Few culinary traditions labor under as great a misconception as sushi does. Yes, most sushi is served with raw ingredients. Sushi, however, does not mean raw fish. (Although I think sushi made with raw fish is utterly lovely.) Sushi simply refers to a mode of preparation, namely to serve raw or cooked seafood or veggies with vinegared short-grain rice. [...]
Now that summer is in full swing and we have zucchini and greens and herbs growing everywhere they can (found random cilantro in my garden yesterday!), it makes sense to combine these in-season favorites to create an easy summer meal. Adding pecans and raisins to this dish gives you nutty-sweet kick + crunch, and using [...]
Continue reading about Having Scrabble for Dinner (a Q & Z Dish)
It’s almost summer, things are finally green, and I’m actually excited about mowing the lawn again. It’s a lot better than shoveling snow! Or mopping the basement floor with an old towel when the heavy early-spring rains hit and you get water in places you don’t want to get water. Hot summer days sound pretty [...]
Toasting and roasting. Both techniques are simple and add incredible depth to whatever ingredient you’re emphasizing or dish you’re serving. Recently, it occurred to me that toasted nuts have such a deep flavor that they could probably stand in for cheese. I’m a huge cheese fan, but for those who can’t have cheese, toasted nuts [...]
You know the rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot (or steamer) when you cook it? The crunchy, coveted, burnt-but-not-burnt grains that everybody fights over? It’s definitely the best part of the rice, but you usually don’t get much to enjoy per batch of cooked rice. Well, here’s an idea: purposely make a [...]
I love Indian cuisine — it’s pungent and earthy, aromatic and exciting, and turmeric is a darned handy 100% natural yellow dye. (Worth remembering come Easter-egg-dyeing time!) And since India is home to many clusters of traditions and beliefs, there’s also plenty of culinary variety between various regions. The only thing I wish Indian food [...]
Things are not always as they seem, not even in the world of cheese. Having grown up eating my share of pizza, I thought I knew what mozzarella tasted like, but when I took my first bite of mozzarella di bufalo — made of 100% buffalo milk — I realized I’d been missing out on [...]
Whole-wheat pita pockets make a great alternative to white-bread lunches. All you need are a few fresh veggies and a topping (such as hummus, cheese, balsamic vinegar, or honey) to make an easy and healthy lunch! Here’s a basic recipe to get you started: 1/2 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds or long sticks (or any [...]
Skip the MSG-laden Chinese buffet and whip this up instead! This dish packs an amazing amount of flavor into a few ingredients. And feel free to add some “extras,” like daikon radish, baby corn, or water chestnuts. Measurements are approximate since it all comes down to your personal tastebuds. 1 zucchini, sliced into rounds at [...]
