Current Conditions
25°F - CLEAR
Vacuum cooking
Sous vide is nearly an art form but those skilled at it say the tender results are worth it
Intelligencer Journal
Updated Apr 14, 2009 18:07
Chicken Cacciatore from one of the oldest kitchens in the county
The Revere Tavern in Paradise had already been established by the time the American Revolution rolled around.But there's nothing revolutionary about Brian Crego's Chicken Cacciatore. In the hands of Revere's executive chef, the dish remains a solid comfort food enhanced by a family legacy."This was ...
Cooking up a guilty pleasure: Pad Thai
 
Let's think for a moment about guilty pleasures.You know what I'm talking about: extra-dark chocolate, Swedish fish, peanut-butter-filled pretzel nuggets, super-premium ice cream. Those are some of mine; I know you have yours.Oddly enough, one of my very favorite guilty pleasures is Pa...
Need a salad fix? Thai one on
 
This Thai Mango Salad takes just a few minutes to put together but the results are "easy, fresh and healthy," said Somchanh Koulavong, of Lancaster's Sukhothai Restaurant.It features the flavors of green mango, red bell pepper, cilantro and cashews, among other ingredients, and it's al...
The Italians have a stake in steak, too
 
A few weeks ago I made Steak Au Poivre, a French-style steak coated with ground black pepper that is beloved by the French people. Well, the Italians have a steak that is equally adored by their people, Bistecca Fiorentina, which originated in Tuscany.The Italians are known for their s...
Schooled in the art of Greek cooking
Jacquelyn Makris got her college degree in logistics.As it turned out, the kitchen became her calling. Which is a logical choice, when you think about it.Makris, 37, runs Spyro Gyros, a downtown Lancaster restaurant that's been serving Mediterranean fare since Makris opened it in 2007.She grew up in...
Mastering the slow cooker
One of the day-to-day dilemmas I face is choosing between making meals that are tasty, healthy, easy to prepare and interesting, or simply dashing off some run-of-the-mill baked chicken breasts and green beans.That's where the slow cooker comes in. This is a lifesaver for families on the go. With us...
MCC cookbook deals Plainly with local cuisine

With a cookbook title like "Treasured Amish & Mennonite Recipes," you would expect to find recipes for dishes such as Emma's Bean Salad and Stewed Chicken Dinner with Biscuits — and, of course, all things pickled.But Vietnamese Spring Rolls? Russian Pancakes? Hungarian Walnut Strud...
Farmer vs. the feds
One morning in the spring of 2010, two black SUVs rolled down the long dirt lane to Dan Allgyer's dairy farm in Kinzers.Federal Food and Drug Administration agents emerged.Samples of raw milk were confiscated from a cooler.One year later, the FDA asked a court to bar Allgyer from selling unpasteuriz...
Belle of barbecue
Patti LaBelle may be known for the disco anthem "Lady Marmalade."But now, thanks to her culinary prowess, the singer also can be called "the lady of the marmalade" or at least "of the barbecue sauce."LaBelle, who has enjoyed a 50-year career as an R&B singer, has branched out into the kitchen, b...
Chef Martino is generous with his family, and shellfish with his recipe
To say chef Scott Martino is a busy guy would be an understatement.He helps to run a Lancaster-based specialty foods business, Cortazzo Foods, which markets such goodies as Italian sauces. (Does arrabbiata make your mouth water?) He keeps busy giving culinary demonstrations, making guest appearances...
Simple hobo dinner on grill or campfire
When I was a kid, my friends and I spent a lot of time in "the woods." Growing up in the north end of Columbia was great, as we could reach the river or Chickies Rock and the surrounding wooded areas in five or 10 minutes. One of the things we often tried to do was cook a meal as part of our adventu...
Crab cakes: a delectable family tradition
 
I've written quite a bit lately about holiday traditions and the menus and foods we share with our family. I have one more, the one my wife and I have shared on past New Year's Eves.This is a simple supper, and it's one of my favorites. We make classic Maryland-style crab cake sandwich...
A New Year's ritual on grill
You might ask, "How can you grill sauerkraut?" Well ... I actually baked it on the grill, with very good results. The real star, though, was the pork.Now I'll tell you, I have tried preparing pork and sauerkraut many ways over the years, and I always come back to the way a former co-worker suggested...
Traditional rice is a reason for the Sazon
Dennis Ayala takes great pride in the heritage of this generous dish, which reflects his ancestral ties to Puerto Rico."I was born and raised here," the Lancaster resident said, but his father's family came to the area in 1952, making them one of the first Puerto Rican families in the Garden Spot. T...
Nordic drink adds spice to the party
To say that Sweden in December is cold would be redundant.But the fragrant Nordic mulled holiday punch called glögg is sure to warm the chilliest winter nights, whether you're in Scandinavia or right here in Lancaster County. It's perfect for those parties that count down to the New Year.Though...
Hashing out a Boxing Day tradition
Monday, the day after Christmas, is Boxing Day.I had never heard of this. Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish home, I thought boxing was a sport, and that it happened on Friday nights. So when my wife tried to explain Boxing Day, I was more than a little perplexed.A holiday the day after Christmas? It ...
Perfect pairings: Eden's Bowl matches produce farmers with customers
Eden's Bowl has three simple goals:
• Get farmers the prices they want.
• Get commercial and institutional customers the fresh produce they want.
• Get that fresh produce directly from those farmers to customers as fast as possible.
"The freshest — de...
At 'home' with Ma(i)son's Chef Mason
We're going to keep the introduction to this dish short, because this recipe is long. But it is so worth it. And it's really not complicated to make; it just takes time, as do all good things.Taylor Mason, the chef/proprietor who runs Ma(i)son restaurant on North Prince Street in Lancaster with his ...
Peace on earth, good grill to men
Ah, Christmas morning. You just want to open presents and take it easy.But wait a minute. Your stomach's starting to rumble. You need to eat but probably don't want to get into a big kitchen mess. After all, this is a day to relax.OK, here's the solution: Dig out your George Foreman or panini grill ...
Gifts that grate, strain, slice and dice
With the gift-giving season upon us, avid home cooks may have visions of culinary gadgetry dancing in their heads.And they can look to local chefs and kitchen-tool purveyors for practical advice on which gadgets to put on their Christmas lists.A good knife is, of course, a cook's best friend. But lo...

Recent Posts

We welcome opinions and information from all points of view. They enrich our news coverage.

We ask that your comments respect the opinions of others. Personal attacks and hate speech are not acceptable and, when reported, will be edited or removed. Offenders will be banned from making comments.

To post comments, you must provide us your real name and contact information. Sign up takes only a moment. You can do it here.

 

TalkBack comments about this article
Comment on this article
I heard it really sucks.
Report Abuse
LicenseForMayhem
Thanks for the very well researched article on sous vide.
Just want to make one correction. It is about Sous Vide Magic (SVM).
I am a user of SVM for about a year and find it very useful for looking large quantity of food. It all depends on the size of the cooker. My SVM can control a cooker with 1800W heater. That means If I use a commercial rice cooker I can create a 14L size bath. The largest cooker I have used is a 24L cooker. It is very easy to use and does not need experimentation. Best of all, it saves lot of energy to cook too.
Report Abuse
Eda