While I’m looking forward to the spring flowers that our April showers will bring, I’m still in full-on winter mode in terms of wanting hot beverages. How can your mind not edge towards hot chocolate when it’s gray, cold, and wet outside? Twenty degrees Fahrenheit and sunny seems warmer than 45F and raining. So in the [...]
Continue reading about An Antidote for Rainy, Cold Spring Days
Ever since I went to Spain last year, I’ve started to enjoy the occasional cup of coffee. Turns out the reason I didn’t like coffee before going to Spain was that I had only had bitter, instant-style American coffee. Freshly roasted and ground beans taste entirely different — mellow, almost sweet, and needing only a [...]
Ever heard of matcha? It’s powdered green tea that’s a specialty of Japan, usually presented and served during an elaborate tea ceremony. The ultra-fine green powder is whisked into hot water with a bamboo whisk until it has completely dissolved. Not much is used since matcha is only made from the highest-quality, most flavorful tea [...]
Happy holidays, everybody! In the spirit of the season, I’d like to share a recipe for homemade eggnog. It’s gorgeously rich and creamy and has just a hint of sweetness. Please note, though, that you should only make this ridiculously quick and simple version if you don’t mind consuming your egg yolk mostly raw. It’s [...]
I’ve written about crème fraîche in the past — it’s far too lovely not to write about! — but usually within the context of serving a dollop of the velvety cultured cream with fruit or using it with savory dishes the same way you’d use sour cream. (In effect, crème fraîche is a VERY-MUCH upgraded, European [...]
Continue reading about Turning Milkshakes into Health Food, One Glass at a Time
Ounce for ounce, we spend a LOT more on beverages than we do on food. And I’m not even talking about alcoholic beverages. I’m talking about bottled water, bottled tea, bottled juice, pop, kombucha…all of it. While I like to splurge on fizzy mineral water once in a while — as much as I wish [...]
Continue reading about Enriching Your Wallet and Your Health
One of my favorite “sneak” ingredients is pomegranate molasses*. I say “sneak” because it isn’t very well-known outside of Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean cookery, yet its tangy flavor is reminiscent of another sour/tart fruit (tamarind) that’s in one of our most beloved sauces: Worcestershire. That same sour/tart dimension can be found in Indian chutneys, island curries, [...]
Coffee was one of those things I always wished I liked but didn’t. Many foods once fell into that category: sushi, beer, olives, wine. I got over my sushi phobia when I dined at Trader Vic’s in Beverly Hills many years ago and ordered a dish comprised mostly of greens and ahi tuna. When I [...]
Continue reading about Be Your Own Barista: the Art of Spiced Coffee
It’s hotter than heck again today, so I thought I’d whip up a batch of “instant” ice cream to beat the heat. You could think of it as a milkshake latte — adding several ice cubes gives you a frothy drink that you can either swirl smooth with a spoon or let sit for a [...]
It’s true: oatmeal makes a great breakfast. But not the flavored, sugared, powdery instant oats that are more chemicals and sweeteners than they are oats. Plain, old-fashioned rolled oats are a much better choice…and you can flavor them any way you want! You could even cook a giant batch once or twice a week and [...]
