Faith Middleton Food Schmooze

Let’s get cozy! We talk to chef Gunnar Karl Gíslasen and Jody Eddy about how to incorporate the Danish practice of Hygge into our everyday lives. They share recipes and ideas from their cookbook, The Hygge Life, and we share our own most-hygge comfort meals. Think: Sunday red sauce, a cheesy béchamel, Linda Giuca’s Pastina, shepherd’s pie, and a good ol’ fashioned grilled cheese. Plus, we’re bringing Soave back. It’s a crisp Italian white wine we love. You will, too. On Facebook, we’re asking professional and home bartenders: What do you drink at home?    Support the show.

This week Faith discovers the joy that is a red wine and smoked salmon pairing. It shouldn’t work, but it does. Plus Lindsay-Jean Hard, the author of the excellent cookbook, Cooking with Scraps explains how home cooks can turn peels, cores, rinds, stems, and more into delicious meals. Lindsay-Jean inspires the gang to share their best tips for putting food scraps to good use. Don’t throw those broccoli stems away! Faith also talks to Patrick Byrne, Director of Development at Family Life Education in Hartford. Patrick introduces The Louise Earle Loomis Children’s Wellness Center. The center aims to combat obesity, particularly among minority populations, in the greater Hartford area. Let’s cheer our neighbors on!Support the show.

Beef grown in labs, heritage grains, cannabis in everything, and robots that fetch your food for you. . .we’re talking about the top food trend predictions for 2019. Don’t worry, donuts are still on the list! Check out Whole Foods’ annual predictions, as well as Gourmet Insider’s Food and Flavor Forecast. Plus, Faith and the gang discus what to eat on New Year’s Eve, and Faith describes her experience eating a grocery store veggie burger (she didn’t love it) and explains why Honey Stinger Waffles are the market’s answer to eating on the run.Support the show.

Dorie Greenspan joins the party to talk about her new cookbook, Everyday Dorie. Wouldn’t you love to cook like Dorie every day? Dorie shares her recipes for Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie, Bourbon-Roasted Pork Loin, and the most beautiful Triple-Layer Cranberry Cake you’ve ever seen. It’s a holiday showstopper. Plus, Faith and the gang respond to listener Jeffrey Fischer’s request for spices that would make great gifts. Dorie shares a few favorite gift ideas, too. There’s her Lemon Goop and beautiful cards by the California artist, Aliza Sokolow. Aliza hits the Santa Monica Farmers Market and starts snapping.Support the show.

This week, we’re revisiting Faith’s conversation with neuroscientist and nutritionist, Dr. Lisa Mosconi. Dr. Mosconi shares fascinating research along with strategies and recipes for eating for optimum brain health. Studies are beginning to show that it IS possible to improve memory and prevent cognitive decline—at any age—and it starts with what you eat.Support the show.

Faith and the gang share recipe ideas—including Chicken, Bacon and Cheese Enchiladas—for your holiday potluck. Plus, one of the queens of baking, a.k.a. “dessert diva” Rose Levy Bernanbaum shares tips and tricks for perfect chocolate chip cookies, as well as recipes for Gingerbread “Folks,” and her swoon-worthy Milk Chocolate Caramel Tart. Chris Prosperi raves about a new local discovery: Sandra’s Next Generation. It’s a soul-food hotspot where the owner cooks with love.Support the show.

Faith and the gang celebrate Hanukkah with Leah Koenig, the author of Little Book of Jewish Feasts. Once you’ve tried Leah’s cinnamon-dusted fried chicken, you’ll never make fried chicken any other way. Plus, get the recipe for Balsamic and Brown Sugar Brisket and more of our favorite kitchen tips, including one from a listener in Old Lyme. Faith shares the results of a Cooks Illustrated taste test: Which butters are best? And she also tips you off to two New York City must-visits: a hot chocolate cart for the holidays and Boulay at Home.Support the show.

Make extra everything! Faith and the gang have ideas for reinventing Thanksgiving leftovers. Julia Turshen joins the party with recipes from her book, Now and Again, including roast turkey breasts and a sheet-pan stuffing. Plus, learn how to make perfect mashed potatoes and get Faith’s picks for holiday wines you’ll want to put out on the table. Mix and match. . .something for everyone! Our recommendation for this Thanksgiving: Shooting Star, a bold, opulent American red Zinfandel.  Support the show.

Faith and the gang make a simple gravy with chicken stock, bourbon, and bacon. And every home cook should know how to make classic Chicken Picatta: slightly crisp cutlets in a lemony sauce topped with salty capers. We made the dish in our studio kitchen and asked Susan Volland, author of Searing Inspiration to walk us through the process of perfectly searing meat and vegetables and whipping up a fabulous pan sauce. Do NOT be afraid to try this at home! Susan shares her tips and techniques for cooking steak and fish as well. Also this week, we’re celebrating Carole Peck and Good News Restaurant & Bar’s 25th anniversary. Carole shares two tasty recipes from the menu. Local author Mary-Lou Weisman joins the party as well. Her memoir is Playing House in Provence. Find out what happens when a Connecticut couple decide to become “a little bit French.” Support the show.

New York Times bestselling author and host of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, returns to The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze® to dish about her latest cookbook, Cook Like a Pro. Nobody throws a dinner party like Ina, so along with recipes you know will work, Ina shares all the tips and tricks she’s learned over the years from masters in the food world for feeding and entertaining friends and family. You don’t have to be a chef to create dishes that impress. Cook with confidence! Ina’s got your back. Plus, we share news about local foodie events and sip a $20 Prosecco you’ll want on your holiday table.   Support the show.

We're revisiting a favorite from the archive this week: Food Schmooze® favorite Jacques Pepin returns—this time with granddaughter, Shorey, to share recipes from his new cookbook, A Grandfather’s Lessons. Garlicky roast chicken, sausage and potatoes en papillote (so easy!), and homemade chocolate candies. Plus, Mark Raymond shares a rich $10 red wine made with Carmenere grapes. Faith knows exactly what she wants to pair with it: a creamy mushroom sauce on pasta.Support the show.

Everybody loves a good shortcut! This week, Connecticut author Bruce Weinstein is back to share recipes and tips from his new book, The Kitchen Shortcut Bible. Make no-flip omelets in your waffle iron, Bundt-Pan Chicken, and quick Pasta Carbonara. Plus, learn the trick to roasting a turkey right out of the freezer. Alex Province shares Chateau Vieux Poirier, a sturdy Bordeaux with dark plum notes. Open the bottle, pour a glass, and as you sip away, you’ll taste a wine that opens up in the glass.Support the show.

Learn the tricks to making super-moist salmon and deliciously crisp fall vegetables (let’s get roasting!). Plus, the gang shares mini-dessert ideas that hit the spot, and a favorite sparkler that goes with everything from creamy pasta dishes and fish to Thanksgiving turkey and grilled or roasted meats of all kinds.Support the show.

Food lover and acclaimed neuroscientist Rachel Herz joins the party with news you can use from her excellent book, Why You Eat What You Eat. Dr. Herz is famous for explaining in simple language how the brain works in relation to food. She’ll explain how a favorite scent can distract you from cravings, why diet fads should be taken with a grain of salt, and what physiological and psychological components contribute to the feeling of fullness after a meal. Our eating habits are evolutionary! (That’s why we can’t eat if someone is staring at us). There are plenty of fun facts too. We’re spending the whole hour with Dr. Herz and offering up her book as our thank you gift for supporting The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze and everything you hear on Connecticut Public Radio.Support the show.

Italian importer Rolando Beramendi shares recipes from his new cookbook, Autentico, for a simple fennel salad, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Cake and a luscious deconstructed pizza, minus the crust. You’ll want to dig in! Connecticut lawyer Carlo Forzani tells us about his dream to start a vineyard on his family property in Piemonte, Italy, and Alex Province brings us the flavors of the southwest. It’s a fun-packed hour for food lovers.Support the show.

This week, Faith and the gang share kitchen tips to make your cooking life simpler and easier along with a recipe idea from Alex Province for grilled cauliflower with Mexican spices, sauce, and cheese. Plus, Sonja Overhiser shares recipes from her beautiful cookbook, Pretty Simple Cooking. She’s co-author with husband Alex Overhiser. You’ll want to make their Delicata Fries with Awesome Sauce and Giant Portobello Burgers with Caramelized Onions (we did!). And, it’s apple season! Sonja shares a spin on an old family recipe for Apple Cherry Cardamom Crumble.Support the show.

Alex Province makes smashed cheeseburgers at home for a crowd with a clever hack, and Faith and the gang taste three phenomenal wines (all available in our region!) from the portfolio of Rosenthal Wine Merchants. Plus, neuroscientist Rachel Herz shares findings from her fascinating book, Why You Eat What You Eat. We’re also sharing our thoughts on “massaged kale” and revealing the brand of Basmati rice Cooks Illustrated magazine declares best. This week’s shout-outs: Story and Soil Coffee and Capital Ice Cream. If you haven’t been to the Frog Hollow neighborhood in Hartford to check them out yet, fix that.Support the show.

Spiral-veggie master Ali Maffucci shares vegetable-centric recipes that go waaay beyond the spiralizer. We’re talking quiche with sliced sweet potato crust, breakfast pizza, and Philly Cheesesteaks in Bell Pepper Cups. Plus, Faith and the gang brainstorm ideas for a gazpacho-like BLT Bloody Mary and sip Stark-Conde's plummy Cabernet from South Africa.Support the show.

This week, Mark Raymond shares his spin on a Spaghetti with Fresh Corn Carbonara recipe (it pairs with a fantastic $10 chardonnay we tested or any dry rosé). Faith and the gang also talk to the author of The OCD Workbook for Kids, a child psychologist who explains the difference between typical picky eating and what could be more complex issues around food and behavior. Plus, Anne Peck-Davis, the author of Cocktails Across America—a book about all-American cocktail culture represented in postcards of the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s—joins the party. If you’re a fan of old postcards or of the classic Sazerac, this show is for you. It's vintage cocktail culture plus a whole lot of fun. Support the show.

You haven’t seen grilled cheese recipes like these before. The sandwiches in Eric Greenspan’s The Great Grilled Cheese Book will blow your mind. Recipes include the Elvis Grilled Cheese, a Mole Melt and more. Plus, we’ll talk to the co-owner of King Andrew Cheese, where they specialize in offering cheese flights. Faith details her experience touring the carriage/cheese cave and eating founders Reeve Andrew and Jessie King’s delicious cheeses from around the world. For our white wine drinkers: Have you tried Vermentino? If you like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, Calasole is a crisp white wine you’ll want to try. Find out where you can get the best burer in New York. What’s happening on Facebook? Vacation photos! Share your vacation or stay-cation pics with the Food Schmooze® community.Support the show.