Almost Tomato Time

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, I begin to anticipate tomato season. I’ll revel in the first good tomatoes, sweet and flavorful, drizzled with a good olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. But as the season progresses, we’ll all be challenged to be more inventive.

Some tomato recipes call for peeling and seeding the tomatoes. Tomato skin can have a plastic mouthfeel so it’s luxurious to eat it when the skin is removed and all you get is the juicy flesh. Seeding rids the tomato of the pesky seeds and when you take out the seed sacs, you also eliminate the extra moisture, ensuring that your tomato dish will not be watery.

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Noodle Pillows

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

We’ve just returned from Japan full of noodles. The boys ate noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even took a ramen noodle cooking class.

And so I started getting sentimental about my noodle pillow past at The China Moon Café where I was the chef de cuisine … a very stylish Chinese restaurant before Chinese food was stylish, owned by Barbara Tropp, who was dubbed the Julia Child of the Chinese kitchen. BT, who has since passed away, was a dear friend and mentor. I still ask BT for advice on all flavors Asian.

The kitchen was in the basement at the bottom of a very steep and narrow staircase that BT painted bright red. One evening I was making noodle pillows downstairs while BT was having dinner with Jacques Pépin upstairs.

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Very Berry Fruit Salad

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

While it’s still a bit blustery around here, we have glimmers of warm sun and temperatures. Just this past weekend, I noticed all of the buds struggling to get some attention and warmth.

My hydrangea plants are already budding and my addiction to tulips is unparalleled this year with a plant or vase of them in practically every room. So if spring hasn’t arrived just yet outdoors, at least I’m getting a dose of it indoors.

I can’t wait for the farmers’ market to open in Pennsylvania, with all of the fresh herbs, produce, plants and fruits that will be laden on every farmer’s table. I haven’t had a fruit-full year in terms of eating enough fruit. So in an effort to jump-start my intake, I made a fruit salad this past weekend for company, to round out my brunch of eggs, bacon, and breads.

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Easter Food Memories

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Even though Easter was two days ago, the food memories I have at this time of year always inspire my cooking. March and April are strange months because they’re straddling the line of the last dying winter produce and the new spring arrivals.

When I think back to Easter meals as a child, the ingredients and dishes I remember are the best options for inspiration. Coconut and carrot cake were always staple desserts on our holiday table, so I always incorporate those ingredients into desserts or baked goods that I’m wanting to develop this particular time of year.

For an easy breakfast or afternoon snack, I love muffins. Rarely will I ever admit to liking anything in miniature form, however, these muffins do just the trick. They’re not too sweet and stay remarkably crunchy, thanks to the dried coconut in them.

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Introducing…Hoisin Sauce

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Some years ago, when I was judging the James Beard Cookbook Awards, I ended up buying spices and sauces for a one-time use. I needed them to test the recipes to evaluate the cookbooks, but I never used the ingredients again. What a waste.

It was my fault, really. If I’d taken the time to cook more recipes from those particular books or to learn more about the ingredients, I might have used up the remainder. But I was busy and having fulfilled my responsibilities as a judge, I’d moved on.

I think the same might be true with some of Special Fork’s Asian recipes. They are quick and easy to make, but may require some ingredients that aren’t on your everyday shopping list. It may leave you to wonder, why should I take the time to source the ingredient and spend the money, all for a single recipe?

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