Being the sole lover of sushi in my family is a bit lonely at times. Michael isn’t into it and when I’ve brought home little boxes of vegetarian California rolls and shared them with the boys, they are more likely to leave it than take it. So I pass by the sushi restaurants and just [...]
From the Pantry: Tamari Soy Sauce (Tamari Almonds)
May 18, 2011 By 3 Comments
My first experience in an Asian grocery store was on the island of Saipan back in 1989. I was still new to the small island and its mix of cultures, and Asian ingredients were not part of my vocabulary, so browsing through a bewildering array of soy sauces left my head spinning and I couldn’t [...]
Pimento Cheese Dip (One Big Table Giveaway)
May 3, 2011 By 27 Comments
About two years ago, a researcher for Molly O’Neill contacted me about a pickled green tomatoes recipe that I had posted from my sister Angela. She liked the family twist on the recipe and interviewed both of us, but when we didn’t hear anything back we assumed that the recipe had not been selected for [...]
Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps (The Kids Cook Monday)
January 31, 2011 By 4 Comments
When our boys see Asian dishes on the menu, they tend to get excited. Builder Guy inevitably asks if we’re having Chinese dumplings with the meal, Top Gun requests Chinese chicken and broccoli whether it’s on the menu or not, and Monkey Boy says he just wants chicken (or a lollipop). Fortunately Monkey Boy generally [...]
Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Sour Cream
October 20, 2010 By 4 Comments
If the weather forecast is correct, then we need to shake a leg and finish harvesting the garden before frost on Friday night. And I need to get the garlic planted, a task that I put off after an old back injury reared its ugly head last month, leaving me lying in the floor with [...]
Colombian Arepas with Cheese (Arepas con Queso) and Aji
October 14, 2010 By 7 Comments
When I lived in Bogotá years ago I frequented a small restaurant called Aquí en Santafe in Chapinero (Carrera 7 # 62-63). If you weren’t looking for it you would probably walk right past it, because at the time the only thing that made it stand out on the busy street was the dark red [...]
Baba Ghannouj (Baba Ganoush)
August 26, 2010 By 1 Comment
My first taste of baba ghannouj was at the cafeteria on the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and I could easily make a lunch out of their hummus, baba ghannouj, and flatbread. Baba ghannouj is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made from eggplant that has been grilled or roasted, and the smoky flavor [...]
Cheese Torta with Basil, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes and a Giveaway
July 16, 2010 By 14 Comments
We are very fortunate to live near DeBaggio’s, a truly wonderful herb farm and nursery that’s been growing beautiful healthy plants since 1975. One of the ladies in the neighborhood told me about them the first year we lived here, specifically mentioning their wonderful tomatoes, so I made a point to check it out and [...]
Cannellini Bean Dip with Garlic Scapes
July 5, 2010 By 6 Comments
We’re off visiting family in the Adirondacks this week, enjoying a small town Fourth of July celebration, fishing, hiking, playing at the lake, cookouts, and evening campfires with roasted marshmallows, s’mores, and campfire pies. We’ll return in a few days feeling rested, a little sunburned, and ready to resume work in the garden, which hopefully [...]
Chipotle Hummus
April 7, 2010 By 7 Comments
When we began growing jalapenos a few years ago, we investigated making our own chipotles, which are simply smoked jalapenos. We haven’t tried it yet, though we have a smoker now and and might give it a go this year depending on how good the harvest is. In Mexico the process takes several days, and [...]
