Picture #1: Salted Caramel cake as made by House Beautiful food columnist Alex Hitz. Picture #2: Salted Caramel Pecan cake as made by Spectacularly Delicious. Although these two cakes wouldn't be mistaken for identical twins they do bear more than a passing resemblance looks-wise. But down in their souls, their very essence, they are one in the same: lightly salty, … [Read more...]
GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
One of my food rules (and there are many) is always order the things with avocado when in California. The west coast seems to have a way with them, consistently butter soft and flavorful, enriching eggs, sandwiches, quesadillas and just about anything else you can think of. This rule was validated on a recent trip to San Fran and L.A. One of the highlights was a Green … [Read more...]
Steak au Poivre Alex Hitz
My new issue of House Beautiful fell open to Alex's Kitchen and his recipe for Steak au Poivre. I took it as a sign from the heavens and the angels did sing when these steaks hit the table. Oh my they were good. I'm a big fan of Alex Hitz recipes and his My Beverly Hills Kitchen cookbook. His food is flavor-packed and usually rather showy which is right up Spectacularly … [Read more...]
PASTA PRIMAVERA: AUTHENTIC AND OTHERWISE
Culinary purists and in-the-know gourmands maintain that the popular dish Pasta Primavera isn't an "authentic" Italian recipe. Quotations because when all is said and done, what really constitutes authenticity? Pasta Primavera was birthed in this country by the esteemed Italian food authority and cookbook author Ed Giobbi. He's Italian. He's an expert. His recipe … [Read more...]
JULIA DELLA CROCE’S SPECTACULAR LENTIL SOUP
I got involved in the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club Decorator Show House this spring -- House Beautiful partnered with KitchenAid and designer Christopher Peacock to create an über glam kitchen in a grand Manhattan townhouse. Helping pull the kitchen together, working with the above and as well as friends at Caesarstone, Grothouse Lumber and Frontgate, was a lot of fun and the … [Read more...]
MEET THE CHEFS AT KIPS BAY SHOW HOUSE WITH KITCHENAID AND HOUSE BEAUTIFUL
Haute cuisine meets high design at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, where House Beautiful is teaming up with KitchenAid to host a series of innovative culinary events with renowned chefs throughout the month of May in the stunning Christopher Peacock-designed kitchen at the famed show house. KitchenAid is the exclusive kitchen appliance sponsor of this year’s show house. … [Read more...]
CROQUEMBOUCHE
Croquembouche: The dessert that "combines elegant traditionalism with an imaginative modern approach to the elaborate form of styling."* It's not quite fair to say that Croquembouche is simple, but the effort-to-reward ratio is off the charts, thus making the endeavor well worth the undertaking. Croquembouche's translation, basically "crunch in the mouth," is spot on. … [Read more...]
OIL POACHED MONTAUK TUNA NICOISE
Tuna Niçoise calls for canned tuna. Sure, California-style versions featuring thick strips of grilled red-rare slices of tuna are pretty to look at and tasty in their own right. But the real deal? No. Oil-packed canned tuna (don't get me started on water packed) imparts the unmistakable character of this classic. Seriously people, haven't we learned by now that our European … [Read more...]
POPPED CHERRY TOMATOES
You know when you go a restaurant and the food seems simple and straight forward and yet it tastes so much better than you expected it ever could? Out in San Francisco Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern and El Paseo restaurants serve up these epiphanies plate after plate, night after night. Having access to the best meats, freshest vegetables and fine butters and oils and … [Read more...]
IACONO FARM FRIED CHICKEN
There's no secret to this recipe for fried chicken -- it's the quality of the bird. East Hampton's Iacono Farm has been raising chickens in clapboard coops since the Truman administration. They (the chickens, not the Iaconos) spend their days scratching the dirt for bugs, blithely maintaining the pecking order under the sunny skies. Happy, healthy, delicious birds. The … [Read more...]