When I was a kid, I thought the only difference between pastas was that some were long and skinny and others were tubular and short. Or looked like shells. But nowadays, the more I troll through the pasta aisles, the more I realize that while shape is important, the biggest difference between one pasta to [...]
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 [...]
Mung beans are the cutest beans you can imagine! They’re my latest little favorite finds in the Grains & Legumes department. I’ve been wanting to make a dish with them ever since an Indian friend made a wonderfully simple lunch for us involving mung beans, paneer cheese, and cauliflower. I hadn’t had mung beans before, [...]
Continue reading about Fragrant Curries and Enchanting Beans
I love Indian cuisine — it’s pungent and earthy, aromatic and exciting, and turmeric is a darned handy 100% natural yellow dye. (Worth remembering come Easter-egg-dyeing time!) And since India is home to many clusters of traditions and beliefs, there’s also plenty of culinary variety between various regions. The only thing I wish Indian food [...]
Creamy or spicy, simple or complex, powerful or understated … a meal’s sauce sets its tone. Sauces also provide a sense of place and heritage: take the same basic ingredients, for example, slap a different sauce on them, and all of a sudden you’ve gone from Mexican to Japanese. (Steak + peppers + onions + [...]
Rice is one of those two-faced staple foods: it can either be dull and forgettable or it can serve as a lush palette to wide range of tastes and moods. In the case of southeast Asian cuisine, it’s certainly the latter. From nasi goreng (fried rice) to nasi lemak (coconut rice), people living in the [...]
Look closely and you’ll see an out-of-place ingredient: green apple! My inspiration for this dish was an apple-and-cashew salad I’ve often enjoyed at my favorite Thai restaurant. If apples can pair well with cashews and chicken, I thought, why not with peanut butter and coconut? The sauce for this noodle dish is velvety, intriguing, and [...]
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 [...]
While Americans tend to think of bamboo in terms of couches and chairs, Asian cultures view it as food: tender, young bamboo shoots make tasty additions to curries and stir-frys. While they aren’t captivating on their own–they have a starchy, rather bland flavor (like potatoes)–they pair nicely with everything from mushrooms to meat. And since [...]
When we’re in the thick of winter and staring at a snow-drenched landscape, it’s nice to add a bit of tropical flair to our menu. One of my favorite instant-tropics ingredients to use is coconut milk–I love to crack open a can and find different ways to enjoy my pseudo-Caribbean-holiday. Regarding coconut oil, coconut milk, [...]
