Summer Cooking | DanaSlatkin.com

Summer Cooking Contest

06/01/2012 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

Summer is to savor…how are you going to enjoy it? No doubt yours will be delicious! Send in your favorite summer recipe — a salad, a picnic dish, something grilled or something sweet. Be sure to include a little information about who you are and where you live. You have until July 30th and you can enter as many times as you wish. All recipes will be acknowledged, tested and tasted. The winning recipe will be featured here on this website. The winner will receive a beautiful wooden salad bowl, perfect for summer entertaining! Good luck and happy summer! Send in your entry here. This lovely photo of a farmers market stand comes courtesy of my dear friend Maxine, a talented photographer, designer, cook, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cooking Contest

Summer Entertaining 101

05/24/2012 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

The grilling season officially kicks off this weekend, and so do my shoes! Time to unplug, unwind, and reboot for summer. But how easy is it to pull off? Here are a few do’s and don’t’s to keep your cool… DO… Blend In. Summer cooking tends to rely more on fresh fruits and vegetables in the raw. Blend them into smoothies, frozen cocktails, creamy salad dressings, gazpacho and yogurt-based soups. Invest in a powerful but quiet blender to do the job. Go casual. Family-style is the way to go in summer…meaning glass pitchers, giant wooden bowls and beautiful platters. Your guests help themselves while you enjoy the company. Improvise. You don’t need elaborate centerpieces to decorate … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 90210 Style, Dairy-free

Summer Cooking for Kids with the Beverly Hills Farmgirl

04/26/2011 By Dana Slatkin

Crispy Parmesan Kale Chips, Sweet + Smoky Salmon that doesn't require a grill, the best blueberry pie ever, and more! Saturday, June 11 9:30 am – noon Menu and location to be given upon registration. 2-hour class includes recipe books, lunch, and a donation to a very worthy local charity. The first 20 people to sign up and send a check (made to “Beverly Hills Farmers Market, Inc.”) will be admitted. Send to Dana Slatkin / 9950 Santa Monica Boulevard / Beverly Hills, CA 90212 One Class: $100 Two Classes: $180 Three Classes: $260 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events

Summer Fruit with Raspberry Mint Sauce

07/10/2010 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

There are times when we cooks don’t always want to get cooking. Last week, on a sticky, scorching day, preparing a meal was the last thing I felt like doing. Cranky and wilting, I packed up my 3-year-old and headed to a nearby café. We were thrilled to discover this unassuming dish on the menu. The fruit was arranged proud and upright on the plate, like a juicy Stonehenge. Beautiful in its simplicity. And just the perfect way to beat the heat. Besides, air conditioning never tasted this fresh. For another invigorating summer dish that doesn’t involve the oven, try 1-Minute Basil Pesto with Ricotta Cheese! Don’t forget to enter our July cooking contest to win cool prizes, including my Summertime Anytime … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dessert Recipes

Fast and Fresh Cooking School for Kids

06/02/2010 By Dana Slatkin

Easy Techniques and Recipes for Delightful Summer Meals Sunday, June 13 11 am - 1 pm and Friday, June 25 11 am - 1 pm Menu and location to be given upon registration. This is a drop-off class for kids ages 8 and up. Capacity is limited. The first 10 people to sign up and send a check for $100 (made to “Beverly Hills Farmers Market, Inc.”) will be admitted. Send to Dana Slatkin / 9950 Santa Monica Boulevard / Beverly Hills, CA 90212. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Events

Shredded Tricolor Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants and Parmesan

08/27/2009 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

You could call this confetti-like salad a shredded Caesar, but it contains no anchovies or garlic. It might remind you of a festive cole slaw, but it is neither sweet nor vinegary. And if you think it is any ordinary salad, you would be overlooking all the wonderful surprises nestled in this colorful, crunchy chiffonade. It has become my new obsession, initially sparked at an Aspen restaurant called LuLu Wilson. There, I tasted a signature kale salad that I had been hearing about all summer, and I was instantly hooked. I’m not sure why the dish is so irresistible — it is simply a tangle of finely shredded kale, Parmesan cheese, currants and pine nuts, lightly coated in olive oil and lemon. My guess is that most people … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Salad Recipes

Yogurt Mousse with Honey-Poached Apricots

07/27/2009 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

With the sweltering heat in most parts of the country, I’m betting you’ve already made at least one trip to your local frozen yogurt shop to cool off with a cup of tart “fro yo.” We Angelenos like to stake claim to the original purveyor of this trendy national obsession, Pinkberry, though no one can really keep track of which fruity moniker deserves the credit for popularizing this latest dairy delicacy. I have occasionally enjoyed one of the tasty but gas-producing treats, topping it with fresh fruit to rationalize it as wholesome. But personally, I would rather forgo the stomach cramps and whip up something at home. This smooth and refreshing dessert from Summertime Anytime is like a pleasant after-dinner walk, giving you a palette-cleansing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dessert Recipes

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

07/22/2009 By Dana Slatkin 14 Comments

To my taste buds, there is nothing more lusciously comforting than a risotto. The creamy texture brings me right back to my childhood, and the savory bits speckled throughout never cease to excite me. The only problem is that risotto is murder on a dinner party. Once it reaches that precarious point of perfection, risotto must be served immediately. A few seconds too many on the heat and it turns to mush. In order to achieve a risotto’s sublime texture, constant vigilance is required, leading to the inevitable neglecting of dinner guests. But during a fortuitous pass down a grocery aisle last week, I spotted the thing that would put my risotto fears to rest. I grabbed the box and headed home for some experimenting. A few hours later, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Vegetarian Recipes