How-To | Apples & Onions

How To Make Crepes for a Crowd

January 30, 2012 by Sarah Lagrotteria

We were invited to a brunch where the hostess made crêpe after crêpe in a 20-year old cast iron pan while we sipped juice from her orange tree and snuck spoonfuls of nutella. Her crêpes were perfectly round and an even, buttery brown. We all acted like it was no big deal but inside I was panicking.

The nonchalance, the fruit tree, the ability to flip lacy pancakes while chatting! All things I lack. I follow these recipes, make the crepes ahead- they’re easier to flip than pancakes- and stack them between parchment paper for rolling and reheating.

There you have it. The secret to making crêpes for a crowd. Start early and have plenty of parchment on hand. Sure, no one will be blown away by your epic coolness, but no one will get cranky hungry and double dip in the nutella jar either.

Stuff, roll and reheat in a warm oven or microwave. Freeze leftover crepes for up to a month.

xoxoSarah

5 Easy Ways to Save Your Greens

January 11, 2012 by Sarah Lagrotteria

The kitchen has its own dirty word. I’m sure you’re familiar with it, have said it or felt it hanging in the air.

Waste.

Please say you are as guilty as I am. That you’ve tossed a rotting piece of fruit you forgot was in there. Or shoved wet, wilted greens deep into the trash so you wouldn’t see them and feel bad about not taking the time to saute them.

It’s the greens that get me. They are so hearty and alive until they just aren’t anymore.

No more. Rescue your greens! Do it quickly before they turn. F reeze them or make a quick frittata, green smoothie 1, green smoothie 2 or this basic green soup. Creator Anna Thomas calls the best tasting medicine in the world.

Forget “eat to live or live to eat.” Liven it up with a Parmesan snowfall and a drizzle of good olive oil and you’re doing both. Not to mention keeping your mouth clean.

Do you have any tips for saving greens?

xoSarah

LC’s 7 Days to Skinny Jeans

January 9, 2012 by Lydia Ellison Howerton

Friends I found a pretty cute blog/website last week with a fantastic diet and exercise plan to get back in your skinny jeans after the holidays. The problem is this is Lauren Conrad’s site (aka LC) so I was a TAD embarrassed to share it with you all. Back in the day I watched her show Laguna Beach and didn’t care for her personality, moping around her parent’s beach mansion while the other girls said funny things like “my car is dunzo” and “Steven and I would have such cute babies, they would be like so tan.”

But it’s been almost 10 years since that show and Lauren has blossomed into a major entrepreneur with a few fashion lines, multiple bestselling books and a community of followers on her website. So I respect her now, I guess.

Irregardless of who she is I think her 7 Day to Skinny Jeans Plan is a smart and sensible diet and exercise plan. Great ideas for healthy meal ideas and exercise options to keep you on track with your slim down goals and maintain your figure all year.

Check out her full plan here. Below are the breakfast and snack ideas which I thought were the most helpful.

LC’s Breakfast Options

Greek yogurt topped with walnuts, a handful of berries (or sliced banana) and a light drizzle of agave nectar

Steel cut oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of dried apricots, 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds and a splash of almond milk

Veggie omelet with a slice of whole grain toast (Click here for my favorite omelet recipe!)

Breakfast smoothie

Half an avocado stuffed with cottage cheese and a side of sliced tomato

Ezekiel toast topped with 2 sliced up hardboiled eggs served with half of a grapefruit

Breakfast Quinoa (Make a big batch and eat it for breakfast for a few days. It’s delicious!)

LC’s Snacks

1 medium apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

1 cup of red grapes and a low fat string cheese

¼ cup of almonds

½ cup of bran cereal (or Grape Nuts) with milk and a few berries

Raw veggies with 3 generous tablespoons of hummus

1 hardboiled egg with a few whole-grain crackers

Celery with a tablespoon of almond butter and a few raisins

She even has a book club. Maybe her site is to younger girls what GOOP is to me?

xo,
LEH

How to Hard Boil an Egg

December 5, 2011 by Sarah Lagrotteria

There are two schools of egg lovers: those who like a soft yolk and those who want theirs cooked to a yellow chalk. Only one of those schools-the soft yolk one- counts in my book. Though it sounds counter-intuitive, soft yolk lovers can enjoy a hard-boiled egg. They just have to learn the 9-minute method of preparation so that their egg retains a little of the undercooked velvet of a real yolk. The secret is cold water. Here’s how:

Fill a medium pot with cool water until your eggs are just covered.

Bring water to a gentle boil. Immediately cover your pot and remove it from the heat.

Set your timer for 9 minutes and let the eggs steam, covered and off the heat, for exactly that long.

While your eggs steam, prepare your ice bath. Start with ice.

Then add cold water.

When your 9 minutes are up, immediately transfer the eggs to your ice bath. The cold water shocks the eggs, halting the cooking process and preserving your slightly soft yolk.

The ice bath does one more magical thing. It separates the shell from the albumen, that thin, clingy membrane that refuses to pick a side when you try to separate egg from shell. You can blame the albumen for all those times you’ve taken off chunks of white with your peel and ending up with a sad, pockmarked egg.

After its ice-water dip, your peel will slip off easily and in large pieces. Congrats, you’ve freed your alabaster prize from its jealous, jagged shell.

How pretty are those yolks? Farmer’s market eggs are the way to go when possible. You won’t find that color anywhere else. Or if you do, let us know!

Find our favorite ways to use hard-boiled eggs here, here and here.

xoxosl

How To Eat a Pomegranate

November 23, 2011 by Sarah Lagrotteria

When pomegranates came into my life they demanded a ritualistic kind of love affair. I planted myself at the kitchen table each morning with half a pomegranate in my latte bowl and dedicated myself to digging out the seeds one by one, stopping occasionally to watch the snow fall. It was all very meditative. By the time I finished my hands resembled Lady Macbeth’s worst nightmare. A sign, I thought, that I had done something meaningful with my morning.

Pomegranates are intimidating. They’re thick-skinned and leathery and no matter how gently you treat them there’s going to be blood. Now that I don’t have the student’s luxury to spend half a morning de-seeding my breakfast, I use the water method which is quick, stain-free and still gives me a thrill of accomplishment.

Cut the pomegranate in half horizontally.

Submerge it in a deep bowl of water and gently pull the sections apart, separating seeds from pith.

Once released, the seeds will sink and the pith will float. Simply scoop the pith out of the water.

Drain your juicy, pith-free seeds and enjoy.

xoxosl

Thanksgiving Timeline Week 4

November 18, 2011 by applesandonions

I love this song.

I love this song.

I love this song.

I love this song!

That’s what Shanti and I sounded like in the kitchen yesterday after discovering that creating a Prince station unlocks the magic that is Pandora. The mix was a little bit eighties, and a whole lot of fun. Think Father Figure. This year I am thankful that Prince is so supremely talented that only the best songs get into his algorithem.

This is it, loves. We’re in the homestretch.

xoxo

The Weekend Before
The Big Clean, house and kitchen. Be sure to clear out your fridge so you have space for all the new groceries coming in.

Two Days Before

1. Buy remaining groceries

2. Buy ice

3. Set your table and pull your serving platters. Use post-its to label each platter so you know where to plate each dish.

4. Set up your bar area

5. Make any do-ahead dishes according to your timeline, e.g. cranberry sauce, salad dressing, etc.

1 Day Before
Review your timeline and do your prepwork. It may include:

1. Brining your bird

2. Cubing bread for stuffing

3. Cleaning and prepping any veggies and herbs except apples and onions (they turn brown and get watery, respectively.)

4. Making pie.

Day Of

1. While you’re brewing your morning cup, measure and grind beans into a plastic bag for after dinner

2. Enjoy your coffee and cereal. This is very important.

3. Preheat your oven, turn on some music- the Prince mix- and get cooking!

Thanksgiving Timeline Week 3

November 15, 2011 by applesandonions

Via

If you’ve been following our timeline, you’re probably feeling verrrry accomplished right about now. Week three is going to be a breeze for you. Here’s what needs doing:

Third Week of November

1. Wash towels and sheets for guests as well as kitchen towels to reserve for the Big Cook.

2. Stock up on essentials: paper towels and toilet paper, Q-tips, cotton balls, advil, toothpaste and toothbrushes, etc.

3. Buy your pantry and freezer items and cross ‘em off the list.

4. Set up your non-perishable table décor items (pumpkins, candles, etc.).

5. If you’re making homemade stock, make and freeze now.

6. Test any new Thanksgiving recipes while there’s still time to revert back to the classics.

There’s a pumpkin meringue pie trial run in our very immediate future.

xoxo

Thanksgiving Timeline

November 7, 2011 by applesandonions

Via

This is the time of years when our sarcasm kicks up. Everything we read suggests that hosting a 6-course Thanksgiving Martha-style is as easy as (pumpkin) pie. But creating an elaborate feast that nourishes family and friends is not a simple thing, particularly when each guest carries with them their own personal holiday bible. Since we make elaborate meals everyday for a living we can attest that it takes planning and work! But like anything that takes work, it can be a fantastically fun and empowering experience. A privilege. And it can be a whole lot easier if you start now. Just follow our timeline for a stress-free turkey day.

First Week of November

If you get through these steps this week, the week of will be a joy.

1. Collect your recipe and table décor inspirations and pin them to a board above your desk or in your kitchen. Decide what you want to make and what you want to delegate and start delegating. Print or copy all recipes and place them in a folder to have on-hand during cooking.

2. Enlist your littlest helpers. If kids are coming, ask them now if you’d like them to make something special for the table. Sarah’s family still whips out laminated place mats her now-adult sister made for each person in their family. You won’t believe how sweet and chic they look on a table set with her mother’s best.

3. Make a detailed shopping list organized by store and by store section, e.g. produce, pantry, meat, bakery, wine, etc. You will be so happy you took the time to do this now when you have the time to relax with a glass of wine two nights before T-Day! Include ingredients for a green salad and a loaf of good bread. You’ll see why in the second week.

4. Make a timeline. Decide what dishes can be made ahead (e.g. cranberries and salad dressing can be made 2 days ahead and most desserts can be made the day before) and work backwards from dinner according to how long each dish will take. Pin timeline to your inspiration board.

5. Take inventory. Make sure you have enough pots, pans, baking dishes and platters to prepare your meal and plate it. Count your plates and glasses. Now is also a great time to iron those holiday napkins and tablecloths and make sure you have enough candles to make your table glow all night.

6. Order your bird. Plan on 1-1/2 pounds of turkey per person.

Second Week of November

1. Make and freeze your pie crusts. Cross those ingredients off your grocery list!

2. Make and freeze a good quantity of good soup. If you’re hosting the big day, chances are you have friends staying over the night before. You’ll be busy cleaning, prepping and catching up and you’ll be hungry. Surprise them (and yourself) with a light and healthy homemade dinner. All you’ll need is that bread and salad you already put on your shopping list.

3. Buy wine, liquor and sparkling water. Cross them off the list! Feels good, right?

4. Pick a table look from your inspiration board and buy supplies. Add necessary flowers and other perishables to your master shopping list.

5. Stock your pantry with good nuts, crackers, popcorn and buy a few hard cheeses and jarred olives. Now you have easy appetizers and nibbles for house guests. Cross ‘em off the list.

What special steps are you adding?

xoxo

How to: Organize your Spice Rack

October 13, 2011 by Lydia Ellison Howerton

We are moving into a new BIG kitchen at work! Finally everything will have a place and there will be a place for everything. This makes my organizational heart sing.

While at home I don’t alphabetize my spice rack, at work it is a must.

Our spices are placed on plastic risers in one cabinet. Each bottle is labeled with the name of the spice just below the cap for easy viewing. Fun with label maker time.

The bottom row isn’t labeled because you can see the names of the spices on the bottles. It’s not as neat as I would like but it is a functional system. You just have to put them back in the right place to maintain the order. Seems obvious but with 5 cooks using these all day, we reorganize them a lot.

xo,
LEH

How to: Banh Mi Sandwich Buffet

September 15, 2011 by Lydia Ellison Howerton

I mentioned that we served a Banh Mi Sandwich buffet at Anjali’s bridal shower last month but I didn’t share any pictures of the buffet itself. A DIY sandwich buffet is a unique and easy way to feed a large crowd. Take some help from your local Vietnamese restaurant and order the baguettes and the meat from the restaurant to cut down on your cooking duties.

Set up your table in a way that guests start with the baguettes and then move from filling to filling to layer up their sandwiches as they please.

Vietnamese baguettes from Xoia in Echo Park are extra crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We cut them onto sandwich sized portions and then horizontally down the middle so they were ready to fill.

I made roasted garlic “aioli” by slow roasting a head of garlic and then pureeing it into Vegenaise with a splash of lemon. I made Sriracha “aioli” by mixing Sriracha chili sauce and lime juice into Vegenaise. I used Vegenaise because it tastes good and I wanted to make sure to accommodate any vegan shower guests.

After the aoili’s were spread onto baguettes, the guests chose between sliced tofu, roast beef in lemongrass broth (from Xoia) or pickled shrimp to top their sandwiches. All proteins were served cold or at room temperature (much easier on the hostesses.)

Next guests topped their sandwiches with shredded carrots, long matchsticks of cucumber and whole stems of crisp cilantro.

An artfully arranged shrimp sandwich on a Bambu plate. The sandwiches were delicious and satisfying, custom built to satisfy everyone’s tastes and dietary needs. All the plates returned empty. Success.

xo,
LEH

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