Meatless Meals for the Nine Days or Any Day

Meatless Meal for the Nine Days
or Any Day

Each year, in the midst of the “lazy, hazy” days of summer, Jews worldwide remember and pause some daily activities for a three week period. The final nine days of this three week period, which are the first nine days of the month of Av, are observed with even more intensive remembrances. During this period, Jews mourn both the loss of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem and exile from our holy land.

During this final nine day period most observant Jews do not participate in recreational summer activities such as swimming, concerts, weddings etc. Additionally, many refrain from eating meat and drinking wine except on Shabbos.

KosherEye presents 35 delicious meatless dishes to enjoy during the nine days or any day year round:

•  Baked French Toast with Praline Topping Topping
•  Beet and Fresh Pear Salad
•  Betty's Beet Borscht
•  Broiled Red Snapper w/Lemon–Asparagus
•  Burrito-less Rice and Cheese
•  California Avocado Mille Feuille Salad
•  Carrot Dill Soup
•  Cheese Blintz Casserole
•  Chickpea Fritters
•  Chobani Spinach Quiche
•  "Crabmeat" Quiche
•  Creamy Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup
•  Easy Eggplant Parmesan Casserole
•  Egg Frittata with Potatoes and Peppers
•  Eggplant and Potato Casserole
•  Herb Roasted Salmon
•  Herbed Tilapia in Lemon Butter Sauce
•  Huevo Rancheros
•  Ice Cream Cone Torte
•  Leah Adler's Pistachio Pasta
•  Linguini with Mushrooms
•  No–Boil Lasagna
•  Quinoa Tabouli Salad
•  Rigatoni Pasta Pie
•  Salmon Corn Cakes
•  Salmon with French's Fried Onions
•  Slow Cooker Cajun Gumbo with Rice
•  Spinach Pie
•  Strawberry Mango Salad
•  Sushi Salad
•  Tomato Cheese Casserole
•  Tuna Casserole
•  Tuna Quiche
•  Vegetable Frittata
•  Vegetarian Chili

Affordable Stand Mixers

Mix it up!  Two Affordable Stand Mixers 
Did you know that the #1 small appliance gift for newlyweds is a stand mixer? However, not all gifters or bridal couples can afford the ultra deluxe models, and not all cooks have the need for a luxury stand mixer. So we went on a search for affordable models that we think can step in. As we know, ideally, kosher homes actually need 2 appliances for everyday usage – one for dairy and one for meat. (And, possibly even a third one for Passover). Basic economics make it even more essential to find alternate budget priced mixers. We found 2 very appealing candidates.

Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer

The new powerful  Hamilton Beach 63392 stand mixer is a versatile appliance, effortlessly mixing and kneading dough, cake batters and whipping eggs. meringues and cream. The powerful 300-watt motor can handle the thickest of ingredients, including our homemade oatmeal raisin, pecan, chocolate chip cookies. We didn’t even have to scrape the bowl at the end. The unique planetary mixing action rotates the single oversized beater around the entire bowl, for even and complete mixing.
Seven speeds lets you go from a slow stir to a fast whirr, with simple and easy control of each one. Nonslip feet keep the mixer still while in use, and the detachable splatter shield prevents drops and spills and helps prevent “flying flour”. Attachments include a flat beater, dough hook and whisk. All attachments, as well as the stainless steel 4-quart mixing bowl, are dishwasher safe.

We are impressed! We found the Hamilton Beach stand mixer just as efficient, easy to use and stylish as our classic luxury artisan mixer. Even a seasoned baker will like this model. Since many kosher homes need two mixers, this would be a great choice. And yes, we love the price. We found it online for $99 — including free shipping. A second bowl can be ordered for $44. This is an affordable winner! This Hamilton Beach stand mixer can be purchased at stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, and online at Amazon.

Features:
• Superior mixing comparable to more expensive stand mixers 
• Complete bowl coverage 
• Powerful 300 watt motor 
• Includes flat beater, whisk, and dough hook 
• 4 quart capacity stainless steel bowl with handle
• Includes splatter shield 
• 7 speeds, • 14.5 lbs.

Dash Stand Mixer
On our search for affordable mixers, we came across the potable, lightweight Dash Everyday Stand Mixer which we found online for $39.99.

The Dash Mixer offers six preset speeds ranging from gentle mixing to high-speed whipping, and also includes dough hooks and a 3-quart stainless steel mixing bowl. The retro design, compact size and wide color range make this appliance quite stylish. It is easily portable, due to its lightweight. As one consumer wrote, “it is functional and cute” and a good buy. We recommend the Dash for small kitchens, college apartments, vacation homes, beginner cooks, and of course for Passover. The company does not yet offer an extra bowl for purchase.
Click HERE to see a Video of the Dash Stand Mixer in action!

Features & Benefits
• 3-quart capacity stainless steel mixing bowl
• 6 preset speeds range from low to high
• All non-electric parts are dishwasher safe.
• Portable-weighs less than 5 lbs. and fits neatly under cabinets 
• 250 Watts
• 1 year manufacturer warranty
• Compact footprint – contemporary color range includes white, yellow red, fuchsia, pink, mint green, copper, black, and aqua
  
The Dash may be purchased online and at retailers such as Target. 
To buy at Amazon, click on the photo below and select your favorite color: 
                                    

Lékué Microwave Corn Cooker

 
Lékué Microwave Corn Cooker (uncovered)

The Lékué microwave corn popper and the Lékué microwave rice cooker have become time saving, easy care, and indispensible kitchen helpers. We use both at least once weekly. So, when we had the opportunity to try the new Lékué Corn cooker, we were interested!

This little tool is another winner. We simply shucked and cleaned our corn on the cob, put 2 in the cooker, and placed the gadget in the microwave for 5 minutes. So simple, so delicious. The corn steamed itself. The built in corn holders made it quite easy to pick up the steamy hot corn, and allowed us to shake on the seasoning and butter while the corn was still too hot to touch.
Although summer is a perfect time for grilling corn, this microwave set from Lékué provides an even easier, faster way to enjoy corn on the cob. It cooks two ears of corn in just five minutes!

• Includes four knobs to flip corn for easily distributing butter or seasoning
• Steam outlet ensures crisp, fresh-tasting results
• Corn can be rotated using knobs to evenly add flavor
• Dishwasher safe for easy cleanup
• BPA-free
  
  

Click on the below photo the Copycat Kosher Recipe for Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

For more information, visit Lekueusa.com

If you are interested in purchasing the Corn Cooker tool, CLICK HERE: Lekue Microwave Corn Cooker/Corn Steamer. Easy & Fast Way To Cook Corn In The Microwave

Be A Vinegar Visionary

Be A Vinegar Visionary
We like good vinegar, and are delighted that we can now find several excellent brands and types that are OU kosher certified. Yes, vinegar requires kosher certification. 
In the KosherEye kitchen we primarily use six types of vinegar:

Apple Cider Vinegar- This is the sweetest in our vinegar collection. We find it the best addition to our slaws – broccoli, cabbage and vegetable slaw.
We recommend Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

Wine Vinegar – Both White and Red
We use wine vinegar in our salads - especially when we make Italian vinaigrette. Organic DeLaRosa (OU) is our favorite. It is even kosher for Passover. For convenience however, if you can’t find this brand, Heinz wine vinegar is also certified OU kosher.

Rice Vinegar – We use this in Asian salads, sushi and cooked rice. We consider it neutral vinegar – very much like neutral oil. and cannot really taste a difference in brands. Most supermarkets offer several kosher brands - and we purchase organic varieties when possible.

Malt Vinegar – We have had the same bottle of Heinz Malt vinegar for 3 years (hope it’s still good). We use it solely for fried fish- especially when we make fish and chips.

Distilled White Vinegar – We occasionally use this vinegar in Cole slaw, but most often for house cleaning chores. It works well on glass, wood floors and even cleaning produce. There are many kosher brands.We have included a recipe for using distilled vinegar as an ingredient in homemade vegetable wash.

Balsamic Vinegar is our newest vinegar passion…it is fun to use and adds a taste of both tartness and sweetness to foods. Through the recommendation of a friend and reader, we recently discovered Bakto Visionary vinegars. What a great find. We have been “playing” with Visionary Vinegar’s classic, strawberry and vanilla flavor. So what do we do with them? Everything and anything. Balsamic is a mild, slightly sweet vinegar. The classic balsamic flavor is a basic addition to dressings, sauces and salads. We particularly enjoyed adding it to our caramelized onion marmalade, (aka vegetarian schmaltz) roasted vegetables, and glazed salmon. As summer approaches, we will use balsamic over our Caprese salad (mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil). The flavored vinegars are delicious as a drizzle over fruit and ice cream, or in green salads especially in fruity salads, such as those containing mangos, dried berries, raisins or mandarins. Bakto is available in several flavors including Blood Orange, Chocolate, Classic, Passion fruit, Peach, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Vanilla. For more information, or to order Bakto online, Click HERE!

De La Rosa vinegars can also be ordered online – visit De La Rosa Vinegars to view their wide range of products including organic Italian and aged vinegars. And finally, We are still searching for a good kosher option for champagne vinegar. Anyone have suggestions?

KosherEye.com

Daphne Oz’ Recipe for Homemade Vinegar Vegetable Wash
To help remove pesticides. 
Ingredients 
1-cup water 
1 cup white vinegar 
2 Tablespoon baking soda 
Juice of ½ lemon 
Directions 
Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle, shake, and use on fruits and vegetables. Soak produce or spray and rub

Notes

 Recipe: Kosher, Vinegar, vegetable wash

Baking with King Arthur Flour -- Whisk, Shape, Create!

King Arthur Flour -- Whisk, Rise, Shape, Bake!

The bakeware and tools used for baking bread and cakes are just as important as the recipes - they can be the difference between success and failure. We are fans of King Arthur Flour - their flour, cake mixes, baking accessories, not to mention their online resources and friendly service. This post may sound like a commercial, but we just can’t help ourselves. We have recently tried, tested, tasted and created with some of KAF’s newest introductions- what delicious fun we had!

Essential Goodness Baking Mixes
These mixes include “the best of everything you need along with the absence of everything you don't”…just the good stuff. There are no hydrogenated oils, no artificial colors, no preservatives…non-GMO, and they are all certified kosher. We mixed up a batch of Sour Cream Coffee Cake OU-D, and Ancient Grain Cranberry Bread Mix (OU parve). They are both convenient, and baked up moist, with a crumbly texture perfectwith our morning coffee! There are 10 convenient essential mixes including pancakes, cupcakes, cookies and frostings….all kosher.

Unbleached Cake Flour
We like to use cake flour when creating soft, delicate cakes – and like to use KAF because it is unbleached. Cake flour gives a lighter texture, for tender cakes with a fine, moist crumb.

Unbleached Bread Flour We have this in our pantry (or actually our fridge) 350 days of the year. It is only missing during Passover season. This is the star ingredient in our Shabbos and Yom Tov challahs and breads. It never disappoints. We think that it is the secret to better breads, with consistent, dependable results. Flours with a higher protein content create loftier yeasted breads. KAF bread flour is 12.7% protein - a full point higher than other national brands. It strengthens the rise.  We use it whenever bread flour is listed as a recipe ingredient.

SAF Instant Yeast Of the thousands of products KAF offers in their catalogs and online, SAF Red instant yeast is their #1 top-seller. Use in any recipe calling for active dry yeast: artisan loaves, pizza, sandwich bread, bagels, rolls, and more. It’s fast-acting, dependable, and long-lasting, and it’s especially easy to use. This yeast requires no proofing or pre-dissolving. From France’s LeSaffre Yeast Corporation

Pans
In addition to using the best ingredients, the baking tools and pans make quite a difference. No one likes to spend 30 minutes mixing up a batter, baking it and then it sticking to the pan or unevenly baking. The KAF 9” round layer pans will prevent sticking and promote even baking. When we use these, we line each with the KAF 9” round parchment (so convenient) and our layers pop right out. “Make baking a piece of cake! “
The eco-friendly and easy-to-clean pans are manufactured from a mix of 65% recycled steel (for strength and durability), and aluminum (for superior conductivity). They are made exclusively for KAF by USA Pans, the gold standard in professional bakeware. The unique corrugated surface provides air circulation all around, for more even baking, and release. KAF customers, and test kitchen bakers, (including KosherEye) love these pans. Use them for layer cakes, rolls, cinnamon rolls, challah and more…

Party Bundt Pan
Nordicware is known for their iconic Bundt pans. King Arthur Flour sent us the limited edition Party Bundt Pan. The pan's shiny cast aluminum finish) reflects heat to prevent over-browning of cakes. The non-stick coating helps cakes release cleanly from the pan. We all know how disappointing it is to have part of the Bundt cake remain in the pan upon release. This pan offset that problem for us. Nordicware is made in Minneapolis, and is a family-owned company. The pan we have has a 10 cup total capacity.  


Bread Baking Bowl
This clay-baking bowl perfectly bakes dough into a round loaf. Dough rises and bakes up crispy in this pan. The bowl is made with porous clay and shaped into a round baking bowl We especially like it for no- knead bread. The bowl is also microwave-safe. It is custom made for KAF in the USA. Click here for our favorite no knead peasant bread recipe from the book Bread, Toast Crumbs by Alexandra Stafford.


Dough Whisk
Introduced in their very first catalogue over 20 years ago, this dough whisk has proven to be an extremely popular item--with thousands sold. The premise of the design is that it mixes yeast dough (stiff or soft) and the dough does not stick to the whisk wires. The whisk is 15-inches in size, made of beachwood and stainless steel. Once you try it, you will love it! It works perfectly in the recipe for no knead peasant bread.

King Arthur Flour often has discounts, specials and free shipping offers, and is a knowledgeable resource for thousands of baking recipes. It is simply our favorite place to purchase baking supplies. Many of their items are kosher certified.
See the entire baking collection at Kingarthurflour.com

Peeler Perfection & Mandoline Magic with OXO!

Cut, Slice, Chop, Repeat with OXO

The chef friendly OXO Swivel Peeler has long been an essential tool in the KosherEye kitchen This ergonomically designed peeler features a stainless steel blade, a soft easy to hold handle and is dishwasher safe. We own 3 of these, one for dairy, one for meat and one for Passover!  You may buy this OXO Swivel Peeler by CLICKING HERE.

Drumroll please:
Our latest OXO featured kitchen stars are their mandoline slicers. Before we even tell you about them, we urge you to wear a cut-resistant glove when using these mandolines, or any brand of mandoline. We worked with 3 different sizes of OXO mandolines, which we found perfect for just about any size kitchen-slicing job.

OXO Chef’s Mandoline Slicer 2.0
This full sized mandoline offers easy to use versatility and can slice straight, crinkle cut and waffle cut fruits and vegetables. It is essential for slicing uniform slices of potatoes, onions, zucchini, carrot sticks, eggplant cucumbers, cabbage, apples, firm fruits and more. Straight, serrated and two different wavy blades can be set to any slice thickness and are ideal for making cucumber salad, potato chips, beets, onion rings, waffle fries and citrus or apple slices Using a mandolin results in professional, evenly sized slices. A turn of the soft dial selects slice thickness and julienne settings. A large safety guard keeps hand out of the way and provides a protective grip. Hardened stainless-steel slicing blades are safely covered when not in use. Flaring legs and non-slip feet offer stability. The mandoline body and food holder are dishwasher safe and the blades are recommended to be hand washed. Approximately $80. Click HERE to buy the Mandoline Slicer 2.0

OXO Mini Vegetable Slicer
Slice your small vegetables and fruits with this convenient, handy and easy to use gadget. Made of stainless steel, this slicer features an angled, sharp blade, a textured ramp to prevent food from sticking, and a non-slip handle. It quickly makes uniform slices of small fruits and vegetables like Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, radishes, strawberries and more. Simply put the food in the chamber, place the food holder into the chamber, and slide the food holder back and forth. The food holder snaps horizontally over blade and plunger nests inside food holder for safe, compact storage.

This little slicing gem works well with mushrooms, radishes, shallots, strawberries, small potatoes and more.
Dishwasher safe Approximately $12.99. Click HERE to Buy the OXO Mini Vegetable Slicer.

OXO Good Grips Garlic Slicer
To please the garlic lovers in your life.
This fun, fast kitchen tool creates thin, even garlic slices safely
Slicing garlic is a cinch. Simply put the cloves in the chamber, place the food holder into the chamber, and slide the food holder back and forth. The bi-directional blade creates thin, even slices in seconds, and the textured ramp prevents the garlic from sticking. The food holder snaps horizontally over blade and plunger nests inside food holder for safe, compact storage. This tool creates even, thin garlic slices
Dishwasher safe Approximately $9.99. CLICK HERE to buy the OXO Good Grips Garlic Slicer.

To explore more OXO kitchen tools, visit oxo.com
If you would like to attend the OXO Mandoline University, grab a cup of coffee and watch this informative OXO Facebook video:CLICK HERE To Watch an OXO Facebook Video to Learn Some Mandoline Magic!

Toast 2018 with these 11 Wines!

             Toast 2018 with these 11 Wines!

           
  “Age and Glasses of Wine should Never be Counted”.

We present some of our favorite new wines from recent tastings, along with some classics that we have enjoyed over the year. As always, we are pleased to recommend a variety…some splurge worthy and some very affordable. We have shared our comments alongside some of the complex descriptions provided by true wine experts.

We consider Yarden to be the "royal family" of Israel’s wine production. This globally respected brand has grown over the years, and paved the way for so many smaller Israeli vintners to produce and ship wine all over the world. We were pleased to taste the following two selections, and highly recommend them. In fact, we have never met a Yarden we didn’t like! 

Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 This wine layers ripe berry, cherry and plum fruit notes with spice, earth, toast and opulent oak. While ready to drink, Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon will age well for ten to fifteen years. It pairs nicely with festive beef dishes such as rib roast and steak. The 2012 wine was awarded 92 points as the Wine Enthusiast- Editors Choice
(Not mevushal) Approximately $32.99 

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc 2016
The 2015 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc is produced exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc grapes at the Golan Heights Winery in northern Israel. It is a light, almost transparent, colored wine. with flavors of lemons, apples, and cantaloupe. This wine is aged in French oak barrels for 2 months. It is medium bodied and dry. It is recommended as a wine to pair with pasta, fish or chicken.. Many reviewers call this a drinkable, lovely wine. We agree. (Not mevushal) Approximately $17.99

While on our trip to  Kosherfest 2017, we learned of several new and exciting beverage and spirits brands. We discovered Bravdo Wines, Twin Suns, and Shirah Wine Productions as well as several other kosher wines nationally distributed by The River Wine. We have had our first opportunity to taste some of these new wines, and enjoyed every sip. Indeed, the soil of the estate where Bravdo wines are produced is known to have grown wine grapes all the way back to the time of King Solomon. Amazing!

Bravdo Merlot Samson, Israel 2013
In 1999, Professor Ben Ami Bravdo and his former student Professor Oded Shoseyov, both faculty members of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, decided to establish Karmei Yosef Winery that produces BRAVDO wines. The vineyards are located at the foothills of the majestic village of Karmei Yosef, on the way to Jerusalem. The Shoseyov family began growing grape vines on this land over 50 years ago. This selection is 100% Merlot, aged 12 months in oak barrels. It is a medium to full bodied, red. Pair with meats such as lamb or beef, or poultry. (Not mevushal.) Approximately $31

Twin Suns Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Lodi California
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah…aged 12 months in French and Hungarian Oak barrels. This full-bodied red features layers of fruit complexity, and floral notes, Pair this one with poultry and roasted or grilled meats. (mevushal) Approximately $16

Contessa Annalisa Rosé
This light pink Rosé is from Italy and consists of 100% Merlot. It is dry, refreshing and crisp with notes of strawberry and summer fruit.. Pairs well with pasta, fish and cheese or as an aperitif. (mevushal) Approximately $8.00

2014 Shirah Wine Productions One/Two Punch
50/50 Grenache/Syrah The colorful label on this bottle exudes fun even before tasting the wine. This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah. It is a medium bodied and soft fruity selection, with notes of coffee, vanilla cloves and spice including coffee and vanilla. Drink now, or by 2020. Wine tasters scored this wine and excellent A-. (not mevushal)
Approximately $33

Herzog Selection Chateneuf Bordeaux and it’s only about $13 per bottle
This is one of our favorite white wines at any price– a light, semi-sweet fruity wine, with a bit of sparkle. We pair it with poultry, pasta, fish and appetizers. (mevushal)

Chen(In) white wine
This Chenin Blanc, dry white from California is fruity and light. We serve it chilled with poultry, dairy dishes and appetizers. What an amazing value! (mevushal) is Approximately $8-$9

And then, the most popular kosher wine in America – is actually from Italy. Bartenura Moscato, or as thousands have nicknamed it “@Bartenura Blue” and “Out of the Blue”. We at KosherEye prefer our dry reds and whites, but so many friends and family love their semi-sweet Blue. The pleasing taste of pear, tangerine, nectar and melon goes well with appetizers, poultry and dessert. However, according to its devoted fans, which is most everyone we know, and many in the hip-hop world, Blue is perfect anytime with anything. Approximately $12 -$15. (mevushal)

Barons de Rothschild Brut Champagne
This exceptional , dry and elegant champagne is produced by the prestigious Baron de Rothschild vineyard. It is made by blending wines aged at least 3 years, to offer rich, complex flavors, with subtle aromas of white fruit. Made from chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced in the Champagne region of France, it is highly recommended as a premium sparkler by Gabe Geller Royal wine expert..(mevushal )
Approximately $67.00

Freixenet Excelencia Brut Cava   Freixenet is a crisp, dry, smooth sparkling wine. Brut Cavas are bubbly wines produced in Spain's Catalonia region. The aromas are of citrus and apple flavors. Reviews rave about this sparkler – as an excellent bubbly at a very affordable price. We enjoy drinking this “chilled and straight”, but also mixed into our favorite Champagne Royales and Sangrias. (mevushal) $15

What does mevushal and not mevushal actually mean as related to kosher wine? Click HERE to read the explanation.

Souper Warm-ups!

When the weather outside Gets frightful. . .
SOUP is so delightful!

SOUPER SOUPS -- 10 Cold Weather Favorites

Tomato Pea Bisque with Faux Kosher Crab
The Easiest Soup Ever
(Thank you Imagine Brand for doing all the work!)

Hearty Lentil Soup by Liz Rueven, Kosherlikeme.com

Mushroom Barley Soup by Russ & Daughters

Smoked Salmon Chowder by Eileen Goltz

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup by Mark Bittman

Slow Cooker Pea Soup - A KosherEye Signature Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup - A KosherEye Signature Recipe

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup, Adapted from Le Creuset

Carrot Dill Soup

Split Pea, Potato and Barley Soup

Bialetti Moka Express Espresso Maker

Bialetti Moka Express Espresso Maker
Italian Coffee at home

As many of you know, here at KosherEye, we enjoy wine, chocolate, & coffee! Our morning coffee offers just the fuel we need to face the day. And, sometimes, we repeat this at lunchtime. (Yes, we realize that it’s the taste along with the caffeine buzz we like.)
In the early morning, we like our coffee full bodied, steamy, hot and black, and make it daily from freshly ground beans. But, for that late morning/or mid-afternoon cup we enjoy a creamy rich latte, or our latest love, flat white.

The Moka Express stovetop espresso maker allows us to brew authentic Italian like coffee, in just minutes. The pot was created in 1933, by Alfonso Bialetti and it revolutionized home coffee brewing in Italy. Today, the easy-to-use pot is still found in nearly 90% of Italian homes and in homes around the world.

We learned to use our new Bialetti and make these creamy dreamy drinks by simply watching this quick You Tube lesson:

We have the one-cup size of the Bialetti Moka Express Pot and use it very often. We simply fill the bottom half of the pot with water; spoon some full bodied ground coffee into the filter cup, affix the filter cup and the top of the pot, and place it on the cooktop over a medium flame. The pot’s handle stays cool. For the cream, we warm some whole milk in a separate pot, or in the microwave and then froth it. When the Bialetti is ready (about 4 minutes later) we pour the hot espresso into a mug, add the frothed warm milk and enjoy every sip.

How to Froth Milk:
We like our Bonjour Primo latte frother – Simply warm milk on stovetop or in microwave and then froth until creamy and foamy. We use dairy whole milk, but soy or almond milk can be used.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a frother, just heat milk; place it in a mason type glass jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake, shake, shake.

Fancy up your lattes by topping with a shake of spice such as cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla powder

From a Starbucks barista: Flat Whites were born in Australia, and popularized in the U.S by Starbucks. Lattes were born in Italy. A latte tastes like a coffee with added warm milk. A flat white tastes more like a velvety, smoother, creamier espresso shot. Enjoy this video demonstration of how a Starbucks barista makes a Flat White:

 

For more information visit Bialetti.com

Wüsthof Knives for the Cutting Edge Kitchen

  Knives for The Cutting Edge Kitchen

We have written about Wüsthof previously, but are updating our feature and sharing information about some of their newest cutting edge tools. For us, it’s all about kitchen efficiency when cooking and baking. We’re always in the kitchen, (when we’re not at the supermarket), so using the correct equipment is essential. Recently, we had the opportunity to try some new knives from the Wüsthof collection, and we wanted to share our findings about some favorites. Like an artist needs a fine paintbrush, like a musician needs a fine instrument, a cook needs fine cooking tools!  

The Wüsthof 8” Vegetable Knife
Have you ever noticed that when cutting vegetables and fruits, such as potatoes, squash, apples or cabbage that the food sticks to the knife and you have to push it off or shake it off? The Wüsthof Classic Ridge Vegetable Knife offers a solution. It is an all-around kitchen knife designed for general slicing and chopping, but it also works particularly well on fresh produce and meats.
The unique blade features holes near the cutting edge to reduce the friction while cutting into foods, such as potatoes. The ridge on one side of the blade helps push food off the blade while slicing. The blade angle and tapered cutting edge reduce the drag when slicing through foods. Each knife blade is completely buffed and polished by hand., and has a lifetime warranty. Watch Chef Mike use the knife:

 You can purchase a Wüsthof 8” Vegetable Knife by clicking Here!
   

Wüsthof 10” Super Slicer
This is a CLASSIC full-tang knife, precision-forged from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel. CLASSIC knives feature a handle design made of a highly durable synthetic material –which resists fading and discoloration. The 10" Super Slicer features a long slender blade with a rounded tip. The blade is longer than many other knives so that it can slice across large roasts in one swift movement. It is comfortable to hold, and has a sharp scalloped type edge, which cuts though meat. It easily slices through turkey and roasts, bread without compressing it and even tomatoes without squashing them. We used ours to slice brisket, rib roast and corned beef. Excellent! Or should we say, SUPER!  
Chef Mike demonstrates how to use a Super Slicer:
 

You can purchase a  Wüsthof 10” Super Slicer by clicking here!

Wüsthof  4 1/2" Asian Utility Knife
This knife is also part of WÜSTHOF’S best-selling CLASSIC collection
The CLASSIC 4.5-inch Asian Utility Knife features a uniquely curved straight edge blade, which allows it to be used as a mini cook’s knife as well as a paring knife. It is a good size and shape for countless everyday food prep tasks. We use it daily for simple cutting, slicing and dicing, and consider it an all around winner because of its size and versatility. Enjoy this video (click here) on how to make a tomato rose with the Asian Utility knife. 
Purchase your Wüsthof Asian Utility 4 ½” knife by clicking HERE!

Wüsthof knives are crafted in Solingen, Germany; a family-owned and managed company with a rich heritage since 1814. Each Wüsthof knife collection is made of high quality materials and craftsmanship. Precision forged featuring a full tang, high-carbon stainless steel with bolster to add balance and weight. The new Precision Edge Technology (PEtec) enhances the blades sharpness by 20%, and will last twice as long. Each knife features a computer controlled cutting edge to ensure the final edge of the blade is precise and uniform from the tip to the heel of the knife. Wusthof knives have a lifetime warranty. For more information on cutting implements and knife skills visit  Wusthof.com  

And one more essential tool that makes the cut:

Wüsthof Come-Apart Kitchen Shears
We think that all-purpose shears are a must in the kitchen, and this set is efficient, sharp and affordable. We use our shears for many kitchen snipping tasks like cutting up salads, vegetables and dried fruits, sizing parchment for baking, trimming pastry and opening packages, plastic bags and some plastic containers. We reach for them several times daily! These durable stainless-steel shears come apart for easy cleaning and sharpening. And, a bonus- the easy to grip handle has a built-in bottle or jar lid opener.  Lifetime Warranty, made in China.
Purchase your Wüsthof Come-Apart Kitchen Shears by clicking HERE!