The Bitten Word

Spring Lasagna with Asparagus, Peas and Stinging Nettles

 A Bitten Word Recipe

Our regular farmers market, Sunday mornings in Dupont Circle, is back to bursting. The flower stands are overflowing with beautiful tulips and irises; fresh spring vegetables are everywhere, and there's an overall excited energy about the place again. We were giddy -- maybe inappropriately so -- to learn a few weeks ago that the market not only opens a half hour earlier this season, but has also expanded by a block!

We had guests coming over for dinner last week and wanted a dish that would really show off all this terrific produce that's at the market right now, so we decided to try our hand at a spring lasagna.  

Before we get into it, though, we know what you're asking: What exactly are stinging nettles?

Avocado-Strawberry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Gourmet (August 2009)

 

Our avocado adventures roll on!  As we said with the Avocado Pie we made last week, we wanted a recipe that would really highlight the fresh Florida avocados we got from our reader PJ (and that Avocado Pie, as fun and tasty as it was, nearly obliterated the avocado flavors with lime, sugar and cream).

This Avocado-Strawberry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, on the other hand, promised to let the avocados stand out. Originally printed in last August's Gourmet, this salad was among the handful of recipes PJ sent along with the avocados, some of her favorite ways to use the fruit.

The Leftovers | Interesting Stuff from November Food Magazines

Here are some non-recipe items that caught our attention in November's assortment of food magazines.

Gourmet

In the (sniff) final issue of Gourmet, John Willoughby has a short but surprising item. 

The Gourmet test kitchen bought eight random tablespoon measurements from a variety of stores, and then weighed the amount of salt each one held.

The results were surprising, with the variance between the largest and smallest at 33 percent -- 33 percent!  As Willoughby points out, this might not make much of a difference in a lot of cooking, but in more precise recipes, like baking, it could make a huge difference in the final result.

Now we need a scale to see how much our tablespoons hold!

Food & Wine

We loved this profile of Athens, Georgia-based supper club The FourCoursemen.  The club was started by two friends who just liked to try new recipes. Over the course of three years, it has blossomed into a full-blown affair, with elaborate dinners for twenty-four guests. Invitations are in high-demand. Their food is beautiful and we want to come to dinner.  Seriously.

Martha Stewart Living
 
We've been hearing about The Lee Brothers' new cookbook, Simple Fresh Southern, all over the place, but it was in Martha Stewart Living that we first saw it featured. 

We haven't yet gotten our hands on a copy, but we're looking forward to checking it out this winter.

If you've already picked it up, let us know what you think!

Follow Us on Facebook

And finally, if you're on Facebook, then be sure to become a fan of The Bitten Word.  It's one more way you can follow the goings on here at the blog.

Thanksgiving 2009: Oyster Casserole

Gourmet (November 2009)

 
We've always been curious about the idea of a classic oyster stuffing for Thanksgiving. We'd always heard of it, but neither of us had ever eaten one.

Technically, we supposed we still haven't. This Oyster Casserole, from Gourmet magazine's final issue, is a richer, creamier, more custard-like take on traditional oyster dressing. But who are we to nitpick?

To be honest, we were a little unsure about this Oyster Casserole. Like olives, cod and wasabi, oysters seem a bit out of place at the Thanksgiving table.

Thanksgiving 2009: Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

Gourmet (November 2009)

Loyal Bitten Word readers are forgiven if they think they've stumbled onto the wrong food blog.

Yes, it's true that we're more likely to serve a Pork Chocolate Cheesecake than a vegan one.

But for some reason we were really drawn to this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake in the final issue of Gourmet.

It looked simultaneously luscious and light, decadent but not too heavy. In short, it looked like an ideal Thanksgiving dessert.

Thanksgiving 2009: Cream Gravy

Gourmet (November 2009)

We absolutely loved our spatchcocked turkey! The skin was crispy, the meat was moist and flavorful.

But let's be honest. For many people, the Thanksgiving turkey is nothing more than a delivery vehicle for gravy.

We wanted a great, classic gravy to go with our turkey, and we love the one we found, this Cream Gravy from Gourmet.

Thanksgiving 2009: Scarlet Carrot Soup

Gourmet (November 2009)

 
Thumbing through the final issue of Gourmet [moment of silence], we were blown away by one of the first photos we saw, which was of this Scarlet Carrot Soup. Deeply red and topped by fried carrot strips, we knew it would make a dramatic start to any Thanksgiving meal.

But why is the soup so red?  Is it a special variety of carrots?  Food coloring?  Code Red Mountain Dew? 

Thanksgiving Guide 2009: What the Food Magazines Are Recommending

172 Recipes From 9 Leading Food Magazines

 

Thanksgiving is food magazines' time to shine. In years past, many of the food mags we read have used their November issues to really push the limits with innovative spins on Thanksgiving faves.

Sure, there are usually plenty of approachable standbys. But the classics usually sit alongside some really envelope-pushing ideas: Throw a Thanksgiving clambake! How about a Pacific Rim-fusion dinner? Truffle-laden turkey! Indian-spiced sweet potato gnocchi!! Vegan French-Vietnamese gluten-free stuffing!!!

Not so this year. From the looks of this year's crop of Thanksgiving food mags, 2009 is all about simplicity and basic, standard dishes. It's the Great Recession, and everybody just wants a big ol' piece of pumpkin pie.

Just look at what the magazines call out from the newsstands:

Martha Stewart Living: "Thanksgiving, simple and sensational"

Fine Cooking: "All the classics made easy"

Food Network: "Easy Thanksgiving"

Bon Appétit: "Thanksgiving made easy"

Everyday Food: "A Thanksgiving menu that's easy to make"

We have nine November issues in front of us, and nearly all of them are focused on "traditional" menus that are very straightforward.

The food magazines may have stuck to the classics this year, but that doesn't mean the options are limited. In the nine magazines we have, there are, in fact, 172 Thanksgiving recipes.

All those options can leave you more than a little stressed out. It's all too easy to get wrapped up in the idea that Thanksgiving has to be perfect and if you don't select the right stuffing recipe, your mother-in-law will break into tears at the table.

But fear not!  We've cataloged all 172 options below so that you, dear reader, can browse this year's recipes and make some selections for yourself. Over the next three weeks, we're going to be cooking and writing as many recipes as we can fit in. We'll post our photos and let you know how they turn out.

And as you're gearing up for the holiday, if you have questions, post them here and we'll do our best to answer them.

Okay, ready for the recipes?

Gourmet's Going, But We're Not Saying Goodbye

 

When we heard that Gourmet would cease publication this month, we happened to be in Stowe, Vermont, celebrating Zach's mother's birthday by eating ourselves silly.  We sought out local diners, ate an amazing farm-to-table restaurants, and generally just tasting everything we could get our hands on, be it Dutch-style pancakes, horseradish-studded local cheese, or maple-laced Manhattans. It was just the sort of trip that the magazine might have recommended.

With the news came a wave of emotions: sadness, disappointment and a small dose of anger. Mostly, we're sad for for the loss of the magazine as a cultural institution and a leading voice in the food world.

Friends and readers often ask which is our favorite food magazine. Though we have some pangs of guilt in choosing, we have said many times that Gourmet was our favorite magazine subscription.

We applauded the magazine's focus on social justice issues (April's "Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes" is a must-read) and culinary travel/lesser known chefs (October's issue profiles Louisville, Kentucky, chef Edward Lee and his restaurant 610 Magnolia). But really, we subscribed to the magazine because of the delicious food. Highlighted by mouth-watering photography, Gourmet's recipes always got us excited about the possibilities of the kitchen and the promise of deliciousness.

And of course, we are Ruth Reichl fans (you. must. read. her. books.), though we're not certain if we loved Gourmet or Reichl first. 

But, it seems, we're not done yet.  November's issue has yet to arrive. We expect it will this week. We, like many of you, will no doubt savor every page. And, if you've saved all your issues like we have, you'll haul out all your November back-issues and put them to work with the new issue as you're planning Thanksgiving.

So this is by no means a goodbye or farewell to the magazine. We'll no doubt be cooking with Gourmet for many years to come, through their vast trove of past magazines and wonderful cookbooks. Instead of saying goodbye, we hope to celebrate the legacy of this great magazine.  Here are our five favorite Gourmet dishes that we've made for The Bitten Word. Give one a try, in homage to our favorite food magazine.

• Crusty Buttermilk Biscuits
• Caramelized-Onion and Gorgonzola Grilled Pizza
• Fennel-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel Wedges
• Pork Tenderloin with Tomato-Peach Compote
• Fresh Corn Pancakes

Do you have a favorite recipe from the magazine?  Need to vent about the end of Gourmet? Let us know in the comments.

Corn on the Cob with Mint-Feta Butter

Gourmet (August 2009)

Think of this as a last hurrah of summer.

Sweet corn is still lurking around this part of the country.  Sure, it's not in the abundance that we had a month ago, but it's still available at the farmers market.

If, like us, you've binged on corn this summer, exhausting your repertoire of corn dishes, you may need a way to liven up the remaining kernels of summer.