Kansas City Star: Food

Last Bite | Decadent European Drinking Chocolate

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

"This hot chocolate recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day," says Keith Buchanan, proprietor of the Teahouse & Coffeepot south of Westport. "It's very rich and thick, with about twice as much chocolate as what I call 'American strength' hot chocolate."

Valentine's Day is the time for makin' whoopie (pies)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00 CST

It's the right time of year for baking whoopie. If I have made you blush, rest assured what follows is a strictly G-rated affair. Whoopie pies are an all-American baked good that looks like a puffed-up sandwich cookie but tastes more like a cupcake. Think cake with frosting that doesn't get all over everything.

Food Network focuses on Kansas City's spicy foods

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

What's really hot in Kansas City? Chefs Roger Mooking and Aarón Sanchez of the Food Network's "Heat Seekers" will tell America in a show premiering Feb. 20.

Cooking 101 | Spectacular Frangipane Cake is worthy of special occasions

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:00 CST

Remember when Valentine's Day meant a celebration at school, complete with your favorite sweets and a box full of cards from your classmates? Re-create that feeling with a Valentine's weekend dessert gathering for friends, featuring this show-stopping confection, Frangipane Cake With Chocolate Mousse.

Mestizo's mixed Mexican cuisine yields mixed results

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00 CST

"Mestizo opened in November, and after our late December visit I wasn't too eager to go back, so I gave it a few more weeks," Steve Paul writes in his review of the Leawood nuevo Mexican restaurant. After a second visit, "Things seemed to have improved quite a bit, though our experience of the food and the place remained somewhat short of stellar."

Come Into My Kitchen | Gaela Fisher shows her love with a decadent dessert

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:00 CST

Gaela Fisher cooks her heart out year-round for her family. She casts her epicurean enchantments by preparing traditional Southern food with a side of warm hospitality for her husband, Michael, their family and close friends. She says Michael devours her "love letters," which can include a plate of smothered porkchops with mashed potatoes and more gravy.

Food calendar | Valentine's dinners, wine tastings and more

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM: Wine Tasting in the Blue Room. Wine, hors d'oeuvres and music. 6 p.m. Feb. 9. $5. 1616 E. 18th. www.americanjazzmuseum.org (816-474-8463, ext. 217)

Last Bite | Say 'I do' to Italian-Style White Bean Soup

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

"This soup is similar to an Italian wedding soup, but beans are a healthier alternative to pasta," says Duane Daugherty, the "barbeconnoisseur" behind locally made Mr. Doggity's BBQ Sauce.

Thirst for knowledge leads tea entrepreneurs to Asia

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00 CST

Kansas City tea merchants Zehua Shang and Paula Winchester have each traveled to mountainside farms in Asia where these premium loose leaf teas grow. Long journeys to China and Taiwan enable them to learn and share firsthand knowledge of how tea is harvested and produced. The adventure is a stimulating experience from farm to teacup.

Cookie decorator's imaginitive designs take the cake

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:28 CST

Allie Walsh is the manager of the Nestle Toll House Café/Haagen Dazs store at Oak Park Mall, but she's also the chief cookie decorator. Working from a photo or just her imagination (or yours), she'll design something so cool, the kids at the birthday party may stare in awe, forgetting there's yummy cookie under all the colorful frosting. (OK, not really.)

Eating For Life | Oatmeal Spice Cookies are anything but ordinary

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00 CST

Commonly used in baking, rolled oats are an ingredient that readily lends itself to low-fat alterations. The Star's recipe for Oatmeal Spice Cookies is an example of how a few tweaks add up to a healthy treat.

Corn in a cup is a taste treat at Paleteria Tropicana

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

Tucked in the middle of the Southwest Boulevard block bookended by Taqueria Mexico and La Fonda, Paleteria Tropicana is an exotic paradise for fruit fans in winter. But elote -- corn in a cup -- is sort of the opposite of a health-food drink. It's a beautiful, full expression of carbs and fat with a little citric tang to cut the creaminess.

Come Into My Kitchen | A kitchen full of nourishment and love

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00 CST

Michella Stiles fluently speaks the language of food. Growing up, Stiles and her sister would mix it up in the kitchen with their mother, a former home economics teacher for the Shawnee Mission School District. Together, they would figuratively cook their way around the world.

Last Bite | Savory Cheese Ball super snack for the big game

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:46 CST

Prepare this cheese ball for your Super Bowl party or any gathering where cheese is given due respect. The recipe is from Craig Jones of Savory Addictions, a local company that makes "small-batch artisan nuts" that are seasoned and smoked over wood.

Pivotal food scenes inspire an Oscars-themed party

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00 CST

If the simple act of eating can make movie stars seem a bit more like real people, it's no wonder so many directors have their casts munching their way across the silver screen. This year food is frequently used in pivotal scenes to move the plot along or to flesh out a character's personality.

Gram & Dun offers savory fare with a Southern slant

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00 CST

Gram & Dun, which opened in November in the former Baja 600 space on the Country Club Plaza, is a welcome addition to the dining scene. You'll enjoy an evening of fun food with casual but courteous service in a stylish yet comfortable space. And it's a great value, with average entrée prices ringing in at less than $20.

Eating for Life | Hot or cold, polenta provides a base for savory toppings

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00 CST

Similar to Southern-style grits, polenta is cornmeal that can be cooked and eaten as porridge for breakfast or cooled until firm, sliced into wedges and topped with savory toppings for lunch or dinner. The Star's recipe for Parmesan Polenta With Chunky Italian Vegetables can be served as a vegetarian main course, a side dish or a starter.

Come Into My Kitchen | Feeding athletes is part of church's mission

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00 CST

Karl Roscoe brings his A-game when he's cooking for hungry athletes in the basement of the Wornall Road Baptist Church. Roscoe and his volunteers score extra points with Southwest High School football and basketball players for the healthy meals they prepare before games.

Last Bite | Round up some hearty chow with Cowboy Mac and Cheese

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:00 CST

This macaroni-and-cheese recipe from chef Andrew Parker at Martin City Brewing Co. has nothing to do with the pre-Revolutionary War tune "Yankee Doodle," riding on a pony or sticking a feather in your cap (and calling it macaroni). Although it might inspire you to whistle the tune while making or eating the dish.

Pros offer pointers on making a perfect pizza at home

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00 CST

Kansas City has its share of artisan pizza parlors, but you really don't have to venture out to enjoy restaurant-quality pizza. With a modicum of patience, it's possible to make chewy and crusty pizza in the comfort of your own home. And no, you don't have to own a commercial-grade, Neopolitan-made wood-burning oven.