Tag: the Kitchn

Weekend Finds 7:6:14

I don’t know about you all, but I had a truly lovely July 4th. I ate possibly one of the most delicious summer holiday meals every – perfectly grilled steak, BBQ chicken, grilled veggies, and that green rice salad I’ve been going on about. Now I’m at the coast with family, and couldn’t be happier that I get to spend this holiday weekend with people I really love. With that, on to the weekend finds.

1. Corn, Tomato, and Garlic Confit Pasta

Past with roasted tomatoes, corn, and garlic confit from Food52 // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Doesn’t that look like a bowl of summer?

Garlic confit sounds intimidating to me. It really does. But let me say this – it was so easy to make. Like painfully easy. And it added immensely to this dish from Food52 (by Dash and Bella). This dish screams summer, and was so creamy and flavor packed. Just start roasting those tomatoes early! They need 2-3 hours in a low oven.

2. Easy Marinades

Easy Marinades // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Marinate everything!

I love summer because it means marinating meats and throwing them on the grill. I’ve got a couple good marinade recipes in my back pocket, but more can never hurt, nor can the ability to throw one together no matter what you’ve got on hand. This little tidbit from Bon Appetit offers some great ideas, as well as a general equation to make your marinades perfect.

3. Apricots!

All things apricots // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
My favorite apricot recipe.

If I’m being honest, I think apricots are kind of an undervalued stone fruit. I love their small size (the perfect snack), their soft skin, and their mild/sweet/tart flavor. Perhaps my favorite thing to do with apricots is halve them, fill the hole where the pit was with a spoonful of honey, and throw them under the broiler for a few minutes. Top with Greek yogurt, mascarpone, or freshly whipped cream, and some chopped pistachios. Other bites of apricots that look delicious are these crostinis, a different roasted apricot technique with butter and brown sugar, this couscous with apricot (sub fresh for dried apricots please), and this apricot miso jam (I know the recipe calls for dried apricots, but still, two of my favorite things in a jar together, yes please right now thank you).

4. Peas, peas, peas

Summer Peas // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
A little ingredient education never hurt anybody.

I love ingredient education, and various kinds of peas are something that I confuse sometimes. It’s actually pretty important to know the different between your peas, particularly shelling peas and snap peas. Read here about which are best for what.

5. Vibrant Table by Kimberly Hasselbrink

Vibrant Food by Kimberly Hasselbrink // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Doesn’t that cover make you want to cook? Photo from The Vanilla Bean Blog.

This is the cookbook that the green rice salad with nectarines and corn is from (the one I haven’t been able to stop talking about and made for the 4th of July), and that recipe was so freaking good, now I really want this cookbook. I love when books are organized seasonally – I feel like it makes it easier to flip through. And taking a look at some of the recipes in the table of contents, I feel like this book is something I’d reach for again and again. Wish list!

Weekend Finds 6:8:14

Happy weekend! I hope it’s as beautiful wherever you are as it is here in Oregon. Enjoy these weekend finds!

1. Using Strawberry Tops

Use your strawberry tops // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Strawberry infused water sounds perfect on a hot day.

I always feel bad tossing overripe strawberries or strawberry tops. Sometimes I toss them in smoothies, but this strawberry water seems like a perfectly refreshing idea to have in my back pocket this summer.

2. Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Look at that teriyaki glaze on that chicken.

I’m into teriyaki sauce, especially in the summer on top of some grilled salmon or grilled chicken or other grilled things. I’d love to try making it myself using this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen. 

3. Camping Trip Recipes

Camping Recipes // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Charred corn with avocado and lime? I’ll eat that while camping.

We’re planning a few camping trips this summer, and I have a feeling some of these recipes might come in handy. I’m especially interested in the bulgogi jerky, the charred corn and avocado salad, and the roasted potatoes with za’atar.

4.  Sangria Time

The best wine for your sangria // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Now you know what wine to pick for you sangria.

I often find myself wondering what wines are best for what. I’ve never made Sangria, but I sure do love drinking it. This article over at the Kitchn can help you figure out which wine is best in your Sangria this summer. (And here’s a recipe to help you make it, too.)

5. Food Rules Print

Food Print // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Food: Don’t waste it!

I love love love this print. I’ve seen it a few places, and it just doesn’t get old. I think it’s perfect for a kitchen with some vintage touches.

Weekend Finds 6:1:14

Well friends, today marks the beginning of June. That’s a pretty crazy thing. This year is flying by, and it seems like if I blink, it’ll be Christmas. But I’m working on taking things a little slower and enjoying what I’ve got going on. These finds are what I’ve been liking this week.

1. Davenport

Davenport, PDX // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
The fried octopus atop frisee. (Photo from Portland Monthly.)

When family is in town, we eat. And we eat well. Last night, after finally winnowing down our list of places to dine, my dad, Darla, Jonah, and I went to Davenport. The kitchen is helmed by Kevin Gibson, of Evoe, and they’ve been open for about 6 months. I’d been wanting to go for all of those 6 months. Located in the old June space on E. Burnside, the restaurant is cozy and clean. Last night it was warm enough that the big garage door was open. Our servers were so kind, the wine was perfect (a red sancerre) and the food was impeccable. Highlights included: roasted fava beans with pancetta, fried octopus over frisee, asparagus with porcini/breadcrumbs/parmesan, and grilled duck breast with a walnut aioli.

2. Pro Pie Tips

Pie Tips // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Some key pie advice will lead you to pie nirvana. Pievana? (Photo from Bon Appetit.)

It is officially pie season. The rhubarb is here and the strawberries are starting to trickle in. So do a little prep work and check out these tips from Bon Appetit. I’m especially keen on the recommendations to put the pie at the bottom of the oven and to put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you bake it. So smart.

3. Rachel W. Cole

Rachel W. Cole // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
A screenshot from Rachel Cole’s website – all about figuring out what you’re really hungry for.

Now don’t get all judgmental on me here. Rachel Cole is a life coach who focuses on feeding your true hungers. Via her social media outlets (which I follow), she talks a lot about body image and how we fill ourselves, with food and other things in our lives. I recently signed up for her newsletter, and spent a few hours on Friday doing her fulfillment pyramid activity (you can get it too if you sign up for her newsletter on her site). Think of it as making a food pyramid for yourself, but putting all the things you need in your life in it, not just vegetables and grains. It was a really fun, reflective, positive activity, and I definitely recommend it. Trust me, cooking for friends and baking pies definitely made it on to my pyramid.

4. Foodie events in and around Portland

Summer Foodie Events in Portland // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Why yes, I will spend my summer drinking rosé out of mason jars in a beautiful field, thank you. (Photo from Feast.)

Perhaps my favorite thing about summer in Portland is all of the foodie events. Seriously: Oregon Brewer’s Fest (plus so many more beer festivals), Portland Monthly’s Country Brunch (and Bloody Mary Smackdown), so many Plate & Pitchfork dinners, and of course Feast. Some blogger friends have rounded up more events on their sites, Pechluck’s Food Adventures and Bakery Bingo, so check them out. There’s no way you can be bored and hungry this summer.

5. Pork Belly

Pork Belly prep tips // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Why does cooking pork belly make me so nervous? (Photo from Food52.)

I’ve been itching to try cooking with pork belly, and I think once my schedule becomes normal again, it’d be a great day-long kitchen activity. I’m picturing it seasoned with thyme, and served with a rhubarb chutney. I’ll definitely be re-reading these tips from Food52 before I go for it.

6. Grocery Shopping

Groceries // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
We all shop for and cook our food differently, but what’s important is that it works for us. (Photo from The Kitchn.)

I like this little meditation on grocery shopping. Jonah and I have been trying to do more meal planning and making enough to have leftovers for lunch and then committing to actually eating those leftovers… It’s all harder than it sounds. But here’s what I’ve realized – as long as we are all feeding ourselves well and trying to be conscious about where the food is coming from, then we’re “doing it right.”

Weekend Finds 5:26:14

I know what you’re thinking. “Annie, here you are, posting weekend finds on a Monday. Again.” BUT it’s Memorial Day weekend. So, I’m going to say it’s still the weekend. So there. Here’s what I’ve been eyeing this week.

1. Food Memoirs

Foodie Memoirs from the Kitchn // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
My summer reading list just grew by three.

I’ve been really looking forward to reading Molly Wizenberg’s Delancey for a while now, because I just love her writing. Love it. But I’m now excited to add two more books to my summer reading list, thanks to the Kitchn’s little article on new foodie memoirs.

2. Carrot Pancakes with Salted Yogurt

Carrot Pancakes from Bon Appetit // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
I love the color of these carrot pancakes!

My mom came to visit me (thanks, Mom!) and she brought her most recent issue of Bon Appetit to show me some recipes. This one for carrot pancakes jumped off the page at me, and I am itching to make it.

3. What to know before buying strawberries

All about Strawberries on Food52 // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
Educate yourselves about strawberries!

I like this list from Food52 linking to articles all about strawberries: different varieties, what to do when they’re over the hill, freezing them, and roasting them. I also like this post also about strawberries. Ingredient education, guys! I can’t wait for Hood season in Portland. It’s a close second to rhubarb season.

4. Crispy Skinned Salmon

Crispy Skinned Salmon on Food52 // Weekend Finds on Serious CrustCrispy Skinned Salmon on Food52 // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
I love the crunch of crispy fish skin.

These days, whenever we make fish (usually trout), I peel the skin off and fry it up afterwards. I love the crispy skin, the fishy, crunchy, slightly burnt flavor. And I never seem to be able to get that same result when I just pan fry a filet. But I’m going to try Russ Parson’s technique, and enjoy more crispy fish skin.

5. Hibiscus Rum Buck

Hibiscus Rum Buck on Honestly YUM // Weekend Finds on Serious Crust
This cocktail looks so beautiful, I can’t even.

This cocktail from Honestly Yum is looking so crazy good to me right now. This might have something to do with the fact that when I was in California last weekend, I drank as much jamaica as I usually drink in maybe a year. So combining a little hibiscus syrup (a la jamaica) with some rum, lime, and ginger beer sounds delicious, as well as incredibly refreshing.