Let’s face it — most of us like what’s in the package better than the wrapping itself. (At least, when it comes to gift-giving and turkey-eating.) I say, why not just give in to the urge and go for the stuffing? It’s what most of us really want. Besides, you probably ate all of the [...]
Seeing as Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I’d sample my first blood orange. (And yes, since I’m still watching all the back episodes of True Blood, it’s fun to do a dinner-and-show vampire theme. Beets and red wine are also popping up on my table…) Blood oranges are mottled a darkish-orange on [...]
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, [...]
Adding almonds to chili may seem odd, but their smooth character provides an intriguing contrast to the piquancy of the dish. So does the sesame paste…although you may want to use actual seeds if you’re a big fan of crunchiness. Cinnamon and chiles combine to form a spicy backdrop to the mellow chicken broth base. [...]
Also known as Jamaican pepper, allspice is the dried berry of the pimenta dioica plant. It tastes like a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and juniper–hence, its name “allspice.” Mayans used allspice to embalm their dead, Aztecs used it as an ingredient in their hot chocolate, and today most Americans use it in sweet baked [...]
