Having one tool that excels at a wide variety of tasks鈥攁 quiver killer as we like to say at 国产吃瓜黑料鈥攊s a truly beautiful thing. Needing fewer items to do the activities you love is both satisfying and practical. But more often than not, the attempt to make something capable of doing many things makes it mediocre at all of them. Every once in a while, though, I test something that does everything I ask of it so well that it eliminates my need for adjacent items. After extensively testing Benchmade鈥檚 customizable (from $270), part of its new , I鈥檓 planning to clear out the knife drawer in my kitchen.

Over the past seven years, I have tested hundreds of knives for 国产吃瓜黑料鈥�in both the everyday carry (EDC) and kitchen categories鈥攊ncluding many of Benchmade鈥檚 blades, which are some of the most esteemed in the tactical and EDC worlds. While I have always expected a pocket knife to do absolutely everything in my day to day life, I assumed you needed a series of specialized blades in the kitchen. I even advocated buying a special cleaver just for carving your Thanksgiving bird. But this belief changed with the Station, which I have found to be capable of any kitchen task after dozens of testing hours cutting tens of pounds of produce and poultry.

My tests ranged from dicing hundreds of spicy peppers for pickling to thin-slicing ripe tomatoes to breaking down five whole chickens. The Station dominated all of the tasks for three main reasons: an innovative blade shape, a ridiculously comfortable handle, and a remarkable sharpness that held incredibly well over two months of hard use.

The blade looks like the lovechild of a chef’s knife and a paring knife. The bottom two-thirds of the six-inch blade has a similar profile to that of a traditional chef鈥檚 knife. But the two inches at the top feature a dramatic angle from the spine to the tip, which makes for a delicate point. The result is a knife that was hearty enough to cut out a chicken鈥檚 backbone for spatchcocking but could still core the top of a ripe tomato.

After I saw how well it worked in my kitchen, I wanted a more nuanced explanation of why the Station knife is so versatile. So I called Kyle Mendenhall,听the executive chef for the Big Red F restaurant group in Denver and a member of the panel that helped test and develop Benchmade鈥檚 culinary line. 鈥淎 chef鈥檚 knife is designed to do 90 percent of all culinary tasks,鈥� Mendenhall says. 鈥淵ou are covered for those with this handle and rear of the blade, and the other 10 percent is covered with the very fine tip that allows you to get into nooks and crannies.鈥�

A knife that utilitarian needs an edge to match, and I was not disappointed. The Station is keenly sharp and holds that edge well thanks to an alloy that Benchmade developed for its EDC and tactical lines. Most culinary knives are made from either high-carbon steel or low-carbon stainless steel. While extremely hard and able to produce a fine edge, high-carbon steel knives need to be sharpened frequently because they don鈥檛 handle abrasion well. Low-carbon stainless steel is very corrosion-resistant, but is not as hard, so the edge can be deformed over time.

Benchmade started with low-carbon stainless and added carbon, chrome, and other alloys to create carbides (extremely hard compounds) in the blades. These deliver better edge retention while maintaining corrosion resistance. The result: I used my Station Knife to slice centimeter thick tomato slices this morning after two months of abuse and haven鈥檛 sharpened it once. Even more impressively, Mendenhall says he only needed to run his Station knife over a steel once in the past six months鈥攈e normally sharpens his culinary blades before every use.

On the blade鈥檚 spine, a bevel was a nice touch that minimized thumb-rub during extended cutting sessions. Beyond the blade, the large handle of the model I tested featured laminate (Benchmade offers and handles, too), which had just enough texture for cutting when my hands were slippery with chicken grease but still felt smooth during hour-long chopping sessions.

You can just tell this knife is well made. But if there were any doubts, I recently went to Benchmade鈥檚 factory in Oregon City, Oregon, to see where they鈥檙e crafted. Each Station knife had at least 17 people work on it as it was built over the course of 36.5 hours. That attention to quality comes through in every detail of the finished product.

Needless to say, the Station made me rethink my culinary knife collection. I have an emotional connection to each of them. One reminds me of the thousands of cucumbers I chopped during the summer I learned how to pickle. Another reminds me of how proud my dad was when I expertly carved a turkey while hosting Thanksgiving. But after using Benchmade鈥檚 newest blade, I realize that I can complete those tasks and many more with just one knife. It will be tough, but I plan on donating most of them.

The post Benchmade鈥檚 New Kitchen Knife Does It All appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Mycologist Charles Lefevre was always taught that Oregon truffles were no good. As a PhD student in mycology at Oregon State University (OSU)听in the late 1990s, he put himself through school by foraging wild mushrooms and selling them to local restaurants, but he never messed with truffles, which were considered more of a novelty than a coveted ingredient. The few he encountered on menus were either bland or rotten.

At that time, the native truffles had several factors working against them. First, there were no truffle dogs in the Pacific Northwest. Harvesters used rakes, sieving the soil around Douglas fir trees and pulling up every truffle in the stand regardless of size or ripeness.

Second, Oregon truffles don鈥檛 start to ripen until mid-January, but what little demand there was for native truffles tended to be around the holidays, the traditional time to enjoy European truffles. The result was that the truffles that came to market had all the allure of unripe peaches.

Third, Oregon truffles have a very short shelf life, so the ones that weren鈥檛 underwhelming people with their woodenness were often terrifying them with their unholy excrescences.

The fourth factor was a consequence of the other three. The unloved truffles sold for about $25 per pound. At that rate, there was no incentive for better handling, or more attentive harvesting, or even for learning about the truffles. Consumers and chefs just steered clear, believing the only good truffles came from Europe.

Charles, however, was fascinated by all truffles. He knew the French and Spanish had been successfully cultivating black winters for decades, but that pioneers had struggled to do so in North America. While still in grad school, he invented new ways to inoculate tree seedlings with black winter spores, and launched in 2000, seeding America鈥檚 new wave of truffle love.

But native truffles? Charles didn鈥檛 take them seriously until he began foraging for his own, also while in grad school. 鈥淓very year I wanted to find something bigger and better than what I鈥檇 found before,鈥� he says as we chased after his two dogs, Lagotto Romagnolos named Dante and Mocha, in a forest in Oregon鈥檚 Willamette Valley. 鈥淵ou know, I鈥檇 found chanterelles, but then I wanted to find porcinis! Eventually I reached a point where I鈥檇 found everything except truffles. All the expert mycologists were at OSU, so I asked them.鈥�

His professors told him to look in dense stands of old Douglas fir, which was wrong. 鈥淯nbelievably, even at OSU, nobody knew what good truffle habitat was! The commercial harvesters knew, but they weren鈥檛 talking.鈥�

After one typical day of failure, Charles pulled his car over to the side of the road to take a leak. He stepped into a stand of young Douglas fir, planted on what had been pastureland just 15 years before. Bladder relieved, he decided to poke around just for the heck of it. 鈥淎nd there were truffles!鈥�

They were Oregon whites. Over time, Charles figured out where they lived. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very specific type of habitat,鈥� he says. 鈥淧astureland planted with Doug fir, near existing Doug fir. That series of events only takes place on private land, typically on smaller parcels. It鈥檚 nearly always in somebody鈥檚 backyard.鈥�

In other words, Oregon truffles aren鈥檛 just in symbiosis with trees. They鈥檙e in symbiosis with us, too. Edge species, they work with seedlings to colonize new areas, and the modern Pacific Northwest gave them a bonanza.

Charles believes the current abundance of truffles in Oregon and Washington is a result of grazing becoming less profitable in recent decades. Landowners planted their pastures in Douglas fir in hopes that Christmas trees would save them. Those open, airy, 15-year-old stands are truffle factories, the Pacific Northwest version of France鈥檚 19th-century听truffle boom.

By the early 2000s, through his work with New World Truffieres, Charles had experienced truffles all over the world. At the same time, he was foraging native truffles for fun. And one day, he had a revelation. 鈥淚 had these Oregon truffles that I鈥檇 harvested recreationally in my refrigerator,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd even though all the experts out there suggested that they were nothing but poor, inexpensive substitutes for the real thing, every time I opened the refrigerator, this powerful blast of truffle came out. So it seemed like they were being overlooked. And it seemed like there was an opportunity to redeem this species.鈥�

Charles suspected raking had put the native truffles in the doghouse. He鈥檇 seen dogs in action in Europe, and knew they followed their noses to ripe truffles. Obviously, rakers couldn鈥檛 do that, and wouldn鈥檛 bother, anyway鈥攁s a general rule, the people raking truffles in the spooky forests of the Pacific Northwest have quick cash on their minds, not culinary excellence. Only dogs could redeem Oregon鈥檚 truffles.

But how do you jump-start a culture of truffle dogs where they鈥檝e never existed? Well, for one thing, you need to significantly raise the price of truffles, and the only way to do that is to convince chefs and foodies that these things are special.

With that realization, the Oregon Truffle Festival (OTF) was born. It would be in late January, when the native truffles are at their peak. It would feature rigorous quality control and top-notch culinary creativity.

And it would be dog-centric.

Not only would that improve the quality of the truffles, it would also be good for the forests. Raking disturbs the soil. In a wilderness area, it can be profoundly destructive. 鈥淚n an older forest, where the soil biome has developed over decades or centuries, there鈥檚 so much interdependency,鈥� Charles says. 鈥淥nce that鈥檚 disturbed, the biome dies off, and the recovery process can take decades.鈥�

Fortunately, most truffles aren鈥檛 found in those areas. 鈥淭hese stands of trees that are producing truffles are very young, simple systems,鈥� Charles says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not wilderness. So the act of raking isn鈥檛 necessarily any more destructive than what was happening when it was a pasture. I just think there鈥檚 a better way to do it. When you use a dog, you get better truffles. The aesthetics are better, the prices are better, and it鈥檚 less work. Besides, working with a dog in the forest is part of the mystique. There鈥檚 just no reason not to use a dog.鈥�

The first festival, in 2006, was a simple affair, but it has grown into a four-day blowout. It kicks off on Thursday with the Joriad North American Truffle Dog Championship, in which amateur pooches from far and wide compete to sniff out the most truffles. The first few years of competition were dominated by Lagotto Romagnolos and other scent-work specialists, but in 2018, Gustave the Chihuahua crashed the field, captivated the crowd, and turned the Joriad into a national sensation, reminding everyone that America is the land of opportunity.

The Joriad ends with a Parade of Dogs, an awards ceremony, and a truffle dinner. The rest of the weekend includes a grower鈥檚 forum for pros and wannabes, a two-day dog-training workshop, and an evening Mercato del Tartufo, where local restaurants show off outr茅 concoctions that would never grace a proper European table, like truffle cream puffs, truffle ice cream, truffle pizza, and truffle cocktails. There鈥檚 a legit wild-truffle hunt and a tour of a local truffiere (land used to cultivate truffles). And then the whole thing culminates with the Grand Truffle Dinner: 300听people, six playful courses, no holds barred.

What I notice after a couple of days at the OTF听is the pioneering spirit, the sense of discovery and egalitarianism. With no weight of tradition, anything goes, and anyone can be a part of it. It鈥檚 grassroots, it鈥檚 goofy, and no one鈥檚 really doing it for the money. They鈥檙e doing it for the dogs.

This canine corps has transformed the reputation of Northwest truffles, and chefs have noticed. Prices for dog-harvested truffles have risen to several hundred dollars per pound, and Oregon truffles are becoming a highlight of the terroir.

A win for local gastronomy, says Charles, and for the forest economy. An acre of Douglas fir can produce thousands of dollars鈥� worth of truffles every year, which means the trees are worth more alive than cut. Leaving the trees standing is hugely beneficial for wildlife, for carbon sequestration, and for protecting stream banks where salmon spawn, many of which have been degraded by cattle. 鈥淭hose trees end up producing more value than the cows ever did!鈥� says Charles. There are even B&Bs beginning to market themselves and their forested backyards as truffling destinations. It鈥檚 all part of a remarkable awakening, a discovery of goodness that was hiding in plain sight.

Excerpted with permission from Bloomsbury Publishing from Truffle Hound by Rowan Jacobsen, copyright Rowan Jacobsen 2021

The post The Key to Jump-Starting Oregon鈥檚 Truffle Industry? Dogs. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

You may not often encounter 鈥渂urgeoning鈥� and 鈥渒elp鈥� in the same sentence, but the seaweed is truly having a moment. With its high levels of B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iodine, and more, kelp has developed a reputation among nutritionists鈥攂ut it鈥檚听more than good for the body. Growing kelp soaks up excess nitrogen and carbon in the water,听which听can protect听the ecosystem from disastrous imbalances.听Kelp farms can even protect against shoreline erosion by creating a barrier between land and sea.

Last year, New York fisherman Sean Barrett pivoted from fishing to kelp, with the idea of operating a kelp听CSA. The plan for his nascent company,听, was essentially听to听sell shares of听seaweed听in the same way that a听farm sells shares of fruits and vegetables.鈥淲e signed up probably close to 75 or 80 people,鈥� he says.听Barrett, who听cofounded听the decade-old community-supported fishery program , says that the idea for the company lay in听generating听enthusiasm for an ingredient with which many remain听unfamiliar. The response was enthusiastic: 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen more eager and excited exclamation points: 鈥業 can鈥檛 wait. Let us know ASAP!鈥欌�� Barrett says.

Kelp farming is a 听in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and New England. The crop,听which can be eaten raw, blanched听and cooked like pasta, dried and powdered, or听even flash-frozen, has many applications, from salads to umami-amplifying butter. Chefs like Jacob Harth, who helms the kitchen at Erizo in Portland, Oregon,听are integrating it into their menus鈥擧arth has served a roasted kelp ice cream and regularly experiments with the ingredient鈥檚 texture and flavor. In 2019, food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark published recipes for ; ; and in the New York Times. And Alaska鈥檚 has converted bull kelp into a popular line of pickles and hot sauces.

Eat More Kelp was designed as a way to allow consumers to own the success of the product. Organized like a traditional CSA, wherein customers pay up-front for a set delivery of produce, its goal is to get raw seaweed into more homes. Strategically, Barrett says, the project depended on moving kelp from the outskirts of food culture.听鈥淧eople have been fired up, and that is a crucially important element,鈥� he says.听Kelp has a particularly short harvesting window, and once 鈥渓anded,鈥� it has to be kept cold or it will turn slimy. A unified front of farmers can prevent the loss of the crop.

The company听launched early in the pandemic, but its CSA element has since been put on hold. A recent report on听the Long Island waterway system听 for Eat More Kelp:听an influx of people to the Hamptons last year created an increase in septic usage and fertilizer runoff.听Both of these elements returned too much nitrogen to the ecosystem, which depleted the local waterways of oxygen, killing off seagrass and fish. The stress to Long Island鈥檚 infrastructure, Barrett says, has created a tipping point. In the meantime, he has started a tangential kelp-related business, the , which produces fertilizer from kelp that he says can be used on gardens, vineyards, farms, and lawns.

Long Island鈥檚 problems notwithstanding, the idea of kelp shares still holds up. In Stonington, Connecticut, Suzie Flores and her husband, Jay Douglas, started the in 2016 and have watched their pet project grow and听 in the intervening years. To protect kelp crops and guarantee consumers the product when they want it, Flores and other farmers have formed a cooperative to help stabilize the supply. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 an issue with my farm, or if there鈥檚 an issue with weather and I need to get at, you know, 40, 50, 60 pounds of seaweed by a certain time frame, this kind of partnership with other farmers has allowed us to mitigate those potential issues,鈥� she says.

With CSA shares, customers pay for their farm share up-front, guaranteeing a farm with a set income and volume of product for which they鈥檙e accountable. Kelp cooperatives navigate the same concept: farmers band together to guarantee that harvesting is consistent and fruitful so that customers can rely on availability.

To increase access鈥攁nd to encourage the community to participate in bolstering kelp farming鈥擲tonington Kelp Co. is partnering with , a 12-year-old company based in Stamford, Connecticut, that curates CSA boxes with the help of small-scale producers. With about 250 subscribing members, Mike鈥檚 Organic services New York鈥檚 Westchester and Connecticut鈥檚 Fairfield counties. Mike Geller, the company鈥檚 owner, believes CSA enthusiasm can apply to kelp, too. His company, which began with four purveyors in Connecticut and the Hudson Valley, now represents 250 farmers, artisans, and fishermen.听

What he has learned over the course of the past 12 years, Geller says, is that customers want more diversity. 鈥淲e had to adjust accordingly,鈥� he says. Geller has added more and more food products to his CSA boxes, and kelp will be one of his curated deliveries鈥� newest additions. He became inspired by kelp after a recent trip out on the water to help with harvest. Standing on Flores鈥� boat, Geller says, he had an epiphany: 鈥淚 was pulling this stuff out of the water, and I was eating the top off the kelp,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 eating those things just like they鈥檙e little gherkin pickles.鈥� These parts of the kelp plant, called stipes, were delicious; Geller wondered听why he hadn鈥檛 been including them in his CSA boxes before.

Flores听offers online 鈥攌elp-dusted chicken wings, kelp chocolate chip cookies, cucumber-kelp salad鈥攁nd believes that the future of this ingredient relies听on multiple tactics. Kelp farmers, like all other farmers, she says, will survive by having different revenue streams,听like direct-to-customer and direct-to-business. As for the CSA, she believes that it functions as a necessary tool in broadening the understanding of what she grows. It鈥檚 鈥済reat for educational reasons,鈥� she says.听And education is one of the fundamental elements of increasing product awareness.

Right now, although Eat More Kelp鈥檚 CSA is on hold, the road is paved for future CSA projects that either focus on kelp entirely or that incorporate kelp shares into their programs. But ultimately, kelp鈥檚 success, Barrett says, will rely on the palate: 鈥淔lavor and taste and freshness always have to lead this parade,鈥� he says, before 鈥渢he ecological goodness, the sustainability of it, the newness and hiddenness of a new ingredient.鈥� Luckily, briny, toothsome kelp鈥攈opefully included in a CSA near you鈥攃an depend on its good taste.

The post Can Kelp Be Trendy? Farmers Are Betting on It. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The outdoors is the best place to enjoy good food. And you don鈥檛 need a whole lot of听equipment to make a great meal either鈥攋ust a hot campfire, a decent听cast-iron pan, and some quality ingredients. Here, Wes Siler shows you his favorite听method for cooking a whole chicken,听and all the fixings, over听an open fire.

Ingredients:

• One whole chicken, giblets removed
• Potatoes
• A bunch of parsley
• A bunch of cilantro
• One large jalape帽o
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red-wine vinegar

Supplies:

• A sharp knife (Wes is using an )
• A cutting board
• A one-gallon plastic bag
• Kitchen shears (Wes is using )
• Aluminum foil
• A large cast-iron pan
• Soap, water, and hand sanitizer for cleaning
• Gloves or a hot pad (Wes is wearing )

Preparation:

Get a fire going at least an hour before you want to start cooking, creating a solid bed of red-hot coals.听Spatchcock your chicken, set it aside, then sanitize your cooking station. Next, make a chimichurri sauce by chopping the cilantro, parsley, and听jalape帽o, and adding the salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar to taste. Pour this mix into the听plastic bag. Slice the听potatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size.听Lightly oil the pan and then place the chicken in it, breast side up. Carefully arrange the thighs so the chicken is spread out evenly, then place the potatoes around it and cover the whole thing in chimichurri sauce.

Set the pan directly on the fire, tent it with听aluminum foil, and cook for 45 minutes to an听hour, depending on the size of your chicken and the intensity of your fire. Check your bird听after 20 minutes鈥攜ou can do this by slicing into the thickest part of the breast or thigh; it鈥檚 done when the meat is evenly white throughout and the juices run clear.听Add a liquid like white wine or beer听if anything in the听bottom of the pan is sticking.听Slice,听serve, and enjoy.

The post How to Cook a Whole Chicken on a Campfire appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Wild children are rare these days. As a kid, I wore my house key around my neck, played tag in the park near my school, and knew enough to get home before my mother came looking for me. Trees were climbed, mud puddles were claimed, and forts were made from trash bags and stray sticks. We were Peter Pan Lost Boys (and Girls), Bridge to Terabithia explorers, and Lord of the Flies听rulers听in听training all at once.

My children鈥檚 upbringing has been听far different. Send them outside without a plan and you might hear from a nervous neighbor who saw them wandering or, worse, have them return moments later saying they鈥檙e bored. That changes when kids are in the wilderness. Go camping in a forest and their curiosity comes back. Imagination takes over and adrenaline-fueled possibilities of adventure (鈥淲hat was that sound!鈥�) are enough to set off giggles and shrieks with every critter that crawls past the tent.

That dichotomy鈥攁dventurous on vacation and timid at home鈥攊s what makes the听book听, written by听James Beard鈥搉ominated chef Sarah Glover,听so intriguing. The family cookbook is as much a glimpse into a more relaxed Australian parenting culture听as it is a simple guide to tasty camp meals听that go beyond hot dogs and boiled corn.听Think fire-roasted fruit, flaky scones, and lobster rollovers on sea-salted rolls. 鈥淚t鈥檚听not limited to 鈥榊ou have to go in the wild and catch it for yourself,鈥欌�� Glover says. 鈥淵ou can still go to the markets and pick the stuff up. It鈥檚 about the adventure wherever you are.鈥�

While Wild Child鈥檚 more than 50 recipes can be easily adapted for your stove, the bright photos are bound to tempt families into campfire听culinary concoctions. They feature incredibly stylish kids roaming in nature, free from the shackles of meddling parents, and happily cooking everything from bananas to fish听over听open flames.

鈥淚 hope that parents are inspired听and their imagination is sparked to be creative as a family,鈥� says Glover, who specifically designed the recipes for little hands. 鈥淚 just wanted to think like a kid and say, 鈥極K, how can children start to see nature as not only a tree to climb in but a branch to use to cook with?鈥欌��

It all felt second nature to Glover, who grew up with seven siblings near the Tasmania bushlands and now splits her time between New York and Australia. Gordon Ramsay and Martha Stewart blurbed the book, and the recipes have influences of both鈥攑art hardcore chef, part perfect plating.

While Glover isn鈥檛 a parent herself, she knew she wanted to create听a cookbook that, like her first book,听, celebrates the unshackled lifestyle she grew up with. But while Wild听was focused on making connections with the people who provide our food, Wild Child focuses more on allowing children to approach and make food that is fun, fresh, and delicious. 鈥淚t is just about kids getting outside and embracing outdoors and their primal instinct, to get their hands dirty,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 hope that parents and their kids have fun together.鈥�

We picked two of our favorite recipes from Wild Child to try out on your next campfire.

Fire Fruit

Serves four

Ingredients:

4 small pineapples
1鈦�2 cup maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
2 cups coconut yogurt
4 limes

Directions:

Light your fire and let it burn down for about one hour, or until you obtain a medium heat.听Slice the pineapples in half. Place the pineapples, cut听side up, in the coals of the fire, and drizzle the maple syrup in the center. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and the maple syrup is bubbling. Carefully remove the pineapples from the coals with tongs听and top with the coconut yogurt. Squeeze some lime juice over the fruit, drizzle with a little extra maple syrup, and serve.

Bamboo Fish

Serves four

Ingredients for the turmeric dressing:

1鈦�2-inch piece fresh turmeric, unpeeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1鈦�2 cup champagne vinegar
1 cup grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the fish:

4 bamboo shoots (at least two feet long)
4 small whole听fish, such as snapper or flathead, cleaned and gutted but not scaled
1 large handful fresh lemon leaves or fresh herbs
Butcher鈥檚 string or garden wire

Directions:

For the turmeric dressing, finely grate the turmeric and garlic (use a Microplane听if you have one) into a small bowl. Add the vinegar, and whisk until combined. Stir in the oil and let stand at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Light your fire and let it burn down for about an听hour, or until you obtain a medium heat. Using a piece of wood or a knife, carefully whittle the tip of each bamboo shoot听so it resembles听a spear. Then spear each fish with a听shoot through the mouth and听up out of听the tail, pushing the fish听down听the bamboo until the mouth is听about 12 inches from the shoot鈥檚 base. Stuff each fish with lemon leaves or herbs, then tie each fish with butcher鈥檚 string or garden wire听so it doesn鈥檛 slide around听the bamboo shoot.

Stick the bamboo spears into the ground about eight inches away from the fire听and in the direction of the wind. Make sure the spears听don鈥檛 bend over into the fire or kiss the ground. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the skin starts to tighten and crisp up. Then rotate the fish and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the flesh is cooked, the听skin is crisp, and the eyes are white.

Carefully remove the fish from the bamboo shoots and peel back the skin. Serve with the turmeric dressing.

Recipes taken from , by Sarah Glover, published by Prestel. They have been edited for length and clarity.

The post 鈥榃ild Child鈥� Is a Perfect Cookbook for Family Campouts appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Now that the country听is opening up again, you might be itching to jump in a van or camper and hit the road.听And听while听burgers and ramen make fine meals for the transient, at a certain point you鈥檒l want to level up your cooking game. One question remains: What鈥檚 the best way to prepare a feast of the ages when you鈥檙e confined to a small space? Here鈥檚 how to turn that听van kitchen听into the dining destination of your dreams.

Do the Prep Before You Go听

Professional chefs refer to the technique of getting everything kitchen-ready as mise en place, or 鈥渆verything in its place.鈥� Applying this same methodology to life on the road will make mobile cooking easier. 鈥淭he optimum move,听when traveling light, is to kind of do as much as you possibly can before you get there,鈥� says听, a听James Beard Award鈥搉ominated private chef. 鈥淢aking things smaller to bring with you is obviously the best move,鈥� Blutstein says.听

He suggests investing in a or Cryovac machine听for preportioning proteins and produce. Both create a vacuum seal by sucking out excess air in storage bags and听can be purchased for as little as $40. If you don鈥檛 have one of these听machines, you can still portion these items and seal them in airtight, reusable containers or pouches. Break down any packaging, and transfer that food听to space-saving quart and pint containers (this is also a good time to pre-chop听veggies).听That way, Blutstein says, when you arrive at your destination, all you need to do is wait for water to boil.听

Stock Up on Multi-Use Staples

Bring听a cache of flexible ingredients, like high-quality , vinegar, salt, pepper, butter, and savory herbs (rosemary and thyme, both of which last for a long time in the refrigerator, are good choices).听Blutstein also suggests fish sauce, which is shelf-stable and adds an incomparable depth of flavor. Ultimately, he says, it鈥檚 best to select a handful of items that cover the palate basics: sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and acidic. He recommends honey, 听(or another type of hot sauce), and a multipurpose vinegar, like red wine or sherry, any听of which can serve as a great building block听for simple dishes, he says.听

For knives, all you need are a sharp chef鈥檚 knife and a small utility knife. And when selecting produce you intend to bring along, consider those听that can be used in a variety of dishes and that don鈥檛 require refrigeration, like tomatoes, apples, onions, lemons, garlic, avocados, and even dried mushrooms. Overall, says Blutstein, travelers should expect to听have听limited cold space, and plan听accordingly.听

Build a Tiny Pantry听

You don鈥檛 need to travel with your entire kitchen, but do pack a little bit of flour and sugar.听Neither听requires refrigeration,听and they听can be combined with butter and fresh fruit to create, say, a quick, . Opt for grains that can be transported in bags, as well as听dried or frozen veggies where applicable. 鈥淎ny sort of dry goods鈥攅ither rice, or pasta, or beans, or anything of that nature鈥攍imits the amount of refrigeration that you would need,鈥� Blutstein says. Cured meats like 听and fermented foods like , he adds, are great additions to an on-the-go pantry, since they offer big flavors in dishes but usually don鈥檛 require refrigeration before being opened.

Embrace Limitation

Blutstein recommends planning combination hot-cold meals, which lean into the constraints听of small kitchens. Serving a mixed meal of hot, cold, and room-temperature foods, he says, makes preparation easier, since there may be听minimal ways to keep things hot in a van.听That could mean a seared chicken breast over a salad of greens, or even听braised short ribs served with a pickled or crunchy side salad.

You can also embrace the single-pot ethos, making stews, pasta, fish, and vegetable dishes using a single piece of equipment. Dusting proteins, like chicken and fish, in flour before cooking them will make the sauce you听produce听in that same pan听thicker and better for grains like pasta and farro. You鈥檒l need a deeper pan for pasta, but you can still cook it, strain it, and create听听from kitchen ingredients all in that听same pan. In the end, when you鈥檙e cooking on the road, less is definitely more.听

The post How to Make the Most of Your Van鈥檚 Kitchen appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last year, in early March, Kristjana Anderson (who requested we use a pseudonym)听had a lot to look forward to. The 46-year-old Annapolis, Maryland鈥�based runner had recently finished treatment for melanoma, and an elite local running team had offered her a place on its roster. The team would pay all her 2020 race entry fees. 鈥淚t was my suburban mom dream come true,鈥� she says.听

Of course, we all know what happened next: A global pandemic. A financial meltdown. And lots of canceled races.听

That鈥檚 what happened on a macro level, at least. On a micro level, Anderson听poured herself a glass of wine in her living room. Then she poured another. The 5:30 A.M. group run was canceled. Hell, everything was canceled. Why not finish the bottle?听

Americans have been drinking more in lockdown. The week after most states issued stay-at-home orders last March, online alcohol sales jumped 262 percent from the same week in 2019. A 2020 paper published on听听surveyed 1,540 Americans about their alcohol consumption pre- and post-outbreak.听It found the frequency of alcohol consumption had increased, especially for women, who reported a significant increase in heavy drinking.

Endurance athletes, for all their healthy tendencies, haven鈥檛 been immune. While we don鈥檛 yet have research showing whether weekend warriors struggled more than the general public in lockdown, a June 2020 study done in Sweden found that 16 percent of elite athletes reported increased drinking during COVID.

We also know that alcohol culture is pervasive in endurance and outdoor sports, even though alcohol is the antithesis of health food. No matter how much marketers push polyphenols in red wine and bros peddle carbs in beer as recovery fuel, alcohol is bad for you. For one thing, : one 听equated the increase in cancer risk of drinking a bottle of wine per week to that of smoking five cigarettes per week for men and 10 cigarettes per week for women. Alcohol messes听, dehydrates us, and in large doses听. It鈥檚 not good for our mental health, either. Heavy alcohol use and听depression . Heavy drinking can also strain relationships, finances, and, of course, derail our training鈥攁ll things that may exacerbate feelings of depression.

And yet 鈥渋t鈥檚 very much a part of how you celebrate a race, or how you finish a run, like you do with brunch and mimosas,鈥� says Sally Bergesen, founder and CEO of the running brand Oiselle. And even when races are canceled, that post-run drink remains a habit, she says. Bergesen stopped drinking听in 2020 and now runs the company鈥檚 Sobirds听running group for other sober women. Interest in the group has picked up in the past six months, she says.

If you鈥檝e also听been boozing harder since the pandemic started, and have been thinking of cutting back, there are numerous听proven听strategies that can help.

The first step is to figure out the extent of the problem. Anderson听had a reckoning with her own alcohol use when, one morning, she tried to run through a terrible hangover. She swore off booze that day听but says she experienced withdrawal symptoms for three or four days afterward. While most moderate drinkers can handle withdrawal symptoms on their own, if you are truly alcohol-dependent, quitting cold turkey may not actually be safe. You should talk to a doctor first if you鈥檙e drinking heavily every day, drinking throughout the day (not just at night), and rearranging your life to work in alcohol.听

For casual drinkers, though, the biggest part of cutting back is finding a strategy to conquer cravings, says Brian Wind, a clinical psychologist and the chief clinical officer for Journey Pure Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers, which has locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida. To do that, you need to understand how cravings work.听

Cravings are essentially habits, and 鈥渉abits begin with a loop-based reward system,鈥� Wind explains. Habits are formed when a trigger elicits a response, and then that response activates a reward in the brain. So the first step to breaking a habit is to evaluate the trigger. What, exactly, is making you want a drink? Is it that your job is stressful? You鈥檙e sick of being cooped up with your family? You鈥檙e anxious about the future?听

Wind likes to let clients build on habits they already have. Say your habit is to plop down on your sofa post-run and watch Netflix with a few IPAs. In this case, you don鈥檛 need to cut out your Netflix binging. Keep that, because it鈥檚 comforting. Just stock your fridge with something else besides beer, like seltzer or kombucha. Changing too much all at once, like trying to start a reading habit and a no-booze habit to replace your Netflix and beers, sets you up for failure, he says.听

Next, tackle whatever feelings of shame or guilt you鈥檝e been harboring around your drinking. Addiction has a strong genetic component. Just as it鈥檚 not your fault that you have brown eyes or long limbs, you shouldn鈥檛 feel ashamed of the fact that staying away from alcohol is hard for you, explains Dr. Leela R. Magavi, regional medical director for , California鈥檚 largest outpatient mental health organization. 鈥淪hame and guilt can also lead to isolative behavior and loneliness, and thus increase alcohol consumption,鈥� Magavi says. In other words, it鈥檚 a vicious cycle.

Finally, know that your drinking may actually be masking other mental health issues. Magavi says she鈥檚 seen numerous patients who struggle endlessly with alcohol addiction until a mental health practitioner catches that there鈥檚 actually a concurrent anxiety or mood disorder. Once the patient has been successfully treated for that, addressing the alcohol addiction becomes easier. In a pandemic, when so many people are suffering with depression and anxiety, scheduling a few visits with a therapist as you work toward听sobriety may be surprisingly useful.

Finally, embrace meditation. Yes, it鈥檚 practically a clich茅 these days, as meditation gets lobbed at us as the cure for everything from overeating to the pain of听tough workouts. But Wind says there鈥檚 some evidence that it can really help those trying to cut alcohol out of their lives. The best way to use meditation, he says, is to practice it in direct response to a trigger. When you feel the craving coming on, set a timer and redirect your thinking to your breath for four minutes. Usually, that redirection is enough to help you think about what it is you really want. Rarely is it that drink.

The post We鈥檙e a Year into COVID. We Still Drink Too Much. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted interest in many domestic pastimes, but baking came out on听top. Sourdough starters became a kitchen staple, and close-up shots of homemade banana bread on Instagram. Then there was a听run on baking supplies in the spring鈥攚hen听staples听like wheat and bread flour sold out, many home听cooks听听like oat and quinoa.

But听it can be tricky to stick the landing on your homemade baked goods with听something like rice or coconut flour. Non-wheat听options听have different nutritional profiles than wheat flour, and most don鈥檛 contain gluten. That鈥檚 a great selling point for anyone on a gluten-free diet, but it has a big impact on texture.听 gives dough its doughiness, helping it stretch and rise, trapping air bubbles, and making the finished product chewy and fluffy. Don鈥檛 fret鈥攁s long as you know how your choice can affect density, texture, and moisture, you can make great things with alternative flours.

Whether you鈥檙e looking to experiment because of scarcity, a gluten intolerance, or culinary curiosity, here鈥檚 a helpful guide听to the alternative听flour landscape.

Oat Flour

You can buy oat flour at the store or make it yourself by grinding rolled oats to a fine powder in a food processor or blender.听, lead chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, explains that oat flour听absorbs more liquid than other flours, which听makes for drier, denser baked goods. It鈥檚 great in pie crusts or granola bars, but you鈥檒l need to add a little extra liquid or fat for moisture. If you鈥檙e making bread, cake, or anything that鈥檚 supposed to be fluffy, you can鈥檛 use only oat flour鈥攖he batter or dough won鈥檛 rise. But听if you still want to add听flavor and a crumbly texture, try听mixing three parts all-purpose flour with one part oat.

A听 of oat flour has a similar nutritional profile to all-purpose flour. It鈥檚 mostly carbs鈥�22 grams鈥攚ith four grams of protein and two grams of fat. It also packs in three grams of mostly soluble fiber, which gels up when mixed with liquid, slowing digestion and 听(the bad kind).

Almond Flour

While traditional wheat flour is made up of mostly carbs, almond flour is mostly fat: 15 grams of it in a 170-calorie . It has fewer听carbs and more听protein than traditional flour,听with听six grams of each,听and it鈥檚 overall more calorically dense. The high fat content keeps things moist听but can also weigh things down. Prag recommends doctoring your recipes with ingredients that add rise, like eggs or baking soda, as well as add-ins that can help lend some structure, like bananas. Almond flour is flavorful, making it a great option for a dense, or a .

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour has an even stronger taste than almond, so听Prag recommends using it in recipes with complementary flavor profiles, like听 or . While its somewhat high fat content鈥攆our grams per serving鈥攎akes听for denser baked goods, it鈥檚 still mostly carbohyrates. Eighteen听grams of carbs听lend sweetness and starch, so you can still听get a cakey crumb when you bake with coconut flour. Just be ready to experiment with extra leavening agents like听eggs, baking soda, or baking powder.听A听听has four grams of protein, which adds听a little bit of chew. One thing to note: all that fat is saturated, which the听 recommend limiting to no more than 10 percent of your total daily calories. That鈥檚 about 22 grams for people who eat 2,000 calories per day.

Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour has traditionally been used in Mediterranean cooking to make carb-rich dishes like听, a chickpea pancake. These days, people are using it to make all sorts of baked goods鈥攊ncluding a mean听. Its听high starch content helps bind batters and doughs together, unlike crumbly oat or almond听flour. With听120 calories, one gram of fat, 21 grams of carbs, and five grams of protein, a听 is nearly identical to all-purpose flour in terms of calories and macronutrients, but it听has the added benefit of five grams of fiber, which is great for digestion and overall health.听

Rice Flour

Kimberly Hansan, who wrote about rice flour, explains听that it has always been a staple in Eastern cultures鈥攊t just happens to be booming听in Western cooking right now thanks to the rise of gluten-free diets. Rice flour听has almost no fat听and just two grams of protein鈥攁bout half of what鈥檚 in all-purpose flour. It鈥檚 high in starch, with 24 grams of carbs per听, which means it can bind doughs together and create a chewy texture. While rice flour is traditionally used in dense, flat recipes like 听or noodles, it also works for baking听since it鈥檚 almost flavorless and rises easily. Just be sure to use baking powder or soda to help create and trap air bubbles.

Quinoa Flour听

Although听 has been a key part of South American cuisine for centuries, the idea of grinding it into a flour didn鈥檛 really take hold until gluten-free diets became popular. It has slightly more fat than all-purpose flour鈥攖wo grams per 鈥攂ut is otherwise similar, with most of its 105 calories coming from carbs. Prag explains that quinoa flour bakes similarly to oat flour, creating a denser, more crumbly texture. You can try mixing all-purpose and quinoa flour in a three-to-one ratio to听add nutty flavor to bread without sacrificing听that squishy, chewy texture. If you鈥檙e working with just quinoa flour, opt for something like听 or .听听

The post A Curious Eater’s Guide to Alternative Flours appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The Blanket Glacier Chalet听is only accessible听by helicopter. Nestled deep in British Columbia鈥檚 Monashee Mountains, the A-frame听has听a satellite phone for emergencies听but no cell service or Wi-Fi. Guests bring their own sleeping bags. The bathrooms are outhouses, and the makeshift shower consists of a plastic听bucket attached to a pulley system. If you鈥檙e staying over, you鈥檙e not seeking amenities; you鈥檙e chasing the 60 feet of snow that falls in the area each winter. When I spent a week there with friends in early March, I wasn鈥檛 expecting much more than a wood-fired stove, but I was pleasantly surprised by all of the听gourmet food.

The Schaffer family has owned and operated the 鈥溾�澨齭ince 1986. Al and Marion Schaffer recently passed the torch of daily operations on to their kids: 34-year-old Marty听handles the skiing through his听, and his 28-year-old sister, Heidi, handles the food. In听my mind, her cooking elevates the chalet to five-star status.听Topsheets, it turns out, are irrelevant when you鈥檙e eating maple-miso salmon in the middle of the wilderness. Heidi fed 16 hungry skiers five meals a day during our visit, using one oven and听supplies brought in once a week via听helicopter.

Her cooking created our daily rhythm at the chalet. We鈥檇 wake up early and trek听to the outhouses鈥攄ubbed Contemplation Point鈥攚hile she laid out a first breakfast of coffee, yogurt, granola, fruit, and warm muffins. As we listened to the day鈥檚 avalanche report, she plated our second breakfast of buttermilk pancakes or fluffy scrambled eggs. Then, while we suited up and formed a water brigade outside, passing buckets up from the mountain stream, she transformed the dining table into a smorgasbord of steak, homemade bread, deli meats, cheeses, and veggies for our picnic lunch. We鈥檇 check our beacons and head into the mountains. By听4 P.M., my mind only had room for apr猫s. Would we be welcomed home with freshly fried potato chips and artichoke dip? Or maybe warm cranberry-walnut bread and hand-whipped butter?

Heidi鈥檚听mastery of such nourishing听comfort food in this isolated outpost听is the type of inspiration we could all use right now. My friends and I听missed an important week of COVID-19 news while we were in the backcountry: When we left, hand washing was the preventative measure. When we got back听to our overflowing inboxes, markets had crashed, borders were closing, and quarantine was on the horizon. All I wanted to do was return to the chalet and find Heidi, apron on, blond听hair tied into her signature fun bun, telling us to dig in.

The weather is cooling听off again, and we鈥檙e all staring down a fall (and winter,听and likely spring) of more social听distancing,听limited travel, and difficult news. While we wait for the winds to change, I keep turning to Heidi鈥檚 gourmet yet simple recipes for comfort. When I eat a warm, buttery听piece of her walnut bread next to an open window, I can almost hear the swish of skins. I鈥檒l be trying her ricotta and chive gnocchi next.听Below,听Heidi,听the queen of isolated cooking,听shares five of听her greatest hits.

Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Dip听

This savory dip is one of Heidi鈥檚 go-to, quick appetizers, usually whipped up after sneaking in a few runs in the afternoon.

Ingredients:听

• 1 whole head of garlic
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 14-ounce can artichokes, drained and chopped
• Cooking oil
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
• 3 tablespoons fresh tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees听Fahrenheit. Cut off听the top of the head of the garlic so the cloves are exposed, and place it on a parchment paper鈥搇ined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast听for 30 minutes听or until golden and soft. While the garlic is roasting, combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan, and artichokes in a mixing bowl. Once the garlic is done, remove it from the oven (but keep the oven on). Let the garlic cool, then mince听the cloves and add them to the mayonnaise mixture. Spoon the combined ingredients into a shallow casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes听or until the top is golden.听Garnish with the fresh green onion听and chopped tomatoes. Serve with crackers, raw vegetables, or fresh bread.

No-Knead Honey, Walnut, and Cranberry Bread

Homemade bread might be intimidating, but Heidi鈥檚 recipe is approachable. And if she can bake听it in听the backcountry and at high altitude, you can definitely do it in your kitchen. 鈥淢aking the dough the night before is a huge time-saver,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his goes really well with a hefty slice of Brie cheese and some butternut-squash soup.鈥� Her recipe calls for using a听Dutch oven, but you can also bake the bread on a parchment paper鈥搇ined pan. The crust just won鈥檛 be as crunchy.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 陆 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 陆 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1陆 cups room-temperature water
• 录 cup honey

Directions:

Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Then add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt to the other. Using a wooden spoon, stir the yeast into the flour on its side and the salt into the flour on its side, which helps ensure an even distribution听of ingredients.听Then stir the whole thing together.听Add the chopped walnuts and cranberries to the flour and mix again. Pour the water and honey into a separate bowl, stirring with a fork to combine. (Water that is too warm or too cold can kill the yeast and prevent the bread from rising, so make sure you get the temperature right.) Then pour the honey water into your flour mixture and stir with the wooden spoon until all ingredients are combined.听This is not typical bread dough鈥攊t will be a bit sticky, and the recipe does not require any kneading鈥攕o听don鈥檛 be too concerned about the appearance.听Just make sure听the ingredients are combined well and that there鈥檚 enough room for the dough to double in size, then cover听the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and set听in a warm, draft-free spot. Let it rise for 12 to 18 hours.

Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter, and dust it with flour. Rub flour on your hands, and scrape the dough away from the sides of the bowl, gathering it in your hands as best you can. Transfer it to your parchment paper, and form it into a circular loaf.听Once it鈥檚 shaped, the dough needs to undergo a second rise. Sprinkle flour over the top of the loaf, and loosely cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let rise for about 45 minutes. (Note that听after the second rise, you should handle the dough as little as possible;听touching it too much听may cause it to deflate.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place听your Dutch oven inside, and let it heat up for about 20 minutes. Once the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and score the loaf with a sharp knife (a shallow slit right down the middle will do the trick). Trim the parchment paper into a circle closely around the dough. If it doesn鈥檛 look like the dough has risen that much, don鈥檛 worry. The loaf will puff up when it hits the heat of the oven.

Remove the preheated pot from the oven and carefully听transfer your听dough into it, handling听it as little as possible听and using听the parchment paper to carefully听lift and lower it in. Place the lid on the pot,听and return it to the oven for 35 minutes. Don鈥檛 open the oven during this time, and don鈥檛 take the lid off the pot听(steam building听up in the pot will help give it a crispy crust). After 35 minutes, remove the lid from the pot and continue baking for another 15 minutes. (If you鈥檙e using a baking sheet, simply bake the bread for 45 to 55 minutes.) Remove the loaf from the oven, and place it听on a wire rack to cool. Brush a little extra honey on the top of the bread听if you want.

Resist the urge to cut into the bread until it has cooled. The bread continues to bake on the inside even after it鈥檚 been removed from the oven, and cutting it too early may result something听gummy or rubbery.

Maple-Miso Salmon听

鈥淭his is one of my go-to salmon marinades, and I get asked for this recipe every time I make it,鈥� Heidi says. 鈥淭he richness of the miso and soy, with the zip from the ginger, makes the fish听heavenly.鈥�

Ingredients:

• 4 single-serving salmon fillets (around four ounces each)
• 录 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 heaping tablespoon white-miso paste
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated

Directions:

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Place the salmon in听a dish, cover with the marinade, and let sit for 30 minutes.听Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and set听the pieces of salmon on a foil-lined baking tray. Brush the top of the salmon with a little of the marinade using听a pastry brush. Place the remainder of the marinade to the side. Bake for ten听minutes for medium-rare salmon, and 12 to听15听minutes for well-done. (Note that cook time for salmon can vary, depending on the cut and type of fish, so pay attention. Press gently on the thickest part of the fish with a fork; if it flakes easily, it鈥檚 done.)听While the salmon is baking, reduce the leftover marinade in a saucepan over medium heat until it has听thickened.听Glaze the salmon with the reduced marinade before serving.

Ricotta and Chive Gnocchi听

Making pasta doesn鈥檛 have to be听complicated, and this听gnocchi is an easy place to start.听鈥淚 always thought homemade gnocchi was intimidating and time-consuming, but this recipe is neither,鈥� Heidi says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a game changer.鈥�

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon听olive oil
• 录 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 陆 cup chives, finely听chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 陆 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Place the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, leaving听enough space for liquid to drip from the cheese. Put a small plate over the cheese in the strainer and then听a can or another object atop the plate to weigh it down. Let your setup press the ricotta in the strainer overnight in the fridge.

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. In a large bowl, mix the pressed ricotta, egg, olive oil, Parmesan, chives, lemon zest, salt, and pepper thoroughly. Add the flour and gently stir it in, being careful not to overmix. Let the dough rest for ten听minutes. Lightly sprinkle flour on your work surface. Grab听a baseball-size听piece of dough, and roll it out with your hands into a one-inch-thick log. Cut the roll into bite-size pieces, around three-fourths of an inch wide,听and set them aside on a lightly floured baking pan.

Place your听gnocchi in the boiling water in several batches. They will swirl around and sink. Once they float back to the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, and place them in a bowl of ice water for two听minutes. Strain all the gnocchi, and place them on a baking tray lined with a paper towel.听Then听fry the gnocchi in vegetable oil in a nonstick frying pan until golden brown on each side. Lightly season with salt and pepper, and pair with your favorite sauce. Butter browned over medium-low heat with sage leaves is a great, simple option.

Puff Pastry Apple Cinnamon Rolls

鈥淭hese buns have become a staple at the lodge,鈥� Heidi says.听鈥淚 created them as a total experiment one day when I was out of yeast and flour. They are a great alternative to your traditional yeasted cinnamon buns and take half the time. What I often do is make them the night before, cover them, and keep them in the fridge overnight. Then when I鈥檓 up at the crack of dawn to start the day鈥檚听prep, I just turn on the oven and toss them in.鈥�

Ingredients:

• 1 box puff pastry
• 陆 cup salted butter
• 戮 cup听light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground clove
• 陆 cup walnuts or pecans,听coarsely chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple, grated

Directions:

Take your puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw. This will usually take a few hours at room temperature.听Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dust your work surface with flour to prevent sticking, and roll your puff pastry into a rectangle about eight inches long.

To prepare the听filling, slowly melt the听butter in a pan on low heat. Then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, nuts, and grated apple to the melted butter. Stir until combined, then听spread evenly over the rolled pastry, leaving just a little room on the sides.

Starting at the long end closest to you, roll the rectangle tightly into a cylinder. Pinch the seam so it鈥檚 well sealed, and roll the dough over once onto itself to make sure it鈥檚 tight. Using a serrated knife, cut it evenly into about 12 to 15 buns.听Place the buns onto parchment paper on a baking tray, leaving about a fourth inch between each one. Bake for 30 minutes听or until golden on top.

The post Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you鈥檝e been thinking about transitioning to more plant-based meals, now is the perfect time to give it a shot. COVID-19 has made the brutality of factory meat production impossible to ignore. Between companies forcing employees听to continue working in processing plants , and caused by coronavirus outbreaks in meatpacking plants, even the most devout bacon lovers may be rethinking their consumption habits.

Beyond the ethics, though, there are other reasons for eating more plants right now, including cost鈥攖he staples of the vegan diet, like legumes and whole grains, are very affordable. (Have you noticed the state of听the economy lately?) Most of us also have more time to听try听new recipes. And since we鈥檙e socially isolating, it鈥檚 not a big deal if eating more fiber makes you, well, unfit for company. 鈥淵ou may be a little gassy at first, but you鈥檒l eventually train your gut,鈥� says Julia Murray, a nutritionist and former Olympian who runs the blog . Murray is also the 鈥渃hief evangelist鈥� for the app, which helps newbies navigate a plant-based lifestyle.

Besides getting your gut used to all that fiber, here are a few other tips to听make the transition smoother for the vegetarian-curious.

For Every Subtraction, Make an Addition

鈥淭he biggest misconception people have is what we [vegetarians] eat,鈥澨齭ays Diane Vukovic, author of , a plant-based cookbook for backpackers who want to dehydrate their own meals. 鈥淭hey imagine what they normally eat, minus the meat, or minus the cheese, or milk, or eggs. In a typical American diet, there鈥檚 typically not much left.鈥� For Vukovic, following a听plant-based diet is all about finding substitutions, not making subtractions. Swap in legumes for meat, blend up nuts or seeds to replace cheese, and load that meal with as many different veggies as you can so it feels interesting and complete.

Start with What You Love

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like salads, don鈥檛 make salads,鈥� says Ken Rubin, chief culinary officer at the online cooking school听.听Murray agrees with this advice. She recommends that new plant-based cooks start with their favorite standby meals: tacos, pasta, whatever you make regularly and love.听

Master the Basics

Knife skills are essential when you鈥檙e going to be chopping a ton of veggies, says Rubin. He teaches his students the rolling technique,听in which听you leave the tip of your knife on the cutting board as you chop. The end product isn鈥檛 as uniform as slow, careful dicing, but you鈥檒l get through your prep with much less agony.听

Also crucial is mastering the veggie roast. 鈥淩oasting concentrates flavor. It鈥檚 like going from a grape to a raisin,鈥澨齊ubin explains. Veggies are the star of your meal, so boosting their flavor pays big dividends. Note that different vegetables听roast best at different temperatures, because they have varying hydration and sugar levels. Experiment by听turning the heat of your oven听up or down to see which results you like best.

Focus on听the Sauce听

Greens, grains, and legumes may be healthy, but they aren鈥檛 flavor superstars. This can be a benefit, because you can eat them a thousand different ways. However, it鈥檚 up to you to bring the acid, salt, and umami to the table. The best way to do that, says Murray, is to learn how to construct great vegan sauces. First, stock your cabinet with staples like tahini, miso paste, liquid amino acids, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce, plus an array of vinegars. Then听think about how you can make a sauce interesting. Ground nuts can add texture and richness. Sesame and walnut oil can add depth. Blended beans can add protein and heft, says Vukovic.

Embrace Meat Substitutes听

Some snobby听longtime vegans scoff at these products, but they can make the transition easier, says Murray. Yes, fake meat often has high levels of sodium,听and it鈥檚 usually processed. Still, some options are surprisingly tasty and can be swapped into your favorite meals without much recipe troubleshooting.

Watch Your Macronutrients鈥攂ut Not Too Much听

Vukovic tries to include a source of carbs, protein, and fat in every meal. But she doesn鈥檛 track her macros beyond that. According to Murray, in North America听it鈥檚 more common for people to eat too much protein than too little. 鈥淧rotein deficiency is not something we see,鈥� she says. Plants contain all the amino acids that make up protein, so as long as you鈥檙e eating a range of plants, legumes, and whole grains, you鈥檙e probably getting what you need.听

Add Texture

A lot of vegan staples are soft: tofu, beans, steamed greens. That can make for meals that, even while flavorful, feel like they鈥檙e lacking a certain something. Texture is the issue, says Vukovic. 鈥淟entils, for example, end up in a ton of veggie meals, but they absorb a ton of water,鈥� which makes them mushy, she says. Add lentils as a stand-in for meat in your spaghetti and you鈥檙e going to have a plate of squish on top of squish. You can, however, add texture by toasting cooked lentils in the oven. Or听save the lentils for a topping on a salad full of crisp, crunchy lettuce.听

Get to Know the Vegan Stand-Ins听

To make vegan cheese at home, soak cashews overnight, blend them in your food processor, then flavor them with nutritional yeast and maybe even a touch of liquid smoke, says Vukovic. Eggs are easy to replicate, too, she says鈥攖ofu scrambles filled with veggies can replace your breakfast omelet. In baked goods, ground flaxseeds mixed with water and a pinch of baking powder听can offer听the lift eggs normally provide. Jackfruit has a texture similar to pulled pork, and tempeh will fill the gap on any recipe that could be enhanced by听a chewy component. In other words, with a little bit of insider info, you really can get every taste, texture, and macronutrient you need听from plants. Just听get in the kitchen and start experimenting.听

The post The Newbie’s Guide to a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.