Contemplations & Cravings on the Blog
Things we think about and things we crave!
Making biscuits with Maw Maw started a lifelong kitchen tradition
These rustic sweet biscuits are easy to make and the ingredients are usually on hand.
Mollie Katzen's homemade pizza made easy even for a weeknight!
The drawback to homemade pizza crust is the time it takes the dough to rise. The good news is Mollie Katzen's crust freezes and can defrost on the counter to be baked when you get home.
Greek Appetizer Soup Makes a Wonderful Main Event!
With only 20 minutes in the kitchen, you can enjoy this restaurant classic without leaving home.
Valentine's Day just begs for red foods! What are your favorites?
Combining chocolate and the color red make for the perfect answer to Valentine entertaining.
One-Bowl Fudge* is perfect for a quick and easy Valentine that's sinfully rich!
What are your favorite variations on this quick and delicious One-Bowl Fudge?
What are you serving for the Super Bowl and where will you watch?
A little Saints, a little Stuffed Potato Skins makes the perfect Super Super Bowl combo for Alicia!
What’s your favorite type of make-at-home pizza crust? We really want to know!
What’s your favorite type of make-at-home pizza crust? The field is a lot more crowded now that ever before!
Grilled Cheese Your Way: Updating a classic for modern tastes
There’s nothing better than a real, old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich –- unless it’s a real, “New-Fashioned” Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
Easy and healthy Edamame Soup is a hit with our readers!
Lots of people emailed to tell us how much they loved Edamame Soup.
Serving sweet potatoes that aren't so sweet!
We’ve longed for a way to serve sweet potatoes without all of the sugar. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette is perfect!
Recipe ideas for a special Christmas breakfast
From Eggnog French Toast to Pumpkin Pancakes, we've got Christmas breakfast covered!
All-purpose quiche is really just a formula
My all-purpose, everyday quiche is built around a ratio of eggs to cream, with a lot of cheese and a few vegetables and perhaps meat thrown in for flavor.
Does anybody still have dinner parties anymore?
Are you giving any dinner parties this holiday season? Have you been invited to any? What did you serve or eat?
What are your favorite foods to fix for a potluck?
Holiday season means “Potluck Party Season” for us, but we expect it to be even more true with this year’s economy.
Bananas and Bread Pudding...Love them? Or NOT!
Bananas and bread pudding share a common thread: Those who love them really do, and those who don't? Well.....
101 Ways to Make Hot Artichoke Dip? Tell us your favorite!
This may be the most popular dip in history – and the simplest. How do you make Hot Artichoke Dip?
Holiday meals make essential memories: Guest Blogger Umit Celebi contemplates food as part of a lifelong story
Food plays the central role in the story of our basic survival. It is also an important supporting player in our life story. Never is that more apparent than the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the holiday itself.
President Obama isn't the only one who loves Pecan Pie!
Maybe if we all email this recipe to our friends and post it to our Facebook profiles, somehow it will wind its way to the White House. So help me out here people – it’s worth a try!
Rain can't completely cancel the California Walnut Harvest!
When Alicia got invited to the annual walnut harvest, she was pretty excited to be heading to sunny California in October. Who doesn’t love California at harvest time?
How walnuts get from the tree to you: A photo tour
Alicia toured California walnut orchards and processing plants to discover how the nutritious little nuggets get to her kitchen. Here's a photo tour!
Steak Diane that works even on a weeknight!
Traditional Steak Diane is prepared table-side in a flourish – butter, tenderloin, cream, brandy and a burst of flames. Quick by nature, it is easy to adapt to the desperation dinner table.How do you cook for an Empty Nest?
We’ve been putting this off for as long as we can, but now it’s time: We simply must learn to cook for an Empty Nest. Cooking for one or two isn’t always as easy as cutting a recipe in half.
Is heavenly Chocolate Bread Pudding worth the splurge?
If this warm, gooey Chocolate Bread Pudding was sitting in front of us at a dinner party we’d probably inhale it in 20 seconds flat. But how do you decide if it's really worth the calories?
One of life's best meals? Here's how I found mine among the grapevines!
Malbec wines, Chapter Two: After a woozy trip to the Legarde vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina, Beverly tries her luck at wine tasting once again. Here’s what she gleaned.
Beverly learns her lesson at a historic Malbec winery in Mendoza, Argentina
What happens when an unprepared wine novitiate gets airlifted into the middle of Argentina with more than 40 wineries and over 50,000 acres of vineyards? You live and learn!
Local Food and Local Knowledge with Liza Gyllenhaal: What a pickle!
Searching for the absolutely perfect pickle -- bread and butters, garlic pickles, half sour dills -- takes Liza Gyllenhaal on tasty journey.
Cheating on the dumplings still makes a fine Chicken Stew
Making Chicken Stew the way our grandmother's did requires a bit of ingenuity and a few substitutes. But it's all good!
Scrumptious Crock Pot Beef Stew has a few secret ingredients but it's the easiest, most delicious!
This is my beef stew secret. Alicia and I are both thrilled to have an official copy in our virtual recipe box. Let us know if you like it as much as we do.
Exactly what Is a curry? Guest Blogger Raghavan Iyer spills all!
In England and the rest of the world, “curry” is the catchall word for anything Indian that is mottled with hot spices, with or without a sauce. In Raghavan Iyer's India, curry just IS!
Ciabiatta with Chicken and Cheese: A sandwich you could fall in love with
True confessions: Beverly doesn’t really love sandwiches. Especially not for dinner. And then Alicia steps in to change her mind.
Can Overstuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes make a whole meal?
This steakhouse favorite is considered a side dish in a restaurant but our recipe for Overstuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes makes a filling entree.
Local Food and Local Knowledge with Liza Gyllenhaal: Cherry Tomatoes and Rainbow Chard
In Liza Gyllenhaal's garden, rainbow chard and cherry tomatoes pair up for an end-of-season feast.
Debbie Moose Munchies: Summer of the endless fig
Guest Blogger Debbie Moose is crazy for figs, and this summer, all of her figgy dreams come true.
A cookie recipe worth remodeling the kitchen for!
When a Kitchen Scoop reader told us she remodeled her entire kitchen around one cookie recipe, we knew we had to try them. Here they are, and are they terrific!
Are simple salad combos still the best?
Call us old-fashioned, but some flavor combos never need to change. Take this Southern summertime salad packed with red-ripe tomatoes and crisp cooling cukes. It's addictive.
We’re nostalgic for Pineapple-Banana Frozen Salad Cups
Retro recipe alert! Remember those frozen “salads” from the ‘50ies and ‘60ies that combined fruit, nuts, sour cream and, more often than not, mayonnaise?
BBQ Chicken fit for a man with a bit of beer and a lotta banjo!
At Beverly's house, Barbecued Chicken means a man with tongs, meat and fire who has an excuse to hide in the backyard, sip beer and play the banjo. Preferably for a very long time.
Dressing from Desperation Entertaining is a bit retro, but sweetly so!
There was a time when you couldn't say Spinach Salad without thinking Poppyseed Dressing. Never fear. For those in the mood to splurge on something slightly sweet with your salad, here's that dressing of old, complete with Poppyseeds.
Topsail White Shrimp is delicious in August -- or any time of year
Growing up on Topsail Island we waited anxiously for “white shrimp” to come into season. Every August boats trolled off the shore directly in front of our home in search of the largest, most succulent shrimp species North Carolina has to offer. Topsail White Shrimp Spaghetti is our tribute to this most delicious crustacean.
Iceberg Wedge Salad Sparks Passion....Love it .. or Really, Really Don't?
By her own admission, Jeanette Sanders is an adventurous eater and cook. But when it comes to the Iceberg Wedge Salad, she’s just not buying it! Here’s what she has to say:
Alicia's favorite authentic guacamole is simple and easy, but is it the best?
There are probably as many recipes for guacamole as there are people who love this Mexican specialty. Here's Alicia's favorite recipe.
Perfect chocolate-oatmeal cookie is an old-fashioned childhood dream
All I want is that simple recipe for no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies – you know, the kind the elementary school cooks make with oats, peanut butter, and cocoa.
So, how many figs can you get from a 99-cent plant? Just don't laugh!
Backyard figs bring fun all summer long.Local Food and Local Knowledge with Liza Gyllenhaal: Pass the peas, please
Every stage of a pea’s life is pretty to look at — just as every part of the pea itself is delicious to eat. Guest Blogger Liza Gyllenhaal shares her favorite recipes and tricks for her backyard bounty of freshly picked peas.
Crab and Artichoke Pizza Makes Entertaining Easy
This appetizer pizza is essentially topped with a jazzed-up version of an old Junior League cookbook standby – artichoke dip. (It’s not the healthiest concoction and that’s probably why everyone seems to love it so!)
Parfaits? Individual trifles? By any name this dessert is cool!
Here are the rules for making our new favorite summer dessert: Do not cook, throw it together in a jiffy, substitute ingredients at will, eat and enjoy!
Mango and Tomato Salsa: Versatile with Zip
This quick Mango and Tomato Salsa can go just about anywhere and go with just about anything, whether you scoop it up with tortilla chips or scatter it over your favorite fish.
Amazing Steaks to set your grill on fire!
Happy to report that Amazing Steaks really are amazing. A recipe that has a man begging for it every week? A recipe that has three ingredients? In my Humble O, it doesn’t get more obvious than that.
Remoulade Sauce: An all purpose dip, too?
Our Remoulade Sauce isn't quite classic, but it's easy and delicious. Whether you're using it to top poached salmon or as a sauce for shrimp cocktail, you're going to love it.
Good Morning America Grills on the Sidewalk!
Fourth of July usually means you are going to grill. Some years that can happen in the oddest places on Earth. Probably the most fantastic (or oddest) place I have ever grilled is the sidewalk outside the studios of Good Morning America.
Cilantro: Love it or hate it?
Next time you need a good conversation starter, ask folks how they feel about cilantro.
Garden chives transform chicken, salmon and more
Almost all the things Liza Gyllenhaal likes to cook with chives from her garden are simple and quick. Perhaps her favorite is chicken breasts stuffed with chevre, chives, and any other herbs you might have on hand. But there’s more…
Making great gazpacho
I crave cold soups in the summer. Nothing is more refreshing than a bowl of crisp, cool vegetables in a robust soup base. However, cold soup is not an easy sell to my family. It can be downright hard in fact. So here’s what I did:
Online video shows the art of the Mojito muddle
If you want to make a terrific Mojito, it all comes down to the exact Art of the Muddle. The right muddler doesn't hurt. Thanks to this video at ChowHound.com we finally figured it out.
Microwave bearnaise is foolproof, fast and fabulous
To make a béarnaise sauce in the authentic French tradition you have to stand at the stove and hope. It’s not easy. But our microwave replica is foolproof, fast and fabulous.
Congrats to our banana bread contest winner!
Announcing our first “random” contest winner here on Kitchen Scoop, and thanks to everyone who sent us favorite “add-ins” for banana bread recipes! Here's what you told us...
Will pizza hate you in the morning?
It’s not that I crave delivery pizza, it’s just that there’s nothing easy to cook and besides, I’m tired. But then it arrives, and frankly, I hate myself about an hour and a half later.
It’s greasy and doesn’t taste all that good. And I’ve just spent $16 plus tip. Now I have two reasons to hate myself. What to do?
Make Greek Potato Salad and meet the neighbors!
Guest Blogger Debbie Moose is an expert: You can’t make just one serving of potato salad. If you love potato salad and have a small family, better get to know your neighbors.
Can Potato Salad Be Very Variable?
Potato salad isn’t necessarily the first thing you might think of as being all that versatile. There’s your Mom’s amazing recipe or the stuff in the supermarket deli case, right?
Chocolate “Fondue” with Strawberries is sinfully good
If it’s strawberry season we look for every excuse to eat them. This recipe is sort of feels like cheating – (cheating on what exactly we’re not sure) -- but it’s sinfully good.
Has anybody seen this Caramel Cake?
If you know where I might find a recipe for authentic Southern Caramel Cake, please let me know. If you’re able to offer technical consultation, that’d be great too!
Teenage Spaghetti Madness: Verdict is in!
The verdict for my grand Spaghetti Madness experiment: A huge success! Daughter Grey and her friend Jessica Austin made four batches of My Best-Ever Salvation Spaghetti yesterday.
My never-fail, constantly-craved, salvation spaghetti
For a long time the idea that there could be anything at all special about my spaghetti sauce made no sense to me. It was just too easy. Too fast. Too un-Italian and very, very un-gourmet.
Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad? Grandma would approve
Chicken salad shows up at the table with all manner of fancy ingredients these days – from fruit to nuts to sour cream to who-knows-what. But back in the day, as our grandmothers might have said, things were a bit simpler.
Refrigerator Tweets A Sad Commentary?
My son will be home from college in just a few hours and I fear I’m out of practice cooking for four. After spotting my Tweets on the sad state of my refrigerator capacity, several friends on Facebook offered comments.
Microwave Risotto Method Is Extraordinary
We first heard about making risotto in the microwave 22 years ago, and people are still talking about it. Few recipes excite experienced food lovers to this degree, and in her 1987 cookbook Microwave Gourmet, Barbara Kafka indeed hit on something extraordinary.
Immortalize Yourself with Baked Beans
Want to go down in history? Share your favorite recipes. Even baked beans may be enough to keep your memory alive for generations.
Share the art of homemade banana bread
We’ve frankly never met a banana bread we didn’t like. It’s called bread, but isn’t it really just cake in disguise?
Chipotle restaurant's chicken is easy to grill at home
When my son Sam was eating way too much fast food from Chipotle, I set out to “help” him curb the habit. The result was a terrific Copycat Chipotle Chicken that you can grill at home.
Is Banana Bread Worth the Calories?
At a certain age, you have to ponder whether eating the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is worth the calories.
Crock Pot Risotto wows newspaper readers
People are passionate about risotto but it seems too difficult to make at home. Alicia’s Crock Pot version was a hit when we published the recipe in our newspaper column.
Introducing Kitchen Scoop!
Kitchen Scoop is a blog site where we’ll be dishing on everything from what we’re cooking tonight to food trends, healthy eating updates and general food news. We invite you to join the conversation.
Can a website change your life?
Back in the dark ages of dial-up, a friend uttered what turned out to be a prophetic statement: The Internet will transform society when women decide to shop on it.
Go ahead: Cave in to your craving for peanut sauce
“I’ve cleaned out my refrigerator and I couldn’t bear to waste this peanut sauce," Alicia said before heading out on vacation. "Use it as a dip for chicken.”
By the third day chicken didn't stand a chance. Peanut sauce was going straight from the Tupperware into my greedy little mouth.
Frosting for Your Feet
How fair is it when the only excellent genes you inherited govern body parts located strictly below the knee? This post isn’t exactly about food -- unless you’re hoping somebody will nibble on your toes.
Menu planning doesn't have to be complicated
Back when we were growing up in the South dinner wasn’t dinner without meat, potatoes and two or three other vegetables on the side. But how little can you put on the plate and feel good about calling it dinner?
Snow Day Pulls Out the Pantry
Quick pantry items to have on hand for snow days (or any desperate day, really!)
