Picnic Recipes posts
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[From One Little Bite]
Summer Feast: Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp on the Grill
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Vacation Cooking: Pasta with Clams
When it comes to vacations with the kids, there are two kinds of parents--the kind that refuses to cook a single meal (it's vacation!) and the kind that embraces the extra time to explore the local cuisine and cook up a storm every night (it's vacation!). If you are the second kind (and most of us at Cookie are), check in with OLB this week so you can get some ideas for your late-August getaway. I got this recipe for pasta with clams from a New York Times interview with Tom Colicchio about picky eating with kids. I love the way Colicchio gave the recipe almost Twitter style--"I can go out and buy clams and some shallots and garlic, chop it up, put some wine in it, olive oil. Let the clams steam open, add chopped up tomatoes and mustard greens and toss with pasta. That is going to take me 20 minutes. It's a great simple pasta dish. It's that easy. Anybody can do it if they want to. It just takes practice."
[From One Little Bite]
The Perfect Summer Sauce ... or Soup
A week ago I had lunch with some friends at Bar Pitti, one of my all-time-favorite restaurants in New York City. It was hot, so we sat outside and ordered the cold special of the day: vitello asparagi, a thin slice of braised veal leg served at room temperature under a thick blanket of bright green, chilled asparagus sauce. The sauce was so delicious--rich and creamy yet light and not at all cloying, it tasted strongly of fresh asparagus without an overpowering vegetable flavor--we lapped up every last bit, and I had fantasies of eating it with a spoon. What was the secret? We guessed heavy cream or butter. The proprietor assured me it was nothing so nefarious; asparagus, olive oil, mustard, and salt were the sole ingredients, he promised. I've since made it several times and can assure you not only that this is true, but also that the sauce is equally delicious on grilled or baked fish. It's also ridiculously easy to prepare and would lend itself brilliantly to soup. See the recipe after the jump.
Continue reading The Perfect Summer Sauce ... or Soup »
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Coming Soon: 30 Days, 30 Lunch Ideas
Coming up in August, One Little Bite brings you "30 Days, 30 Lunch Ideas," with recipes, packing tips, and snack suggestions to get you prepped for the new school year. Here, tips on tasty sandwiches that won't go soggy by cafeteria time.
A pressed sandwich should be juicy, not soggy, which is why it's best to use oil-based ingredients (olive spreads, vegetables in oil marinades) and not vinegar-based or watery ingredients (avoid horseradish, pickles, and freshly cut tomatoes). This trio of recipes includes stateside riffs on Mediterranean favorites that pack in the protein, calcium, and vitamin C.
Check out recipes after the jump.
Continue reading Coming Soon: 30 Days, 30 Lunch Ideas »
A pressed sandwich should be juicy, not soggy, which is why it's best to use oil-based ingredients (olive spreads, vegetables in oil marinades) and not vinegar-based or watery ingredients (avoid horseradish, pickles, and freshly cut tomatoes). This trio of recipes includes stateside riffs on Mediterranean favorites that pack in the protein, calcium, and vitamin C.
Check out recipes after the jump.
[From One Little Bite]
Potato Salad for the MayoPhobe
I've always been squeamish about mayonnaise. Actually, squeamish is putting it mildly. I am terrified of mayonnaise. Because of that, summer barbecues have made me anxious, what with all the cole slaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad. Then I stumbled upon this recipe for potato and scallion salad in The Antipasto Table. Not a drop of mayo in sight. Perfect. Here's how it's done: Boil 2 pounds of peeled new potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool them until you can handle them. Chop them into medium-size chunks. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with 1/2 cup of chopped scallions, 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. You're done. Guess what I'm bringing to barbecues from now on?
[From One Little Bite]
Supersimple Cooking for a Crowd
If there is one thing that my family knows how to do, it's cook for a big crowd (I've got 26 cousins and 18 aunts and uncles). This past holiday weekend, 35 of us headed to our small family farm in southern Wisconsin. When it came time to make a lunch that would feed us all, we turned to our classic, Crock-Pot favorite: barbecued beef.
This recipe is as easy as it gets. The night before, sear a few 3-to-4-pound roasts in a hot pan until they are brown and crusty. Since we raise delcious all-natural beef cows (my uncle would like you to know that we ship across the country), we use a chuck roast for this, but you could also use pork shoulder. For our family, we made four large roasts in two Crock-Pots, but you can adjust based on the size of your crowd. Place two seared roasts in each Crock-Pot. Cover them with a bottle of barbecue sauce, such as Sweet Baby Ray's Original Sauce. Put on the lid, set the pots to low and leave them for ten hours or so. The result is flavorful, fork-tender meat. Shred the meat and serve it on a lightly warmed bun topped with simple coleslaw and a side of potato chips. The best thing about this is that you can keep it warming on the counter all day. We've made a habit of swooping in as we get hungry throughout the day for a sandwich. Trust me, it is amazing.
This recipe is as easy as it gets. The night before, sear a few 3-to-4-pound roasts in a hot pan until they are brown and crusty. Since we raise delcious all-natural beef cows (my uncle would like you to know that we ship across the country), we use a chuck roast for this, but you could also use pork shoulder. For our family, we made four large roasts in two Crock-Pots, but you can adjust based on the size of your crowd. Place two seared roasts in each Crock-Pot. Cover them with a bottle of barbecue sauce, such as Sweet Baby Ray's Original Sauce. Put on the lid, set the pots to low and leave them for ten hours or so. The result is flavorful, fork-tender meat. Shred the meat and serve it on a lightly warmed bun topped with simple coleslaw and a side of potato chips. The best thing about this is that you can keep it warming on the counter all day. We've made a habit of swooping in as we get hungry throughout the day for a sandwich. Trust me, it is amazing.
[From One Little Bite]
Picnic Pick: Fried Chicken
We met some friends for a picnic-playdate in the park last weekend. What better occasion than that to bring homemade (cold) fried chicken? I opened my copy of The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook and found two recipes for fried chicken: Craig Clairborne's and Mark Bittman's. Although I liked that Bittman's was baked in the oven (less mess!), I decided to go with Claiborne's because of its simplicity. I made a few changes (buttermilk for the regular milk and cumin instead of Tabasco). I wasn't disappointed.
I soaked the pieces in buttermilk for an hour and then fried them up to a crispy goodness the night before. It was a big success with the kids and the grown-ups! Click below for the recipe.Continue reading Picnic Pick: Fried Chicken »
[From One Little Bite]
Picnic Pick: Rhubarb Daiquiris
In honor of Father's Day, we asked some of our favorite food bloggers to recommend a recipe for an outdoor picnic. Since no summertime meal is complete without a special adults-only beverage to wash it all down, we we're thrilled when our friend Aimée Bourque sent us her rhubarb rosemary daiquiri recipe. Click here to see all of our picnic picks!
"Thank goodness rhubarb has evolved from its humble beginnings of being dipped in sugar and munched enthusiastically by carefree youngsters; it's now quite a classy fruit in its own way and one of my favorites. This summer I'm enjoying its sharp tang and subtle flavor in the form of beverages; juicing it to mix with fresh lemonade, adding it to brewed iced tea and shaking it up with rum for a memorable daiquiri. My family and I are about the most spontaneous picnic planners I know, dropping everything at a moments notice to enjoy a meal alfresco. This drink is perfect for us because we can make a batch of the base and keep it in the fridge for a few days while we wait for ideal picnic weather. The rhubarb base without the rum makes a wonderful, refreshing drink, or you can shake it up with tequila for a twist on a margarita. Cheers!"
--Aimée Bourque, Under the High Chair
Recipe after the jump!
Continue reading Picnic Pick: Rhubarb Daiquiris »
[From One Little Bite]
Picnic Pick: Pineapple Macadamia Upside-Down Bars
In honor of Father's Day, we asked some of our favorite food bloggers to recommend a recipe for an outdoor picnic. When Sara Kate from the amazing Kitchn sent us her recipe for pineapple macadamia upside-down bars, we were thrilled! They sound like the perfect thing to round out a picnic. Click here to see the other picnic picks that have been posted this past week.
"I'm not usually one to buy a whole pineapple--where I live,
pineapples are not exactly in season at the moment--but when I was
writing
--Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, The Kitchn
Recipe after the jump!
One Little Bite Continues
