Lisa on November 15th, 2010

Something new — at least, new to me — is going on the citrus world: sweet limes.  Citrus fruits have long been cross-it-over favorites, of course, like the tangelo.  (Although I haven’t seen those in a while, I can still remember when they were the “in” fruit.)  That deliciously juicy hybrid is a combination of [...]

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Lisa on September 13th, 2010

We’re used to seeing red-skinned potatoes and long brown potatoes and even ivory finger-shaped potatoes (fingerlings taste amazingly buttery all on their own, by the way!), but in Peru, Andean farmers are used to seeing 3,000 kinds of potatoes, all with a distinctive flavor and appearance.  Imagine what a roasted rainbow all those potatoes would [...]

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Lisa on August 18th, 2010

What the heck — tomatoes and watermelons are both pink and round summer fruits, so why not put them together?  I admit, I had to be prodded into the idea by a tomato-watermelon gazpacho recipe I spotted in this month’s edition of Food & Wine, but once I started thinking about pairing the two, I [...]

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Lisa on July 21st, 2010

Good bacon goes with everything — I have a sneaking suspicion that bacon ice cream would be a hit.  (Especially if you paired the bacon with pecans.)  When I say “good” bacon, I’m referring to bacon from pastured hogs that snort and snuffle about on an actual farm.  You can find this kind of bacon [...]

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Lisa on March 13th, 2009

While we tend to pair pasta and beans in soup (pasta e fagioli, anyone?), we usually don’t serve them in a dry environment…but why not?  Sprouted-grain pastas are now widely available, and they make a hearty counterpoint to whatever bean strikes your fancy.  White or black, hot or cold…beans are a flavorful, inexpensive source of [...]

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Lisa on February 14th, 2009

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d write about hearts.  Specifically, artichoke hearts. From a visual standpoint, no other vegetable is as intriguing and layered as a fresh artichoke–not even onions have more layers.  Artichokes also possess an unusual, almost-sweet taste, one that hovers at the edge of your tongue and challenges you to [...]

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Lisa on January 1st, 2009

This African-influenced stew hovers somewhere between being a thick, Italian pomodoro sauce and American chili. You can spoon it over rice or couscous, serve it with crispy flatbread (in this case, a toasted pita with Parmesan cheese), or eat it all on its own. Be sure, though, to buy good-quality tomato sauce–it will be the [...]

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