by Sharm | Oct 31, 2011 | Articles
Food writer shares the everyday joys (and surprising accessibility) of French home cooking
WHAT: When it comes to exquisite food, many have looked to France for inspiration: the care with which ingredients are prepared, the time taken to enjoy each delicious bite, and most importantly, the appetizing dishes themselves.
Many American home cooks may feel they have neither the time nor expertise to cook like the French. Yet according to food writer Wini Moranville, who has lived in France’s cozy villages and vibrant cities nearly every summer for 20 years, American cooks needn’t fear French cooking. They just need to learn the bonne femme style.
In The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day (Harvard Common Press, October 2011), Wini brings authentic French food to American home cooks, with 250 recipes that reflect the way real French families eat today. With a focus on fresh, tasty ingredients and a generosity of spirit, it’s French cooking without fuss or fear.
Now that the typical bonne femme works outside of the home just like her American counterpart (and now that French men, like their American frères, are often in charge of getting dinner on the table), Wini’s emphasis is on easy techniques and speedy preparation. Her book shows readers that it is possible to cook and dine like the French, no matter where you live, without breaking the bank or spending all day in the kitchen.
WHO: Wini Moranville is writes a monthly wine column for Relish, is a restaurant reviewer for The Des Moines Register and has contributed to many food magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Creative Home, and MasterChef magazine. Find heronline at www.chezbonnefemme.com.
WHEN & WHERE: Meet Wini Moranville and purchase a signed copy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook at these local events.
–Fri., Nov. 4, 1pm, A Thyme for Everything (229B SE Main Street, Lee’s Summit, Mo.,
816-554-3755 ,
www.athymeforeverything.com). “
Tuesday Night French” Cooking Presentation – Wini will show you how to get a contemporary French meal on the table in 30 minutes or less. Book signing to follow.
— Sat., Nov. 5, 1-3pm, Pryde’s of Old Westport (115 Westport Rd, Kansas City, Mo., 816-531-5588 , www.prydeskitchen.com). Wini will sign copies of The Bonne Femme Cookbook.
PRAISE
“This culinary treasure is a must-have book for your kitchen shelf—an irresistible day-to-day, go-to book on how to get simple, delicious, heart-warming meals on the table. Wini makes the best French home cooking approachable.” —Gale Gand, host of Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams”
“It’s les bonnes femmes who keep the culinary traditions of France alive. Cooking the simple classics and the daily meals that form the canon of the cuisine—onion soup andcrisp-skinned roasted chicken, beef Bourguignon, gratin Dauphinois, and crème caramel—they draw family and friends to the table. Wini has given us everything we need to do the same, whether our table is in Paris or Peoria.” —Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table
by Sharm | Oct 24, 2011 | Articles
801 Chophouse now open in Park Place in Leawood.
801 Chophouse, the second Kansas City-area location and is located at 11616 Ash Street, directly in between the Aloft Hotel, and Trezo Vino Wine Bistro. The Des Moines-based restaurant is famous for its steaks and seafood, and has developed a devoted following throughout the nation and the region. They will incorporate the same stylish and elegant look as their other locations and plan to continue their tradition of phenomenal happy hour specials. More information about 801Chophouse can be found at www.801Chophouse.com.
by Sharm | Oct 24, 2011 | Articles
Up for grabs are two sets of tickets to the Hen House Holiday Mart.
These tickets are good for a single day admission and can be used any day October 28th – October 30th.
Winner will be drawn at random from random.org at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 24th.
Along with over 90 food displays with tastings and samples, guests will be entertained by Celebrity Chef and Food Network Star, Tyler Florence, the Purina Incredible Dog Team, Celebrity Chefs and Cookbook Authors, the Casserole Queens, a local Top Chef competition, a student Top Chef competition and Mr. Stinky Feet.
To enter please like What You’re Missing KC! and Hen House Facebook. Then comment on which day you want to go. Tyler Florence will be there doing a meet and greet on Friday at the Sprout Baby Food Booth.
Visit, www.henhouseholidaycelebration.com for more information.
Be sure and leave a valid email so the winner can be contacted.
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Oct 24, 2011 | Articles
Learn to make your own Sushi at RA Sushi’s class Sushi and Sake 101.
Whether you are a sushi lover or not you will have a great time at this class. To read more about this class click
here, additional information is below.
When: 2 – 4 p.m., Sunday, October 30
Cost: $35.00 per person
11638 Ash Street., Leawood, KS 66211
Call: (913) 850- 6260 to make a reservation
by Sharm | Oct 12, 2011 | Articles
Not only does Chef Terry Mille of CownTown CheeseCakes in Kansas City, make the best cheesecake in town. He makes a pretty good cookie too. Many people who have tried his cookies have said that they are the best they have ever had.
These chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy with a little bit of crispiness at the edges and a not-too-sweet flavor.
Chef Terry admits “I don’t know if they’re the best in the world, but they’re pretty darn good.”
Make up a batch and see for yourself, or feel free to contact CowTown CheeseCake Company to place an order for $9.95 a dozen.
To read more about CowTown CheeseCake Company or other great food finds in the Kansas City area, Visit What You’re Missing KC!
The Worlds Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 egg
2¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt
12 oz. bag Pure Dark Chocolate Chips (not milk chocolate)
Recipe
Preheat oven to 375° Mix the sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg until well blended and creamy. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together. (You can do it right on top of the wet ingredients, mixing the soda and salt into the flour a little with a dry spoon before mixing the flour into the wet ingredients.)
Stir wet and dry ingredients together until well blended. The dough is very dry and stiff, and it may seem as though it is too dry to combine, but it will come together. Stir in chocolate chips.
Put rounded spoonfuls of dough on a cool cookie sheet a few inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just beginning to brown. For best results, use one cookie sheet at a time in the center of the oven. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack
Tips;
This recipe uses a little extra flour to give the cookies that rounded lumpy look. Try this trick with any other cookie recipes you have that taste good but turn out flatter than you would like. The extra flour also helps to give the dough a slightly salty, less sweet flavor that goes great with the dark chocolate chips.
For lumpy, rounded cookies that are not too flat or too browned, allow the cookie sheet to cool completely between batches. If the cookies are still coming out too flat, try chilling the dough for a few minutes in the refrigerator.
