Under Pressure by Chef Kelly Sears June 27, 2013 by Jill Foucre Certain recipes seem to gravitate to particular cookware and time commitment; short ribs, brisket, and pork shoulder = a Dutch Oven and a low, slow oven; risotto = a 30-40 minute stir at the stove in a deep round-sided saucepan, cakes, meatloaf, bread pudding = a moderate oven in the appropriate bakeware for about an hour. That’s a lot of cookware and a lot of time. About 9 months ago, I bought a pressure cooker. No, not this pressure cooker: This is the pressure cooker that would shake, rattle, and roll around the kitchen causing everyone to take cover in case she blew her top! This pressure cooker, and all the safety issues that went with it, is a thing of the past. Risotto in seven minutes, dried beans in 15, cake in five, a whole chicken in less than 20; today’s pressure cooker should be called a pressure reliever. It’s summer, it’s hot, and I’m hungry. I don’t always want to turn my oven on for hours to make pulled pork and I may be gone all day to grill; the pressure cooker can get the job done in less than 30 minutes for a 3 pound roast. If you are a fan of the crock pot for saving you time in the kitchen and “doing the cooking for you,” wait until you try a pressure cooker. A crock pot may cook all day so when you get home dinner is ready, but the prep work still needs to be done in the morning. What about the days when you walk through the door at 6:00 with a hungry family in tow and nothing on the stove? Almost anything can be cooked in a pressure cooker and done in less than 30 minutes; even “weekend” dishes can become Wednesday evening faire. Still not convinced? Chef Matt Zagorski, representative from Fagor, will be at Marcel’s from 11am – 2pm, Friday, June 28th sharing recipes, tips, bringing truth to myths, and most importantly, taking the “pressure” out of cooking! I’ll be there, hope to see you too.
Roasted Radishes – Who Knew? by Teri Hiben June 26, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment The next time you’re at the farmer’s market, don’t skip by the beautiful red radishes or the kohlrabi. Both of these vegetables with strong flavors can be eaten raw or roasted which yields a delicious, mild and mellow flavor. Recently I roasted both of these after they arrived in my CSA box. Here’s one idea to prepare each of these: Cut the radishes in half and rub with olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Roast at 400 degrees for 10-15 mins. After you plate them, squeeze a little lemon on top and sprinkle with a few of the green leaves from the radishes that you have minced. Cut the kohlrabi in 1/4” thick sticks and rub them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast these also at 400 degrees for 10-15 mins. When they come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle with a bit of parmesan.
The Perfect Registry by Dana Williams June 10, 2013 by Geoff Bevington Leave a Comment A successful gift registry program is a very important component in the success of any great kitchen and tabletop store. The gift registry at Marcel’s launched shortly after our opening in September 2011. Since then, many couples have come in, walked the floor with one of our staff and item by item, created the registry of their dreams. In the ensuing months, before their big event, family and friends stop in to select gifts for the registrants and we all love not only helping them pick out the perfect thing, but getting to know them as well! [Read more…] about The Perfect Registry by Dana Williams