Farro and Roasted Cauliflower Salad
August 21, 2011 · 8 comments
As much as I love cooking, there are times (especially in the dead of summer), when the kitchen is the last place I want to be. That’s why I love having salads like this farro and roasted cauliflower salad in the fridge. It just gets better over time, so you can make a large batch, and it’s there to rescue you from hunger when you need it.
While I have nothing against meatless/cheeseless dishes, I often find that they lack flavor. That’s why it’s important to fully develop the flavor of each ingredient that goes into a vegan dish. Roasting the cauliflower in this case intensifies its mustard notes, sweetens it, and brings out a robust aroma that happily compliments the nutty farro. continue →
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Crispy Zucchini Fritters
August 7, 2011 · 16 comments
With summer in full swing, most people who have planted a vegetable garden have more squash than they know what to do with. After going through the gamut from sautéed zucchini to zucchini bread one summer, I came up with these light delicious fritters that make for a great snack or the perfect canapé for your summer cookout.
Since “zucchini” comes first in the name, I want more vegetable than batter in my fritters. Too much batter and you get a doughy mess on the inside, too little batter and they don’t hold together. That’s why I use a simple beer batter that just coats each strand of zucchini. This way you can get crispy brown strands of zucchini peaking out from a tender flavorful center. continue →
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PBS and Me
August 2, 2011 13 comments
Food has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, but I’ve also been a fan of the programming on PBS for almost as long. As a kid, shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood taught me how to count in Spanish and share with friends. Bob Ross made me [...]
Curried Pickled Ramps
July 24, 2011 5 comments
While the season during which you can eat ramp greens has come and gone, the bulbs are edible through summer. As the summer progresses, the leaves become too tough to eat, but the bulbs continue to grow larger, making them perfect for pickling. When I first had a pickled ramp, the crispy onion like bulb [...]
Corn & Crab Croquettes (かにクリームコロッケ)
July 11, 2011 21 comments
Although croquettes started life in France, these deep fried balls of goodness have managed to spread themselves around the world: from Bangladesh to Portugal to Mexico. You could even make the argument that American crab cakes are a distant relative of the croquette. In Japan, croquettes(or korokke as they’re known there) are a staple bento [...]
Lamb with Green Chili Masala
June 30, 2011 17 comments
Preparing for a long trip can be a lot of work, but I try and make the most of it. You might say I’m a bit of a pack-rat, especially in the kitchen, and a trip is a great excuse to finish off those lingering bags of legumes in the back of the cupboard. I [...]
Peko Peko Cookbook
June 22, 2011 7 comments
It’s already been over 100 days since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan. Although media coverage in the West has died down, the devastation in the worst hit areas and the fallout from the nuclear disaster will take years to recover from. With thousands of people who either lost their homes or unable [...]
Pickled Jalapenos (escabeche)
June 19, 2011 36 comments
I love spicy food, but jalapenos just aren’t something I use tons of at any one time. Since I feel a little odd just buying one pepper, the rest of the bag usually ends up going bad. After realizing how easy it is to make pickled jalapenos, I don’t think I’ll ever be running into [...]