Lisa on February 12th, 2010

Driven by the craze for polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, we’re so busy making a mad dash for the flaxseed oil that we’re ignoring another oil that’s a great source of omega-3s and compliments everything from pancakes to salads:  walnut oil.  Although flaxseed is higher in omega-3s than any other oil, walnut oil isn’t too far behind.  [...]

Continue reading about Nutty & Elegant

Lisa on February 1st, 2010

If you’re in the kitchen a lot, you’re probably washing your hands a lot, and your hands  probably feel dry from time to time.  You could buy expensive hand creams to alleviate that, of course…or you can use the oils and minerals you already have to make your own products.
Not only is making your own [...]

Continue reading about Turning Your Kitchen into a Spa

Lisa on January 9th, 2010

How do volcanoes fit into the culinary scene, you ask?  Good question.  Sulfur.
Turns out that the sodium sulfide present in “black” salt ( it’s actually pinkish) tricks the tongue into thinking that you’re eating hard-boiled eggs.  (They also contain sulfur and therefore possess that signature scent…and since so much of our sense of taste comes [...]

Continue reading about Volcanic Seasoning

Lisa on January 6th, 2010

I got the “rice browns” idea when I was flipping through a Spanish cookbook and reminiscing about the glorious tortilla españolas I’d had at the tapas bars in Spain.  Unlike the Mexican corn-based flat tortillas, the Spanish version is a thick omelette consisting of eggs and fried potatoes.  It’s deceptively and simply glorious.  (And it’s [...]

Continue reading about Swapping Starches

Lisa on December 23rd, 2009

Normally, I don’t ballyhoo specific brands, but when there’s one company doing something right (out of hundreds that aren’t), they deserve special mention, and perhaps even a recipe or two developed just to suit their product…especially when that recipe makes an incredibly satisfying and fresh breakfast in one minute flat.
Enter Lärabar:  the only snack bar [...]

Continue reading about Pear “Pie” in 60 Seconds

Lisa on December 21st, 2009

Food is like life — it’s all about balance and simplicity.  And although any dish has the potential to hit that sublime yin-yang-ness, salads are probably the easiest and most versatile showcase for a blending of flavors.  Sweet?  Salty?  Sharp?  Smooth?  Those elements are probably already on your shelves and ready to go.
All it takes [...]

Continue reading about Kitchen Zen

Lisa on November 6th, 2009

There’s a “new” natural sweetener in town — at least, in U.S. towns — and her name is Date Sugar.
The term “sugar” is only used to describe form and functionality in this case, however, rather than what the item is, which is simply dehydrated and ground-up dates.  (Likewise, palm sugar is boiled-down and dried-out sap [...]

Continue reading about Desert Desserts

Lisa on November 4th, 2009

More and more, people are starting to see the value in using unrefined oils — they’re far better for your health (if properly stored and handled), they’re usually better for the environment and the people who produce them (who are often small-scale farmers and producers rather than corporate conglomerates), and they retain much more of [...]

Continue reading about Earthy Cooking

Lisa on October 28th, 2009

The bad news is that food is the new Big Corporate Game in town.  It has been for a while, actually — after all everyone has to eat to live, whereas we don’t have to have iPods or DVDs or even cell phones to live — but Corporate Food just keeps getting bigger and bigger [...]

Continue reading about Yes, the Grass is Greener…Because it IS Grass!

Lisa on October 26th, 2009

The holiday season is well-nigh upon us, and with it comes tinseling, caroling, and streuseling.  (At least, in a Currier-&-Ives kind of way; the modern holidays are more about shopping, gift-carding, and cabbage soup dieting.  I think I prefer the tintype version.)
Traditional streusel (streuen means “to strew” in German) consists of butter, flour, and sugar [...]

Continue reading about Savory Streuseling