Sunday, January 19, 2020

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Classic chicken and rice adapted for the pressure cooker! Combine everything in the pot, and come back to a perfectly cooked casserole. Easy, cozy weeknight dinner.

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This Atlanta Fried Chicken Is Served With a Side of History

Atlanta, Paschal's fried chicken

The kitchen door swings to and fro as endless plates of fried chicken breeze through the restaurant, releasing a sizzle and wafts of buttery spice. A tinkling of jazz mingles with the low hum of chatter.

In one leather-upholstered booth, a man whose stature defies his 5-foot-6-inch frame huddles with a group–chewing on chicken wings and making plans that might just change the world.

The year is 1963, the place: Paschal’s Restaurant & Coffee Shop in Atlanta. The man? Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

This unassuming American diner was the unofficial headquarters of the civil rights movement in Atlanta. At Paschal’s, Dr. King, John Lewis, and co. strategized over baskets of chicken and catfish, piling plates high with wilted collard greens, mac ‘n’ cheese, and candied yams.

The chicken itself, still served at its current Castleberry Hill location, is equally legendary. A golden, peppery coating gives way with a crack, revealing meat soft as butter. The secret recipe, involving around a dozen different spices, hasn’t changed since Robert and James Paschal first opened in 1947.

Paschal's fried chicken in Atlanta

Ella Buchan

The brothers’ business began with a 30-seat diner selling sandwiches and coffee. With no stove, Robert brined and fried his chicken at home, delivering batches via taxi. In 1959, they moved to bigger, better-equipped premises across the road.

Customers flocked through the doors. Paschal’s location, on a thoroughfare in a black community, combined with the brothers’ refusal to observe segregation, added to its popularity.

But it was the patronage of one Dr. King that propelled the restaurant to iconic status.

Marshall Slack has waited tables at Paschal’s since it opened. He can often be found regaling customers with stories of how, in the early 1960s, Dr. King approached James Paschal, introduced himself, and inquired about holding meetings there.

“He [Dr. King] didn’t have any money to really pay for a room or pay for anything, but he wanted to start a coalition,” said Slack.

In his 2006 memoir, James Paschal recalled how the civil rights leader asked to bring fellow activists to the restaurant to “eat, meet, rest, plan and strategize.”

photograph of original Paschal's restaurant in Atlanta

Ella Buchan

“How could we refuse?” he wrote. “We had the resources and the place. We believed we had been called to be part of the Movement.”

The memoir names the 1963 March on Washington among events that were planned, at least partly, at Paschal’s.

“I think it’s less that [the Paschal brothers] chose to be in the civil rights movement, and more that it chose them,” Atlanta chef Todd Richards told me.

An active member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, which aims to preserve and study the history and culture of culinary traditions in America’s South, Richards published a cookbook, “Soul”, focusing on the recipes he grew up with.

Soul: A Chef's Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes, $35 on Amazon

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“Historically, [Paschal’s is] one of the most iconic places in the city,” he added. “Outside of church, restaurants were probably the largest meeting spaces available. They provided food and shelter, a safe haven.”

“Paschal’s was known throughout the South. It started with how delicious the food was, and became a meeting place later. You still can’t get a bad piece of fried chicken there.”

The brothers’ role went beyond serving great food in the restaurant. They delivered baskets of chicken and sandwiches to those marching and protesting against segregation, posting bail for activists who were arrested. They regularly stayed open late, providing shelter and sustenance for those awaiting the release of loved ones.

Robert Paschal died in 1997, soon after the brothers had a street named after them. Aptly, Paschal Boulevard intersects with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. James opened the current location in 2002. Since his death in 2008, the place has been operated by family members.

Atlanta's Paschal's restaurant

Ella Buchan

An illustration of Dr. King dominates the dining room. Upstairs is a banqueting suite dedicated to the late Maynard Jackson. The city’s first black mayor was so frequent a patron that Paschal’s was dubbed “Little City Hall.” The room is a gallery of civil rights heroes: John Lewis, Coretta Scott King, Hosea Williams.

Paschal’s was part of another movement: one that popularized soul food. Likening fried chicken to duck confit in terms of the skill and preparation involved, chef Richards fears that higher taxes and rents, and expensive ingredients could threaten institutions like Paschal’s—unless customers pay more.

“People have a hard time separating race from the cost of food. The assumption is that if an African-American person is cooking it, it should be cheap. But it cannot be served cheap anymore,” he said. “These places won’t be able to stay open. They have to start charging what it’s worth. It’s up to us to celebrate these restaurants before they close, and to celebrate their history.”



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The Best Galentine’s Day Gifts for Your Girls

chocolate rose tea

Let’s hear it for the girls! Galentine’s Day is all about appreciating the strong women in your life who support you day in and day out. While one gift could never communicate how important they are in your life—we’ve rounded up some sweet items that will definitely help you show them that you care. From delicious teas to heart-shaped serving dishes—there’s definitely something in here that your bestie will love almost as much as she loves you.

Swedish Folk Art Unicorn Embroidered Dish Towel, $6.75 on Etsy

Swedish Folk Art Unicorn Embroidered Dish Towel

Sew Happy Crafts/Etsy

When I was getting married, I got the best gift idea from my mother-in-law after one of my showers: Wrapping candles in cute kitchen towels! She helped me decorate hostess gifts and tied them up with the cutest ribbons. This would be perfect for your friends if you’re hosting a Galentine’s Day party or just hoping to let them know you care.Buy Now

LAFCO Duchess Peony Candle, $60 on Amazon

LAFCO peony candle Valentine's Galentine's gift

LAFCO/Amazon

This candle is the perfect floral scent to sit in your kitchen or on your dining room table. It has hinds of rose, peony, cassis berries, camellia, and musk. Also—the jar is so delicate and pretty. Reuse it for holding small trinkets or loose change when the candle’s gone.Buy Now

Porto Heart Plate, $32 at Nordstrom

Porto Heart Plate

Nordstrom

This ceramic heart platter would be so cute alone or filled up with your best friend’s favorite chocolates. It may be shaped like a heart, but its milky white color would make it the perfect serving dish for girls’ nights year-round.Buy Now

“Whiskey in  a Teacup” by Reese Witherspoon, $15.51 on Amazon

Reese Witherspoon cookbook Whiskey in a Teacup

Amazon

Not only does this cookbook contain the best Southern recipes, it features life lessons that will be uplifting for any lady in your life.Buy Now

Chocolate Rose Tea, $15 at Tea Forté

chocolate rose tea

Tea Forté

Your best bud can think of you every time she sits down to have a relaxing cup of tea. To say the chocolate rose tea from Tea Forté is delicious is an understatement. It features hints of chocolate with a rosy floral finish.Buy Now

TruCup Heart of Bold Coffee, $12.95 at TruCup

TruCup heart of bold low acid coffee

TruCup

This “Heart of Bold” TruCup Coffee’s name is almost as perfect as its flavor. It’s has a rich, bold taste, but it’s low acid—meaning it won’t irritate your stomach. Believe me, your galentines will thank you. (Also available on Amazon.)Buy Now

Little Black Box, $49 at WineSociety

WineSociety canned wines

WineSociety

This canned wine comes in red, white and rosé blends—and it’s delicious. WineSociety also offers a gift box option that will have your friends falling head over heels. (Check out Vinebox’s Valentine’s Day reds and roses, and some great wine subscriptions too.)Buy Now

Pink Reactive Glazed Heart Handle Mug, $5.99 at World Market

Pink Reactive Glazed Heart Handle Mug

World Market

Pretty in pink with a sweet heart-shaped handle, these mugs are the perfect gift for your best gal. They’re cheap enough that you can get two and have friendship mugs—much more practical than friendship necklaces.Buy Now

Anthropologie Catriona Apron Set, $50 at Nordstrom

Anthropologie Catriona Apron Set

Nordstrom

Your galentine will look adorable and feel ready to make treats for the two of you with this floral apron. Bonus: It comes with a matching pot holder. Get yourself a set and bake your hearts out.Buy Now

Zen Kitchen Heart Fondue Set, $23.65 on Amazon

Zen Kitchen Heart Fondue Set

Amazon

This heart fondue pot is the perfect, easy way to do something interactive when the girls are over. Set out a platter of fruits, breads and anything else that you want to slather in chocolate! (Try this Chocolate Stout Fondue recipe with Homemade Lambic Marshmallows, or for something more traditional, our Easy Chocolate Fondue recipe.)Buy Now

Check out our Valentine’s Day gift ideas for more presents perfect for your galentines too.

Related Video: How to Make a Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day Cocktail with Kombucha

Galentine's Party Guidebook

How to Host the Perfect Galentine’s Day Bash


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The History of King Cake for Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras king cake

The intersection between the secular and the religious is a fair starting block for any exploration of beloved holiday traditions, and the Mardi Gras king cake tradition is no exception. However, though the Christmas tree, Easter Bunny, and Halloween costumes are pagan icons that became attached over time to religious or spiritual celebrations, the king cake is an example of a Christian relic that became intertwined with the festival of Mardi Gras, itself a Christian/Catholic tradition, though one whose practice has taken a decidedly left turn, especially in the Big Easy. (A left turn down Bourbon St., one might add.)

To Begin, What Is a King Cake?

The recognized version in New Orleans is more of an iced bread than a cake, or what might be considered a coffee cake.

“A traditional king cake tastes like a cross between a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll. It should be moist, but not dense and include cinnamon throughout,” say Maggie Robert and Alessandra Madrid of the New Orleans lifestyle blog Babes & Beignets.

Mardi Gras king cake recipe

Chowhound

A king cake is made from a yeasted dough, scented or rolled with cinnamon and shaped into a ring, then coated with a simple sugar icing and decorated with sprinkles in the official colors of Mardi Gras: purple, green, and gold. (For “justice, faith, and power.”) A plastic baby figurine is hidden within the cake, and the person whose slice contains it receives both privileges and responsibilities. A brightly colored bread-cake with a hidden figurine? Naturally, there’s lots to unpack here.

Mini Plastic Babies, 180 for $10.99 on Amazon

Many more than you'll need, but you never know when the extras will come in handy...
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The Origins of King Cake—And Why There’s a Baby Inside It

In the midst of the colorful parades, beads, cocktails, and general debauchery, it’s easy to forget that New Orleans’ Mardi Gras itself is, at its core, a celebration related to Lent. “Fat Tuesday” occurs as a permissive day of indulgence before the start of Lent, a period of fasting and reflection before Easter. (Mostly as a kid I spent most of my time reflecting on how much I missed the chocolate I had been forced to give up.) In the modern American celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the permissive element has certainly been magnified (apparently the day got mixed up along the way with a previous Roman celebration of fertility, ahem), but it stands as no surprise that a French pastry with a religious origin should have a role in it.

What is surprising, perhaps, is that the pastry itself has root in a different holiday: that is, Christmas. This perhaps explains both the name, and the baby. According to Manny Randazzo Original King Cakes, one of the foremost bakeries of the form in New Orleans: “The Mardi Gras or Carnival season officially begins on January 6th or the ‘Twelfth Night,’ also known to Christians as the ‘Epiphany.’ Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means ‘to show.’ Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men (i.e. Kings) and to the world on this day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby is placed inside each King Cake.”


The cake itself was developed in France several centuries ago as a symbolic “lure” for the three kings; a yearly celebration of their arrival. It is thought to have been introduced to New Orleans, along with other elements of French culture, in the late 1800s, though Robert and Madrid point out that “the New Orleans and Louisiana cakes have evolved into what they are today and are not very similar in taste or appearance to those you will still find in regions of Europe.” For a taste of the original, see the Babes & Beignets French King Cake recipe. That there is a king as well of Mardi Gras, honored in the largest parade sponsored by the Krewe of Rex, made it especially co-optable for the circumstance. It is this king that knighted the Nola king cake with its tri-colored cloak of sprinkles.

Where to Find King Cakes


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Who else is having a king cake party?? #GAMBINOS

A post shared by Gambino’s Bakery (@gambinosbakery) on

King cakes continue to be a huge part of the baking industry in New Orleans for the first couple of months of the year. As described on the Babes & Beignets blog, “In Nola, there is no break between the holiday diet and king cake season.” Additionally, say Robert and Madrid, “King Cakes can be enjoyed all day, every day. People usually bring them to their offices and schools to share with their coworkers or classmates and whoever gets the king cake baby has to bring the next king cake! We also enjoy them at gatherings that take place during Mardi Gras: from meetups to make Mardi Gras costumes and throws, to get togethers-hosted solely for the purpose of tasting the various types of king cakes, to on the actual parade routes!”

Gambino's Filled King Cake, $59 on Goldbelly

This cake comes fully baked with the golden baby inside; icing and colored sugar separately packaged so you can put on the finishing touches just before you serve.
Buy Now

Famous New Orleans purveyors of the treat include the aforementioned Manny Randazzo, as well as Joe Gambino’s, Paul’s, Haydel’s, and Poupart’s. Robert and Madrid also put Dong Phuong Bakeshop and Sucré on their list of favorites.

Many of these have mail-order options for your Mardi Gras celebrations, whether you err on the side of sacred or sacrilegious. Or if you’re up to the task of full immersion, try our Mardi Gras King Cake recipe.

Related Video: Get the Party Started with These Mardi Gras Cocktails



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The Basics: How to Make Beef Stew

Easy Beef Stew

Beef stew is one of those basic dishes everyone should know how to make—and once you’ve done it a couple times, you won’t even need a recipe. If you’re new to stew, here’s everything you need to know for the best beef stew.

What Is the Best Cut of Beef for Stew?

Beef Braised in Guinness recipe

Chowhound

The best type of beef for stew is not a tender, fat-marbled cut, but cheap and tough beef chuck—the long cooking time and low temperature will transform it into a succulent, deeply flavorful treat as its ample connective tissue breaks down (and in the process, enriches the liquid).

Beef short ribs are also fantastic for braising or stewing, and so is oxtail, but when you think traditional chunks of boneless beef stew meat, chuck is what you want. Your store may sell “beef stew meat” that doesn’t specify the cut, or you can buy a boneless chuck roast and cut it into pieces yourself. Dive deeper into beef stew cuts if you’re interested in more details.

Beef Stew Meat, 2 pounds for $20 on Porter Road

Pre-cut for convenience.
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Related Reading: The Best Meat Delivery Services for 2020

What Is the Best Pot for Cooking Beef Stew?

how to cook lamb neck

Vicuschka / Moment / Getty Images

Any deep, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid will work, from a stockpot to a Dutch oven. What you don’t want is a pot with a thin bottom, as that can cause the stew to scorch. And if your pot doesn’t have a dedicated lid, you can improvise with a piece of parchment or any other lid that will fit.

Related Reading: The 10 Best Dutch Ovens for 2020

Of course, you can always make slow cooker beef stew for a more hands-off version.

What You Need to Make Beef Stew

For a basic bowl of beefy goodness (enough to serve two or three), you’ll need:

  • one large potato
  • one onion
  • one celery stalk
  • one carrot
  • one pound of beef stew meat
  • salt and pepper
  • a few spoonfuls of flour
  • oil (any kind)
  • tomato paste (optional)
  • two bay leaves
  • red wine (optional)
  • one quart of beef broth

How to Make Beef Stew

1. Chop the vegetables into large pieces. Set aside.

2. Generously sprinkle the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss to coat.

3. Coat the bottom of the pot with oil and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is very hot and shimmering, about three minutes. Place the meat in the pot and cook it for three to four minutes without disturbing it. (A nice brown crust is forming.) Turn the meat and cook it a few more minutes until it’s browned on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate.

4. Pour all but a couple of spoonfuls of the hot oil into a heatproof container (you can throw the oil away after it cools) and return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery; season with salt and pepper; and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are browned, about five minutes.

5. Add the tomato paste (if using) and bay leaves and stir to coat the vegetables in the tomato paste. Pour in enough wine (if using) to coat the bottom of the pot, then use the back of a spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. (This is called deglazing.)

6. Add the potato, the meat and any accumulated juices, and enough beef broth to cover everything. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stew is simmering. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about one hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

How to Change It Up

Chinese brisket and turnip stew recipe

Chowhound

You can make any number of minor changes—think throwing in a handful of frozen peas toward the end of cooking time, or sauteing some mushrooms along with the other veggies; adding other spices or aromatics like minced garlic, thyme sprigs, or a bit of fresh rosemary; or even deglazing with dark beer instead of wine. But if you’re feeling like branching out even farther from the basics, check out these international beef stew recipes for new takes on the comfort food classic.

Related Video: An Easy Beef Stew Recipe in Action




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Slow Cooker Spinach Feta Dip

This Slow Cooker Spinach Feta Dip is a terrific warm appetizer for game day ... or any party! Creamy, cheesy, and packed with spinach. Serve it with veggies or pita chips, and it'll go fast.

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Week 3 Challenge: Intuitive Eating

Hello, week 3! We're ready for you! Today we're talking about intuitive eating (and food journaling), and how it can help us be more mindful of our cravings and what our body needs.

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