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, [...]
Having just returned from a fascinating — and tasty! — culinary conference in NYC, real food has been very much on my mind. (Although, to be honest, real food is always on my mind. Chalk it up to one of the occupational hazards of being a recipe developer/food writer. In terms of “hazards,” it’s got [...]
Plenty of “convenience” foods are far more convenient to make yourself — while the commercial versions tend to have unpronounceable ingredient lists and a mind-boggling amount of sugars/sweeteners, you can whip up a homemade version with a few simple healthy ingredients…and in less than a minute. Sixty seconds spent preparing AND at least 30 minutes [...]
Continue reading about DIY Yogurt (or How to Make “Convenience” Foods Truly Convenient)
Yes, when I get on a kick, I get on a kick. My current one is tiny plantains. They’re so cute! And so handily single-portion-sized. (Note: I mean “tiny plantains” as a descriptive term — you’ll find them under guises such as “manzano bananas” and “burro bananas” and any other official label attached to short, [...]
Continue reading about Plantains, Kiwis, and Other Tropical Treats
Today’s post is more of an ideas post than an actual recipe, but it’s an idea that you can take in uncountable directions, be that sweet or savory or as a main dish or a dessert. Another neat thing about this culinary concept is that you get to play the part of a pastry chef [...]
Continue reading about Crepes: So Much Easier Than You Think
There’s a hot culinary secret just waiting to be discovered in the dairy aisle, one that can create luscious dips, spreads, and sauces, especially when it comes to desserts: full-fat Greek yogurt. Yep. If you want amazing flavor and texture, skip the low-fat variety. (You can always make your own low-fat yogurt by pouring in [...]
Fancy, towering cakes are amazing examples of culinary architecture, but they’re time-consuming to make and sometimes puzzling to eat. (How can we poke a fork in without making the entire thing collapse in on itself?) In terms of classy desserts, I’ll take a nicely stocked cheese and fruit plate over an umpteen-layer cake any day…especially [...]
They look like perfectly-round brown apples, their light and crisp flavor is reminiscent of starfruit, and they have the texture of a Bosc pear: they’re Asian pears. You’ll probably find them encased in a white Styrofoam netting (meant to cushion them during transit) in the apple-and-pear section of your produce market. Like apples, they hold [...]
Here are my top ten favorite tools to use with produce–I’d go so far as to say they’re indispensable. Having these in your kitchen will make your cooking much easier and more enjoyable: – Several wooden cutting boards (see article on cutting boards for more information) – Knives (and knife sharpener!) – Vegetable peeler – [...]
