tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328642422011-12-01T16:08:05.890-05:00Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.comBlogger1681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-23555559934431811122011-08-25T21:58:00.000-04:002011-08-25T21:58:53.436-04:00

I've decided it's time to put all my culinary activity into one place. Please visit www.tammystastings.com for all the news about TT Supper Club, classes and workshops, private event catering, chocolates and more!

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-32004590462284395232010-07-18T16:12:00.003-04:002010-07-18T16:15:46.020-04:00

These days I've been focusing most of my culinary creativity on TT Supper Club, so I gave it its own home. Please check out the website for dinner reports and announcements, or to join my mailing list!

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-64067008775350731432009-08-31T19:14:00.003-04:002009-08-31T19:59:20.484-04:00

This past Saturday night I hosted a fundraising dinner for SELMA. Their weekly Friday morning breakfasts raise money for a variety of local organizations. This fundraiser was for SELMA itself, to cover capital expenditures (like dishes) that make serving breakfast to 100 people every Friday morning possible. The hosts of SELMA - Lisa Gottlieb and Jeff McCabe - were my assistant cooks for this

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-14372618707200726022009-08-09T16:22:00.005-04:002009-08-09T18:58:21.969-04:00

I had a fabulous time last night, cooking dinner for eight great diners. Together, we raised $240 for Growing Hope. *And* I even remembered to take pictures! That was probably because of how easy my amazing assistant cook made things for me. Dee was one of the diners at my very first dinner, and when she volunteered to be my assistant this time I jumped at the opportunity. She's an accomplished

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-7022125729180533252009-07-26T08:32:00.005-04:002009-07-26T09:33:37.296-04:00

The July version of TT Supper Club was just as much fun as the June version was. Many thanks to my 8 fabulous diners who contributed $200 to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. And an even bigger thanks to Mom's Kitchen who was my tireless assistant. I really can't thank her enough. MK administers the annarborfood mailing list and is one of the most recognized names in the Ann Arbor online foodie scene.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-15172074410091912492009-07-14T08:02:00.003-04:002009-07-14T08:19:46.410-04:00

I had so much fun last month, I'm doing it all over again!On Saturday, July 25th I'll be hosting a supper club event to benefit and the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit. I'll be offering an 8-course tasting menu, designed to highlight seasonal and local foodstuffs. The menu will be wine-friendly, but the event is BYOB (or better yet, bring some to share). A donation of $50 is requested per

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-5618945203165514292009-06-15T20:41:00.004-04:002009-06-15T20:50:59.406-04:00

Ilex from Homesteading in a Condo was one of my TT Supper Club guests, and she requested that I post the recipe for the pre-dinner cocktail I served. So here it is!Rhubarb Mojito1 oz chopped rhubarb5-6 mint leaves1 oz rhubarb syrup1 oz light rum3/4 oz lime juiceclub sodaextra mintrhubarb stalkMuddle rhubarb and mint. Add syrup, rum, lime juice, shake. Strain into glass filled with ice, top with

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-7393563788671664402009-06-10T13:13:00.005-04:002009-06-11T10:12:51.075-04:00

Mojito - Bacardi light rum, Muscovado brown sugar, fresh mint, and ice. And lime, although the description fails to mention it. Wouldn't be much of a Mojito without it! Mojitos have become the new faux-tini, but this one is pretty classic and was nice and refreshing for our first meal out on the patio this spring. The Muscovado brown sugar adds some interest over the more typical white sugar

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-78485966562369678762009-06-08T20:19:00.005-04:002009-06-08T21:12:21.097-04:00

Thank you to the eight adventurous diners who came out to my first supper club event, and to Emily of Preserving Traditions and Eat Close to Home for her tireless assistance in the kitchen! The event was everything I'd hoped it would be. I got to meet and cook for some really wonderful food lovers, and enjoyed listening in on the lively conversation at the dinner table. We raised over $250 for

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-77261711613885581812009-06-01T11:30:00.005-04:002009-06-01T14:14:06.852-04:00

There are still spaces available for Saturday's inaugural TT Supper Club dinner. I've been having a lot of fun thinking about what's at the market and planning a menu. Here's what I'm thinking about right now, subject to change based on guest food restrictions or market unavailability. Oh, and note that this will be a gluten-free meal - I might serve some bread on the side for those that can have

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-8103104392537189132009-05-31T20:35:00.015-04:002009-06-01T11:29:40.249-04:00

Someone on eGullet posted a recipe for making your own pop tarts. A lot of pop tart recipes just have you use a regular pie crust dough, but he tried to develop a crust that was akin to the original (although much tastier). So I decided to give them a try, and the result was delicious!First batch ready to go in the oven.First batch out of the oven: chocolate, blueberry and strawberry. The "money

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-61182580358916113522009-05-28T21:32:00.003-04:002009-05-28T21:48:45.862-04:00

As foreshadowed in my last cocktail challenge post, I did head into the Absente drinks, starting with the Sazerac - Jim Beam Straight Rye, Absenté, and Peychaud's Bitters with simple syrup, lemon oil, and a twist. I thought this might be okay, because I'm a big fan of Jim Beam Straight Rye. But this cocktail was a little aggressive for me... Strong - not a lot of mixers in there. It was

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-76792433830431175922009-05-25T19:15:00.022-04:002009-06-01T14:13:43.258-04:00

Summer is a tough time of year for chocolate making, so Tammy's Tastings (the business) always takes a summer hiatus from regular sales. But while I love making chocolates and confectionery, I also love to cook. So this summer, I've decided to use my hiatus a little differently.I'm pleased to introduce the TT Supper Club. Once a month, from June through September, I'll be hosting a fundraising

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37525576885098973082009-05-19T20:39:00.006-04:002009-05-20T09:14:50.354-04:00

Well, I had this theory about writing a nice blog post about each cocktail I've tried so far in my cocktail challenge. But I've fallen behind, and starting to lose track of what I drank. So I'm going to write one big catchup post with notes, and then hopefully will be back on track to do the one-by-one...Manhattan - Trying drinks like this is one of the reasons I set myself this cocktail

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-56769665259135700452009-04-14T21:12:00.002-04:002009-04-14T21:42:34.188-04:00

Tap, tap, tap... is this thing still on? Seems to be.I've been sadly neglecting this blog, but since I was still getting a few dozen hits a day and people seemed to find some of my old content useful, I decided that I should leave it up. Just in case anyone needed ideas for things to do with duck fat, or how to cook jambalaya for a crowd.But I'm on my summer hiatus from scheduled chocolate making

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-16692336717572825142008-05-28T14:11:00.001-04:002008-05-28T14:11:30.880-04:00

What happened to the Food! | The Best Article Every dayI think these little cauliflower sheep are the cutest thing ever. But the rest of the pictures are great too.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-14228693580371833722008-04-22T11:50:00.002-04:002008-04-22T11:53:28.246-04:00

A Box of Flowers for Mother's Day Every year it's the same question - should I get my mother a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates? Well, now you can do both, with a box of flowers from Tammy's Tastings. Each box of 12 pieces ($22) or 5 pieces ($10) contains an assortment of four flavors:Jasmine - Dark chocolate ganache is infused with jasmine tea and encased in a crisp dark chocolate

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-73080649529817034362008-03-17T11:20:00.004-04:002008-03-17T11:28:05.664-04:00

Kitchen Chick a local Ann Arbor foodblogger, and she interviewed me for her blog. We talked about how I got my start in the food business (like carrying 20lb bags of flour on a bicycle), what some of my current favorite chocolate brands are, and more. Please check out the interview and the rest of the blog - Lisa's writing and photography are totally delicious! And, speaking as a foodblogger

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-3522944448184663792008-03-08T07:16:00.005-05:002008-03-08T07:25:06.678-05:00

The Smell of EasterWhen I host a chocolate tasting, I take guests through 3 steps - taking a "whiff" (what's the chocolate smell like?), taking a bite (what's the texture like?), and taking a taste (what flavors do they notice?). In nearly every chocolate tasting there will be at least one chocolate that everyone agrees "Smells like Easter!"And why not? While we certainly associate chocolate with

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-45214380250092565202008-03-06T07:18:00.003-05:002008-03-06T07:28:18.188-05:00

Heston is chef at the Fat Duck restaurant in the UK, and one of the best known chefs exploring "food science," aka molecular gastronomy. This article is a fascinating look at this mad scientist of cuisine.This has to be one of the wackiest bits... 4: And he recently injected his head chef with a dangerously high dose of chilli oil, intravenously, and then slid him into a £5 million MRI scanner to

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-21968987887018964652008-03-04T09:57:00.003-05:002008-03-04T10:08:50.338-05:00

If I worked from home everyday, I think I'd have the weirdest eating schedule of anybody. I've already got a pretty weird schedule - breakfast around 7, lunch at 11, snack at 3, dinner at 6:15. Which written down doesn't look weird, I guess, but when I'm strolling into the office kitchen to get lunch at 11 am, people often think I'm a little early. But hey - works for me!I've been sick with

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-33226209718314315842008-01-30T06:56:00.000-05:002008-01-30T07:10:13.613-05:00

February seems like the perfect month to celebrate chocolate. There's Valentine's Day, of course. But beyond that, chocolate just seems like the perfect pick-me-up for what can be an awfully dreary month. So this February, Tammy's Tastings is offering a bunch of different opportunities to get your chocolate fix!First off, there's my Valentine's Day collection, featuring four flavors: White

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-5984647632169586392008-01-09T14:39:00.001-05:002008-01-09T14:39:08.660-05:00

100% edible googly-eyes, and a flying spaghetti monster to boot!Powered by ScribeFire.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-19476224622608659122007-12-09T22:04:00.000-05:002007-12-09T22:08:01.591-05:00

5 Days Left!If you've been waiting to place your holiday order, don't delay! This Friday, December 14, is the deadline for orders to be picked up or shipped on December 17th. I'll accept orders until December 20 for local pickup or delivery on December 24th.Truffling AroundThe lovely group to the right call themselves the Divas, and I had the pleasure of teaching them to make truffles on Friday

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-9869769682241749482007-11-23T09:13:00.000-05:002007-11-23T09:15:09.927-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are enjoying your long weekend. Instead of heading out to the crowded shops today, why not do your holiday shopping at Tammy's Tastings?For the creative cook, consider a pre-Christmas gift that will keep giving for years to come! I've still got a few spots available in my December 8th truffle-making workshop. The deadline for registration is

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-49270537306497572872007-10-17T10:11:00.002-04:002008-03-06T07:28:52.630-05:00

Chocolatier resigns after "act of truffle-squishing" in a rival store. - Boing BoingBarry Colenso, chocolatier to the Queen and Prince Charles, the man who created the first billboard made of chocolate, and who has been nicknamed "Willy Wonka" has resigned from his position at Thorntons' after being caught by a surveillance camera as he squished a rival company's candies.That's just so bizarre!

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-11324131744445255072007-09-26T07:15:00.001-04:002007-09-26T07:15:15.222-04:00

I can't decide if i'm impressed or grossed out.A Literal Recipe for Beef Cake?

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-3089062815379971112007-09-08T22:57:00.000-04:002007-09-09T08:57:31.620-04:00

I spent most of this last week in Atlanta for work, and had the opportunity to eat at some great spots. The highlight had to be Element, a "Gastro Lounge + Food Lab" from Chef Richard Blais. My dinner companion is a vegetarian, and although they never got my email about requesting a special menu for her, the kitchen agreed to improvise a tasting menu for the two of us on the spot. But

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-47768112499580080362007-08-22T11:21:00.001-04:002007-08-22T11:21:35.138-04:00

Heat Indicating Coffee Lid | GeekAlertsNow that's a really clever idea.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-51777292011192815572007-07-04T15:05:00.001-04:002007-07-04T15:05:36.069-04:00

ThinkGeek :: Fundue - desktop USB Fondue Set

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-68127245457271720802007-07-02T10:18:00.001-04:002007-07-02T10:25:12.268-04:00

Opinionated About Dining: In Search of the Perfect MealAka, "What Happens When You Eat at Jean Georges, Per Se, Bouley, Eleven Madison Park & WD-50 All in the Same Night?"

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-18170808079324495442007-07-01T20:24:00.000-04:002007-07-01T20:28:35.624-04:00

When I was in Chicago last week, I finally got to try out Moto. This is another restaurant in the "molecular gastronomy" movement which I'm somewhat enamored with. Despite positive reviews from people, I'd been hesitant about going to Moto. It just seemed too gimmicky - and for me, as someone who's eaten food hanging off an antenna before, that's saying a lot. But then I saw the chef, Homaru

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-85441274703409025572007-05-22T21:35:00.000-04:002007-05-22T22:08:06.000-04:00

I don't usually do memes here, but I've been feeling so guilty about the total lack of new content here lately, and I saw this one on Foodmomiac and thought - now that, I've got time to do!Step 1: Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person whotagged you. Include the city/state and country you’re in.Nicole (Sydney, Australia)velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)LB (San Giovanni in

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-661717703788577712007-04-26T07:16:00.000-04:002007-04-30T16:36:00.219-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my wine club celebrated its second anniversary with another fabulous dinner. You can read about last year's here: it was a 9-course extravaganza with a paired wine for each course. This year we decided to go a little easier on ourselves, and do fewer courses but have a couple of wines with each, so we could compare and contrast. With some canapes for nibbling and some

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-80681388004678064062007-04-12T17:58:00.000-04:002007-04-12T18:03:46.182-04:00

I've just been sooo busy! I usually write about things here when they're done, and right now I've got lots of things in progress.I spent the last two days in Champaign-Urbana, and while it might not be known as a culinary destination, I did my best to eke out some blog-worthy activity. Stay tuned to hear all about the Meat Science Laboratory, my purchase from which is destined for dinner Friday

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-53181247086453822232007-03-27T22:26:00.000-04:002007-03-27T23:06:49.103-04:00

7:30 am - Leave my house for the airport9:00 am - Get on the plane to Chicago9:30 am - Eat most of a $2 airplane snack of Pringles for breakfast9:30 am (ahh, the power of timezones) - Land in Chicago10:45 am - Walk past the new Garret Popcorn location on Randolph. Breath deeply, vow to stop on the way back.11:00 am - Lunch at the Park Grill Chicago. This restaurant is actually in Millennium

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37654869954406450372007-03-23T07:00:00.000-04:002007-03-23T07:17:19.286-04:00

Visit Pimp that Snack to read all about how this jaw-dropping creation was made. It weighs in at nearly 5 lbs and an estimated 10,000 calories!It's certainly an impressive feat of candy engineering. The thought of actually *eating* it totally grosses me out though. Like most people I've talked to, I loved creme eggs as a kid, but now find them so sweet as to be inedible.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-77259881685291207052007-03-21T07:38:00.000-04:002007-03-23T07:18:02.868-04:00

The task - "Merlot, but interesting." Too much merlot tastes exactly like every other Merlot, so we tasked our wine seller with finding us an interesting variety from different countries. Nothing here is going to become an all-time favorites, but they were certainly interesting.2005 Trumpeter Merlot Mendoza Argentina Nice fragrant nose. Plum, black pepper, "mulberries on a hot sidewalk." But

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-26439098771683115572007-03-20T13:38:00.000-04:002007-03-20T13:49:19.430-04:00

Ann Arbor's own Alex Young, chef at Zingerman's Roadhouse, is a Beard Foundation 2007 nominee for best Chef in the new "Great Lakes" category. It's great to see a local name on the list, and to see Zingerman's get the recognition, but I'd be amazed if he pulls out a win as the competition is pretty fierce:Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)Grant Achatz, Alinea, ChicagoCarrie Nahabedian, Naha

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-64068452153200442152007-03-18T19:57:00.000-04:002007-03-18T23:20:53.374-04:00

My butcher has had a great price on pork tenderloin lately, so I've cooked it a couple of common meals in a row. This time, I got thinking about pork, and what would go well with it, and immediately thought of maple. And mustard as a nice complementary flavor. I went looking for ideas on the net and found a lot of people using apple cider vinegar, and that was an excellent addition - it

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-21695536367792390892007-03-13T23:21:00.000-04:002007-03-13T23:27:22.302-04:00

I'm now accepting orders for Easter Chocolates over on my business website. Flavors are desribed below, but visit the Easter sale page for prices and details on how to order. And please feel free to tell your friends!Truffle Bunny – This adorable bunny is available in your choice of 72% dark chocolate with dark chocolate ganache, or milk chocolate with milk chocolate ganache.Cardamom –

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-10483962322202499512007-03-12T07:53:00.000-04:002007-03-12T07:54:54.577-04:00

Trans Fat Fight Claims Butter as a Victim - New York TimesRemember how we call used to eat margarine, because it was deemed to be more healthy than butter? And then we discovered trans-fats, and margarine became the adversary. Well, now butter is back in the food paranoists sights - one quarter pound of butter contains 3.12 grams of naturally occurring trans fats. Researchers aren't sure, but

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-1359108509086031282007-03-06T16:30:00.001-05:002007-03-07T06:47:18.049-05:00

ruhlman.com: The End of Molecular Gastronomy?We are at a remarkable point in our culinary history. The burst of creativity that began at El Bulli and has carried on in places like Fat Duck and Alinea (among a handful of other notable American restaurants) has been thrilling. But I think the innovations we’ve seen have been more than enough for now. Now, like the innovations of Nouvelle Cuisine

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-52156758608567631742007-03-06T12:00:00.000-05:002007-03-06T12:11:40.352-05:00

On Sunday I invited a bunch of friends around to taste some chocolate with me. I'd ordered some E. Guittard single origin bars to taste, and then had collected up various odds and endsI'd gotten in trade from people on the net. I wanted to taste them all alongside the basic couvertures I'm using for my chocolate making, to see if there was something I should be using instead, or if any of them

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-71576442545762042812007-03-02T10:50:00.001-05:002007-03-02T10:50:14.457-05:00

Fascinating read from Chicagoist. Here's a taste: Chicagoist: Could you start off by describing in layman’s terms what you call “hypermodern, emotional” cooking, or what’s also known as “molecular gastronomy” or “science food”?Grant Achatz: We really look at the whole thing as a block of time. We can cook individual meals or dishes. But for us, we’re trying to entertain, captivate, insatiate, all

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-26062397370590053452007-02-28T11:51:00.000-05:002007-02-28T12:40:38.773-05:00

What is sous-vide cooking? Here's what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:...a method of cooking that is intended to maintain the integrity of ingredients by heating them for an extended period of time at relatively low temperatures. Food is cooked for a long time, sometimes well over 24 hours. But unlike a slow cooker, sous-vide cooking uses airtight plastic bags placed in hot water well below

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-74828673240864114632007-02-27T14:01:00.001-05:002007-02-27T14:05:07.029-05:00

Interesting article on Zagat Math from SmartMoney magazine.The guide — which millions of consumers have come to rely on — bills itself as an industry "report card" with grades handed out by the voting public. But what's become of all those tough, if not picky, reviewers? When the Zagats started selling their 1983 New York restaurant guide, it was no mean feat for a chef to score a food rating of

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-66251635404929617112007-02-26T21:40:00.000-05:002007-02-26T22:03:14.272-05:00

I'm usually the one who researches and buys the wine for wine club every month, so it was a real treat for me in February when one of our members offered to round up some Sherries for us to try. Given that we are mostly all Sherry neophytes, and we were tasting through four very different styles of Sherry, we did this as an open rather than blind tasting and read up on the different styles as we

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37496713514497817592007-02-23T07:27:00.000-05:002007-02-25T21:17:11.401-05:00

This one is adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking. It's really easy, and really tasty. The most annoying part is pan frying all the pork pieces. I've experimented with doing them on the grill and the broiler as well, and that works okay, although frying tastes better. The marinade adapts well to tofu, which you then just bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or so.Spicy Korean Pork Tenderloin10

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-45838075451499056112007-02-17T08:58:00.000-05:002007-02-17T09:32:21.482-05:00

Chicago's first foie gras citation goes to Hot Doug's.Not a surprise, given Doug Sohn's in-your-face defiance of the foie gras ban, but still a disappointment. On Friday afternoon, Sohn seemed to be considering whether to fight on. He took the duck-liver dogs off the menu and got ready to go on vacation. If anyone wants to reach him, he'll be considering his options over a plate of foie gras in

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-63273556434132130452007-02-16T07:49:00.000-05:002007-02-16T22:10:38.930-05:00

Blackbird has been on my Chicago to-eat list for quite a while now. But I get to Chicago so infrequently that there's always been something above it. So having a Monday night in Chicago was a blessing in disguise - most of the top tier restaurants are closed, and Blackbird was one of the few that was open. One look at the aintriguing menu and it quickly jumped to the top of my list.I'm pleased

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-12170337847150128272007-02-14T06:39:00.000-05:002007-02-14T07:03:22.244-05:00

Please enjoy this virtual box of chocolates, from the the Valentine's Day collection that I offered through my fledgling business.Top row: salty caramel, passionfruit, hazelnut praline. And in the center with the hearts, strawberry-balsamic.The salty caramel is based off of this recipe from Epicurious. I used 2 tsp of coarse gray sea salt and only cooked it to 240 degrees. I used a very high

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-82944314064549372012007-02-11T21:40:00.000-05:002007-02-10T08:15:11.084-05:00

I was making caramel for my Valentine's Day chocolates this weekend, and discovered this really cool star shape in my pot. It's caused by the shape of the grate over the burners on my gas range, and I thought it was nifty enough to deserve a blog post.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-16932733917804272202007-02-10T08:07:00.000-05:002007-02-06T07:38:12.504-05:00

Guest blogging on Ruhlman.com, Tony Bourdain provides his usual cutting and funny but insightful commentary on the "Newer, Younger, More Male-Oriented, More Dumb-Ass Food Network."On Mario Batali:Oh, Mario! Oh great one! They shut down Molto Mario--only the smartest and best of the stand-up cooking shows. Is there any more egregiously under-used, criminally mishandled, dismissively treated chef

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-31849764700050620732007-02-05T07:22:00.000-05:002007-02-05T13:51:28.913-05:00

I picked up this book on a recent Amazon splurge. After I took a look through, I almost sent it back. The truffle recipes are all very basic. And essentially variations on a theme, as the method is nearly identical for each page, it's only the ingredients that vary. Good for a total beginner to truffles, but I'm well past that stage now.I decided to keep it, however, for the candies and

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-19469383448611677292007-02-04T23:15:00.000-05:002007-02-06T07:38:12.534-05:00

Literally.In October, the Russian cargo ship Progress left Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmo-drome, bound for the International Space Station with 13 Ducasse-created gourmet plates on board. These so-called special-event meals included roasted quail in a Madiran wine sauce, smooth celeriac puree with nutmeg, and semolina cake with dried apricots.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-75137876700642621462007-02-04T20:58:00.000-05:002007-02-04T21:10:11.233-05:00

Three simple sentences from Michael Pollan, that sum up a long, but completely fascinating article in the New York Times. This being the NYT, it will stop being free soon, so even if you don't have time to read it right now, I highly recommend printing out a copy or saving it to your computer for later.The article chronicles the rise of "nutritionism" as an ideology in America, and how - for all

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-45077878740451562332007-02-01T22:12:00.000-05:002007-02-01T22:49:24.342-05:00

2002 Chateau Brown Lamartine Bordeaux SuperieurPepper, leather, tobacco, dark fruits - raspberry?, chocolate. Palate much less complex than the nose would imply - pretty much just tart raspberry. Light bodied but alcoholic, with a peppery tannic bite in the throat. 2.7 alone, 3.7 food. 1/4 alone, 3/5 food. $17.992003 Chateau La Lauzette-Declercq Listrac-Medoc Cru BourgeoisOpens with earthy

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-73933582942198458792007-01-30T21:03:00.000-05:002007-01-30T21:11:05.634-05:00

Tastespotting = A Visual Filtration of Great Taste = Image + Link + ThoughtTastespotting is a website full of foodblog eye candy. Anyone can register and submit an "image + link + thought." The collection of pictures captures a piece of what's happening in the food blogosphere at the moment, and you can click through from the pictures that attract your attention to read the full posts that

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-60825515144420421202007-01-28T15:16:00.000-05:002007-01-28T15:59:30.964-05:00

This is one of the most popular meals that I make for my cohousing community, and one I get frequent requests for. It's adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and all their meticulous testing really shows in the result. Thanks to an initial "enrichment" step, the broth has a deep complex flavor, even though it starts with purchased stock. If you have 40 cups of homemade stock lying around

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-12690440211442147252007-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:002007-01-26T07:21:06.360-05:00

I spent last weekend running the hospitality suite for a science fiction convention. I meant to take pictures of the crazy amount of supplies we bought for it, but I totally forgot. I'll post my shopping list later - it's pretty amazing. To give you a preview, on our first trip to Costco, we had 5 flat bed carts and 5 or 6 large shoppping carts.For now, here's a couple of pictures:This is our

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-46766791702149054512007-01-25T06:58:00.000-05:002007-01-25T07:22:48.917-05:00

From eater.com:Yesterday, the fine gentlemen of Urbandaddy wrote about a shady operation known as PrimeTimeTables, which is, essentially, the first-ever online reservation scalping service.(You didn't think of it first, friend. We've all had the notion, butnot been crazy enough to try it.) The membership service requires noinitial fee at sign-up, for the base level membership, at least,

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-91165902899896622072007-01-22T17:10:00.000-05:002007-01-22T17:20:39.279-05:00

As I'm mentioned here from time to time, I'm starting my own business, and one of the things I'll be doing is making and selling chocolates. I'm offering four flavors for Valentine's Day: caramel, passionfruit, strawberry-balsamic, and hazelnut praline (L to R above). You can download an order form from www.tammystastings.com. And yes, I do ship!

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-6523773692300882352007-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:002007-01-16T07:08:35.575-05:00

From anthropologist Grant McCracken comes this really insightful blog article about why the artisanal food movement is being so strongly embraced. He identifies and elaborates on the following 10 cultural components:1. a preference for things that are human scale.2. a preference for things that are hand made.3. a preference for things that are relatively raw and untransformed.4. a preference

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-28531459132941490672007-01-13T15:08:00.000-05:002007-01-15T07:34:24.002-05:00

I can't claim to have been at all creative or unique in making this recipe. Adapting it to feed a crowd didn't really require much more than multiplication. But it is a tasty and cheap meal that feeds a lot of people. I used almost entirely organic ingredients and it cost about $4/person (which included a mixed green salad with goat cheese and blood oranges). If you're less particular about

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-57499185036397392202007-01-13T14:24:00.000-05:002007-01-13T14:28:46.016-05:00

Great New York Times article about new trends in wine tasting.Andrew Sia wanted to find a sommelier who would lecture to his wine tasting club, but was not sure he could afford it. Then there was the matter of the ice cream.In addition to enjoying wine, Mr. Sia, 34, fancies making his own frozen sorbets and ice creams. Though it seemed to him a natural fit to pair the two, he suspected a wine

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-75570483953749909722007-01-12T16:00:00.001-05:002007-01-12T16:02:33.951-05:00

I highly recommend this email newsletter to all wine lovers. Robin Garr hosts the WineLovers Page ("the oldest, largest and most popular independent wine-appreciation site on the World Wide Web"), with articles, columns and the WineLovers Discussion Group. Several times each week he puts out the 30-Second Wine Advisor (on Thursday it's replaced by the Wine Advisor FoodLetter).As the title implies

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-85262782999435942482007-01-08T22:36:00.000-05:002007-01-08T22:41:35.318-05:00

Despite making a New Year's Resolution to get back to updating my blog several times a week, I've not managed it. And it's not because I haven't been cooking or eating or thinking about food. In fact, I've been doing lots of that. But I've realized that I mostly don't post about things to this blog until they are done, and I've got lots of things in the works, but not completed.One of the

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-41071270126002921862007-01-07T00:32:00.000-05:002007-01-07T00:48:46.702-05:00

A couple of new-to-me blogs have caught my interest in the last few days, so I thought I would share them with you too!Brownie PointsSubtitled "a good girl's notebook of her culinary world," there's a lot of neat stuff here that I'm just starting to explore. I'd already been thinking about making my own marshmallows, but seeing her creations has made me even more interested. And her photography

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-66956895534513847802007-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:002007-01-03T10:22:17.868-05:00

JanuaryI ran the hospitality suite for a science fiction convention called ConFusion. About 700 people attend the convention, and the hospitality suite runs continuously for most of 3 days. How much food do 700 people eat? Check out my shopping list. I'll be doing it again this year.FebruaryIn February, I took cooking common meal for my cohousing community to the next level, by collaborating

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-70033441748121957732007-01-02T07:27:00.000-05:002007-01-02T07:35:58.281-05:00

Over on eGullet, Fat Guy asks "Are we too matchy?"In the restaurant world, of course, the notion of "wine pairings" -- where, for example, you get a different wine by the glass with every course of a tasting menu -- has become very popular. There is also, of course, a lot of attention devoted to pairings in the literature: long lists of what wines go best with what foods. And I was recently at a

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-24477604818952181322007-01-01T09:28:00.000-05:002007-01-02T12:20:45.348-05:00

I hope everyone had a festive time and drank lots of excellent champagne or other beverage of choice. I celebrated the new year with a dinner party for my friends with children, then - after my 2 year old was asleep - went to a party at a neighbors. (Sadly my hubby had a headache and opted to stay home and sleep.)It was quite the dinner - 8 adults, 7 children (ages 8, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 and 8 months

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37489365718917490212006-12-29T23:30:00.000-05:002006-12-30T00:09:18.919-05:00

From Scott at DallasFood.org comes this tale of Noka, a high-end chocolatier headquarted in Plano, TX and named "#1 luxury chocolate in the world" by some British food show. I'm familiar with many chocolatiers (Richart and Kee's being among my favorites), but this was one I hadn't heard of before the article. It's a long article, but well worth the read. It peels away the layers of deception

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-45994112065225182152006-12-26T21:36:00.000-05:002006-12-26T21:50:09.099-05:00

Made an excellent batch of cheesy scalloped potatoes tonight. Scalloped potatoes are very much something I make by feel - I don't usually use a recipe. Sometimes they turn out really well, sometimes I use too much milk and they're too watery. Since tonight's were a winner, I thought I should try to transcribe the recipe while I could still remember the rough quantities.Cheesy Scalloped

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-91425939868998671772006-12-24T18:03:00.000-05:002006-12-24T19:04:25.391-05:00

Since I can't actually give you truffles for Christmas, I can at least give you some recipes. These are from my holiday truffle sale, featuring four seasonal flavors. I ended up making over 400 hand-rolled, hand-dipped truffles. Kinda crazy!I expect you don't want to make quite that many, but fortunately the recipes scale down easily. For all these recipes, you should let the ganache set up

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37481956500316959472006-12-24T16:34:00.000-05:002006-12-24T19:05:51.551-05:00

Every December, we like to taste some sparkling wines so we can find interesting things to serve at New Year's. Here's what we tasted this year.Jean Laurent Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut $45.00Faded sunflower color. Nose of melon, citrus and straw - noticeable chardonnay aromas. On the palate, it opens with a hint of sweetness but resolves dry, with flint/mineral flavors and a long tart

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37566414847045837832006-12-23T07:40:00.000-05:002006-12-24T19:06:15.339-05:00

Here's what I put together in response to my eGullet Baking and Pastry Challenge.On the left, red grapes on the stem, covered in Stilton and rolled in chopped port-glazed walnuts. You can see some of the whole walnuts scattered around the sauce. The sauce is the reduction of the glazing liquid, and has port, sugar, black pepper and bay leaf. On the right, a Seckel pear, which was roasted in a

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-10153626847965033942006-12-19T19:48:00.000-05:002006-12-19T19:59:10.543-05:00

This week, I've been tagged as the challenger in the Supreme eGullet Pastry and Baking Challenge. Noting my interest in pairing food and wine, last week's challenger set this task for me:So, my challenge to Tammy is to sweeten up the cheese course! Create a dessert with at least 2 different wines and 2 different cheeses. At least one of the cheeses has to be a savoury rather a 'sweet' cheese (so

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-64232396818981536622006-12-14T11:00:00.000-05:002006-12-14T11:40:57.871-05:00

I first read about this farm stand in Issue 70 of The Art of Eating. When I found out I was going to be in Homestead, FL for work, I had this vague inkling of having heard of that area before. Eventually I discovered the Fruit and Spice Park, which had been featured in the same article as Robert is Here, and slowly but surely I started to remember why all of this seemed so familiar.Once I put

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-91760511496330411142006-12-12T07:36:00.000-05:002006-12-12T08:15:50.941-05:00

What one dish is always on Charlie Trotter's holiday table? Beluga caviar and Krug champagne. Who would Michelle Bernstein want as her personal chef? Mario Batali.What snack would Jason Wilson leave for Santa? Valrhona chocolates, stuffed with salted caramel and bacon.When did Tom Collicchio know he wanted to be a chef? When he was 15 years old and his father suggested it - one of the few

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-8056579197864320812006-12-11T22:56:00.000-05:002006-12-14T11:38:06.440-05:00

I came back from Florida with a suitcase full of fruit. Not oranges and grapefruits, as might be expected this time of year. My selections were a little more unusual. Spiraling clockwise to the center from bottom left: kumquats, black sapote, papaya, guava, dragonfruit, passionfruit, atemoya and carambola. I'd tried some of these before, but others were completely new. I'd always rather

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-81228692084118286992006-12-10T22:16:00.000-05:002006-12-10T22:21:58.398-05:00

Zingerman's lays out its vision for 2020. It includes:Zingerman's will stay in and around Ann Arbor.Zingerman's will grow to include 12 to 18 different businesses. A Mexican restaurant, bed and breakfast, candy company, Asian noodle restaurant, conference center and publishing company are among some of the ideas being tossed around.Zingerman's will remain an open-book business for its employees,

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-90486207797557899712006-12-08T19:35:00.000-05:002006-12-14T11:39:56.206-05:00

Carambola (aka Star Fruit)This week, I had the opportunity to visit a really fascinating place - the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, FL. This 35 acre botanical garden has over 500 varieties of exotic fruits, herbs, spices and nuts from around the world. The park was mostly flattened by Hurricane Andrew, and they are still rebuilding. But there's plenty to see. Tours by tractor-driven tram

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-87471016516917040182006-12-07T08:30:00.000-05:002006-12-07T08:34:21.163-05:00

Like practically every other foodblogger in the blogosphere, I've been playing around with the no-knead bread recipe that I linked to earlier. The gist of the recipe, for anyone's managed to avoid it, is that you make a very wet dough that you don't need to knead. You let it rise for 12-18 hours, do a few folds to form it into a ball, let it rise for 2 more hours, then bake in a preheated

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-86368640742045576172006-12-05T19:07:00.000-05:002006-12-05T19:08:10.379-05:00

I don't have an easy-bake oven any more, but I have fond memories of baking itty-bitty cakes in my childhood. So I really MUST have this cookbook. It features 32 recipes from 26 chefs, all specially formulate for the Easy-Bake Oven! It includes recipes from such noteables as Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, Bobby Flay, Gale Gand, and Mollie Katzen. Plus:--Rare Easy-Bake Oven memorabilia, an

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-88916121577264543312006-12-04T08:00:00.000-05:002006-12-04T08:02:04.108-05:00

I found these in the Imbibe magazine holiday shopping guide, and I've been coveting them ever since. I like the idea of wine markers, but on all the ones I've seen, the charms are really dorky.These foam rings have the advantage of being useable for those oh-so-trendy stemless wine glasses as well as the traditional kind.And at $9.95 for a set of 10 ($8.95 if you order two or more), they're a

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-11371251003011900192006-12-03T05:13:00.001-05:002006-12-03T05:13:18.412-05:00

Foodmomiac, one of my favorite foodbloggers, has created an amazing gift guide, just in time for the holidays. Whoever the foodie in your life is, you'll find a great gift idea for them there!

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-44426952512869021562006-12-02T06:58:00.001-05:002006-12-14T12:19:11.372-05:00

Last week my travels took me to the city of El Paso. I had a couple days of great meetings, and my contact there, José, was an excellent tour guide who was totally willing to indulge my foodblogging idiosyncrasies.After a very long day of meetings on Wednesday, we wanted to go out to dinner. I showed him the list of restaurants that I'd assembled from my pre-trip research, and he picked out

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-7831426964373327892006-11-29T06:11:00.000-05:002006-11-29T06:11:15.526-05:00

Chicago Magazine sat down to chat with six of Chicago's best chefs about the star system, food plagiarism, ethics of food, and more. It's a good read.My favorite line is from Grant Achatz of Alinea. In response to the question "Grant, you do a lot of local food sourcing. It seems like no one ever talks about that part of your food" he says "Of course they don’t. I make it all in the laboratory,

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-16829661157330394472006-11-28T07:02:00.000-05:002006-11-28T07:03:59.184-05:00

So, in a previous post I wrote an ode to the Canadian McChicken Sandwich, but that's not the only thing I miss from the old country. The chocolate bars (note: not "candy bars") are also generally superior to their American counterparts. The milk chocolate is similar to British milk chocolate, and doesn't have that waxy chalky Hershey's flavor. That's why the Reese peanut butter cups are

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-37144433463899274362006-11-27T07:00:00.000-05:002006-11-28T07:04:51.583-05:00

Every time I go to Canada, I have to stop at McDonald's and get a McChicken Sandwich. I almost never go to McDonald's in the US - preferring Burger King or Taco Bell when my only option is fast food - but as soon as I cross the border, the craving sets in.Although it may look like any crispy chicken sandwich served at lots of fast food restaurant in the US, it is a different thing. I remember

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-24096813956667233672006-11-25T12:01:00.000-05:002006-11-25T13:01:34.344-05:00

Nearly every Saturday morning since my son was able to stand on a chair, he and I have made pancakes together. Or "cakies" as he called them until just recently. I measure, he dumps and stirs. We cook up the whole batch at once, and put the leftovers in the fridge. They reheat well in the microwave or toaster oven, and he'll eat one a day for breakfast all week long.I figure by the time he's

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-48714309273011288312006-11-23T07:13:00.000-05:002006-11-25T13:02:19.539-05:00

This is a recipe I've made for my cohousing community several times. We have people in the community with shellfish allergies, so it's shrimp free, but you could certainly add shrimp at the end, and substitute some clam stock for the chicken stock. When I put this on the menu I was worried about getting all the rice cooked without burning it on the bottom, since most jambalaya recipes call for

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-30329684814111500512006-11-21T00:17:00.000-05:002006-11-21T00:35:12.539-05:00

I haven't been posting very much lately because I've been on the road a lot for work. And not necessarily in a way that gets me out to restaurants that inspire great foodie posts. For example, here's what the last couple of days have looked like:Sunday afternoon on the plane, flying to LA - bottled water, 2 clementinesSunday night - Dinner with friends at Cozymel's, a Mexican chain restaurant.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-34327792607139499052006-11-18T07:58:00.001-05:002006-11-18T08:01:46.512-05:00

A parsnip has won the accolade of 'ugliest veg'.We are happy to announce that a parsnip grown in Bedfordshire, but resembling a creature from the abyss, is top of the crops in our Ugly Veg Competition to find the ugliest veg in England.The overall winner, grown by Mrs Hilary Nellist in Bedford, stood out from the rest of the vegetables, its tangled shape giving it an uncanny similarity to a

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-77359941656253115452006-11-17T15:02:00.001-05:002006-12-24T19:08:14.918-05:00

Top-flight London hotel manages to procure zebra milk for picky guestAnd while we're talking about unusual milks, a classic thread from eGullet on why we don't have pig milk cheese.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-59017991944640194252006-11-15T07:56:00.000-05:002006-11-18T09:43:37.597-05:00

Just finished reading this very interesting article in the New York Times, and now I can't wait to get home to try making some bread!Mr. Lahey’s method is striking on several levels. It requires no kneading. (Repeat: none.) It uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. It takes very little effort. It accomplishes all of this by combining a number of unusual though not unheard of

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-68836260999497616862006-11-14T07:11:00.000-05:002006-11-14T07:14:27.402-05:00

How to read a pet food labelReally interesting commentary on shopping for dog food, with detailed label analysis of several brands.

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-84758079079763680672006-11-12T10:07:00.000-05:002006-11-12T15:50:59.344-05:00

This past Friday, my usually separate worlds of work and foodblogging overlapped, when I went for a site visit to a meatpacking facility in Colorado. We are doing a study of manufacturing employers who are partnering with community colleges to help Hispanic immigrant employees pursue higher education, and we found a really wonderful example of such a partnership in rural Colorado.Part of our

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32864242.post-20947757446879644352006-11-11T22:24:00.000-05:002006-11-12T07:40:23.123-05:00

Wine Club this week was Cotes du Rhone. We didn't have as good a food pairing as we should have had for this one (I should have saved some of my cassoulet from the week before), so I expect the "with food" scores would have been higher with another pairing. All scores are averages across the group (the scores with the "/" indicate the range across the group). Notes are a compilation of the

Tammy Coxenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13658959473966321330noreply@blogger.com0