The other day, when gearing up to serve the yummy Barefoot Contessa turkey meat loaf, I wanted something new to serve alongside. Yes, I still made mashed potatoes and spinach, but I also served up the best cooked carrots — honest. The recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated, and it’s super easy; takes 15 minutes. Basically you saute carrots in a pan with some chicken stock, butter, honey, fresh thyme and then squeeze on some lemon juice before you serve. Our friend Deborah was over for dinner, and confessed afterwards that when she heard we serving carrots thought to herself, “Oh no, now I have to pretend I like carrots.” But these were so good, she had two servings and asked for the recipe. So there! Eat your carrots! — Angela M. Click through to the next page for recipe! (more…)

It’s not often that hardware stops us in our tracks, but this new Karbon articulating faucet from Kohler did just that. Like something from a hi-tech chemistry lab, it’s designed to move and stick in any position you need it to, for hands-free hosing. The sleek lines make it a thing of beauty as well as beyond practical. This one’s going into our “dream kitchen” file. Someday, someday. Click here to see more at Kohler’s site.

There are a few cookbooks that I turn to again and again for foolproof dishes. One of them is, without a doubt, the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. It’s chock full of staples from roast chicken to chocolate brownies. Among many excellent dishes, my favorite is the turkey meat loaf. It’s so simple: A saute of onion, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, chicken stock and thyme is added to ground turkey mixed with eggs and bread crumbs. Lather the top with ketchup and bake slowly at 350 for an hour and half. I served with basic mashed potatoes (though I wish I had made the parmesan mash from the cookbook) and honey glazed carrots (those were so good, they nearly stole the show. I’ll give up that recipe next week!). Click through to this Food Network link to see the whole turkey meat loaf recipe. — Angela M.

P.S. This recipe makes a HUGE five pound meat loaf. I cut it down by a third and it worked well.

Add a dash of cuteness to your cooking routine with Fred Flare’s new Kawaii in the Kitchen collection. The charming, anime-inspired accessories range from a sweet Mouse Peeler ($12) to a sturdy Panda Bear Skillet ($75) — this price being the exception, as every other piece is under $20. My personal fave is the multi-purpose Kappa Measuring Cup & Juicer ($14) that holds three cups of freshly squeezed o.j. and doubles as a baking essential — saving coveted shelf space in pint-sized city kitchens. The Japanese imports are available in limited quantities at www.fredflare.com, so order soon to get in on the kitchen kitsch. –Ingrid S.

Cooking? Collecting? Just like looking at Pyrex? Head over to White Elephant Vintage for the Pyrex Spectacular! “We’ve spent the past couple of months scavenging for every complete vintage Pyrex mixing and cinderella bowl set we could get our hands on,” say White Elephant’s Hollie and Jane, “and we think we’ve finally amassed a collection big enough to be worthy of the title Pyrex Spectacular.” So take a look — they tell us there’s more to come! (And of course, don’t forget to revisit our posts on collecting.)

Spring is in the air and it’s got me wanting to eat greener and lighter dishes. I pulled out my Great Food Fast cookbook the other day and decided to give roasted salmon with lemon relish a try. With lemon zest, raisins and pine nuts, it had a Southern Italian flair that was sweet and crunchy. First roast some pine nuts (make extra, you can always sprinkle in salads or pastas). Then soak the zest of one lemon in a bowl filled with boiling hot water. Meanwhile, roast the salmon on baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes at 450. While that is cooking, drain and discard liquid from the raisins and zest. Return to bowl and add lemon juice, pine nuts, parsley and oil. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, make a bed of baby spinach in four bowls. Place salmon fillet on top. Spoon the lemon relish over that. The final dish was so light and yummy. We gobbled up every bite and were left wanting a little more. Click here for full recipe. — Angela M.

Our second showcase of Shelterrific reader collections is the Polish Pottery of Deb Schiff of Altered Plates and Here and There. According to The Polish Pottery Collector, “Polish Pottery is made in only one place – Boleslawiec, Poland – a small town in the southwest corner of Poland. Each piece [is] handcrafted using centuries-old techniques and unique materials.”

Deb’s collection is in the Peacock pattern. “There are quite a few different patterns available, but I find that sticking with the classics allows me to find many more of the pieces I’d like, like large vases,” she says.

Deb uses the pottery every day. “It’s really sturdy stuff — you can bake in it, microwave it, and run it through the dishwasher. I’ve even dropped bowls from the second shelf in the cabinet onto the counter without any damage to the bowl (or the counter).” (more…)

Do you ever get stuck in a dinner rut? I definitely do. Even though I do my damnedest to make something new every weekend, during the week I rotate through a handful of simple dishes that are easy to make, or resort to ready-made meals from the nearby deli. In the latest issue of Cookie mag, writer Jenny Rosenstrach embarks to make recipes 30 Recipes in 30 days. The results run the gamut of cuisines — from Asian (Vietnamese pork wraps) to dishes from co-workers (sweet potato lasagna). Even if you’re not trying to cook for a family with kids like Rosenstrach, her endeavor is inspiring. I personally am going to try the Swedish meatballs very soon. See all 30 recipes here. — Angela M.

Things seem to be thawing out a bit from winter’s chill — there are even a few flowers sprouting up in the yard — but that doesn’t mean that big bowl of chicken soup isn’t needed to warm us up on the inside. This curry chicken soup made by our talented friend Deborah has lots of fresh veggies in it — perfect for spring peas. She brought over a big pot of it to our place in Catskill a few weeks back and we can’t stop thinking about it. It had a real spicy kick to it, but felt so healthy and hearty we went in for seconds. Her recipe seems simple enough — I am definitely going to try to recreate on my own very soon. — Angela M. Click through to the next page for full recipe. (more…)

Update: I mentioned Seattle’s beloved Trophy Cupcake below, and as it turns out, Jennifer Shea of Trophy will be on Martha Stewart’s show this Thursday, demonstrating a s’mores cupcake recipe! Had to share that.

Martha Stewart has declared it Cupcake Week, and who are we to argue? It begins with a contest: “Share photos of your most creatively decorated cupcakes — use flowers, candy, marzipan, or whatever inspires — and you could win an elegant cupcake tree from the Martha Stewart Collection.” If you don’t win, you can console yourself with the perhaps less elegant, but infinitely practical (It’s true! I love mine!) Cupcake Courier. Not into baking and have a lot of disposable income? Celebrate with the latest cupcake-inspired furniture from Jellio: The Cupcake Seat (above). Jellio also offers a Cupcake Table, which we’ve talked about before (when it was known as the “Birthday Table”). Still too much effort? Revisit some easy, fun first-birthday tips from Megan K., including the cutest birthday hat you ever did see. (Incidentally, if you’re ever in Seattle and need a serious cupcake fix, Trophy is the place to go.) –Mary T.