza delivered to their door.”

Cheryl Brown, formerly of Gourmet magazine and Wondertime magazine, is editor-in-chief, and Megan Steintrager, formerly of Epicurious.com, is senior editor of the site. Additional contributions will be made by former Gourmet food editors such as Kemp Minifie, Ruth Cousineau and Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez. KitchenDaily’s overall mission is to provide consumers with easy, quick, healthful recipes; how-to instruction on cooking methods and techniques; time-saving advice on grocery shopping and meal planning, and anything else that makes daily life in the kitchen a little easier.

Highlights of KitchenDaily include:

– Features – Dedicated sections include: — Baking & Desserts — down-to-earth baking tips and advice for special occasions as well as everyday sweets.

– Cookbook Reviews — our cookbook reviewer, T. Susan Chang (a busy mom herself), will tell you which family-friendly cookbooks you need, which ones you should skip, and which ones you’ll fall in love with.

– Cooking with Kids — incorporates all things family, whether that’s cooking for the kids or with the kids.

– Don’t Know What to Cook? — KitchenDaily’s meal-planner tool for home cooks who need a bit of inspiration. you can click on the ingredients you have in your fridge and we’ll suggest possible recipes, or you can click on the kind of food you’re in the mood for, and we’ll offer suggestions for that as well.

– Grilling — tips on how to make the perfect burger to mastering fish and vegetables on the grill.

– Healthy Kitchen — applicable, clear information on topics such as fat and sodium and tips on making your favorite comfort foods more wholesome.

– Kitchen Fundamentals — provides basic information on making your kitchen work for you, from stocking the right ingredients to money-saving ideas.

– KitchenDaily’s Cooking Lesson — this week’s cooking lesson pulled from our in-depth “How To” archives, which contain videos, articles and gallery instructions on everything from properly chopping herbs to how to cook seafood.

– Culinary Partnerships – More than 250 original videos provide users with offerings from our renowned partnerships in the culinary field including: — The Culinary Institute of America — learn the a to Z’s of cooking from the professionals, whether that’s chopping an onion or opening Champagne.

– Devin Alexander — Devin shares tips and tricks for making your favorite cooking methods and meals healthier, from fried food to burgers and everything in between.

– Mark Bittman — Mark, author of “How to Cook everything,” will focus on seasonal ingredients and sharing his thoughts on what we should be eating right now — whether that’s spring lamb or fall squash — and the best way to prepare it.

– Gino Campagna — Gino teaches kids how to have fun in the kitchen with age-appropriate recipes such as smoothies, nachos and picnic fare.

– Allison Fishman — Allison offers delicious, easy and nutritious recipes that can be made using a blender.

– Chef Shane Kelly — Shane shows how to update comfort foods and regional classics and make them more wholesome so the dishes better suit the way we want to eat today.

– Chef Marcus Samuelsson — Marcus shows how “American” cuisine is really a delicious melting pot — one recipe at a time.

– Food & Wine Special Projects Coordinator Gail Simmons — Gail teaches easy and unexpected ways to use those ingredients collecting dust in your pantry.

– Chef Curtis Stone — Curtis continues his classic Trade Secrets series providing delicious everyday recipes with simple and nutritious ingredients.

“We are excited to bring KitchenDaily to consumers,” said Cheryl Brown, editor-in-chief, KitchenDaily.com. “We want to be the go-to site for anything a busy cook might need, whether that’s everyday recipes, information on how to truss a chicken, advice around interpreting food labels or economic shopping. We help moms answer the dreaded ‘what’s for dinner tonight’ question with ease.”

KitchenDaily, in addition to the food blog Slashfood, http://www.slashfood.com, is part of the AOL Living network, one of the top-five Lifestyle sites, according to February 2010 comScore Media Metrix data. The AOL Living network includes AOL Health, http://health.aol.com, Lemondrop.com, http://www.lemondrop.com, ParentDish.com, http://www.parentdish.com, StyleList.com, http://stylelist.com and more.

AOL inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!aol/quotes/nls/aol (AOL 25.94, +0.46, +1.81%) is a leading global Web services company with an extensive suite of brands and offerings and a substantial worldwide audience. AOL’s business spans online content, products and services that the company offers to consumers, publishers and advertisers. AOL is focused on attracting and engaging consumers and providing valuable online advertising services on both AOL’s owned and operated properties and third-party websites. in addition, AOL operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services in the United States, which serves as a valuable distribution channel for AOL’s consumer offerings.

AOL Corporate Communications Diedre Ayers 212-652-6355 Diedre.Ayers@corp.aol.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Ground beef is the ultimate American recession food, since it’s cheap even it’s when not on sale. And it’s convenient for picky gourmets, too, since it’s usually the only meat you can find in the supermarket that’s organic.

What to do with ground beef is another matter. for most Americans it’s a no-brainer: the most common destination is hamburgers on a bun, of which we eat an average of three a week. Or at least some people do.

The other options that come to mind—chili, meatloaf, tacos, sloppy Joes and casseroles employing canned soup—all seem to fall into the general category of what I call kid food.

This presents a conundrum for childless adults who tire of the American flavor palette of salty, sweet, greasy and cheesy. Many a package of ground beef has slowly turned gray before I desperately made it into potstickers or meatballs.

There is, in fact, a world of ground beef out there that extends beyond our hamburger-hungry shores. If you are Chinese, a number of dishes will come immediately to mind, such as the classic mapo dofu (tofu and ground meat in a spicy bean sauce) or Szechuan eggplant, though both dishes more often use ground pork. Japanese use ground beef in the bastardized potato croquettes known as korokke, and sometimes in the filling for gyoza.

LOCAL GRASS-FED BEEF COMES TO FOODLAND try one of the recipes on this page with a new local product being offered at several Foodland locations: Hawaii Ranchers ground beef.

The beef comes from grass-fed cattle raised on open pastures without hormones or antibiotics.

Sample the beef and meet ranchers from noon to 2 p.m. today at the market’s Beretania location, and on Saturday at its Market City store.

Foodland Farms in Aina Haina also carries the beef, provided exclusively to the supermarket chain by the Hawaii Cattle Producers Cooperative Association. the co-op represents 46 ranchers throughout the state.

“It’s a natural product, tasty and 100 percent local,” said John Schilf, Foodland’s director of meat. “We want to have more locally produced meat products at Foodland, so we’re starting with popular ground beef.”

The ground beef is priced at $4.99 per pound for chuck, $5.49 for round and $5.99 for sirloin.

In the past year, Hawaii Cattle Producers has also marketed Hawaiian Red Veal products at R. Field Wine Co. at Foodland, the Kapiolani Community College Farmers’ Market and at various restaurants.

Hamburger is, after all, just chopped beef, known as “mince” or “minced beef” in the rest of the English-speaking world. It dates back at least to the Moguls, who would tenderize tough meat by riding with it under their saddles, then eating the mashed results raw. Such is the anecdotal origin, anyway, of the delicacy steak tartare.

In Lancashire, England, minced beef is the foundation of rag pudding, a meat pie wrapped in suet pastry and then boiled or steamed. the Dutch slavink is a patty of ground beef and pork wrapped in bacon and fried. both are regional specialties.

Home cooks can find recipes online for many international dishes that use ground beef. In South Asia there is keema, ground meat with peas or potatoes in a spicy sauce. the equivalent in Latin America, made with tomatoes and a completely different palate of spices, is called picadillo; the Filipino version includes potatoes or chayote.

Meatballs are another widespread phenomenon, either in soup (as in the Mexican albondigas), stew (North African meatball tagine) or sauce (the classic Swedish). Filled pastries or dumplings are also a staple, like empanadas (Latin America), samboosak (Middle East), samosas (South Asia) or the Central Asian manti.

In East Asia, pork and chicken are the meats more often ground, as in the spicy Thai meat salad known as laab. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get good results in any ground meat dish by substituting cheap, convenient ground beef.

You don’t necessarily have to buy the best ground beef, either. the labeling can be confusing, but “ground beef” and “ground hamburger” are both made of assorted meat trimmings, often from hundreds or thousands of cows. they can have seasonings added, but no water or fillers. the only difference between them is that ground hamburger can have added beef fat.

Meat from specific parts of the cow is also sold ground, which is why you’ll see ground chuck (from the shoulders), ground round (the rump) and ground sirloin (lower back), which are all more expensive and leaner, and of consistently higher quality, than the all-inclusive ground beef.

Leaner meat has the advantage of less shrinkage and less waste, because you’re not pouring off all the oil rendered when you cook it. But fat is also what makes beef flavorful. so unless you’re making a dish in which the beef itself is the star attraction, ground chuck is probably the best compromise of cost and flavor. If the meat will sit in a flavorful sauce, plain old ground beef will probably do.

Cook over moderate heat, not high, to reduce shrinkage and prevent the meat from going tastelessly dry. Also, save any salting until the meat is in the pan to keep it from turning tough.

It’s safest to use or freeze ground beef within two days of purchase, and cook patties to 160 degrees. Since it freezes well for up to three months, buy ground beef in the family pack when it’s on sale, package it in meal-size portions, and you won’t want for a varied international menu—even when company is coming.

KEEMA BIRYANI

Adapted from Padma Lakshmi, Food Network

1-1/2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked 90 minutes
Saffron, a few strands
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
1 large onion, chopped
1-inch cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon pressed or minced garlic
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup chicken stock

Cook the rice until half done. Drain water and set aside.

Mix saffron into milk and set aside.

Heat oil or ghee in deep, wide pan over medium heat. Add onion and fry until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add whole spices and wait until they sputter, then add beef, ginger and garlic. Fry 6 to 7 minutes, until beef is cooked and fragrant.

Mix in yogurt and cayenne and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off flame.

Preheat oven to 300. In oven-proof dish, layer one-third rice and cover with half the prepared meat. Sprinkle with half of saffron milk and half of lime juice, then repeat the layers, ending with final third of rice. Pour chicken stock over all and seal lid tight.

Bake about 20 minutes or until heated through. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (using vegetable oil): 500 calories, 28 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 28 g protein

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (using ghee): 500 calories, 28 g total fat, 14 g saturated fat, 115 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 28 g protein

CUBAN-STYLE PICADILLO

Adapted from Bon Appetit

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 bay leaves
2 pounds ground beef
14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives (5-ounce jar)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons capers

In large pot over medium-high, heat oil, then add onion, garlic and bay leaves. Cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add beef and stir until cooked, about 7 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper; remove bay leaves. Serve warm over white rice with black beans on side. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including salt for seasoning): 720 calories, 41 g total fat, 12 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 1,250 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 23 g sugar, 49 g protein

SZECHUAN SPICY EGGPLANT

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
1 pound ground beef
3 to 4 Japanese or Chinese eggplants, or 1 large American, diced
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Stir together first 7 ingredients. Heat oil in large pan or wok until nearly smoking and quickly stir-fry shrimp until pink. Remove and set aside.

Stir-fry garlic, half of green onions and ginger until they begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until brown, about 3 minutes.

Mix in eggplant, pour in sauce and simmer, covered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cornstarch mixture and heat until slightly thickened, then add shrimp.

Top with reserved green onions and sesame oil before serving. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 450 calories, 23 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 1300 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 38 g protein

LAAB

Adapted from Thai food sites online

1 pound ground sirloin (or pork, or chicken)
3 to 8 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 to 6 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons finely sliced shallots
3 tablespoons ground roasted rice powder*
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons ground chili pepper, to taste (not packaged “chili powder”)
Chopped cilantro, ground peanuts for garnish
Assorted vegetables such as long beans, cabbage, spinach, basil, cucumbers, radish

Combine ground beef with lime juice, fish sauce and shallots. Stir-fry until no longer pink. Turn off heat, then mix well with rice powder, scallions, mint and chili. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Spoon onto a platter and garnish with cilantro and ground peanuts. Serve with rice and vegetables. Serves 4 to 6.

* find packaged in Vietnamese or Thai markets, or make by roasting raw sticky rice in heavy pan until golden brown, then grind to fine consistency.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (based on four servings; 4 tablespoons fish sauce and not including garnishes or rice and assorted vegetables): 200 calories, 6 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 1400 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 26 g protein

By admin on March 12, 2010 Under Food Recipes

How to make the Indian appetizer Pakora; learn more about making traditional Indian food in this free cooking video.

Expert: Mona Sishodia
Bio: Mona Sishodia has been cooking traditional North Indian Food since age 16.
Filmmaker: Nili Nathan

Duration : 0:1:57

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