Cooking With Carrie

Ask Carrie Questions and Answers
?Heelin asks: what is tsp ?
Carrie: That's the abbreviation for teaspoon. :)
?daniel fleming asks: hi carrie. i was wondering whats your recipe for chocalate covered strawberries?
Carrie: 1. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1 cup fine quality semi sweet chocolate chips until you see tiny bubbles around the edges. As soon as you see the little bubbles, turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes. Then whisk chocolate and cream together until thick and smooth. Pour the warm, shiny chocolate into a small bowl. Dip washed and totally dried ripe berries into warm chocolate. Scrape off excess chocolate. Place dipped berries on a plate lined with wax paper. Place dipped berries in the fridge to set, about 25 minutes. ENJOY!
?Annabel asks: Hi! I was wondering what tsp. stands for. Thanks!
Carrie: tsp stands for teaspoon. Have fun!
?kayleigh linder asks: dear carrie, how do i get my grandmother's chocolate silk pie recipe on tv.
Carrie: Hi Kayleigh, Write to Activity TV and let them know you need to see that one on tv! If they say yes, I will do it! :) Good luck, Carrie
?Torrey Jenkins asks: Hi Carrie, I hope you are doing well. My four year old loves to cook and I was wondering if you are doing any cooking classes this Fall. Thanks so much, Torrey
Carrie: Hi Torrey, Are you local to Swarthmore? My business partner, Debbie, will be offering after school cooking classes this fall. Send us an email at vanillabeans@comcast.net and we will take it from there. Thanks! Carrie
?angelica maria bonavota asks: hey carrie i was wondering have you ever made a chocalate cake from scratch? i really want to know how to make that. is it possible?
Carrie: Absolutely! My friend Debbie taught me how to make the best chocolate cake on earth. Look in the desserts on my website, I will post the recipe there very soon! Thanks for writing, Carrie
?dara asks: Hi Carrie! I love to watch u cook!Where do u get ur recipes? I love to watch Home Town Recipes , did u make it up!? How many shws did u make? Does The food u make taste good i think so!?
Carrie: Hi Dara, I love to read recipe magazines and recipes online. I find recipes I like, I try them, and then I change things around until it feels like a recipe I know kids will like too, adding and swapping ingredients until it feels just right. I am glad you like to watch the Hometown Recipes! They are fun to do! Each recipe takes about an hour and a half to shoot and winds up being only 7 or 8 minutes long! The food we make while we shoot the shows tastes really yummy and the crew for the show likes to eat it in between the shows we tape!
?britney sullo asks: hi carrie this is britney. I was wondering if you knew what you wanted to be when you grew up when you were younger.
Carrie: Hi Britney! I always wanted to be a teacher. Now I am a teacher who loves to teach cooking! How about you?
?Megan asks: I heard you have a cookbook coming out soon. I can't wait to buy it! Could you tell when and where to look for it? :)
Carrie: Hi Megan, The three cookbooks will be sold as companion books to the dvds of the cooking shows. We are hoping to have them out on shelves in time for the next winter holiday season! You will likely find them in Walmart, online and possibly Borders. Thanks for writing!!! :) XO Carrie
?Stacey Bialow (maiden name Kirshner) asks: My middle child was watching your show about choc. raspberry kiss cupcakes. I sat down to watch it with her b/c our little guy's b-day is Valentine's Day. Imagine my surprise when I see my freshman college roommate from NYU! Glad to see you are doing well
Carrie: Hi Stacey, What an incredible surprise! Can't wait to connect with you again! Carrie
?Christine McGonigal asks: Happy New Year Carrie, My son Ian and I would like your recipe for the fudge you made before Christmas. Thank you!
Carrie: Hi Christine! I have posted the recipe for fudge. I hope you and Ian have fun! have a piece for me!!! Happy New Year to you too!
?Bonzo asks: You are so good with children. Maybe you should teach or perhaps be the head of a school. Where do you find the children for your cooking shows?
Carrie: Thanks Bonzo! One of those kids in my shows is my son, Henry! Keep watching, cause new shows are on the way, with even more kids! Thanks for your lovely compliments!
?Andrew asks: Have you ever made corn bread?
Carrie: Yes! I prefer to make corn muffins though. That way, I can easily freeze the ones my family doesn't eat right away. Then, when I want a corn muffin for breakfast, I take one out of the freezer and pop it in the toaster!
?Andrew asks: Where did you learn how to cook?
Carrie: I learned from watching my mom when I was a little girl. :) I got good at it when I started cooking with my sister, Lizzy. We were roommates in college and used to make gourmet meals together!
?Gee asks: what is the calorie count for the granola bars?
Carrie: I wish I could tell you for sure, but my best guess is about 200 calories. (I just checked online and looked at recipes that were similar.)
?SHANE LOVLEY asks: How many recipes did you make?
Carrie: Hi Shane, I have 70 recipes on tv and a few more online. I may be shooting more shows next summer! Thanks for writing! Carrie
?angelica asks: carrie i love your cooking shows . I fall in love with all of your shows. I would love it if you whould give me one of your favorite recipies. i love all of your recipies . angelica Bonavota
Carrie: Dear Angelica, Here's one of my favorites: Simple Banana Pancakes In a bowl, mash one banana. Add 1 lightly beaten egg and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine. In a hot non-stick pan (grown-up job) melt a little bit of butter. Then drop batter by spoonful about 2 inches apart. Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes per side. Serve with powdered sugar or your favorite jam. YUMMY!!!
?Angelica Bonavota asks: Carrie the first time you cooked did you enjoy it from that point ? Was your dream to become a proffesional cooking teacher ? Write back ! p.s. where are your cooking classes ?
Carrie: Hi Angelica, I have always loved cooking. When I was little, I cooked right along side my mother. I started teaching cooking ten years ago when I was helping a little boy learn to read. He didn't like to read, so we read recipes together instead. I have been teaching cooking ever since. I teach all of my classes in Swarthmore, PA. Thank you so much for writing!
?Chris Csop asks: Dear Carrie, In your potato cheese soup we made in class What do you think is better for it Parsley or Chives???
Carrie: Hey Chris, I prefer chives, fresh out of the garden best of all. Keep in touch and have a great rest of your summer. Keep cooking!!
?Katie Cutler asks: Carrie, Both my children (ages 4 and 2) love your show. They don't watch a lot of TV and actually don't like TV but LOVE watching you cook (and then doing the cooking ourselves). They love it so much that they've started to imitate you. Thought you migh
Carrie: Thank you! I wish I could see the imitation! I have a 4 year old too and his imitation is hilarious! Thank you for watching! Carrie
?colin asks: what is your favorite food?
Carrie: Hi Colin, It's hard to say a favorite! I love good food of all kinds. Scroll down to see what I wrote about my favorite foods. :)
?Christopher Sabec asks: How could my 5 1/2 year old daughter cook with you on Activity TV? She really loves your show and would like to be a part of it someday.
Carrie: Hi Christopher, I am so happy that your little girl enjoys watching the cooking on Activity TV! I don't think the producers have planned any more cooking shows this summer (we normally tape in the summer). They have also stopped putting kids on the set so that they can tape more shows in a day (10 a day!). I teach cooking in my home. If you are local, you are welcome to sign up for a class for your daughter. Send an email to vanillabeans@comcast.net for more info.
?Marlo asks: Are you my aunt?
Carrie: yup! :)
?Jennifer asks: Hi Carrie - My 2 year old daughter is a very picky eater, (her 11 month old brother eats everything)but she loves whole wheat and spinach pasta. Do you have any ideas for sauces other than red sauce and pesto?
Carrie: Have you tried making pesto with spinach instead of basil? That's delicious! Have your kids tried pasta with garlic and oil? Try roasting a whole head of garlic in your oven. Put it on a cookie sheet, slice of about 1/4 inch of the top. Drizzle it with good olive oil. Bake it for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. After it cools, remove the roasted cloves and smush them up with about 1/4 cup olive oil, Whisk it together and drizzle over pasta.
?Jane Green asks: Dear Carrie, Would you like some advertisers on your web-site? Sincerely, Jane Green, you know, your momma!
Carrie: That would be mighty cool!
?Jane Green asks: I forgot to say, how much I love your web-site!
Carrie: Thanks! :)
?emiliano asks: Have any of your kids ever been on Activity TV?
Carrie: My oldest son is on 6 episodes on Activity Tv. It was a blast to tape shows with him! He did not have to be too quiet. In fact, he was encouraged by the director to talk A LOT!
?emiliano asks: what is your most favorite food??
Carrie: I suppose that depends on what time of day it is and where I am... I love to eat eggs benedict for breakfast for a special treat. For lunch, I love to eat a giant salad filled with lots of veggies, dried fruit, nuts, sliced turkey and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. For dinner, I like to eat risotto with ham and boursin (that's what I am making for dinner tonight!) For dessert, ANYTHING SWEET!!!
?Dot Purcell asks: I saw your Jammy Scone recipe on Activity Tv. May I have the recipe?
Carrie: Absolutely! Try these with any of your favorite jam! Combine 3 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor. Add 1 stick unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces. Pulse butter in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 cup buttermilk and pulse until mixture comes together to form a ball of dough. Carefully remove the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Press dough into one long rectangle about 4 inches wide and about 12 inches long. Spread 3-4 spoonfuls of your favorite jam down the long middle of the log. Press both sides together. Slice into 3-inch pieces. Place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 18 minutes. YUMMY!!!
?kristina asks: Did you go to college for cooking? If you did tell me where you went to college. You are my favorite chef.
Carrie: Hi Kristina, I did not study cooking in college. My degrees are in teaching. I cook because I love to cook. I learned how to cook from my mom, from my friend Debbie and from watching lots of cooking shows on tv. I also love to read recipes. I will try virtually any recipe that sounds yummy to me. Thanks so much for writing and happy cooking!
?Sissy Sissan asks: Carrie...i am a super duper fan. where do you get all your jewish recipes from??? Oh i loved your earrings in the chanukah latkes episode. they were to die for.
Carrie: Hey! My mom makes the best latkes! I learned from her! Thanks for writing!
?dana asks: What can I cook that is quick and easy using regular ingredients that I will likely already have in my kitchen?
Carrie: Do you want an idea for something savory or something sweet? Write back and I will see if I can come up with something. Happy New Year!
?setiel asks: hi Carrie, i made some of the Chanukah puffs. they're great!!!!!!!!1
Carrie: Did you get to see how they flip over on their own? It's almost like magic! I think that part is the absolute BEST! Happy Holidays!
?Joe Smith asks: How can I keep Halloween fun for my kids without all of the food coloring and SUGAR!?!?!
Carrie: After your kids come home with their goodie bags FILLED WITH LOOT, give them each a sandwich sized ziploc bag and let them fill it with their favorite treats. Whatever can't fit, pour into a big bag and donate to a shelter. In exchange for their generous donation, give your kids a little extra of something else they love. For my kids, that would be an extra story at bedtime, extra snuggle time in bed. Or try letting them choose a chore that they can get a free pass from for the week!
?payson asks: My kids love pasta! But I am trying to cut back on all of the white flour we eat. Any suggestions?
Carrie: Very simple. Keep making great sauces for the pasta and just substitute a great whole wheat pasta for the traditional kind. Trader Joe's makes great, inexpensive whole wheat pasta!
?Lizzy asks: Hey Carrie, I am running out of ideas to pack in my kids' lunch boxes. Do you have any great ideas?
Carrie: Absolutely! When you pack lunch for your kids, keep it fun. Skip the bread and go for a great whole wheat cracker. Roll up your child's favorite lunch meat. Try an assortment of turkey, ham and cheese so it looks more interesting and colorful. Put these little roll-ups in a ziploc sandwich bag, alternating ham, turkey, cheese and so on, so you get a nice looking pattern. (Kids like to eat things that look good too.) Do some Dipping! Put their favorite salad dressing in a small plastic container. Fill up a snack size ziploc with veggie sticks and cheese cubes, the thinner the better. (Kids can get overwhelmed when the veggie sticks are cut too thickly.)
?Jane asks: My 4-year-old daughter is a very picky eater! I am getting so tired of trying to convince her to eat something besides American cheese slices and peanut butter crackers. I even wind up making two different meals for dinner, one for my husband and me and
Carrie: Here’s what I do with my three children ages 9, 7 and 4. Years ago, I introduced my “four-bite-rule” to my family. You need to chew and swallow 4 bites of a new food before you may declare your opinions. In order to motivate them, I created my own version of Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar in my kitchen. I cut out the face of a little caterpillar out of construction paper and taped it above my kitchen window. Every time one of my children chews and swallows 4 bites of a new food, I cut out a brightly colored construction paper circle, write the name of the food, the name of who ate it and the date, and tape it to the body of the caterpillar. This visual incentive has inspired my children to add to the caterpillar which is now over 800 circles long! Now we actually go out of our way to prepare new foods just to grow our caterpillar. Try this and let me know how it works!
?Eric asks: I just went apple picking and have A TON OF APPLES! How do I make easy caramel apples without using the plastic wrapped caramels?
Carrie: It's really easy to make homemade caramel! Here's what you need: 6 apples 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup granulated sugar toppings of your choice, finely chopped (nuts, dried fruit, melted chocolate, cookie crumbs, etc.) - these should be set out in shallowbowls to make dipping easy and apple sticks (available at craft stores) To remove the wax coating which is used on most apples, dip the apples briefly (5-10 seconds only) in boiling water. Dry thoroughly -if there is any moisture on the apple, the caramel won't stick. To make the caramel, mix the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve. When the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat to medium/high, stirring often, and boil until mixture has reduced - five minutes should be enough. Remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel cool slightly, perhaps 4-5 minutes. Insert the stick into the top center of the apple. Carefully dip the apple in the caramel, rolling the apple and tilting the pan as needed to coat. While the caramel is still warm and soft, roll or dip the apple in the toppings of your choice. Place the apple on wax paper, parchment paper, or some other non-stick surface that won't melt. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. Apples can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated.

Ask Carrie Questions and Answers