Posts tagged ‘weekend links’

Weekend links, April 2

First time making preserves at home (after learning here and here) – one batch of strawberry kumquat, one batch of strawberry vanilla. 

First: my Gram is visiting for a week, so this is pretty appropriate.

And speaking of my Gram – I stick by my go-to chocolate chip cookies, but here’s a super helpful guide to helping you make the chocolate chip cookies of your dreams.

I should probably play around with these natural food coloring options sometime soon.

There’s no denying it’s spring – so why am I obsessed with the thought of this roasted applesauce?

Now that I have a ridiculous amount of strawberry preserves, I’m on the search for good applications – first thought is jam sandwiched between some of these (minus the cocoa nibs).

Apparently these no-flour, no-butter peanut butter cookies are some sort of a big deal – I’ve never heard of them, but I’m pretty sure I should make them.

Made this for dessert a few nights back, and she’s right – ridiculously easy, and ridiculously good. Just make sure you have some vanilla ice cream in your freezer.

p.s. Strawberry kumquat preserves, gin, and sparkling water is a pretty good idea.

Weekend links, March 26 (and a new site feature!)

Front porch appetizers with Carolyn.

First, I’m really excited about a new site feature I added today – Ask Bowen Appétit. If you have any questions in or out of the kitchen, related to recipes on this site or any other, submit away!

Really excited about Mark Bittman’s new book. Looks like it could be a new American classic, perfect for people learning how to cook.

Love, LOVE this restaurant concept. Bring on the grandmas!

Haven’t been able to get this recipe out of my mind for the past few days, and I can’t wait to try it (maybe with some homemade strawberry jam?).

I already didn’t know why I’ve waited so long to read Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal, but after reading this interview with her I know I need to get my hands on a copy asap.

My Gram is coming to town for a week – her first visit aside from a graduation or my wedding, which means we’ll actually get to spent time with each other and see things around Los Angeles this time. I couldn’t be more excited! We’ll be criss-crossing Southern California seeing the sights and eating lots of tasty things, with plans including a night here, an LA Master Chorale concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall (featuring a solo by one of my best friends), and an evening making some of this.

And speaking of Gram, you might be pleased to know that an experiment has determined that her world-famous chocolate chip cookies can be made in a smaller size. It made me cry a bit to have to try this, but I made them for a little catering job and I suppose not everyone wants jumbo cookies all the time. As long as you don’t overbake them, they still have a pretty good texture. Don’t go under half-size or so, which would be a 1 ounce or golf ball-sized scoop.  I would recommend fitting 10 on a sheet (I tried 12 and they ran into each other quite a bit).

Weekend links, March 19

The view from Ryan Mountain, Joshua Tree

Between vacation last week, preparations for final exams in my culinary class, and what appears to be kind of a slow internet week, food-wise, I don’t have much to share today. But this New York Times exploration of the life of cookbook ghostwriters was super interesting. (What, you didn’t know those celebrity chefs don’t actually write those things?)  And I spent some time on this site this morning, supplying myself for an exciting new kitchen project.

Finally, if you’re looking for some inspiration to make a change in your life (and particularly in your work), there are some pretty good options here.

Have a great week!

Weekend links, March 12

Making chevre, Foodcrafting 101 workshop on Saturday. (More on that later.)

Just in time for … well, anything, The Kitchn published two posts on forgotten gin cocktails. Part 1 (lemon-based) and Part 2 (lime-based).

A clever, artsy project re-imagining how we store food based on how it actually should be stored.

Food that looks good tastes better. A few tips on plating like a pro.

What does a kitchen look like when it has 33 ovens, 3,000 cookbooks, and an annual grocery bill of a cool half million? A tour of the America’s Test Kitchen kitchens.

A peek into the life of a recipe developer. Looks kind of like my life, some days. (Let’s talk about those ginger-molasses cookies …)

A bit about the science of taste and the importance of using all our senses in eating. (Did you know that part of why airplane food tastes so bad is because there’s so much constant noise around while you’re eating it?) This is an NPR transcript and a little obnoxious to read in that form, but still super interesting.

And one last thing – just updated the post on my favorite spätzle recipe, which you should make post haste.

Have a great week, everyone!

Weekend links, March 5

Friday afternoon at The Getty. LA is kind of pretty sometimes, I admit. 

All I want lately is roasted vegetables. (And cake, and bourbon. But let’s focus on the roasted veggies …) Here are some good ideas for changing up the roasted veggie game.

Permaculture urban food forest. Four things I love, even better together. Way to go, Seattle.

Speaking of cake and bourbon, here’s a cake that should just be called Bowen Temptation Cake.

A social history of white bread, written by our cousin’s professor at Whitman. (Speaking of which – Professor of Food Politics? Almost makes me want to get a PhD. Almost …)

It’s a super busy week ahead, including two little catering jobs, three teaching nights, and a daylong workshop on Saturday. And more posts to write! Lots of fun stuff coming up, including a lovely pink cake, some sweet-tart little citrus-coconut tartlets, and a recap of the fantastic Medieval desserts (yes, for real) workshop we did at The Getty on Friday. Stay tuned!