Inspired by Peaches

By Katie Barreira

This past weekend I embarked on a fly-by-night getaway to Cape Cod with a group of fabulous lady food editors. As you might imagine, there was a lot of eating and we definitely disproved one old adage: there is no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen.

The meals we planned were delicious, but it was a spontaneous moment of culinary inspiration that provided the most memorable dish of the trip. Sunday morning, still in our PJs, we surveyed the remaining food and started on a fruit salad, but those squat little donut peaches were just too cute to cut up. When pitted, dipped in a thick batter and fried, however, the peaches became dead ringers for the confections after which they were named, but instead of a doughy center, you bite into warm, juicy peach flesh.

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Crepes – it’s Easier than you Think!

By David Hu

I love bacon and eggs for a weekend breakfast but sometimes I like to change it up. Crepes are one of my favorite standbys – they’re quick and easy to make, and just a little special. I like my crepes with apricot or strawberry jam. But don’t forget Nutella or bananas and sugar.

If you have extra crepes, just put them in a plastic bag and refrigerate; they’ll keep for a few days. Reheat them in a warm pan or zap them for a few seconds in a microwave oven. For longer storage, stack crepes between wax paper squares to keep them from sticking together, wrap airtight and freeze. They thaw quickly at room temperature.

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City Boy, Country Boy

By Andrew Hunter

Sometimes I wonder how two boys from the same family could choose such different paths in life. This time, I’m not talking about Ben and Nick, but my brother Tony and me.

I live in a densely populated urban center. My view at night is houses and bright lights. Tony lives in a sparsely populated rural sprawl that can’t be found on GPS. His view at night is trees and moon shadows. Tony’s a pharmacist and I’m a chef, but we both love cooking with family and friends in our chosen locales.

He’s the kind of guy who digs a deep hole every Thanksgiving in frozen earth to cook a giant ham with hot rocks buried in dirt. While I prefer stirring Arborio rice and butternut squash together over a giant propane burner from the Chinese hardware store to make creamy risotto.

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How to Whip Cream

Clouds of fluffy whipped cream will dress up even the simplest of desserts, like a bowl of sliced summer strawberries. All you need is heavy cream, some sugar to sweeten it, and an electric mixer. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can use a wire whisk and a strong whisking arm.

Colleen shows how easy it is to whip the cream, demonstrating the difference between softly whipped and stiffer whipped cream, and providing a few tips for prefect results. You can customize whipped cream by adding a flavor extract such as vanilla or almond, a liqueur or some citrus zest.

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How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

By David Hu

Shrimp is one of the fastest cooking proteins – and while it often comes shelled and deveined, sometimes you have to do it yourself. If you’ve never done it before, don’t fret, it’s very simple. And besides, you’ll have a tastier dish because shrimp that has been pre-peeled and deveined loses some of its flavor by the time you get it home and cook it.

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