White Fluffy Icing

Musings of a reasonably competent home cook.

Archive for category Cover Announcements

This Is It, Ya’ll

Dec 7

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Baking, Cover Announcements | 29 Comments

The last Bon Appétit cover of 2010 has arrived, and I can hardly believe it.  Where did the year go?

Remember what I said a few weeks ago about cake vs. pie?  A perfect case in point: this glitzy cake couldn’t be any further from a humble sweet potato pie if it tried.

At first glance, my reaction to the cover photo was: Lord have mercy on my soul. A three-dimensional chocolate bow will do that, or so I hear.

Then I looked at the recipe.  My first reaction there was: Whoa.  Two entire magazine pages for one single recipe.

And my second thought was: Lord have mercy on my soul.

Then I actually read the recipe, and it’s not nearly as crazy as it looks.  I felt even better when I read this issue’s letter from the editor, because there I learned that this is a recycled cover from 1984, and that it has been their most requested recipe for the 26 years since, “generating more mail over a longer period than any other recipe.”

This is good news, for two reasons: a) It must be a darn tasty cake, and b) It can’t be that hard.  (Famous last words, anyone?)

I have high hopes that this is the dessert I’ve waited all year for: challenging but doable, and impressive in both the looks and taste departments.  For the record, the turkey freaked me out waaaaay more than this.

p.s. Interesting to note that this recipe is not (yet?) available on the Bon Appétit website… any guesses as to why?  Because it’s also in the new BA Desserts cookbook?  Or perhaps the recipe developer didn’t give permission?

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Bon Appétit Challenge: Turkey Time

Oct 22

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 17 Comments

Well, the moment I’ve been waiting all year for has finally arrived.  The Thanksgiving Special issue of Bon Appétit is out, with a giant turkey smack on the cover.  Dun dun DUNNNN!

I’m officially intimidated, for the first time in this project.  Why?  Well, I’ve never made a turkey, for starters.  Let’s face it, turkey somehow became the official star of the Thanksgiving show, and aside from sandwiches, it’s the only time most of us see this particular protein all year.  And since either my mom, Aunt Denise, or my grandma (all amazing cooks) have always played Thanksgiving hostess, the one shot per year of cooking a turkey has never fallen to me. 

Two, in addition to being full of talented cooks (the boys too!), my clan is also a fairly discerning bunch of eaters.  So, in theory, I’m sure Mom would have graciously stepped aside to let me roast a turkey during my formative years, but neither she nor I would have really been interested in taking that kind of gamble.  Plus, our table topic at nearly every gathering consists mostly of raving about each other’s food, so if the turkey centerpiece falls short, what the heck would we talk about?  (I’m thinking now about the turkey in the Griswold Christmas vacation movie… when it breaks open and spews out a cloud of dust… classic.)

Third, frankly, I’m not all that interested.  Nothing against turkey, of course, but meat’s not really my thing to begin with.  And while I’ve made almost every cooking mistake in the book at some point, excepting perhaps burning down my house, tossing out 15 pounds of protein (read: expensive) just seems morally reprehensible.

And lastly, there’s the issue of sex appeal.  Whether strutting around live or served up on a platter, turkey loses every time (profusive apologies to Ben Franklin).  As I told you last year, sides and desserts are where it’s at.  A pumpkin cheesecake from yesteryear comes to mind…

All that being said, if I’m going to bandy this food blogger title about, especially one that includes a tagline about being reasonably competent, I’d better darn well be able to cook a turkey.  In fact, after Mom warned me about this whole turkey business, I decided to press forward with this project precisely because it would force me to bite the bullet.  It’s time to graduate to big-girl panties.

So, bring it on, Salt-Roasted Turkey with Lemon and Oregano.  If all else fails, I’ll have Rosemary Bread Stuffing with Speck, Fennel, and Lemon to back me up if the turkey is terrible.

Of course, I’ll make it well before Thanksgiving… in order to test the recipe in plenty of time for you, dear reader, and also to avoid all that awful pressure.  Call me chicken if you will.  Just don’t call me turkey.

Gobble gobble!

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Bon Appétit Challenge: As American As Italian Apple Pie

Sep 14

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 12 Comments

Woo hoo!  Another shot at a dessert.  We’re going from the all-American burger (which was even more American because regular fat wasn’t good enough… we had to amp up our fatty McFattness with special luxury cow fat.  How American is that?) to apple pie.  It’s enough to make me want to pop in a Lee Greenwood album.

But seriously, with the anniversary of 9/11 just having passed, along with the anniversaries of three hurricanes that changed the Gulf Coast (Katrina, Rita, and Ike), I am feeling a little wispy about the good old U. S. of A.  So bring on an Italian version of apple pie!  Err, I mean apple torte with breadcrumb-hazelnut crust!

Although I certainly know who Lidia Bastianich is from her cookbooks and her show on PBS, I’ve never actually made any of her recipes, so I’m looking especially forward to this one.  And it appears that this month’s issue has a whole feature on Lidia and the flavors of Fruili, her childhood home in northeastern Italy, which might be pretty interesting.

As far as the recipe goes, there’s nothing incredibly exotic going on ingredient-wise, but the crust will certainly be unique.  Ground hazelnuts and breadcrumbs are used in place of flour, and milk instead of water.  Sounds sticky and rustic to me… this one might require a second, or even third, take before I have something to put on the table.  We shall see!

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Bon Appétit Challenge: Burgers and Pickles and Ketchup – Oh My!

Aug 25

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 2 Comments

Well, now… this is getting interesting.  Of the nine covers we’ve seen so far, this is the fourth cover that features beef (the others being spaghetti with meatballs, grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches, and those unforgettable porterhouses). 

And now, as you can see, the September cover features a burger as big as your face, in your face.  The similarities to the short rib sandwiches are noteably apparent: bread, beef, homemade pickles, and peppery greens.  But the initial reaction is completely opposite…. the short rib sandwich looked rather complicated to make, and turned out to be pretty straightforward. 

My first reaction to this burger was: Meh, a burger.  How hard can it be? 

And then I saw the recipe. These aren’t just any old burgers.  Holy miscellaneous cow parts, Batman!  Here’s the blurb about them on the BA Daily blog:

It took chef Tony Maws six months to create his ultimate burger. The chef-owner of Craigie on Main in Cambridge, Massachusetts, started with the patty. After tons of taste-testing, he got it right–rich and steak-like, with just enough fat to make it juicy and satisfying. The trick? A mix of brisket, short ribs, and hanger steak combined with bone marrow and suet (beef fat). To tie it all together, he added a little miso. Just a touch really cranks up the umami (savoriness). He finished it off with spiced ketchup and a few vinegary pickles–and piled everything on a house-made bun. This fine-tuned burger has become one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. We predict it will be a hit at your house, too.

Yes, you read correctly: bone marrow, suet, and three kinds of beef.  Plus homemade pickles, spiced ketchup, and fresh baked sesame seed buns.  Whew! 

And actually, I already made these burgers last weekend.  I committed to our friends Scott and Caryn weeks ago that come what may, I’d cook whatever they slapped on the September cover.  I’ll wait and tell you all the details in my full post, but the shopping was the challenge… you should have seen the looks I got when I asked for bone marrow at the meat counter.  Classic.

More soon!

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Bon Appétit Challenge: NOW We’re Talkin’

Jul 15

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 5 Comments

I think I might have figured out part of Bon Appetit’s cover formula. 

I’m going off of memory here, because I didn’t used to pay the incredible amount of attention I currently do to the covers… but it seems that BA runs a dessert once in the summer and again in December.  I specifically remember a mid-year ice cream cone cover in recent history, with a shot that captured the scoop mid-drip.  Last December, they ran a gorgeous chocolate dessert, but it was also a bit odd (and therefore memorable) in its inclusion of fresh long-stemmed raspberries in the dead of winter.  And the December 2006 cover I remember very well, because it was a chocolate peppermint tart that I took to Thomas and Meredith’s annual Christmas bash. 

So it seems that they give desserts a tip of the cap twice yearly: one being a fresh, cool summer-time treat, and the other being a decadent, lap-it-up, you-already-blew-it-at-Thanksgiving, Christmas-only-comes-once-a-year, usually-chocolate finale.

And the August cover confirms the summer part of my guess: Blackberry, Lemon, and Gingersnap Cheesecake Pudding.  It may look breezy, and you can certainly do the work ahead of time, but make no mistake: this is no casual, fly-by-night dessert.  After all, it’s blackberry… lemon… gingersnap… cheesecake… pudding.   There’s a good bit going on here.

And I love it.  Slightly overcomplicated (they let me off the hook with storebought gingersnaps), multi-component, do-ahead, casual dessert.  This could not be more “me” if it tried.  Bring it ON.

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Bon Appétit Challenge: So Easy, A Caveman Could Do It. Or NOT.

Jun 16

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 5 Comments

When I saw the July cover of Bon Appétit today, despite being alone at my computer, I actually said aloud:

Holy… MOSES.

You see, BA started the year with spaghetti and meatballs, then grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches.  Winter-time man food, I get it.  The spring thaw came, and brought with it eggplant rolls, salmon, and fettuccine with veggies.  Now that summer is here, I was expecting light, breezy, no-cook picnic fare… Homemade ice cream.  Cucumber salad.  A berry concoction.  That kinda thing.

These expectations are exactly why my eyes bugged out when I saw Caveman Porterhouses with Poblano Pan-Fry.  That’s right, not just ”porterhouses with poblano pan-fry” (which has a nice alliterative ring to it, I must say)… no  no.  It’s a CAVEMAN porterhouse.  And can you see what’s right beneath the recipe name, in the yellow bubble?  “Grilled right on the coals!” 

Are you kidding me right now?  This means that I am going to take perfectly magnificent red meat and lay it directly on the burning embers of hardwood lump charcoal.  No rack, no foil, no nuthin’.  Talk about when food meets flame!

This is exactly why I love Bon Appétit.  They aren’t afraid to have fun.  And this is going to be (potentially pricey and very likely a huge hassle, but) very fun indeed.

And aside from the fun and the obvious conversation piece, the geek factor is huge.  We’ll get to:

a) finally look up what exactly a porterhouse is, anyway (just a giant T-bone?  from a steer, maybe?),

b) figure out how the heck one cooks directly on coals without producing something that tastes like an ashtray, and

c) navigate the world of chiles and learn why poblanos should not strike heat-related fear into our hearts.

So if you’ll excuse me, I have to figure out where to buy hardwood lump charcoal and whose charcoal grill I will borrow…

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Bon Appétit Challenge: What Oil Spill?

May 18

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 12 Comments

Well folks, here it is:  the June cover.  Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze is a great example of the kind of recipe that could potentially go into regular rotation at my house.  You can’t go wrong with shrimp and sausage, much less on the grill, and they’ve added a little twist with the glaze to keep it interesting.

I’m looking forward to reading up on paprika and Sherry wine vinegar and sharing what I learn with you. 

I am not, however, looking forward to eyeing up the shrimp market, given what’s going on in the Gulf of Mexico at the moment.  I wonder how much impact the oil spill will have, on both supplies and prices…  But fear not, local shrimpers!  I will still buy Gulf shrimp, unless they are absolutely nowhere to be found.

Stay tuned…

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Bon Appétit Challenge: Whatever Happened to the Low Carb Craze?

Apr 13

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 13 Comments

Well, the May cover is out:  Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta.  The second pasta in five months!  Clearly the Atkins diet fad is well behind us.  I wonder whether all those folks who lost weight eating bunless burgers are still skinny?  Or, shall I say, bunless?  Ha!

Looks like I’ve got some chopping to do, but I don’t see any meatballs to shape or eggplant to salt/broil/roll/bake.  And with meat, vegetables, and starch all represented, I won’t even need a side salad or a hunk-o-bread.  Bring it!

As a side note — I’m not complaining, because I looove me some pasta, but if we’re going whole hog on the processed carbs, I sure wish we could work in a dessert somewhere.  Babs?  Anyone?  

Bueller?

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Bon Appétit Challenge: Welcome Back, New Year’s Diet

Mar 18

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 19 Comments

This week I’ve been firming up plans with my good friend Jamie for us to join her family at the beach this summer, and when I thought back to the wonderful time we had there last year (despite the fog of being parents to an infant), the idea of going back fog-free made me want to dance a jig. 

It was a merry but short-lived jig, because the old neurons got revved up and reminded me that beach = bathing suit.  DRAT.   Friends, I am becoming my blog.  I am entirely too white and more than a little fluffy.  I clearly need to cut back on the icing.

To make matters worse, back at the day job, I’m moving to a new floor of my office building.  Much like the beach house, this is great news, except that the dress code is more formal on that floor, which is no big deal except that all my “career wear” is at least a dress size smaller than I am.  DOUBLE DRAT.

Diet and exercise are difficult enough, but we food blogger types have a serious disadvantage in this area.  I mean, can a skinny food blogger be taken seriously?  (Don’t answer that.)

Barbara Fairchild must have foreseen my challenges, because this cover is just what the nutritionist ordered: Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils.  I think it looks great.  Not super exciting, I’ll grant you, and not the summery dessert I was hoping for, but this is right up my alley.

The headlines look great, too.  I would absolutely pick this up off of the newsstand.  I haven’t seen the actual issue yet, but I already want to make all the “fresh and easy dinners” on the list.  And triple layer chocolate cake?  Bloody Mary brunch?  Are you kidding me?

Babs, save something for May, won’t ya?  This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Who’s joining me???

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Bon Appétit Challenge: A Tale of Two Covers

Feb 21

Posted by Laura in 2010 Bon Appétit Covers, Cover Announcements | 13 Comments

Barbara, I was just joshin’ about you taking bribes from my husband.  You didn’t have to haul off and put the most anti-Matt dish you could find on the cover.  Really, you didn’t.

I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt for choosing this particular dish.  But I gotta tell ya, it’s not the sexiest cover ever.  To the extent that the cover photo is intended to sell magazines, Eggplant Parmesan Rolls with Swiss Chard and Fresh Mint would not catch my eye at the newsstand. 

But I get it: we’re in a recession and times are tough.  People are spending less on food, and they’re cooking more at home instead of going out.  So a low-cost one-dish dinner has a certain timeliness and appeal, not to mention the fact that it’s meatless and therefore Lent-friendly. 

But could it be any more different than last month’s cover?  Those sandwiches stop you dead in your tracks and pick up the issue, and then it takes about five seconds to decide that you really must make it, just to see if it’s half as good as that photo.  It looks like something you’d blow your diet for.  Eggplant Rolls, not so much. 

I sent the recipe link to my good friend (and frequent commenter) Andy, who replied, “seems like it going to require a lot of effort and not really be worth it in the end.”  I hope he’s wrong, but I wouldn’t bet against him.

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