ABOUT THIS FEATURE
New cookbooks flood the market every week. This feature will help you make sense of what’s new and what’s worth trying out. Email your questions and ideas to connie.post@coxinc.com
One thing that makes me happy is learning quick, simple, inexpensive yet ingenious solutions to everyday problems. At one time, we referred to this concept as efficiency; today it’s called life hacking.
By googling phrases like “best life hacks,” I’ve learned all sorts of neat tricks, like using a can opener to open blister packs, lubricating a stuck zipper with pencil graphite and storing cosmetics in an over-the-door clear plastic shoe organizer.
Plus, I'm constantly on the lookout for new kitchen shortcuts. If it's possible to fall in love with a book, that's what I did when "Good Housekeeping Fun Food Fast!" came across my desk recently. My heart was all a-flutter as I thumbed through the pages and discovered new hacks to make my life easier. A few of my favorites:
• To pop out the hull and green cap on a strawberry, insert a plastic straw into the strawberry’s pointed tip and push it through the center.
• To separate the yolk from the egg white, crack an egg into a small funnel over a bowl. Only the whites will pass through the funnel.
• It’s easier to cut a watermelon at room temperature.
• Bake fries on a large cookie sheet with low or no sides to make them crispy.
• Select thick-skinned lemons with pebbly peels for grating zest.
With Valentine’s Day only four days away, there’s not a lot of time to plan something special — which is OK — because among the pages of my new favorite cookbook I found an incredibly sensuous dessert that takes minutes to prep and uses only five simple ingredients.
That gives you more time for the important stuff — unlike objects and processes, successful human relationships can’t be hacked. They take an investment of time, attention and TLC.
CHOCOLATE-MACAROON TART
Spray 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. In food processor, with knife blade attached, pulse 1 package (10 ounces) soft coconut macaroon cookies until fine crumbs form; sprinkle into prepared tart pan. With hand, press onto bottom and sides of pan. In large heatproof bowl, place 1 pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped. In 1-quart saucepan, bring 1 cup heavy or whipping cream to boiling over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into crust. Refrigerate 6 hours or until set. Top with raspberries and slivered orange peel.
Note: If you don't have a tart pan, use a 9-inch pie plate.
Our assessment: This tart is ridiculously easy to make and tastes downright sinful. I challenged myself to add some hacks to it — instead of pulsing the soft macaroons in a blender, I flattened them with my hands and pressed them directly into the tart dish. It took only a few minutes and I didn't have a dirty food processor to clean. I used Archway Specialties Coconut Macaroons, which I found at Meijer. Be sure you use soft macaroons, not hard cookies. For the slivered orange peel, I used a sharp knife to slice an orange very thinly. I stacked the slices and quartered them. Then it was a snap to trim the peel with a pizza cutter.
From the book: "Good Housekeeping Fun Food Fast: 225 Built-For-Speed Dishes That Are Simply Delish" by the editors of Good Housekeeping; 240 pages, $24.95. Published by Sterling, 2015.
What you get: Chapter titles tell it all: MMM Morning, Flash Bites & Beverages, Speedy Soups & Salads, Master Your Mains, Side Attractions an Sugar Rush. All recipes are designed for speed and call for simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
In their own words: "No matter what your nine-to-five job description, you're a time manager. You juggle work, family and a social calendar, so finding the time to grocery shop, prep, and cook can tax anybody's balancing skills. Enter "Fun Food Fast!" where life in the express lane doesn't have to mean grabbing take-out. We've put together 225 of our favorite deliciously simple recipes all with a minimum of ingredients and no more than 30 minutes prep time. To make this your new go-to cookbook, we added kitchen tricks, time saving hacks, and complete menus." — Susan Westmoreland, food director, Good Housekeeping
About the Author