Three Questions

1. April's Gourmet includes a recipe for Apulian potato focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes. I find the photo uninspiring, but that aside I simply have to know how it compares to my focaccia that so many of you tried. Did anyone make Gourmet's version yet?

2. I have a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma and find myself paralyzed with indecision every time I walk into that store. Tell me, should I blow it on a food mill or a steel crepe pan or a bread knife to secretly replace Ben's terrifyingly wobbly one that he brought to our kitchen last summer and which I didn't dare dispose of? What do I need the most? Or should I be buying something else entirely, like margarita mix or 10 sacks of fancy cake mix or some such foolishness? Please advise.

3. I have bought my first tin of sardines (water-packed, because that's what Corby said to do). Please hold on to your hats. What should I do with them? Eat them on Triscuits with mustard? If so, what kind of mustard? Or should I do something else, like mix them with tomato sauce and put them on pasta? I'm lost! Help, readers, help.

Comments

[SaratogaChef]

I love using gift certificates for completely outrageous things I would never spend my hard ducats on, like ultra rare salt, or the completely single-tasked kitchen gadget. It seems more fun that way.

How about using the anchovies in a spicy puttanesca?

[Jennifer Hess]

I'm in a similar predicament with Williams-Sonoma gift cards - I now have THREE in my wallet. I'll probably put them toward more Le Creuset once we move in a couple of weeks, but I'm tempted to buy a new chef's knife as well. Too many decisions!

As for the sardines, I'm a fan of them with Triscuits, Maille Extra Hot Dijon and cornichons as a chaser. I also love using them in linguine con le sarde. Sardines are a fairly recent love but when I fell I fell hard. :)

[Ralph Knauth]

As I understand, you bought Sardines, not anchovies.
A recipe for sardines ( I like the oil packed better ), I love, is wrapping them in a boston lettuce leaf after sprinkling them with a dressing made of chopped shallots, lemongrass, garlic, chili, nam pla and lime juice. Very tasty.

Another simple, very simple snack, I like, is to smash them on a buttered toasted whole wheat bread slice.

[Amanda B.]

I love this recipe, though more with just plain sardines like the ones you bought.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/broiled-sardines-with-mustard-shallot-crumbs

[Sasha]

2. It seems like if you haven't got a good bread knife, you need that.

3. If you don't like the taste of the sardines, try oil packed. In my opinion they are vastly yummier. I eat them on crackers or toast as a nutritious and filling snack. They have lots of omega 3s.

[deb]

1. I saw the Gourmet recipe and thought they owed you credit, briefly, until I considered that maybe a lot of people probably make potato focaccia that way? Still, the timing was suspect. (No, I haven't tried it yet but when I do, it will be your version.)

2. Food mill or crepe pan. Personally, I don't believe in spending a lot on bread knives; since you won't sharpen them (and the teeth take a zillion years to dull) I don't see the added value in a fancy blade.

[Leisureguy]

Regarding 2., I would go with the bread knife, the Wüsthof Classic Offset Bread Knife, 8".

Sardines: water pack is fine, though I also like the olive oil pack or fish oil pack. Some ideas:

1. Use in a tossed salad. With the protein, it can be a meal. With the oil packs, let the oil be part of the dressing (complete the dressing with lemon juice); with water pack, drain and then add sardines to salad.

2. Use your food processor and cream cheese and your imagination to make a spread.

3. Use in a tomato-based spaghetti sauce---again, using the oil to sauté the garlic and onions if using oil-pack. A little crushed red pepper, parsley, tomatoes, simmer, and some pasta: a meal in itself.

4. Sandwich on toast with mustard, onion, and cheese.

[Evan]

I agree with previous posters who prefer oil packed sardines. My favorite thing to do is to mix a can (including oil) together with warm quinoa, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and a little bit of lemon juice.

Of course, whether or not this concoction is as good as I think it is, I don't know. I just really love sardines.

[Molly]

1. I have made neither, and I'm with Deb: when I do make one, it'll be yours.

2. Bread knife! We have a Wusthof one that a (now-)ex-boyfriend gave me a few years ago, and I love it. It's sturdy and sharp and great. Don't know how I lived without it. We've had it sharpened once - although it really doesn't get THAT dull - and in my opinion, it's totally worth the money.

3. No suggestions here! But I can't wait to see / hear what you wind up doing...

xo!

[for Joke!]

1. i hate when the photo is not inspiring!!
2. not sure what your budget is. I have the mandoline from Williams and Sonoma and it is mighty!! Otherwise, i love a good microplane grater. And you can never go wrong with an excellent knife.
3. definitely make the sicilian classic, pasta con el sarde!!!

[Victoria]

Definitely a food mill. I use it to prepare tomatoes for sauce. It produces a smooth sauce. Wash the tomatoes, cut them length-wise in half, and then cross-wise in half. Put them in a saucepan. (At this point, I add a little salt to taste, but you don't have to; you can add salt to the recipe you will use them in.) Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick the tomatoes are getting. Using the disk with the smallest holes, puree the tomatoes and all their juices through a food mill into a bowl. I put them away in one-cup increments. (If you like, you can add some fresh basil before you put them away, but I ususally don't.) My favorite recipe at the moment is your recipe for sauce with ricotta. It is lick-your-plate clean delicious - especially with gorgeous tomatoes done as above.

Next would be a bread knife. I'm neurotic about my kitchen stuff, but instead of the Wustoff Classic, I use the 7-inch Wustoff Gourmet off-set bread (deli) knife. I don't think this knife has to be forged. I got mine at Broadway Panhandler when it first came out. I use it for lots of things, not just bread.

Don't get margarita mix. Make your own margaritas. They're the best - and pretty soon it will time for them again. I am hankering, hankering for warm weather.

Recipe for One True Margarita adapted from Ceres & Bacchus

½ lime
kosher salt
2 shots tequila
1 shot triple sec (the original recipe calls for Cointreau, but I am a triple sec girl all the way - preferably Bols)
ice

Slice one wedge off of the lime half and use it to rim your glass. Place about ¼ cup of kosher salt in a plate. Lay the top edge of the glass in the salt and turn to coat the outer rim all around. Ken says that it's better this way, because if you just dip the whole top of the glass in, the salt gets in your drink. Place tequila and the orange liqueur of your choice in a drink shaker along with the juice of the rest of the lime half and some ice cubes. Shake well until the shaker is frosted then pour into a glass. I use a large wine glass. Put a few of the ice cubes in your glass along with the slice you used to rim the glass, and go to town. Repeat as desired.

Happy shopping.

[robin]

I've been coveting an egg-poaching pan from williams-sonoma--it doubles as an extra-deep non-stick skillet. Or maybe those beautiful, heavy all-clad measuring cups? And their linens are so lovely. Oh, I'm so jealous of you! :)

[pastryangie]

Hello,
When I saw the picture of the potato foccacia in Gourmet, I thought it paled in comparison to your version which I made and everyone loved! I have not made the G recipe. BTW your photographs always make me want to cook whatever your cooking even if it is something I don't particularly like. :-)

[Mercedes]

I find a food mill wonderfully useful, but then again I love my wusthof serrated with the offset handle.

I'd make pasta con le sarde. We keep pasta, tomatoes, sardines, and currants in our beach house pantry and that's often our first meal when driving in late friday night. Just have toremember to pick up the fennel.

[Randi]

I freaking LOVE the goldtouch bakeware from WS. I have the 9 x 13 and the 1.5 loaf pan. Its seriously the best bakeware ever. I try not to buy things from WS that I could find elsewhere cheaper, so I still with that bakeware. Its seriously the bomb!!

[Judi0044]

I prefer to use gift certificates for something special I'd not ordinarily buy that will remind me of the person who remembered me. That said - I wish I'd bought really good knives long before I did. What a pleasure it is to work in the kitchen with good tools.

[Claudia (cook eat FRET)]

from WS - get something that you'll really use in the upcoming season. a food mill might be nice for when tomato season hits, no?

[gemma]

don't waste it on a food mill (I think that is the same as a mouli right?). We have one....we thought it would be good for making baby food. But it stinks. Either i bought a rubbish one or I am just rubbish at using it.... but in any event you are welcome to it.

As for the sardines - if you find a good recipe let me know I always think about sneaking them into my diet but never actually take the plunge.... all those yummy omega-3's....

[dara]

You can use your sardines to make this recipe from Robert Trachtenberg's article in the NY Times Magazine a few weeks ago. I still can't believe that I've never actually made any version of this classic dish as the combination of ingredients is so appealing to me. When I finally get around to it, this'll be the one I try - it looks perfect!

Pasta con le Sarde

½ cup currants
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
½ cup plus 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fennel, bulb finely chopped, fronds chopped and reserved
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
Salt
2 pounds fresh sardines (trimmed and deboned, yielding 1¼ pounds) or 1 pound canned
1 pound bucatini pasta
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup capers, rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Combine the currants, red-pepper flakes and wine in a bowl; set aside. In a small sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set aside.

2. In a heavy skillet, heat ½ cup olive oil over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, fennel bulb and fennel seeds. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender, about 25 minutes.

3. Add the wine mixture and the sardines, breaking them into pieces with a fork. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add enough salt to the boiling water so that it tastes salty. Boil the bucatini until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes; strain. Return the pasta to the pasta pot and set over low heat. Fold in the fennel-sardine mixture. Toss in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add 3/4 of the fennel fronds, the pine nuts, the capers and a quarter of the bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Divide pasta among plates and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and fennel fronds over each. Serve immediately. Serves 4. Adapted from Gusto in Manhattan.

[Johnaka]

I had a certificate to blow. Go for an electronic scale, or stock up on the stainless steel board scrapers.
They make great house gifts, are cheaper than a bottle of wine, and a lot more useful. Other items are the handsome all-clad spatulas, flippers, and Cuisinart colanders with lots of chromium metal. Most things are available at Macy's or Amazon for less.
As for cake mix--it seems like you can make a better cake than any mix! Boxed food is processed food, no matter who sells it.

[Jessica "Su Good Sweets"]

Your focaccia looks great. Speaking from experience, Gourmet plans their recipes more than four months in advance. In this case, the recipe was developed last year. See the article here: http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/04/the_recipe_puglia

[Paulina]

1. Your foccacia looks much better than the one in Gourmet. I haven't tried either of them, but, like many others, I'm going to agree with Deb and say that when I do, I'll be trying yours.
2. I have a Wiliams-Sonoma gift card and I too have no idea what to spend it on. At least you have it narrowed down to three wonderful things! I think a bread knife is probably a good idea though - if you buy a good, fancy one, you know you won't have to replace it for a very long time, or ever. And bread is essential! I love bread. I don't have a bread knife and it absolutely kills me when I go to a bakery and I want to buy a loaf of bread!
3. Sounds delicious with pasta!

[Diane]

I also vote for the oil-packed sardines. Much tastier.

I typically eat them in sandwiches, with lots of butter and thin cuke slices. But I really like to mash them up with lots of butter, add lemon, shallots and capers and treat as a sandwich spread.

[radish]

1. I've tried neither and would opt to try yours out before Gourmet's -- they've let me astray a few times.

2. Bread knife or a food mill. We have an excellent bread knife by Sabatier and we LOVE it. It will last us forever. The thing I most want right now is a food mill!

3. Sardines... My favorite way to eat them is over pieces of toasted dark rustic bread and think slivers of onions. I know it sounds awfully simple, but that is one of my all time favorite snacks!

[Anna]

I haven't made Gourmet's focaccia, and frankly, I don't feel that motivated to try it because I'm so pleased with your recipe. I made it twice last week!

[Jenna]

I've been hoarding all my Williams Sonoma gift certificates for over a year until I have enough to buy a real Le Cruset - I just can't imagine spending all my own money on such an extravagant purchase. Really, get whatever strikes your fancy - it's free money!

[ann]

I'd buy something you can only get at WS.

You can get a bread knife, for a lot cheaper, at Broadway Panhandler, and maybe a food mill too, and let's be honest, you don't need cake mixes of pancake mixes, you're a whiz with those things! That said, I agree with Jenna, it's free money, buy what makes you happiest

Me? (because I know everyone cares exactly which kitchen tools I'm drooling over ;-) I'm cooooveting this: http://tinyurl.com/3gahoq

[steph]

If you don't have a good crepe pan I'd say totally buy one! It's one of my favorite things in the kitchen :)

[eric]

gadgets are fun, but i really enjoy having multiples of certain every day kitchen tools, lots of spatulas, especially knives, wooden spoons, graters, bowls etc. . makes cooking easier as you dont have to rewash them during cooking, on the other hand if you are on dish duty with no dishwasher then its less fun.

[Randi]

Like ann above says, buy something you can only get at WS, like the Goldtouch bakeware. Whoops, I already told you that. I love it so much, I have to say it again!!

I got a great bread knife from amazon. It's chicago cutlery and cost about 20 bucks.

[Mireille]

It seems many have commented on a bread knife. What I would get? I'd probably get something useful, such as a skillet pan- or some plates made in France, and knives that I don't have (bit boring for me). YOu could get something useful, something you don't have or otherwise splurge on something.

[Carmen]

Mmmm, a gift certificate!!! I like to buy something special that will always remind me of the person who provided the said certificate. Now: bread knife...the person in one of the above posts who said not to blow a wad on a bread knife is absolutely RIGHT. You can get a good bread knife for under twenty, probably for under fifteen. That leaves food mill, and crêpe pan. Which one would you use most?? A good crêpe pan is a black steel jobbie, and those also are not expensive. You nurture it and it will serve you well. Good crêpes are wonderful and make a fun, easy but not found elsewhere dessert (who makes crêpes among your friends???) Food mill...more money there. And if you DO get one, it should be made in France. But...you do have one of those plunger-blender thiggies...so, would you use a food mill??? I have one and use it rarely, but when I do, it's because I want that smoothness. So, actually, it's up to you!!!! Have fun deciding... oh, and please, no margarita mixes. You'd probably be able to make something better than what is in those pouches anyway.....

[Laura]

oooh, sardines: you must toss them with pasta, olive oil, butter, lots 'o garlic, red pepper flake and parsley. The simplest, easiest and most delicious dish! Season with salt and pepper, top with a nice splach of raw olive oil and you're good to go!

I'd go for the food mill because it's a pretty versatile thing (sauces, soups, mashed potatoes, etc...) and it will last forever (at least my mother's did, and mine's still good as new).

[Zoomie]

Bread knife! A good, solid one - the wobbly ones are dangerous and just a pain in the neck!

[karen]

I love my wusthof bread knife. I use it every day. I hardly ever touch the food mill. If it were me, I'd get a pretty serving dish or platter. It's nice to have something beautiful to use to show off your food. Don't waste it on lame cake mixes.

[Julie]

Please don't blow it on mixes! In my experience WS mixes are not great, and I have had half a bottle of their mango margarita mix in my fridge since last summer.

I recently got a WS torch which I thought I'd hardly use but do quite a bit- it seems they are much better than others out there. I just bruleed some rice pudding because I could. They also have some great cookie cutters - a great alphabet set in particular.

[Elizabeth]

Like Carmen, I would encourage you to add a good crepe pan to your collection, but not necessarily the W-S crepe pan. I've enjoyed my traditional black steel crepe pan for 35 years; it just gets better with age. Typically I use the pan to make the crepes that are the starting point for blintzes. The crepes are consistent first to last with no waste, and the blintzes travel well as a perfect treat to bring to a potluck brunch.

[EB]

I'm a big fan of using gift cards for things you would not normally buy for yourself... that thing you couldn't otherwise justify.

[Lisa]

I saw the bread knife on the sale table at Williams-Sonoma and thought to myself, "is this a must-have or will I regret buying it?" It was on sale for $12.95, so what the heck. I am happy to report that it was a great purchase and I can't believe I waited so long to buy a GOOD bread knife. Go for it!

[Laura]

W-S gift card? Good golly. Table linens.

If it's something gadgety you're after, they have some pretty sexy-looking grilling tools on the website. But whenever I look at their catalog, the stuff I'm drooling over is the table linens. Of course, I think that the walls of heaven are papered with toile, so, maybe I'm biased?

[Sommelier]

Cherry tomatoes in April? That's just a small part of what is wrong with Gourmet.

I was a subscriber & great admirer of Gourmet for over 20 years. I remember when it was one of America's finest magazines, and actually was written for gourmets, not arriviste snobs who can't tell money from class. You remember, before Ruth Reichl decided to use her power as editor to show all those people who actually got invited to the Prom who was the big, important girl now! I remember reading Gerald Asher's article every month (the finest wine writer writing in the English language), and wanting to go out, immediately, and buy bottles of the wine he was covering that month; she turned that into "six New Zealand whites that rock with Guacamole!". I cooked countless dishes from their pages, celebrating fresh fruits and vegetables of the season; recipes that called for asparagus in February and apples in March began to appear, along with overpriced hard-to-find (even in New York City!) ingredients. Fred Feretti's wonderful "A Gourmet at Large" celebrated the joys of freshly-made Hong Kong cakes from a street stall at $1 a bag with the same honest enthusiasm that was given to tasting the first shad roe of spring at the Four Seasons. Sadly, Gourmet is now just another lifestyle rag for investment bankers and stockbrokers, with wet-dream articles about restaurants you'll probably never eat in, and hotels you can't afford to stay in. Really: last year's summer hostess gift was a set of hand made cheese knives for $900. Dangling all those expensive things under the reader's noses and thinking it's "class" is really the same as leaving the label on the sleeve of a new jacket to show everyone that it really IS camel hair. Really! 100% See? See?

It's such a shame that a once-great magazine has been put into the hands of someone who has been so effective in ruining it and is unaware of the extent that it has been diminished.

[Carmen]

Oh!!! I absolutely LOVE what Sommelier has just writen. Touché!

[oregoncoastgirl]

Get the Colonna Olive Oil @ Williams Sonoma. So worth it.

[Erin @ The Skinny Gourmet]

Fun dilemmas though. For the gift certificate it sounds like you'd be better off going for some kind of durable purchase and staying away from the consumable mixes. particularly the margarita mix. 10 times better to make it fresh at home anyway.

I'm sort of drawn to the utility of a bread knife, particularly if you don't have a good one already. But I love crepes and if you make them often, it could be a nice addition.

For sardines I am no help. Sorry in advance!

I can only agree that their focaccia photo was, as you say, uninspiring. I will have to give yours a try though!

[We Are Never Full]

I'm answering #3: First I'd consider your next purchase to be whole, fresh sardines to grill and eat with a squeeze of lemon? Second, with your canned sardines I'd make a Sicilian pasta dish (similar to this one we made with anchovies, you could try subbing sardines for the chovies!: http://www.weareneverfull.com/bucatini-or-maccheroncelli-with-pistachio-sauce/

but, I would make a sauce out of the sardines, raisins, almonds some olive oil and garlic. So delicious and very flavorful. Good luck! I'll be curious what you do.

amy @ we are never full

[jenny]

bread knife or 11" all-clad french saute pan. i had a w-s gift certificate and dithered about what to purchase--got the all-clad pan and am in LOVE with it. and i need no new cooking supplies whatsoever. but a good bread knife is perhaps one of the best tools you can have, and you will have it forever.

[raphaelle]

Food mill! I bought mine with a WS gift card I got for my wedding, and I love it. It is so nice not to have to haul the processor out sometimes. It can make a mellow cooking Sunday loud-noise free.

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[Stacey]

I personally have been dying to get one of these: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku9217787/index.cfm?pkey=cbkwcak&ckey=bkwcak for quite some time.

Lurking a while, finally posting. Love your site- thanks!

[Stephanie]

Hi,
I'm going to try both Focaccia recipes this week. I'm new to your site, it's great. I'll get back on the Focaccia. As far as the Williams-Sonoma gift card, as a retired (hahaha) 10 year Williams-Sonoma, this question was asked a lot. I always recommened these 3 things: 1) A new La Creuset to add to your collection,2) a knife you've been really waiting for to go on sale (yes, this stuff goes on sale all the time, unadvertised!!)3) Flour Sack towels, the best towel for busy kitchens. Most "cooks" don't need a bunch of useless tools, as we have learned how to manage.
Anchovies: that's a tough one. Really, I'd make a paste out of it and add (just a tablespoon) to salad dressings, mayo,marinara sauce, marinades for fish/chicken. YUMMY. Good luck.