May 21, 2012
Sometimes texture can be just as important to a dish as flavor. It’s harder to enjoy something that’s just a bowl of mush. Ok, aside from perhaps enjoying a whole dinner of say, mashed potatoes with copious amounts of butter or oodles of macaroni and cheese. I have those days, too. But sometimes there are some things that need a little crunch.
Enter this delicious and surprising garnish for a ho-hum dinner in need of some oomph. Consider moderating the spices based on your dish. I think a curry granola or a chile scented granola would be equally tasty. And if you’re local to Columbus, stop by North Market Spices to pick up one of their many spice blends (which are amazing) to use.
Savory Cumin Granola
1 c rolled oats
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Posted in Garnish, Granola, Music, North Market Spices, Recipes, Spices, Vegetarian |
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May 20, 2012
It’s the time of year that it’s hard to pin me down. I’m outside. Busy in the backyard, planting, weeding, sitting, contemplating. I just want to be outside. Watching for the return of Chestnut. Seeing if we have any new baby rabbits in the yard. I just find so much peace there, that you’re hard pressed to get a post out of me. I have better things to do.
Because of this I was there, in the backyard, when the peonies bloomed this year. They are my absolute favorite flower: profuse, heavy blooms; heady fragrance. I turned the confetti of abundant petals into syrup. I did this last year, but not as adroitly.
Marry to this that I went strawberry picking with friends last week. And 17 pounds picked meant there was certain to be some jamming. Did there happen to be some master pastry chefs along? Why yes, there were. (Thanks, B.) So I asked them how to incorporate my peony syrup into the jam that was sure to follow all that picking. Add the syrup at the last minute, they said, to keep all the flower essence. But of course.
Ten cups of strawberries
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Posted in Summer, Local Foods, Music, Columbus, Family, Seasonal, Ohio, Strawberries, Pistacia Vera, Flowers, Canning, Friends, Peony |
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May 6, 2012
This weekend’s weather made me gear back up in the garden, get back in the kitchen and get my groove back. Warm weather is all about ease: barely putting a pot on the stove, most things cooked over the grill. Who needs a mess when the back garden begs you to come and play? A quick ten minutes of chopping and a quick simmer is all it takes to throw this big-enough-to-serve-a-crowd slaw together.
Summer Picnic Slaw for Friends, serves 6
1/2 c rice wine vinegar
1 T whole cumin seeds
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Posted in Cabbage, Carrots, Coriander, Family, Music, Quick, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian, Vinegar |
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March 28, 2012
I returned home after a lengthy trip to Texas to find spring had sprung: the daffodils were spent and the ferns unfurling. Nestled amongst said ferns on the shady side of the porch were dandelions, just emerged, with slender leaves and nary a flower in sight.
Which of course meant they are at their peak for eating.
Tonight’s dinner involved a return to cooking with a risotto. Included were the fruits of my garden weeding – young dandelion leaves – and broad beans, another early spring arrival.
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Posted in Columbus, Cooking Tips, Foraging, Music, Ohio, Recipes, Rice, Risotto, Seasonal, Spring, Vegetarian |
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March 8, 2012
I’ll admit it: I am already greedily longing for spring and summer, despite the blissfully mild central Ohio winter we have had.
Forgive me. I grew up in Texas. And I’m almost certain tomatoes are already in season. OK, that’s being dramatic.
But this daikon slaw somehow reminds me of summer. And grilling outdoors. And warm weather. And love.
It’s simple to pull together from what has kept well during the still – quite seriously – dark days of winter. Its Asian flavors make it interesting for topping a hot dog or snuggling up to a nice piece of pan-roasted fish. It’s as fancy or homey as you want it to be. Flexibility with flair.
And that tastes great any season of the year.
Pickled Daikon Radish Slaw
1 very large daikon radish, peeled and shredded
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
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Posted in Carrots, Cauliflower, Coriander, Daikon, Music, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian |
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February 26, 2012
I made a whole mess of black-eyed peas and had plenty of leftovers. And to me, black eyed peas are already so creamy, that they almost just beg to be made into a hummus. With only four ingredients, aside from the aforementioned peas and saltpepperoliveoil, it’s a snap to fix.
And I have to say, this batch came out even more velvety than I could imagine. I think it was the generous use of tahini along with an already willing bean.
It was all gobbled up in no time flat.
Black-eyed Pea Hummus
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
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Posted in Appetizers, Black-eyed Peas, Dip, Music, Olive Oil, Quick, Recipes |
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February 24, 2012
This is truly and honestly my most favorite soup of all time. It is creamy and comforting, spicy and flavorful. It is African-influenced. It is at once modern and familiar. And while you’ll need a handful of spices (have you been building your spice cabinet?), the technique is simple and fairly quick.
I first came across this soup years and years ago when I lived in New Jersey. Montclair, with its “winter views” of Manhattan, had an outpost of what was, for a brief shining moment, a wonderful little soup shop. Initially, it was really great. But then, the original owners dropped out after making a cookbook, someone else took over. You know the story. This shop was in a teeny what-used-to-probably-be-a-closet-for-maintenance-equipment underneath railroad tracks.
But this soup. The combination of leeks and curry and peanuts and spice and goodness, well, it was worth it what I seem to recall being like nine bucks a bowl.
Here’s my take on all the warm toasty soup goodness with none of the pesky cost. Enjoy it when it’s chilly and you want to skip the meat for a night or four. This makes plenty.
Spicy Senegalese Peanut Soup, makes a whole bunch (inspired by a recipe in The Daily Soup Cookbook)
1 12 oz bag of roasted, salted peanuts (this is the size of a bag from Whole Foods)
2 T vegetable oil, (or preferably peanut oil)
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Posted in First Course, Music, North Market Spices, Peanut, Recipes, Soup, Spices, Vegetarian |
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