Cuisine at home January/February 2021

As you know, we release our magazine well before the date on the cover, so as I'm writing this, things in the world still seem off-kilter. However, I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that never before have we all wanted to turn the page on the calendar, from one year to the next, as we have this year. While 2020 has been a year like none other, there were aspects that many of us embraced. The return to the kitchen and project cooking, along with having family meals at the table every night, was a highlight for many, including us. Our hope is that we played some small part, by sharing ideas and inspiration that fueled your kitchen endeavors and family dinners. And now that…

THE BUZZ | WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATE DESSERT? Are you a milk chocolate fan or do you go crazy for anything dark chocolate? Here, we have one weakness — you guessed it — chocolate. We're sharing our fave chocolate desserts, but we want to know if you, too, have an overactive sweet tooth for chocolate. Share your story with us on Facebook or Instagram by using #gaga4chocolate, and don’t forget to tag us @cuisineathome. OUR CHOCOLATE FAVES My favorite chocolate dessert is our Chocolate Cheesecake. It’s easy to make, tasty, and always turns out perfectly. It was also a favorite of my friend, Doug. I would make this cheesecake for his birthday or whenever he requested it. So now whenever I make this cheesecake, I always remember Doug and how much he enjoyed…

I've always had trouble cutting cheesecake because it clings to the knife. The last time I made one I wondered — dental floss works great for slicing cinnamon roll dough; maybe it would work for cheesecake? It does! Just lay the floss across the cheesecake where you want to cut, pull it tightly down through the crust, then pull the floss to one side. You get a perfectly smooth cut every time, and there's no more messy knife to clean up. MARY KENNON BELLE FOURCHE, SD WINNING TIMESAVERS PEAKS & VALLEYS I enjoy glazed pork cutlets, but not the sticky pan and rack cleanup. My alternative: just crumple a sheet of aluminum foil then open it and place it on a baking sheet. The many peaks hold up the cutlets, and the valleys collect…

The Coffee Cherry Company is turning what used to be a by-product into a resource. Coffee beans are the seeds inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. And coffee cherries are the pulped skins of the seeds that are collected after they’ve been removed from the cherries. The pulped skins are sun-dried and packaged (sort of like loose tea) and provide fiber and antioxidants, plus more nutritional benefits. The Coffee Cherry Company produces a fine or coarse grind. You can brew it hot or cold or even add it to baked goods. Coffeecherryco.com COLORFUL COOKERY Asha Gomez takes inspiration from the colorful world of food. Focusing on cross-cultural flavors, rainbows of vegetables, gem-toned desserts, and spice-forward twists, as chef David Chang said, Asha has been his personal…

WINTER IS CITRUS SEASON. And, this year we’re showcasing the ruby of the citrus group — grapefruit. Grapefruit may not look like grapes, but they’re similar in how they grow, on trees in clusters, which aided in how they got their name. This superfruit comes in three varieties: white, pink/red, and ruby red. The sweetest and juiciest fruit comes from Florida and Texas, December through June. And, grapefruit is roughly 92 percent water, so keep that in mind when you’re trying new ways to stay hydrated, and when you’re purchasing grapefruit. Choose the one that feels heavier when compared to like-size grapefruit; it means it’s juicer. These three recipes really play up on the fruit’s sweet and tart flavor, but feel free to choose whichever variety you prefer. The Sautéed Cod with…

LONG AGO, PREPARING SUPPER and trying to cook a “balanced” diet for the family, typically fell to the wife. Mentally and physically it was as though she was that circus clown keeping so many plates spinning atop thin dowels. Now, instead of making balanced meals on spinning plates, it’s our families dizzying schedules that are spinning on unbalanced meals. But Instant Pot multi-cooker meals can help restore the equilibrium — they’re made quickly and keep the family gathered around the table at the same time. Three one-pot meals are featured here. And at least one of them should appeal to the multicultural and generational influences of today’s palates. The first is a vegetarian mac ‘n cheese that is as creamy as it cheesy. Then, ironically rising above the hoi polloi, there is…