Cuisine at home Mar/Apr 2018

Spring — the season of renewal — when the season’s produce is just starting to make its way into the stores, we’re paying homage to the king of spring vegetables — asparagus. In 1 Ingredient 4 Ways there are four delicious recipes, plus we show you tips on roasting and blanching so you can be sure this spring staple takes center stage every time. Speaking of roasting, check out the Sheet Pan Dinners article beginning on page 28. Where roasting everything on a single baking sheet really brings out the flavor. And it couldn’t be easier. Roasting also plays a big part in making the leg of lamb in the Easter menu starting on page 32. But don’t bypass the equally delicious side dishes. (The Mashed Potato Au Gratin was a major…

Egg-cellent We like hard-cooked eggs at our house, but sometimes they get mixed up with the fresh eggs. We’ve come up with a fun and colorful way to fix that problem. After cooking and cooling the eggs we give them to the little ones, along with crayons, and let the decorating begin. No more guessing which eggs are cooked at our house. Bill Rigdon, Kansas City, MO SHELL GAME Getting a bit of egg shell out of a bowl with a cracked egg can be tricky, but I’ve found an easy way to handle this. First I wet my finger with water, then I simply go after the elusive shell. It sticks to my finger and I pull it right out. Mary Beisser, South River, NJ BATTER-UP Filling a tube or Bundt pan with batter can be…

STAND TALL To keep asparagus fresh several days, cut off the ends and stand them upright (unwashed) in a container. Add an inch of cold water, cover with a plastic bag, then refrigerate. Refresh the water as needed. BERRY NICE To extend the life of fragile fresh berries, first remove them from their package and sort them, discarding any past their prime, then rinse gently. Place paper towels in the bottom of a plastic container and space berries in a single layer on the paper towels, stem side down. Cover container and refrigerate. Berries will stay fresher longer. FISH BEDS A combination of chopped onion, celery, and parsley makes a great bed to bake fish. Not only does this make the fish more flavorful, it also keeps the fish above the cooking surface — no…

Q: Why do some recipes recommend beating egg whites in a copper bowl?— Terry Daley, Troy, NY Answer: Many chefs prefer to use unlined copper bowls to beat egg whites. That’s because there’s actually a chemical reaction that takes place between the copper and the egg whites that produces a fluffier, more stable meringue. But not everyone has a copper bowl at home, or the budget to buy one. That’s why you often see an acidic ingredient added to egg whites — such as cream of tartar, or lemon juice, or both — it stabilizes the egg whites in the same manner copper does. In which case, beating them in a glass or a stainless steel bowl works just fine, but not a plastic one. The reason for this is due to the…

A spring favorite, especially in Europe, white asparagus is simply green asparagus that’s been grown without any light. In fact, the stalks are basically buried under a thick layer of dirt or black plastic. That means the stalks don’t undergo photosynthesis, and thus don’t produce chlorophyll. If you remember from your grade school science class, sunlight is necessary for plants to produce chlorophyll, and it’s what makes plants green. Thus, without any light, the asparagus stays white. The growing method employed for white asparagus is somewhat complicated and labor intensive, making white asparagus more expensive to grow, and therefore to buy. Its flavor is less grassy, slightly milder, and sweeter than green asparagus. When preparing white asparagus, the bottom two-thirds of each spear must be peeled as they tend to have thick and…

Beef Chow Fun with broccolini If you can’t find broccolini, broccoli florets will work just fine, but you’ll likely want to blanch them one-to-two minutes more. Makes 4 servings (about 6 cups) Total time: 45 minutes FOR THE SAUCE, WHISK: 1/2 cupeach dry sherry and low-sodium soy sauce1/4 cup oyster sauce3 Tbsp. brown sugar1 Tbsp. cornstarch1 tsp. toasted sesame oil FOR THE STIR-FRY, TOSS: 12 oz. thinly sliced flank steak BLANCH: 1 bunch broccolini (about 5 oz.), trimmed8 oz. wide rice noodles1 tsp. toasted sesame oil HEAT: 2 Tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil1/3 cup minced scallion whites and light greens1 Tbsp. each minced fresh garlic and ginger2 Tbsp. water2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts1 can sliced water chestnuts (8 oz.), drained1/2 cup thinly bias-sliced scallion greensToasted sesame seeds For the sauce, whisk together sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch,…