The Nest

Monday, September 18, 2006 1:12 PM

What's for dinner?

by Katie

This is a question that plagues me at about this time every day: What in the world are we going to eat tonight?

And while I love to check out The Nest's Recipe Database (this thing is so cool -- we copied about 200 recipes from famous cookbooks!), I still have a hard time veering away from my staple dishes (which usually includes chicken -- I am SOO sick of chicken!!). So the other day I got invited to The Food Network's kitchen. It was so cool. They were prepping for Emeril's Thanksgiving show, so I got to see all the behind the scenes. But I was really there to talk with them about their new cookbook: How to Boil Water (which we will soon copy recipes from on our Database . So they were making me and a few other editors lunch. I think it was the best lunch of my life. Their point: to show us how easy it can be to make risotto, homemade salad and dressing, and steak. But here are some other pointers I learned while I was there:

• If your recipe calls for white wine and you don't want to open a bottle, you can use vermouth
• Get a chef's knife and grip the knife so your pointer finger rests on the top (the un-sharp edge) of the blade -- you'll have more control, and this knife makes chopping so much easier.
• Cut with your fingertips curled under, and your knuckles closest to the blade -- and you'll be less likely to get cut.
• Try making risotto. It's really easy (well, it looks it, I haven't tried it yet myself), it just requires a lot of stirring. Best made when you can have a glass of wine and a companion by your side.

So, to answer my original question maybe I will try this risotto recipe. But what are you guys cooking -- I can always use more ideas. And do you have any kitchen tips to share?