making life delicious blog
Country Captain sounds like such an unusual name for a chicken dish, but once I learned the origins it made sense. A “country captain” was a captain of native troops paid by England in the colonial days, and it’s very likely that this dish or something very similar was introduced to England by a native [...]
Rice is a common side at our house since we eat lots of Asian and Mexican food, and our pantry is stocked with several different types. For Asian dishes we cook with brown jasmine or brown basmati rice or a couple different kinds of short grain rice, depending on the dish. This traditional Indian basmati [...]
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 [...]
Our spice cabinet is chock full, and although some spices see more use more than others our quick taco seasoning mix goes into a variety of dishes and makes it easy to whip up these fish tacos in a jiffy. Even on a busy weeknight, we can literally have dinner on the table in about [...]
When we planted tatsoi last October, I didn’t realize that it wouldn’t sprout until spring. I had heard it would even grow in the snow, so I impatiently drummed my fingers while checking the garden daily, waiting for signs of life. I had planted the seeds under a cold frame and thought for sure we [...]
Big cuts of meat scare me. No, I don’t have nightmares about them, but for years I have studiously avoided them because I hate to ruin a good piece of meat. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter were the only times of the year when I would break out a big roasting pan and tackle anything bigger [...]
I’ve had trouble keeping my boys out of this butter! They watched intently as I made it on the stove and kept asking when it would be ready. We have enjoyed it on toast and homemade biscuits and bread, and the boys can hardly keep their spoons or fingers out of it. Hopefully there will [...]
I’ve been roasting squash all during the month of November, and every time I use up all the squash in my kitchen, more seems to magically appear. Well, actually I just get more because I keep thinking of ways to use it. This gingered puree was an experiment that turned out pretty well. Originally I [...]
We both enjoy jerk chicken, but we’ve never made it, so with the summer grilling season upon us, it just seemed like a good time to give it a go. Boy, do we feel silly for not trying it before now! It’s really, really simple—you just marinate and grill. I used only one habanero instead [...]
This is the pumpkin pie spice recipe that I use. I keep a small tin of it in the pantry to pull out for Pumpkin Apple Muffins, Pumpkin Bread, or Pumpkin Pie. Equipment small jar or tin for storing the spice mix Ingredients 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground 1/8 teaspoon allspice 1/8 teaspoon [...]
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.
