Nothing warms up a cold winter night like spicy soup. I don’t mean spicy-hot, I mean spicy-variety — in this case, a simple blend of curry powder and cilantro. (Technically, cilantro is an herb, but I’m going to lump them together under the concept of “spice.”) The slightly sweet carrots provide the perfect canvas for [...]
Cooking is fun, but it’s even more fun when you’re doing an Extreme Food Makeover challenge! This weekend, I’ve been brainstorming recipe ideas for Cooking Matters Michigan‘s EFM contest. I and my fellow competitors have each been given a dish to remake with what we have on hand plus three purchased ingredients AND a “secret” [...]
Continue reading about What Do You Get When You Cross Pizza with Curry?
I used to think the term “curry” meant a specific blend of spices used in a particular way. That turned out to be semi-true. “Curry,” an Indian chef told me a few years back, “simply means ‘sauce.’ A curry can be what you make it.” The way we think of “curry,” then, is kind of [...]
You know what’s great about all the specialty cuisines nowadays? By “specialty,” I mean those that cater to niche — but growing! — interests like vegan, raw, gluten-free, etc. Everyone can sample these cuisines and ideas and benefit from them no matter what our personal food philosophies are. Take raw food, for example. Raw food [...]
As far as whole-grain snacks go, you can’t beat freshly popped popcorn. But I’m not talking about chemical-drenched “buttery” microwave popcorn — I’m talking about organic plain popcorn you pop yourself and flavor any which way you’d like. You can stick with the classic butter approach, or you can go with whatever’s on your mind [...]
Continue reading about Making Gourmet Popcorn is a Lot Easier Than You Think
I always liked creamed spinach when I was a kid: it was rich and soft and vaguely nutmeggy, and it seemed to be just as good with chicken as it was with lamb or beef or veggies or whatever you wanted to serve it with. What I didn’t realize back then was how incredibly easy [...]
Winter = soup. Especially hearty soups that are fragrant with spices — in this case, curry. And thanks to the inclusion of millet and a touch of coconut milk, you’ll have a thick, creamy soup that’s filling enough to be a main course. You could also stir in crab or cooked shrimp at the very [...]
Continue reading about Finding Winter Happiness in a Soup Bowl
Lately, paneer has started popping up in mainstream markets. This is fantastic news for anyone who likes Indian food, cheeses of all kinds, or likes to try out new ingredients. You can substitute a firm fresh cheese like queso fresco for paneer — or even tofu, if you’re so inclined — but paneer is tops [...]
If you’ve ever had Japanese mochi, you’ve had sweet rice flour. (It’s also called glutinous flour, but celiacs need not worry — glutinous refers to the fact that it’s sticky; gluten-containing flours/grains, on the other hand, are glutenous.) Aside from mochi, though, Americans rarely use sticky rice flour in any recipes. Most of the time, [...]
Spices have always made the world go ’round: during the Greco-Roman era, the Incense Route (which stretched from Egypt to India) played host to traders buying and selling spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom; during the Middle Ages, the key players in the spice commerce were Arab traders and the Republic of Venice. (Venice [...]
