The Bitten Word

Risotto with Duck and White Balsamic Vinegar

Bon Appétit (March 2009)

Like most people, when we think of Italian food, our minds fill with thoughts of pasta, tomatoes, oregano and Parmesan cheese.

But of course there's so much more to Italian cuisine. And when we saw the March Bon Appétit feature on the food of the Dolomite Mountain region in Northern Italy, we were really intrigued. The area, according to the magazine, is a blend of Italian, German and Austrian influences. Sounds like great food to us!

This risotto with duck and white balsamic vinegar seemed to cry out to us, so on a recent snowy weekend in D.C., we decided it was time to get our duck on.

Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots

Cook's Illustrated (March/April 2009)

A few weeks ago we chided Cook's Illustrated over their complicated but delicious Perfect French Omelets.  "Perfect," maybe, but so much trouble!

Their new take on Fish en Papillote (fish cooked in parchment) -- a classic recipe that predictably shows up in food magazines every few months -- is at the other end of the spectrum. It's incredibly tasty, but it's also one of the simplest dishes we've cooked in a while. And it comes together so easily and quickly that it's an ideal midweek meal.

Cooking with foil actually took us back (well, the one of us who used to go camping) to Cub Scout days of "hobo dinners" around a campfire. Just wrap some cube steak, carrots and potatoes in a foil packet, and throw the whole thing on the fire to cook.

Fish en Papillote is simply a refined version of hobo dinners -- minus the cube steak. And you don't have to build a bonfire in your kitchen.

Coffee Crunch Bars

Bon Appétit (February 2009)

We're big fans of Molly Wizenberg's Orangette blog. Her writing is fantastic, and her blog is a joy to read. And we're eager to get our hands on her new culinary memoir, A Homemade Life, which just came out this week.

Which explains why we were really excited to try the Coffee Crunch Bars she wrote about in the February issue of Bon Appétit.

It should also explain why we were so surprised when these delicious-sounding treats turned out to be...not so delicious.

Leftovers | Interesting Stuff from February Food Mags

While we chiefly subscribe to food magazines for the recipes, they're also chock-full of tips, recipes and recommendations for all manner of things. 

This is the first of a new monthly post where we'll round up the non-food items that pique our interest, starting with the February magazines.

Bon Appétit

• Book Recommendation: Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating by Mark Bittman.  We loved Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and highly recommend it.  We've been meaning to read his follow-up In Defense of Food but haven't yet gotten to it.  Bittman -- tackling similar issues in "Food Matters" -- is one of our favorite food writers, so this rockets toward the top of our "to read list."

• Book Recommendation: Secret Suppers: Rogue Chefs and Underground Restaurants in Warehouses, Townhouses, Open Fields, and Everywhere in Between by Jenn Garbee.  We love the idea of secret/underground dining experiences. 

Everyday Food

• Useful info: If you have February's Everyday Food, check out the feature on Safflower Oil.  Very interesting information about an oil we knew nothing about. The article is not available online, but you can learn about Safflower Oil here.

Cook's Illustrated

• Tips:  "Keeping Kitchen Staples Fresher Longer." Practical advice for how to keep more than a dozen pantry staples.  You have to be a member for access to the article on the Cook's website, but you can register for a 14-day free trial. 

And now, on to March!

St. Patrick's Day Prep: Curing Salts, Brining Corned Beef & Desserts

This time last year, in our blog's infancy, we decided to do a big St. Patrick's Day meal. 

Bon Appétit had a lovely menu, with Homemade Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables along with Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway Seeds.  We had never cooked either dish, but we were up for the challenge. 

The most daunting part?  Curing (or, in this case, "corning") our own beef. In the run-up to that meal, we tried in vain to find "Insta Cure #1," a special curing salt that gives corned beef its signature pink color.

We were absolutely thwarted by Insta Cure #1. Insta Cure #1 became a swear word in our house. For Insta Cure #1 cannot be found in our nation's capital.

We exhausted all of our options -- ten different grocery stores, the farmers market, butcher shops, even specialty kitchen stores. We even tried calling restaurant supply places. No dice.

Defeated by Insta Cure, we went ahead with the corned beef (after all, the salt is completely optional in the brine).

How'd it turn out? Very, very average. The flavors were good -- maybe even better than good. But there was no getting around the color: dull, gray and lifeless, it looked more like cafeteria mystery meat than a St. Patrick's Day party.

Older, wiser, and determined to have a more authentic (or least more photogenic) St. Patrick's Day meal, we're prepared this year. And we're not using Insta Cure.

What's our secret?