coffee maker white vinegar

Star-Telegram.com: Amy Culbertson
News, sports and entertainment from Star- Telegram.com

• Reader recipe swap: Quick and easy school-night supper ideas
  By AMY CULBERTSON

  As the holidays loom and schedules get even more hectic, it’s a good time to share a couple of recipes for quick school-night suppers. Here’s one from reader Ella J. Neel Tubbs, who turned 88 last month and writes us faithfully despite her ill health, and one from Laura Brovet of Arlington.Quick and easy chicken potpieServes 61 cup cooked chicken (or turkey), cut into small chunks16-ounce bag frozen peas and carrots, thawed10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup1 cup Original Bisquick baking mix 1/2 cup milk1 egg1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.2. In an ungreased 2-quart ovenproof casserole dish, stir together chicken, vegetables and soup. 3. In a mixing bowl, stir together Bisquick, milk and egg until blended; pour over chicken mixture.4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.Nutritional analysis per serving: 221 calories, 8 grams fat, 26 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 57 milligrams cholesterol, 733 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 30 percent of calories from fat.— Ella J. Neel Tubbs, Fort Worth Tomato breadServes 62 loaves French breadButter to tasteDried or fresh Italian herbs, to taste

• Cookbook du jour: Take classes with Martha in your kitchen
  By AMY CULBERTSON

  Martha Stewart offers a culinary master class in her new book, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook (Clarkson Potter, $45).With difficult economic times driving more people back into the kitchen, her timing couldn’t be better.Martha’s comprehensive tutorial starts out with "A Cook’s Golden Rules," tips to incorporate into your cooking routine, and continues with advice on purchasing equipment and using herbs, seasonings and aromatics. Chapters on stocks and soups; eggs; meat, fish and poultry; vegetables; pasta; dried beans and grains; and desserts follow, with the emphasis on techniques. Step-by-step color photos offer clear illustrations of each lesson.The book would be suitable for both beginning and more ambitious cooks, with its instruction on everything from chopping onions to making gnocchi.The recipes reflect Martha’s typical flair, from beef-and-stout stew to this tempting and beautifully presented egg-and-artichoke dish for an elegant brunch. "The artichokes resemble flower petals," the book notes, "with the eggs, hollandaise and thin slices of smoked salmon their centers." The thought of pulling off the artichoke leaves and dipping them in the hollandaise and egg yolk leaves me quite weak in the knees. Steamed artichokes with smoked salmon, poached eggs and hollandaisePoached eggs will hold up well for up to 24 hours. To make ahead, after removing from pan, immediately place them in an ice-water bath, then transfer them to a bowl of cool water (it should just reach the tops of the eggs); if storing for longer than an hour, place bowl in the refrigerator, covered. Reheat by briefly submerging eggs in a pan of barely simmering water, just until warmed through.Serves 4Artichokes:4 medium or large artichokesCoarse salt and freshly ground pepperEggs:4 large eggsHollandaise sauce:1/4 cup dry white wine1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar1 tablespoon minced shallot (about 1/2 medium shallot)1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns3 tablespoons boiling water

• Recipe Swap: The real Old Swiss House salad dressing recipe
  By AMY CULBERTSON

  Salad dressings, Chapter Four . . . Today we bring you, courtesy of Walter Kaufmann, who was chef/owner of the beloved Old Swiss House restaurant, the official recipe for the Old Swiss House salad dressing.Old Swiss House salad dressingTo be absolutely safe, buy pasteurized egg yolks for this recipe, which Kaufmann says makes enough to dress 10 individual salads.Yields 16 ounces (2 cups)3 egg yolks1 ounce apple cider vinegar1 ounce water2 service spoons finely chopped sweet onion1 service spoon finely chopped Italian parsley1 teaspoon creole mustard 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlicSalt and pepper to tastePinch of monosodium glutamate (Accent), if tolerated14 ounces peanut oil1. Mix together all ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl.2. Whisk in the oil gradually, whipping the dressing to a thick consistency.Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 10: 371 calories, 41 grams fat, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 64 milligrams cholesterol, 13 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 98 percent of calories from fat. — Walter Kaufmann

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• Food news & notes: A Colleyville chef tour, free pizza and more
  

  Food news & notesLocal eventsEleven chefs, five fancy homes: It’s Colleyville’s Tour de Chefs, hosted by Covenant Christian Academy to benefit Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange. John Tesar of Dallas’ Mansion Restaurant headlines. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. $30. Tickets at 817-577-3378, ext. 60, or www.tourdechefs.com.Ferrari’s Italian Villa celebrates its 25th anniversary with free pizza and the debut of its new casual-dining area, Flight’s Piazza. From 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, every table will get one of Ferrari’s gourmet pizzas free. Live music, too. 1200 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine. 817-251-2525. Look ahead to the holidays at Carol Ritchie’s "Holiday Desserts and Pie Workshop" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Arlington’s Kitchen Store, 4714 Little Road. $45. Sign up at 817-561-1200.Get the kids into their costumes for the Four Seasons Cafe on the Green’s Halloween brunch buffet, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. It’s $38 for adults, but costumed kids 12 and younger dine free. 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving. Reservations suggested at 972-717-2420.Smart shoppingGot a Kroger loyalty card? You can link Kroger’s new "Meal Deal" coupon packages to your card on www.shortcuts.com. Currently running are the Pasta Night deal — $1 off a Macaroni Grill dinner kit, 75 cents off Kroger frozen chicken, 50 cents off Pillsbury crescent rolls, 50 cents off Green Giant frozen boxed vegetables — and Betty’s Birthday Deal, 50 cents off Betty Crocker cake mix and frosting, 75 cents off Private Selection ice cream and 50 cents off Kroger Designer Plates.V8 will be donating more than 30 million servings of vegetables and fruit — including 900,000 pounds of fresh produce for the Tarrant Area Food Bank — through Feeding America’s National Produce Program. Through February, every purchase of V8 juices or Campbell’s V8 soup will help support the company’s $1 million donation.— Amy Culbertson

• Yucatan Taco Stand turns out remarkable fish tacos and 'ritas
  By AMY CULBERTSON

  If you’re hungry for a great fish taco and can snag a seat at one of the sidewalk tables overlooking Magnolia, the Yucatan Taco Stand is a pretty nearly perfect place to be.Fans who’ve followed chef Paul Willis through various local restaurants — including Fuzzy’s and Pedro’s Trailer Park — have eagerly awaited his latest venture on Magnolia Avenue’s restaurant row, in the former B.J. Keefer’s. Billed as a "tequila bar and grill," Yucatan looks slick and hip, with its pillow-stocked black-leather banquettes. As at Fuzzy’s, there are various options for taco fillings, all of which also go into burritos and bowls, grilled sandwiches and salads. There are plates with chimichangas, fajitas, enchiladas. Come evening, though, there are also some higher-end South American-inspired entrees: whole crispy snapper Veracruz ($18), Brazilian braised short ribs ($16), garlic steak chimichurri ($22).These and the hip decor and tableware give the impression of a more sophisticated restaurant than Yucatan turns out to be. To order, as you do at Fuzzy’s or Pei Wei, you stand in line at the register (directly in the path of icy blasts from the air conditioner). You dispense your own soft drinks, find a seat and wait for servers to bring your food. Rock music blasting in the hard-surfaced room lends a college-hangout vibe. So how’s the food? Mostly quite good. The $