Articles & Recipes

Cooking with a partner can be a relaxing and romantic bonding experience. With Valentine's Day coming up, try a "date night in" with this delicious menu! IN THIS ISSUE, we feature a celebratory menu with four, easy-to-make recipes that create a delicious elegant dinner for two!

Ramekins  Ramekins have so many uses! Great for mousse, creme brulee, or even use as a prep bowl!

Elegant Stemware Update your selection of stemware! We have  many styles to choose from.

All-Clad 3 qt Saute Pan Our go-to pan for creating a golden crust on chicken. Then use for reducing a perfect pan sauce

All-Clad 1.5 qt Sauce Pan Great for small-batch frying, whisking sauces or making desserts!

Wusthof 6" Chef's Knife A workhorse knife that is made for chopping, slicing and dicing with ease! Have two ready for co-cooking ease!

Epicurean Cutting Boards Knife friendly, and dishwasher safe, this cutting board is perfect for dinner prep work.

 

Serves 2 - 4

Champagne chicken is a rich entrée dish ready to delight loved ones everywhere! A simple flour and egg coating on the chicken creates a thin, golden crust while keeping the chicken tender and juicy. The sauce features the lusty flavors of shallot, champagne, cream, and just a hint of tarragon that all blends perfectly with the crispy chicken and sautéed mushrooms. An easy dish to master, it is perfect for a special occasion dinner date!

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half,
    or 4 thinly-cut chicken breast cutlets
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, finely minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup champagne
1/2 teaspoon minced tarragon
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz small brown mushrooms, halved and sauteed
Minced chives, for garnish

Directions:
1. If you are using whole chicken breasts, butterfly them by cutting in half. Pat dry. (Or skip this step and buy thinly cut breasts sometimes called "cutlets.")

2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Pour the egg wash into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dip both sides of each chicken breast piece in the egg wash, then dredge in the flour mixture until lightly coated.

3. Heat a large stainless sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the butter to melt and heat.

4. Place the coated chicken breasts in the hot skillet. Allow the chicken to cook on the first side until golden brown. Turn, and cook the second side until also golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. We recommend checking the temperature of the chicken as it cooks to avoid overcooking and drying out. Once the interior of the breast reaches 160 degrees F, remove the chicken from the heat.

5. Place the cooked chicken on a heat-tolerant plate, and place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while the sauce is made.

6. In the same sauté pan, sauté the mushrooms in two tablespoons butter until evenly cooked; remove from the pan. [Tip: Keep enough space between each mushroom half to allow a nice browning on all surfaces of the mushroom instead of a steaming effect.]

7. Using the same pan, prepare the champagne and cream pan sauce. Sauté the minced shallots for 1 minute. Add additional butter for sautéing, if needed. 

8. Deglaze the pan by adding the chicken stock, and champagne to the skillet. Stir and scrape up the browned bits (fond). Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the juices to reduce by half.

9. Whisk in the whipping cream, and add the minced tarragon. Season the sauce to taste with Kosher salt and pepper. 

10. Plate the warm chicken breasts and ladle the sauce on top. Garnish with the sautéed mushrooms and minced chives.

Serves 2

Otherwise known as long, slender, green beans (in French, "haricot" means bean, and "vert" means green), haricots verts immediately elevate this meal for two. So much so, in fact, that you may momentarily catch yourself thinking, "Am I dining at a fancy, palatial French estate?" You're probably not, but, this simple dish adds plenty of panache to any menu. Bright lemony flavors and crispy shallots add just the right amount of complexity to these delicious green beans.

Ingredients:
2 shallots, sliced crosswise into rings
6-8 tablespoons canola oil, divided (for cooking shallots)
12 oz haricot verts, trimmed 
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Separate the sliced shallots into individual rings. Add to the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally until they gradually turn golden and become slightly caramelized. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon.

2. Increase the heat to high, and add the remaining canola oil to the pan (until about 1/2" deep, or until shallots could be submerged). Let the oil heat until sizzling hot, about 350°F. Add the caramelized shallots back into the pan and deep-fry for about 4-5 seconds, watching closely to ensure that the shallots don't burn -- it all happens quickly!

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the now crispy shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.

4. Meanwhile, blanch the green beans. In a large pot of boiling water, boil the haricots verts for 2-3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon plunging them immediately into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process.

5. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half. Then add the blanched beans, and sauté until the beans are crisp tender. Season with Kosher salt and pepper.

6. Transfer the cooked beans to a serving dish and top with lemon zest and the crispy shallots. Enjoy immediately.

Makes 19 cups

Popcorn is always a crowd pleaser, but party popcorn is exceptionally popular! Salty, sweet, and nutty notes are paired perfectly in this special snack. Plan on making a double batch, so you can give some away, AND enjoy some at home, too!

Ingredients:
16 cups plain popped popcorn, (all unpopped kernels removed)
1-1/2 cups almond slivers
1-1/2 cups roasted, unsalted peanuts

Sauce Ingredients:
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1.Prepare a large mixing bowl by buttering the inside; this will help prevent an overly sticky situation later on. Also prepare a large sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper.

2. Place the popped popcorn and nuts in the bowl, and stir together.

3. Make the sauce. Add the butter, corn syrup and sugar to a 3 quart saucepan and heat over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the Kosher salt and vanilla and continue to heat until the sauce is bubbling vigorously. Carefully, use a candy thermometer to monitor the increasing temperature and once the sauce reaches 240 degrees F, add the baking soda and stir. The baking soda will cause the mixture to bubble up quickly

4. Pour the bubbling sauce over the popcorn and nuts and immediately stir until the sauce coats all of the popcorn and nuts.

5. Spread the "sauced" popcorn in a thin layer on the prepared sheet pan. Bake on low heat in a at 250 degrees F oven for about one hour.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. Break up the party popcorn into smaller chunks, and place in food safe gift bags or tins for giving.

Makes 3 - 12 oz gifting jars

Briny, buttery, and slightly spicy olives offer complex flavors that compliment any charcuterie plate. A lovely gift for sharing, these olives take only a few minutes to assemble into something special!

Ingredients:
1.25 lbs mixed brined olives (from your favorite, local, olive bar)
3 small lemons, zested and juiced
1 medium orange, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 bay leaves
9 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
6 sprigs rosemary (each about 2-3 inches long)
1/2 cup olive oil, (approximate)
3 jars (12 oz size) with lids (or 4 half pint jars)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix the olives with the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, and crushed red pepper flakes.

2. Evenly distribute the olives and juice into the glass jars. Layer with the bay leaves, garlic, and rosemary.

3. Top with olive oil, secure the lids, and gift!

Enough for 3 lucky friends

Good in both wine and cider, these aromatic kits are filled with only the warmest of spices along with freshly dried orange slices. Beautiful and festive, these kits will warm the hearts and homes of friends and family this holiday season!

Ingredients:
2 oranges, thinly sliced and baked until dried
6 whole star anise
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 tablespoons loose black tea
6 bay leaves
9 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
1. Slice the oranges into thin 1/8” slices; spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake on low heat (225 degrees F) for about 2 - 2-1/2 hours until the slices become dehydrated and fully dried out.

2. Add the whole spices and dried orange slices evenly to individual glass jars.

3. Add lids, decorate jars, and gift! 

4. Include the instructions to: "Add jar of spices to 1/2 gallon of fresh pressed apple cider, (or 2 bottles of red wine), and simmer on low for about for 45 minutes until infused with the warm flavors."

A while back we had a customer looking around at all the wonderful culinary things we had, and then he saw the Lodge Manufacturing rack filled with cast iron cookware. “I’m surprised a store like yours carries cast iron!” he said. My reply was “How can you be a serious cooking store and NOT carry cast iron?”
Cast iron has been around for hundreds of years, and some of our customers have inherited pans from their family that are almost that old! And it has survived that long for a reason.

Cast iron is slow to heat up, but once it is hot, it stays hot. This makes it great for long slow cooking, like soups and stews and also for searing and frying, all techniques where you want to maintain constant temperatures.
Cast iron pots come two ways, coated and uncoated. Uncoated cast iron is inexpensive, but it requires some maintenance to keep it from rusting (see below). If maintained properly, it will be virtually non-stick and last a lifetime. Enamel-coated cast iron is much easier to maintain, but the enamel-coating manufacturing process is a difficult one, and that is reflected in its price. We carry Lodge (uncoated) cast iron made in America, and Le Creuset enameled cast iron, made in France. Whichever way you go, you will have invested in cookware that can last generations!


 
 

 

Question of the Month: “How do I keep my cast iron seasoned?”

Lodge cast iron pans are pre-seasoned and, with a little care, you can keep them that way. We recommend that you avoid soap and soaking. You can use water and a sponge or brush to clean your pan, then rinse and dry it thoroughly. If you want to go a step further, after rinsing and drying with a towel you can heat it on the stove for a few minutes to really dry it out. After it cools off, you can apply a small amount of mineral oil to help protect it.

For those stuck-on bits, we recommend the Knapp Chain Mail Scrubber because it scrubs away baked on food without soap and without damaging the seasoning you worked so hard to maintain! Recommended by Cook’s Illustrated, it just takes a little elbow grease. Wash, scrub, dry and rub with oil. Done.

 

Tip of the Month: “Rust—is my pan ruined?”

You may find yourself needing to re-season your cast iron pan from time to time. Exposure to the elements, soaking in water for too long, or use of kitchen soap will deteriorate the seasoning and can cause the iron to rust. If this happens to you, don’t panic; almost all cast-iron is salvageable. Check out this great video from Lodge for a simple technique! 

 

As we on the Coastside know, rust can develop over time, and if that happens, just go ahead and have at it with some steel wool, wash and re-season as above.

Toque Blanche was named Best in the Bay Area in this year's SF Gate A-List reader's poll for Best Home Goods store. Many thanks to our customers and staff!