Strollerderby : Bittman

Kitchenista: Berries and Cream

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Sometimes, it's just too easy to toss together a good, healthy dessert. This is one of those times.

Berries of all sorts are in season right now. In my area, it's blueberries but you may have a bounty of red ones or dark purple ones or pink ones. While most sensible eaters won't turn down an unadorned bowl of berries, sweeten the deal with this "easy cream" -- a name which makes me giggle like a junior high kid -- from Mark Bittman.

Photo credit: Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Kitchenista: Beautiful Blueberries

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Summer food should be all about simplicity. Now is the time when things are fresh and abundant -- so fresh and abundant, in fact, that it can be a trick to get everything eaten or preserved before it becomes blue fuzzy goo in the fridge.

Summer food should also be about not turning on the oven, which is why I lurve this recipe from the almighty Mark Bittman.

Bittman's No-Bake Cheescake Bars would be yummy no matter what fruit (or, um, chocolate chip-type candy) you put on top. But with blueberries so sweet and cheap right now, it's hard to resist.

Bittman offers some extra mods on the bars here. I'll be going with blueberry, tho, if only because I have a bushel that's begging to be used before it turns into a primordial soup in the chill chest.

Photo credit: Evan Sung for The New York Times

Kitchenista: Pop Secret

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Psssst.

You.

Yes, you.

Come over here.

Do you like the convenience of microwave popcorn?

Do you like to save money and know what goes in to your food?

Yeah. Me, too.

Let me hip you to some knowledge that the Corporate Popcorn Man doesn't want you to hear: You don't need his special bags coated with nine kinds of chemicals to pop your own. All you really need is popcorn and a paper bag. If you feel kicky -- and I always do -- add two staples. Works like a dream.

Trust me.

And if anyone asks, I didn't tell you nothin'.

Pop free, my friends, or at least very close to free.

Photo credit: Mark Bittman for the New York Times

Kitchenista: Pudding Can Bite Me

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT

One of my most secret kitchen shames is that I can't make pudding. It doesn't matter if I'm trying to whip one up from scratch or from a box, the result are always decidedly not-pudding. I've made chocolate soup. I've made butterscotch hockey pucks. I have had some success with the instant pudding mixes -- but, seriously, who wants to eat that stuff?

I've developed something of a pudding block. Now, even if I have a recipe that is "foolproof" I am so convinced that I'll screw it up that I invariably do. To hell with pudding, I say. Pudding can go screw itself.

Which is why I now make custards. Sure, they may seem pudding-like but the technique involves the oven more than the stovetop. And that has made all of the difference.

Given that I live in the heart of maple country, I can't resist this Maple Crema (it's a custard, not a pudding) from Babbo by way of Mark Bittman. One word of advice -- use real maple syrup, not that pancake topping crap that is all corn syrup and flavorings.

Photo credit: Andrew Scrivani for the New York Times