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Okay so I had a decidedly non-traditional Easter buffet yesterday.  My parents and my husband and I are known for our non-traditional holiday meals.  We had a Vegetarian Mexican inspired buffet yesterday with all kinds of interesting dishes.  It was fun, it was unexpected and it was definitely enjoyed!  One of the dishes that we had was a recipe from Bon Appetit for corn bread.  I really enjoyed this recipe, it wasn’t overly sweet or dry like some corn breads I have eaten.  I think next time I would make it a little more tex-mex, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it as is.  Next time I might add some hot peppers, maybe cilantro instead of basil for starters.  It really inspired me to rethink my corn breads. 

Here’s the recipe for those of you who are interested in trying it out.

Corn Bread with Basil, Roasted Peppers and Monterey Jack Cheese

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños (about 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red peppers from jar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 9×9x2-inch baking pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 tablespoons butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Mix in cheese, corn, red peppers, basil and onion. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake corn bread until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes.)

Cut corn bread into squares.

I just got an email for Food Network about a sale they are having on DVD collections.  The prices are really pretty good.  You can get some 3 disc sets of some of the more popular shows for as low as $15.  They have Ina, Paula, Rachael, Alton, Ellie and others on sale right now.  They also have a special offer on shipping for cookbooks.  If you order $25 or more in cookbooks, then the shipping is free. 

So…if you are jonesing for some Food Network nows the time to buy.

Here’s a link to the sale - http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/c-0+4294940030-DVD-Sale.aspx

People often think kitchen equipment has to be expensive to be really useful.  While some very expensive kitchen equipment is definitely helpful and very useful, there are some inexpensive items that I can’t live without.  Here’s the start of a list of great gift ideas that are really useful for any baker’s kitchen. There will be more posts in the future on this subject.

1. Silicone Spatulas - I absolutely love these little spatulas.  The price is very reasonable and they are an indispensable part of my kitchen.  At $8.50 for a medium size spatula, the price is right.  I often find these little beauties on clearance at cooks stores and I load up on them.  I have six of them in different shapes and sizes and colors, of course.  They are the ultimate accessory! 
2. Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Beans - I can’t think of too many baking recipes that can’t be improved with a little shot of vanilla.  I love to buy vanilla in bulk, the price sure is cheaper and I never have to worry about running out of vanilla in the middle of a recipe.  You can buy the 32 ounce vanilla online for $40 instead of $20 for a mere 8 ounces.  Another great thing to have on hand is vanilla beans.  Sometimes I love to add a vanilla bean just for the pretty little seeds and the awesome flavor.  These can also be bought in bulk for a much more reasonable price.  Click on the links above to find out where.
3. Silpat Mats - Silpat mats are great because they can be used over and over again.  The price is very reasonable at around $16 a mat.  Never having to worry about a baked good sticking to your pan is priceless, if you ask me.
4. Microplane - My trusty microplane has been with me in my kitchen for a number of years and is still as sharp as the day I bought it.  I know I reach for it every day, often more than once. 
5. Glass Bowl Set - Having enough bowls to make it through a recipe is an absolute necessity.  I can’t make it through a day baking without using these wonderful bowls.  I also love that I can make an instant double boiler for chocolate by placing one of these glass bowls over a pot of simmering water.  The price is definitely right at $34 for ten bowls. 

Steve Corry was recently named one of the top ten best new chefs according to Food and Wine Magazine.  If you happen to live in Maine or New England for that matter you can check out his restaurant five fifty-five (I assuming it is named for it’s address 555 Congress Street, probably a good guess, right?).  The menu has many options for all palates.  I am hoping to get reservations soon and check it out.  I am really interested in trying the caramelized cauliflower-mascarpone soup and the winter vegetable “wellington”.  The prices aren’t too bad with the most expensive dish coming in at $27.95 (not including the caviar prices).  I can’t wait to give it a try.  Who doesn’t love going into Portland to get a good meal?  If you have never been to Portland, then I would say you should come and visit, especially in the summer.  If you want to go to the website and check it out, please click on the logo above.

I am still working steadily on my project…

Do you have a budding chef at home?  Do you have a kid that just can’t stay out of the kitchen?  I found the cutest website for future chefs created by The Culinary Institute of America.  www.ciakids.com is a great resource for kids and parents.  They have recipe, tools, and technique suggestions for kids of all skills from beginner to advanced.  There is a great culinary dictionary, a section on planning to be a chef, a safety in the kitchen section and lots more.  They also have sections for teachers and parents.  Want to get your kids started cooking?  Click on the picture above to go to the CIA kids website. 

One of my absolute favorite books in my kitchen is Baking by Dorie Greenspan.  I go to this book all the time for recipes and ideas.  Dorie has such a wonderful take on classic recipes.  Recently, I stumbled across her blog at www.doriegreenspan.com and I am loving it.  Dorie posts recipes and talks about her adventures.  It’s a great place to go and browse around.  If you haven’t read any of Dorie’s books I highly suggest the Baking cookbook.  It has everything including cookies, custards, cakes, breads, muffins, etc.  You certainly won’t be disappointed.  I really love the recipe she has for carrot cake and the snickery squares.  If you want to listen to a great interview piece, then check out this link on NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6514512 . I just love Dorie.  She really makes you love baking, like a good teacher should!  She has a wonderful sense of humor and shares great stories.

Being part of the food blogging community I come across tons of great food community sites.  If you want to check out food videos created by everyday people not food personalities, then many of these sites will be enjoyable for you. 

Group Recipes is food site that allows you to share recipes.  The interface is quite nice and it’s easy to use.  They also have a feature called the recipe robot that helps you find recipes that suit your tastes.  Each member is allowed to create a profile and “make” friends.  When you make friends with other members you can easily share recipes amongst yourselves.  This site use to have a TV feature with videos from members, but it doesn’t seem to exist any longer.  Although, this is the beta version.  They may bring it back.  The web url is www.grouprecipes.com. 

IFood Tv is based more around the “video” aspect of recipe sharing.  The web url is www.ifood.tv. (That’s a little odd, so if you like this site then you should probably bookmark it)  The food on this site spans all types of cuisine from American to Korean and everything in between.  Members can also share there recipe without the video.  This site has an interesting blog feature where members can post articles for the community to read.

Im Cooked (www.imcooked.com) is a food related youtube.  At least that’s how I like to think of it.  The format is very similar to youtube.  The interface is pretty basic and is mostly about the videos. 

Yummr is more involved community site. (www.yummr.com)  They do polls, quizzes, reviews.  They also have the usuals that you find elsewhere - videos, recipe sharing, and food discussions.  This site is really quite interactive and a fun one if you want to do more than share recipes. 

Stonewall Kitchen is now offering classes in three states - Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut.  They are looking to start classes in York, Maine at the flagship store.  If you haven’t had the chance to check out the flagship store it is definitely worth the trip.  You can even enjoy at bite to eat at the cafe.  The campus is beautiful, especially in the summer time.  For the time being classes are being held in Portland, Maine, South Windsor, Connecticut and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  It looks like many of the classes in Portland are sold out, but there are still a few classes available.  The classes vary from Vegetarian to Mediterranean.  The cost is $65 a person, which is slightly more than classes at Williams Sonoma.  You receive a printed menu packet and a %10 discount on products for the night of the class. 

A heavy bottomed saucepan is a workhorse in the kitchen.  I admitted the other day that I am a caramel-oholic, well this pan helps feed my addiction.  These pans come in a variety of sizes from 1 1/2 quart to 6 quarts.  The smaller sized pans are great to have on hand for quick jobs like making butter sauces, caramels, puddings, and custard sauces.  The larger size pots (3 quarts and larger) can be used for making rice and pasta.  You can get saucepans with either a sloped side or a straight side.  The sloped side is great for reducing liquids (more surface area is exposed).  Want to get started using that saucepan that came in your wedding set?  Well, here’s a basic caramel sauce from the folks over at www.epicurious.com.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup whipping cream

Preparation

Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Carefully add cream (you may want to stand back — mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir sauce over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and sauce is smooth. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat just until pourable, then let caramel sauce cool to room temperature.)