Exploring Black Garlic

By Katie Barreira

This week I picked up a head of black garlic. I had never cooked with this type of garlic before, but had tried it in some great dishes (including a dessert panna cotta!) and I couldn’t wait to taste the unique, fermented ingredient on its own.

I knew that the aged head would be softer than raw garlic, but I wasn’t prepared for the plump, gummy clove that emerged from the flaky skin. I took a bite; the texture was smooth and toothsome, like that of a cooked beet and the flavor was much more mellow than raw garlic, with a licorice-like sweetness and just a hint of pungency.

A little pressure under the flat side of a knife and the clove yielded into thick paste that could be stirred into all sorts of things, so that just what I did!

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Robert Schueller: What’s Hot in Produce

By Sandy Hu

Robert Schueller is more knowledgeable about exotic produce than anyone I know. He lives it and loves it, and is as enthusiastic today as he was when he started work 15 years ago at Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc., the largest distributor of specialty produce in the U.S. Melissa’s is a global produce purveyor, providing a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables from every corner of the world – over 1,000 different items at any given moment.

Schueller is a valuable resource to many national magazines, introducing editorial test kitchens to new varieties of fruits and vegetables; providing selection, storage and usage information; and sharing the latest trends in exotic produce. I caught up with him at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference last week in New York City.

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A Simple, yet Sophisticated First Course

By Sandy Hu

I love to start a diner party with a first course already set at each place when my guests come to the table. Of course, it has to be something easy to make, since there’s the rest of the meal to tend to.

This fennel salad is a lovely starter for a romantic dinner for two; you can double or triple the recipe for a larger group.

If you don’t have a mandoline to slice the fennel bulb, try using a sharp potato peeler or a sharp knife to create thin, almost-transparent ribbons.

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Kids and Veggies Don’t Mix

By Andrew Hunter

Kids and veggies don’t mix…or do they? Marilyn and I recently discovered that Ben’s third grade classmates, all professing their distaste for everything green, will actually gobble down more veggies than they realize when stir-fried with rice, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Yes, fried rice loaded with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and snow peas was a big hit with eight-year-old boys and girls alike!

A couple of weeks after our fried rice demo in Mrs. Touhey’s class, Ben nonchalantly handed me a dog-eared envelope that had evidently been in his backpack for several days. “Oh here, dad. Some notes about the rice,” he said in his typical dry tone. We read each and every one of them aloud as a family and were thrilled.

Perhaps this quote from one of Ben’s buddies says it best, “I can tell you put lots ‘o’ love into it! It was tres, tres bon!” So the next time you have leftover rice, stir-fry it with a bunch of veggies, soy sauce and “lots ‘o’ love.” Dinner is sure to be delicious!

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Super-Speedy Dinner for One Features Naan Bread

By Lori Powell

My super-speedy dinner for one this week requires the aid of a delicious flatbread such as naan bread, sold in the bread aisle of the supermarket. There's also a whole wheat and roasted garlic version. However any flatbread will work for this recipe.

I try to keep a couple of packages in my freezer and before I leave for work in the morning, I simply place one in the fridge so that it is defrosted and good to go when I get home.

This is a great way to use up whatever leftovers or condiments are in your fridge. Then simply add stuff from the pantry to create a flatbread pizza for one. It's also good as a quick lunch or as appetizers for company and unexpected guests.

I love to cook these on the grill but a grill pan works as well.

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