The standard SKrAPr with the free mini version. Photo courtsy SKrAPr.
Tired of expending elbow grease to clean burned on or dried food from cooktops, stoves, ovens, barbecue grills, baking pans and counter tops?
So was Richard Lambert, who solved the problem by inventing the whimsically-spelled SKrAPr. This kitchen gadget looks like a merger of a spatula and a paint scraper.
The non-scratching blade scrapes residue off of smooth surfaces. The material is a patented composite resin that works on all smooth surfaces: aluminum, ceramic, glass, granite, hardwood, marble and stainless steel.
Most messes can be SKrAPed up with water as the only lubricant—no chemical cleaners required.
If SKrAPr looks like a device that can scrape off paint splatters or de-ice car windshields—well yes, it is.
The Skrapr website isn’t up yet, but there is a Facebook page. You can buy it on Amazon.com ($14.51) and at retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond.
If you’re looking to put together a Feast Of The Seven Fishes, or simply would like a new way to prepare cod, here’s a recipe from Landana Cheese.
The company uses its Landana 1000 Days, an aged Gouda, in the recipe. Serve the cod with a Chablis or other dry white wine. Find more recipes at LandanaCheese.com.
RECIPE: MARINATED COD
Ingredients
2.6 ounces (75g) aged Gouda cheese
1 bottle of dry white wine
2 cloves
Thyme
Bay leaf
Rosemary
Sage
2 onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
28.2 ounces (800g) whole cod
Garnish: 1 lemon, sliced
Cod marinated in white wine and herbs. Photo courtesy Landana Cheese.
1. MAKE a marinade from the wine, cloves, some thyme, bay leaf, rosemary and sage. Peel the onion, cut into large pieces and add to the marinade. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, simmering for 10 minutes; then leave to cool until lukewarm.
2. WASH the fish and lay it in a pan that can be tightly covered. Pour the lukewarm marinade into the pan. If it doesn’t fully cover the fish, add broth or water. Cover and let the fish to marinate for 5 hours.
3. BRING the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. MELT the butter, add enough flour to make a white roux (see instructions below). Dilute with strained cooking liquid until a creamy sauce is created. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. In the meantime…
5. GRATE the cheese and mix it, along with the cream, into the sauce. Season to taste and keep warm.
6. DRAIN the fish and lay it carefully on a preheated serving dish. Drizzle the sauce over the fish and garnish with thin slices of lemon and fresh herbs. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
HOW TO MAKE A WHITE ROUX
A roux (pronounced roo) is a combination of fat and flour, that has been used for centuries as a thickening agent in French cuisine. White and blonde roux are used to thicken sauces and soups. Brown and dark brown roux are primarily used in Cajun and Creole dishes, such as gumbo and jambalaya. They have more flavor than the white and blonde versions, but are thinner and thus do a lighter job of thickening
1. MELT the clarified butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is hot enough, a pinch of flour sprinkled on top of it will slowly start to bubble. Then…
2. WHISK the flour into the clarified butter until a thick, rough paste forms. Whisk constantly while the paste bubbles over medium heat. As it cooks, the roux will become smooth and begin to thin. After about 5 minutes, the raw smell of the flour becomes a nutty aroma and you have a white roux.
For Other Roux
As it continues to cook—with continuous stirring—the roux becomes smoother and thinner and the bubbling becomes slower.
Blonde Roux. You’ll get a blonde roux after 20 minutes of continuous cooking and stirring. The bubbles begin to slow, the color is tan and the aroma is of of popcorn or toast.
Brown Roux. After approximately 35 minutes of cooking you’ll get a brown roux—actually a tan, peanut butter color. The aroma is roasted and nutty.
Dark Brown Roux. After about 45 minutes of cooking, the roux becomes the color of milk chocolate, is very thin and is no longer bubbling. Its will actually smell a bit like chocolate.
Buy one for yourself, buy one as a gift, but turn holiday cake-baking into a no-fuss event with an embossed cake pan.
A plain bundt or loaf cake is instantly decorated by the design embossed in the pan. Aside from an optional dusting of confectioners’ sugar, there’s no more work for you to do—a welcome time savings during the holidays or any time of the year.
Nordicware has an extensive collection for every season. For the holidays, check out the Cathedral Pan and other winners, including Bûche de Noël, Christmas Village, Fairytale Cottage, Gingerbread House, Gingerbread Man, Holiday Tree, Holiday Wreath, Star of David and a dozen more.
Pair the cake pan with a package of Nordicware’s terrific bundt cake mixes for a delightful gift.
BAKING TIP
It’s time for cake! One of numerous holiday-themed cake pans. Photo courtesy Nordicware.
While the nonstick finish assures you that the cake will come out of the pan easily, and cleanup will be a breeze, it doesn’t hurt to take this extra step:
Use Baker’s Joy, a nonstick spray with flour, to carefully spray all the nooks and crannies so the details are perfect.
Hand-decorated Bark Bars are works of art. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.
Moonstruck Chocolates has been pleasing Oregonians since 1995; and thanks to the rise of e-commerce, all of us can get their handcrafted chocolates.
Whether for stocking stuffers or a principal gift, Moonstruck has distinctly different offerings, from the beautiful chocolate bars shown here, the beautiful bonbons below, and everything in-between.
STOCKING STUFFERS
Bark Bars
The Bark Chocolate Bars are beauties, at $9.00 apiece:
Dark Chocolate, Candied Orange & Hibiscus Bark Bar
Dark Chocolate, Strawberry & Basil Bark Bar
Dark Chocolate, Raspberry & Fennel Bark Bar
Dark Chocolate, Praline Pecan & Ginger Bark Bar
Tumbled Chocolates
Tumbling is the way the centers are enrobed in chocolate. For $5.00 per package, these bites are wonderful stocking stuffers, each more delicious than the next:
Milk Chocolate Tumbled Caramelized Hazelnuts
Milk Chocolate Tumbled Sea Salt Caramels
Dark Chocolate Tumbled Blueberries
Dark Chocolate Tumbled Beerberries
WHISKEY-INFUSED CHOCOLATES
We love whiskey-infused chocolates, and Moonstruck has two wonderful collections, exquisitely painted by hand:
New American Whiskey Flight Bonbons
The New American Whiskey Flight is a six-piece collection of bonbons: pairs of three whiskey-infused truffles.
The Knob Creek Whiskey Truffle features ivory ganache infused with Knob Creek Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Dads will appreciate bold notes of oak, caramel and fruit.
The Makers Mark Whiskey Truffle features creamy milk chocolate ganache infused with Makers Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Vanilla, oak and smoke nuances play along the palate.
The Woodford Reserve Whiskey Truffle marries Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey with rich dark chocolate ganache. Deep, spicy notes end with a clean finish.
Nestled into a custom-designed box with a royal crown motif, the collection is $15.
Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.
Oregon Distillers Collection
Oregon is home to numerous craft distillers, which inspired Moonstruck’s Oregon Distillers Collection. This exciting box of bonbons includes:
Bendistillery Crater Lake Pepper Vodka Truffle
Bull Run Temperance Trader Bourbon Whiskey Truffle
Clear Creek Distillery Oregon Apple Brandy Truffle
Deck the appetizer plate with cream cheese and pepper jelly. Photo: Pinterest.
The block of cream cheese topped with pepper jelly takes on a special shape for the holidays.
We originally thought that this photo was from Bertha at Indulgy.com, but so many people have posted it on Pinterest and elsewhere that the original source is in question. If it’s yours, please let us know so we can link to you.
RECIPE: CREAM CHEESE CHRISTMAS TREE APPETIZER
Ingredients
8 ounce block cream cheese
Pepper jelly or salsa
1 green onion (scallion)
1 green bell pepper or chile
Crackers or tortilla chips
Optional garnish: snipped chives or parsley
Preparation
1. CUT a block of cream cheese on the diagonal. Place on a plate to make a tree shape.
2. USE a portion of the green onion to create the trunk of the tree.
3. ADD pepper jelly and a star cut from the pepper. Serve with crackers of choice (or if you use salsa, with tortilla chips).
