Rachael Ray's Blog, page 78

Pullet Eggs, Why They Matter, and How to Cook Them

Here’s the thing about eggs. If you can cook them, you’re a good cook. If you can’t, you’re a bad cook. There’s almost no other food that you can say that about. (I’m speaking here of cooking eggs in a pan. Any dope can boil an egg.) The reason is that cooking eggs requires, in microcosm, everything difficult, delicate, and sensitive in cooking. They cook quickly, changing from an unspeakably gross cold gel to a warm, thickened fluid, to a firm or fluffy state of perfection, and from thence to a powdery waste product in the time less than two minutes. And at the end, they produce, when cooked right, a totally unique, utterly wonderful food that comes alive in your mouth, and tastes of nothing but itself. I like them so much that I never found one I didn’t like.

Then I found out about pullet eggs, and my admiration of eggs shaded into reverence. A pullet is a hen that is under one year old, which means that it has been laying eggs for only a few months. The most special, and most precious, of pullet eggs are the first lay. These eggs have in them all of the vital essences of the chicken, which it has stored up its entire life. No subsquent eggs will ever taste the same. And when you have eggs like this, if you are fortunate enough to somehow get ahold of them, there is a terrific burden on the cook to not ruin them or screw them up.

So I found that I had to cook eggs differently. More carefully, more respectfully, more patiently. I’m a good cook, so my scrambled eggs are always pretty much perfect. And of course a three-minute egg doesn’t require much in the way of skill, as I say. But frying an egg is a different story. The butter can burn; the bottom can stick; the yolk can break, especially if you’re turning the eggs, which I do; you can be overcaution and pull it from the pan, before it’s cooked; and a hundred other mishaps besides.

But when you make the pullet egg right, there is nothing like it I’ve ever had. It’s basically avian caviar. The solution to the myriad problems the egg presents is in plain sight, though: you just cook it very slowly, on a low fire. You need to use a lot of butter, because the egg needs to be lubricated on all sides; it essentially needs to float on the butter to some extent. And most of the butter will remain in the pan. The butter should bubble. If it doesn’t the heat needs to go up a little. Once the bubbling stops, the water is gone, and you ready to crack your egg. I use the edge of the pan, but short, careful blow with the sharp end of a knife is the safer way to go. The whites will firm up first, and as they do you want to continuously spoon hot butter over the top, so that the inner white, which on a pullet egg will be very firm indeed, will begin to cook, as will the all-important yolk. If you do this right, you won’t have to turn the egg at all. Which means there will be no chance of breaking it. Just wait, and wait, and don’t rush things. Grind a little pepper over the egg if you like. But don’t shake it or prod it or probe it. The zen of the egg is to leave it alone. That is, until you eat it.

Baked Apples

‘Tis the season to indulge in all things rich, boozy, and sweet, but when you need a break from all the complex deliciousness of holiday foods, baked apples make a comforting seasonal treat.

I was inspired to make this dessert by my sister-in law Joy, an excellent cook, who made it for us a few weekends ago. When I walked into her house, the kitchen smelled like apple pie, but Joy was making baked apples. She served them up with plenty of the delicious pan juice, and I couldn’t get over how satisfying and creamy they tasted. I topped mine with a dollop of almond butter, and the combination of flavors tasted remarkably like apple pie.

My sis-in-law cooked her apples with brown sugar, butter, spices, and apple cider. I decided to simplify the dish even further, leaving out the sugar and butter, and depending solely on apple cider, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and allspice for taste. Apples are at their peak of flavor at this time of year, and certain varieties like Honeycrisp and Fuji are bursting with so much natural sweetness that adding sugar is often unnecessary. Plus, if you or someone you love is diabetic, this is a seasonal dessert that can be enjoyed without guilt. If you’re using a variety of apple that’s more tart, however, like Granny Smiths or Winesaps, then throw a few spoonfuls of brown sugar into the mix.

Many people like to stuff baked apples with toasted nuts, rolled oats, and dried fruit, along with sugar and butter, to make a sweet and fragrant filling. If you want to stuff your apples, don’t remove the whole core, but instead leave an inch intact at the bottom, and fill the apples before baking. The apples taste just dandy on their own, but toppings can include vanilla ice cream, honey-sweetened Greek yogurt, almond butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a sprinkling of toasted nuts. Good luck with this simple dessert, and enjoy all the decadence of the holiday season!

Baked Apples

Ingredients

4 sweet apples (a little less than 1/2 pound each)

1 1/4 cups apple cider

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Core the apples, and peel a wide strip around the top.

Place the apples in a baking dish. Whisk together the cider, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and salt, and pour the mixture over the apples.

Bake the apples until they are very tender, basting them every 20 minutes with the pan juice. The apples are done when the skin bursts, and you can easily cut into the flesh with a spoon. Depending on whether you use soft or crisp apples, they will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours to become tender, with crisp apples taking the longest. Cool the apples slightly, and serve topped with the pan juice.

Curry Club 3: Lamb Bhuna and golden nuggets of butternut squash

Last week meant that we were seventy-five percent through with our first installation of The Curry Club at The Jones Wood Foundry.  Faces were becoming increasingly familiar, after-all; some of these patrons had been with us for all 3 Curry Club nights. The guards were down and patrons opened. What we were offering was uncomplicated comfort food, using a handful of ingredients to transform flavors but not expectations. Oh no, expectations were being met. On a night that was crisp, all one yearned for was something to stoke the fire in that belly. Perhaps something braised, perhaps something spicy, perhaps something aromatic.  We couldn’t think of anything better than our slow cooked lamb bhuna with tender pieces of butternut squash.

Lamb bhuna is a lamb curry with richesse. Different to rogan josh, lamb bhuna is braised. The sauce clings to the tender pieces of slow-cooked lamb and as the sauce reduces, the spices intensify leaving the surroundings with an incensed aroma of cardamom, bay leaves and ginger. I hope you are feeling the love.

Some ate their dish at the bar over a pint of IPA and a side of ‘me time’ whilst others ate in large communal groups, dipping in and out of each others plates.  It was another magical Curry Club night.

Recipe For Lamb Bhuna and Butternut Squash

Ingredients

2 lb Lamb shoulder, cut in cubes (with some bone)

Marinade

1 TBSP. Ginger, minced
1 TSP. Garlic, minced
¾ Tsp. Salt
2 TBSP. Red wine vinegar

Lamb Bhuna

1/3 cup cooking oil
1 TSP. cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
3 Green cardamoms
1 ½ onion
3 TBSP. Ginger and garlic, paste
1 green chili
½ tsp. Haldi
½ tsp. chili powder/ cayenne pepper
1 TSP. Coriander powder, roasted and crushed
½ TSP. fresh cracked pepper
1 TBSP. Tomato puree
1 can peeled plum tomatoes, crushed (14 oz can)
½ cup plain yoghurt
½ can coconut milk
¼ cup fresh Cilantro
1 cup water (or beer)
1 cup of roasted butternut squash, large dice
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro for garnish

Method

Marinade

1) Trim most fat off the lamb

2) Place lamb in mixing bowl with salt, ginger, garlic and red wine vinegar for 1 hour

3) Remove from refrigeration and allow to lose chill.

Bhuna

4) Heat a frying pan and batch fry in a film of oil to get a crust, set aside on wire racks

5) Heat oil in a pan, fry cumin seeds, as they turn dark red, add bay leaves, cloves and cardamom and sauté for another 30 seconds

6) Add finely diced onions and cook on high heat until they brown and darken at the edges. Add the chili, coriander powder, salt, black pepper and fry another minute

7) Add the ginger, green chili and garlic and allow them to golden and get color

Add puree, cook for a couple of minutes to remove raw taste. Add crushed tomatoes. When oil separatesadd the lamb back in to the pan. Add 1 cup of hot water (or beer), bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Cook on low heat covered for about an hour in total

9) After first 30 mins, lamb should be half done. Cook uncovered to dry off excess moisture. Beat the yoghurt in a mixing bowl, then add to pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk, continue cooking until moisture has turned in to thick sauce that coats the lamb.

10) Add the roasted squash and garnish with cilantro

Saira Malhotra, is of British –Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes

Soup’s On: Butternut Squash Cauliflower Soup

There’s nothing like a homemade bowl of soup. Do you agree?

A well-made pot of soup is a thing of beauty and a deliciously self contained meal needing only maybe a hunk of crusty bread to accompany it. The best thing is a great soup needn’t be complicated or full of fancy ingredients. It doesn’t even have to cook for many hours to taste divine. I love playing around with different in-season veggies to come up with new and exciting combinations.

This soup is warm and comforting without being heavy—perfect for a cold winter night. Make up a double batch and freeze because it reheats beautifully. It’s golden color and mild taste make it easy to love. The make ahead option means its an easy recipe (think first course) for any fancy holiday meal you have coming up.

Butternut Squash Cauliflower Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large butternut squash, cut in half and seeds removed
1 head cauliflower, washed, drained and cut into large florets
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon alt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 sprigs, fresh thyme
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
*sour cream or Greek yogurt for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and spray with cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle the butternut squash on the cut side with half of the salt and pepper and rub with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower and garlic and thyme together with reaming salt, pepper and olive oil. lace squash onto baking sheet, cut side down and surround it with the cauliflower and garlic. Roast  until veggies are fork tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on roasting pan.

3. Once the vegetables have cooled, scoop out the flesh of the squash with a spoon and place into a blender or food processor. Add in the cauliflower and chicken stock. Puree until smooth. Pour puree into a medium stock pot and heat through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper if necessary. Pour into serving bowls and serve topped with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Christina Stanley-Salerno is a mama, recipe developer, food stylist, photographer and blogger atTakeBackYourTable.com. She loves cooking for and with her family. Life is hectic, but Christina is passionate about mealtime because she believes that family meals are the glue that holds everyone together. Creating simple, quick and healthy meals is her specialty and her trick to keeping the family meal a reality, even on busy weeknights.

Follow her on Twitter @TakeBackTables

The Lazy Man’s Guide to Thanksgiving

I realize it’s a little late in the day to be giving turkey advice. Every cooking magazine has whole sections, or even issues, devoted to the subject. Sam Sifton, the erstwhile Times critic, has written a whole book on Thanksgiving, and has even made himself available as a kind of one-man holiday hotline. And of course on this very site Rachael has more good advice to share than I could hope to offer in a year. But I have my own niche: the disorganized, the lazy, the indifferent and the contemptuous, people who shouldn’t be cooking at all. At one time or another, I’ve been all of these. On top of everything else, I hate turkey. So what follows are a handful of tips, none of which require you to remember measurements, make special plans, or really, make any effort at all. They are pointers for people who forgot to care or prepare. But they might prove useful to better men as well.

It Doesn’t Matter and Nobody Cares

This should be your motto, whether you are cooking Thanksgiving or, really, any other task. As a philosophy it could hardly be more universally applicable. Not everything came out on time? It doesn’t matter and nobody cares. You forgot to get a can of cranberry sauce? It doesn’t matter and nobody cares. The gravy’s greasy and the stuffing sucks? It doesn’t matter and nobody cares. The open secret of cooking is that most people are just happy to have someone giving them food. Their standards for Thanksgiving food are so low they can hardly be disappointed.

Cook Everything at Once at the Last Minute

Something I always find sort of laughable are recipes that expect you to start planning three days ahead. Who does that? I mean, really. If you’re anything like me you haven’t actually started thinking about what to cook on Thanksgiving until late that morning. Hopefully you have already gotten your turkey. Otherwise, you’re fine. You can get everything you need for a perfectly good Thanksgiving from a 7-11, a bodega, or (it goes without saying) any supermarket of any size, or any quality. The worst Food Lion in America is more than sufficient for your day-of needs.

For what it’s worth, they are as follows:

1 fresh turkey (You don’t have time to defrost one.)

1 box of Stove-Top Stuffing

1 can of turkey or chicken broth

1 package of frozen cranberries

1 bag of potatoes

1 bag of onions

1 pound of bacon

1 box / bag of brussell sprouts or carrots or mushrooms, or all of them. It doesn’t matter (and nobody cares)

1 half-pint of heavy cream.

A cake or pie

A bread

Booze

You are good to go, my friend! The only thing I haven’t listed here are two items of such paramount important that I am giving them their own section.

The Careless Cook’s Best Two Friends

Nothing you make can go too far wrong if you have plenty of butter, and plenty of salt. It can’t be any kind of salt; regular table salt won’t get the job done. It needs to be kosher salt. And it has to be real butter, not some kind of half-assed “buttery spread.” If you’re going to use that stuff, you’ve already thrown in the towel and might as well order Chinese delivered. And it’s dumb, because real butter and kosher salt work for everything and cover a multitude of sins. You sprinkle the salt, which is too coarse to melt and too fine to crunch, on everything: the turkey, the brussels sprouts, the carrots, the potatoes. Nobody knows. They’ll just say, “Ooh, is this good!” Salt is basically coke for the palate. It makes everything seem inexplicably more exciting, more fun, and just generally better than it really is. Butter obviously is useful for adding to mashed potates, slathering on vegetables before they are roasted, mixing into the stuffing, and shmearing on hot, toasty bread reheated in the oven.

The One Thing You Can’t Blow Off

Your guests, relatives, and friends will give you a pass on a lot of things. But they won’t forgive you if you don’t put a turkey in front of them. That’s the whole point of the holiday, its only real meaning. (Let’s face it, nobody ever feels thankful for anything.) A man that can’t produce a turkey on Thanksgiving is a failure as a man. Get a fresh one, pull the weird stuff out of the middle, spread some butter on the thing and salt it liberally, and set it in a slow oven (300 degrees) for as many hours as the package recommends, minus one hour. If it’s not brown, open the door and turn on the broiler. If you don’t have a top-broiler, close the door and jack up the heat to maximum. Once it’s brown, take it out, let it sit there for half an hour, and then cut it up. And if you do it badly? You know what I’m going to say next.

Easiest Thanksgiving Veg: Escarole with Cranberries and Sliced Almonds

How are you all doing with Thanksgiving prep?

The holiday snuck up on me this year. Luckily I’ve been hosting Thanksgiving in my home for 7 years now and I have quite a few tried and true recipes. Even-though I’m a Thanksgiving veteran, I totally understand how people get freaked out about hosting especially if it’s for the first time. Thanksgiving is a big meal ,but it doesn’t have to be stressful if you stick to simple recipes. And by simple, I do not mean boring. Take a deep breath and break down the meal into courses. once you’ve done that, choose one basic recipe for each.

You don’t need to make it all fancy-schmancy-out-of-a-magazine perfect for the meal to be special and delicious. The turkey itself is pretty easy because all you do is season the bird, the oven does the rest. Honestly, as long as you have your cooking time down, you are golden. I refer to this calculator every year to calculate turkey cooking times. If you don’t have time to roast a whole bird or prefer less meat, why not try roasting just the breast. I love making this Super Moist Herbed Mayonnaise Turkey Breast. It’s crazy simple and yet so delicious!

I try to prepare appetizers, sides and salads that have a lot of flavor but don’t require a lot of work. One of my favorite sides is this Escarole with Cranberries and Sliced Almonds. It’s in season now and has a mild yet slightly sweet flavor which everyone usually loves. This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to prepare which means it can get thrown together at the very last minute with very little work. It’s also super budget friendly, flavorful and very healthy and cranberries and almonds make it very pretty on your table.

And when it comes to dessert (everyone’s favorite course), I say make-ahead all the way. Pies are great and can be made 2-3 days in advance depending on the type). This year, I’m making Sweet Potato Pie with Ginger. Mmmmmmm…. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

What are your Thanksgiving go-to recipes?

Escarole with Cranberries and Sliced Almonds

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 heads of escarole, washed throughly and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a very large pot (I use my dutch oven) over medium heat. Add in garlic and onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes.

Toss in escarole and stir to help it wilt. Pour in chicken stock and allow the greens to cook down, about 10-15 minutes—you want the greens to wilt down but not be overcooked. Once the greens are cooked, place them into a serving bowl and top with cranberries and almonds. Serve warm.

Christina Stanley-Salerno is a mama, recipe developer, food stylist, photographer and blogger atTakeBackYourTable.com. She loves cooking for and with her family. Life is hectic, but Christina is passionate about mealtime because she believes that family meals are the glue that holds everyone together. Creating simple, quick and healthy meals is her specialty and her trick to keeping the family meal a reality, even on busy weeknights.

Follow her on Twitter @TakeBackTables

A Little Place Called Assssspen…

Half the fun of discovering a new restaurant is sharing it with people you know will enjoy it. As Rachael Ray’s resident restaurant guru, here’s an inside look at what I report back to Rach about some of my favorite restaurant finds and food experiences!

From: Kappy

To: RR

Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 10:35am

Subject: A Little Place Called Assssspen…

Hey Rach - Sorry, I had to pull out the ol’ Dumb and Dumber line (yes, I’m a huge fan!). Anyway… I used to do regular summer trips to Aspen to work the Food & Wine Classic, but I hadn’t been back in a few years until recently. While I love going back for that stellar event, I never get tired of visiting my favorite local spots and, of course, checking out some new ones.

I kicked this trip off by picking up lunch from Johnny McGuire’s, a little local sandwich spot. I split a Philly Cheesesteak-style sandwich with grilled steak, onions, peppers and provolone and a “Trucker,” made with grilled turkey, bacon, barbecue sauce and cheddar. I know a Philly is a classic, but for the most part, their sandwiches are fun, original creations. We added their homemade potato chips in ranch flavor and BBQ. [image error]

For dinner that night a group of us headed to Su Casa for Mexican food. We had margaritas and chips and salsa, and I tried the Green Chile Pork Enchiladas. While it was a pretty straightforward meal, I’m a sucker for anything green chile, and I know you’re a suiza fan, too - this place will definitely satisfy your suiza craving.

I made at least a few morning trips to Paradise Bakery for a treat. And yes, when you walk in, they do say, “Welcome to Paradise.” They make fabulous muffins here (they’re square-shape) and really delicious filled croissants, such as ham and cheese. There’s not room to sit, but there are plenty of benches outside.

Another great morning (or lunch) spot is Main Street Bakery. I shared a table with a random group of people I didn’t know. While I had my order in mind, this group couldn’t stop talking about the SoCal Omelet, filled with bacon, pepper Jack cheese, avocado and salsa. It came with hash browns and was pretty tasty. I’m not a big omelet guy so when I do have one, it needs to be good, like, really good. They have amazing pastries here, too.

Another lunch spot along the lines of Johnny McGuire’s is The Big Wrap. As you might expect, they have…wraps. While I was craving their Caesar-Style Wrap with Chicken, you should also be sure to try their salad - it’s kind of Mexican-style with some rice on the bottom and then the salad and toppings placed over the top.

Now, it’s not light on the wallet, but I dropped into Matsuhisa for a light dinner with a couple friends. This is one of Nobu’s places. We sat at the bar and picked at the Creamy Spicy Crab,[image error] of course the Yellowtail Jalapeño (which is actually made with Serrano peppers)[image error] and some of the New Style Sashimi - “New Style” is thin slices of raw fish that has flavored hot oil drizzled over the top so it barely cooks the fish. If you want perfectly prepared, fresh sushi, Matsuhisa is the place to splurge.

I’m going to wrap up with one of my all-time favorites in Aspen: Ink Coffee. It’s your quintessential locals’ coffee shop, but beyond their regular coffee that keeps people coming back, they also mix flavored hot drinks as well as ice-blended drinks. I highly recommend the Black & White, a latte with black and white chocolate powder, or the White Chai, which is chai tea with white chocolate powder. Both can be done hot, but if it is hot outside, try them blended - they’re fantastic! [image error]

And that’s what’s on my plate!

~ Kappy

Johnny McGuire’s Deli

730 East Cooper Avenue

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 920-9255

www.johnnymcguires.com

Su Casa

315 East Hyman Avenue

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 920-1488

www.sucasaaspen.com

Paradise Bakery

320 South Galena Street

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 925-7585

www.paradisebakery.com

Main Street Bakery and Café

201 East Main Street

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 925-6446

The Big Wrap

520 East Durant Avenue

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 544-1700

Matsuhisa

303 East Main Street

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 544-6628

www.matsuhisaaspen.com

Ink Coffee

520 East Durant Avenue

Aspen, CO 81611

(970) 544-0588

www.inkcoffee.com

Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan loves food. A professionally trained chef, by day he runs Yum-o!, Rachael Ray’s charity focused on kids and cooking, and keeps special projects running smoothly for her. By night he hops course to course, place to place, all across the country. He’s Rach’s own personal dining guide! You can also follow Kappy on Twitter to see what’s On Kappy’s Plate in real-time!

You’re Expired!

To play on The Donald’s famous two words “You’re fired”, the same sorta holds true for make-up items since make-up manufacturers are not required to give dates.   But, I’ve done some research and chatted over time with a few of my beauty gurus (thank you Bobby Brown ‘n Janine at Revive!) to help us know when we need to say sayonara.   Not surprisingly one of the keys is to approach it much as we do food that’s gone bad by using our sense of smell and sight.  If something looks clunky, lumpy, smells bad or has changed color it’s time for it to go.  Face it girlfriends (no pun intended!): the things we use generally don’t last more than six months or if they do we’ve decided to move on to next seasons must have colors so take stock asap…. AND here are a few tips to help keep your make-up ‘fresh-enough’:

Don’t wet your eyeliner brush with your saliva. Doing that will leave it damp and breed bacteria on both the product and brush which may leave your eyes with a lovely ‘pinkish’ cast!
Throw away anything that smells, is discolored, chunky, or hardened

Water-based foundations last up to 12 months so if they get chunky and start to dry out add a few drops of alcohol-free toner and shake that baby.


Lengthen the life of your lipstick by keeping it cool in your fridge.
Limit pumping your mascara-the more you pump, the more you expose it the air which will dry it out faster
Use Q-tips or disposable applicators and sponges
Sharpen eye liner and lip pencils regularly
If you get an infection, chuck the brush or product pronto.
If brushes get stained or misshapen toss
Be selfish-never share your make-up or creams
Keep creams and fragrances out of light and humidity since it can spoil or change the scent.

Please note the expiration dates that follow apply ONCE OPENED…shelf life for non-opened items is generally 2-3 years.

MAKE-UP

Face/Blush/Bronze Powder: 1 years
Cream Blush: 6 months to 1 year
Foundation:

Water based: 6 months
Oil-based: 6 months


Concealer: 12 months
Lipstick: 1 year
Lip and Eye Pencils: 3-4 month
Liquid Eye Liner: 3 months
Mascara: 1.5-2 months
Eye Shadow: 1-2 years or until next season’s hot color replaces it!
Make-up brushes: 3-7 years depending upon care and quality.

[image error]

CREAMS

Eye cream: 6 yr.
Face cream: 1 yr.
Body: 1 yr.

MISCELLANEOUS

Nail polish: 1 year
Nail polish remover: None
Deodorant:

w/out Anti-perspirant: 1 year
w/Anti-perspirants: They follow FDA guidelines since they have ingredients in them that cause sweat to stop -check the bottom for expiration date.


Body Bleach: 6 months
Loofah stuff : 3 months (Be sure to squeeze out moisture after every use and hang dry to avoid mold and/or mildew growing. Discard if start deteriorating.)
Perfume: 1-2yrs.

For more tips from The Accidental Housewife visit julies tips

Cranberry Mulled Wine

I’m a sucker for all things “mulled” come winter holiday time. There’s something just so comforting and festive about the combination of aromas that make up mulling spices. Warm a sachet of fragrant mulling spices into some warming cider or wine and you are will be in beverage heaven.  And just the smell of mulling spices simmering on the stove brings an instant holiday atmosphere to your home. I cannot think of a better drink to serve to guests as they come into your home from the cold.

Mulling spices are easily found in many stores this time of year but you can easily put together a sachet of your own and while your at it, make a big batch and give it out as hostess gifts. You will not regret it.

[image error]

Mulled Wine

Serves 6



Ingredients:

3 cups cranberry juice

1 bottle of Cabernet or any favorite dry red wine

1/4 cup honey

3 cinnamon sticks

the peel of one orange

5 whole cloves

3 star anise

fresh cranberries to garnish

Instructions:

1. Place spices into a pre-made sachet (you can buy them in the spice aisle at the supermarket) or place them into a piece of cheesecloth and tie with a string. In a large saucepan, combine cranberry juice,with the sachet of spices, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Pour heat proof glasses and garnish with fresh cranberries.

Curry Club 2, Series 1: Breaking News, Balti Curry arrives in NYC

For those you who missed my post last week, I launched a pop-up event called The Curry Club bringing Anglo-Indian curries to British establishments around the city. Our first series is being kicked-off at The Jones Wood Foundry (right here in NYC), an embodiment of all things British. As patrons dunked toasted naan bread and rice pilaf into hot Goan shrimp curry, some felt they had been transported to the UK itself where a beer-and-Friday-night-curry is said to inaugurate the weekend.

Last Monday was our second Curry Club night. For many Brit expats, this one was really special. It was like re-uniting with a long lost relative; The Balti - a chicken of spice and succulence. Why so much emotion? Because the Balti was christened by the British, or to be precise, by the folk in Birmingham UK. In India, Balti refers to a bucket, but in the UK it is nothing less than juicy and tender pieces of chicken that are coated in a peppery sauce of  tadka (classic base of ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes) and a hit of vinegar. The dish is ‘comfort personified’ and even when non-expats walked through the doors of The Jones Wood Foundry, they understood what the fuss was about and were ready to assimilate.

Recipe for Balti Chicken

Ingredients
2 lb skinless chicken thighs, (with some bone)

Marinade

1 TSP. Ginger, minced
½ TSP. Garlic, minced
¾ Tsp. Salt
1 TSP. White wine vinegar

Balti

1/3 cup cooking oil
1 TSP. cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
2 Green cardamoms
1 ½ onion, finely diced
1 TBSP. ginger
1 TSP. garlic
½ TSP.  Haldi/ turmeric
½ TSP. chili powder/ cayenne pepper
1 TSP. Coriander powder, roasted and crushed
Salt (3/4 to 1 tsp)
½ TSP. fresh cracked pepper
1 heaped TSP. Kasturi methi, crushed by hand
1 TBSP. Tomato puree
3/4 can peeled plum tomatoes, crushed
1 Heaped TBSP. plain yoghurt
A handful of chopped cilantro

Method

Marinade

1) Combine chicken, vinegar, ginger, garlic and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside for 1 hour

Balti

1) Remove from chicken from refrigerator, cut in to medium-sized cubes

2) Heat oil, add cumin, as it darkens and sizzles around add onions, cook on high until it brown at sides and gets jammy (you should need to scrape bottom of pan as you mix as the onion sticks. If not, this indicates that the heat is not high enough and it will make your sauce a dirty brown color with a slushy texture)

3) Add ginger and garlic, cook to lose rawness and it turns golden. Add cayenne pepper, coriander powder, fresh cracked pepper, Kasturi mehthi, crushed by hand

4) Add tomato puree. Cook to remove rawness. Add crushed tomatoes. When oil separates, add sugar and add the chicken and continue to cook on high for 4 minutes. Add ¼ cup of hot water bring to boil, reduce to simmer.

5) When ¾ cooked through, add beaten yoghurt. Cook until yoghurt loses the milk color. Remove from heat and serve immediately with a garnish of chopped cilantro

Saira Malhotra, is of British –Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes