Star City Blog / Food

HowNowGreenCow.org Launches July 26th in Honor of Nebraska Local Foods Awareness Week

Nebraska will celebrate Local Foods Awareness Week July 25th through July 31st, as consumption of local foods:

- reduces our carbon footprint by decreasing the miles our food must travel from farm to plate,

- improves the nutritional value of our diet through freshly picked fruits and vegetables, and

- increases support of our local economy.

In honor of this celebration, the website How Now Green Cow will launch July 26th to educate the residents of Lincoln, Nebraska and surrounding areas on how to use local resources to “live green and save green.”

Just in Time for Memorial Day: How to Make Homemade Fried Chicken

By Alexis Abel

My friend Katie is no chicken. In May, she graduated with a masters in English literature. In June, she’ll fly to Turkey to study abroad and in August, she’ll move to Minnesota to begin her Ph.D. program. I’ve known Katie since we edited each others’ stories in an undergraduate class years ago. Though the stories were rife with melodrama, the friendship wasn’t, and Katie and I became fast friends.

So when I invited her over for dinner last week to celebrate her graduation, I offered to cook whatever her heart desired. However, I got a bit, well, chicken, when she asked me to cook fried chicken.

Being no stranger to culinary experiments, I accepted the challenge. I turned to the proper Southern mentors for some inspiration: technical epicure Alton Brown and butter-lovin’ Paula Deen. I also looked to a recipe by Cooks Illustrated. In the end, the technique I used was a combination of several recipes. Plan ahead: the recipe requires several days of non-active prep work, though it could be done in as little as two.

Homemade Pizza for the Time-Starved Cook

By Alexis Abel

Every February, my film professor husband skips off to Europe for two weeks to attend the Berlin film festival. On the same day he departs, so does my desire to cook. Every night that he’s away, I stare longingly into the fridge and hope that dinner will magically materialize. Sometimes I’ll flip through the phone book perusing the takeout menus before ultimately deciding to nuke some Kraft EasyMac or pour myself a bowl of cereal and milk. At least, that’s what I used to do.
 
The nightmarish “What’s for dinner?” dilemma is frightening even if you’re not eating alone. But I have a solution that gets dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes: homemade pizza. This pizza is tastier and healthier than the typical fat-laden grease bomb you’ll get when you order takeout. By making your own pizza, you can also customize it to meet your exact taste, diet and health specifications. For fast homemade pizza, I recommend partially baking, or parbaking, your favorite homemade crust and stashing it in your freezer to pull out during a busy week. This technique does, however, require advance preparation, making it perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon.

Judy a la Carte: Demystifying Cooking Terms

By Judy Gilliard, "Judy a la carte"

In recent days, I have been so pleased to discover a renewed interest in the art of cooking and the simple act of joining friends and family around the table. I have found that when I teach cooking classes, there have been a lot of questions regarding some of the cooking terms, so I thought I would list the terms I get the most questions on and demystify them for you, as well as give you a few easy, basic recipes. 

Judy a la Carte: Easy and Elegant Holiday Food to Share with Friends

By Judy Gilliard, "Judy a la carte"

Holidays are about spending quality time with friends and family and we should take the time to spread some holiday cheer! A perfect way to do so would be a planned dinner out or having friends stop by for a cocktail and appetizers. With a little bit of preparation, you and your friends can enjoy yourselves with some good food, drink and holiday cheer.

How to Make Duck Confit

By Alexis Abel

As Thanksgiving draws near, you’ve probably only had one fabulous fowl on your mind. But this year, consider a bird of a different feather for your holiday celebrations: duck.

Duck has become a popular protein in recent years due to its flavorful lean meat. Often compared to a chicken or turkey, duck has a richer, darker flavor. Duck is also a popular item on the menus of many local restaurants, including Bread and Cup, Dish, Carmela’s and Green Gateau in a variety of guises, both sweet and savory.

Ducks consumed in the United States are usually of Pekin or Muscovy breeds and weigh between 8 to 11 pounds. In Lincoln, duck is widely available at most supermarkets. Though bone-in, skin-on duck breasts can be purchased, a whole duck is the most economical, priced at $2.00-$2.50 per pound. Duck can be prepared in a variety of ways, including roasted, to yield medium-rare meat with crispy skin, or my favorite way—confited.

Enter Judy a la Carte's Recipe Contest for a Chance to Win an Alaskan Cruise

KFOR’s Judy a la carte will set sail on Holland America Line for a 7-day Alaskan cruise September 5, 2010 from Pegasus Travel. This fun filled, breathtaking scenic adventure with fine dining is also a recipe contest.

1st place winner will receive this wonderful Alaskan cruise for two.

2nd place winner will receive Anolon Chef Clad 10-piece cookware set.

3rd place winner will receive a set of Wusthof Knives.4.

4th place winner will receive a set of the Fast and Fabulous Cookbooks by Judy.

PLUS from Nov. 2009 – March, 2010 a “Recipe of the Month” will be chosen. Each winner will receive $100 in cash and a set of Bandiola Spices. Monthly winners are also eligible for the grand prizes.

Judy a la Carte: Dessert and Coffee

By Judy Gilliard, “Judy a la carte”
     
It seems that everyone, no matter the age, loves dessert. So inviting friends over for dessert and coffee can be just the ticket for a fun evening. You could ask everyone to bring their favorite dessert. . .or make them all yourself! 

As your guests arrive, start the evening with a glass of champagne, then proceed to a dessert table full of Dark and Spicy Gingerbread, Black Forest Cake, Poppy-Seed Lemon Cake, Fruit tarts, a cheese platter, fresh fruit, and a bowl of nuts. Afterward, you can all partake in some coffee and a showing of a movie like Chocolat or Ratatouille.

Judy a la Carte: Recipes for the Holidays

By Judy Gilliard, “Judy a la carte”

The holidays are perfect occasions to visit friends and family and show them how much you love them. During this time of gift giving, there is nothing as nice as giving a gift from your kitchen. Especially when that gift tastes great and falls within the guidelines of good health!

You can create baskets filled with homemade pumpkin muffins, brownies and Peanut butter Bars wrapped in cloth holiday napkins or kitchen towels.  Alternatively, you can take an individual pumpkin cake baked in festive Bundt pans, and place it on a red paper plate. Wrap it with plastic wrap, tie it up with a cheerful ribbon and it‘s ready to be given to that special someone. 

Judy a la Carte: Fall Recipes

By Judy Gilliard, “Judy a la carte”

With September upon us, the days are getting shorter, football fever has completely set in and some evenings are spent sitting down to a nice bowl of chili.  Fall is the perfect time to cook up a good pot of chili or an old fashioned stew to share with friends and loved ones. 

Celebrate fall and food by getting together that special group of friends to start a monthly dinner group, where each month you plan a dinner and alternate homes so that the host prepares the main meal and others bring appetizers, dessert and wine. Gather everyone together, calendars in hand and come up with food ideas while choosing dates.