When it comes to produce, I’m a big fan of the “two-fer” deals: you buy beets with the greens attached and you get two veggies for the price of one, you buy one papaya and get fruit + edible garnishing seeds for the price of one. Rapini (or broccoli rabe, as it’s often called) is [...]
Although we’ve become accustomed to the taste and style of European-made chocolates (most American chocolatiers stick to Continental methods when it comes to cocoa), the great chocolate traditions originally came from Mexico — specifically, the Aztec civilization. They drank their chocolate unsweetened, accenting their frothing cups with chilies, cinnamon, and vanilla rather than sugar. Not [...]
Continue reading about How to Apply Aztec Traditions to a Pot of Stew
A whimsical name for a whimsical dish: pasta tossed with guacamole. I got the idea when I wanted to make guacamole but was out of corn chips. What to do? Use corn in a different form, I decided. I did. I also deepened the flavors of the dish by sautéeing the garlic and onion before [...]
Who says pumpkin is only for pies? It’s a squash, after all, and we use every other kind of squash — acorn, butternut, spaghetti — in savory dishes. It’s a shame that zucchinis are the only squashes that have managed to make the jump from savory (in countless Mediterranean dishes) to sweet (quickbreads and fritters). [...]
Hey, we’re all hanging onto our pocketbooks for dear life nowadays, so why not make the most of your groceries? Fresh beets are the perfect example of a food that has hidden potential — namely, two ingredients for the price of one. No sense in throwing away the tasty greens when you can use them [...]
Just before I slipped off to sleep last night — a surprisingly sound one considering that I’d just watched another two episodes of my new favorite show, True Blood — I had a culinary ephiphany: the term “leftover” needs to be revamped. (Pun intended.) “Leftover” sounds distinctly unappealing, doesn’t it? I mean, who wants what’s [...]
Mirepoix is a fixture of classic French cuisine: it’s a mixture of diced and sautéed carrots, celery, and onions used as a base for soups, stews, stocks, and sauces. You can add other vegetables and whatever herbs you’d like to tailor it to your tongue; like the staple Latin sofrito blend of garlic, onion, and [...]
Lately, I’ve been wondering what would happen if I re-strained strained Greek yogurt (the double-straining it goes through initially is what makes it thicker and creamier than the standard American variety). Logically, I figured, it would get even thicker and turn into some sort of a queso fresco or farmer’s cheese. I snipped off a [...]
I love corn. Real corn, that is, not high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color, dextrose, maltodextrin, and all the other hundreds of processed corn products in our food today. Real corn is corn on the cob and corn chips and cornmeal…and things made with those, like roasted corn and chips and salsa and Indian pudding. And, [...]
Ever seen a bowl of soup that had tomato in one side and split-pea in the other? Perhaps with a line of cream down the middle? It’s a bit like modern art in a soupbowl. As a kid, I always used to want the red-and-green option…despite the fact that I didn’t like split-pea soup. The [...]
