Getting almonds ground finely enough to make smooth a macaron, marizpan or frangipane filling can be difficult in a food processor, which goes from coarse cornmeal to an almond butter rather quickly. Short of purchasing almond flour/meal, pulsing the almonds with whatever sugar or salt you are using in 10 second intervals helps put a finer grind on the nuts. Anyone else have a trick that works?
“Never wash mushrooms; they’ll absorb the water.” “Putting an avocado pit in the guacamole keeps it from turning brown.” “Don’t add salt to beans before cooking or they won’t soften.” In his new blog, Bitten, New York Times Dining Section writer Mark Bittman debunks six of “your grandmother’s” kitchen myths.
Ideally, spices should be stored in a way that protects them from the heat, light and moisture that are common in kitchens. When we moved into an apartment with a lovely built-in spice rack right under a skylight, I channeled my inner Martha and took matters into my own hand, replacing all of our unmatched, clear spice bottles with inexpensive 4 oz. tins fitted with a standard label (that can be easily printed from a preloaded Word template).
I am usually reluctant to recommend This Product or That One, but as I’ve mentioned truffle salt in today’s recipe, it is only fair to tell you that it is the rare posh product I’d be sad to live without. We love it in vinaigrettes, on asparagus, with poached eggs, roasted red potatoes, buttered popcorn… and I’m just getting started. My $20 bottle is now into its third year, less than a quarter depleted and pungent as ever.
What’s the secret to breaking a butternut squash down into easily managed pieces? In short: a very sharp knife, two peelings, a bevel, several cuts, another bevel, a scoop and a few more slices. I tucked the longer, no-fail instructions over here. Now there is nothing keeping you from a galette, soup or scrumptious salad.
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