Packing it away is what I’ve been doing well of late…eating more than I should of things I shouldn’t. So, when I took off recently, I decided to only pack good eats. The Grocery List For four days of solo meals, here’s what I packed: 1 pound of ground bison A package of king trumpet…
Category: Tips & Tricks
20 ways to eat well and save money
Are you looking for ways to eat more healthfully this coming year, but are concerned about the cost? Here are 20 ideas for helping you eat delicious food while also managing your time and your budget: . Plan your menu for the week and minimize waste by buying only what you need. Shop at ethnic grocery stores…
Japanese Mushrooms: Sauteed King Trumpet Mushrooms and Greens with Soft-boiled Egg
I love mushrooms. I love their unique flavor and texture, and even how they are grown.Recently, I discovered that my favorite Asian grocery store is carrying some amazing Japanese-variety mushrooms – King Trumpet (AKA King Oyster), white and brown beech (AKA Shimeji – pictured below), and Maitake mushrooms. And, I’ve been eating them like crazy ever…
A Mexican Wedding Feast and 5 Tips for Feeding Groups
Last weekend, I hosted a wedding. The bride, of Mexican heritage, wanted food reminiscent of her childhood. The groom, a meat and potatoes kind of man, has milder tastes in food. As I was in charge of the kitchen, I opted for a happy medium that was gluten and dairy-free, without being obviously so, and…
How to Roast Hatch Green Chiles
It was a bittersweet weekend around our household. We lost a dear furry friend, but also spent days surrounded by loving friends and family – much of that time was spent cooking and eating. Food is comfort. Food is love. And, preparing food is therapy. So I got my hands dirty cleaning sweated Hatch chiles…
Garlic: strength, health, protection, and flavor
Garlic has long been my favorite vegetable. I love it so much that, in college, I used to eat raw cloves. My roommate’s mother, a Taiwanese woman who rarely spoke to me when she visited, made a point to call me out on it one day. “You eat garlic like Chinese Red Army. They’re strong and healthy. …
The Joys (and how-to’s) of Shopping at Ethnic Food Markets
The first time I walked into an Indian grocery store, I couldn’t tell coriander from my elbow. It took years of reading, being introduced to ethnic restaurants, and cooking experiments to build up familiarity and confidence with coriander and the multitude of other spices and flavors this world has to offer. Today, I not only shop…
So Sweet It Is – Tasting Honey from Around the World
I’ve been on a honey kick this year. Not the kind of kick that causes me to eat honey all of the time (I don’t and can’t without heart palpitations and a serious sugar high), but the kind of kick that gets me thinking about honey, seeking out different varieties, and doing a little research….
6 Ways to Play With Your Food (Or How to Conduct Kitchen Experiments)
Last week, I posted a picture on Facebook and Google+ of a dish I improvised with some roast chicken and other ingredients I had on hand. Shredded roast chicken with pomelo pieces, unsweetened coconut flakes, red peppers, green onions, and minced garlic. A dressing of almond butter, chili flakes, coconut aminos and fish sauce. Arugula…
Coconuts and the Blades (AKA Coconut Knives) that Cut Them
Last summer while wandering through an Asian grocery store, I stopped in the kitchen tools section. I ended up buying some things that, today, I don’t think I could do without – a fine-gauge strainer, a stainless steel wok spatula, and a mesh drain catch-all. There were also some tools at the market that I…
Reinventing Chiles en Nogada Soup-Style
Deconstruct: To break something down into its component parts. For a recipe, this means looking at the recipe and determining the essential ingredients – the ones that make the dish unique, satisfying, and flavorful. Deconstruction is one of my favorite ways to reinvent a dish when I want to experience its flavors AND tailor the…
How to Roast Red Peppers
I’ve roasted peppers a number of ways over the years – over a gas flame, in the grill alongside chicken, in a pan on the stove… But, the way that works best, is the way that works for most vegetables: roast them in the oven. It not only creates great blistering, but the tenderness of…
How to Make Your Own Ghee / Clarified Butter
I’ve been on a food book binge lately: biographies, non-fiction overviews of specific foods, recipe books, etc. One that I picked up is called Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages by Anne Mendelson. It’s a strange selection for me – I don’t drink milk. In fact, I have avoided milk for several years…
How to cut a mango
I looooove mangos! All varieties. My favorite thing to do is take a very ripe mango, roll it around until the flesh is pulverized and juicy, and then poke a straw through the skin to drink it. I don’t do this as much in Utah – where mangoes arrive green – as I did in Venezuela…
How do I love thee, citrus? Let me count the ways!
I had a completely different plan in mind for this week’s blog post than what I ended up writing – like a lot of people, I was going to make something “Super Bowl-ish”. The thing is, I’m not much of a football fan. I am crazy about citrus, though. Earlier this week, I went to a…
Garbanzo beans pop, pop, pop – who knew?
Have you ever eaten a fresh garbanzo bean? Have you ever even seen one? I’ve eaten chickpeas for years dried and then cooked, but never, until this month, have I seen these wrinkly legumes in their fuzzy little pods. They “pop” when you try to open them, releasing the air inside. And they taste very…
How to Roast Beets
Beets are beautiful – raw or roasted! This bunch of big, beautiful, brilliant beets was tossed casually onto the table. Disregarded. Late afternoon sunlight warmed the leaves, leaving them languid. Raw beets? Yeah! Beets are one of the most amazing additions to juice. If you have a juicer, add this to your recipes….
Gluten-free Pumpkin Nut Pancakes
A few years ago, when I first stopped eating gluten and dairy and was trying to figure out what to eat, I found a soy-nut pancake recipe that sounded interesting. I’d never cooked pancakes with nut flour or tofu before and I wasn’t quite sold on the tofu, so I came up with my own…
Gluten-free Friendly Thanksgiving Ideas
Well, it’s that time of year again – cooler weather, celebration, and that feeling of dread that so many of us feel when faced with big holiday gatherings full of social pressure and off-limit foods at every turn. With Thanksgiving coming up here in the U.S., I had thought to invite my immediate family over,…
Ode to Leftovers (and why they are great for people with gluten and dairy allergies)
I sometimes think that leftovers get a bad rap. Sure, there’s the occasional meal that is so good we can’t wait to eat it again the next day. But, often, we just feel guilty for not eating all of what we prepare, and relegate the uneaten portion to some dark corner of the fridge. …
Managing the Costco Fruit Run Aftermath
I’m not sure what got into me last week, but I decided to buy fruit at Costco, not instead of at the local grocery store, but in addition to – and I did twice. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the sudden appearance of summer (we had a long rainy spring). Or, maybe…
Bangers and Sweet Potato Masala Mash
My favorite spice shop is a hybrid of convenience store and Indian market located down the hill from the University of Utah. It seems to cater primarily to soda-loving, potato-log eating folks and homesick students. If you don’t fall into either of these categories, you’d hardly know what a gem of a store it is. …