What Household or Kitchen Items Would Make a Good Punch Bowl for a Party? Good Questions

Q: I am looking for a DIY punch bowl for our wedding. I don't really want to buy (and store) a punch bowl I will rarely use. I have some huge stainless steel bowls and a ladle, but I don't think they're heavy enough, and they'd scooch and slosh around when in use.

Sent by Chris

Editor: Chris, what about a heavy Dutch oven? Colorful Dutch ovens, surrounded by fruit or flowers could look cheery and pretty. (And Dutch ovens are obviously lots more multitasking than a punch bowl!)

Readers, what else would you suggest for Chris?

Next question?

Seen Above: Chilean Pisco Star-Spangled Punch

(Image: Pisco Chile)

---

Target Coupons Expect More, Pay Less at Target.com, the official Target online retail site. Shop the latest in Women, Men, Baby, Kids, Home, Bed+Bath, Furniture, Sports, Toys ... What's Cooking America Kitchen store provided by ShoppingHevanet Get all your online Kitchen Shopping done at What's Cooking America's Kitchen Store Ellen's Kitchen Punch: Jill castillojill@hotmail.com 05/01/05 I need punch to go in a champagne fountain. I will be serving 350 people. They don't want champagne. Thank You Anchor Hocking Presence Glass Punch Bowl Set - Walmart.com Find great value on the Anchor Hocking Presence Punch Bowl Set at Walmart.com. Make a Small Explosion with Household Items Wonder How To How to Make a Small Crossbow out of Household Items Right now, you can probably build your very own mini crossbow without getting up from your desk. recipegoldmine.com - recipes, food and cooking Over 21,000 recipes including ethnic cuisine, copycat recipes; kitchen charts, household hints, gardening, crafts, BBQ Guru, and pet recipes. Home Maintenance & Repair - How To Information eHow.com Home Maintenance & Repair: Do have a leaky roof or electrical issues? Find how to info on home air conditioning, drain and sump plumbing, and kitchen appliances on eHow. EDSITORIAL So good that you make it over and over again (or at least 3 times ... So good that you make it over and over again (or at least 3 times!) Housekeeping - How To Information eHow.com Housekeeping: Can't get the stain out of your carpet? eHow has essential tips on floor cleaning, odor elimination and bathroom cleaning. Find how to info on ...

Dutch Oven Recipe: White Bean & Chicken Sausage Stew Recipes from The Kitchn

This is the time of year when Dutch ovens come into their own. Even if you use your big, heavy Dutch oven year-round, as I do, it still seems to come down off its shelf a little more often in the fall. Today I want to show you my favorite Dutch oven and a soup to cook in it. This soup is one of those magical recipes with just a few ingredients, and all the usual suspects carrot, onion, beans, chicken broth that nevertheless turns out to have such a deep, wonderful flavor you don't mind that it makes enough to feed you for a week. And a Dutch oven is really the best vessel for it, because this soup is cooked just a little differently.

My favorite Dutch oven at the moment is this beauty from Staub. It was a Christmas present from my husband, and he knows what I like, because this classic oval oven, with its handsome brass knob and smooth black interior, has become perhaps my favorite tool in the kitchen.

Here are a few reasons I especially like this Dutch oven, besides its obvious beauty, which lets me bring it straight to the table from the kitchen. I like that the interior is black enamel, instead of the more common white, because it doesn't show stains. I also like the size 5 quarts which is big enough for a haunch of lamb or a roast, as well as most soup recipes, without being so big and heavy that I can't manage it. I like the shape, which offers enough surface area to brown meat while still fitting neatly on a burner and in my oven.

Which brings me to the point of this recipe: the oven. I love cooking beans in the oven, and when it came time to simmer this simple, slow-cooking bean soup, I decided to throw it in the oven instead of leaving it on the stove. I found that the result gave me creamier, more tender beans and a deeply flavorful soup. I think that all-around heat of the oven does this. The gentle heat of the oven also means that soups and stews cooked in it are more hands-off. I just put the heavy, well-fitting lid on this pot and let it simmer away, without worrying my soup will burn or cook down too far.

In the end, this soup can be cooked in any heavy pot or Dutch oven and on the stovetop, instead of in the oven, for that matter. But I loved it in this pot, which honestly inspires me every day. This time of year, I look for any excuse to pull that pot down, and a pound of beans and some leftover chicken sausage were ample reason to stand over the stove on a chilly morning and enjoy a few minutes with my Dutch oven.

Find it: Staub 5-Quart Oval Cocotte, $199.95 at Amazon

One last note on this soup: As written, it's a hearty, chunky bean stew that makes enough to feed a couple people for a week. But it's also very generous: If you want to stretch it out even further, add another 4 to 8 cups of broth or even water. A little simmering and the rich flavor will quickly spread through the extra liquid.

White Bean & Chicken Sausage Stew

Serves 6 to 8. Freezes well.

1 pound dried small white beans, such as Vallarta Beans from Rancho Gordo
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces cooked chicken sausage, such as Applegate Farms Organic Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sausage, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons cider vinegar

The night before you want to cook this soup, soak the beans by placing them in a bowl and covering them completely with cold water.

The next day, heat the oven to 300F. Heat the olive oil in a large (4-quart or larger) Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage has browned about 10 minutes. Stir in the diced celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes until they are soft. Drain the beans and stir them into the vegetables.

Pour in the chicken stock and an additional 4 cups water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous quantity of black pepper. Drop in the bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and put in the oven.

Cook for 2 to 3 hours in the oven, or until the beans are very soft and creamy. (Time can vary widely depending on the size of beans you use.)

The soup can also be cooked on the stovetop over low flame. It will need a similar amount of timing for cooking, and should also be cooked with the lid on. Check a little more frequently to make sure the bottom isn't scorching.

Stir in the cider vinegar and salt to taste (I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beans have absorbed some of the salt.

Serve with fresh crusty bread. Leftovers freeze well.

More Bean Soups

Mrs. Garcia's Black Bean Soup
Ham Bone, Greens, and Bean Soup
Bean, Bacon and Butternut Squash Soup with Swiss Chard
White Bean and Roasted Squash Soup with Pistou
Kale and Chicken Stew

(Images: Faith Durand)

---

White Bean and Chicken Chili Recipe : Giada De Laurentiis ... In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. White Bean Soup with Roasted Turkey Italian Sausage, Zucchini, and ... A home cooking blog featuring healthy low-glycemic recipes with step-by-step photos, as well as cooking tips, vegetable gardening, and products Kalyn loves. Dutch Oven Recipes - Camping A dutch oven recipe cooked on a real fire brings camp back to the old days. Too often, camping meals consist of heating water to soften up some dehydrated matter and ... DUTCH OVEN RECIPES West African Yassa Chicken Dutch Oven Recipe DUTCH OVEN RECIPE INGREDIENTS. 4 large onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; 1 tsp salt Spicy Sausage, Escarole & White Bean Stew - Fine Cooking Recipes ... Heat the oil in a heavy 5- to 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the sausage, raise ... Chicken, Sausage, and White Bean Stew Recipe : Emeril Lagasse ... Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil to the pan. Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ... chard and white bean stew smitten kitchen A home cooking weblog from a tiny kitchen in New York City. The place to find all of your new favorite things to cook. DUTCH OVEN RECIPES: Baked Salmon Dutch Oven Recipe this site is all about great DUTCH OVEN RECIPES, a Dutch Oven recipe blog with numerous and nice recipes to try. Dutch Oven Chicken - Dutch Oven Mania - Everything Dutch Ovens A downloadable file of Dutch oven chicken recipes is here for you. Just click in the table of contents on the recipe that you want and the hyperlink will take you to it. Fall-Style Chicken Stew with Sausage and White Beans Picky Palate Fist off, Happy Halloween to everyone! Such a fun day ahead with my boys. Cant wait to dive into all the festivities . There is not much better than a giant Dutch ...

Slow-Cooker Recipe: Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew Recipes from The Kitchn

Thinking about pulling out your slow-cooker, now that it's October? If we haven't convinced you yet to break it out of storage, we hope this recipe will do the trick! Creamy and mild, this simple curried soup is full of tender fall vegetables and the warming flavors of ginger and garlic.

This is a great clearing-out-the-fridge recipe. My inspiration actually came from an old Cooking Light recipe and a fridge full of vegetables that needed usingbut not all vegetables that the original recipe called for. I love the big pieces of cauliflower that came from that experiment, but I have also made versions with parsnips, turnips, winter or summer squash, extra carrots, and swiss chard.

Since this makes such a large batch, you can freeze what you don't think you'll eat in a week. Just freeze it before adding the coconut milk since this has a tendency to separate once frozen.

This recipe is also easily replicated in a dutch oven, if you'd prefer that route. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and do all the steps in your dutch oven. Cover and cook for two hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Tester's Notes

This is always one of the first recipes I make once the weather gets colder. It's just so warm and comforting at the end of a long day. I love the mix of all the different vegetables and the way curry-scented coconut milk brings it all together. It's easy to forget that it's actually a vegan recipe!

One thing to note is that this recipe makes a lot! It can be halved if you have a smaller crockpot or if you don't want to make such a big batch. I usually go for gold and make the entire batch, freezing half in individual portions for quick meals later in the fall. - Emma

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

Serves 8 - 10

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 all-purpose potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10-ounces baby spinach
1 cup coconut milk

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saut the onion with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and another teaspoon of salt, and saut until just translucent around the edges.

Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chili and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/4 cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Pour this onion-potato mixture into the bowl of your slow cooker.

To the slow-cooker, add the rest of the broth, chickpeas, bell pepper, cauliflower, tomatoes with their juices, the pepper, and the final teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. The liquid should come half-way up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH.

Stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover with lid for 1 minute to allow the spinach to wilt. Taste and adjust salt and other seasonings as needed.

Serve on its own or over cous cous, Israeli cous cous, or orzo pasta.

Related: Weekend Cooking: How to Make Curry

(Originally published 10/24/2008)

(Image: Emma Christensen)

---

Vegetable And Chickpea Curry Recipe - Taste.com.au Vegetable and chickpea curry recipe - Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add ... Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew Recipe at Epicurious.com Find the recipe for Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew and other chickpea recipes at Epicurious.com Slow-Cooker Recipe: Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew Recipes ... If yesterday's talk of slow-cookers didn't convince you to break yours out of storage, we hope this recipe will do the trick! Creamy and mild, this simple curried ... Slow Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe - Allrecipes.com Cubed chicken meat slow cooked with potatoes, vegetables and a simple curry mixture. A quick and easy recipe for a chicken vegetable curry. Curried Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Stew - Fine Cooking Recipes ... How to make Curried Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Stew with 2 Tbs. peanut or vegetable oil Slow Cooker Recipe for Vegan Black Garbanzo Bean Curry A home cooking blog featuring healthy low-glycemic recipes with step-by-step photos, as well as cooking tips, vegetable gardening, and products Kalyn loves. Chef Michael Smith recipe Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry This is one of our all-time favourite dishes, a brightly flavoured bowl of half stew, half soup and all flavour. Its spicy aromas are so tasty and addictive that you ... Slow Cooker Squash and Chickpea Curry recipe - Canadian Living Slow Cooker Squash and Chickpea Curry. By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen Slow-Cooker Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew from The Kitchn Slow-Cooker Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew from The Kitchn Chickpea Curry Recipe - Free Diet Plans at SparkPeople 1. Heat oil in pan, add onion and cook until clear. 2. Add garlic, cook for 1 min. Add ginger and curry, stir to mix and cook 1/2 min. Remove pan from heat.

Banana Bread Scones, Dutch Oven Dinners & 20 Tips for No-Knead Bread Friday Flashback

So many goodies from this time last year! We have a recipe for banana bread scones (a frequent visitor to my breakfast table), canning websites to help you "put up" for winter, a tour of a vegan chef's incredible kitchen, and a clever trick for quick weeknight mac n' cheese. Check it out!

PICTURED ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT
Recipe: Banana Bread Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze
Elegant Raw Recipe: Fresh Figs with Cashew Cream
The Sweeter Side of Bananas: 5 Fresh Recipes
5 Great Dutch Ovens: And 10 Recipes to Put Them To Work
A Visit to Vegan Chef Ann Gentry's Los Angeles Kitchen
Pasta Recipe: Sausage and Fennel Ragu

NOT PICTURED ABOVE
5 Canning Websites
K-Cups and Coffee Pod Systems: Love Them or No, Thanks?
Skip a Step: Make Mac & Cheese in Half the Time
Bake Bread! 20 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for No-Knead Bread
Make Ahead Meal Idea: Freezer Burritos
Quick Morning Energy: The Breakfast Cookiea

Previous Friday Flashback: Jammy Biscuits, Easy Bite-Sized Snacks & 15 Ways to Eat Peanut Butter

---

Bunny's Warm Oven Up until now the only pierogies I ever had the pleasure of eating were found in the frozen food section of my grocery store and I thought they were good. Food & Drink - How To Information eHow.com Food & Drink: Don't let that next party be a flop. Be the envy of your friends thanks to eHow's entertaining secrets sure to make that next affair a success. Food is ... COCO BEAN I had written this great post over a year ago, but never actually published it. I dont really know why... maybe because I was too lazy to spell check it. Busy Peoples Bread Recipe : Annabel Langbein Recipes ... Preheat oven to just 80C and grease and line two 25 x 10cm loaf tins with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix the boiling water with the honey to dissolve. Your tried and true Cook's illustrated Best recipes. - Home ... I own "The New Best Recipe" cookbook, "The Best of America's Test Kitchen" 2007, and "Restaurant Favorites at Home" from Cook's Illustrated and have h Oreo Brownies - Cookie Madness Oreo stack brownies similar to the ones at Starbucks. ... I'm so happy to announce that my first cookbook, The Daily Cookie, 365 Tempting Treats for the Sweetest ... Recipelink Archive: August 01 - 31, 2009 - Recipelink.com - Find ... Bacon Cheese Appetizer Bread (tried) Black Forest Coffee (using chocolate syrup and maraschino cherry juice) Blackberry Iced Tea; Booster Juice Strawberry Sunshine ... Serious Eats: Recipes Get our weekly recipe roundup. Page 0 of . Viewing Results from: Lesson Two: Putting Something More in Your Loaf The Fresh Loaf News and Information for Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts. Kitchen Parade: Recipes by Course Main Dishes Favorites Beef Bison Elk Venison Lamb Pork & Ham Chicken Turkey Fish Seafood Eggs Meatless Salad Suppers Pasta Rice, Grains & Beans Dessert as Dinner!