Have you done your spring cleaning yet? Well, whether you’ve cleaned house or not, Oh So Beautiful Paper is here to help you get at least one thing perfectly organized this season: your grocery list. Planning weekly menus (like the one pictured above from Mavora Cards) and making shopping lists will certainly help save you money and stay on track while weaving through the aisles at the store or market. These pretty little notepads are the perfect tool for getting you started.
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Unlike most home bakers I know, I’m not yet married to a frosting method of choice. My Grandma Mimi (who did not believe in cupcakes and would instead make sheet cakes for the grandchildren) would dump entire bowls of vanilla buttercream on top of her chocolate cakes and swirl the magical mixture into place with her offset spatula. My mother would simply flip the cupcakes one-by-one upside down and dunk into a bowl of icing. I hadn’t given it much thought until I met The SpoonSpreader.
Though I hadn’t really used a pastry bag before, I assumed I’d prefer that mode of frosting application over what seemed like a slightly unhinged-spoon spatula amalgam (pun intended). The results I found were both surprising and delightful. The SpoonSpreader works with a little practice, as both a frosting scoop (when it’s folded) and as a frosting spreader and applicator (when flattened again).
See it in action
Once a month, Kelly from Oh So Beautiful Paper, a blog all about fabulous paper goods, will be stopping by to share with readers two of her favorite things: food and stationery.
To kick things off, we’ve rounded up a wonderful and diverse selection of recipe cards. From illustrated to letterpress printed (like the ones above from 9th Letter Press), there’s something for everyone. While you may not write down all your recipes anymore by hand, it’s always nice to accompany an edible gift (perfect for the upcoming holidays) with the handwritten recipe, too. It’s important that your ingredient lists look as good as they taste, and with these picks below, you’ll find an option here that fits right into your recipe box or atop a sweet gifted treat.
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What’s the next best thing you never ate?
The Food Network Kitchens staff might know. We see (taste and smell) ingredients and products just before they take their place in the national palate. Sometimes one of our on-air chefs bring them into our kitchen, sometimes we find them during restaurant dinners or in grocery stores, at home and away. Each month we’re going to share one with you, along with tips or recipes. And we know that many of you devote a good amount of time to exploring, tasting or just getting dinner on the table, so let us know what you find that might just be the next best thing we never ate.
There’s always room for more hot sauce, so say hello to a new friend: gochujang. The next best thing you may have never tasted was actually a part of my everyday meals growing up. Gochujang (a spicy, slightly sweet, beautiful dark red fermented chili paste) has been a staple ingredient in Korean households for hundreds of years. It’s used as an ingredient in stews and sauces, or simply as a dip for a snack. You may have seen it when you ordered bibimbap (mixed rice dish) at your favorite Korean restaurant. To see this special food from my childhood bloom into the next best thing — I embrace it. I see the popularity of gochujang as the first step to a greater awareness of Korean cuisine.
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It’s a rare day that I’ll turn down the opportunity to bring a fun new gadget into my kitchen and make a bit of a mess. When the Citrus Spritzer came through the office, I jumped at the chance to test it out “in the field.” The little wonder’s claim to fame was that you simply pop it into your citrus fruit of choice and it will generate a light mist of citrus juice, as easy as spritzing water. I had a large bowl of citrus fruit at home, just waiting to be spritzed. It was fate.
I started with a small lemon, which I rolled gently on the counter to get the juices flowing. “Better give this little gadget a fighting chance,” I thought, skeptical that it could work. But lo! A couple pumps and I was getting perfect little puffs of lemon mist falling over my soon-to-be-sauteing green beans.
Find out what else it works on
What’s the next best thing you never ate?
The Food Network Kitchens staff might know. We see (taste and smell) ingredients and products just before they take their place in the national palate. Sometimes one of our on-air chefs brings them into our kitchen, sometimes we find them during restaurant dinners or in grocery stores, at home and away. Each month we’re going to share one with you, along with tips or recipes. And we know that many of you devote a good amount of time to exploring, tasting or just getting dinner on the table, so let us know what you find that might just be the next best thing we never ate.
You won’t eat Petrossian’s caviar powder by the spoonful, because just a little dusting of this dried caviar gives a salty, slightly fishy kick to all the classic caviar partners. The dried caviar buttons come in their own mill, so you can grind them over just about anything. We tried it on scrambled and soft-boiled eggs — we like the brininess against the cream and butter, and the heat from the eggs releases the flavors of the powder. Other possibilities? Deviled eggs, seared or smoked scallops, pasta, baked or boiled potatoes (a little crème fraiche wouldn’t hurt, either), crostini with fresh ricotta, tomato salad and crudo.
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Make space in your freezer and clear out the shelves in the pantry: It’s time to load up on Girl Scout cookie favorites like Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Trefoils. Leave room for a new favorite this year, though, as Savannah Smiles are added to the 2012 Girl Scout Cookie list. The Girl Scouts certainly have lots to smile about this year as they celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary.
The new lemon wedge cookie is fresh and just the perfect size. Covered in powdered sugar and shaped like a smile, you can’t help but grin as you pop these cookies into your mouth one by one. The sugar coating can get a bit messy, but there’s no shame in licking your fingers clean. With each bite you’ll be transported to a cool fall day in Georgia, curled up on a porch swing with a cup of tea and these addictive lemon cookies. Sounds like a mighty fine afternoon to us.
To order cookies, find a local council near you.
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