After-Work Gourmet from Creators Syndicate

Home Iron Chefs Command Easier Meals for 08/28/2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Do you have an "iron chef" living under your roof? If you do, you might just save time and effort while cooking.

It struck me recently that by following the lead of the hit Food Network television show "Iron Chef America" that we could have fun with food, while slashing usual food preparation time at least by half and cutting out last-minute food shopping entirely.

Updated: Thu Aug 28, 2008

Chop, Chop! Multitask when you Slice and Dice for 09/04/2008

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When time is tight in my house, the first items to go aren't manicures, catching some rays in the backyard or reading a trashy novel. Similar to many of my friends, I'm much more likely to slash slicing, dicing and chopping. Recipes that include those time-consuming steps are the first to get the ax. Let's face it: Even cutting multiple ingredients with a food processor takes precious time.

Updated: Thu Sep 04, 2008

Connoisseurs of Convenience Products have a Feast of Fun while Saving Time and Money for 09/11/2008

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Being a connoisseur is time-consuming. Deciphering which caviar or wine is slightly better than the next requires the kind of know-how that takes years to master. Many busy people forgo the "foodie" lifestyle completely rather than invest the time.

But why not think outside the wine bottle when it comes to being a connoisseur? Start with often-overlooked areas — the ones ...

Updated: Thu Sep 11, 2008

Raise the Bar When it Comes to Toppings Bar at Home for 09/18/2008

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

How can you top a topping? Give it an easy new spin.

Most of us are familiar with toppings for pizza, tacos and salads — those mini buffet spreads we set out on our kitchen counters when we want fun, family-friendly fare that's homemade and easy. Try to lift the bar a bit beyond the familiar pizza, taco or salad bars, though, and you'll effortlessly expand your repertoire.

S ...

Updated: Thu Sep 18, 2008

Your Kitchen Workload Dips if You use These Convenient Products for 09/25/2008

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Are your meals parading around naked because you're too busy to spend the time mincing, chopping and slicing, often required when preparing spreads, toppings and sauces?

I've found fashionable accessories for my meals tucked away in jars loitering in the aisles with potato chips at supermarkets and convenience stores. Those creamy jarred and canned dips — so easy they need no refri ...

Updated: Thu Sep 25, 2008

Autumn Leftovers Live on Brilliantly for 10/02/2008

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When you're one with the foods of the season, like wild rice or beans, it often seems meals can't get heartier or more delightful. However, autumn leftovers are just what a busy cook needs as the foundation for even more splendid — and surprising — treats.

The remnants of a wild rice side dish, for instance, can quickly turn into a sultry salad. Other fall favorites easily ju ...

Updated: Thu Oct 02, 2008

Partial Make-ahead Meals are Full-blown Timesavers for 10/09/2008

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Remember when we had time to prepare multiple meals on weekends. Books focused on the wisdom of taking time over the weekend to get ahead for the busy workweek.

Now, many people's weekend calendars are as overscheduled as those they fill out for their jobs with nonstop errands, events and obligations. Having an entire weekend day to cook meal after meal for many seems like a nostalgic lu ...

Updated: Thu Oct 09, 2008

Scare Up an International Bloody Mary Halloween Party for 10/16/2008

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Things get pretty bloody at Michael Kelly's Halloween parties — and it has nothing to do with the costumes or the decorations. Instead, it's one bloody pint after another of the devilishly-delicious customized Bloody Mary, which scare up the attention of guests.

That's because Kelly, manager of Rooney's Public House restaurant and pub in Palm Beach, Fla., followed the lead of a wil ...

Updated: Thu Oct 16, 2008

Left-Wingers and Right-Wingers Benefit from an Election Day Chicken-Wing Party for 10/23/2008

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

If you're on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., near the White House on Nov. 4, you are likely to catch election fever as well as chicken wing fever. That's because every Tuesday through Election Day the 1331 Bar & Lounge at the JW Marriott is serving up "Left Wings with spicy Asian dipping sauce" and "Right Wings with Texas honey barbecue sauce" for your considera ...

Updated: Thu Oct 23, 2008

Amp Up Applesauce for Some New Fall Favorites for 10/30/2008

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The next time you pack a container of applesauce in your child's lunchbox or peel the lid for a quick snack, instead envision a warm bowl of apple and butternut squash creamy soup or a platter of caramelized apple-draped gourmet chicken rolls.

Far from a hallucination, these could be just a few of many new fall favorites once you start thinking outside the applesauce container. Used as a ...

Updated: Thu Oct 30, 2008

Let Table Centerpiece Ingredients Do Double-duty as Part of Your Holiday Meal for 11/06/2008

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

As Thanksgiving nears, the only place many busy people may find “plenty” is in a horn of plenty, the cornucopia — which emanates from Greek mythology and serves as a fruit-filled holiday centerpiece by many modern cooks. “Plenty,” on the other hand, would not often be used during holiday season when describing time: Rushed moments caught on the fly are more like it.

However, when i ...

Updated: Thu Nov 06, 2008

Variations of Similar Ingredients are Easy Meal Enhancers for 11/13/2008

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Busy cooks are always looking for quick touches that can give their dishes an easy gourmet edge.

I recently stumbled on such a step when preparing a simple stir-fry dish. The chicken recipe called for both finely chopped hot jalapeno peppers and thin strips of sweet bell peppers. The ingenious flavor and texture variation of the related ingredients was an effortless way to dress the meal ...

Updated: Thu Nov 13, 2008

Economical Comfort Food Doesn't Need to be Lowbrow for 11/20/2008

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

You know things have gone downhill with the economy when those iconic American Milk Processors "Got Milk?" ads — that famously have pictured everyone from Olympic athletes and super models to Joan Rivers and Vanna White sporting those messy white mustaches — now feature economist Suze Orman telling you to "milk your budget." She then goes on to cheerily let us kn ...

Updated: Thu Nov 20, 2008

Peppermint is a Simple Way to Make Holiday Desserts Pop for 11/27/2008

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

For a number of holiday seasons, driving through Starbucks car-serve lane for sustenance for the commute home also filled me figuratively and literally with flashy ideas for holiday potluck baked goods and hostess gifts. Cheating on my diet has proved most useful. When you're exceptionally busy at work, it's either that kind of idea or the office vending machine to provide inspiration for holid ...

Updated: Thu Nov 27, 2008

Put Extra Batches of Your Christmas Meal in a Deep-Freeze for 12/04/2008

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

If you're organized enough to be cooking from freezer cookbooks, often that means setting aside a weekend day — cooking ahead for a week or a month, bundling it up and wisely stashing the fruits of your labor in your freezer.

What if the frozen fruits of your labor, though, instead unusually started out on your Christmas and other holiday entertaining dinner tables? Harnessing the ...

Updated: Thu Dec 04, 2008

Gorgeous Glazes Easily Dress up New Year's Eve Cookies for 12/11/2008

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Snacking at work taught me a quick trick for dressing up cookies, turning them into such a glam treat that they are part of perfect platters for New Year's Eve parties. As the holiday season was ringing in, I was busy at work and for sustenance digging into a box of Country Choice Organic Snacking Cookies (www.countrychoiceorganic.com), which I had bought at the local supermarket. After the fir ...

Updated: Thu Dec 11, 2008

Last-minute Holiday Dishes Deliver Joy and Cheers Without the Stress for 12/18/2008

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Last-minute holiday entertaining with flair: It's not only doable; it's also delectable. Five-minute ingredient shopping trips followed by five-minute recipe preparation is not a sugar plum fantasy, but can be your timesaving (and face-saving) reality.

And don't be biased. Believe the impossible. When your few ingredients are selected with care, the impact can be even more dazzling than ...

Updated: Thu Dec 18, 2008

"Healthful" Cocktails are Great to End an Indulgent Holiday Season for 12/25/2008

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

"Nightfall comes early during winter months," according to Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss of the Pomegranate Cognac in "Hot Drinks: Cider, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Spirits" (Ten Speed, $16.95), "affording us the opportunity to settle in by the fire and dream the evening away. Serving this sophisticated drink in glassware reveals its splendid jewel-tone color, whi ...

Updated: Thu Dec 25, 2008

Microwave Popcorn: Split-Second Gourmet Secret Weapon for 01/01/2009

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

There was once an excellent book called "While the Pasta Cooks," which showed how to prepare everything quickly for a wonderful dish in the time the pasta was bubbling on the stovetop. There could just as easily be a cookbook titled "While the Popcorn Pops." There are all kinds of delicacies we can prepare as the popcorn bag inflates for a few minutes in the microwave.

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Updated: Thu Jan 01, 2009

Tasty Text Message: Change Up Your Food's Texture for Quick Results for 01/08/2009

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The tip of a ripe strawberry spread with a speck of spun honey virtually exploded in my mouth. The juice of the fruit mingling with just a hint of the creamy confection made it a split-second treat; one that was even more flavorful and distinct than other former favorites like chocolate-dipped strawberries.

That no-work-involved surprise taught me a time-treasured lesson: Cooks looking t ...

Updated: Thu Jan 08, 2009