making life delicious blog
I remember very clearly the first time I had Ro*Tel®. I was spending a summer working in Arkansas, and the family I stayed with made the now-(in)famous Velveeta and Ro*Tel dip. This was back in the 80s when thick and gooey cheese-coated nachos was all the rage at sporting events and sports bars, and I [...]
Thai yellow curry paste is a refrigerator staple in our house, one that I dip into on a regular basis. It has a milder curry flavor, not as hot as panang, green, or red curry paste, and is great with vegetarian or vegan curries. I use it to spice up coconut curries, rice, and even [...]
Dishes with beans are some of my favorite vegetarian sources of protein, and I especially like them flavored with many kinds of spices, such as this chana masala (chana = garbanzo beans/chickpeas; masala = spices). If you like Indian food, then chana masala is a must to add to your repertoire because it truly is [...]
We keep quite a few different kinds of hot sauce in our pantry, and one of my favorites is Cholula, that familiar bottle you see on the table in restaurants all over the country. We usually have a couple bottles on hand, my favorites being the Chipotle and the Chili Garlic, and we use them [...]
Have you ever seen the bags of dried chiles in the grocery, the ones in the Mexican foods aisle, and wondered what to do with them? There are so many different varieties to choose from, and each has its own flavor profile and heat level which can make experimenting fun and/or painful. We keep several [...]
When summer rolls around and it’s time to start making jams and jellies again, I stock up on pectin. Many of the recipes I make call for regular pectin, which requires cooking the jam or jelly, but I also like instant pectin for no-cook jams. Skipping the cooking process keeps the wonderful fresh flavor of [...]
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 [...]
Welcome to a new series on the blog, From the Pantry, featuring favorites from our kitchen stash, which is loaded with everyday and unique items that we use in our cooking.
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
