Dejamo's Distracted

05/16/2013 10:00 AM

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Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Sometime back in the late seventies, my sister introduced the family to a new salad dressing she had discovered. I no longer remember where or how she found it, but at the time it was only available in packet form, and you added the packet ingredients to mayonnaise and buttermilk. It sounded horrible, but one taste was enough to raise it front and center as the dressing of choice for o

Dejamo's Distracted

05/08/2013 10:05 AM

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Homemade Bow Tie Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Dandelion Greens

Here is one of the ways that I utilized the arugula pesto I made last week. It is significant in two ways. The first is in the pasta. That bow tie pasta you see up there is homemade. Yep, I made it myself. It was surprisingly easy to do.I followed my usual recipe for the dough. When it came time to roll it out and cut it, I realized that I wanted something that would match well with the pesto, and

Dejamo's Distracted

04/29/2013 09:00 AM

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Arugula Pesto

There have been lots of little changes chez moi the past few months. All good, but blogging has taken a back seat for the duration. I am still cooking and hope to start showing off the results soon, but posting will be somewhat spotty for the near future.In the meantime, spring continues to strengthen its presence. Baby greens are springing up at the Green City Market, and I have

Dejamo's Distracted

04/19/2013 10:00 AM

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Spring Cleaning

Now that spring is in the air, and while I was on my little blogging hiatus that lasted longer than I anticipated, I made a few trips to the store for some items I had postponed buying long enough that they became necessary. (That's how much I love to shop, by the way.) While I was there I detoured through the kitchen section to see what new things I could add to my "want that" list.Wh

Dejamo's Distracted

03/29/2013 01:43 PM

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Greetings from Austin

I seem to have taken an unplanned vacation from blogging. Right now I am enjoying this view on a sunny 75-degree morning from outside of my brother's house in Austin.My plan is to pick up again when I return to Chicago next week. Until then, sit back with me and enjoy the view.

Dejamo's Distracted

03/15/2013 09:05 AM

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Baking Class: Irish Soda Bread

I had intended to make soda bread for St. Patrick's Day last year, but time got away from me and I never got around to it. So I was determined to make it happen this year, and I am so glad that I did!I was not really familiar with soda bread, so I assumed that it was more like a quick bread which, having no yeast, is a lot softer and more cake-like than yeasted breads. But I was wrong.

Dejamo's Distracted

03/06/2013 09:00 AM

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Orzo with Ancient Sweet Peppers and Chayote

This recipe was a total win! I had two chayote squashes in the crisper and not much else and I needed something for dinner last Friday night. So I stopped at Treasure Island on the way home from work to see what I could find there.What they had were the same beautiful ancient sweet peppers I first discovered last year and first used in this stir fry. I thought they would pair wel

Dejamo's Distracted

02/26/2013 10:02 AM

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Simple and Satisfying: Baked Chicken with Vegetables

Chicken Baked with Vegetables is the perfect example of how to use what you have to make something delicious, and also illustrates that you do not need a recipe to come up with a quick, delicious dinner.My project to cook more vegetables fell by the wayside a little just before the holidays, and I was having some trouble getting back into the habit of having them on a regular basis. I decide

Dejamo's Distracted

02/15/2013 09:00 AM

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Chickpea Soup with Tahini

A few months ago I came across a recipe in an Italian cooking magazine for Chickpea Soup with rosemary. I decided to make it and, while it was good, it was not great. I have this recipe for Chickpeas Simmered with Tomatoes and Rosemary that I like much more than I liked the soup, so I could see no need to ever make it again.However, I did really like the texture of the soup. A lo

Dejamo's Distracted

02/05/2013 10:06 AM

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Baking Class: Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Supreme Cookies

I have not been baking much these days. I am consciously avoiding sugar so I am not too eager to have a lot of sweets hanging around the house. Many of my co-workers are also avoiding sweets, so I don't want to sabotage them by bringing what I don't want to eat to work with me.But I am still interested in baking and do not plan to give it up entirely! I made an exception over the

Dejamo's Distracted

01/30/2013 11:14 AM

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White Beans with Lamb (Etli Kuru Fasulye)

This dish does not look like much, but let me tell you it is quite delicious. I have a tendency to fall into a groove with seasonings for certain kinds of dishes, so I was intrigued when I found this recipe in Saveur Magazine. The lamb and seasonings were different enough from the white bean dishes I usually make that I was eager to try it.The only reason I hesitated to try it is because I love br

Dejamo's Distracted

01/22/2013 09:00 AM

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Simple and Satisfying: Sweet Potato and Kale Hash

Here's a lovely weekend breakfast that is delicious, hearty, and easy to make. It was born of my need to use up a bunch of red kale that was about to outlast its welcome in my crisper. There was a sweet potato that was reaching that point as well, so I decided to put them together on Sunday morning for breakfast.A breakfast hash seemed the perfect way to use them both. I decided to cook them up wi

Dejamo's Distracted

01/10/2013 09:00 AM

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Chana Dal with Yoghurt

Chana dal is a small dried chickpea that has been peeled and split in two. It is similar in size and appearance to green and yellow split peas, but unlike the green pea it does not turn into mush when cooked, and it has a nuttier taste than the yellow split peas. It cooks faster than the larger European chickpeas and makes a lovely dal, which is how I used it here. If you want to

Dejamo's Distracted

01/07/2013 09:00 AM

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Napa Cabbage Salad with Snow Peas and Toasted Almonds

Here's a lovely salad that you can whip up quickly while you are preparing the rest of your meal. It is light and crisp and goes well with chicken or fish. I came up with the idea when I was looking for a way to use the rest of a batch of balsamic vinaigrette I had whipped up for a salad. I had half of a Napa cabbage in the crisper and that inspired me to create something with Asian f

Dejamo's Distracted

01/03/2013 10:51 AM

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Fennel and Potato Frittata

As the summer produce has waned I have not been making many frittatas, but I wanted to share this one as it was a particularly good frittata, with just a few simple ingredients: eggs, potato, onions, garlic, fennel and cheese. The secret? Adding a scant half teaspoon of fennel seeds to the oil just before adding the potatoes. The more I use those little devils the more I like the

Dejamo's Distracted

12/30/2012 09:00 AM

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Simple and Satisfying: Sinigang

I love how serendipitous life can be. At our holiday party this year I was sitting at a table where the talk turned to food. One of my co-workers was talking about the Filipino foods he grew up eating and every once in a while he would turn to the woman who was sitting between us and ask "Have you had that?" Her response every time was yes, so I started wondering how she had come

Dejamo's Distracted

12/28/2012 09:00 AM

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Baking Class: Molasses Spice Cookies

For the past few years I have been searching for a molasses cookie recipe that recreates the flavor and texture of Archway molasses cookies. While a few came close in taste, I could not find any recipe that provided the soft, chewy texture that I loved. Thinking it must be the shortening that I no longer use, I had pretty much given up on finding a successful version.I recently r

Dejamo's Distracted

12/23/2012 10:00 AM

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Simple and Satisfying: Whole Wheat Couscous with Butternut Squash

With this second "Simple and Satisfying" post, I seem to have created a new series for the blog. This is another one of those dishes that comes together quickly when you don't have much in the pantry and are looking for something you can throw together for an impromptu meal. Couscous are an excellent grain to always have on hand, as they can go from pantry to table in less than half an

Dejamo's Distracted

12/16/2012 10:00 AM

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Simple and Satisfying: Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Around the holidays when life gets crazy, sometimes simple is best. A quick meal that takes minutes to throw together can work wonders to revive a flagging spirit.But that doesn't mean that you have to end up settling for fast food. Something as simple as pasta and tomato sauce can come together to make a hearty, satisfying dinner. Garlic bread and salad turn it into a meal fit for com

Dejamo's Distracted

12/03/2012 09:00 AM

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Balsamic Lentil Soup

Now that I have been cooking with legumes for over a decade it can be challenging to find something new and exciting. I know there is a lot more out there that I have yet to encounter, but as I have been cooking so much from scratch and working with various cuisines many new recipes that I found seem to be variations on similar themes. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, and e

Dejamo's Distracted

11/28/2012 09:48 AM

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Baking Class: Foccacia

Let's take a minute to talk about Focaccia. Focaccia was one of the first things I made when I started working with yeasted doughs, but once I started making pizza it fell by the wayside. It is similar to pizza dough in process, taste and texture, so I forgot about it once I felt that I had mastered the art of pizza. And once I had moved on to bagels, sweet rolls, and other yeast

Dejamo's Distracted

11/23/2012 10:00 AM

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Afghani Squash Casserole

I was looking for something new to offer as a Thanksgiving side dish when I remembered a recipe for Afghani Squash Casserole I had pulled out of the November 2003 issue of Vegeterian Times. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have not had much success with recipes I have found there and I had been always at a little bit of a loss to explain, even to myself, why I continued to subscribe since

Dejamo's Distracted

11/16/2012 10:00 AM

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Cottage Pie

What is the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherds' Pie? Short answer: the kind of meat you use. At least if you are in the UK, where the recipe seems to have originated. Traditionally, a cottage pie is made with beef and a shepherds' pie is made with lamb. Both were made utilizing leftovers from the Sunday roasted meat and vegetables. Here in the states, howeve

Dejamo's Distracted

11/12/2012 10:42 AM

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Bean Stew (Lubiya)

As a counterpoint to the Chilean pumpkin stew that was such a disappointment to me, I thought I would share something I found much more to my liking.I found this recipe for Bean Stew (Lubiya) in Habeeb Salloum's Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East & North Africa. I got a copy of the book years ago, leafed through it briefly, and stuck it on the shelf where I am sorry to say i

Dejamo's Distracted

11/09/2012 11:00 AM

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Recall: Nesquik (yes, Nesquik)

Salmonella in a powdered chocolate drink?

Dejamo's Distracted

11/08/2012 09:30 AM

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Chilean Pumpkin Stew with Corn and Beans

This is a dish that I will most likely not be making again, I am sorry to say. I am especially sorry to say it because the recipe came from one of my favorite bean cookbooks, Jay Solomon's Lean Bean Cuisine. It is the first recipe I have tried from the book that did not wow me.To be fair, it may not be the fault of the recipe. The herbs and spices that flavor this dish is a combi

Dejamo's Distracted

10/31/2012 10:30 AM

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Stir Fried Eggplant with Snow Peas

This might not look pretty but it did taste good. I found something called Thai Long Green Eggplant (Makheua Yao Keaw) at the Leaning Shed Farm stand at the Green City Market so I bought some and decided to do a stiry fry with them. Thai long green eggplant are similar to the light purple, long and thin Chinese Eggplant except that they are a pale green, and the ones I bought seemed mo

Dejamo's Distracted

10/29/2012 09:00 AM

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Corn Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli

Woohoo! Another company lunch with too much chicken left over. I was able to take home about a pound's worth of meat and as much again of bone. Truth to tell, I am more interested in the bones than the meat at this point, since I am always looking for scraps for stock. I also scored about 1-1/2 onions, already sliced up, also for stock. I will have to get busy this we

Dejamo's Distracted

10/19/2012 10:00 AM

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Aloo Gobi Redux

The last (and only) time I made this dish I was pleased with it, but it was more dry than I had expected it to be. That was most likely because I used twice as much cauliflower and potato as the recipe required but did not increase the amounts of the rest of the ingredients.This time, I used the amounts of cauliflower and potato that was called for in the recipe, and even added the extra oun

Dejamo's Distracted

10/09/2012 09:00 AM

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DIY Pickles

I really wasn't planning to make pickles. I know pickling is hot right now, but it just wasn't something that interested me all that much. I like pickles well enough, although I am rather particular in my tastes; there are only one or two brands out there that I will eat. They have to be crisp, and not too sour. So making them wasn't even remotely on my radar.Until I saw th

Dejamo's Distracted

10/05/2012 10:30 AM

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DIY: Garam Masala

The past two weeks has been a perfect storm of distractions, mild if any inspiration, and, most importantly, a Blogger dashboard update that has not gone smoothly. If I finally figure it out there will be one hell of a recall post, but for now I have given up on it.In the meantime, I noticed that it does not look like I have ever discussed garam masala on its own merit. It translates t

Dejamo's Distracted

09/24/2012 09:00 AM

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Slow-Braised Green Beans

What we have here is one of those serendipitous moments that make life so interesting. My brother sent me an email a few weeks ago with a link to this recipe for braised green beans at Slate.com. I clicked on the link and took a quick look. Ok, braised green beans, nothing new but seems interesting enough, maybe someday I'll give it a try.About an hour later I headed over to Treasure Island and

Dejamo's Distracted

09/13/2012 09:00 AM

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Recalls: Ricotta Salata

I'm happy to report that there was just one new recall this week:Forever Cheese Inc. has issued a recall for all Ricotta Salata Frescolina cheese from a specific production date due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.The cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in CA, CO, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA between June 20 and Aug

Dejamo's Distracted

09/11/2012 10:08 AM

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Red Lentil Soup with Dried Mango

Here's a lovely twist on one of my favorite soup ingredients. Ever since my first encounter with red lentils in Curried Red Lentil Soup, I have been a big fan. Those tiny little legumes pack a powerhouse of flavor. And unlike most other legumes, they need no soaking and become tender within about half an hour, at which time they kind of disintegrate into a thick, delicious slurry.Most of the re

Dejamo's Distracted

09/06/2012 10:30 AM

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Recalls: Lots More Mangoes, Soy and Tofu Products, and Bratwurst Patties

Splendid Products has issued a recall of certain lots of Daniella brand mangoes because they have the possibility to be contaminated with Salmonella braenderup. The mangoes were sold at various retail stores throughout the US between July 12 and August 29, 2012.Mangoes have been linked to a number of recent cases of salmonellosis in Canada, and may be linked to cases in California and perhaps oth

Dejamo's Distracted

09/04/2012 10:00 AM

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Red Russian Kale, Pattypan Squash and Red Pepper Frittata

It's been a while since I wrote a frittata post, but that does not mean I have not been making them. Au contraire, mes amis. I am still averaging one a week, although this weekend I changed it up and made flaky buttermilk biscuits, yum!I made this frittata a few weeks ago with some goodies I got at the Green City Market, and it was another success. The pattypan squash made it moist and added so

Dejamo's Distracted

08/30/2012 10:08 AM

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Recalls: More Cantaloupe, Italian Blend Salad, Salmon, and Mangos

Chamberlain Farm Produce of Owensville, Indiana, has issued a voluntary recall of all of its cantaloupes because some of them may be contaminated with Salmonella.During the period June 21, 2012 to August 16, 2012, Chamberlain Farm Produce, Inc., marketed cantaloupes to four retail grocery stores with grocery store retail outlets in Vanderburgh, Warrick, Gibson, and Dubois County, Indiana, and Waba

Dejamo's Distracted

08/27/2012 09:00 AM

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Eggplant Braised in Coconut Milk and Triple Sec

When eggplant is on sale at Treasure Island it's a no-brainer for me to grab one. I wanted to use the dried mango that has become a new favorite with it, so I decided to switch it up and use triple sec and coconut milk to give it a little Asian flair instead of my usual vegetable broth and sherry. I was out of both pistachios and walnuts so I used toasted slivered almonds to provide much-needed

Dejamo's Distracted

08/22/2012 09:00 AM

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Recalls: Mushrooms, Lettuce, Beef, Soup, Sausage, and Cilantro

Ciolino Produce was notified that the 8-oz packaged sliced white mushrooms they sell may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Grower/processor Highline Mushrooms of Leamington, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected product, which was on sale in Temperance, MI and Monroe, MI. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume the sliced mushrooms. No illnesses

Dejamo's Distracted

08/20/2012 09:00 AM

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Corn Casserole with Escarole and Tomato Sauce

I had half a bunch of escarole that needed to be used and some corn fresh off the cob, so I decided to try a version of my corn casserole with escarole and onion. I sauted the onion in a large skillet until it was just translucent in a scant tablespoon of olive oil and added the escarole at the end and cooked it just until it wilted. I removed it from the heat to let it cool while I prepared the

Dejamo's Distracted

08/17/2012 09:18 AM

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Whole Wheat Pasta with Peanut Sauce and Bok Choy

There's nothing new about this dish. I've been making peanut sauce for years now, bok choy has been a regular in my kitchen, and I've been making my own pasta since I took my first Master Class at FENI 2010.What makes this so exciting to me is that it was my first attempt to make whole wheat pasta (as opposed to the white whole wheat pasta which, while better than all-purpose flour, is still not

Dejamo's Distracted

08/15/2012 09:30 AM

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Recalls: Licorice, Tomatoes, Cheese, Cilantro, Melons, and a Lot of Apples

Lucky Country Inc. in Lincolnton, NC has recalled one lot of Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Black Licorice from Costco and Smart & Final stores in California, Arizona and Utah. Seems like this lot has elevated levels of lead. Yep, lead. News Release.Menno Beachy of Cresco, Iowa, has issued a recall for one-pint containers of Certified Organic Grape Tomatoes due to possible Salmonel

Dejamo's Distracted

08/10/2012 09:00 AM

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Recalls: Caribbean Gold Cantaloupes (not the Athena variety that was originally listed), Sliced Apple Dippin' Stix, and Armour Active Packs

Here's a big "Oops." Burch Farms (Burch Equipment, LLC,) North Carolina, has issued a correction for the variety of the melons that were involved in their 8/2/12 recall. It turns out that the cantaloupes affected are the Carribbean Gold variety, and not the Athena cantaloupes as originally identified.The whole Caribbean Gold variety cantaloupes were shipped between July 15th and July 27th and di

Dejamo's Distracted

08/07/2012 09:37 AM

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Red Cabbage and Bacon Braised in White Wine

Even though it is unseasonably hot and I have not been much in the mood for cooking, my vegetable project is proceeding along quite nicely. I met my friend Misreall at the Green Market the week before last, and one of the things I picked up was a beautiful baby red cabbage. I had not intended to buy it; it basically just told me that it was coming home with me. What could I do?I did nothing wit

Dejamo's Distracted

08/05/2012 09:43 AM

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Recalls: Too Many To List in This Title, Most Involving Gills Onions, LLC

Brace yourself, kids. It's been a busy week.Gills Onions, LLC of Oxnard, CA has expanded its July 18 voluntary recall of packaged diced onions. The expansion includes additional products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Among the expanded items are "diced, slivered and whole peeled onions and diced onion/celery mix with use-by-dates on or before August 3." No illnesses have been repor

Dejamo's Distracted

08/01/2012 09:30 AM

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Chinese Cabbage and Celery Stir-fry

What to do with that last quarter of Chinese cabbage and celery? Toast up some almonds and whip up a satisfying stir-fry side. It is awfully green, I will admit, which would have bothered me more if it were meant to be the main attraction, but as a side I think it works. That being said, the next time I make it I hope that I have maybe some red bell pepper or a fresno chili around to add a spla

Dejamo's Distracted

07/26/2012 09:27 AM

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Recalls: Fresh Ground Beef, Frozen Meat and Poultry Products, Corn Chowder Soup

This past Sunday, Cargill Meat Solutions issued a recall for about 29,000 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.FSIS [Food Safety and Inspection Service] became aware of the problem during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis involving 33 case-patients from 7 states (MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VA, VT

Dejamo's Distracted

07/24/2012 09:41 AM

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Couscous and Sweet Potato with Mango

I didn't have anything for dinner Friday night and as I have mentioned before, I have not been in the mood to experiment. But I knew I needed a few things so I stopped at Treasure Island on the way home from work with the idea that I might find inspiration for something quick and easy.I had an eggplant in my hand and the thought that I could braise it when I realized I had purchased a sweet potat

Dejamo's Distracted

07/22/2012 09:00 AM

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Green Market Find: Suiho

As I have mentioned before, one of my goals each year at the Green Market is to find something with which I am unfamiliar or have never cooked before and bring it home with me. I achieved this goal early this year at one of my favorite vendors, Leaning Shed Farm. Actually, I have found quite a few unusual and new to me items there.I could not find much information online about suiho, but it appe

Dejamo's Distracted

07/17/2012 10:00 AM

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Capellini with Peanut Sauce

I've got a few non-blogging projects going on right now so I don't have much time to post. It's unseasonably hot as well, even for the middle of summer, so I'm not inclined to be spending a lot of time over a hot stove anyway. I am still somewhat busy in the kitchen; I'm just not working on a lot that's new. Most of my time is spent making things that require little prep and few ingredients.

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