Tag: Tara Teaspoon

Tara Teaspoon: Delicious Gatherings

Family & Kids Cooking

I love cookbooks, whether they’re old or new and I’m always looking for those that offer recipes for what’s available from local farms and also using ingredients that I want to learn more about. And my friend Carrie Bachman sent me a cookbook that covers both. It’s by Tara “Teaspoon” Bench, a former Martha Stewart food editor and food stylist, and is titled “Delicious Gatherings: Recipes to Celebrate Together.”

It offers new recipes for many of the fruits already available and soon to be: blueberries, grapes and apples as well as quinoa. I have several packages of Ancient Harvest’s Quinoa with Sea Salt, Quinoa & Brown Rice with Garlic, and Inca Red Quinoa so I was happy to find Tara Teaspoon’s Grape and Feta Quinoa recipe.

Bench offers complete meals in her new cookbook but also says that the menus are created so that home chefs can pick and choose singular recipes, just a few or all of them to create the meal they want. There are more than 120 recipes which are divided into four main sections: “Main Events,” “Serious Sides,” Breakfast and Brunch,” and “Baking and Sweets.”

“Bringing my cooking expertise to print and online articles taught me how to clearly share my recipes and knowledge with every kind of cook,” said Bench who also has a blog, tarateaspoon.com. “I know how to create recipes with easy steps so everyone at home can be successful in the kitchen.”

Waldorf Salad With Radicchio and Buttermilk Dressing

SERVES 6 TO 8

Makes ¾  Cups Dressing

Hands-On Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

“Really, the resemblance to classic Waldorf salad is just the combo of apples, celery, and grapes—but I just love that one of my favorite salads heralded from New York City, where I live. I’m paying a little homage to its history,” writes Bench. “With shaved apple, flavorful radicchio, and a light, savory buttermilk dressing, this updated version of Waldorf salad is elegant and welcoming. I made a tangy buttermilk herb dressing and opted for delicious, candied pecans instead of walnuts.”

Candied Pecans

  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • ¾ cup (3 ounces) pecans

Buttermilk Dressing

  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch black pepper

Salad

  • 1 small head or half a large head
  • radicchio (10 ounces)
  • 1 apple, cored and cut in half
  • 3 ribs celery, sliced on the bias
  • 1 ½ cups California red grapes, sliced in half

For the pecans: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, bring maple syrup and cayenne to a boil. Boil 1 minute, and then add pecans. Stir to coat and cook another 30 seconds. Turn onto lined baking sheet and separate nuts. Set aside and let cool completely. When cool, coarsely chop.

For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients and set aside in the refrigerator.

For the salad: Break or chop radicchio into pieces. Use a mandoline or slicer to thinly slice apple. Arrange radicchio, apple, celery, and grapes in a bowl, then top with chopped pecans. You can toss with the dressing and extra parsley at this point, or you can serve the salad with the dressing and parsley on the side so guests can dress their own salad.

TARA’S TIP

Radicchio is a very strong, sometimes bitter leafy vegetable. I think it’s fantastic with tangy buttermilk and yogurt. But if you want a milder salad, opt for butter lettuce leaves.

Grape and Feta Quinoa

Serves: 6 To 8

Makes: 4 cups

Hands-on time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

“This is my favorite grain salad with all the crunchy nuts, salty feta, herbs, and juicy grapes,” Bench wrote about this recipe.

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) grapes, halved
  • 2/3 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta
  • 1/3  cup (1 ounce) walnuts, toasted and broken up
  • 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

DRESSING

  • Grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

To cook quinoa, rinse in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan with water and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

While quinoa cooks, make dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.

When quinoa is cool, add grapes, feta, walnuts, and parsley. Toss with dressing and serve. Quinoa can be refrigerated for up to a day.

Blueberry Bannock Scone

 Makes: 8 servings, 1 (9-inch) scone

Hands-on time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

“Traditional Scottish Bannock cakes are baked on a griddle, but I make a simple one in the oven to serve the whole family. I’ve added wheat germ instead of whole wheat flour to give the quick bread a nutty but light texture, and finely chopped pecans add amazing flavor,” she wrote in the intro to this recipe. “I’ve stuffed my Bannock with blueberries, which takes an extra step to get them nestled in a layer, but it’s well worth it when you slice into a molten-berry middle! My biggest tip is to use a gentle hand and not overwork the dough.”

SCONE

  • 1 ¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet
  • ½ cup finely chopped pecans
  • ½ cup wheat germ
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up and chilled
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs, divided
  • 1 ¼ cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon water

ICING

  • ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

For the scone: Heat oven to 400.F. Use the top of a bowl to draw an 8- or 9-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper as a guide. Set aside on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine flour, pecans, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and 4 tablespoons sugar. Use a pastry blender to cut butter into flour mixture until mixture forms small crumbs with tiny bits of butter.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk and 1 egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Dough will seem wet and sticky but work it as little as possible.

Divide dough in half and use two spoons to dol lop half the dough around the circle marked on the prepared baking sheet. With floured hands, shape the dollops into one circle. Spread blueberries evenly over the scone, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Using spoons again, dollop remaining dough over blueberries, then with floured hands press together to make a top layer, covering the berries.

Beat remaining egg with water and brush some on top of the scone. Score into 8 wedges on top. Bake until scone is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

For the icing: Stir together confectioners’ sugar and milk to make a thick icing. When scone is almost cool, drizzle with icing.

Spoon batter over blueberries, then gently press together to form the top of the scone, sealing the edges around the blueberries.

Apple Pudding Cake with Butter Sauce

Serves: 12 to 14

Hands-on time: 40 minutes

Total time: 2 hours, 55 minutes

“This rich cake, reminiscent of the dense steamed puddings my grandma used to make, is our family Christmas dessert—although we’ve been known to make it year-round, especially during peak apple season. It’s subtly spiced and full of the tart and sweet taste of apples, plus crunchy pecans. To make the cake even more special for the holidays, top with Apple Crisps.

“You may think adding the sauce is gilding the lily, as the cake on its own is delicious. But in my opinion, the sauce is essential and makes each bite of cake extra divine.”

Apple Pudding Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 4 cups grated apple, any variety, from 3 to 4 cored apples
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
  • 2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for pan
  • 2 large eggs

Butter Sauce

  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (12-ounce can) evaporated milk
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

For the cake: Heat oven to 350.F. Brush a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan generously with extra butter. Sprinkle pan with extra sugar, then tap out excess. Set pan aside.

Stir together flour, pecans, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a food processor or with a box grater, shred apples with the skin on. You should have 4 cups grated apple.

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar with the paddle attachment. Add eggs and beat until mixture is fluffy. Stir in apples (and any juice they produce) and flour mixture until completely combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and cake pulls slightly away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Tent cake with foil for the last half hour of baking to prevent overbrowning.

Let cool on a wire rack, about 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to remove from pan. Let cool completely.

For the butter sauce: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer all butter sauce ingredients, stirring, for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve the sauce warm over slices of cake or serve sauce on the side and let guests add a generous amount of warm sauce to each slice of cake.

Garnish with apple crisps, if desired.

NOTE The cake and sauce can be made a day in advance. Allow both to cool completely before storing. Cover cake with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Refrigerate butter sauce and reheat in microwave or saucepan to serve.

TARA’S TIP

I make this cake in a fun tube pan for the wow factor at the holidays, but it bakes perfectly in a 9-by-13- inch cake pan. Bake about 35 minutes.

Apple Crisps

2 apples

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 250.F. Thinly slice apples using a mandoline. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat liner.

Use a sieve to lightly dust both sides of each slice with confectioners’ sugar.

Bake one to two hours, turning apples over once during baking. To test doneness, remove one slice and let it cool. It will be crispy when cooled, and the apples will be done.

Remove from oven and quickly transfer apples to a wire rack and let cool.

The recipes above are courtesy of ‘”Delicious Gatherings: Recipes to Celebrate Together by Tara ‘Teaspoon’ Bench.” Photo by Ty Mecham.

Living Life Deliciously: Recipes for Busy Weekdays and Leisurely Weekends

Asian cooking

              Her friends call her Tara Teaspoon, a reference to Tara Bench’s more than 20 years spent working as a food editor at Martha Stewart Living, Kids, and Weddings magazines and as the food and entertaining director of Ladies Home Journal magazine. Now a food blogger, recipe creator, and food stylist, Bench has written her first cookbook, “Living Life Deliciously: Recipes for Busy Weekdays & Leisurely Weekends” (Shadow Mountain Publishers 2020) with over 120 recipes designed for both casual and more experienced cooks. To make you feel like she’s In the kitchen cooking along with you, each of Bench’s recipes has a description of her experiences In creating and using It at the beginning. And at the end she offers Tara’s Tips, other options for other ways to prepare It, how to jazz up Its presentation or ways to make It easier and faster.

              Crediting Martha Stewart’ Living, her first job after graduating from college with teaching her everything about being a food editor, Bench left the relatively new magazine–It was launched 30 years ago and grew exponentially while she worker there–for the venerable Ladies Home Journal. First published In 1884, LHJ was one of the first women’s service magazines.

              “I loved working at a magazine with such an amazing legacy,” she said. “Flipping through the pages of those turn-of-the-century Issues was fascinating.”

Thai Chicken Meatballs

              Noting that there are obvious and huge differences in the way we cooked and ate from decade to decade, Bench can see both Innovative and regressive changes.

              “Can you Imagine being around when people started cooking with small appliances, like a toaster, a blender, let alone a microwave?” she said. “Then, over time there was a desire to relearn to cook from scratch and using traditional cooking methods. We are a bit all over the place right now, with the Insurgence of new machines like Instant Pots and Air Fryers, then whole food trends and unrefined food. What I love Is that there Is always Innovation, and new perspectives on health, wellness, enjoyment, and convenience.”

              Bench’s passion for vintage cookbooks Is part of her love for the history food and cooking has created.

              “I’m fascinated by old cookbooks and the story they tell about Ingredients, homes, families and what foods brought them together,” she said. “I’m entranced by the techniques and practices of cooks before kitchens had microwaves, and large freezers, let alone electric mixers and food processor. the recipe In some of the old cookbooks are of dishes, Ingredients and styles of cooking that have been forgotten.”

              But Bench is in the her and now and when it comes to new cooks wondering how to begin stocking their kitchen, she recommends five essentials–a good and sharp chef’s knife, a knife friendly non-slip cutting board, a heavy, medium-sized saucepan, and a ceramic-nonstick skillet. On, and a dishwasher.

              “Ok, skip the dishwasher,” she said with a laugh. “The last one Is a toss-up between a U-shaped whisk and a silicone spatula.”

For more Information, visit https://tarateaspoon.com

              The following recipes and photos are courtesy of “Living Life Deliciously” by Tara Bench (Shadow Mountain Publishers 2020).

Thai Meatball Golden Coconut Curry

Makes: 6 To 8 Servings

Tara Bench notes that this one-pan coconut curry is easy to pull together with some spices from the pantry and a few fresh veggies.

“The Thai meatballs make this meal extraordinary, and leftovers are rare at my house,” she writes in the recipes introduction.  “The full-fat coconut milk gives the dish a subtle sweetness and creates a quick, rich sauce that’s perfect for spooning over rice. The turmeric gives it a luscious gold color and aromatic flavor. Add a few tiny slices of fresh red cayenne chilis for a kick of heat. “

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon fennel seeds 

1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips 

1 small red onion, sliced root to tip 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half 

½ teaspoon turmeric 

¾ teaspoon dried basil 

¼ teaspoon cayenne 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

1 cup water 

1 recipe Thai Chicken Meatballs (see recipe below), prepared 

1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk 

Chopped cilantro 

Sliced red chilis, like fresh cayenne (optional) 

Cooked long-grain rice, for serving 

Tara’s Tip

This curry is delicious with more than just meatballs. Try it with sliced chicken breast or shrimp. I cut the chicken into thin strips so it cooks in about the same time it would take the meatballs to heat through. For a vegetarian option, add a few cups of your favorite cut-up veggies in place of the meatballs and use soy sauce in place of fish sauce.

Thai Chicken Meatballs

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 jalapeno, seeded

1 ¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces (can use ground chicken instead)

½ cup packed cilantro

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ cup breadcrumbs

2 egg whites

In a food processor, combine onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeno and pulse until finely chopped. Add chicken, cilantro, fish sauce, and breadcrumbs and pulse until well blended but not quite pureed; no large pieces of chicken should remain. Add egg whites and pulse briefly.

Heat broiler to high and place rack 4 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a ½ cup to portion mixture into about 30 balls. Coat hands with water and shape into meatballs. Arrange on prepared baking sheet.

Broil until meatballs are highly browned, about 4 minutes. Turn meatballs over and broil another 4 minutes. Serve, or continue to add them to another recipe.

Stovetop Variation

To cook meatballs on the stovetop, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Mexican-Spiced Black Bean Hash Browns and Eggs

Mexican-Spiced Black-Bean Hash Browns and Eggs

“My take on huevos rancheros involves crispy hash brown potatoes instead of tortillas and seasoned with all the spices that make Mexican food delicious,” she said. “It’s a one-skillet meal filled with crispy and soft potatoes, black beans, eggs, and tasty fixings.”

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 (30-ounce package) frozen hash browns, partially thawed (6 cups)

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 cup canned black beans, drained

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

4 large eggs

Toppings, such as salsa, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, diced avocado, and cotija cheese

Heat oil and butter in a large 12- or 14-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add thawed hash browns and onion and stir to coat. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, until just starting to crisp. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and jalapeño and cook 4 to 6 minutes, until potatoes start to brown and crisp.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in black beans and then make 4 wells in the potato mixture. Crack 1 egg in each well, cover pan with lid, and cook eggs to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for soft eggs.

Divide hash browns and eggs between 4 plates and serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Tara’s Tips

The presentation of the eggs cooked in the hash browns is fun, but you can skip that step and serve the hash browns with fried or scrambled eggs on the side.

Sidebar: Tara Teaspoon On How to Use Herbs and Spices in Cooking

A small amount of a new and different spice will add depth to your dishes. Experiment start with small amounts and have fun in the kitchen.

Make gingerbread caramel sauce. Those staple ground spices you use in the fall can turn caramel into an all year-round holiday. Add ground Saigon cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg to store-bought or homemade caramel sauce for a gingerbread caramel sauce. Drizzle on ice cream, use as a dip for apples and other fruit, sweeten your morning oatmeal or coffee and even to spruce up a cocktail.

It’s good for the soul, and even better when you spice it up: Homemade, or out-of-the-can chicken soup takes dinner to the next level with the addition of herbs and seasonings. Make a Southwest chicken soup by adding ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, and chili powder to taste. Serve with tortilla chips. Or, add a sprinkle of curry powder, coconut milk and some fresh spinach for an Indian-inspired soup. You could even make a version hearty and comforting by adding a teaspoon of ground sage and grated cheese.

Deviled eggs are a cult favorite, making a play on the food scene in a big way. Zest up your favorite recipe by adding celery salt or Spice Islands Lemon Peel to the egg yolk filling. For a Southwest, smoky flavor add ground cumin and ground ancho chile to the mix, serve with lime wedges for squeezing. You can add an Indian twist to deviled eggs with some garam masala seasoning or curry powder; garnish with toasted coconut.

Make your own house seasoning mix. Restaurants do it all the time—house blends of herbs and spices that get used on roasted potatoes, veggies, meats, on salads and fish. Create your own by combing onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sweet basil, and grated Romano or Parmesan. Store it in a jar in the fridge and pull it out every day in place of the same old salt and pepper.