Butterscotch seemed to have fallen out of fashion, but food writer Rina Rapuano says she’s seeing glimmers of a comeback. And it goes beyond hard candies and instant pudding. The revival of this old-fashioned flavor inspires a crepe cake, a chocolate-crusted tart and more.

— Kitchen Window: Bringing Back Butterscotch

Get recipes for Banana Crepe Cake With Yogurt And Walnut Butterscotch (above), Butterscotch Ice Cream, Chocolate Lovers’ Butterscotch Chiffon Tart, Butterscotch And Black Pepper Carrots and Butterscotch Pudding.

Photo: Rina Rapuano for NPR

Unlike many celebrity chefs, who treat cooking like some mystical and convoluted ritual, Ina Garten (The Barefoot Countessa) approaches each dish with the nonchalance of someone who could be doing something else. That’s because she could be. Between 1974 and 1978, Garten worked in the Office of Management and Budget at the White House; starting in 1976, she was responsible for the budget of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and for part of the Department of Energy’s. How Garten went from analyzing nuclear policy to overseeing her own cooking empire is one of the unlikelier stories of American reinvention.

— How Ina Garten went from nuclear policy analyst to beloved chef. Mark Joseph Stern - Second Acts - Slate Hive

Photo: Therealbs2002/Wikipedia

cookyourcupboard:

Beyond the usual suspects like ketchup and mustard, what do you do with those oddball condiments that end up in the door of your fridge? Got some black eyed pea relish or beet chutney? Show us a photo!

You know the drill: Your fellow home cooks will weigh in with ideas on what will complement your condiment, and you might get the chance to come on the radio to get advice from a famous chef.

With a little help, your strange and surplus food could be dinner. NPR’s Morning Edition wants to help you Cook Your Cupboard.

There is one kind of food writer who gets stuffed in the closet when cookbook awards are given out. He or she is the ghost — the person who does the actual writing for busy chefs and celebrities. Sounds like a dream job, right? Well, maybe. JJ Goode is one of the busiest ghosts in the business. He has ghostwritten several books, including Truly Mexican and A Girl and Her Pig.

— Meet the cookbook ghostwriter behind busy chefs’ best sellers | The Splendid Table

Photo: iStockphoto.com

Here are three common dishes served at home whose looks can be improved with a bit of design attention. These two-step tips are from food stylist Lisa Cherkasky. 

— Serve a better-looking plate - The Washington Post

Do you do this? — tanya b.

Kitchen Window: Try A Do-It-Yourself Mother’s Day

Rather than waiting for someone to give you a treat, why not make one of your favorites for yourself? Something you can snack on all week when no one’s around. Or, better yet, something you don’t have to share. Food writer T. Susan Chang recommends slow-roasted pecans, salty-sweet matzo candy and more.

Get recipes for Slow-Roasted Butter Pecans, Matzo Candy With Caramel, Chocolate And Halvah, Rhubarb-Ginger Fool, Posh Porcini Popcorn and Curried Egg Salad Sandwich.

Photo: T. Susan Chang for NPR

pbsparents:

10 Fabulous Mother’s Day Spring Desserts

NOM! — tanya b.

Famous for its grain, pork products and black truffles, this region’s cuisine exemplifies the cardinal virtues of all Italian cooking: simplicity, tradition and respect for fresh, local ingredients. Food writer Tom Gilbert recalls his time there with recipes for pasta, soup and salad.

via Kitchen Window: Bringing Home The Essence Of Umbria, Italy

Get recipes for Strangozzi Al Tartufo (Strangozzi Pasta With Black Truffle Sauce), Minestra Di Zucca, Farro E Verdure (Squash And Farro Soup With Greens), Penne Alla Norcina (Penne In The Style Of Norcia) and Insalata Di Farro (Cold Farro Salad).

Photo: Tom Gilbert for NPR

Emerald green and tender, yet with a gentle crunch, garden peas can be so delightful when fresh — and so disappointing when not. Try them now in their seasonal prime in these recipes for chilled soup, a citrusy spread and a traditional rice dish.

via Kitchen Window — A Fresh Pod Cast: Savoring Spring’s Green Peas

Get recipes for Chilled Garden Pea And Mint Soup, Peas And Parmesan Dip and Risi E Bisi (Rice And Peas).

Photo: Sheri Castle for NPR

cookyourcupboard:

British cookbook author Nigella Lawson joins NPR for the first radio segment of Cook Your Cupboard. In each radio piece, we’ll get chefs and other food experts to give advice to one lucky submitter: first up is Marcy Misner, who lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She sent in a photo of apple cider vinegar, almond milk and dried red beans, which Lawson calls a “very, very eclectic mix.”

Listen to Nigella Lawson’s advice and read more at NPR.org ›

(Photo Credit: Hugo Burnand)

With a little help, your strange and surplus food could be dinner. NPR’s Morning Edition wants to help you Cook Your Cupboard.