Eric Parsons / Star staff
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There are several routes to hoshi gaki
Want to see what all the hoshi gaki fuss is about? Here are a few ways to get your hands on the seasonal delicacy.
FULL STORY »This scientist has great chemistry baking in the kitchen
Stuart Jacobson has devised an intricate chocolate marzipan cake, and his newest pizza features chopped mushrooms marinated in white truffle oil, served on top of a crust covered with mozzarella cheese.
FULL STORY » A hoshi gaki how-to
After more than a decade of trial and error, Larry Yee of Ojai finds the following method to be the most effective for making hoshi gaki, or hand-massaged, dried persimmons.
FULL STORY » Pictures of persimmons
Pictures of persimmons
FULL STORY » Citron is ready for winter
We've all seen mutant lemons that resemble President Nixon's nose. But Buddha's Hand, a variety of winter citrus called citron, takes deformity to Tim Burton-directs-"The Nightmare Before Christmas" proportions.
FULL STORY » Books, software keep foodies well read, well fed
How did this happen? It's that time of year again — you know, the end of it. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or the Seinfeld show's Festivus (the holiday for the rest of us), one thing is certain: You're going to be buying somebody a present soon.
FULL STORY » Hoshi gaki requires some hang time
The recipe is simple enough: Peel a bunch of persimmons. Set them out to dry. Return each day to rearrange the fruits, gently massaging the jellylike glop that develops inside their new skins. Repeat every day for three weeks, maybe longer.
FULL STORY » Twist bottle, not cork,to open a sparkling wine
Don't let the extra effort involved with opening a bottle of champagne keep you from experiencing one of life's great pleasures. The secret to a safe and proper cork popping is all in the wrist.
FULL STORY » Save the best wine for quaffing
Sauternes is a sweet white wine from the Bordeaux region of France — it's got a long and storied history (it was one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite wines), and it's considered "the king of wines."
FULL STORY » Bare cupboards inspire cook's creativity
It's every cook's nightmare: an empty cupboard and a hungry bunch to feed. But if you're Steven Gama, it's one of the things that inspire your culinary mastery.
FULL STORY » Homemade gravy not really that hard
The holiday season is here! Thanksgiving dinner may be over, but there's plenty of time for big family dinners, flocks of roasted turkeys and gallons of gravy.
FULL STORY » Tradition times seven
The first time Italian transplant Stefano Frigerio prepared the Feast of the Seven Fishes for his wife's family, his American father-in-law opted for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
FULL STORY » Feasting with the fishes in L.A.
FULL STORY » Recipe inspirations for the Feast of Seven Fishes
FULL STORY » Mocking mock-amole
Soybean oil. Corn syrup. Food starch. These are the main ingredients of some store-bought guacamole dips, a fact that last week inspired the filing of a lawsuit accusing Kraft Foods Inc. of committing fraud for including less than 2 percent avocado in its version of the green stuff.
FULL STORY » How to choose sparkling wine
It's the time of year for champagne and other sparkling wines.
FULL STORY » Munchies in the middle
A three-story gingerbread house decked out with stained-glass candy window panes and wee icing icicles dripping from the roof can make for an awe-inspiring sight on the holiday table. And if you've got the degree in architecture needed to pull it off, and you don't mind the taste of spiced cardboard, have at it.
FULL STORY » For Connie Owens, it's gumbo season
As the season brings a definite chill to the air, Connie Owens readies for her Chicken, Sausage and Okra Gumbo. She generally reserves gumbo preparation for cold, rainy weather, but the temperate California weather doesn't always comply with her wishes.
FULL STORY » Chickens from head to toe
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? For customers of the Healthy Family Farms booth at area farmers markets, that's easy: the egg, priced at $4 per dozen, minus a 25-cent credit for every carton you return.
FULL STORY » Jolly old elf once again a popular meal guest
Thanksgiving was at my sister's house last week, and the guests were a mixed-company gathering of family members, newly minted significant others, friends of friends and a smattering of co-workers. To help get the conversation flowing in so diverse a group, my sister bought one of those Food for Talk kits from the Bas Bleu catalog, then hid individual question cards from the kit under our plates.
FULL STORY » Recipes save dips from fate of being too fatty
It seems wrong that giving up fat means giving up dips and pates.
FULL STORY » Easy appetizer will get raves
Gushy reviews of recipes online generally give me pause. The food rarely lives up to the hype.
FULL STORY » How to render chicken or duck fat
Dear Food Network Kitchen: I have seen some recipes that call for chicken (or duck) fat. How is this made? — Patti Newman, Kentwood, Mich. I
FULL STORY » Do-it-yourself popcorn from the kettle can cut trans fats
I have reached the realization that I'm a geezer. My geezerhood is made clear to me by many things: having to ask a nice boy at the airport how to turn on my new cell phone; not knowing how to save numbers to my speed dial; ignorance of text-message speak; a complete lack of MP3s.
FULL STORY » Cook's family truly passionate about food
FULL STORY » A leg up
There's something a bit smug about turkey. Assured of its place on the Thanksgiving table, it has the luxury of sitting back and gloating while we panic over how to prepare it.
FULL STORY » In soup or souped up, potatoes have appeal
It's hard to improve on the simplicity of mashed potatoes, that luxurious blend of starch, fat and salt. But if you are tempted to mess with tradition this Thanksgiving, be certain your tinkerings complement the star of the dish, rather than compete with it.
FULL STORY » Green beans rescue split-pea soup from carbs
Younger readers will find it a glimpse of a quainter day when I tell you that I walked home from school every day for lunch, all the way through the sixth grade. I'm thinking of those lunches Mom served me, because in chilly, damp weather — weather exactly like we're having in southern Indiana as I write this — my favorite lunch was split-pea soup. My sister and brother didn't like it, but I adored it and still do.
FULL STORY » Give squash a Thanksgiving makeover
Though a staple of many Thanksgiving tables, traditional butternut squash purees often feel like the culinary family's dull uncle. Against the fat of mashed potatoes, the sweet zip of cranberry sauce and the savory chew of turkey, squash can seem ill-defined and uninteresting.
FULL STORY » Never fear, holiday dinner help is here
The stuffing is dry, the turkey is pink and your relatives are irritating. Rather than let your holiday dinner turn disastrous, consider reaching out to the many groups that offer kitchen help. Their advice can't fix your loved ones, but it could prevent you from hospitalizing them.
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