Cooking with Amy: A Food Blog

• Jam Bars Recipe

  
  I'm something of a party pooper when it comes to Christmas. I can't stand anything red and green and find Christmas trees universally tacky. Don't even get me started on the rampant Christmas consumerism or we'll be here all day! But I have always had [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 07, 2009, 9:00am EST
  by Amy Sherman

• Interview with Paula Wolfert

  
  At the Worlds of Flavor conference a few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of speaking with celebrated author Paula Wolfert about the subject of her latest book, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking. It's one of the [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: December 04, 2009, 10:40am EST
  by Amy Sherman

• Turkey Leftovers Recipes

  
  If you ask me, the second best thing about Thanksgiving is not the dinner itself, but the leftovers. I like turkey a lot, especially its amazing versatility. Leftover turkey, even dry, overcooked turkey, is good in soups, salads, sandwiches, stews, smothered in sauce or topped [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 27, 2009, 11:01am EST
  by Amy Sherman

• Happy Thanksgiving!

  
  
  It's easy to love Thanksgiving. Sure it's a day off to enjoy a feast, but the real reason why I love it is because it means getting together with friends and family and feeling thankful for all that we have, especially [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 26, 2009, 2:13pm EST
  by Amy Sherman

• Milk Chocolate Bars

  Not too long ago I was a bittersweet chocolate snob. I would only eat chocolate bars with a very high percentage of cacao, the higher the better. But I've discovered some milk chocolate recently that I really love. If you only eat high percentage cacao, I urge you to try' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 25, 2009, 2:28pm EST
  by Amy Sherman

• Parmesan Flatbread Recipe

  
  I have a weakness for flatbread, all kinds of flatbread. If flatbread is on a menu, it's pretty much a given that I will order it. Years ago I made those Chinese spring onion pancakes, but other than that, I really haven't bothered. Why? [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 2:19pm EST
  by Amy Sherman

• Bay Area Food Events

  
  
  
  
  
  I am very pleased to introduce a new feature on Cooking with Amy. If you scroll down the page on the right hand you will find a Google Calendar that lists local events that I have cherry picked. These are not [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 07, 2009, 5:07pm EST
  by Amy Sherman

• The Perfect Fruit: Book Review

  
  Have you ever noticed how the perfect fruit demands your attention? A run of the mill apple or banana is fine, benign even. But really spectacular fruit grabs you and doesn't let go. I hope everyone has the amazing experience of fresh, intensely flavored,' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 28, 2009, 11:35am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Guy Prince?

  
  Guy Prince is a man with focus. He grills and he smokes and coaxes the best out of food in his own unmistakeable way. Who else would serve squares of bacon as an appetizer at a picnic? There is no mistaking the man, his food [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 26, 2009, 11:47am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Hodo Soy Beanery Factory Tour

  
  Last week I got a sneak peek at the Hodo Soy Beanery factory in Oakland. I learned how tofu, soy milk and yuba (tofu skin) is made and my ability to eat store bought tofu was ruined forever.
  
  I [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 21, 2009, 11:02am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Halloween Chocolate: Michael Recchiuti

  
  Have you noticed that Halloween has become a major commercial holiday? I'd complain except that I am completely beguiled by the marvelous creations in the October edition of Martha Stewart Living magazine. I actually got a sneak peek at the photos for this' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 19, 2009, 11:38am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Susan Russo?

  
  In a very short time Susan of the blog Food Blogga has established herself in the food blogging constellation. From the very beginning she reached out to her readers and other bloggers which is how I got to know her. Her breezy honest writing [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 14, 2009, 10:52am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples & Walnuts Recipe

  
  This brussels sprout salad recipe is perfect for lovers and haters of the little cabbage-looking sprout. The flavor is so mild, that it barely has any cabbage flavor. Because the brussels sprouts are shredded, guests might not even know they [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 12, 2009, 11:08am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Goodbye, Gourmet

  
  I am definitely going through the five stages of grief. I could not believe the news on Monday that Gourmet was closing--denial. I quickly became angry. How dare they! Don't they know how important that magazine is? Bargaining came next. Why didn't they sell [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 08, 2009, 2:18pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Kamran Siddiqi?

  
  Photo credit: Kamran Siddiqi
  
  Kamran Siddiqi is unlike any food blogger I know. It's not because his blog The Sophisticated Gourmet is beautifully designed with gorgeous photos and an infectious enthusiasm, it's because at 17 he has that appealing confidence that [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 06, 2009, 11:00am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee & giveaway

  
  I got a chance to try "VIA Ready Brew" coffee last week, and perhaps you tried it too over the weekend when Starbucks was offering taste tests in their stores*. It was the best instant coffee I've ever tasted, and it was' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 05, 2009, 1:07pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Matthew Amster-Burton?

  
  Photo credit: Lara Ferroni
  Matthew Amster-Burton doesn't post photos and doesn't blog all that often, but his writing at Roots and Grubs is enlightening, honest and often very funny. He's a dad who cooks which is somewhat rare in the food blogging world.' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 02, 2009, 11:10am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• McQuade's Celtic Chutney Tasting

  
  I love the idea of 18 Reasons. It's space where people can connect with artists, food producers and learn about food. I keep eyeing butchering classes, but there are also coffee roasting classes, cheese and beer pairing classes, the lineup changes all the time' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: October 01, 2009, 9:55am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• OTD Bush a sneak peek

  
  You may have eaten at Slanted Door or even at Out The Door either at the Ferry Building or at San Francisco Centre, but you're going to want to try OTD Bush in the Fillmore. In addition to many of the dishes that' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 30, 2009, 10:49am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Judging the National Beef Cook-Off 2009

  
  Last week I was one of the judges at the National Beef Cook-Off. It's one of the top culinary contests in the United States, held once every two years with $70,000 in prize money. It was interesting to see what contestants included in their' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 29, 2009, 10:19am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Sean Timberlake & DPaul?

  
  Photo credit: DPaul
  
  Sean and DPaul aren't just home cooks they are home canners, unafraid to take on one hundred pounds of tomatoes at a time. They are also culinary explorers, bakers, and cocktail makers, not to mention charming dinner companions. Their posts at' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 28, 2009, 11:02am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich: Recipe

  
  There's no getting around it. If you want to eat cheap and healthy food, peanut butter is a natural choice. I know some people can't stand the stuff, but I rather like it. What I don't really like are peanut butter and jelly' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 25, 2009, 11:00am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Carrot Salad Recipe

  
  As I mentioned in my first Hunger Challenge post this past Sunday, carrots are a bargain. They are nutrient dense, much cheaper than salad greens and can be served so many different ways. Last year I missed eating salad during the Challenge. This [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 24, 2009, 10:58am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Lentil & Potato Curry Recipe

  
  When I saw the Lentil & Potato Curry recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook I thought it would be a budget friendly recipe. I can't seem to shake the idea that potatoes are inexpensive. The truth is, they [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 23, 2009, 10:09am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Parsley Pesto Recipe

  
  Eating on a budget is possible, but it's not exactly exciting. To be honest, despite my success with recipes I developed last year during the Hunger Challenge I didn't make any of them again after the Challenge was over. They were too plain, sad [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 22, 2009, 11:00am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Budget Grocery Shopping Tips

  
  Just yesterday the San Francisco Chronicle reported that unemployment has reached 12.2% in California, that's the highest it's been since 1976. That means more and more people are struggling to make ends meet. More and more people are facing hunger.
  
  I'm lucky, I've [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 19, 2009, 12:13pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Carol Blymire?

  
  Carol Blymire brings a new level of commitment to food blogging. You think cooking through Mastering the Art of French Cooking was impressive? That's nothing. Carol cooked her way through the French Laundry cookbook and documented it on her blog, French' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 17, 2009, 11:10am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• The Visual Food Lover's Guide

  
  The Visual Food Lover's Guide is a terrific resource that I can't stop leafing through. In fact, it has taken up residence next to my bed along with a few other treasured tomes. It has the basic information on how to' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 16, 2009, 10:47am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Garrett McCord?

  
  Photo credit Garrett McCord
  Garrett McCord is a fearless cook. He can be wildly creative at times, but mostly I am fascinated by what intrigues him and what challenges he is willing to take like making chocolate truffles with bacon or elderberry' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 15, 2009, 10:39am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Sausage & Vegetable Kebabs

  
  I love kebabs! I don't know why eating food on a stick is so much fun, but it is. The best kebabs I ever had were in Istanbul, the meat sizzled on the outside but was juicy on the inside. Luckily kebabs are' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 14, 2009, 10:24am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Win an Oregon Bounty Cuisintership

  
  
  I just spent the past weekend in Portland, Oregon. Officially I was there to attend a wedding but my not-so-secret mission was to check out the food. I had the best French toast of my life, some very tasty pastrami, scintillating [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 11, 2009, 10:38am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Kalyn Denny?

  
  Photo credit: Kalyn Denny
  Kalyn Denny of Kalyn's Kitchen is one of the most positive voices in food blogging. She started her blog with a focus on the South Beach diet, but has expanded to encompass all low-glycemic and low carb foods. [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 09, 2009, 10:27am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale

  
  I use a digital kitchen scale practically every day. If you're serious about baking or developing recipes, it's a necessity. You may notice some of the more professional baking cookbooks show the weights of ingredients. It's a much more accurate way' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 08, 2009, 12:17pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Eric Gower?

  
  Eric Gower's food excites me. His approach to cooking is creative and fresh. Like me, he loves to play with ingredients and find new and different ways to use them. Having lived in Japan, he often combines Western style techniques with Asian ingredients but also uses [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 03, 2009, 10:48am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• General Mills Photography Studios

  
  At General Mills they do all their own photography on site for packaging, editorial, everything. They have a labyrinth of prop rooms, a photo lab, multiple kitchens and areas set up for photography and post production.
  
  
  Walking into [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 02, 2009, 5:08pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• My visit to General Mills

  Last week General Mills invited around 50 bloggers to come visit their corporate headquarters. I was a little wary. After all, I'm not a big consumer of packaged foods, but the lure of seeing the test kitchens and photo studio proved incentive enough, and I was in!
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 02, 2009, 10:28am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Barbecue Style Brisket

  
  Summer is almost over, but it's not too late to plan one more backyard barbecue. This past weekend I had some friends over for a potluck at my folks place, and the main attraction was the beef. My father recently purchased a smoker [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: September 01, 2009, 10:52am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Allen Williams?

  
  Allen Williams is a renaissance man, both in and out of the kitchen. His cooking style combines farm-style cooking with urban flavors. The photo of his childhood home in Michigan, where his cooking adventures began, is appropriate since he looks to the past as' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 31, 2009, 10:35am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Antoine Amrani Chocolates

  
  Sour cherry, Grand Marnier, coffee and dark chocolate. That was the bon bon that won me over. I'm not sure what the inspiration was for the combination, though I was intrigued because coffee beans come from fruit called coffee cherries. I've always wanted to [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 28, 2009, 2:13pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook, Hank Shaw?

  
  Hank Shaw is not your typical cook or your typical blogger. He hunts, fishes and gardens and is something of an expert when it comes to seafood. He was a 2009 James Beard Award nominee for his blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, but [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 24, 2009, 1:23pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• New Site Design!

  At long last! The redesign has launched! I hope you like it as much as I do. First and foremost I want to thank my amazingly talented web designer, Cat Batacan and my coding guru Christine Vilar. I highly recommend them both. The photo in the banner is [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 20, 2009, 5:11pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Smoked Oyster BLT: Recipe

  
  I'm not sure who first decided to smoke an oyster or why, but it sure was a good idea. The texture of a smoked oyster is nothing like a raw oyster. It's firm yet still creamy, sweet and addictive to eat as candy.
  [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 19, 2009, 10:15am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Why do YOU cook?

  
  
  Why do you cook? It's a simple question but there are many different answers. Professional chefs cook because it's their career. The rest of us cook because we need to, but also because we want to cook. Recently a conversation with a [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 17, 2009, 9:51am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Eat Out and Do Good

  Next week I'll be dining out twice and both times for a good cause. I hope you'll join me!
  
  
  
  
  Monday August 17th is "A Tasteful Pursuit" dinner benefiting Share Our Strength, with proceeds going to fight childhood hunger. This is an amazing dinner five' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 14, 2009, 12:55pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Julia Child Panel Discussion

  
  I enjoyed seeing Julie & Julia even more the second time around. The theater was full and that made a big difference. It's a light romantic comedy, not a documentary, but the scenes with Julia are pure joy. Just as wonderful was [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 12, 2009, 5:29pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• LA Eats

  Going to Los Angeles on a whirlwind trip to see a preview of Julie & Julia meant I also got to hang out with pals, and of course, eat. I didn't have much time, but I have to say, I squeezed in some pretty good meals. My choices were' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 11, 2009, 12:20pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Interview with Nora Ephron

  
  
  Have you gone to see Julie & Julia yet? I saw it in a preview screening, but I'm eager to see it again, especially for all the Julia Child scenes and all the food. While I missed out on an exclusive interview' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 10, 2009, 10:04am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Dine with Top Chefs at Wine. Dine. Donate 2009

  
  
  
  A couple of months ago I got a chance to preview a number of dishes that Arnold Eric Wong was working on at E&O Trading Company. Wong came from Bacar and was completely overhauling the menu. His use of exotic ingredients such [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 05, 2009, 10:15am EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Hungry Monkey: Book Review

  
  Hungry Monkey is the funniest book I've read all year. It might seem odd that I would even bother reading a book about "a food-loving father's quest to raise an adventurous eater" since I don't have kids myself. I only review things here [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 04, 2009, 12:01pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman

• Lavash Sandwiches: Recipe

  
  On really hot days, when I was growing up, my mother used to make an antipasto plate with dry salami, cheese, cherry tomatoes, olives, celery sticks, and various other things for dinner. We'd sit outside and nibble away until the house cooled down enough to' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: August 03, 2009, 12:53pm EDT
  by Amy Sherman