We’ve been enjoying a hot and nourishing Soup Week here at The Kitchn, and as we explored good tips and the secrets of really great soups, I realized something. So much of what I know about cooking came from soup. Not braises, not casseroles, not pasta. In many ways, soup taught me the essentials of cooking, and here are ten important things that I learned from making many pots of soup.
If only there were another word for croutons that didn’t evoke the over-spiced, over-garlic’d, miniature bricks that come in stiff little packages for $5.99 at the grocery store… Crisps? Toasty bread bits? Delicious bites of awesome? Whatever the name, throw away your impression of the prepackaged lumps and start thinking fresh. One of the most satisfying ways to take a soup or salad to the next level is a homemade crouton.
For the past several weeks, we have welcomed Tara Mataraza Desmond to The Kitchn to share her recommendations for great side dishes to go with our most favorite meals, like Fiery Kale with pizza and Pan-Seared Squash with roast chicken. After all, Tara is the expert on such things. So much of an expert that she has written an entire book with the sole purpose of helping us prepare creative, super-tasty sides for everything from Spaghetti Night to Thanksgiving dinner. Choosing Sides is the cookbook that fills the gap in our meal planning and gives a little love to the humble foods that go on the side.
This would be a relatively ordinary dining room (nice, but ordinary) if it weren’t for the very unusual light fixture hanging above the table. Owner Nick LaKind found it at a flea market, and its very raw, industrial look is simultaneously interesting… and a little unnerving!
     |
Q: I made a big batch of coleslaw for a party over the weekend. We used it to top pulled-pork sandwiches. Now I have a large quantity of leftover coleslaw, and I’m looking for creative ways to use it up — aside from just eating it as a salad. Please help!
Sent by Stephanie
| |
Yesterday Faith shared a photo of what is considered the ideal kitchen for thousands of internet readers, according to a survey by Houzz. It’s interesting, then, to compare that with another recent article, this one from Forbes on the top trends to avoid if you’re renovating a kitchen. Would the two lists contradict each other? Here’s what I discovered:
| |
A couple years ago, without really planning it, l found myself standing in William Faulkner’s kitchen. In Oxford, Mississippi, for the Southern Foodways Symposium, I did what every tourist to Ole Miss does: I visited Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home just off campus.
After zipping through the self-guided tour, I asked about the kitchen and learned that it wasn’t open to the public, but with a little nice-nice and my best southern smile, I found my way in, chaperoned by a docent who told me in the kindest possible voice that it was best to not touch anything. What I found was a very real and simple testament to the theory that the kitchen is the warmest place in house.
Jonathan’s style is clean and contemporary, but warm. His apartment — located in a former printing warehouse on the Brooklyn waterfront — has great architecture, and the kitchen makes the most of the home’s high ceilings and open space.
| |
Chilean wine. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Chilean wines? For me it is the vibrancy, juiciness, brightness and purity of fruit that pops from the glass. And of course, let’s not forget value and the easy to understand varietal labeling that makes Chilean wine so accessible.
Here’s my Chilean Wines 101 — a mini course in understanding and enjoying the vibrant wines coming from this part of the world.
| |
