The Bitten Word

Your Questions: What's With That Cutting Board?

In the comments of last week's post about canning tomatoes, several readers asked about the "awesome studded cutting board" that was featured in several of the photos.

Well here's the answer!

That specific cutting board is the Epicurean Cutting Surfaces 21-by-15-Inch Carving Series Cutting Board in Slate/Nutmeg. We ordered it from Amazon back in February.

This is actually the second Epicurean cutting board that we own. The first one we purchased was the 15 x 11-inch board in Slate. We love thiat board. It stores easily and fits in our dishwasher with no problem at all. When we reach for a cutting board, this is the one we grab 99 percent of the time.

But one thing we wanted that the 15 x 11board didn't offer was a well to catch juices. When carving a roast chicken or dicing some juicy fruit, we'd always wish for a well to collect the liquid. So we eventually ordered the larger 21x15 inch board, which is the one you saw in those tomato photos (and at right).

We really like the larger board, but we also really wish it fit in our dishwasher (i.e., we're lazy!). But the smaller board makes up for that. Together, they're all the cutting board that we need and we like them better than any we've ever owned.

Do you have a cutting board that you especially like? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

 

Grilled Watermelon with Yogurt

Food & Wine (August 2010)

If you read The Bitten Word much at all, you should know by now that, come summer, there's pretty much nothing we won't try grilling. Whether it's potato chips, lettuce, cake, pizza, panzanella or a low-country boil, we're pretty sure that just about anything tastes better when it's cooked on the grill.

So when we saw this recipe for Grilled Watermelon with Yogurt, we shrugged and said, "Hey, why not?"

We actually weren't sure it would work: Wouldn't the watermelon just disintegrate on the hot grill?

And -- as much faith as we have in the transformative power of grilling -- could this really be any better than a simple slice of fresh watermelon on its own?

Recipe Redux: An Update on Quinoa with Apricot, Pear, Red Onion and Cucumber

A Bitten Word Recipe 

There are a lot of things we love about writing The Bitten Word.  We've cooked recipes we never otherwise would have tackled; we've learned all sorts of new kitchen techniques; and we've gotten exposed to some terrific foods and ingredients we'd never tried before (gojujang, anyone?)

But by far the best part has been the interaction we've had with readers. We love hearing from you guys about what you're eating, and what you think about the recipes we feature.

And we really love getting tips from you!

Which brings us to this Quinoa with Apricot, Pear, Red Onion and Cucumber. When we first made it a couple weeks ago, it was flavorless and decidedly boring -- nothing like the original restaurant dish that had inspired it.

So we turned to you guys for help, for advice on what we'd done wrong and how we could make the dish better. And boy did you come through! Between your comments on the post and emails to us, you gave us some really terrific ideas for improving this quinoa.

So we saddled back up and tried it again.

Canning Tomatoes How-To: Tomatoes Packed in Water

We had quite an adventure last week in canning our tomatoes. Though we've posted a video detailing that (very, very long) night, we thought some readers might like to see a step-by-step process of how we did it, and what we used.

The biggest change between this year's canning and our previous efforts is a change in method. Two years ago, we used a hot-pack method, meaning that the tomatoes themselves were cooked prior to being placed in the jars.

This year, we opted to skip that step and do a raw-pack method, meaning that the tomatoes go into the jars raw, and boiling water is then added.  It was this method (and skipping the cooking step) that allowed us to do 90 pounds of tomatoes in 7 hours. If we had done the cooking step, it likely would have taken us all night to complete the canning process.

So come along on our raw-pack canning adventure! At the bottom of this post, you'll find the full recipe that we used, along with the video of our rollicking night, in case you missed it earlier. And between here and there, you'll find a bunch of photos that show each step of the way.

Tomato Time -- The Movie

Hi, all!

Well, as promised, we're reporting in on our experience last week of canning tomatoes. We'll have an additional post up tomorrow that walks you through the whole process.

But we also wanted to share this video we made of the whole night. We didn't start the canning until after work one night last week.  So the process stretched into the wee small hours of the morning. Let's just say, things got a little kooky.

Anyway, enjoy!

Pork Chops with Peach-Ginger Chutney

Fine Cooking (August 2010)

We had planned to tell you today about Tuesday's marathon session of canning tomatoes. But honestly, we're still reeling from the experience.

It was a slog (albeit a successful one). So while we're getting that post together, which will be the next thing we publish, we need some easy, summer fare that requires little time in the kitchen.

These Pork with Peach-Ginger Chutney are just the thing. 

Tomato Time!

What have we gotten ourselves into?!

Our CSA put tomatoes on their U-pick list, meaning shareholders can pick as many as they want. So this morning at 5:30, we rented a car and drove out to the farm.

Our haul? A full 90 pounds of tomatoes! (Yes, we weighed them.) 

We're going to can them tonight when we get home from work. But we're planning to use a different method from one we used the last time we canned tomatoes.

Stay tuned!

One more pick of our 'mater haul after the jump.

Pan-Roasted Corn and Okra

Food & Wine (September 2010)

As we mentioned last week, corn is everywhere right now. It's so fresh and tasty and in peak season, we just can't pass up buying it at the farmers market. So our fridge is jam-packed with big ears of sweet corn.

It's a corn avalanche! A corn flood! (If we were really lame, we might call it a corn-ucopia. But we'd never do that. That would be corn-y.)

Anyway, it's death by corn, and we're loving every minute.

Oftentimes, the simplest way to prepare something is the best. Such is the case with this Pan-Roasted Corn and Okra. It's a suspiciously simple recipe -- sauté corn and okra; serve -- but the results will blow you away.

Quinoa With Apricot, Pear, Red Onion and Cucumber

A Bitten Word Recipe 

[UPDATED: Check out the new recipe!]

A few weeks ago, Zach found himself in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for work. When he wasn't on the clock, he checked out some of the great stuff the city has to offer (Pikes Peak! Manitou Springs! Garden of the Gods!)

And he even managed to squeeze in a couple really good meals in the Springs. (Thanks, Yelp!)

The best meal was at Shuga's, a charming, unassuming restaurant in an old house on the south end of downtown Colorado Springs. It was casual and inviting, and the menu was perfect, filled with simple, excellent sandwiches, soups and salads. Zach had a sandwich that was sort of a grilled muffuletta -- salami, prosciutto, roasted red pepper, olive tapenade -- topped with warm goat cheese. It was delicious!

But what was really memorable was the special side dish that day: Quinoa with Apricot, Pear, Red Onion and Cucumber. Served cold, it was the perfect summer side. The apricot and pear gave the quinoa a nice sweetness, while the onion cut through with a welcome sharp note. And the cucumber kept everything light and summery.

So we decided to try re-creating the dish at home.

It didn't go so well.

10 Ideas for Summer Corn

 

We are drowning in corn right now -- but you won't hear us complaining. It's peak season for corn, and we've been eating it every meal we can.

There's nothing better than a fresh ear of corn, grilled or boiled just enough to bring out its sweet flavor, slathered in butter and sprinkled with salt.

But we have found a handful of recipes that show off just how delicious corn can be.

So here are 10 of our favorite things to do with corn!