The allium family includes everything from the delicate chive to the hardy leek to the eye-stinging yellow onion. “Spring” onions refer to the greener, milder types that were traditionally harvested in the spring: green onions or scallions. The more-familiar types–red, yellow, white, Spanish–are “storage” or “dry” onions. There isn’t as wide of a gulf in [...]
Are you a big fan of mushroom pizza? I am. I’m such a fan, in fact, that I skip the bread and make the mushroom the actual base of the pizza. The result is a much fuller flavor…and also one that’s low-carb and low-fat. Portabello mushrooms make a great individual-sized pizza for an appetizer or [...]
Continue reading about The Ultimate Pizza for Mushroom Lovers
From dulce to caliente, this is one hot cookbook. If you’re a big fan of Americanized Mexican fare, you’ll have to look elsewhere for your fajitas and chimichangas, but if you want to get idea of what fresh, authentic Baja fare is all about, then this is the cookbook for you. My favorite aspect of [...]
Whole-wheat pita pockets make a great alternative to white-bread lunches. All you need are a few fresh veggies and a topping (such as hummus, cheese, balsamic vinegar, or honey) to make an easy and healthy lunch! Here’s a basic recipe to get you started: 1/2 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds or long sticks (or any [...]
Shopping for fresh produce is a mini-adventure: you’re surrounded by vivid colors, countless shapes and textures, and exotic scents. And the best part is, you can eat everything you see! (Although watch out for rhubarb leaves and potato eyes.) When shopping for produce–especially new items you may not have tried before!–make sure to use all [...]
Continue reading about The Sense(s) of Choosing Fruits & Vegetables
There’s a lot more to palm trees than the shade. You may have had hearts of palm–or palmitos–in a salad. (Palmito is also a term of endearment in Spanish.) Hearts of palm actually are the hearts of palm trees. They taste somewhat like artichoke hearts and are often pickled and marinated in the same way. [...]
Here are my top ten favorite tools to use with produce–I’d go so far as to say they’re indispensable. Having these in your kitchen will make your cooking much easier and more enjoyable: – Several wooden cutting boards (see article on cutting boards for more information) – Knives (and knife sharpener!) – Vegetable peeler – [...]
Strange title, I know, but I prefer to make a fruit salad out of fruit that won’t brown quickly. It’s more visually appealing and less wasteful–if you have left-overs, they’ll make a nice breakfast the next day. Or you can freeze the leftovers in small bunches and use them any time to make a multi-fruit [...]
Skip the MSG-laden Chinese buffet and whip this up instead! This dish packs an amazing amount of flavor into a few ingredients. And feel free to add some “extras,” like daikon radish, baby corn, or water chestnuts. Measurements are approximate since it all comes down to your personal tastebuds. 1 zucchini, sliced into rounds at [...]
1 roasted beet (see “Roasted Beets” under “Ingredients & Staples”) 2 hardboiled eggs (see “Hardboiled Eggs” under “Ingredients & Staples”) 1/2 pound to 1 pound of green beans Feta cheese, preferably in brine 2 medium tomatoes fresh cilantro, torn or finely shredded balsamic vinegar olive oil Clean and trim the ends off the green beans. [...]
