Indholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2020 i Cuisine at home

EGGS & CHOLESTEROL: WHAT GIVES? Eggs are beloved by many people, in many cultures. So it was a pretty big downer when the nutrition police told everyone to stop eating them. High cholesterol and heart disease were on the line. But eggs have since been exonerated. In 2015, one of the biggest headline-makers from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was that we don’t need to worry about dietary cholesterol anymore. It was one big medical “never mind!” The original guidance to avoid eggs had been based on mostly short-term studies, from which the evidence wasn’t nearly as strong as that available in recent years. Back then, all three types of fat were locked up together, and only more recently was unsaturated fat proven innocent and released from the slammer, whereas…

While buying pre-ground coffee is convenient and makes a fine cup o’ Joe (if you store it properly), for a fresher, better, and bolder tasting cup, you’ll want to grind your own beans. With that in mind, we tested several top-rated grinders, putting them through the paces, going through many pounds of beans, and making over 20 pots of coffee to determine the pros and cons of each. To keep things fair, we used the same brand and roast of beans, ground them for three different brewing methods — drip, Chemex, and French press — checked the grounds for uniform size and to make sure they matched the grinders coarseness setting, then brewed and sampled the coffee. These are our findings. But first, let’s take a step back. When it…

IN ITS MOST BASIC FORM, a meringue is simply egg whites whipped with sugar. The air whipped into the whites causes them to foam and increase in volume (by up to eight times), while the sugar stabilizes the foam as well as sweetens it. Sometimes a stabilizing agent, such as cream of tartar, lemon juice, or distilled white vinegar is added. From soufflés to pie toppings to cookies and Pavlova (see page 79), meringue can be served any number of ways. But not all meringues are the same. There are in fact three major types: French, Swiss, and Italian. The distinction depends on how the key ingredients — egg whites and sugar — are combined and whether any heat is involved in the process. This is an overview of the…

Grind coffee beans just before brewing them — you want their aromatic oils in your cup, not evaporating into the air. No matter what brewing method you prefer, the biggest factor is the coffee-to-water ratio. Use 2 Tbsp. ground coffee for every 6–8 oz. water, and don’t skimp! If you don’t use enough coffee, the grounds will over-extract and produce a bitter brew. Don’t eyeball it; measure the number of ounces your pot holds to determine how much coffee you need to use.…

THE BUZZ | WHAT’S YOUR MUST-HAVE COOKING INGREDIENT? Take a look in your fridge or pantry. Is there an ingredient that’s ALWAYS there, that somehow ends up in most of your cooking, that you’d feel lost without? From some of his earliest memories, and even this very morning, John has had peanut butter on the brain. Haley at one point had four jars of mayonnaise in her fridge. And Amanda loves lemons, but hides them from her mom, who hates lemon in savory dishes, and can sniff out the slightest bit. Do you have a must-have ingredient? Let us know what your favorites are on Facebook or Instagram by using the hashtag #musthaveit and don’t forget to tag us @cuisineathome. WHAT’S TRENDING AT CUISINE LET’S MAKE A MEAL So, you…

AN ARTICHOKE IS A VERY UNIQUE LOOKING vegetable that really comes to life once cooked. How anyone ever discovered this is a conundrum. It’s considered a perennial thistle, characterized by prickly petals, and only parts of the artichoke can be consumed. The outside of the artichoke bulb features green petals, which, for the most part, are stringy, fibrous, and not ideal to eat. The edible portion is at the bottom of the petals, where there’s a tiny bit of soft flesh. The outermost layers tend to be the toughest — the leaves get softer as you get closer to the center. Once you reach the center, it’s necessary to remove the inedible choke to enjoy the best part of the artichoke — the tender heart. A member of the sunflower…

1. Brown eggs are no better for you than white ones. The shell color, along with the size, reflects the breed of chicken the egg came from. 2. For most people’s health, it doesn’t matter if you eat eggs whole or just the whites, unless you’re watching calories. 3. In Europe and elsewhere, or if you raise chickens yourself or get them from a farmers’ market, eggs don’t need refrigeration. This is because eggs have a naturally protective outer layer. With commercially produced eggs in the United States, they need refrigerating because that layer is power-washed off. This occurs because of USDA concerns about eliminating any dirt on the shell that could pose a food safety risk. Except this practice actually makes the porous shell vulnerable to contamination. Seems ludicrous,…

FRESHER EGGS produce a more stable meringue because they’re more viscous and more acidic, while OLDER EGGS produce more volume because they’re less viscous and less acidic. COLDER EGG WHITES are easier to separate and make a more stable meringue, but they take longer to whip. ROOM TEMPERATURE EGG WHITES produce more volume because they’re easier to whip air into. BREAK EGGS, one at a time, on a flat surface. Separate each egg into two small bowls — one for the yolk and one for the white. Make sure the white contains no traces of yolk, then transfer it to your mixing bowl. FAT INTERFERES with the development of egg white foams (and egg yolks contain fat). THE MIXING BOWL, as well as the whisk or beaters, should be impeccably…

SPRING HAS SPRUNG, and we’re here to make the most of all the seasonal produce that comes with it. And what better way to highlight the tart and sweet flavors of rhubarb and strawberries than a fuss-free galette? The beauty of this dessert is there’s no pressure for perfectly crimped edges. Instead, all you need to do for this rustic pastry is fold and go. This is one dessert that will make even novice bakers feel like a professional. And if you’re like some of us who have a plethora of rhubarb popping up right about now, it’s always fun to find new ways to put it to good use. Thank you James for this simple, yet flavorful treat. James Baggett is a Senior Editor for our sister publication, Garden…

How can I naturally dye eggs for Easter? Ginny Godwin, Deerfield Beach, FL It’s simple. Heat 4 cups water plus 2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar in a pot to a boil. Add your dye ingredients (see below) for the color you want; simmer dye for 30 minutes, then let cool. Strain the dye; add hard-cooked eggs and let them soak at least 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator (depending upon how vibrant you want the color to be). Then remove the eggs from the dye and pat them dry. For yellow, add 6 green tea bags. For pink, add 4 cups chopped beets. For blue, add 4 cups chopped red cabbage. For orange, add 4 cups yellow onion skins. And for silver/lavender, omit the vinegar, combine…

BREAD BLISS I love baking bread in my cast-iron cookware, but transferring the dough into the hot Dutch oven without burning my hands is tricky. To solve this, I place the dough on my cast-iron pizza pan. (TK note: we used a baking stone.) I cover the bread with the Dutch oven and bake, uncovering for the last 15 minutes. The bread bakes just like being in a Dutch oven, coming out perfectly, without burned hands. DENNIS KIHLSTROM ELROY, AZ HANDY TIMESAVERS WARM UP Keeping vegetables hot at the table used to be a problem, but not anymore — now I heat the serving bowl. Just add boiling water to the dish, let it stand a few minutes until it’s hot, then discard the water, dry it, and add the…

IF YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE US, you’re done with winter once the calendar flips from February to March, even though you still might need that sweater. You start seeking out fresh spring vegetables and crave meals that are a bit lighter. These menus are a sample of the best the season has to offer. Lamb is a quintessential springtime favorite, and a side of seasonal roasted vegetables is all this meal needs. Plus, it’s simple enough for a weeknight, yet elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. You begin seeing other seasonal ingredients like watercress, frisée, and pea shoots, which when combined, create a flavorful salad — perfect to pair with the lightly sweetened maple-glazed chicken breasts. As simple as it seems, it’s out-of-this-world. And since we’re not completely done…

Frankly, people do judge a book by its cover. In the grocery store, you’ll see egg cartons swaddled in so many labels, they might remind you of vintage suitcases stamped with alluring stickers of destinations visited. An egg carton may feature depictions of bright rays of sunshine, cherry-red barns, or cartoon images of deliriously happy hens. On price, you see a significant spectrum. The labels range from meaningless to meaningful, with some gray area in between. The following labels, like Natural and Farm-Fresh, are meaningless — nothing but marketing: NO HORMONES This goes without saying in the egg industry. Hens that lay eggs aren’t allowed to be given hormones. All eggs are no-hormone eggs. UNITED EGG PRODUCERS CERTIFIED This voluntary program looks impressive on a label but acts as the…

CAST-IRON COOKWARE is a favorite in our Test Kitchen due to its supreme heat retention, the nonstick properties of the cooking surface, plus its durability. It’s the best for searing and creating crisp surfaces on anything that goes inside it, plus it’s great for baking, too! It really is a kitchen workhorse. From breakfast through dessert these seven recipes really put your cast-iron cookware to work. For breakfast, this French Toast Casserole is the best of creamy, custardy French toast, but with crisp edges and crunchy streusel, you’ll wonder why you never thought to make it this way. And Blueberry Pancakes with a luscious blueberry syrup are a delicious reason to invest in a cast-iron griddle pan, if you don’t already own one. For dinner, check out the Tamale Pie,…

LIGHT • Beans are very dry • Coffee is bright and fruity with zesty acidity • Often called Cinnamon or Half City roast • Frequently used in coffee blends MEDIUM • Beans have small droplets of oil • Coffee has medium body and acidity • May be named American, Breakfast, or City roast • Often used in blends DARK • Beans are very shiny with oil • Coffee is full-bodied and bittersweet with low to no acidity • Typically called Italian, French, or Espresso roast UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX WORLD OF COFFEE is a little like trying to understand wine — it can be intimidating, to say the least. But you don’t have to be an aficionado to brew a great cup of coffee at home. You just need to pay…

TWO QUINTESSENTIAL TREATS adored in Australia are Lamingtons and Pavlova. Both of these iconic desserts rely on whipped eggs, for their light and airy textures in their own unique way. One bite of either dessert will have you floating on cloud nine. Lamingtons are sweet, buttery, and light sponge cakes, filled with raspberry jam, coated in chocolate ganache, and rolled in toasted coconut. Yes, it’s just as lovely as it sounds! And in case you needed another reason to fall in love with meringue all over again, insert Pavlova. A crisp meringue shell with a marshmallowy center, topped with creamy whipped topping, and red berries is simply divine. Lamingtons with raspberry centers Desiccated coconut is fresh coconut that’s been shredded, flaked, or ground, then dried, but not sweetened. Makes 16…