Too Hot to Cook!

By Sandy Hu

In San Francisco, summers are usually cool, so rarely is it too hot to cook. But elsewhere, temperatures are rising and no one wants to be chained to a stove.

My favorite no-cook summer meal is a salumi platter – hot copa, prosciutto, mortadella or other cured meats, plus some thinly sliced ham, all arranged on a wooden board or platter with one or two cheeses, some peperonicini or cornichons, roasted red peppers, sliced cucumber and a baguette or two with a good Dijon mustard. While it’s a delicious, no-fuss appetizer for company, a salumi platter can also make a welcome light supper on its own.

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Game Night calls for Chicken Wings

By David Hu

I always look forward to game night. Sometimes it’s Scattergories, Taboo, poker or games on the Wii. While the games change, the one constant, besides fun, is food. Finger foods are the way to go – just make sure there are ample napkins.

One of my favorites for game night is Peanuts and Beer Chicken Wings. While people often think of using beer in batter-fried foods like fish and chips or onion rings, beer is a very versatile ingredient that can be used in stews, marinades and even dips.

After the wings are baked, the liquid will be thin so it’s important to reduce it by boiling to get a thicker, sauce-like consistency, making for deliciously sticky wings.

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Some Quick Meal Tips when Company’s Coming

By Lori Powell

Company has come and gone! It’s always such a treat to have guests in your home and every time I do, I learn how to do it at least one step better.

Having company truly is one of the best excuses to get your house in order since it gives you a deadline to get all your ducks in a row…well, at least those that can be seen by the naked eye and are not lurking behind closed doors in the closet.

Just this past Saturday I had eight people over with two of them wee ones with an appetite. The week before, my parents came for a visit so I had a lot of extra mouths to feed.

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Good Cooks Need the Right Tools

By Sandy Hu

A carbon steel crepe pan changed Atlanta chef Mary Moore’s life.

“I was in New York cooking at the Greenmarket with Scott Peacock. We were making crepes with fresh apples,” Mary recalled. “We had forgotten our crepe pan so went all over the city looking for one, and surprisingly, we couldn’t find any at all the bigger stores. Scott said, ‘I know the store that will have one.’ He took us to Bridge Kitchenware. They had it – and thousands of other cool culinary tools. And I said, ‘One day, I’m going to have a store like this!’”

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Easy Apps

By Lori Powell

Happy New Year! My gift to you is a quick and easy-to-assemble hors d’oeuvre to put together in minutes, as long as you have a couple of items around in your pantry. It’s as convenient whether you are entertaining just one other person or are having a bunch of friends over.

The following “recipe” is really a non recipe and is truly just some ideas on what to fill readymade, store-bought little phyllo cups with. The boxes of phyllo cups are sold in the freezer section of the supermarket near the phyllo sheets and puff pastry.

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