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In an Asian market the other day, I found a vegetable that I didn’t recognize. I knew from its appearance that it was a root vegetable, but it was one I’d never seen before. My first thought was, “This is the ugliest vegetable I’ve ever seen.” It was dark brown, verging on black, gnarly, and [...]
I created this pasta salad for the Spring Potluck for the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance. The theme was Back to the Beginning, to be interpreted any way we wished. So, in honor of spring, which is all about starting again, I made a completely green pasta salad. It was my first potluck with the [...]
April 26 is National Pretzel Day and I wanted to share my recipe for traditional Italian pretzels called taralli. Just about anyone of Italian descent is familiar with taralli. Common all along the southern provinces of Italy, taralli are crunchy and pretzel-like and are eaten as bread or enjoyed as a snack. These baked snacks [...]
Once again, I was browsing one of my favorite ethnic markets, Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights, and found myself in the puffed rice area. (They have a lot of puffed rice, and I don’t know yet what they do with it all. If anyone knows, please enlighten me.) Anyway, next to the puffed rice was [...]
I’m not calling this recipe Sauteed Valor Green Beans because it’s something you should eat as a reward for bravery. The word valor is actually the Indian name for these particular green beans. I found these beans at Patel supermarket in Jackson Heights. It’s my favorite Indian market and I always find something in there [...]
Is there anything homier or more comforting than an oatmeal cookie? Is there a confection that smells any better? In fact, I think I enjoy smelling them more than I do eating them. The aroma is just irresistible. As you might suspect, it’s believed that oatmeal cookies got their beginning in Scotland, where oats are [...]
Whether your favorite way to eat pecans is pecan pie, butter pecan ice cream, sautéed in a pan with cauliflower or chicken, or sprinkled in a salad, pecans are a great source of both nutrients and deliciousness. Yes, I said deliciousness. No other nut makes me as happy as pecans. In fact, when I travel [...]
It always saddens me when I see an iconic restaurant close down for one reason or another. It saddens me even more when it happens before I’ve had the opportunity to eat there. Case in point: Chez Panisse. The landmark restaurant, opened by pioneer chef Alice Waters in 1971, suffered a fire in the early [...]
I had a really good response to my Provolone-Broccoli Rabe panini that I thought I’d post another sandwich that I created. I call this one the Champs-Élysée. As you may have guessed, the main components of the sandwich are French inspired: brie and tapenade. All you need after that is a little tomato, onion, and [...]
I don’t know about you but I simply love paninis. Fresh, savory ingredients between 2 toasty, crisp pieces of bread–it’s a heavenly thing. And since we’re in the throes of winter, a hot, rustic sandwich is warming and comforting. This panini is Italian style, with broccoli rabe, sun-dried tomatoes, provolone, and Asiago cheese. Slice the [...]
What would you expect when you meet a person who has twice won a James Beard Foundation Award and two International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook of the Year Awards, not to mention being listed on the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America? You might expect a big head and [...]
I had the original recipe for this porridge in my collection for a while but never gave it a try. Not because it didn’t appeal to me (otherwise, I wouldn’t have clipped it) but because I so rarely make homemade porridge for breakfast. During the week, I never eat breakfast at home; on weekends, I [...]
I just got back from FoodBlogSouth 2013 in Birmingham, AL, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I learned some really good stuff about optimizing my blog, working on TV and in radio, how to take great food shots with my smartphone, strategies for creating a brand, and using video content. Plus, [...]
January 22 is National Blond Brownie Day—as if anyone needs an excuse to eat a brownie, blond or otherwise. Although blond brownies, or blondies, aren’t as popular as brownies, it is believed that they may have predated brownies. Foodtimeline.org states: According to old cookbooks, blonde brownies (also known as “Blondies”) predated chocolate brownies, though under [...]
Several years ago, a co-worker, who was from Jamaica, introduced me to black cake. I asked her for a recipe (which I shared on Epicurean.com), and every year since, I’ve told myself that I would make this cake. Also referred to as Christmas cake, it is a tradition in Jamaica (and other parts of the [...]
Well, another year is over. Hard to believe. Some people had a very good year. Others had a very bad year. For most of us, it was some good and some bad. But that’s life, isn’t it? I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May you be [...]
This year’s FoodBlogSouth conference in Birmingham, Alabama, will be my first bloggers’ conference. The first FoodBlogSouth was in 2011 and I wish I’d known about it then because I certainly could have used some help in building my blog site. I think I have refined it substantially since I first launched it in 2009, but [...]
Today I’m offering a recipe for Brown Rice Risotto. This started out as a recipe from school, and because the school’s mission is healthy cuisine, they developed a risotto dish using short-grain brown rice instead of the standard short-grain white rice (Arborio, Vialone Nano, etc.). But as anyone who’s cooked brown rice knows, it takes [...]
To those of you who have visited my blog site recently, I sincerely apologize if you clicked on any of the pages (other than this front page) and saw ads for a certain pharmaceutical drug. I first noticed the problem last week and thought I’d taken care of it but, evidently, I hadn’t. I’m working [...]
One of the things that people who love to cook relish about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. For people who don’t enjoy cooking, it can often be a sad week of turkey sandwiches accompanied by the same stuffing, same mashed potatoes, same peas and carrots, same everything. But for cooks, it’s a time to let our [...]
Well, here we are again, preparing for that iconic American holiday, the Most Important Meal of the Year: Thanksgiving. Every year, I make fresh cranberry sauce. Some people prefer the canned variety to freshly made, but when I see that gelled log with can rings around it, I can’t help but feel that I can [...]
I’ve been a little behind in my blogging the past couple of weeks (I do a few others besides this one) and I’m trying to catch up. Between dealing with Hurricane Sandy, stupid stuff at work, and an-out-of-town trip, I just haven’t been able to keep up the blogs. But I’m getting back into the [...]
As I write this blog, Hurricane Sandy is outside pulling early trick-or-treat pranks. The wind is really wicked and is slamming things into my window and it’s really freaking me out. I hope that everyone fares well through this storm. As for me, I’m going to distract myself with food. My local farmer’s market has [...]
Last week, I had the opportunity to have dinner at Mari Vanna, a traditional Russian restaurant on E. 20th Street in Manhattan. It was my first “dine-around” dinner with the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance, and the date also happened to be my birthday. So, it was a nice way to celebrate. Ambiance is part [...]
I’m always picking up new and interesting products at the Asian markets that I frequent. This time, it was a 3-rice blend called “Healthy Grain.” It’s a mix of long-grain brown, black, and red rice. I guess the healthy aspect is the fact that they are whole grains, but it’s also a fun change of [...]
Laugh if you will, but chia seeds are the new superfood. Well, not so new, since they’ve been around since ancient times. Yes, I’m talking about the same chia seeds that get watered on a head or little ceramic kitties and grow into a little mini landscape.(Remember those commercials?) Those seeds contain antioxidants, essential minerals—such [...]
Parsley root is one of those vegetables that I’ve heard of but had never cooked with, or seen in the stores, for that matter. Or, I don’t think I have. But at the Greenmarket last week, there they were: dirt-covered, creamy white roots piled up with beautiful green parsley attached to them. Parsley roots look [...]
Someone at work gave me (at my request) a big bag of “callaloo” from her garden, and it was a real treat. To have the opportunity to try a product that is not easily available—and fresh from someone’s garden, no less—is a wonderful thing. I came to find out that what I was given was [...]
Last night, I went to the James Beard Women in Culinary Leadership dinner at Vermillion in Manhattan, where there was a panel discussion about women in the industry. The panel was made up of women who have made significant strides in the culinary world, including Lidia Bastianich; Rohini Dey, owner of Vermilion; Martha Stewart; Susan [...]
Fall is in the air, and with summer goes summer harvests. Food lovers will mourn the loss of fresh tomatoes, corn, zucchini, berries, and herbs. But they’re going to be around just a bit longer, so we should hurry up and make those recipes that make summers special. If you’ve still got all that beautiful [...]
There are certain places to which every chef and food-lover must make a pilgrimage. One of those places is the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York. Ithaca in itself is worth the trip upstate even without Moosewood being there. Part of the Finger Lakes region, it is a gorgeous area dotted with waterfalls and [...]
I had Tibetan food for the first time last week and I have to tell you, I enjoyed it immensely. The Himalayan Yak is a quiet establishment just off the main hustle and bustle of Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights in Queens, New York. If it weren’t for the fairly large sign above it, you [...]
If you missed it, I’ve posted my recipe for the Pete & Gerry’s Eggstreme Crepe Contest. It’s Raspberry-Coconut Tiramisu Crepes! Get the recipe and photos HERE. If you like what you see, you can vote for it in the Reader’s Choice Poll, starting September 1. If you vote, you will be entered a drawing to [...]
Hi there. I’m having some techie problems so my blog doesn’t look the way it’s supposed to. So, pardon my appearance while I work on it. Tech problems drive me up the wall, and this is proving to be a really frustrating issue. Anyway, I hope you keep coming back.
After several experiments, I’ve finally decided on my entry for Pete & Gerry’s Heirloom Eggs Crepe Contest. It’s Raspberry-Coconut Tiramisu Crepes with blackberry sauce. Numerous people tasted them—friends and co-workers—and it was pretty unanimous that they were FABULOUS. I just may have a winner here. There are 3 parts to the recipe: crepes, filling, and [...]
This weekend I began experimenting and testing for the Pete & Gerry’s Heirloom Eggs Crepe Contest. I would have preferred to start earlier, but it’s difficult to find time when you have a full-time job and a million other projects going on simultaneously. Ideally, you would come up with a perfected recipe before making it [...]
In an effort to get involved in more food-related projects, I’ve been joining culinary organizations, attending industry conferences and events, networking with others in the culinary industry, and doing fun stuff like entering contests. If you’ve been visiting this blog, or if you are my friend on Facebook or following me on Twitter, you know [...]
So I’m in a TJ Maxx somewhere in the South shopping with a friend. We’re having a good time roaming the aisles, chuckling at all the random “doo dahs,” as my friend puts it. Sure, I need a porcelain frog, and a pink, furry miniature sofa, and…whatever that thing is with a spring on top [...]
This salsa was inspired by a peach salsa I bought at a farmer’s market in Virginia. I set out to replicate it and made a few modifications to make it a little less sweet and a bit spicier. It’s very simple and perfect for summer picnics or barbecues. It would also make a great condiment [...]
Here’s another avocado recipe. This recipe was inspired by a dinner I worked for a class requirement at The Natural Gourmet Institute. By using your hands to squeeze the ingredients together, the cabbage softens and it creates a tender, creamy slaw. You can put your own swerve on it by adding other ingredients, such as [...]
July 11 is National Blueberry Muffin Day. So to help you celebrate the day, here are links to some great blueberry muffin recipes. Enjoy! Food Network Simply Recipes Southern Food Eating Well Simple Daily Recipes
This is another recipe I entered in the Food52 avocado contest. The original tartlet shells were a little too sweet to go with the avocado cream or to serve them as hors d’oeuvres, but with some minor adjustments, I thought it came out pretty tasty. Avocado Cream Tartlets Makes 16 small tartlets. Shells Vegetable oil [...]
I recently entered the avocado contest over at FOOD52, the food website founded by Amanda Hesser. Every other week, they announce a new contest in which entrants must use a particular ingredient in a recipe (or recipes). It can be a recipe that a member has already posted or it can be a new recipe. [...]
