Mangoes ARE summer: they’re sweet, they’re smooth, they’re a vibrant color, and they make you think of [fill in your favorite tropical setting here]. They also come in more than one variety — ever seen those little baby mangoes nestled in next to the big ones? They’re called “champagne” mangoes. I also think of them [...]
This is taking the surf ‘n’ turf concept to the next level, folks — we’re bringing together the darlings of the surf (shrimp) AND the turf (bacon). And it only takes 10 minutes to throw all of this together if you have some pre-cooked bacon on hand. Even if you have to cook the bacon, [...]
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Just about everyone agrees that crab cakes are sublime. Just about everyone likes shrimp, too. So why not make shrimp-crab cakes? The tiny and amazingly cute wild rock shrimp that come in cans are ideal for making cakes since they’re already so small, plus they can hang out in your pantry right next to the [...]
Cold weather = a great time for hot soup. (And hot chocolate!) Hot soup with a Caribbean flair is an even better way to ignore the outdoor chill. I was lucky to have tinned conch on hand when I decided to warm up my evening with hot Caribbean soup, but you could just as easily [...]
About a year ago, I attended a potluck with some very unique culinary contributions. Probably the most unique of them all was a bowl of what I’d assumed were whole-wheat noodles tossed with alfredo sauce. Darn, I remember thinking. Guess I gotta avoid that — it’s definitely a mess of gluten. I proceeded to happily [...]
Continue reading about They’re Crunchy and They’re Noodle-y…and They’re Kelp!
Remember the Ranch days? The days when everything was dipped in and topped with Ranch dressing? Ranch fries, Ranch burgers, veggies swathed in a sea of slightly speckled white. There’s no denying Ranch’s creamy, herby appeal…but you can create a much tastier, much more nutritious version of it using plain Greek yogurt and fresh or [...]
Continue reading about Giving a Favorite Dressing a New Wardrobe
Compared to fish, clams, scallops, mussels — even lobster — shrimp strikes me as the richest, smoothest morsel of the sea. Wild shrimp are especially sweet and creamy. The only trick is not to overcook them into tough rubberiness. Seeing as everyone loves a speedy and delicious dinner, though, the fact that they cook so [...]
If salads were clothing, they’d be mix-and-match separables — nearly any combination of ingredients can become a great salad. It’s just a matter of choosing complementing contrasts: salty/sweet, soft/crunchy, earthy/bright. Those contrasts are what makes each ingredient a noticeable part of the whole. In this salad, for example, the lettuce is crunchy, but the papaya [...]
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
Holidays = parties = dips. And bringing along a classic dip that you know everyone will like is a sure-fire bet. It’s also fun to add a little something extra to that kind of dip, something that will be just different enough to make people ask you for your recipe. It occurred to me that [...]
