Tips & Tricks

Restaurant Week: How to Eat Cheap and Try Something New

February 27, 2017

We’re changing things up this week because one of my favorite foodie cities, also my beloved adoptive home, is hosting its fifth annual restaurant week. While most large cities host one of two restaurant weeks throughout the year to showcase their local cuisine at a fraction of the cost, Louisville’s rendition of this popular food tradition is extra exciting for a couple of reasons. First, Louisville’s restaurant week is good. Really good. So good, in fact, U.S.A Today ranked it the third best in the country in 2016. Second, and most importantly, Louisville is a hotbed for interesting local restaurants, and restaurant week allows for experimentation when it comes to our weird and wonderful food city.

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Thursday’s Tips and Tricks: How to Bacon Fat

February 23, 2017

I’ve only met one non-vegetarian who didn’t love bacon. Crispy, meaty, porky goodness appeals to just about everyone. Except one of my best friends, Cassi. Before you judge her, know that the way she turns her nose up at a thick, salty slice of crunchy pig is really one of her only faults. She’s creative and weird and hilarious and fierce, and in my defense, I didn’t know she refused to eat pork products until we had already established we’d be friends for life. I tell her it’s a deal breaker and try to entice her with fancy, locally cured, extra crispy bacon when she visits, and I’d say we’re making progress.

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Thursday’s Tips and Tricks: How to Sear Meat

February 16, 2017

A deep, rich stew; a juicy, tender steak; and a delicate, flaky piece of fish all have one thing in common. Each one started out in a screamin’ hot pan. Taking the time to properly sear your proteins makes all the difference in the final product, but it’s a step home cooks often forget. And I don’t blame them; the prospect of a smoking pan, burning meat, and an earsplitting smoke detector can be slightly intimidating! But fear not, today’s Thursday Tips and Tricks will walk you through how to perfectly sear your meat because here at Amy Burns the Recipe Book we realize that sometimes you have to set off a few smoke detectors for that perfect filet.

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Thursday’s Tips and Tricks: How to Make Plant Pasta

February 9, 2017

I gasped when Oprah proudly proclaimed her love for bread on the new Weigh Watcher commercials. “Me too!” I yelled at the T.V. as my husband looked on startled. And pasta. Yeah, I’d definitely bring up pasta if I was interviewed for the commercial.

Somewhere around 2014 the crusade against carbs took a turn for the weird when people who had previously given up pasta decided that spiralized zucchini was an adequate replacement for a perfectly cooked bowl of al dente pasta. They were wrong, but it didn’t stop the early adopters of the gluten-free, grain-free, or carb-free lifestyles from propagating the lie. Almost overnight restaurants started ladling Bolognese over squash noodles, and we all made room in our kitchens for a spiralizer of some shape or size.

The first veggie to fall victim to the plant pasta trend were zucchinis. Chefs and home cooks alike ran a few through a plastic instrument with sharp teeth and called the curlicues zoodles. Cute. I was skeptical of the zoodles trend and definitely wasn’t willing to risk my fingertips on what I felt sure was a fleeting trend until I gave up pasta in solidarity with my husband who does not tolerate gluten and other grains.
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Thursday’s Tips and Tricks: How (and when) to Use a Double Boiler

February 2, 2017

If you’re like me, your kitchen is tightly packed and full of potential booby traps. Open the cabinet above the pantry and you’d be wise to duck and cover. I’ll be honest, I’ve been conked on the nog a few times digging around for my mandolin or the lid for my sauce pot. But it’s not for lack of organizing! I’ve invested in carts to store my spices, baskets to house my pots and pans, and containers to keep my grains. Space is limited in my kitchen so if you want to live there, you’ve got to be versatile and efficient.

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Thursday’s Tips and Tricks: How to Food Prep Like a Boss

January 26, 2017

Food prep became hot faster than those 100 calorie packs of stale, unsatisfying cookies that stole our vulnerable hearts and waistlines a while back. Instead of whole aisles dedicated to processed snacks touting low calories and even less fat, now we’re bombarded with thousands of pins, posts, even whole books dedicated to the subject of cramming a week’s worth of cooking into four hours and a dozen plastic containers. I don’t much care for either trend, if I’m honest. Anyone else feel like food loses most of its romance when it’s enclosed in plastic and/or warmed in the microwave? Look, I don’t hate the player, just the game. But I totally recognize there are occasions when it makes sense to get your head in the meal prep game, and I’m here to help.

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Thursday’s Tips and Tricks: How to Stock your Fridge and Pantry

January 19, 2017

Stealing a peak in someone’s fridge gives me more satisfaction than I care to admit. If I know you well, it’s one of the first things I do when I come to your place. If we’re just acquaintances, working on a budding relationship, I’ll make an excuse to help you in the kitchen while you’re cooking with the hope that you’ll ask me to grab some soy sauce out of the fridge. Don’t judge me! Some people snoop in stranger’s medicine cabinets, I want to spy on your fridge contents.

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Amy’s Kitchen Tips and Tricks: Cleaning and Caring for your Wood Cutting Boards

January 12, 2017

You know that fellow I mentioned in previous blog posts? The boyfriend who graciously tasted all of my new recipes and said they were good even when they definitely could have used a couple more practice runs? The fiancé who braved a blizzard so that I could check off a “must visit” restaurant from my list on Valentine’s Day? Well, I was lucky enough to seal the deal with that hunk on September 10, 2016.

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No Dairy, No Problem: Hacks to make your life creamy and delicious

February 18, 2015

Avid readers of Amy Burns the Recipe Book are familiar with the term ‘Dip Day.’ You know my girls and I love a plate full of expensive cheese paired with some cheap champagne. But if you’ve been tuning in lately, you also know that I’ve been taking the Paleo approach to eating which prohibits dairy. No brie, no whole milk, no ricotta, no Greek yogurt, no fontina, no ice cream…whoa.

I thought life without dairy would be unlivable. Slightly dramatic, I know, I’m prone to hyperbole when it comes to talk of food, but seriously, folks, no dairy?! The truth is it hasn’t been nearly as tough as I thought it would be. With a little research and a lot of creativity, I’ve managed to scrounge up enough dairy-free hacks to almost make up for the way whole milk coats your tongue, plays to a deeply rooted primal sense of satisfaction, and makes us profoundly grateful lady cows share their lactation with us humans.

These days a lot of folks are realizing they’re sensitive to dairy or flat out lactose intolerant. As I mentioned above, the Paleo diet strictly prohibits dairy of all kinds. I care about all of you true foodies out there, and I can’t stand the thought of you going without a little taste of something to remind you of the yogurt, cheese, and milk you’ve vanquished from your bowl, plate, and cup.

This week’s post isn’t so much a recipe, but rather a few ideas to get you to the land of milk and honey (figuratively speaking, of course) without any of the associated digestive issues.

First off, my Greek yogurt hack. I love unsweetened Greek yogurt with berries and a kiss of maple syrup or honey. I’ve been going without it, until I realized I could simulate the same creaminess of yogurt by whipping coconut cream with some of your favorite sweetener and refrigerating until set.

To make your own, just refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk for at least 24 hours. When completely chilled, pull the can from the fridge, open, and skim the coconut cream from the top of the can. The coconut milk will separate from the cream when it’s chilled, leaving the cream at the top and the watery milk at the bottom. Place the coconut cream in a large mixing bowl and add 2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup. Beat on high speed for about 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Top with fresh fruit and refrigerate until ready to eat. This is a great substitute for yogurt but would also be great as an alternative to whipped cream on top of cake, pie, or hot chocolate. The possibilities are endless.

Next up, milk. I don’t usually cut any corners when it comes to milk, I’m Vitamin D all the way baby. It’s just so luxuriously creamy and rich. It makes low-sugar bran cereal feel like a real treat. Without it, I’ve struggled to find an alternative that doesn’t contain a bunch of chemical additives and preservatives. I like this brand:

It’s a blend of coconut and almond milk which I think makes for a more creamy, less artificial, chemical taste. It’s not fooling me as milk, but it’s good enough on cereal, and I ‘m happy that it’s not full of 25 fake ingredients.

Lastly, cheese. Much like milk alternatives, most cheese substitutes are full of gross, unnatural ingredients. I just can’t bring myself to go the vegan cheese route. It feels too insulting to my beloved triple cream brie, but I am willing to add a little something like nutritional yeast to my stock, cauliflower sauce, and stir frys to add that illusive umami flavor we all crave. I added a tablespoon of this stuff to my cauliflower puree instead of parmesan cheese, and I didn’t miss the cheese at all. Vegans call nutritional yeast ‘catnip’ and I can see why; there’s something about it that you can’t put your finger on that’s so tasty and slightly addictive. I know it seems weird. It did to me too when I first wandered into Whole Foods and tentatively asked for the strange substance. But I’m glad I did. Give it a whirl.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to let go of your favorite dairy products, don’t despair. There are so many alternatives to close the cravings gap; I promise your withdrawals will be short lived.

I’m researching new paleo recipes and learning new tricks every day. I’ll keep passing along those worthy of your attention, but keep your eyes peeled for some classics like Chicken Pot Pie. It’s all about balance, people. Or so I’m told 🙂

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Tips & Tricks