Even though our pears ended up baked to
a brown color, we didn’t want them to
oxidize before baking. Photo by Louis
Hiemstra | IST.

Our first project was pear tarts. As we fanned the pears, the phone rang; we ended up chatting for awhile and the pears began to oxidize (turn brown).

Most of us have been taught to squeeze lemon juice over the exposed flesh of a cut fruit or vegetable to slow the browning process. You can also sprinkle fruits and veggies with ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder).

But we took another route: acidulated water, which is water mixed with an acidic liquid. It works much better than trying to toss a fanned pear with lemon juice while keeping the slices intact.

Instead of squeezing lemon juice onto the fruit, add two tablespoons of lemon juice, wine (red or white), or vinegar (red, white or cider) to one quart of water.

We whipped up a batch and dipped the pears into it—while still on the phone. It’s a great technique if you have a good amount of fruit to protect.

Alas, The Cheesecake Factory has no locations in New York City, where we live. So we did the next best thing: We made our own Luau Salad. Here are the ingredients:

1. WONTONS. We used fried wonton strips that we had on hand from Chinese takeout. Next time, we’ll buy wonton wrappers and fry and season them.

2. HEAT oil to 375 F°, slide in the wrappers and deep-fry until golden brown, turning to brown evenly. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds while warm.

3. PRESS the seeds into the wrappers. Store-bought wonton wrappers are round, not square like the custom-made wrapper in the photo. But if you want a platform on which to layer the salad, you can substitute lavasch flatbread with sesame seeds.

4. LAYER the salad as shown in the photo. Enjoy!

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*We used 2.5 parts olive oil, .5 part sesame oil and 1 part apple cider vinegar.

Beyond spaghetti and meatballs: Teriyaki
Meatballs With Grilled Pineapple. Recipe
below. Photo and recipe courtesy Al Fresco.

Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, co-owners of New York City’s The Meatball Shop, actually beat Joey to the punch. But they already have a restaurant, so they’re not in the competition to get their concept funded by Chipotle founder Steve Ells, Bobby Flay and two other chef-investors.

If meatballs are calling your name, just head to your supermarket and pick up the first two flavors of the new Al Fresco chicken meatball line:

 
Here’s the store locator. Look for the meatballs in the refrigerator section.

Al Fresco is known for its all-natural chicken sausages, fully cooked and ready to heat and eat. The all-natural chicken meatballs are similarly delicious and easy to prepare.

Made with lean chicken meat, the chicken meatballs contain 60% less fat and 40% less sodium than beef and pork meatballs. They’re a healthy option: all natural (no preservatives, nitrates or MSG) and gluten free. Enjoy them with pasta or rice, in a meatball hero or as an appetizer.
 
 
APPETIZER RECIPE: GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SPRAY the pineapple slices with cooking spray and grill or pan brown.

2. LIGHTLY BRUSH both sides with hoisin sauce. Cut rings into bite size pieces about 1 inch wide (just big enough for the meatballs to sit on).

3. SPRAY a separate medium skillet with cooking spray. Brown meatballs over medium high heat on both sides.

4. ADD water, cover and fully heat the meatballs.

5. SKEWER The meatballs on top of pineapple and lightly brush with the hoisin sauce to give a glaze.

6. SET on a platter or individual serving plates. Garnish with fresh mint. Place remaining hoisin sauce in a small dipping bowl. Serve immediately.

Just like a piano needs tuning, an oven needs to be calibrated to the correct temperature.

While calibration is set at the factory, ovens easily lose their calibration over time and will run at a higher or lower temperature than the dial indicates. You’ll know you’ve got a problem when your cookies are overbaked or the roast is raw.

But you can stave off disaster with an oven thermometer.

Oven thermometers are inexpensive, starting at just $10.00. This top-rated digital oven thermometer—it even beeps when the heat falls out of your set temperature—is less than $20.00.

Unlike tuning your piano, you can re-calibrate your oven yourself. There are many instructions online. Start with the website of your oven’s manufacturer.

Even after calibration, rely on your oven thermometer to produce the results you deserve.

Here’s to perfectly cooked turkey and success baking the most delicate cakes!
  

Teatulia teas are organic, sustainably
packaged, and help their Bangladesh
community. Photo by River Soma |
THE NIBBLE.

Why is the tea so flavorful?

The tea leaves are very fresh: There’s no middleman who buys and warehouses the tea, then sells it to marketers who package and brand it.

The brews are so strong that we’ve gotten three mug-sized infusions from each bag. Try that with most tea bags.

And the flavor is so rich that we enjoy each variety straight, without milk or sugar. Promise to at least take a sip of these delicious teas before adding in anything else.

Along with the selection of black, green, herbal and white teas, there are also several ayurvedic teas. These are blended with herbs that have been used to maintain health and cure disorders for more than 5,000 years.

Teatulía is an admirable employer, too. Read why—and learn more about these fine organic teas—in the full review.