If you are still hunting for the perfect holiday gift, there’s no need to brave crowds and traffic. Here are some gourmet goodies that you can buy with your slippers on. I’ll bet your favorite foodie doesn’t have these…

1. Cast Iron Pans — a gift to last a lifetime

2. Copper Fondue Pot + Skewers (wrap it along with my recipe for Chocolate Coconut Fondue)

3. Glass Food Storage Containers — safe to go from the fridge to the microwave

4. Cake Paper Placemats + Napkins — what I use now in all of my cooking classes

5. Nespresso Citiz Automatic Espresso Maker with Aeroccino — a true game-changer

6. A 1-month supply of fresh produce from FarmBox LA — your local farmers market comes to your doorstep every week!

7. Monin 5-pack Holiday Sampler — turn your morning coffee into a treat

8. Wooden 3-tiered Server — in my kitchen, this is always filled with fruits and treats during the holidays

9. Citrus Squeezer — the best gift I received this year

10. Olive Wood Parmesan Cheese/Nutmeg Grater — jewelry for your counter

11. Extra Large Natural Acacia Wooden Salad Bowl — generously sized and an elegantly organic addition to the table

12. Mrs. May’s White Sesame Bars with Açai and Strawberry — my newest addiction

13. Silicone baking sheets — indispensable for anyone who likes to bake

14. Edible Silver Leaf Shaker (also available in Gold Leaf) — turns your holiday desserts, cookies, and fudge into sweet gems

15. Boerner V-Slicer + Mandoline — for easy precision slicing

16. My favorite DVDs to drool over:

• Julie and Julia
• Heartburn
• Ratatouille
• Mostly Martha
• The Big Night
• Chocolat

17. A subscription to Cook’s Illustrated (magazine or online) — my favorite monthly read

18. Personalized Kitchen Labels from Felix Doolittle — anyone who gives gourmet gifts would love having these

19. Dainty Champagne Flutes (set of 4) — buy extra to use as delicate vases

20. Gift basket from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills — an impressive gift for any LA foodie.

Photo credit: Cartridges for Kids

The holidays are all about bringing family and loved ones together…not an easy feat in itself. And if you are the one attempting to feed the hungry crowd, you will need a plan of action.

Here are some menus to help you sort it all out. They are designed to please a variety of appetites and dietary desires — Kosher, low-fat and low-cholesterol, meatless, or vegan. For the recipe, simply click on the name of the dish.

Once you have decided what’s on your menu, be sure to check out my Farmgirl Shopping List before heading to the market. By popular demand, I will be posting more menus in the coming months. For delicious and do-able weekday dinners, you’ll find more menus at A Week of Farmgirl Menus.

Pumpkin Spice Kir Royals
Sautéed Spinach with Porcini-Truffle Powder
Roasted Free-Range Organic Turkey Your Way
Sweet Potato Coconut Crumble
Cranberry Raspberry Relish
French Apple Pie

Endive with Fig Jam, Local Blue Cheese and Candied Pecans
Butternut Squash Coconut Soup with Cilantro-Scallion Oil
Puffy Popovers
Cranberry Raspberry Relish
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Chestnuts and Pomegranate
Wild Mushroom Potato Gratin
Dark Chocolate Walnut Bourbon Pie

 
Photo credit: bossacafez.blogspot.com

When iTunes took over the planet, all of a sudden there were millions of songs at our fingertips. It was exciting and overwhelming, to say the least. Many of us (of a certain generation) freaked out and refused to embrace the technology. Then someone ingeniously decided to help us out with playlists. Suddenly, the world of music wasn’t so vast. We just needed someone to tell us what we wanted to hear.

I believe cooking is heading down a similar road. Despite the jillion recipes out there, I often have no idea what to make for dinner. Even with shelves of cookbooks and bulging recipe files, it is still a daily challenge to come up with menus that are nourishing, satisfying, and exciting. What we need is a playlist to tell us what to make and when to make it.

So I decided to come up with my own playlist. I jotted down a week’s worth of recipes. I stocked up the kitchen with staples from my Farmgirl Shopping List And then I planned the menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Monday through Sunday.

I ended up making only three trips to the store that week, mainly for the fresh fish. There were plenty of leftovers, which I could freeze and then reheat to cover several meals into the next week. And I did allow a couple meals out, giving me a welcome break from the kitchen (and allowing my kids a brief escape from the food dictator).

Knowing the menus of the day took most of the stress out of cooking. My playlist allowed me to shop and cook with a purpose. My husband and children gathered around the table more often. For week at least, life was a little less hectic. And that was music to my ears.

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Puffy Popovers Bull’s-Eye Eggs	Scottish Oats with Brown Sugar and Berries	5-Minute Crêpes Berries and Greek Yogurt	Cereal or Shutters Granola with Soy Milk	Sprouted Grain Toast with Pumpkin Butter and Greek Yogurt	Maple Oat Scones Egg White Omelet with Cheddar Cheese	Buckwheat Pancakes with Strawberries
Chickpea Fritters with Yogurt Tahini Sauce Mediterranean Salad Whole Wheat Pita Bread	Mushroom Edamame Burgers Sweet Potato Fries	Shutters Vegetarian Burger Kale Chips	Plum Tomato Soup with Baby Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Spelt Country Bread	Spelt Pasta with Tofu Bolognese Roasted Purple Cauliflower	Winter Chopped Salad Mushroom Quinoa Risotto	Persian Chicken Burgers with Sprouted Grain Bun Persian Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Seared Salmon with Artichokes and Light Saffron Sauce Brown Rice Fresh Berries with Chocolate Coconut Fondue	Radicchio Caesar Pasta Arrabbiata all’ Tonno	Farmers Market Vegetable Soup Roasted Baby Potatoes Healthy Crustless Quiche	Frisée Salad with Yellow Beans and Poached Egg Spring Green Farro Risotto Mexican Hot Chocolate	Chicken Miso Soup Potato Zucchini Latkes Seared Fish with Simple Sauce Cappuccino Cheesecake with Cookie Crust	Seared Tuna with Asian Slaw Shiitake Mushroom Fries Ginger-Chocolate Soufflé	Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Brussel Sprout Chips

Photo credit: Culinate.com

www.countryliving.com

I had one thought this week: Must…Get…Organized. I was desperate. After tripping over a can of tomatoes and finding granola bars in the onion basket, I concluded it was time to rearrange my life. So I decided to start with the room where I spend the majority of my time…the kitchen.

My past organizational skills peaked at Ziploc bags. Every time I opened a cupboard, I cringed. I started leaving leftovers on plates in the fridge because finding the matching lid to a plastic container would take up 10 minutes. Then, on a trip to the mall, I discovered a store entirely devoted to controlling clutter. There was hope.

But I needed a plan. There were so many options, so many ways to keep my stuff in order. After a third trip to the store, armed with measurements and lists, I finally made my investment. I went home and unloaded the trunk to the kitchen floor. And two days later, my kitchen emerged from its makeover looking fresh, purposeful, and completely in order.

The whole process was a bit daunting. So I wanted to share a few helpful tips from my odyssey, along with some indispensable items to purchase. I have since moved on to organizing the rest of my life. If only it were as easy as buying a few containers.

Mesh Drawer Storage Box (Silver) (2″h x 3″ x 9″)
Mesh Drawer Storage Boxes — Ideal for storing snacks, utensils, baking equipment.

1. Start by keying in on the sources of disorder. Are your cupboards a mess? How are your dry goods kept? Are your utensil drawers jammed so full they are impossible to open? Are you running out of space because you keep buying things you didn’t know you had?

OXO Good Grips 10-Piece POP Container Set
OXO Good Grips pop containers
Attractive and air-tight. I like the
number of sizes for maximum versatility.

2. Write down the areas you wish to attack. For example: cutlery drawer, utensils, dry ingredients, spices, rice and grains, plastic containers, teas, etc.

These stack easily and, thankfully,
all the lids are the same size!

3. Take measurements. Taking the time to measure your shelves, cupboards, utensils, and the items you want to organize will save you from having to go back to the store with returns.

4. If you can’t stand to throw away, call on a friend. When I was cleaning out my cupboards, I found boxes of tea from ten years ago. That popcorn popper that never gets used? Get rid of it. Or give it to your friend.

Rubbermaid Produce Saver Square 8-Piece Set Food Storage Containers
Rubber Maid produce saver containers. If you are skeptical of plastic, try these handy glass containers.
They go from the fridge to the microwave with no worries.

Oggi Stainless Steel Airtight 3-Piece Canister Set
Oggi Stainless Steel Airtight
3 Piece Canister Set
When you are out of cupboard space, these are attractive enough to display on your counters.

5. Wash all purchases before putting them to use. To go even further, smell the containers before bringing them home. If they reek of chemicals, don‘t buy them.

Libbey Cylinder-Shaped Glass Jars with Stainless-Steel Lids, Set of 4
                Libbey cylinder-shaped glass jars

Brother PT-80 P-touch Electronic Labeling System
Brother P-touch Electronic Labeling System
A new addiction. Labels give your kitchen a laboratory-like sense of order. Start labeling your containers and you may never stop.

6. Invest in a label maker. Label all containers that you can’t see through to save time and impress other household members with your organizational finesse.

Browse our complete recipe collection.

Salt and Pepper Mills

Many of you have already finished your holiday shopping and if so, big time domestic goddess points for you! But for those of us who will be doing most of our gift hunting with our pajamas on, here are ten great ideas for the food-lover who has everything (I’ll bet they don’t have these!)…

1) Executive Pen Salt and Pepper Grinders by Grind — $60.00

This sleek set is attractive enough to be put on display in your kitchen or on your dining table. There are so many salt and pepper shakers out there, but only a few grind both the salt and pepper of your choice…and these require the use of only one hand. You decide what to do with the other hand!

2) Silicone baking sheets — $19.74 to $26.95 on Amazon.com; $14.95 to $19.95 on Surlatable.com

These were also number 2 on the list of My Top 10 Favorite Kitchen Gadgets. The dishwasher-safe, silicone version of parchment paper is what I reach for when making Brussels Sprout Chips, roasting vegetables, and baking cookies. You’ll never have to scrub your baking sheets again. Available at Amazon and Sur la Table.

3) Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer — $21.45 on Amazon.com.

For your friends who love to show off their slicing finesse, this handy cheat is the best deal around. It comes with four blades that do everything from perfect potato slices to zucchini noodles to fancy carrot ribbons.

4) Best DVDs to drool over: Julie and Julia, Heartburn, Sabrina, Ratatouille, Mostly Martha, The Big Night, Chocolat, Who’s Killing The Great Chefs of Europe?, Heartburn. All available on Amazon.com.

5)Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother $349 at Amazon.com

This compact, retro-chic machine is my new favorite toy. With the touch of one button, it makes a perfect, creamy cup of espresso. Press the button on the milk frother and you will have hot, frothy milk ready at the same time. I love that you can froth any kind of milk you like — soy, coconut, almond, even nonfat. It’s like having a private branch of Starbucks right in your own kitchen.

6) A subscription to Cook’s Illustrated $26.95 for one year

Now that Gourmet has gone to magazine heaven (let’s hope it’s just temporary), Cook’s Illustrated is by far my favorite cooking magazine. Informative, full of fun tips from readers, and illustrated with charming drawings, it’s my monthly treat. Eager to try the classic if somewhat campy dishes, I always end up tearing out most of the pages. The reliable recipes have been tested every which way, with explanations on the why’s and how’s. Christopher Kimball’s eloquently-written Editor’s Letter is worth the cost of the whole issue.

7) Personalized Kitchen Labels from Felix Doolittle — from $25.

Ever since I discovered a breathtaking holiday card set in New York’s Central Park, I continue to be captivated by the whimsical illustrations of Felix Doolittle. Now he offers personalized labels to put on your kitchen creations, from jams and butters to sauces and baked goods. Have a set made for a favorite cook, or put them on your own confections for an elegant, heartfelt gift.

Spice Collections from Dean and Deluca — $55 for 9 spices

Anyone who loves to cook will appreciate some new spices to play with, especially when they are packaged beautifully from one of New York’s most renowned gourmet food stores. Choose from an Indian, Spanish, or Chinese assortment. These are at the top of my own holiday wish list!

9) Cuisinart Stainless Steel Fondue Maker — on sale for $49.99 at macys.com.

This time of year, there’s nothing cozier than fondue, especially for someone who loves cheese or chocolate. I like this model because it is electrified, so there’s no messy and dangerous flame, and it has a temperature control to prevent scorching. Wrap it together with my recipe for Chocolate Coconut Fondue.

10) The Summertime Anytime Cookbook: Recipes from Shutters on the Beach
— $23.00 at Amazon.com.

Why not give an autographed cookbook that your favorite peeps will have forever? Send a case to me and I will happily personalize one for each of your foodie friends.

donfreemanphoto.com

Entertaining this time of year is all about creating warmth and memories. There’s nothing more inviting than a sumptuous dining table laden with glowing candles, fully-bloomed flowers and abundant fresh fruit. From tabletop to menu, here are some ways to help you create a memorable experience for your guests. But as with any celebration, the magic ingredient is gratitude. Keep it in mind and your soirées will always be meaningful.

1. Place pillar candles inside glass hurricanes (see Eight Ways to Decorate a Hurricane) and light votives everywhere (don’t forget the powder room).

2. Arrange wooden or vintage platters and bowls (mismatched is more stylish) using squashes, pumpkins, apples, crabapples, clementines, multi-hued grapes, persimmons, pears or whole walnuts. They will last longer than flowers and can keep your guests from getting hungry.

3. Scatter fall leaves on the table or inside bowls of fruit.

4. Place well-loved wooden cutting boards on the dining table with crusty loaves of bread so that guests can serve themselves.

5. Use cranberries to secure flowers and branches in a vase…

6. Cake stands in all shapes and sizes create height and whimsy on a buffet. I especially like mine rustic…or dramatic…

7. Now is the time to take out your copper pots and serving dishes and use them!

8. Keep a pot of apple cider brewing on the stove. Fill it with cinnamon sticks and a clove-studded orange. The aromas will permeate your home and amplify the festive ambiance. For a more formal party, I like this display…

Photo credits: Craftzine, Coren Moore, Don Freeman and White Lace Wedding

Summer entertaining is what I wish for all year. It’s always casual, convivial, and fuss-free. But what I love most is that everyone slows down this time of year. A late morning brunch will flow into siesta time, and early sunset dinners linger well past midnight. Your friends aren’t sneaking neurotic glances at their iPhones or rushing out to their next appointment. Kids can stay up late with the grown-ups. Summer is the perfect excuse to loosen up, to decelerate. And it’s when I get to spoil my friends and family without stressing out.

If you want your company to hang around a long time, keep the food and drink flowing. Because temperatures are warmer and appetites tend to diminish in the summertime, portions can be smaller than usual (count on no more than 4 to 5 ounces of protein per person). To make sure no one rushes off too soon, I typically add an extra course to summer meals: cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, cold soup shooters, an extra vegetable to accompany the main course, or chocolates and cordials. Try stirring up a frisky concoction, like Kumquat Passion Potion, to greet guests when they arrive. A platter of juice glasses filled with a cold soup (try Summertime Gazpacho) and Crispy Kale Chips will curb anyone’s hunger, so there’s no need to rush into dinner.

Looking for inspiration for your table? Shop no further than your farmers market. While you are hunting for your feast, pick up some additional fruit, such as beautiful kiwis, apricots and champagne grapes, to adorn a centerpiece. Clementines, plums, baby melons and dragon fruit become edible table jewelry. I recently bought a rustic three-tiered wooden server that I dress with all kinds of whole and halved fruits, depending on what catches my eye at the market. Mix in some small votives and bud vases and you’ll have a sumptuous still life on your table.

Artichokes always say “summer” to me, and I love to decorate with them this time of year. Artichoke flowers with long stems are worth seeking out at your farmers market; you just need a few to fill a vase and add whimsy to your table. Or mix in a couple of artichokes with flowers and herbs from your garden to give a lovely seasonal twist on a traditional bouquet. For a clever votive holder, scoop out the chokes and inner leaves of a large artichoke and pop the candle right in.

Speaking of candles, I am always looking for new ways to decorate my stash of glass hurricanes (see Eight Ways to Decorate a Glass Hurricane), and last week’s trip to the market gave me a multitude of ideas. Apples, apricots, citrus fruits, assorted nuts in their shells, asparagus spears, even pee wee potatoes have all made their way into a hurricane. Start by nestling a candle in the middle and then just pour in your delicious loot. For a centerpiece, you can forgo the candle and steady a bunch of flowers into the middle.

To me, summer is all about making memories to hold on to the rest of the year. When I have a large dinner party, I’ll give my guests a little treat to take home with them. Of course, my party favors usually come from the farmers market. Little potted herbs that are used to decorate the dining table make perfect take-home gifts. And everyone loves a bag of munchies for the ride home or next morning: candied nuts, dried fruit, and — my personal addiction — kettle corn. Buy them in bulk and then repackage them in small brown bags tied with a ribbon and a sprig of lavender.

For more outdoor entertaining tips, check out my interview in this month’s issue of C Magazine.

Photo credits: Don Freeman via Brides Magazine, Mindy Sonshine via Real Green Weddings,Seaport Flowers and Vineyard Event Garden.

Cutting Board

These days it seems like everything is on sale, and even my beloved cooking supply stores are offering deals on essentials like knives, pots, and kitchen gadgets. So, this week, I diverge from my style musings to talk practical.

In my cooking classes, I am frequently asked which are the kitchen tools I use most. The question usually comes up when I am demonstrating how to whip egg whites to frothy peaks, because no one can believe that I do not use a Kitchen Aid mixer to perform the feat. I respond that I do not own one. Gasp! How can I not own a Kitchen Aid mixer, or any mixer for that matter?

True, I have always admired the retro-chic contraption, with its designer colors and domestic goddess presence on sleek kitchen counters. But I have never been able to justify the time or price tag. After all, by the time you transfer your ingredients to the bowl, insert the attachments, wash and dry all the parts, and put them all away, I will have already taken my chocolate soufflés out of the oven!

For me, a good kitchen gadget has to be quick to use, wash, and put away. Besides the obvious ones — sharp knives, rubber spatulas, wood spoons, whisks, strainers, measuring spoons, etc, which you don’t need me to tell you about — there are certain tools that I reach for again and again. I agree with Michael Ruhlman that Kosher salt is the most useful tool in the kitchen…but I do not count that as a gadget. So here are my top ten most used gizmos, starting with the one I reach for most. I would love to hear about yours!

1. A durable and attractive pepper grinder

I have several for different pepper blends, including this cute one-handed bunny version; don’t waste your money on the battery-operated kind — too fancy for its own good.

2. Silpat (or other silicone) baking sheets
Provide a truly non-stick surface for baking cookies, oven-drying tomatoes, making Crispy Parmesan Kale Chips, and more; also great for rolling out pie dough.

3. Cuisinart food processor
The quickest way to shred potatoes for latkes, cream butter and sugar, mix pizza dough, and blend cookie, scone and muffin batter.

4. Cutting boards in various sizes made from compressed wood pulp.
Even though I have a butcher block island for chopping, I pull out the cutting boards to chop garlic, onions, shallots, smoked salmon, and anything that will leave a stinky trace; these are dishwasher-safe and very light; also easy to store.

5. Microplane grater and zester
You can’t beat the flavor boost of freshly grated citrus zest, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, even rock salt.

6. Plastic scraper
A souvenir from my days as an apprentice at Fauchon; great for mixing anything in a bowl, also for cleaning sticky dough off counters; basically indestructible.

7. Cast iron skillet
Buy a large one to cook enough protein for a crowd; I use mine for deep-frying vegetables, too.

8. Rice Steamer
Since I finally invested in this handy cooker, I’ve never blown a batch of rice. It lets you forget about the rice while you go about your day. It will shut off automatically and even keeps the rice warm. In my freezer, there is always a bag of cooked brown rice.

9. Muddler
If you enjoy making cocktails and fun beverages (see my recipes for Pomegranate-Mint Mojitos and, coming soon, Kumquat Passion Potion), this is an essential.

10. Plastic squeeze bottles
When serving a plated dinner party, I like to squirt sauces, oils, or cream from these no-fuss bottles; an easy way to cook like a pro.

Thumbs up
These heaven-sent inventions also get my approval…

1. Plastic gloves
Buy them small so you can chop comfortably in them. They will protect you from cuts, burns, and nail-breakage, plus your hands won’t reek of garlic.
2. Puff pastry dough, and
3. Lady Fingers
I will never have time to make these from scratch, at least not in this lifetime! But with excellent packaged versions now widely available, we can all whip up a dreamy Tarte Tatin or Tiramisú.
4. Immersion Blender
I’ll admit it took me a long time to embrace this one. It does take up space, but there is no better (or safer) way to blend hot soups.
5. Bamboo hors d’oeuvre skewers
To instantly dress up finger foods, try spiking Shiitake Mushroom Fries and Parmesan chunks, oven-dried tomatoes and mozzarella bocconcini, anchovy-stuffed olives and oil-packed tuna, or potato-zucchini pancakes with smoked salmon and crême fraiche (tune in for recipes this summer).
6. Bamboo plates
Fabulous looking and fully compostable; available at Greenfeet.

Thumbs down

1. Silicone muffin cups and baking molds
I find these are pricey and not really non-stick; besides, don’t you love peeling away those cute muffin papers?
2. Double Boiler
A waste of precious drawer space, when you can just as easily use a pot of water with a pan on top.
3. Egg Poacher
Those little indentations are cute, but they produce eggs shaped like pucks. It is just as easy to drop the eggs into a pot of simmering salted water.
4. French mandoline
These can cost well over $200.00, and they are much more finicky than the less expensive Japanese (Benriner) or Good Grips (OXO) versions.

Photo credits: 20MinuteGarden.com, Bakertowne.net, BakerySugarCraft.com, CrateandBarrel.com, Doba.com, FurnitureStoreBlog.com, Kitchensetal.com, PastryItems.com, ShopFosters.com, SustainableisGood.com and TeamSugar.com.

Spring is the time to start fresh, toss out old habits, and add some pizzazz to your routine. But without some effort, it’s easy to revert to the mundane. When I come home at 6 pm and haven’t even begun to think about dinner, I’m not thinking stylish, I’m in survival mode.

I know it’s time to come up with something new when my kids say “Noooo, not chicken cutlets again!” The other night, I tried making my weekly standby with crumbs from brown rice cakes instead of Challah bread, and from the raves I got, you would have thought I invented a cure for homework!

Flair comes from the unexpected and, with a little inspiration, you can add a dash to every meal. Remember the first time you were at a cocktail party and someone served you an adorable hors d’oeuvre in a Chinese soup spoon? (Okay, maybe you weren’t as tickled as I was.)

Flair doesn’t mean fancy. It can be as simple as serving cold soup in juice glasses instead of bowls (see the cute photo above), or pouring a refreshing new beverage (try my Pomegranate-Mint Mojitos or Melon Agua Fresca from Summertime Anytime). The more chilled you are as a cook and host, the more fun you can have adding touches of flair to your table.

I make chicken soup just about every week, but each time I toss in something new: lemon grass, cilantro and ginger; roasted chiles, tomatoes and tortillas; coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice. Some brews go over better than others, but I least I don’t bore myself (and my family) to tears.

Next time you go to the market, try bringing your kids or spouse along. They are bound to throw something into the cart that you wouldn’t ordinarily buy. I love letting my kids loose in the produce department and letting them try anything they desire (of course, this can be risky in the snack aisle!). That is how I added broccoflower (adorable name), Jerusalem artichokes (“Are they holy?”), pee wee potatoes and purple carrots to my repertoire.

On the other hand, some routines are worth keeping, such as family dinners (make them mandatory at least four nights a week), lazy Sunday breakfasts, and holiday gatherings. But with a few small changes to your ritual, you will feel like Spring has sprung, even if chicken cutlets are on the menu again.

Ambience is important when entertaining. Learn Eight Ways to Decorate a Glass Hurricane.

The secret to keeping your skin baby-smooth is in the easy-to-find ingredients for this invigorating skin treatment. It combines salt to exfoliate, sugar to dislodge and dissolve dead skin cells, almond oil to smooth and nourish the skin, and lavender oil to discourage wrinkles. My friend Ole Henriksen has the most beautiful skin I have ever seen, so I’m sticking with his advice. For more recipes, check out “Beauty and The Beach” in the Stormy Nights chapter of Summertime Anytime.

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Now that you’ve pampered yourself, pamper your surroundings with a decorated glass hurricane for some special ambience.