My Word with Douglas E. Welch » Food

Local: Sherman Oaks Fashion Square opens new Dining Terrace

dewelch — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:15:24 +0000

The new dining terrace of the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square is a big improvement over the dark, loud room that it used to be. It is also now twice as large. The dining options haven’t changed significantly, although the new Stone Oven branch seemed to be doing the biggest business today at lunch.

The new decor has made it much brighter inside with a cool, modern aesthetic. The new restrooms, and access to them, are by far the best change. You used to have to go down a long, dank, back hallway to access shabby restrooms. Now the newly designed restrooms are accessible directly off the main dining area.

I could foresee meeting a group of friends a the large round tables in the new section for a coffee and a chat some evening. There is also a new kid’s size section with lowered tables and chairs for the young set.

Local: Sherman Oaks Fashion Square opens new Dining Terrace is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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My Word…on Food: Make Risotto Rosso with Italian Sausage – A Snapguide

dewelch — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:38:01 +0000

Another Snapguide recipe. This risotto is a family favorite. I like Risotto Milanese (made with saffron) but this risotto is hearty enough to be served as a main dish. It is deeply flavorful and creamy. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments.

Click to view the Snapguide – Make Risotto Rosso with Italian Sausage

You can also view this Snapguide using their iPhone app. Download Snapguide from the iTunes App Store for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

My Word…on Food: Make Risotto Rosso with Italian Sausage – A Snapguide is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Video: My Word on Food: Making No-Fuss Focaccia

dewelch — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:06:57 +0000

This recipe is a family favorite. Not only is it tasty, but it is easy to make. You can top this focaccia with just about anything you like. This recipe uses olive oil, Italian seasoning and parmaggiano cheese. The bread can be sliced to make paninni, used as an accompaniment to pasta or used as a base for pizza. Try it out and tell me what you think in the comments.

This recipe was originally created as a Snapguide using their iPhone app. You can check out this and other Snapguides here.

If you enjoy this recipe video, please click Like and/or subscribe on my YouTube channel.

Can’t see the video above? Watch “Making No-Fuss Focaccia” on YouTube.

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No Fuss Focaccia – Recipe

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 tsp onion powder
4 tsp Italian seasoning

Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray then drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the bottom of the pan.

Place the water, olive oil, salt, flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. The dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. With oil or water on the tip of your fingers (don’t use more flour, you want the dough to remain sticky), press the dough into the bottom of the pan, nudging to get it all the way into the corners. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, or until it is puffy.

While the dough rises, preheat oven to 375°F.

Once risen, uncover the pan and use your fingers to make dimples all over the dough (you may need a bit of oil on your fingers if the dough is too sticky). Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the focaccia out of the pan (otherwise the bottom crust will get soggy). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: King Arthur Flour

Video: My Word on Food: Making No-Fuss Focaccia is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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My Word…on Food! – Making No-Fuss Focaccia – A Snapguide

dewelch — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:14:19 +0000

Here is a Snapguide for making my favorite No-Fuss Focaccia bread. We love this recipe. It is tasty and easy to make. No kneading required. You can use it to make paninni, as an accompaniment to pasta or even as a pizza crust.

Check out the Snapguide via this web link or via the FREE Snapguide app available for iPhone.

My Word…on Food! – Making No-Fuss Focaccia – A Snapguide is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Food: How to make black bean soup – A Snapguide

dewelch — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:15:00 +0000

You can view this Snapguide using the iPhone app or directly from the web site.

How to make black bean soup – a Snapguide

Food: How to make black bean soup – A Snapguide is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Tip: Freezing pancakes

dewelch — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:28:49 +0000

Whenever we make pancakes, we always have leftovers. We usually freeze these up so they can be popped in the toaster on those mornings when we need a quick breakfast before we run out the door.

The trick with freezing pancakes is to freeze them individually on a half sheet pan before bagging them up for storage. My, rather small, freezer will just fit these pans, so I would guess that would be true of all but the smallest fridges.

If they are touching one another as they freeze, they will weld into one lump that you will never break apart. This isn’t very good for grabbing one or two to heat up in the toaster.

Once they are frozen, you can stack them up and store them in a zip-top bags without worry or putting waxed paper between each one. Then you can easily pull out however many you want whenever you want. Simple, but it really makes life a little bit easier.

* This same trick can be used for fruit, cookies or anything you want to be able to pull out of the freezer individually

Tip: Freezing pancakes is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Drinks: Downton Abbey Themed Cocktails

dewelch — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:56:01 +0000

So many people are crazy over Downton Abbey, so it only makes sense that their love of the show sneaks into everything they are doing. I am a big fan myself and often find myself sipping a cup of tea and nibbling some biscuits as I watch.

Over at The Kitchn, Nancy Mitchell is show her love for all things Downton Abbey with a collection of cocktails named and themed for each of the Crawley women. Most are champagne-based and each seeks to call out the identifying traits of each woman.

Recipe

Lady Mary
makes 1 cocktail
1.5 oz Lillet Blanc
.75 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4-5 basil leaves
brut champagne, chilled

Add the basil and lemon juice to your shaker and muddle. Add Lillet and ice and then shake and strain into a flute. Top with champagne.

Find other Downtown Abbey cocktails (and more) on The Kitchn

Drinks: Downton Abbey Themed Cocktails is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Product: Cookbook Cafe 2.0 Launches Today! – Get your cookbook on!

dewelch — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:32:00 +0000

A few months ago, I created a cookbook for this iPad App and Web site. Cookbook Cafe allows anyone to create their own cookbook and deliver it directly to user’s iPads. (You can also access the cookbooks directly on the web site)

This new app allows anyone — individuals, charities and non-profits, restaurants, etc — to create (and sell) their own cookbooks. It presents the cookbooks complete with photos and videos in an attractive fashion, just like a paper cookbook.

My “beta” cookbook is entitled “Sharing Christmas with Friends” and includes a number of cookie recipes, beverages and even my secret Christmas Chili recipe! (LAUGH) – View “Sharing Christmas with Friends” cookbook.

You can download the app for free from the Apple App Store — Cookbook Cafe.

Want to create your own cookbook? Visit the Cookbook Cafe Creator.

Here is an intro video from Babette Pepaj, Founder of Bakespace

Product: Cookbook Cafe 2.0 Launches Today! – Get your cookbook on! is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Photo: Sally Lunn Bread

dewelch — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:50:12 +0000

See this previous post for recipe and more info on Sally Lunn and Bath, UK.

Photo: Sally Lunn Bread is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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Food: Buttermilk Cornmeal Waffles

dewelch — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:58:26 +0000

One of my favorite waffle recipes. I made these for breakfast this morning

These Cornmeal Buttermilk Waffles puff up nicely and have a great crispy crunch.

Buttermilk Cornmeal Waffles
Adapted slightly from Gourmet

Yield: About 16 waffles

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stoneground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
6 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional oil for brushing waffle iron

Accompaniment: pure maple syrup

Into a large bowl sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Repeat sifting 2 more times.

In another large bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Add flour mixture all at once and whisk just until combined.

Preheat a waffle iron and preheat oven to 200 °F.

Brush waffle iron lightly with additional oil. Spoon batter into waffle iron, using 1/4 cup batter for each 4-inch-square standard waffle and spreading batter evenly, and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm, uncovered, in middle of oven. Make more waffles with remaining batter in same manner, brushing waffle iron with mire oil before adding each batch.

Serve waffles with syrup.

Food: Buttermilk Cornmeal Waffles is a post from My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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