Let Carbs Be Carbs
We Americans do an interesting, but not unpredictable thing, when we prepare some of the great European dishes based on carbohydrates: we smother them with proteins.
Take paella, for example. In Valencia, Spain, home of paella, it is the rice they worship. The mark of a good paella there is the texture of the rice, its browned flavor, how it picks up intensity from the liquid in which it is cooked. On this side of the pond, many restaurants serve paellas that are protein bombs… as if they’re asking you to judge the dish by how many types of crustacean get piled on top! Never mind that the lobster (along with the other critters) is usually overcooked and inferior. But in focusing on the “topping,” American chefs have by and large failed to grapple with the proper rice-making techniques.
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Jul 30.10 /
Hot Topics / by
Claire
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta Recipe
By Tracey Ceurvels, contributing writer
“Vanilla or chocolate?” People have their (strong) preferences. “But why not both?” I ask. Yet still, I have a penchant for vanilla. Its delicate, pure, aromatic flavor is just the perfect enhancement for the many desserts I like to make, including ice cream, cakes, cookies and panna cotta. And while I used to slice open vanilla pods and scoop out the seeds within, I recently came across a product that offers the next best thing and is much easier to cope with: Neilsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste (available at Dean & DeLuca markets).
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Jul 29.10 /
Recipes: Sweet / by
Claire
Buying and Storing Olive Oil
By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
Our olive oils have been getting a lot of attention from the press lately. The May 2010 issue of SAVEUR featured our L’Estornell and Les Terroirs de Marrakech oils in its “The World’s 11 Best Olive Oils” story. The July 2010 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine praised 3 of our olive oils (our Antico Frantoio Muraglia ‘Intenso’ EVOO and again our L’Estornell and Les Terroirs de Marrakech oils); and our colorful ‘Intenso’ EVOO got Oprah’s endorsement and made her O List.
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Jul 28.10 /
How To, Recipes: Savory / by
Claire
Thai Sticky Rice with Mango
By John Barton, General Operations Manager for Dean & DeLuca Far East
One of the lessons I have learned on my travels is that some of the best food I have tasted is prepared simply and with the simplest ingredients. I believe food is at its best when it is not overpowered by as series of flavors fighting for attention.
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Jul 27.10 /
Recipes: Sweet / by
Claire
The Luxist Awards
Back in November, Dean & DeLuca won the Luxist Readers’ Choice Award for Best Online Gourmet Food. Luxist, the luxury goods and fine living Web site, just recently announced that we’re nominated for two more Readers’ Choice Awards: one for Best Online Seafood and one for Best Gourmet Sauces. The voting period runs through the end of July, and the “best of breed” winners will be announced August 1st. We hope you’ll vote for us.
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Jul 26.10 /
Hot Topics / by
Claire
Sweet and Salty
Jeez Louise. They’re serving a burger in Astoria, Queens that comes on a bun made from… a doughnut.
I’m really concerned.
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Jul 26.10 /
Hot Topics / by
Claire
