03 Jan State of the Plate
Well, 2007 is off to a helluva start! We’ve now got a regular Sirius Radio slot, 80,000 readers a month, some corporate consulting gigs, and our kitchen is busier than ever. Unfortunately I don’t have any bubbly left over from New Year or I’d pop that cork!
We have oodles in store for you this year, and the most important goal for us is to include more everyday ingredients in our repertoire. We’ve certainly covered the decadent foods like caviar and foie gras, but we are eager to give you more accessible ingredients that can really help you expand your culinary repertoire. We’re starting with salmon as our Main Ingredient for January, not only because it’s such a versatile fish, but also because it adds a nice splash of color to the table during these winter months. Later in the month we’ll delve into the Indulgence of port, one of my favorite wines to drink, offering you some cozy dishes to ward off winter’s chill.
Along with our emphasis on simple ingredients this year, our attention is also focused on the process of learning. Lest you think we are all-knowing in the realm of food and wine (ha!), we’d like to share more of our own journey of discovery with you: You’ll be learning in real-time, right along with us. We find the world of cuisine to be ever-evolving, and one in which we are always learning, and we hope that through our process of discovery, you, too, will gain some new insights to develop your own palate and skills.
The Culinary Podcast Network will help that process along, and we have several new shows debuting this year that are focused on the how-to, including Bachelor’s Boot Camp™, video from our test kitchen and a show from the Pastry Princess!
Entertaining will continue to be an area of expansion this year as well. Chef Mark will give you an overview of our upcoming Mise en Place menus in his January editorial, but suffice it to say we’ve got you covered from brunch to Persia. Since our Entertaining section continues to be one of the most popular areas of the site, we want it to become a one-stop reference for your at-home gatherings.
You’ll also see more guest chefs in our kitchen in 2007, and we’ll continue to go Behind the Toque with some of the heavy-hitters who have helped to define modern cuisine around the globe.
In short, we are going to have a blast this year! Grab your seat at the table and get your fork ready.
Happy New Year!