When you think of a banana, chances are you think of a Cavendish banana: yellow, curved and long, typically eaten when sweet and soft. But there are hundreds of varieties of bananas — albeit from one genetic source that has been replanted from cuttings for thousands of years — that range from small to large [...]
I’m not an early-morning person, especially not on weekends, but I have found something at the farmer’s market that is absolutely worth getting up early for on a Saturday: sugar snap peas. They’re the most crisp, sweet, and pleasantly pea-ish pea I’ve ever had. And to think I might have missed the cute little guys [...]
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’m always on the prowl for new unrefined sweeteners — not only are they a healthier alternative to heavily processed white sugar, unrefined sweeteners like maple syrup and honey have flavor instead of just being super-sweet. It’s fun to play with flavor pairings to see which sweetener you like with what. (I think honey is [...]
Given my recent preoccupation with macadamia nut butter, I’m sure you knew another mac butter recipe would be on the way. How could it not? The stuff is simply fabulous! I’m in a bit of culinary mourning right now, actually, because I polished off my jar this morning when I stirred the last spoonful of [...]
As my regular readers know, when I discover a new ingredient or a new way to use a tried-and-true ingredient, I go on a [fill in the blank] kick. This time, it’s macadamia nut butter. I started out dipping 90% dark chocolate squares into it (UNbelievable!), then made salad dressings out of it, and now [...]
Continue reading about Coconut, Banana & Macadamia All in One Glass
It’s summertime, and the blueberries are calling. (So are the strawberries and the blackberries and the rest of the berry bunch.) Time to celebrate with some fruit soup! It’s ridiculously easy to make — which is probably one of the chief reasons fruit soup is on every cruise ship’s menu — and can be made [...]
Unbelievably. Easy. And. Delicious. Best four words I can come up with to describe roasted kale, my latest culinary adventure. I’d been meaning to try making my own kale chips for almost a year and hadn’t gotten around to it. (Even though some good friends of mine always have kale on hand to feed to [...]
The best kind of fruit is the kind that yields all of itself to the cook: flesh, skin, and seeds. If it can be used in savory or sweet settings, so much the better! Enter the papaya, a fruit that can be sliced, sautéed, and served as a vegetable when green. You can scoop out [...]
It’s pomegranate season! Bottled pomegranate juice is good, but the 100% fresh version is even better, plus the whole seeds add a chewy crunch to anything they adorn. And once you’ve excavated the seeds from a few fruits, the process gets much easier. I’m not even worried about the Stain Factor any more. Some tips [...]
