debi

Editor's note: Ever wondered what those extras tasting on Top Chef actually get to eat? And how it tastes? And how it feels to be that close to Padma? Friend of Serious Eats YiMay Yang, a designer and photographer based in Austin, was at the taping for the episode of Top Chef Texas that aired this week. She couldn't reveal any juicy details, until now. It's been torture for her not to Tweet about it. —The Mgmt.

Living in Austin we had heard rumblings about Top Chef filming in Texas. It wasn't until my friend Mike emailed a group of us TC fans with a serious inquiry about how we could be diners on an episode.

A few email exchanges later, I had a confirmation to participate in a taping of an unnamed Bravo show to be filmed in San Antonio. The episode finally aired this week, which means I can finally talk about it.

The only information we were given at the time was where to be, when, and a request for some canned goods. Would the chefs have to cook with these cans? Should I locate an imported can of foie? (Later we learned they'd be donated to a food shelter.)

8 A.M. Call Time

The day of the filming, we made our way to the Pearl Brewery, a multiplex compound with offices, restaurants, and a culinary institute for our 8 a.m. call. After signing some contracts, we were handed three small sheets of paper for voting.

A lot of waiting later, a producer welcomed the crowd and explained to us that we'd be voting for one chef in each group. The challenge? To make the best "healthy version" of a comfort food.

Our hearts sank. Eh, healthy? We didn't come all the way to San Antonio to taste some chef's tofu burgers. Where was all the bacon and butter and cheese?

We were also given some basic directions:

1. Don't look directly into the camera
2. Don't look directly at Padma
3. Don't talk to Padma.

Tasting, Voting

Paul's lettuce wrap. [Photograph: Bravo]

In small groups, we walked out to the filming area. As an Austin girl, I made a beeline for cheftestant Paul. (Gotta support the home team.) I chatted him up, mentioning what a big fan of Uchiko I am. He responded in his gracious way as usual.

His healthy creation? A lettuce wrap with a spicy minced turkey filling and kimchi peaches on the side. OK, has anyone else noticed how peach-obsessed Paul is? I expect a full peach tasting menu at Uchiko soon. So, how'd it taste? Flavorful and saucy and messy, which helped me forget it was "healthy."

Edward served a piece of kalbi as an open-faced "burger" on flatbread with aioli and a cucumber salad. The beef wasn't tender, and mostly just tasted of one-dimensional soy. The spicy sauce and the cucumber, however, were both good. But that hockey puck-bread really ruined it.

Lindsay's meatball with lemon yogurt, black-eyed peas and quinoa Greek salad. [Photograph: Bravo]

Onto the two ladies making meatballs. Lindsay had a delicious Greek-style meatball paired with a tangy lemon yogurt sauce and quinoa Greek salad. Couldn't get enough. My quinoa never turns out like this—un-mushy with such refreshing, bright flavors. (Get the recipe on Bravo.com) Lindsay cooks the quinoa risotto, toasting it in a pan with oil, adding a little liquid at a time. She also showed me her bottle of L'Estornell Grenache varietal red wine vinegar she found at our very own Central Market, the Texas grocery chain.

Sarah, who's from Texas but cooks at Spiaggia in Chicago, prepared a more traditional Italian meatball (with turkey) in a tomato sauce with a carrot chip garnish. It was very good, and I'm not even a huge tomato sauce fan.

And Then Padma Walked In

She finally walked in. Actually, I should say she floated in on clouds in her cream-colored blouse and shorts combo with sky-high espadrille wedges. Were those pantyhose on her legs in this searing heat? Nope, must have been her naturally glowing skin. She towered over the rest of her judge companions: Tom, Emeril, Kat Cora and Dana Cowin.

You could tell from Padma's expression that she was not adapting well to the Texas summer. She looked like she might melt as her assistants touched up her makeup and cooled her neck down with wet rags. But as soon as the cameras went on, her scowl disappeared. (She's clearly done this before.)

How the Judges Judge

The judges headed over to Grayson's and Chris's chicken salad sandwich booths first. It's quite a production when the judges appear. The crew has to clear the line of diners waiting in line. Then they bring in a small group of fake diners who must walk away as soon as the judges walk up. The judges don't have to wait in line, clearly.

After chatting up the chefs, the judges take their food back to their table, and all the crew moves with them. They eat, they critique. This same process happens for each and every dish. Needless to say it's very long and tedious. I have a deep appreciation for the talented staff and crew that makes this into a seamless, tight show.

I still had one slip of paper left, so I headed over to Chris. The whole time in line I spent staring at his hair (anyone else transfixed with his hair?). His chicken salad sandwich was underwhelming and served on very dry bread. The mayo was made from tofu. He also served a really sweet pineapple slushie with slightly frozen watermelon. It was nearing 105° that day; I wasn't complaining.

Finally, it was time to wait in the massive line for Grayson's dish—until someone yelled "bee drama!" and the entire camera crew that was on Padma rushed over to Grayson's booth. Grayson was in tears, as was Chris. Their booths had to be shut down because of a bee infestation. It was sad to see Grayson so sad. Some fellow tasters in line dropped their voting slips into Grayson's box out of pity.

The Winner

Spoiler alert: The judges ultimately chose Paul's dish. Did you watch? Obviously I did, and will re-watch again this weekend with friends while cooking up our collective favorite dish from the episode: Lindsay's meatballs with lemon yogurt sauce and quinoa salad. Already purchased the bottle of L'estornell in preparation.

From Slice

[Photographs re-published with permission from 1 Fine Cookie]

Man, it's rare that anybody beats Slice to a story about pizza madness in the universe, but we gotta give props to bon appétit's blog for out-scooping us on this one.

The basic premise is simple. You've all seen pie in a jar, I'm sure. You bake a tiny pie in a jar, seal it, and give it away as gifts. Well ain't one pie as good as any other? What's to stop you from baking a pizza pie in a jar? The ever-creative 1 Fine Cookie wondered the same thing and actually did it. So here you go: pizza in a jar.

That would be dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings all layered into a mason jar and baked as-is, to be eaten with a fork.

Personally, I'm wondering how you get char and what the hole structure of the bottom crust is (unfortunately, she didn't supply an underbelly photo), but having plumbed the depraved depths of pizza weirdness myself with pizzagna (that'd be thin-crust pizzas layered with cheese and sauce and baked like a lasagna), I can imagine this being a pretty tasty portable snack.

What say you, Slice'rs?

[Photographs: Hawk Krall]

While Philadelphia has become more and more of a hot dog city, with two new spots opening in the next few months, one thing it's always been is a sausage town. Italian, German, Pennsylvania Dutch, Polish—we've got all sorts of uber-authentic, homemade encased meats that aren't really hot dogs but are just too incredible not to write about.

A few weeks ago we featured the kielbasa from Swiacki Meats in Port Richmond; this week it's a kielbasa variety from nearby Krakus Market, a full-service Polish grocery store and restaurant that also has a staggering variety of house-cured Polish meats and sausages.

The variety is overwhelming here, with the standard kielbasa and kabanosy but also "Polish Hot Dog Kielbaski," Hunters-Style, Wedding Sausage, Smoked Juniper Sausage, Thick Ring Kielbasa, and all sorts of deli meats like headcheese, tongue, and Polish Mortadella.

Aside from the meat case there's also a full selection of Polish groceries, everything from pierogi (many varieties) to imported Polish beers and an incredible array of mustards, pickles, and sauces that are ridiculously affordable. Things like red pepper mustard and apple horseradish for no more than $1.25 a jar.

Of course we had to try out the "Pyszne Hot-Dog Kielbaski" which was basically a smoked mini kielbasa in the shape of a hot dog with a thick natural casing. It's cooked in an iron skillet with a slab of imported polish butter, on a club roll with some pickles and whole-grain mustard. Delicious but the bread was too much; the next batch served on standard hot dog buns turned out to be the way to go.

Notice that while these are definitely the shape and size of a hot dog, the meat grind is coarser and more like a kielbasa, as was the intense smoky pork-garlic flavor. Not a bad thing at all, these can really stand up to strong mustards and horseradish where a standard hot dog might get lost under the toppings.

Next up was the rope kielbasa, steamed in water before being finished off in the pan with more of the polish butter. Coarse ground, mildly smoked and insanely garlicky, it smelled like a garlic factory for the next two days but we couldn't stop eating it. We tried these a bunch of different ways but the kielbasa was so delicious and powerful, all you really need is some horseradish and a beer.

Krakus Market

3150 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134 (map) 215-426-4336; krakusmarket.com

Hawk Krall is a Philadelphia-based illustrator who has a serious thing for hot dogs. Dig his dog drawings? Many of the illustrations he has created for Hot Dog of the Week are available for sale: hawkkrall.net/prints/.

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels.

Saturday (January 28)

Down Home with the Neelys: Pat and Gina share their best recipes for game night, with dishes such as mini turkey burgers, goat cheese dip, cheddar and apple quesadillas, and herbed popcorn. 9 a.m. ET, Food Network

30 Minute Meals: Rachael Ray cooks up a "manly" pork chop smothered in peppers and onions. 9:30 a.m. ET, Food Network

The Pioneer Woman: On the second season of her show, blogger Ree Drummond continues to share the recipes inspired by her experiences living on an Oklahoma ranch. On Saturday, she prepares game day recipes. 10 a.m. ET, Food Network

Paula's Best Dishes: Ms. Deen dishes up quesadillas, fried empanadas and coconut whoopie pies. (Time to break out the Victoza?) 10:30 a.m. ET, Food Network

Barefoot Contessa: Ina treats some local firefighters to a homemade dinner of beef barley soup, sloppy joes, pecan caramel sundaes. 11 a.m. ET, Food Network

Giada at Home: Giada, like many of her television show colleagues, is making game day favorites. Her menu includes Caprese burgers, warm artichoke-bacon dip, and spicy cinnamon brownies. 11:30 a.m. ET, Food Network

Food For Thought with Claire Thomas: Host Claire Thomas discusses the problem of overfishing, and prepares a fish taco with sustainable seafood. 11 a.m. ET, ABC

Baking with Julia: Guest Martha Stewart returns to the show to complete the three-tiered wedding cake she started on a previous episode. 12 p.m. ET, PBS

Iron Chef America: Chefs Michael Symon and Masaharu Morimoto travel to Hawaii to face off in a tailgating challenge. 10 p.m. ET, Food Network

Sunday (January 29)

Sara's Weeknight Meals: Sara Moulton demonstrates some vegetarian main dishes, including a potato and greens pie, mushroom enchiladas, and moo shu vegetable pancakes. 4:30 p.m. ET, PBS

America's Test Kitchen: The show takes a trip to the Hotel Sacher in Vienna to learn about its famous chocolate torte. Back at home in the Test Kitchen, they recreate it. 5 p.m. ET, PBS

Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off: The four remaining cheftestants cater an intimate dinner for Guy and Rachael's family and friends. 9 p.m. ET, Food Network

Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off: It's the finale! The last two chefs cook for Tim and Nina Zagat before their fate is decided. 9 p.m. ET, Food Network

[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

I'm not sure what initially attracted me to this odd little sandwich from Everyday Food's Fresh Flavor Fast, and I realize I'm going to have an even harder time explaining why I enjoyed it so much. Perhaps it's all the heavier dishes I've been eating during the winter, but I appreciated how the few components came together to make a unique sandwich creation.

The only real distinguishing feature is the artichoke-basil spread, which is whipped up in seconds in a food processor. It might not take long, but it's tart and creamy, which makes it a great pair for the salami. Of course, it doesn't hurt that everything about this sandwich is easy. It takes approximately 10 minutes to put together, but it certainly doesn't taste like a rush job.

Get the Recipe

Artichoke and Salami Sandwiches »

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is our Serious Eats Chicago editor and the co-founder of The Paupered Chef.

Get the Recipe!

From Recipes

[Photographs: Kelly Carámbula]

You may have noticed the orange fruit that looks like a cousin to the tomato, but have you tried a persimmon lately? There are two common varieties available in the United States: Fuyu and Hayachi. Fuyu persimmons are light to bright orange with a round shape, are non-astringent, which means they can be eaten when they're firm or ripe.

Hayachi, on the other hand, have a deeper orange color with a cone-like shape. These should be eaten quite ripe: when soft, near mushiness, or else they'll have a very unpleasant flavor. If it's very ripe, you can even scoop out the flesh with a spoon and eat the slightly sweet, earthy and sticky flesh.

When incorporating persimmons into seasonal cocktails, the first step is to make a purée. This slightly thick, bright orange liquid that has notes of sweet earthiness. To bring a little punch to the cocktail, I added lime and gin to create a persimmon sour. The final cocktail is a bold, orange-hued drink that is at first sour, then earthy and rich. It's the kind of drink that will keep you on your toes.

About the author: Kelly Carámbula blogs about her adventures in the kitchen, including a weekly happy hour, on eat make read. She is also the founder and publisher of Remedy Quarterly, an independent food magazine.

Special equipment: blender, cocktail shaker

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes

• For persimmon purée:
• 2 non-astringent persimmons, such as fuyu
• 1/2 to 1 ounce simple syrup, to taste
•  
• For the cocktail:
• 1 1/2 ounce persimmon purée
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 3/4 ounces gin
• Garnish: lime slice

Procedures

1. First, make a persimmon purée by blending two persimmons—stem removed—with 1/2 to 1 ounce simple syrup (to taste) in a blender.

2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces persimmon purée, with gin and lime juice. Shake for 15 seconds.

3. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lime slice.

In this great country of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around the country. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Bruce Wolf]

Viking Soul Food is in my favorite Portland pod (that's a cluster of food carts). It's the only Norwegian cart in the city, with a menu that focuses on lefse (pronounced lef-suh). The thin potato flatbread warms up on the griddle, and is then drizzled with local honey or filled with savory options like cured salmon, dill crème fraiche, shallots and watercress.

My favorite is the lefse rolled with tender and terrific Norse meatballs with Gjetost sauce (a popular cheese sauce that's very orange) and pickled cabbage. The texture is satisfying with crunch from the cabbage and a the nutty, creamy cheese sauce that works well with the pickled slaw.

There are several sweet lefse options, like one with lemon curd and spiced pecans. You can order both a savory and a sweet for eight dollars, and while you're at the pod, stop by Sweet Pea's Brûlée for rotating crème brûlées.

VikingSoulFood

Good Food Here Pod, 4262 SE Belmont Street, Portland (map): 503-704-5481

About the author: Laurie Wolf is a food writer, blogger, tweeter and recipe developer. She is happy to call Portland, Oregon home. You can read more of her on FoodfiendPDX.com

A single chopstick is a very lonely chopstick. How can he dexterously scoop up noodles without his friend? Try as he may, he cannot. But there comes a point in every chopstick's life when he must quest for personal identity and independence.

Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by Scott Magoon, is the classic chopstick coming of age tale—it's also the companion book to Spoon, if you're familiar with other utensil-centric children's literature.

Chopstick A and Chopstick B are the bestest of best friends. But tragedy strikes one day when (kids, close your eyes) Chopstick A snapped and was whisked away (by a whisk, naturally) to the medicine cabinet. It's time they each learn to survive on their own. Spoiler: they reunite at the end, and it's joyous.

We're giving away five (5) copies of Chopsticks. To enter to win a copy for your little one (or yourself, that's perfectly acceptable) just tell us about your favorite utensil below.

This contest will end and comments will close at 5 p.m. ET, Monday, January 30, 2012. One entry per community member. Winners are limited to residents of the continental U.S. Standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

From Serious Eats: New York

Loren Brill of Sweet Loren's, last year's winner, bakes cookies at home. [Photo: Jenny Lee-Adrian]

The annual The Next Big Small Brand contest selects one small-scale food and drink entrepreneur each year, and grants them complimentary branding, PR, event opportunities, and (perhaps most importantly) shelf space at Whole Foods. Last year, Loren Brill of Sweet Loren's Ready to Bake Desserts won the competition; Eric Childs of Kombucha Brooklyn was the winner before that.

This year, they're expanding from New York-area restaurants to accept applications from the San Francisco Bay Area, too.

Applications are due February 5th. Got a small food business yourself, or know someone who does? Get applyin'!

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Ewan Macdonald]

"Give me Liberty Burger or let me starve," screams the tagline to this recently-opened North Dallas neighborhood spot. While I wouldn't go that far, my first visit would see me modify the motto to, "Give me Liberty Burger ahead of 90 percent of the other offerings in the area, but I also hope it improves a bit so that it can really live up to its potential." (Granted, that's not quite as snappy and might not fit on the flyers.) Still, here we find a burger place that could, with a few changes, be counted among the city's best.

Liberty Burger is owned by the Street siblings, Mariel, Gene Jr., and Dace, children of local favorite restauranteur Gene Street. His operations range from the French-Texas upscale III Forks to family-style Good Eats; given such a wide range, a griddled-to-order custom burger place seems like a natural step. Taking up corner space in a strip mall just off Inwood, it's a fine location, a stone's throw from both leafy North Dallas and the ever-crowded Tollway area. As such it was no surprise to see the restaurant packed with all age groups at 5 p.m. on a Friday.

Those braving the crowds will find a welcome addition to the Dallas burger scene—albeit one that needs a bit of work to join the top five. Since Liberty Burger is fairly new—about three months old—the problems can be put down to teething; as soon as they're fixed, the Streets are onto yet another winner.

One such issue is the ordering and seating system. We're all familiar with order-at-counter, food-brought-to-you restaurants, and that's how Liberty advertises itself. But upon entering you're immediately accosted by a harassed server, who asks for your party size, points out your table, and then gives you your number before moving you on. You're then thrown, in a scene reminiscent of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic The Running Man, towards the register, giving you no time to study the beautiful electronic menu boards on the wall. If you didn't research what you wanted online before coming, you'll be face-to-face with an expectant cashier before you know it, completely unsure of what you want and by now far away from those menus. I went for the Wild West burger almost by default.

Needless to say this first encounter with Liberty Burger wasn't so much one of freedom and joy as of stress and frustration. But having ordered and sat down, the sight of fine-looking burgers making their way to the dining room was more than welcome. The buns, advertised as custom-made, looked perfect in both their white and wheat forms, and all contained within was similarly beautiful. It was slightly worrying to see our burgers emerge only to be carried back to the kitchen, but on their second journey through the restaurant the server spied our number and we were served.

Wild West burger autopsy.

First impressions of the burger were mixed. Prior to the autopsy shot both my Wild West burger and my wife's bison cheeseburger were things of beauty. But cutting into them, we found the temperatures reversed; my order of medium was in fact well done, and hers the exact opposite. Resisting the temptation to send them back—mindful of the fact that she had work in an hour and Dallas traffic isn't to be trifled with—we dug in.

Here's where things got a lot better. So delicious was my patty I didn't especially care that it was overcooked. Despite the shades of gray on the inside it remained pleasantly juicy—a near half-pound of a great beef mix will do that. Painted on the wall is the proud boast of a custom blend from a "steakhouse purveyor," consisting of chuck, brisket, and tenderloin. And what a combo that proved to be. With reference to Kenji's blend guide, there's a grassy, gamey hit from the brisket, lean, balanced flavor from the chuck, and an understated but still very much present beefiness from the tenderloin. A perfect blend.

Liberty's custom bun was slightly on the brioche-y side for my tastes, but it's sure to please those looking for something beyond the industrial white bun used almost everywhere else.

The patty stood up well to most of the toppings, too. My Wild West was topped with a sensible amount of cheddar and bacon, along with a few pieces of onion and a thin spreading of barbecue sauce. These worked together to complement rather than overpower the excellent beef. The only problem was the pickles, which were so thickly cut that in the end I had to remove them and eat them alone.

The bison burger, with cheese and mustard, was surprisingly moist and tasty for such a lean meat, and although it's pricey—understandable, given its locally-reared, all-natural provenance—I'd recommend it as a slightly healthier but still delicious burger option.

The sweet potato fries were fine examples of the genre, even if the helping was a bit miserly for $2.50. Yet the biggest let-down of all were the shoestring fries, which despite their thin cut weren't even especially crispy. It was a chore to gather enough of the floppy cuttings to dip in the fine house-made chipotle ketchup and—worse yet—the fries were already were half-cold when served.

But despite the overcooked patty and the disappointing potato products, I'm left waiting and wanting to return to Liberty Burger. It's far from perfect at this point but, like freedom itself, it's worth the struggle. With such popularity already it's set to be a neighborhood hit long into the future, and as time goes on it can hopefully iron out the kinks. Then it will truly be a force to be reckoned with. But for now, give me Liberty Burger and give me it often.

About the author: Ewan Macdonald is a soccer writer who will probably die with a hamburger in his mouth. Born in Scotland, he was lured to the Dallas area by cheap beef and a love of 100 degree evenings with 60% relative humidity.

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Staff Picks: Our Favorite Non-Guac Ways to Eat Avocados

We have absolutely nothing against guacamole. In fact, we're more than a little obsessed, whether plain and simple or amped up with bacon, jicama, or Sriracha. But the avocado is rich in possibilities—smash it on toast, mix it up with a salad, blend it into a milkshake. Here are our favorite non-guac ways to eat the avocado.

From Recipes

[Photograph: France Ruffenach]

As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Poulet to give away this week.

This Sumo Wrestler Stew or Chankonabe from Poulet is a traditional method of carbo-loading for Japan's massive wrestlers. It's a hearty, bursting bowl of soup filled with rice, udon noodles, chicken thighs, tofu, and a load of good-for-your veggies. But even if you're not about enter the dohyō (that's a sumo ring), it's a fantastically filling bowl of soup and perfect for winter.

Like many of the other recipes in Poulet, this one lends itself to personal interpretation; feel free to swap out any veggies you'd like and add your favorite sumo-worthy proteins. But the one element that we wouldn't change is the broth, an umami-rich chicken stock enriched with kombu, soy, mirin, and red and white miso.

Why you should make this: You don't need to be a sumo champion to enjoy this overloaded bowl of chickeny goodness.

Next time we might think about: Adding handfuls of quick cooking greens and slices of fish cake or shrimp to bulk it up even more.

Adapted from Poulet by Cree LaFavour. Copyright © 2011. Published by Chronicle Books. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 1 hour 15 minutes, total time 1 hour 15 minutes

• 2 burdock roots, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
• 8 ounces udon noodles
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, cut into thin rounds
• 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, stemmed and sliced
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 sheet kombu seaweed
• One 6-inch piece daikon or 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon red miso paste
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more if needed
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 6 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 cups coarsely chopped napa cabbage
• 2 heads baby bok choy, trimmed and cut lengthwise into ribbons
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into pinkie-width strips
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, cut lengthwise into pinkie-width strips
• 4 eggs
• Jasmine Rice
• 7 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup fresh chives

Procedures

1. If using the burdock, rinse under cold water. Put in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 20 minutes, changing the water once about halfway through. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, rinse, and set aside. They need not be kept hot.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch or larger cast-iron sauté pan or 5-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek and cook until soft and just beginning to color on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and add the mushrooms to the same pan. This time, turn the heat up high to get some of the moisture out of the mushrooms. After 5 minutes or so, when you can really smell them cooking, transfer the mushrooms to the plate with the leek.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan over medium heat. Working in batches, lay the chicken pieces skin-side down in the hot oil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is browned on both sides, turning the pieces frequently to prevent sticking. Set the chicken aside on a plate.

4. In a large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat, combine the stock, kombu, and daikon. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the kombu. Add the red and white miso paste along with the mirin and soy sauce, stirring to thoroughly dissolve the miso pastes. Taste the broth. It should be potent and a little salty. If you think it might need salt, it probably does. Add more soy sauce a little at a time until it tastes just the way you like it.

5. Add the browned chicken thighs, the carrots, the potatoes, and the cabbage to the pan. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the bok choy and bell peppers. Keeping the heat low, cook for 5 more minutes, then carefully crack the eggs onto the surface of the barely-simmering broth. Poach the eggs for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the whites set.

6. Divide rice among 4 large bowls. Add a handful of udon noodles to each and arrange the noodles to make a nest. Using a slotted spoon, place a poached egg carefully in each nest. Scatter one-fourth of the tofu cubes into each bowl. Next, ladle the simmering broth, along with plenty of vegetables and a chicken thigh, around the egg in each bowl. Finish by sprinkling on the chives. The bowls should be beautiful, plentiful, and memorable.

From Drinks

The recent cocktail resurgence has followed a somewhat predictable trajectory. First, there was a general interest in the art of cocktails. Recipes were shared and gleaming bar tools procured. Next, niche interests developed: classic cocktails, artisan cocktails, DIY cocktails. Now, with the publication of two new cocktail books, The American Cocktail and The Seasonal Cocktail Companion, we've reached the pinnacle (or so it seems)—cocktails have gone local, and seasonal, too.

The American Cocktail: 50 Recipes that Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast was written by the editors of Imbibe Magazine. Imbibe is a glossy mag that covers beverages of all sorts: Wine, spirits, beer, coffee, tea. It's a periodical that has managed to thrive in tough times by reporting on the particular joy that come from being a beverage geek. Thus, it's no surprise that Imbibe would choose to indulge our inner mixologist by giving us a regional take on the cocktail movement.

The book offers fifty recipes for revamped signature drinks from five regions of the United States (the South, Northeast, Midwest, West, and West Coast). Recipes were shared by bartenders from each region, and often feature ingredients that are locally made. The Stumptown Vanilla Flip hails from Seattle's Liberty Bar and features ½ ounce of freshly brewed (ideally Stumptown) espresso; a Mint Apple Crisp from New York's PDT features Hart of Hudson apple vodka and a fanned apple slice garnish.

I was particularly taken with the section focused on the non-coastal western states, an area that has yet to be recognized on the national level for its varied and interesting food culture. I'm partial to that swath of the map (born and bred in Utah), and I loved that the drinks in this section used native ingredients (like cactus, jalapeno, agave, and sage) to create sips that evoked the landscape. My only wish? That more of the cocktails were updated versions of historic favorites instead of simply being inspired by regional nuance.

The Seasonal Cocktail Companion: 100 Recipes & Projects for 4 Seasons of Drinking by Maggie Savarino is a charming book. It's small enough to fit in your bag, and if you just glanced at the cover, you might think the inside contained instructions for how to make the perfect breakfast scone or embellish an apron with colorful thread. But this book offers instructions of another sort, a season-by-season toolkit for stocking your bar straight from your local farmer's market.

The idea is a good one: locavores plan meals according to what's fresh in the market; cocktails should be similarly inspired. Unfortunately, the book left me a bit overwhelmed. There are few photos in this book, so when it came time to flip through the pages and choose a drink, I was left to navigate through the seasons, read the lengthy headnotes, and hope my fridge and bar was appropriately stocked.

Ultimately, I haven't made anything yet from The Seasonal Cocktail Companion, though I did spend an entire afternoon thinking about making my own sugar cubes. (Savarino swears it isn't too hard!). The strong DIY focus to this book makes me wonder if crafty, garden-growing mixologists are the intended audience for this book. There are recipes for boozy infusions, artisan bitters, syrups, salts, sugars, and seasonal garnishes. For the rest of us—those without an herb garden or hours to spend concocting small batch grenadine—there's little hope for instant gratification. I garnished my evening Jack Rose with a floating sage leaf, but somehow I don't think that's what Savarino had in mind.

About the author: Anne Zimmerman is a writer in San Francisco Her first book, An Extravagant Hunger: The Passionate Years of M.F.K. Fisher, was published in March 2011. You can read more about her work here or here. Follow her on Twitter at @poeticappetite.

Editor's note: Say hello to Lauren! She just started as an intern here at SEHQ, and is already doing a very swell job. Let's get to know her better, shall we? —The Mgmt.

Name: Lauren Rothman Location: Brooklyn, NY Occupation: Freelance catering chef Website/Twitter: in-good-taste.blogspot.com / @Lochina186 Guilty pleasures? Super dark chocolate; tacos of every stripe; duck fat for roasting vegetables.

Describe your perfect meal. Spicy and "ethnic" is where it's at for me. Maybe mapo dofu eaten at a hole-in-the-wall in Chengdu? It's something to aspire to, at least.

What food won't you eat? It pains me to say this, but raw oysters. I last tried them in 2011 and they're still a no-go for me.

Favorite food person? Lidia Bastianich. She's the Italian grandmother I never had.

When did you first realize you were a serious eater? At about the age of five, when my mom failed to wake me up in time to breakfast on a batch of her from-scratch pancakes. I cried for half an hour.

What do your family and friends think of your food obsessions? They totally get it. I've surrounded myself with a well-curated group of fellow obsessives.

Favorite food sites or blogs? Orangette, Smitten Kitchen and the Wednesday Chef remain the holy trifecta for me. All three authors create food that I like to cook and eat, and the act of sharing those meals with family and friends seem as important to them as it is to me.

Everyone has a go-to person they call for restaurant recommendations. Who's yours? My older brother. A lawyer with a somewhat more flexible budget than my own, he can always be counted on for solid dining leads.

What is your favorite meal of the day and where do you get it? Definitely dinner. I get it in my own kitchen, or more rarely in far-flung, cheap restaurants situated in neighborhoods like Sunset Park and Flushing.

Do you ever cook? What's the best dish you make? I cook every day. I'm good at "kitchen sink" recipes that use a lot of ingredients, yet still manage to come together as a unified whole. Check one out here!

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Note: For the four weeks between January 14th and February 11th, I'm adopting a completely vegan lifestyle. Every weekday I'll be updating my progress with a diary entry and a recipe. For past posts, check here!

Back in 2007, Mark Bittman wrote what I thought was one of the more brilliant columns of The Minimalist in The New York Times. Every good Italian cook knows that a bowl of pasta is mainly about the pasta; the sauce is merely there to accent it. His simple idea? Who cares what Italian tradition says: reverse the ratios and make your dish focus on the sauce and vegetables, using pasta as a tasty, textural accent, not the centerpiece of the recipe.

It's a really good idea for anyone—even omnivores—but as a vegan, I've found it to be a total life-saver when planning meals. Could that Pasta with Braised Broccoli and Tomato I made last week be better as Braised Broccoli and Tomatoes with Pasta? Indeed it is, from both a health, and flavor perspective (let's face it: we all love pasta sauce).

The other day, I stir-fried some chow fun noodles in the office and served them with a bit of scallions and a black bean sauce. As I was eating, I thought to myself: why not apply Bittman's trick to other cuisines?

Once I'd broken that psychological barrier, I found myself experimenting. A mapo tofu inspired dish of simmered soft tofu with chilis and flowering chives should have been served daintily scooped along with a big bowl of white rice to dilute its intense flavor. Instead, I decided to tone down the flavor a bit, add some extra tofu and vegetables, and serve it with just a tiny bit of rice on the side.

Dry-fried chow fun is one of my favorite foods in the world (exhibit a) but at its core, it's essentially a huge pile of refined carbs with not much nutritional value to offer. As a meat eater, that's fine. I've got meat as a concentrated source of protein, and perhaps a pile of steamed dark green vegetables on the side. As a vegan, I need to pack more fresh vegetables into my meals if I want to make sure to stay healthy.

The solution? Cut way back on the noodles and add a whole slew of vegetables. That's exactly what I did here. Instead of noodles, the base of the dish is stir-fried bok choy (cooked in a super-heated cast iron wok to get some nice, smoky wok hei into it) along with flowering chives, Chinese chives, and leeks in a savory fermented black bean and soy-based sauce. The noodles are still great—perfect for adding a bit of textural and flavor contrast—but now their ratio is more akin to the marshmallows in the Rice Krispies.

I know that I'm going to be playing around with this method a lot more in days to come, and I'd encourage anyone who cooks a carb-with-sauce based meal to try it out. You may find it to be surprisingly delicious.

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Vegan: Bok Choy with Chives, Black Bean Sauce, and Chow Fun »

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Time to beef up my arsenal of party foods with only week until the ultimate snacking fest—the Superbowl. What to add to a deep line-up of wings, taters, and nachos was a challenge, but it was about time to come up with an alternative to frozen meatballs.

This started with a mixture of fatty ground pork and beef seasoned with sauteed onions, garlic, and chili powder, which was rolled out into meatballs. They then get a sprinkle of barbecue rub and are grilled until well -seared over the hot side of a two-zone indirect fire with a little smoking wood added.

The second phase of cooking involved transferring the meatballs to an aluminum pan, tossing them in barbecue sauce, then back on the grill to finish cooking and let the sauce bake in.

These are some awesomely flavored meatballs. They have everything I was looking for: a slight smokiness, a big meatiness, and an unmistakable barbecue flavor from the rub/sauce combo.

Just don't do like me and make these late in the game after having one too many drinks where you might lose track of time, since, unlike a pork butt going low-and-slow, these will dry out. Pull them off right when they're done, and you'll be in meatball heaven.

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Barbecue Meatballs >>

About the author: Joshua Bousel brings you new, tasty condiment each Wednesday and a recipe for weekend grilling every Friday. He also writes about grilling and barbecue on his blog The Meatwave whenever he can be pulled away from his grill.

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From Drinks

[Photograph: Liam Boylan]

Before I knew anything about liquor, I thought all rum was alike and used the Captain whenever a recipe called for rum. Even though I quickly figured out my mistake, I held a grudge against spiced rum and remembered it as "that gross stuff." Then, one freezing night, I was out of whiskey and desperate for a hot toddy. I had a dusty bottle of spiced rum leftover from the bad old days and figured, what the heck, it's better than going outside...

I was pleasantly surprised by a wintery spice mix that made me think of mulled cider. This inspired me to try spiced rum with apples and ginger, then Tiki drinks and desserts. It pairs well with lime for summer drinks, but I'll always think of it as my winter friend—a little spiced rum adds a rich and complex new layer to coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

What's Available to Buy

Despite its bad rap as frat-party booze, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum is actually a decent choice. It's not the most nuanced spirit, with vanilla dominating over other flavors, but it's good for mixing and costs less than $20. (I don't think Captain Morgan Private Stock is different enough to warrant the extra $10.)

Sailor Jerry is a little spicier than the Captain but has the same general flavor profile and price. Though they're the easiest to find, these two sea-faring men aren't the only affordable spiced rums available. Seven Tiki and Cruzan 9 are in the same price range, and both have a classic spiced rum taste with a more dry and spicy finish.

For a little bit more, The Kraken has a deeper and darker molasses taste accented with coffee, ginger, and chocolate flavors—plus gorgeous sea monster label art and a fun jug-shaped bottle. St Lucia Distillers' Chairman's Reserve is a richer and more aged choice, with a focus on orange and spice flavors for a few bucks more than the Kraken. For something really different (and a little harder to find) in the $30 range, Old New Orleans Cajun Spice includes cayenne for a tasty kick.

Why DIY?

If you like spiced rum at all, then making your own is pretty much mandatory—it's super quick and easy to make. All the spices are common grocery-store finds you probably have in the cupboard already. Since you just need a pinch of this and a couple of that, the only significant cost is the rum. You'll end up with a more elaborate and rich mix of spices than you'll find in the store-bought kinds. And though you have the option of playing around with your favorite pricey rum, the spices are so pronounced that you probably shouldn't waste a high-end bottle. Start with a fairly inexpensive light rum that you like—whatever you'd normally use for, say, mojitos. Once you're confident in your spice mix, you can move up to an aged rum for a bit more flavor.

Commercial spiced rums aren't usually expensive, so saving a buck or three isn't the reason to do it yourself. But many brands use spices to cover up inferior rum, or they just veer toward way-too-sweet. At home, you can create a more elegant and bold spiced rum and sweeten only as much as you like. Experimenting with flavors and honing your recipe is pretty simple—taste daily and if a flavor is too dominant, remove that ingredient and keep steeping the rest. Ginger has a tendency to take over, which is why I take it out early. You might end up loving the heat and leaving ginger in longer, so testing as you go is important.

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DIY Spiced Rum »

Use It!

Don't let anyone tell you there's anything wrong with drinking a rum and Coke now and then. Spiced rum gives it a nice little extra something, and I like to add in some lime—Cuba Libre style.

Homemade spiced rum is also really good in another well-known rum highball, the Dark 'n' Stormy. You can try substituting club soda and several dashes of orange or Angostura bitters for the ginger beer to make a lighter drink.

For a fancy-tasting warm drink, try the Bitter Pumpkin, which mixes spiced and bitter flavors with a little hot dark cocoa. Of course, spiced rum is perfect for dessert, too. So go nuts and add it to a pecan pie, drizzled over cake, or mixed into caramel sauce.

About the Author: Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY Cocktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks. She also shares cocktail recipes and tips on the DIY Cocktails blog and on Twitter @DIYCocktails.

[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Note: For the four weeks between January 14th and February 11th, I'm adopting a completely vegan lifestyle. Every weekday I'll be updating my progress with a diary entry and a recipe. For past posts, check here!

Day 12: Wednesday

Breakfast: None (per doctor's orders) Lunch: A half falafel sandwich with a ton of salad from Maoz Dinner: Smoked eggplant puree with an herb salad on bruschetta and crispy orechiette with scallions, olives, and grape tomatoes from Balaboosta

It finally happened. The first major downside I've discovered about being vegan. Here's how it went down.

A couple nights ago, I realized we were running short of leftovers in my fridge. Eh, I thought, no big deal, I'll grab a sandwich from Maoz for lunch, I have a dinner appointment already at Balaboosta. I'll just cook a few things tomorrow and we'll be fine for the rest of the week.

Yesterday morning I gave a quart of coconut-lentil soup to my mom for her and my grandfather to eat for dinner, as promised. My wife took the last of the leftover stir-fried bok choy and chow fun for lunch, which completely depleted my fridge of everything save raw ingredients. After a long day of various doctor's visits (myself, my mom, and my dog, all on the same day) and meeting after ever-so-interesting meeting, I finally got home around 10:30 pm, completely exhausted. My wife had eaten an omelet for dinner last night.

Too tired to bother cooking food for the next day, I resolved myself to another couple meals of eating out. What I didn't count on was having a second crazy-day in a row. After having a slice of toast and some avocado for breakfast, I was so swamped all morning that I didn't realize until 2:20 in the afternoon that I hadn't eaten all day. With another meeting starting at 2:30, I had mere moments to figure out some way to fill my belly.

I ran around the corner to Golden Steamer thinking I'd order a steamed pumpkin bun before I realized that while Chinese bao dough is often made with shortening, it can also be made with lard. So which does Golden Steamer use? Either the nice lady who runs the place doesn't know, or more likely, she didn't understand my question or why I'd even care.

With minutes to go and another long, dark meeting ahead of me, I did the unthinkable: I pulled out a pre-fab frozen vegan pizza from the fridge, tossed it in the toaster oven, and—gulp—ate it.

The product was kindly sent by the producer as a sample after they read about my Vegan Experience, so I don't want to name brands here, but judging by the various reviews I've seen on vegan blogs online, these pies are in the upper echelon of the frozen vegan pizza pile.

I gave Robyn a bite. Here's what she thought:

They were miserable. Truly and utterly terrible, tasting of nothing but dried oregano, tomato paste, and tears. A crust with the texture of, as Erin put it, dense mashed potatoes, combined with a completely non-existent hole structure (did I mention it was gluten free as well?)

In place of cheese was some sort of white product (again doused with dried oregano) that browned fine but completely failed to melt. It was everything pizza is not supposed to be, and everything that I hate about faux products. As a professional pizza enthusiast, I'm ashamed to admit that I finished it off—that's how hungry I was. All that it left me with was a full stomach and a deep, dark, sense of shame.

I came up with all kinds of excuses in my own head. But I was hungry! Or it looks like pizza, and all pizza has some redeeming characterstics, right? But the fact of the matter was this: I'd been lazy, I'd planned badly, and this is the price I had to pay for it.

Now I know some people really do like the taste of vegan pizzas, tofu dogs, and the like If you're into frozen vegan pizza, yo'd probably love these ones. I have no (faux) beef with you. Taste is, after all, a matter of opinion. At the same time, I know that there are others amongst the vegan/vegetarian crew that are with me here: faux products have no reason to exist.

In some ways, this experience can be seen as one of the truly negative sides of veganism. As an omnivore, you can find any number of tasty fast foods and snacks no matter where you are (though of course, tasty is not the same thing as healthy or good). As a vegan, your options are severely limited—you're bound to end up eating something like this frozen fake pizza at some point in your diet. That kind of stinks.

But I see a good side to this: I can guarantee you that I'm never going to be lazy about cooking or planning my meals again. Too tired at 10:30 p.m.? Too bad. Better to do a bit of extra work when you're tired and earn your lunch. I think any incentive to get you into the kitchen and cooking or to get you to give your lunch more thought and make better choices is a good one. It's a lesson I can take even after I return to omnivorism.

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

[Photographs: Carrie Vasios]

It may seem counter-intuitive, but in the middle of snowy weather the best places to look for menu inspiration are those that don't really get winter at all. Take Morocco. The geography of this country is a hybrid of dazzling coasts and arid deserts. As a result, Moroccan cooks know how to make the most of limited produce as well as how to cook up some awesome seafood.

Moroccan meals can start with over a dozen small salads, but for convenience this menu starts with two. They'll whet your guests appetites for the second course, which should be served alongside a large bowl of fluffy couscous. A pitcher of mint tea is my beverage of choice.

So invite some friends over and give your lasagna pans and slow cookers a rest. A well stocked spice rack is the only tool you'll need.

Blood Orange and Cured Black Olive Salad

The first small salad in this menu gets things going with a range of flavors. Briny, wrinkly, cured black olives are salty with a slick of oil, while blood oranges liven your tongue with acid and a hint of sweetness. These two main components are tied together with a spiced dressing that includes cumin, sweet paprika, and just enough cayenne to start your lips buzzing.

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Beet Salad with Cinnamon

Moroccan cuisine often incorporates sweet or earthy flavors into otherwise savory courses. Here, roasted beets develop an almost candy-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with ground cinnamon. The dish is balanced by a good dose of lemon juice and salt, and tied together with fruity olive oil.

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Grilled Colossal Shrimp with Charmoula

Charmoula is a popular Moroccan sauce that can be used on everything from fish to vegetables. Coriander and cumin are the leaders of the spice mix, and cayenne and paprika add a little heat. The spices are ground with garlic, which adds bite, and brightened with freshly squeezed lemon juice. When blended with olive oil, the resulting spiced dressing has a pesto-like texture and can similarly be used to give any dish a strong pop of flavor.

Charmoula makes a great topping for seafood, and that includes these colossal shrimp. Boy, did these bad boys live up to their name—they weighed in at just 10 to the pound, making them by far the meatiest shrimp I've ever had. That also means they are perfect for the grill; the outsides get lightly crispy while the insides stay moist and succulent.

Make sure to serve these skewers with couscous. The small grains of semolina pasta will cut the heat from the spices as well as soak up any leftover sauce.

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About the author: Carrie Vasios is the Community Manager of Serious Eats and writes the Wake and Bake, Cookie Monster, and Serious Entertaining columns. She likes perusing her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar.

[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]

In the dead of winter, I can feel just that: dead. I let myself eat macaroni and cheese and carrot cake with wild abandon, and though comfort food may feed the soul, it doesn't do much for the body. Sunday night, after a weekend filled with steak and ale pies and bourbon, it was time to reboot.

A velouté is normally a thick sauce, or by association, soup. In French the name means "velvety," describing its thick, creamy, and soft but substantial texture. I find if you simmer sweet shallots, asparagus, and basil in just enough vegetable broth for two and then whiz it up in a blender, you get that same velvety texture that you'll find in much heavier, creamy, decadent soups, with a lot more vitamins and much fewer calories. I add a couple of spoonfuls of crème fraîche for tang and a little more body, but you could go without if you're deeply virtuous.

I may have missed the start of the year to be good, but there's always the start of the week.

About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.