Month: May 2013

Launching Fish Market

Published by Kathy Hunt

If you follow Kitchen Kat, you know that my first cookbook, Fish Market, has hit bookstore shelves. Published by Running Press, it covers 48 fish and shellfish and has handy, final chapter on seafood-friendly side dishes. As a longtime food writer, recipe tester and pescetarian (person who eats seafood but doesn’t consume meat or poultry), I am thrilled by its publication. Finally, I get to share all of my fish tales and recipes with you. Although you know about the book, you may not realize that I’m throwing a big party in honor of it and you all are invited! On Friday, May 31st, at 7 PM I’ll host the official Fish Market launch party at the Towne Book Center in Collegeville, Pa. A spacious, well-stocked, independent bookstore, the Towne is conveniently located near our work-in-progress farmhouse. If you’re going to restore an old house in the country, let it be near a good bookstore. Friday’s events include a sampling of dishes from my book, drinks, a brief talk about seafood, Q&A and a book …

The Apple Jane-Key Lime Pie Conflict

Published by Kathy Hunt

I’m not a fan of conflict. Ditto for controversy. Yet, in spite of this I’ve become embroiled in a battle to end all battles. No doubt, like most skirmishes, this one began harmlessly enough. Two weeks ago a friend, “Apple Jane,” made a key lime pie, brought it over to our place and served it for dessert. It was a nice, generous gesture but one that kicked off a hot dispute. At issue was the pie’s crust. Jane’s husband, “Apple Frankie,” had definite opinions and questions about it. Should Jane have baked it so that it became firm and toffee-like? Should she have doubled the recipe, adding an extra bit of crunch to every bite? Frank, the crust curmudgeon, thought so. Jane, however, did not. In an attempt to settle the debate last week I made two key lime pies. The first was Apple Frankie-style, with a baked and chewy double crust. As much as I love sweets, I found this concoction cloying and hard to cut. The second was my compromise pie — the …

In Honor of Mother’s Day, My Mom’s Strawberry-Yogurt Pie

Published by Kathy Hunt

Although it’s been a whirlwind of a week, I couldn’t let Mother’s Day pass by without sharing a recipe in honor of my late mother and all the other hardworking moms around the globe. Among the many things that my mother was, she was a huge fan of sweets. At dinnertime she was more apt to enjoy a slice of seasonal pie or quick bread than eat the meal over which she’d labored. At breakfast, while I choked down grainy, bland and much dreaded Cream of Wheat, she nibbled on iced, fruit-filled pastries or glazed May’s donuts. Craving a cookie? We always had a box, bag or tin filled with chocolate chip, date-filled oatmeal or sugar cookies on hand, just in case the need arose. When my mother spoke of her own late mother, she talked of weekends spent making fudge, divinity candy, meringues and cakes. Needless to say, I come from a long line of sweets lovers. If a sweet tooth is hereditary, there’s no question from which side of my family mine came. …

The Surprisingly Alluring Sardine

Published by Kathy Hunt

Over the past few weeks I’ve been inviting friends over for a series of “Pretend You’re at Williams-Sonoma Sampling Food” nights. On these evenings I ply them with recipes from my cookbook Fish Market in an attempt to see which dishes appeal to even the most apathetic seafood eaters. Unequivocally, they have gone for sardine spread. Considering how many had initially voiced their distaste for this small, iridescent fish, I’m both surprised and pleased by the discovery. What makes people dislike sardines? Beats me. I do know why I enjoy them. For such small fish they possess a ton of rich, meaty flavor. Add a few to a salad, sandwich, pizza or pie and you end up with one fabulously savory and complex tasting dish. Then there are the health aspects. These guys are packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Plus, they pair well with an array of ingredients. Eggplant, tomato, onion, orange, lemon, cheese, olives, fennel, rosemary and parsley all marry beautifully with sardines. What makes our friends, many of whom had …