The idea of cake, with pieces of mushy fruit and nuts sounds repulsive to me. I don’t know why, because I love cake, I love fruit, but I just don’t like putting them together. They are a common “re-gifting” option, and everyone seems to have one on their counter during the December and January months. There is even a Facebook application that tracks fruitcakes that are traveling the country through re-gifting to raise money. 

“Re-gift the Fruitcake is a Facebook application that is tracking the world’s most viral fruitcakes. Six celebrities are passing along six fruitcakes to raise money for their charities. If you’re lucky enough to be re-gifted one of the celebrities’ fruitcakes, you’ll have the opportunity to donate to their charity and the privilege of deciding which of your ten friends will get it next. The only way to receive a re-gifted fruitcake is through this application. ” -from Facebook.com 

The second holiday food I just don’t understand is eggnog. Any drink that has a name with egg involved is suspect to me. Eggnog is made of cream/milk, eggs and either rum, whisky or brandy. I generally don’t like to mix alcohol and milk products, but I really don’t like to add eggs into the mix. 

People chug and sing about this stuff?

Check out a great sugar cookie recipe from AllRecipes.com after the jump!

Easy Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Tips

• Make sure the butter is completely softened before you mix it in – the softer the better!  You want the dough to be velvety and smooth, not crumbly and dry.  The condition of the butter makes all the difference.
• Use two teaspoons of vanilla extract instead of one.
• Find the original recipe and more tips in the comments section at AllRecipes.com.

Here is a review of it from a New York Times article in 2006.

http://events.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/books/review/28schillinger.html?pagewanted=print

Here is another book that is necessary for the food gourmand’s library. Full of juicy stories and traditional recipes.

If you’re feeling adventurous during the holidays…

CHRISTMAS ROLLS
Source: Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel

1 can sardines
1/2 chorizo sausage
1 onion
oregano
1 can chiles serranos
10 hard rolls

Chop onions fine. Fry the sausage over low heat so that it cooks thoroughly without getting too brown. When done, remove from heat and add the sardines, which have been deboned ahead of time. Any black spots on the skins must be scraped off with a knife. Combine the onions, chopped chiles and the ground oregano with the sardines. Let the mixture stand before filling the hard rolls.

(No over n temperatures given because the recipes are from turn-of-the century Mexico.)

This is the Godfather Spaghetti Measuring Device.  Just feed spaghetti through each of the holes for perfectly portioned meals.  It might not be great for intimidating anyone, but it’s sure to impress any foodie or film buff on your shopping list.

Just remember – don’t discuss business at the table.

Get it at Charles & Marie.  And if knuckledusting isn’t your style, check out the Noooodle.

There are so many different terms that relate to food and being green: as organic, sustainable, natural, local, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, free range and grass-fed. But what do they all mean? What is the difference?

Definitions taken from foodnetwork.com

Organic: ”In organic farming, foods are produced according to certain standards that protect the environment. Crops are grown without the use of most pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, human waste or sewer sludge. Animals are reared without antibiotics or growth hormones.” 

Sustainability: “Is a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged; of or relating to a life style involving the use of sustainable methods.”

Natural : ”Natural refers to meat and poultry that contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. There is no certification and because a food is called “natural,” it doesn’t mean that farm animals were raised organically.”

Locally Grown: “Locally grown refers to crops produced no more than 250 miles from where they’re purchased. The emphasis is on seasonal, fresh produce, meats and dairy products but these crops may have been raised with pesticides.”

Antibiotic-Free: “The term “antibiotic-free” is unregulated but producers can label foods “no antibiotics administered” or “raised without antibiotics,” which means animals were raised entirely without the substances. Concerns have been raised that antibiotic use in cattle causes antibiotic resistant bacteria to develop, threatening human health.”

Hormone-Free: “For pork and chicken, the label “hormone free” is meaningless; these substances are banned when raising pigs and chickens. Beef may carry a “no hormones administered” label but no outside authority currently certifies this claim. Controversy has arisen over the artificial hormone rBGH which increases milk production. The U.S. is one of the few countries to approve its use; others have banned it because of concerns over human and animal health.”

Free Range : “Chickens that aren’t confined to cages and are granted access to the outdoors are called “free range.” But the USDA only requires limited outdoor time; conditions can be crowded and dirty and there’s no outside monitoring.”

Grass-Fed : “Cattle raised largely on grass and hay are referred to as “grass-fed.” No government regulations or inspections apply to the term and these cattle may not be organic. Since cows’ stomachs more easily digest grass than grain, it is a more natural, humane and antibiotic-free way to raise cattle.”

So what are the advantages of eating green? 

• less impact on the environment
• the animals enjoy a better life
• organic farmers use less energy, resources, and no pesticides 
• contains no toxins
• “According to a leading microbiologist and nutritionist, Dr. Robert O. Young, organic produce contains as much as 300% more nutrients than non-organic.”
• you won’t be eating genetically modified foods
• it tastes better

The 2nd Story Coffee Shop is a hidden haven, upstairs next door to Westcott Florist. I was surprised the first time I walked in and I have found that many people who have been here longer than I have, don’t know where it is.

I immediately felt welcomed by the warm colors, books for sale and rich smells wafting from the kitchen. In the open room you can cuddle up with a cup of loose leaf tea-brought to you in your own teapot-chai or espresso. There are comfy chairs and tables adorned with little lamps. Lots of classic literature as well as contemporary writers and interesting autobiographies are available to browse or to buy. Big windows at the end of the room look out at the trees and down onto Westcott street.

The food is wonderful as well. 2nd story has Sunday brunch, panini sandwiches and baked goods. I have had poached eggs on farmer’s toast, with basil, tomato and mozzarella. I also have tried a few of their sandwiches which have a spectrum of taste combos to choose from goat cheese, sauteed vegetables, smoked turkey, Irish cheddar, the list goes on. I spoke with the owner and she said the reason the food is so good is because she uses simple, fresh ingredients. You can often see her there cooking in the back.

I love spending an afternoon there to study or just to read and relax.

Another cool joint is the Recess Cafe on Harvard street right off Westcott. Both are a nice retreat from the campus and regular visit to Starbucks. Also you will be supporting local, young business owners.

Wegmans is my favorite grocery store I have ever been to. Ever. We are lucky to have one of the 72 stores here in Syracuse, NY. I was browsing just the other day when I walked past a cooking demonstration in the seafood section. I usually just walk right by, but this time I decided to stop and listen. The recipe was for  lemon tilapia. I tried the sample and watched him prepare the entire meal in just 10 minutes. Somehow I ended up being the only one left watching by the end, so the Wegman’s employee decided to give me a personal lesson on the right way to cook fish, and the different options for this recipe. I’ve never been in a grocery store that cared that much about the customers. 

There are easy, delicious recipes displayed all over the store and on the back of Wegman’s brand items. If you check out their website, there are hundreds of recipes and cooking tips (which we know we all need as college students with Ramen noodles). They even offer cooking classes. 

You can browse the website to see what products they offer at the store so you can find out ahead of time if they have what you need. 

They are rated #3 in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For 2008.

Someone even made a video about their greatness.

Here’s a clip from Remy’s first encounter with Gusteau’s restaurant.

Check out a recipe for the ratatouille dish Remy makes (the recipe I’ll be using to cook this weekend) after the jump.

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

• Check out the regular stew version of the recipe (with pictures) at Cooking for Engineers.

I, personally, am addicted to the shop’s chicken salad on whole wheat bagel. But last time I went I had chive cream cheese on a pumpernickel bagel, and it was delicious. They also have a chive version with bacon-mmmmMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Also try some of their seasonal cream cheeses. My friend Leigh had a pumpernickel bagel with pumpkin cream cheese. This cream cheese was the real deal, you can see the pumpkin swirled in with the cream.

I know it seems that downtown Syracuse