Category: Tips & How To…

Save the Zest…Orange Zest That Is!

If a nice selection of citrus is around your home this time of year, you may be tossing out something that others pay good money to obtain – the zest of the peels.

We save some of each citrus as dried zest in a collection of little spice tins. The one above is from the Cara Cara oranges that Penny likes for snacks.

Using her favorite Kuhn Rikon Y peeler, she takes the thinnest strips of zest she can, leaving as much of the white pith behind.

Penny piles them on a plate to dry completely before tucking them into a tin with the last batch.

The zest strips will be used in teas, in beef stew, ground up into spice blends, and for other times when the cook is inspired by their great aroma.

Of course, if you want a supply without the work, you can buy organic orange peel, organic tangerine peel, or organic lemon peel. We just like getting them for free along with our citrus purchases!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino

January 3, 2018
Winter & Holiday Preparations for Families that Include Dogs
When you think about preparing for winter, your first thoughts might be about snow tires or weatherproofing windows, but there are some dog related items you might want to add to your winter preparation list.

Maxie looks great in her winter sweater!

Before all the de-icing supplies for your building are purchased, you might ask that pet safe de-icer be used rather than salt or other toxic chemicals. This will not only benefit your dog, but also all the dogs who pass your home. It may even help some inside kitties since the people in the family won’t track in potential poisons.

Poppy loves winter more than we do. This is her response when we say she's been out too long.

If your winter gear is in storage, it’s time for a switch. Put away the beach gear, life jackets, and sun shades. If you haven’t taken a good look at your dog’s winter supplies, such as jackets, boots, sweaters, and your own cold weather walk equipment, now is a good time to assess and resupply before a sudden storm calls for full winter gear.

If you have a car and your dog travels with you, winter requires protection for seats from snowy, muddy paws. If you use car services, be sure to bring a towel or waterproof pad when your dog shares your ride. We always contact the driver to say we’re bringing a dog and something to protect your car seat.

Zipcar requires that members use a travel crate or bag when they take a pet along. In addition to the crate, we cover the back seat with waterproof pads so that Poppy can walk to her crate without leaving behind paw prints, sand, mud, or salt.

Here are a few more of our winter tips for dog families:
Marley is a well-traveled dog and a perfect guest in any home.

Travel Plans

The holiday season often requires special arrangements if you plan to travel or spend time with nearby family or friends.

Even with hotels and other lodgings you have visited with your pets in the past, confirming current policies and fees can prevent a nasty surprise when you arrive. We find that some fees are unreasonable. For example, Disney recently decided to allow pets in some of their hotels. However, they are charging a $50 per night cleaning fee.

Should you plan to have your favorite pet sitter, boarding kennel, friend, or family member take care of your critter while you are away, it’s a good idea to discuss this now before all spots are filled or other plans are made.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)
November 12, 2017
Winter & Holiday Preparations for Families that Include Dogs
When you think about preparing for winter, your first thoughts might be about snow tires or weatherproofing windows, but there are some dog related items you might want to add to your winter preparation list.

Maxie looks great in her winter sweater!

Before all the de-icing supplies for your building are purchased, you might ask that pet safe de-icer be used rather than salt or other toxic chemicals. This will not only benefit your dog, but also all the dogs who pass your home. It may even help some inside kitties since the people in the family won’t track in potential poisons.

Poppy loves winter more than we do. This is her response when we say she's been out too long.

If your winter gear is in storage, it’s time for a switch. Put away the beach gear, life jackets, and sun shades. If you haven’t taken a good look at your dog’s winter supplies, such as jackets, boots, sweaters, and your own cold weather walk equipment, now is a good time to assess and resupply before a sudden storm calls for full winter gear.

If you have a car and your dog travels with you, winter requires protection for seats from snowy, muddy paws. If you use car services, be sure to bring a towel or waterproof pad when your dog shares your ride. We always contact the driver to say we’re bringing a dog and something to protect your car seat.

Zipcar requires that members use a travel crate or bag when they take a pet along. In addition to the crate, we cover the back seat with waterproof pads so that Poppy can walk to her crate without leaving behind paw prints, sand, mud, or salt.

Here are a few more of our winter tips for dog families:
Marley is a well-traveled dog and a perfect guest in any home.

Travel Plans

The holiday season often requires special arrangements if you plan to travel or spend time with nearby family or friends.

Even with hotels and other lodgings you have visited with your pets in the past, confirming current policies and fees can prevent a nasty surprise when you arrive. We find that some fees are unreasonable. For example, Disney recently decided to allow pets in some of their hotels. However, they are charging a $50 per night cleaning fee.

Should you plan to have your favorite pet sitter, boarding kennel, friend, or family member take care of your critter while you are away, it’s a good idea to discuss this now before all spots are filled or other plans are made.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)
November 12, 2017
Roasted and Smashed Potatoes for Easier Shepherd’s, Cottage, or Fish Pies

A bag of small potatoes that I had planned to turn into smashed potatoes recently inspired a new look at the traditional shepherd's pie. I had a package of ground lamb that my friend Liz suggested I try instead of always grinding my own. Naturally shepherd's pie came to mind, but I still wanted those crispy delicious smashed potatoes.

I decided to have the best of both worlds by topping my meat mixture with smashed instead of mashed potatoes.

First I scrubbed and cut slits in the potatoes, tossed those plus some carrots and sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted them on a full sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The next time I make this, I'll also roast some onions and garlic to add to the meat when I brown it.

As soon as the potatoes were soft enough, I smashed them with a fork, sprinkled on a bit more olive oil, and returned the tray to the oven.

For this batch I diced two slices of bacon, cooked it, removed some of the bacon fat, and then browned the lamb, onions, garlic, and herbs in that pan. After the meat was transferred to a porcelain baking dish, I scattered the roasted carrots around, topped it with the cooked (but not totally browned) potatoes, and dabbed on a few bits of butter. I put the dish into the already hot oven for about 20 minutes for the flavors to meld and for the final crisping of the smashed potatoes.

When potatoes are a daily menu item, as they were for many of my Irish ancestors, having leftover mashed potatoes to turn a bit of leftover roast into a cottage pie was easy. However making the dish from scratch the way I often do can limit the number of times you enjoy this lovely meal.

By roasting off everything on a tray in the oven, it's much quicker and you have the bonus of that caramelized, roasty-toasty flavor on all the vegetables. And remember, you can use this method to make cottage pie with beef or a fish pie. You can also turn a tray of wonderful, roasted root vegetables into a meatless version.

Related posts:

10 Tips for Shepherd's Pie

Making Food in Layers Can Be Much Easier!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 25, 2017
Roasted and Smashed Potatoes for Easier Shepherd’s, Cottage, or Fish Pies

A bag of small potatoes that I had planned to turn into smashed potatoes recently inspired a new look at the traditional shepherd's pie. I had a package of ground lamb that my friend Liz suggested I try instead of always grinding my own. Naturally shepherd's pie came to mind, but I still wanted those crispy delicious smashed potatoes.

I decided to have the best of both worlds by topping my meat mixture with smashed instead of mashed potatoes.

First I scrubbed and cut slits in the potatoes, tossed those plus some carrots and sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted them on a full sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The next time I make this, I'll also roast some onions and garlic to add to the meat when I brown it.

As soon as the potatoes were soft enough, I smashed them with a fork, sprinkled on a bit more olive oil, and returned the tray to the oven.

For this batch I diced two slices of bacon, cooked it, removed some of the bacon fat, and then browned the lamb, onions, garlic, and herbs in that pan. After the meat was transferred to a porcelain baking dish, I scattered the roasted carrots around, topped it with the cooked (but not totally browned) potatoes, and dabbed on a few bits of butter. I put the dish into the already hot oven for about 20 minutes for the flavors to meld and for the final crisping of the smashed potatoes.

When potatoes are a daily menu item, as they were for many of my Irish ancestors, having leftover mashed potatoes to turn a bit of leftover roast into a cottage pie was easy. However making the dish from scratch the way I often do can limit the number of times you enjoy this lovely meal.

By roasting off everything on a tray in the oven, it's much quicker and you have the bonus of that caramelized, roasty-toasty flavor on all the vegetables. And remember, you can use this method to make cottage pie with beef or a fish pie. You can also turn a tray of wonderful, roasted root vegetables into a meatless version.

Related posts:

10 Tips for Shepherd's Pie

Making Food in Layers Can Be Much Easier!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 25, 2017
Three Meals from One Pot of Braised Chicken Thighs

The best way to avoid tiring of something you take the time to cook ahead is to have your initial cooking session create a product you can use to make other meals. In this case Penny braised a pan of chicken thighs in white wine, ginger, garlic, soy, and scallions. (Here are a bunch of recipes to help you find one to your taste.)

For our first meal, we enjoyed the thighs with brown rice, pea pods, and tomatoes. Penny cooked up a big batch of brown rice in our Instant Pot for us to use during a week with a lot of things on our to do lists.

On day two, the chicken was shredded and became part of a wok full of fried rice. This was a big batch so that second act for the chicken became two extra meals ready to go. (Just like when we order more takeout than we need for one meal.)

The third meal from our pot of braised chicken was a frittata with chicken, pre-cooked sautéed onions, a bit of the rice, a few scallions for color, and some grated pecorino. (Check out this post to learn about having sautéed onions on hand.)

Judith Jones in her delightful book "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" called this approach to using leftovers, "second rounds." We like that concept!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 5, 2017
Three Meals from One Pot of Braised Chicken Thighs

The best way to avoid tiring of something you take the time to cook ahead is to have your initial cooking session create a product you can use to make other meals. In this case Penny braised a pan of chicken thighs in white wine, ginger, garlic, soy, and scallions. (Here are a bunch of recipes to help you find one to your taste.)

For our first meal, we enjoyed the thighs with brown rice, pea pods, and tomatoes. Penny cooked up a big batch of brown rice in our Instant Pot for us to use during a week with a lot of things on our to do lists.

On day two, the chicken was shredded and became part of a wok full of fried rice. This was a big batch so that second act for the chicken became two extra meals ready to go. (Just like when we order more takeout than we need for one meal.)

The third meal from our pot of braised chicken was a frittata with chicken, pre-cooked sautéed onions, a bit of the rice, a few scallions for color, and some grated pecorino. (Check out this post to learn about having sautéed onions on hand.)

Judith Jones in her delightful book "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" called this approach to using leftovers, "second rounds." We like that concept!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 5, 2017
Habits That Work in the BostonZest Kitchen

If you watch an experienced cook in the kitchen, you could pick up some good habits. There are things they do without thinking that should be part of all our cooking routines.

Work Clean

Wash your hands when you enter the kitchen to prepare to cook. This habit should be part of your food safety plan. As a person who prepares food for yourself and your family, you should be as serious about the topic of food safety as the restaurant chef who holds a Food Safety Certification.

If you are making a number of items, prepare the ones that will be used raw (such as the compound butter above) before you work with items that will be cooked, like the carrots and celery in this photo.

Beware of cross contamination. Use separate cutting boards and knives for meat and fresh foods or wash these items completely in hot, soapy water before changing what you are cutting. And, work on these raw proteins last. Keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut them.

Cross contamination is also a factor if you are cooking for someone with a serious food allergy.

In our small space, we have to clean as we go or there wouldn’t be any counter space left. While involved in a major cooking session, you'll see a container with hot, soapy water for us to toss in soiled utensils as we work.

Hand wash and dry your knives as soon as you finish using them. Knives in a bucket of soapy water are dangerous. Knives sitting on a counter among other cooking detritus are just waiting to cut someone.

Mise en Place and "Meanwhile"

There are times, like when you’re making a stir-fry, risotto, or a complex new recipe, when you should set up a complete collection of ready-to-use ingredients. Chef Sara Moulton came up with the term “meanwhile” for times when you should gather all the ingredients and equipment you need to make a dish and then get started.

Moulton suggests you, “Decide in what order you should prep the ingredients. For a pasta dish, for example, you should start by getting a large pot of water on to boil; meanwhile you can heat the oil in a skillet slowly while you chop the onion. Add the onion to the oil and cook it while you mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the onion while you chop the tomatoes, etc.”

Do you have a favorite habit that works in your kitchen? Share with us and our readers in the comments below!

Related Post:

The Kitchn's "Kitchen Habits of Good Cooks" Series Is Our Friday Link

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

October 4, 2017
Habits That Work in the BostonZest Kitchen

If you watch an experienced cook in the kitchen, you could pick up some good habits. There are things they do without thinking that should be part of all our cooking routines.

Work Clean

Wash your hands when you enter the kitchen to prepare to cook. This habit should be part of your food safety plan. As a person who prepares food for yourself and your family, you should be as serious about the topic of food safety as the restaurant chef who holds a Food Safety Certification.

If you are making a number of items, prepare the ones that will be used raw (such as the compound butter above) before you work with items that will be cooked, like the carrots and celery in this photo.

Beware of cross contamination. Use separate cutting boards and knives for meat and fresh foods or wash these items completely in hot, soapy water before changing what you are cutting. And, work on these raw proteins last. Keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut them.

Cross contamination is also a factor if you are cooking for someone with a serious food allergy.

In our small space, we have to clean as we go or there wouldn’t be any counter space left. While involved in a major cooking session, you'll see a container with hot, soapy water for us to toss in soiled utensils as we work.

Hand wash and dry your knives as soon as you finish using them. Knives in a bucket of soapy water are dangerous. Knives sitting on a counter among other cooking detritus are just waiting to cut someone.

Mise en Place and "Meanwhile"

There are times, like when you’re making a stir-fry, risotto, or a complex new recipe, when you should set up a complete collection of ready-to-use ingredients. Chef Sara Moulton came up with the term “meanwhile” for times when you should gather all the ingredients and equipment you need to make a dish and then get started.

Moulton suggests you, “Decide in what order you should prep the ingredients. For a pasta dish, for example, you should start by getting a large pot of water on to boil; meanwhile you can heat the oil in a skillet slowly while you chop the onion. Add the onion to the oil and cook it while you mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the onion while you chop the tomatoes, etc.”

Do you have a favorite habit that works in your kitchen? Share with us and our readers in the comments below!

Related Post:

The Kitchn's "Kitchen Habits of Good Cooks" Series Is Our Friday Link

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

October 4, 2017
Building Your Cultural Food Shopping Skills

Do you hesitate to explore markets specializing in specific cultures because of a language barrier? Do you find it frustrating when you can’t read the labels on packages of food? I’ve recently added a new tool to enhance my international shopping skills.

Image from Google's information on this feature

Last winter a press release from Google announced a Japanese language expansion in their Google Translate app saying, “With Word Lens, you just need to fire up the Translate app, point your camera at the Japanese text, and the English translations will appear overlaid on your screen.”

My mind immediately saw this as a food shopper’s dream. I could see myself standing in a Japanese grocery store using my phone to read and compare the ingredients on packages. What’s more, since this app supports nearly 30 languages, you can point your phone at a package in any shop and it will do its best to figure out what language it is seeing and translate the information on that item.

Ask a Friend!

Far better than using a phone and app is exploring another culture with a friend who is part of that community, speaks the language, or who is far ahead of you in learning about that particular cuisine.

Ed and I enjoyed our first taste of Indian food with a couple who had lived in India. They not only explained the food, but also the dining etiquette.

Friends from Thailand wrote out, in Thai, a list of dishes we should try at a local restaurant that had a separate menu for anyone who wanted a meal made the way it would have been served in Thailand. We only had to point to a paragraph to order dishes prepared the way the customers with greater knowledge of Thai cuisine would prefer them.

Take a Tour

If you’ve spent much time in the North End shops, you may have seen one of the tour groups learning more about the Italian offerings available in this neighborhood. Many home cooks may feel they know Italian food and the ingredients needed to make it, but I know that I learn a bit more each time I interact with North End shopkeepers.

In this area you can find tours of other neighborhoods and cultures as well. Penny recently took one of Jacqueline Church's Boston Chinatown Tours – Food, Fun, Fables and loved it. Even after years of visiting the neighborhood, dining there, and shopping in area stores, she learned a lot. (She'll be writing a full report on that experience soon, so watch for it!)

For anyone trying to make Vietnamese food, the book Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors has both photos and detailed notes on the herbs you might want to add to your shopping list.

Photo Notes

Another way that I put my phone camera to work is by taking photos of ingredients I’m seeking from the pages of one of the many ethnic cookbooks that have glossaries of food and equipment used in the culture the book covers.

A visit to your library’s cookbook section is a great place to begin exploring a cuisine. Grab a few books on the topic that have reference sections and borrow one or two that seem to supply the information you want.

Pick a recipe and take a photo of the notes or glossary entry on that ingredient. Then you can pull out your phone and show it to the shopkeeper or read it as you explore the shelves in an ethnic market.

Dedicated Guide Books

Author Linda Bladholm’s wonderful “Take It With You” guides to three ethnic cuisines were recently released as ebooks. Now you can have a copy on your phone for impromptu visits to Indian, Asian, or Latin cuisine. “The Indian Grocery Store Demystified,” was her first guide. The others substitute the culture “Asian” and “Latin & Caribbean” in their titles. Food Writer Bladholm takes you on a walk through the aisles of each culture with clear insight on the items offered. I highly recommend all three.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

September 27, 2017