This Week at The Kitchn! Plus a side note on the difficulty of letting go

This was my last week with my regular schedule at The Kitchn before going down to fewer posts and it's making me feel a little weepy. It's all for good reasons, mostly to do with freeing up a little more of my time with this whole book thing happening. But, man, The Kitchn has been such a huge part of my daily life for so many years that taking even this small step away from it just feels...weird. It feels a little like losing my center of gravity. Or rather, like my center has just shifted a little to the side and now my balance is all wonky.

And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that my ego is hurting a little. These posts are my babies. As genuinely happy as I am to see other writers on the site eagerly stepping in to take over the now-empty post slots, there's this twinge of anxiety that I'm letting my babies go. How do I know the other writers will treat them right? How can I be sure they're taken care of? It's astounding how emotionally attached I feel toward them.

But I have to laugh at myself. The other writers on The Kitchn are phenomenal. More than that, they're my friends and we work as a team. My little Kitchn-post-babies will do wonderfully in their capable hands.

And this is really a very good thing for me. I'm usually of the mindset that I can do it all, all the time, and nope I don't need any help thanks! Then I am very surprised weeks or months later when I'm suddenly a stressed-out ball of quivering nerves who can't sleep at night. Go figure!

So yes, this transition is leaving me feeling off-balance and emotionally akimbo, but it's a good move in the long run. (Dear husband: You're welcome!) I really am looking forward to having more time and just plain ol' energy to work on the book as well as some other projects that have been on the back burner for far too long. Good times ahead. Eventually.

P.S. Check it out! An article I wrote on grilled calzones got picked up by the Chicago Tribune, and that's pretty cool: Bubbly, Hot and Delicious: Grilling Turns Calzones into Crispy, Flavorful Mouthfuls

And here's what I've been up to on The Kitchn:

• These hamburger buns made my whole apartment smell like a freakin' bakery. And they tasted pretty awesome too.
• Love garlic? Forget mincing and try thinly slicing it instead.
• Dear Ground Sumac from Penzeys: I'm sorry.
• Hard to top a classic Vlasic pickle. Unless it's homemade.
• Corn + Tomatoes = BFFs

• My favorite new tea.
• Fruit juicers are frustratingly expensive.
• Vegetable oil is one slick customer.
• Can't wait to try these macaroon tartelette crusts.
• I use basic pizza dough for...mmm...80% of the things I bake?!

• One of the tastiest beers I've tasted in a long time.
• Chinese longbeans are my newest farmers market find.
• I'm totally trying this the next time I forget to salt my pasta water.
• No surprise: I'm very particular about my BLTs. You?

What have you been up to?

This Week at The Kitchn!

Yes, eventually I will get into a good rhythm of posting things other than my Kitchn round-ups. Like about how I hover over my fermentation buckets like a mother hen. Like the confession a friend recently made to me regarding summer squash. Like more deep thoughts relating to writing, brewing, and my neuroses.

But because I've been swamped trying to juggle all those things and find my balance, for now it's just a Kitchn round-up. Forgive me? What about if I make you Spicy Jalapeno-Lime Hummus and homemade pita?

• Spicy Jalapeno-Lime Hummus. Try it. You'll never look at hummus the same way again.
• I thought my rust-splotched stainless steel table was ruined. The internets to the rescue!
• Here's what all the fuss is about.
• Bowls made from chocolate! Could it get any better?
• I don't eat fish nearly often enough. No reason why, I just...forget about it? Maybe not anymore.

• What meals have you been making this summer? Some new friends recently made us this awesome steak and zucchini salad.
• I can think of exactly four fruit-flavored beers that I think are actually tasty. The rest, fuggedaboudit.
• Pork, beef, goat, or chicken: I'll take pulled meat any way it comes.
• Balsamic vinegar is my secret ingredient in gazpacho and tomato sauces.
• New favorite artist with a new favorite poster of favorite snacks of favorite authors.

• Tweezers? In the kitchen? Wha-huh?
• All about the Great Pepper Conspiracy.
• I used to really dislike peanut butter. But I think that's because I didn't realize there was a peanutty world beyond Skippy. There is!
• Cacio e pepe. Super easy and crazy delicious.

And what have you been up to this week?

This (Past Two) Week(s) at The Kitchn!

Some summer travels and general life business meant that I didn't get around to posting my usual round-up of Kitchn posts these past few weeks. And since this something I do primarily for the benefit of my mother (the definitive one-stop-shopper), I'd better get a re-cap up ASAP before the irate and/or concerned phone calls start coming in.

• All I can say about this carrot cake is...YES.
• An ice cream sandwich for every day of the week...and double on the weekend.
• A pie crust for the pie-challenged; a.k.a. yours truly.
• How do you pass the time when doing repetitive kitchen tasks? Like, just as a totally random example, pitting eight pounds of sour cherries?
• Awesome tip from David Tanis on freezing tomatoes to remove their pesky skin. 
• Ever roasted your own coffee beans? I'm super curious to try it myself.
• Okra! I loves it!
• Finally got my hands on a bottle of Pliny the Elder IPA from Russian River Brewing Company. Totally worth the wait.

• Some great ideas for calzone fillings from readers in this post.
• After hearing about it on a Splendid Table show, I've got to get my hands on some myrtle.
• I can never remember whether cake needs to be refrigerated or not. Which is why I asked an expert.
• Get your gazpacho on with this crazy Spanish dish.
• Not sure where I'd be without a few packages of frozen ravioli in the freezer. (Answer: probably hungry.)
• Confession: I only use two burners on my stove. This either makes me very efficient...or rather silly.
• Bring on the melon brigade!

• We had this salmon at my uncle-in-law's birthday party and it was divine. Make it soon. Promise me.
• How's about a super big salad bowl for eating a super big salad?
• Piquillo peppers: possibly the most perfect vehicle for goat cheese, ever.
• I still can't believe I have an actual, for reals, honest-to-goodness fig tree growing outside my window.
• Louisiana BBQ shrimp is not actually BBQ...but who really cares?
• Do you make your own ice cream?
• Porcini powder is magic fairy dust for food. 

• Best. Cherry pitter. Ever.
• I really need to get over my fear of deep frying at home. These french fry tips may help.
• Great tip (from my mother, no less!) on using scape seeds in salads.
• My predictions for the next Big Great Food Trends.
• Ain't no party like a beer-tasting party.

And what have you been up to these past few weeks?

This Week at The Kitchn!

• Calzones! Make them for dinner tonight or freeze them for later.

• I can't wait to try this idea for oven-roasted calamari from Chez Panisse chef David Tanis.

• Ten pound cakes recipes that are perfect for a summer picnic...or any occasion.

• Keep your eye out for manufacturing cream. This stuff boasts more butterfat than heavy cream and makes the thickest, longest-lasting, and luscious whipped cream around.

• What separates the herbs from the spices.

• Could it be? Is Crystal a better hot sauce than Tabasco?

• Homemade mayonnaise and store-bought face off in a make-or-buy challenge!

• Yakamein is the tried and true New Orleans cure for the hangover - and just about everything else.

• Why stainless steel rules our kitchens.

• Eggplant wraps and strawberry granita on the menu for this week.

• This semi-sous vide method promises the most tender and moist chicken breasts ever.

• This Watermelon Wheat Beer from San Francisco's 21's Amendment Brewery is a little on the unusual side, but surprisingly refreshing as a late-afternoon quaff.

• There's a potato salad out there with your name on it.

• Is it worth it to make your own pantry staples? Or just more hassle than it's worth?

What have you been up to this week?

This Week at The Kitchn!

• Delicious mixed-fruit jam made from leftover pie filling.

• A gal's spice cupboard can really tell you a lot.

• Sometimes I feel like making my own yogurt...is just more trouble than its worth. You?

• I could seriously eat awesome side dishes like these and nothing else at a barbecue.

• Can't wait to make some snazzy paletas from Fany Gerson's new book.

• Loganberries! I'm totally addicted.

• Good to know: ripe avocados can be stored in the fridge, apparently indefinitely.

• Toasty oats, layers of whipped cream, fresh fruit? Gotta try Scottish cranachan soon.

• I'm thinking a fizzy fruity farmhouse saison to go with a summer salad.

• Confession: I ate half of this Sweet Potato, Ricotta and Arugula Flatbread "appetizer" for my dinner last night. And I'm about to eat the other half tonight.

• Nothing can make me get rid of my beloved old and battered baking sheet.

This Week at The Kitchn!

Want to help the Louisiana Seafood Industry? Eat Louisiana seafood.

• A wrap-up of my New Orleans trip and why I think Louisiana seafood is top-notch.

• I just realized that I haven't bought a loaf of store-bought bread in almost five years.

• The Arnold Palmer may just become my drink of choice this summer.

• Unless this pale ale from Kona Brewing Company wins instead.

• But then there's frozen lemonade as well. Ack! Too many choices!

Frozen Lemonade!

• I thought my old roomie was a little crazy for slicing bread before freezing. Turns out she's super smart!

• It's a quandary: what to eat before working out?

• Cookies are my personal picnic snack of choice. Here are ten recipes on my list.

• Awesome series from my newest best friend Dan Delaney: "What's This Food?!"

• Annoying to store, but these travel containers are super-handy in your time of need.

• Ever had Chinese long beans before?

• I could seriously eat oysters all day long. Here's how to shuck 'em.

• Counter-intuitive though it may be, a sharper knife is actually less safer. Butchers know best.

• Pies are on the brain! 

A sharp knife is a friend indeed.