Lisa on October 14th, 2011

Got some green tomatoes still clinging to the vine? Or maybe you’re like me and you’ve got a bag of them sitting in your kitchen. Now that we’re firmly in fall, we can only pluck the last of what’s in our gardens and hope that whatever still needs to ripen ripens indoors. In my case, [...]

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They call it raita in India, tzatziki in the Middle East, and tarator in Bulgaria. We call it tartar sauce, and we make it with pickles instead of cucumbers and mayonnaise instead of yogurt. Frankly, though, it’s time to revisit the original versions for some inspiration, because rich, creamy Greek yogurt kicks commercial mayonnaise to [...]

Continue reading about Adventures in Sauce (or How to Make the Dip Your Own)

Lisa on November 20th, 2009

It’s pomegranate season!  Bottled pomegranate juice is good, but the 100% fresh version is even better, plus the whole seeds add a chewy crunch to anything they adorn.  And once you’ve excavated the seeds from a few fruits, the process gets much easier.  I’m not even worried about the Stain Factor any more. Some tips [...]

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Lisa on October 21st, 2009

Seeing as Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I’d sample my first blood orange.  (And yes, since I’m still watching all the back episodes of True Blood, it’s fun to do a dinner-and-show vampire theme.  Beets and red wine are also popping up on my table…) Blood oranges are mottled a darkish-orange on [...]

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Lisa on May 11th, 2009

Leftovers can be magic–especially versatile leftovers like roasted red pepper and chicken.  Just add a bit of pasta and olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and poof! you have a delicious meal.  With a bit of purposeful overproduction, in fact, you can create your own healthy freezer meals/leftovers.  (But be sure to stick with your original [...]

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Lisa on March 16th, 2009

It seems like summer is just around the corner…and with it, long sunny days and warm starry nights.  It’s almost time to dust off our BBQs and reconnect with the most American of all cooking traditions. While you’re donning your apron and taking up the tongs, however, why not try incorporating other cuisines into your [...]

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Lisa on February 2nd, 2009

I admit, traditional chicken salads don’t turn me on–they’re more like Mayonnaise with a Bit of Meat than an actual Chicken Salad. This one, though, is a treat for the tongue as well as the eyes:  an African-influenced spice mix gives the chicken an unexpected zing while the mixed baby greens provide a cool backdrop.  [...]

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Lisa on September 20th, 2008

The little green teardrops sit in trays, lost between the piles of apples and pears–easy to overlook if you’re not scrutinizing every aisle. Worse yet, most of us can only relate figs to the Newtons of our youth. Fresh figs, however, are nothing like those doughy, overly-sweet cookies. Look for figs are that are quite [...]

Continue reading about Figs: the Forgotten Fruit