rabbit food rocks

My Guest Post on Herbivoracious (Black Chickpea Curry)

2012-01-25T09:14:00.000-06:00

When he offered to publish a rabbit food rocks guest post on his site, I almost crapped my pants.

It was a reminiscent feeling of middle school, when I had a crush on a guy and he didn't know who I was and then one day suddenly he says....[insert drumroll] "Hi." And then for days I had my head in the clouds instead of listening to the lesson about probability...although, I had just learned what the probability of one in a million felt like.

Michael Natkin knows who I am? He acknowledged me in cyberspace. I feel...cool.

When I first started a vegetarian blog, I did some benchmarking to see what other sites were out there.

And then I saw Michael's all vegetarian site, Herbivoracious, and I felt slightly defeated. Who can compete with such beautiful pictures, unique signature recipes, flawless recipe writing, and charm? His food IQ is top notch and of course, he's a dude. This is engineering school all over again!

Fortunately, the blogging community is not a ruthless corporate competition and many people, like Michael, only encourage their peers. Michael, one of my favorite tweeps, has always been really friendly, and maintains outstanding composure against the most brutal cynics of vegetarianism.

I am anxiously awaiting his upcoming cookbook, Herbivoracious, on shelves this May! Please peruse his site and compelling story on how he came to be a vegetarian, blogger, and published cookbook author...all while fulfilling his day job duties of being a corporate software engineer. He is the poster ~~child~~ grown-up of "finding your calling".

...oh yeah...and check out my guest post and Kala Chana (Black Chickpea Curry) recipe on his site! :)

2012: Not a Strong Start

2012-01-12T00:41:00.002-06:00

So....."blog more often" was clearly not one of my New Year's Resolutions. Not a strong start. 2012 is starting to look like the 400 meter dash after the gun goes off, and I'm still tying my shoelaces.

I've been packing a sorry excuse of a lunch, even though I'm at the grocery store buying all sorts of Real Food like raspberries, etc. "Tomorrow, I'm going to pack a good lunch!"

I've been waking up later in the mornings than I intend to the night before. That always happens. "Tomorrow, i'm going to wake up earlier!" Ambitions start lofty at 11pm and then somewhere between then and 7am, a REM cycle decides to take a big nasty crap on your ambition. "This time, i'm really going to wake up earlier!" That song and dance seems to be on Repeat lately. Actually it's just song. No dance. Unless you consider me running in the morning from the kitchen to the closet to the garage back to the closet...a dance. In some countries, maybe. I've seen a similar dance in the movie Coming to America. Parents should make their kids watch this dance before the first day of school. "If you don't wake up on time, this is the dance you will have to do in order to get dressed and make it to the bus on time"

I currently owe eight people a phone date. This would be ideal if I was in high school, and the phone dates were with cute boys. But now, I've waited so long to talk to these people that I know I'm getting a lecture before proceeding with real conversation...so that, in turn, triggers further delay and procrastination. ...And they aren't boys.

What HAVE i done this year.

I've been using anti-aging cream
I've been exfoliating. Eh? Shedding more cells in the universe.
I stopped wearing my lounge pants (bourgie pajamas) to the grocery store....but I am wearing other pants in lieu of those...I'm not going to the store pant-less. (Can pant ever be singular like that?...Why was is ever plural to begin with?)
I started wearing clean clothes to work...or at least Febreze the clothes I plan to wear.

So far my New Year resolutions concern improvement of the exterior me.

For January, this is good. I'll just work from the outside in. Maybe by December, I'll discuss my bone health and how I've reduced risk of getting osteoporosis.

The following recipe has nothing to do with anything I've been talking about. But it's yummy.

Sesame-Roasted Tofu with Satay Sauce and Broccoli

by Rose Elliot Vegetarian Supercook

(I loooove this cookbook. She has many books and I think she is very creative! This recipe is really quick and the ingredients are easily available. I also think this is a great recipe to try on your kids. It's a finger food and the dipping sauce is a sweet complement. A good protein meal.)

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 lb tofu, drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 medium-sized bunches of broccoli, trimmed and broken into florets

Satay Sauce
4 heaped tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (I omit this and add water and some rice wine vinegar to thin it out)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2-3 teaspoons honey
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions:

1. Blot tofu dry on paper towels and cut into thin strips about ¼ inch thick. Put the strips on a plate in a single layer, pour the soy sauce on top, then turn the strips so that they are all coated.

2. Heat the sesame oil in a grill pan or shallow roasting pan under a preheated hot broiler. Put the tofu strips in the pan in a single layer and scatter with half the sesame seeds. Immediately turn them over and coat with the remaining sesame seeds.

3. Put the pan back onto or under the heat and grill or broil for about 10 minutes, or until the tofu is crisp and browned, then turn the pieces over and broil or grill on the other side.

4. Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Put the peanut butter into a saucepan and gradually stir in the coconut milk to make a smooth sauce, then add the garlic, ginger, and chili. Heat gently, taste, and add honey to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside until required.

5. About 5-10 minutes before the tofu is ready, heat ½ inch depth of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

6. Put some broccoli, tofu, and a serving of satay sauce on each plate, scatter the sauce with some cilantro and serve.

NYE: Party For One

2011-12-29T14:37:00.000-06:00

If you're at home this New Year's Eve, lucky you. So many people wish to be in your shoes, more than you think. Most people are entering a spending freeze at this time and are generally less interested in NYE than they let on. They have to go buy an outfit and shoes, wait for an hour to be seated at a restaurant, and then pretend to be interested in the midnight hour...oh and find someone to kiss of course....which can be awkward and sloppy. Whether you're at home to co-exist with a sleeping baby, or waiting up for your 20-somethings to arrive back in one piece, or have bravely decided you cannot come to terms with going out this year, there is still a small celebration to be had.

We make Limoncello (LIM-un-CHELL-oh) almost every year, just after Thanksgiving. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur from the Ligurian coast and also from South Italy. It's a sweet lemon flavor, so you won't feel the typical pucker from lemons. But it will kick your butt...and will get your friends drizzunk for the Holidays. Drink cautiously. I found the recipe years ago and I've been using the same recipe ever since. The instructions are absolutely perfect. 7-UP, sparkling wine, or sparking water are ideal mixers.

You can also infuse the syrup with something like Basil or Thyme. Simply boil the leaves with the sugar.

Change into PJs, enjoy some Basil Limoncello and artisan cheeses and desserts, organize something in your house, watch fun movies like "Mean Girls" and "Old School", and then have a PFO (Party-For-One) Dance party to this playlist!

(Download with one click on iTunes Ping - search for Amee Meghani)

New Year's Eve - 2012

Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Britney Spears - Till the World Ends
Coldplay - Paradise
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel
Deep Forest - Sweet Lullaby
Ellie Goulding - Lights
Enrique - Tonight I’m Loving You
Enur - Calabria
Flo Rida - Good Feeling
Foster the People - Life on the Nickel
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
Janet Jackson - All Nite (Don’t Stop)
Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys) - Empire State of Mind
Katy Perry - E.T.
Kelly Rowland - Motivation
Kris Allen - Live Like We’re Dying
La Roux - Bullet Proof
LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
Metric - Gold Guns Girls
MIA - Boyz
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me
Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
Muse - Undisclosed Desires
One Republic - Good Life
Sade - Soldier of Love
Seal - Crazy
Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Sonique - It Feels So Good
Spiller - Groove Jet
Télépopmusik - Breathe
The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
White Hinterland - Icarus

Favorite Things Foodie Holiday Gifts 2011

2011-12-12T23:44:00.002-06:00

Here's my Favorite Things Foodie List for 2011. If you have any specific requests, pls post a comment. Enjoy!

1. For The Love of Soup cookbook by Jeanelle Mitchell, Anthropologie, $19.95

Perfect for: the aspiring cook, recently wed, or recent grad.

I can't resist anything to do with soups!

2. Dinner Napkins, set of 4, World Market, $10

Perfect for: The Hostess, Sisters, Mother-in-law, Stocking Stuffers

I love the color scheme and prints of these napkins.

3. How are You Peeling? Food with Moods by Saxton Freymann, Barnes & Noble, $6.99

Perfect for: Kids, Nieces, Nephews

See how a fruit or a vegetable makes a statement without saying a word. Don't let these veggies get all up in your grill.

4. Soup Bowl, World Market, $5.99

Perfect for: Bachelor/Bachelorettes, Spouse at Work, College Student, White Elephant

Sooooo, I know...enough with the soups...I love soup almost as much as I love cordoruoy, BUUUUUUT, this one is cool. This bowl is shallow and wide and ramen-friendly, microwave and dishwasher safe, and, and, and...it stacks! ...oh, oh, oh...and it comes with a spoon to match!! eh, eh, eh??...perfect for your fella....ella...ella...

5. Toaster Oven cookbook, Crate&Barrel, $9.95

Perfect for: Young Professional, Eco-peeps, Singles, Empty Nesters, Newlyweds, Small Apartment Dwellers

Why heat up the entire oven when you're cooking for you or two? The toaster oven is faster, cheaper, and safer...as the scars on my arm would tell you.

6. Pasta of the Month Club, Flying Noodle, Prices vary (can choose every month or every other month)

Perfect for: Families, Workaholics, Athletes, Corporate Gift, Parents, Inlaws

2 Pastas and 2 Meatless Sauces every month. Send the gift and sign "You're Welcome."

7. Copco Water Bottle for Single Serve drink mixes, Amazon, $9.99

Perfect for: Athletes, Workaholics, Busybodies...who doesn't need (flavored) water??

Besides the obvious ergonomic designer-y features, it has a secret showcasing compartment for flavor mixes. Perfect for boasting when someone approaches you to admire it. "What? This ol' thang?" or "Your water bottle doesn't have that?"

8. Yogurt Maker, Bed Bath and Beyond, $39.99

Perfect for: Healthy Foodies, Young/New Moms, Newlyweds, The Gadget, Someone with a lot of counterspace

You say you don't eat much yogurt? You don't like buttermilk biscuits? You don't like a perfect marinade? You don't like any smoothies? You don't want something to balance all that spicy food you've been eating? You don't like imposter ranch dressing? Baked Potatoes? Soups? Parfaits?

9. Red Blossom Teapot, WorldofGood.com, $22.00

Perfect for: Inlaws, Parents, Empty Nesters, Homebodies, Girlfriends, Roomies, Hostess, Housewarming

This belongs in an Anthropologie magazine held by a woman with messy ponytail, wearing a pleated yellow skirt, a navy and green polka dotted blouse (tucked in), a crocheted cardigan, and a ginormous bracelet cuff...which I don't think goes together...until I see it on her. because we all want to look like that when we drink tea.

10. Ceramic Compost Bin, Uncommongoods.com, $65.00

Perfect for: Families, Eco-guy/gal, DINKs

So I know nothing about composting except that I'm waaaay behind in this eco movement. But, if I did, I would purchase this one. It has one small flaw. It's TOO cute. I can see myself gossiping with my sister in my kitchen as she (in slow motion) reaches for the "cookie jar" mid-sentence, out comes doo-doo tipped fingers and I say "noooooooooooooooooo!"... (can't you just see that)

11. Rachael Ray Square Casserole Dish, Kohl's, $53.99

Perfect for: Young Professionals, DINKS, Families, Inlaws, Parents

I know - you hate Rachael Ray. But first of all, ahem, I don't. And this is my blog. And second, this is Christmas, so stop haaaatin' and talkin trash. And third, her bakeware is colorful and has handles, and a LID. Why don't you try to put a lid on it, huh? Oh and, it's not translucent so the world doesn't need to find out that I scorched the bottom of the lasagna. Whatcha got on that, Pyrex?? Bring it.

Still didn't find anything? Then I gather you aren't shopping for me? I'm mildly offended, but I can divert you to a mall of choices...check out some of these select gift lists:

Favorite Things Foodie Holiday Gifts 2010 by me!

20 Gift Ideas for Healthy Foodies by Eating Rules

7 Thoughtful Kitchen Gifts for Indian Cooking by Shefs Kitchen

Great Gifts for Kid Chefs by Jolly Tomato

Top Ten Gifts for People Who Love to Cook by Cooking on the Weekends

LAST MINUTE Gifts for Foodies by me!

Thanks for the Extension

2011-11-29T21:12:00.000-06:00

I'm very late writing this, but I would rather post it late, than never. So....

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!! Woohoo!!!

(not the same effect one week later?)

When Cathy at What Would Cathy Eat? asked for a submission for her awesome HealthyThanks (Healthy Thanksgiving) campaign I really really wanted to do it. And my head was all over the place (more than normally) and i was thinking should i make dessert? a side? something different? traditional? easy? labor intensive and impressive?

And then I gave her nothing. Went on vacation. Luckily my blog boss is very very lenient.

But the whole time during my vacation I was regretting not writing a Thanksgiving entry. There is so much I am thankful for and I wanted to say it.

I returned from vacation and went to the grocery store and bought a few things and suddenly a dish was organically created in my kitchen. Not realizing that I had made an ideal dish for HealthyThanks - healthy, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian...and you'd never know it that the Healthy component was hiding underneath so much flavor.

Without further delay, I want to say I am grateful for:

Cathy- thanks for the 1 week extension and inspiring me to write this post.
My Husband - Thanks for taking the trash out today. And emptying the dishwasher. And starting the laundry so that I could write this post. Thanks for making me laugh every day. And please...no more dutch ovens.
My Parents - I am so grateful to have both of them still around, and I will use their remaining years to make fun of my dad and to annoy my mom as much as possible.
My Inlaws - Again, grateful to have both of them around. My MIL is an amazing cook and a very nurturing spirit and my FIL is an exceptionally optimistic person and always has a spring in his step, smiling no matter what.
My sister - A talented energetic workhorse who exhibits incredible work ethic and integrity and inspires those who surround her...even though her Type A ness is way out of control.
My brother-in-law - The man working silently backstage in the giant production of my sister's household. He even calls me occasionally.
My nieces - The two cutest buttons on the planet. They don't even have to say a word to make me smile. And I only have to say one word to make them smile. Candy.
My sister-in-law - The glue of our family. It always feels empty at home if she's not there. Thanks for being the one that talks.
My sister-in-law's husband - Thanks for being the other foodie in the family. I don't feel so alone! We have to stick together!
My friends - Thanks for just being you. Old, new, near, far. You will always be appreciated. You were carefully chosen and I hope you are here to stay. Especially because you have a lot of dirt on me.
My new co-workers - Thanks for making this a pleasant place to be every day. You make me smile and laugh. I am so so glad to be here, part of your team, and wish I had been here sooner. I'm really digging this whole mutual respect thing and the absence of racoons in my workspace.
My yoga class - Thanks for building a warm community. I feel the warm energy and love when I walk into the room. I feel healed instantly when I see each of you...even if I see you while I'm upside down, seeing you through the legs of the person standing between us.
The blogging community - Thanks for the support and championing my talents and championing the talents of others. We are a new type of family/community...and A Pie For Mikey demonstrates our magnitude and strength.
My readers, subscribers, and commenters - Without you, I would not keep coming back to write. Thank you for making this so enjoyable for me. And thanks for pretending that you are actually going to make one of my recipes one day.
I am also grateful for running water, a roof and shelter, heat and a/c, food, and everything that satisfies Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

...and my smartphone.

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

gluten-free; vegan; vegetarian
recipe by rabbitfoodrocks

You can't deny the sweet flavors of roasted root vegetables. This is hearty all on it's own paired with some good whole grain bread. Any combination of root vegetables work here. Enjoy this during the winter months!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1" chunks

1 fennel bulb, quartered (cut again crossways to make them smaller, if needed)

1 turnip, cut into 1" chunks

1 yellow onion, cut into 1" chunks

2 carrots, cut into 1" chunks

2 cups butternut squash (optional), cut into 1" chunks
1 head of garlic

4 sprigs of rosemary

6 cups vegetable broth*

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Slice the very top of the garlic bulb off, just so the top of each clove is barely exposed. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil over the top of the exposed cloves.

2. Put all of the diced root vegetables in a bowl and toss with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Not too much - just so that they are barely shiny-looking. (Do you like my technical and precise instructions?)

3. Spread all of the veggies on a baking sheet. Bury/nest the sprigs of rosemary between the veggies. Put the head of garlic on the baking sheet also. Bake for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are nicely browned. Meanwhile, you can make the vegetable broth (see note below).
4. Remove from the oven, turn off the oven and allow veggies to cool for 15 mins.
5. Remove the garlic cloves from their pods. Puree the vegetables and garlic cloves with the vegetable broth in batches. I recommend 3 batches. Puree to the desired consistency and empty into a large soup pot until all of the veggie and broth have been pureed together. You can always add more water to thin it out.
6. Heat on low, constantly stirring, until warmed through. Add salt, pepper to taste. (You can also add heat (Tabasco) and an acid component if you like, such as lemon juice) Serve with garlic crostini or whole grain bread.

*Keep all of the vegetable peels, skins, etc - you can use them to make the vegetable broth. Boil 6 cups water and add salt, and then add the peels, ends, etc. (Seems weird and gross, but I did it...and it worked well, and I lived long enough to write this recipe.) Let simmer for 40 mins on lowest while root vegetables bake (during step 3). Then cool for 15 minutes.

Restaurant Review: Southpaw's Organic Grill

2011-11-17T00:01:00.003-06:00

I learned about it when I was doing Thermodynamics homework in 1999 with Joey Clements. He would spend half of the time that I would on Thermodynamic homework and get twice the grade. Not an exaggeration, as the scores ranged from 26 to 84. He said "Hey, we're both South Paws!"

"Huh? What is South Pause?"

"You know, South Paws!...You've never heard of a Southpaw? Left-handed...we're both left handed."

"Oh.", as I made a mental note for writing my future book, What White People Know Which My Immigrant Parents Didn't Teach Me. I'll add this after my chapter about What You Should Say You Had for Dinner Last Night.

So when I walked into Southpaws for a sandwich, I at least knew what the name meant. Yeah...I'm bad. You know it. Then, into a sea of lunch clientele, I walked. (I just turned into Yoda...after being Michael Jackson...let me undo that).

There were lots of options. Some for the traditionalist, like a club sandwich, and some for the adventurous. A veggie sandwich. There were other veggie options as well: 3 or 4 PB&Js, 3-4 Grilled Cheese, a make your own, a Chef's choice (which is both scary and exciting to put the fate of your sandwich into someone's spontaneity). I just kept it simple. Let's see if their Veggie is just a shredded iceberg lettucehead embraced by bread.

I liked the Veggie Sandwich and have since been loyal to the Veggie. I haven't had a need to go beyond that, although, it's nice to know I can. And I do love the fruit sides...not a sorry melon fruit cup but real, manly, fruit sides, like oranges wedges and watermelon cut into perfect isoceles. But it's not just the sandwich and fresh fruit that keep me coming back. Southpaws is a scene. Move out of the way, online dating, Southpaws at Preston Center is climbing up on top. The place is energized by a diligent staff of active, mid to late 20-something bachelors. And what's not hot about a guy making me a sandwich? "get in the kitchen and make me some sandwich, boa'!"

Veggie on Marble Rye

The place is already bumpin' and rockin' at 8 am from their signature organic energy smoothies and expansive breakfast menu. And you can order things like a Soopaman. The bodies behind the counter reel in the cougars and the single ladies by the handfuls. I watched one attractive woman walk by wearing an interesting interpretation of winter attire. With barren arms while wearing Uggs, I questioned if we might expect to witness a volleyball game in the snow. But then I realized, she's not dressed for winter--she's dressed for Marcus, one of the hearththrobs of this Southpaw location. I look down and thank my wedding ring for saving me from embarrassment, which at one time I could have easily subjected myself to. Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to Southpaws as a married woman who knows what a Southpaw is. I can eat my sandwich shamelessly.

Scandinavian Kringler

2011-10-31T23:09:00.000-05:00

Someone used to bring this pastry to work for everyone to share. Scandinavian Kringler. These 2 words are a mouthful to say so early on a Monday morning. At 7 a.m., I'm still working on lifing my eyelids without the help of my eyebrows. Lift eyelids. Chew. Repeat. I let my morning cup of coffee serve as a catalyst for the process.

I didn't think about breakfast until I started writing this post. But it looks like plenty of people have already written about breakfasts around the world. Scandinavian Kringler is by no stretch of the imagination anything nutritious, but it's amazing what we, Americans, start our day with. I see Oreo cereal at the grocery store, and you know that is what other countries think of us, summed up in a cardboard box. Some of us are guilty of having the worst breakfast: No breakfast at all. Ahem *Moi*.

But, i'm not feeling bad about it. I think about the foods I'm not eating to shed the inner dialogue guilt (which makes itself known in the familiar voice of my mother). A kolache is just the first cousin of a twinkie. A croissant is a butter sandwich. A cinnamon roll is an organized mess of sugar, butter/shortening, topped with another kind of sugar and another kind of shortening. That's why they call it shortening - it truncates your life.

But if you are up for pastry roulette, this pastry is the way to go. Think of it as a plug for your cardiac muscle.

...but it's soooooooooo good!

Scandinavian Kringler

(adapted from a printed recipe - no original source identified)

Consume cautiously. You will have more than you planned on having.

This is a really weird recipe. At some point, it just looks like mashed potatoes. Just follow it the best you can. It will turn out...great!

The flaky crust, cream puff layer and almond frosting combine for an outstanding pastry. Do not make too far in advance. The night before is fine...no sooner though.

Ingredients

· 1 cup flour

· 1/2 cup butter, softened

· 1 tablespoon water

· 1/2 cup butter

· 1 cup water

· 1 cup flour

· 3 eggs

· 1 teaspoon almond extract

· Almond-Butter Frosting (recipe below)

· toasted sliced almonds

Directions

Combine flour and butter with pastry blender; add 1 tablespoon water and blend to make pastry. Divide into 3 parts, pat each third into 3 oblong ovals on ungreased baking sheets. (Use 1 baking sheet, placing ovals widthwise) Refrigerate. Combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water in saucepan; bring to boiling. (I know, weird, right?) Remove from heat; add flour and stir until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth. (Should resemble smooth mashed potatoes) Blend in extract and spread dough over unbaked pastry strips. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until top is crips and golden (50-55 minutes). Cool. (The top will settle and form a custard over pastry.) Before serving, spread with Almond Frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool slightly.
To Serve: Cut into diagonal strips; serve warm or cold.

Amount: 2-2 1/2 dozen

Almond Frosting: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1-1/2 tablespoons milk until smooth and of spreading consistency

(Frosting tip: Dip a small spoon or short cheese knife/spreader in the frosting and immediately drizzle pastry in a zigzag motion. Have fun with it!)

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Bar

2011-10-16T14:10:00.001-05:00

I know it sounds like blasphemy to make tortilla soup without chicken, but it can be done. There are plenty of "fixins" to make up for it.

And for your convenience, I'm keeping my mouth shut and going straight to the recipe!

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

This dish is an ideal choice for when everyone has their own agenda, whether it be soccer practice, workout class, PTA meeting, or working late. You can make a large pot of soup and prepare the extras. Let everyone self serve!

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups diced green bell pepper (~ 1-1/2 green bell peppers)
3 cups diced onion (~1-1/2 onions)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 Serrano pepper w/ seeds (halved lengthwise)
1 Tbsp Ancho chile powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
3 bay leaves
1 can rotel or 1 cup diced tomatoes
1 can black beans* (optional)
6 cups vegetable broth** or water
1/2 a lime
salt to taste (if necessary)

Fixins

4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
limes cut into wedges
3 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
reduced fat sour cream
diced avocado
crushed tortilla chips

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, serrano pepper half, bay leaves, and cook until onions are completely softened and translucent. Add ancho chile powder and ground cumin and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, broth or water, and salt to taste. Cook for 20 minutes. Add juice of 1/2 lime.
3. Ladle soup in bowls and let everyone self-serve their fixins.

*Optional: For a protein component, you can add whole black beans or puree black beans and then add the puree to the soup in Step 2. Mix well.

**Cook Illustrated Magazine recommends Swanson's vegetable broth as the best tasting vegetable broth. (I personally agree, as other brands seems to be heavier on the carrot flavor and alter the flavor)

We're Going to Utah

2011-10-04T23:24:00.004-05:00

"We're going to Utah."

What would be your reaction if someone said that to you? I thought of an infinite landscape of dessert. And that maybe there are scant gas stations strung across the state for inter-state traffic. And then I suppose those gas station people have to live there and then I guess their families have to live there. But that's it. Oh yeah and then there's the whole "plural marriage" thing. Which, by the way, Utah, the plural of marriage is marriages. So maybe all the gas station peeps are one big family? I dunno about going to Utah. And plus, I'm monogamous most of the time.

But, I have to thank the History channel for opening the door to my closed mind. They feature that uber-cool series, "How the States Got Their Shapes", hosted by Brian Unger.

This is exactly the kind of program we need on air to combat the reality Bravo TV trash (which I happen to love). Brian is a pretty charismatic guy and does he have the coolest job or what? Yeah, I'm just going to travel the US for free, ask people questions about their accents, talk about their state, maybe ask them to draw a map occasionally.

The show makes me realize that even though we are so thirsty to visit other countries, there is so much offered by our land right here in the US.

MARYLAND (photo courtesy of How the States Got Their Shapes)

MAINE (photo courtesy of How the States Got Their Shapes)

NORTH CAROLINA (photo courtesy of How the States Got Their Shapes)

OREGON (photo courtesy of How the States Got Their Shapes)

We went to Utah for a few days to explore Zion National Park and Bryce National Park. We stayed at the ever cozy place, Zion National Park Lodge. Utah is gorgeous. And I feel guilty that I judged him before meeting him.

Checkerboard Mesa

View from Zion National Park Lodge

Hiking the Narrows

On the first day, we hiked The Narrows and we were famished that evening. We walked over to Zion's Red Rock Grill expecting to select the lonely, token, vegetarian pasta plate. But surprisingly, we could select from an array of vegetarian options like Quinoa Primavera and Greatheart Beans 'n' Rice. Multiple veggie options? Utah, is that..is that really you?

Utah, I was once apprehensive about our relationship. I had mixed feelings. But now that we've met, I like you. A lot. Now, I AM married, but I'm assuming that's not going to be a problem with you, right?

shredded carrots add brilliant color to any dish

Zion Beans 'n' Rice
(vegan)
Serves 2-3...in no time

This is my re-creation of Red Rock Grill's Greatheart Beans 'n' Rice. It's so quick and easy, we work it into our regular weeknight rotation.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, grated
2 shallots, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon Penzey's Northwoods seasoning (or any savory spice mix)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice (wild rice or brown rice) (for a shortcut, try Near East Wild Rice)

Directions:

1. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a shallow but wide pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, peppers, and carrots. Saute for 3 mins. Add black beans and cook on medium heat until heated through.

2. Season with Northwoods seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve with wild rice: Fill a ramekin or small bowl with rice. Put a plate upside down, centered on the bowl (covering the rice). Using both hands, flip the assembly so that the bowl is sitting upside down on the plate. Do not remove the bowl yet. Spoon the bean mixture evenly around the bowl. Gently remove the bowl. Ta-da. Watch how excited your family is about bean n rice with this presentation.

Like a Flower in Your Mouth

2011-09-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

I hosted a Wine and Cheese-cake party many years ago. I bought some calla lillies put them in a vase on the coffee table. While everyone was chit chatting, my friend Sarah, dared our friend, Vik, to eat one of the calla lillies for $20. He did it. And he did not feel good afterwards. But he survived and was able to go on and marry and then conceive a daughter, so it was probably harmless.

If you are curious to know what a flower tastes like, pass up the bet, and try falooda. It's as fun as it sounds. Fuh-LOO-dah! There is absolutely nothing out there even close to it. It's rosy pink and has ice cream and ingredients foreign to dessert, like basil seeds and vermicelli. These basil seeds are soaked in water and known to be good for indigestion. (In fact many ingredients common to indian cuisine are known to be good for indigestion: roasted ground cumin, asafoetida, ginger, cloves, mint, etc...maybe we should just stop eating things that cause indigestion. There's an idea.) And then there's vermicelli. Maybe that's the "Fuh" part of Falooda? As our friend Chenille says, "There's pasta in my dessert and i LOVE it!!" She loved it so much that she chose it as the dessert for one of her wedding events.

If there was ever a food to illustrate cell biology, this is it. You've got mitochondria and ribosomes and nucleoids...

Tukmaria (Basil Seeds) soaked in water. Looks like something under a microscope! So cool!

Cooked vermicelli in a little bit of milk

Rose syrup - also perfect for a murder-mystery party

Chopped Pistachio for garnish

Sweetened milk combined with cooked vermicelli

Falooda

Cold and refreshing. There's nothing like it. It's like what you imagine a flower would taste like. Got any law students in the house? They'll like this ingredient list - it's written in outline form.

Ingredients

3 cups Sweetened Milk

3 cups milk
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup Rose Syrup

1/2 teaspoon rose essence
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
5 drops red food coloring

2 cups cooked vermicelli

1/2 cup uncooked vermicelli (pre-cut strands) - I use MTR brand from the Indian grocery store
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1 Tablespoon Basil seeds ('Tukmaria' at the Indian grocery store)
2 scoops ice-cream
2 teaspoons chopped pistachios

Directions:

1) Make Rose Syrup: Heat 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of sugar and allow to dissolve. Remove from heat and add red food coloring and rose essence. Allow to cool.

2) Make Sweetened milk: Heat 1-1/2 cups milk over medium heat. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar and allow to dissolve. Remove from heat and refrigerate for at least an hour, until cold.

3) Make vermicelli-milk mixture: Boil 2 cups water and add 1/2 cup uncooked vermicelli pre-cut strands. Cook until tender, about 3-4 mins. Drain. Add to sweetened milk. Refrigerate for at least an hour, until cold.

4) Make basil seeds (tukmaria): Soak 1 Tablespoon of basil seeds (tukmaria) in plenty of water. Allow to soak for one hour. Drain and set aside.

5) To serve: In clear glasses

add 2 tablespoons of rose syrup in each glass
gently add 1 cup vermicelli-milk mixture
using a small spoon, stir the bottom gently, allowing some of the rose syrup to color the milk slightly to a cotton candy pink color.
gently add one scoop of ice cream to the milk. The ice cream should float!
add 2 tablespoons of soaked basil seeds (tukmaria) around the ice cream dome (like a moat)
top with 1 teaspoon chopped pistachios

Meet Homesick Texan...and her Queso!

2011-09-20T07:00:00.004-05:00

Queso recipe by The Homesick Texan
I used Hatch chiles this time.

Is there any way to make REAL queso from REAL cheese? Once you've developed a palate for a GOOOOOD queso, there's no turning back. You set yourself up for disappointment. I had to find a good Non-velveeta-like composition but velveeta-like flavor recipe for queso. I knew if I tried to develop the recipe myself, it would turn into an oily, lumpy mess. I wasn't about to trust myself to make this recipe.

That's how I discovered Homesick Texan. Blogger and cookbook author, Lisa Fain, keeps Tex-Mex alive for her fellow New Yorkers. And if you've ever been away from the southwest for longer than a week, you don't want a cheese-tortilla sandwich - a sorry excuse of a quesadilla. Your tummy aches for a good roasted salsa, creamy queso, chunky tableside guacamole, hearty breakfast tacos, perfectly sauced enchiladas, etc.

Lisa was born in Dallas and raised in Houston, but also well-versed in Austin, College Station, and all places Texan, big and small. I was pleased to peruse her blog and see mentions of places like the Czech Bakery, Lonesome Dove, Chuy's, and Kerbey Lane. Meanwhile, enthusiastic, nostalgia-driven readers comment and hunt for copycat recipes dropping names like Casa Ole, Ninfas, and Pappasitos.

For non-Texans, consider yourself fortunate to have this resource. She trims the fat by sharing only the best of the best and allows everyone to enjoy the flavors of the southwest, particularly Texas without having to be in Texas.

Lisa kindly took the time to tell us more about herself here on rabbit food rocks. Thank you, Lisa!

What part of Texas are you from?

My family has been in the Dallas area since the 1840s (and my grandma
still lives on a farm outside McKinney that’s been in the family since
then), but my family moved to Houston when I was nine. I consider
myself from both places.

Can you recommend 3 of your favorite meatless dishes from your new cookbook
or your blog?

My favorite vegetarian dishes from my blog are
Summer squash enchiladas
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-squash-enchiladas.html
Austin-style black beans
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/03/austin-and-basic-black-beans.html
Texas potato salad
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/07/texas-potato-salad-what-is-it.html

What do you miss most about Texas?

I miss my family, friends, big skies, country roads, Friday night
football and spring wildflowers, especially bluebonnets.

Any plans to visit Texas to get our Homesick Texan cookbooks signed by you?

Yes, I’ll be in Dallas at Le Creuset Store on Lovers Lane on October 20.

Other stops in Texas are:

October 24, Bookpeople, Austin, signing
October 25, Twig Book Shop, San Antonio, signing
October 26, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, signing

Mark your calendars!

My 7 Links Project

2011-09-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

When Jolly Tomato and 6Bittersweets nominated me for the My 7 Links Project, I was super excited. Thanks for nominating me!!!!

I feel like I'm making a Compilations CD or a "mixed tape". :)

1. Most Beautiful

Umm...yeah, still working on improving my photographs.  I feel like "most beautiful" is typically reserved for desserts and dainty, cute, pretty things, like a stack of mini cookies tied with a ribbon or like a woman in a nice dress, nails neatly manicured, and who faintly smells of perfume.  But for this category, I chose a man in cargo pants who just returned from a construction site. I chose an "average joe" food. But I do think it's colorful and enticing to eat, right? I'd love to know your opinion on this category because this was the toughest for me!

2. Most Popular

(I could only base this on number of comments, which is not necessarily a good yardstick.) This post was the most popular. And it has nothing to do with food.  No recipe, no photographs. What are you guys trying to tell me???? :P (maybe LOOSELY tied to food, but still...)

3. Most Controversial

I didn't have anything blatantly controversial, but vegetarianism is often controversial itself. I did a guest post for Switch2Veggies, a great resource for vegetarians. I wrote about high protein meals in a vegetarian diet. I know some people would not agree with me on what I wrote and that's why I selected that particular post. There's also a great recipe in the post - and it's a dish we eat almost weekly! Switch2Veggies also did a fantastic guest post for me about "How much Soy is too Much?"

4. Most Helpful

I thought this was useful for cooking this staple food in most households. :)

5. Post Whose Success Surprised Me:

I don't know what to base "success" on. Certainly the tastespotting pics get more attention, but I didn't want to go that route. And then number of comments, don't necessarily reflect popularity...or do they? I chose this one because I remember being surprised when it was referenced, re-tweeted, and linked to.   (I always wanted to end a sentence with a preposition. Take that, Mrs. Spradley!)

6. Post Which Didn't Get Enough Attention

This post is something that I think deserves a second chance. It's poor formatting, and dates back before I took my own photos, so forgive me. The content should be bookmarked, I think!

7. Most Proud

I did not chose this one because of the dorky video. I just think it's a really really really good recipe for kids and adults. Easy too! I've already made it 3 times since I posted.

Now I must pass this project on to 5 other bloggers who have not yet been nominated nor published a "My 7 Links"

....and the Nominees are:

The Cooking Photographer
Pink Rickshaw
Lentil Breakdown
Eating Rules
Herbivoracious

Best Roomie Yet

2011-09-05T19:28:00.000-05:00

It was about 6 months ago when I heard our old friend, Young Paras, was looking for a place to stay in Dallas for his summer internship.

I met him long ago when I was in my mid-twenties, single, and member of an urban tribe at The Village, which is a neighborhood of 10-12 apartment complexes near a major university. We said the urban tribe was like college, except we had money. We were SINRs (single income, no responsibilities) and meanwhile we all pursued our silent search for a/the significant other.  At the end of perhaps a Wednesday evening, we would gather at someone's apartment and play poker.

Sarah and I, being the few ladies at the poker table got annoyed with the serious tone at the table. So to resolve that matter, we would spontaneously speak in British accents. My English name was Fiona and hers was Matilda.   And not one person was entertained...except Young Paras, the baby at the table. At a young 20, just shearing past his teen years, he laughed at our accents and jokes, and didn't know any better - that his laughing would only encourage us to continue.

After a 7 year hiatus, Paras returned to Dallas for a summer intership. And he's still Young.

You can imagine my husband's reaction when I asked him if Young Paras could live in our house for the summer.  "You want another man, who I have never met, to live with us?"

Young Paras was a perfect match for my husband and I from the start. You see, he is OBSESSED with food. And as I blog, photograph, cook, fail or succeed, he takes GREAT interest. This was so contrasting to my husband who only eats to survive. Meanwhile, he LOVES sports and is fluent in dude-speak, so now my husband could actually discuss sports with someone who cares.

Every day, Young Paras would come home through the front door and yell from the hallway, "Hey! how was your day?" quickly followed by finding me in the kitchen and extend a "Can-I-help?" We would talk food/photos for an hour with food network on in the background, until my husband walked in through the back door and we would greet him in chorus "Hey, how was your day?" While Young Paras was busy with making wedding plans and decisions, he always made time to have dinner with us at the dinner table. We were a family.

Paras tasted and analyzed my food and would finish his plate and kindly commented with "Best ____ Yet": Best Italian Yet, Best Salad Yet, ... I even made a gross hodgepodge of stuff one day from leftovers and he said "Best Hodgepodge Yet". And it wasn't long before my husband and Paras developed a budding bromance and started playing words with friends on their smart phones with each other, while sitting next to each other in the living room.

Then summer came to a close so quickly and Paras had to go back to finish his last year of school. I didn't even get to say goodbye. When he left, my husband and I felt like our son left for college. The house was empty. We were empty nesters.   :(

Cheers and congratulations to Young Paras, who is getting married this weekend. Paras, we miss you dearly and wish you the best, and hope you return to Dallas with your wife!

The following is a concept he and I came up with while watching Cupcake Wars, Bollywood episode.

Farewell Mango Cupcakes (with Srikhand Frosting/Icing)

(eggless)

Make these to say goodbye. These might be good enough to convince them to come back. Srikhand is a sweet and rich mango-cardamom custard, a very popular dessert in India. It can be made with thickened yogurt (greek yogurt) or cream cheese. I've never seen it used as an "icing" but it works PERFECTLY here.

Mango Cupcake Recipe from Holy Cow Vegan (makes 12 cupcakes)

Followed her recipe exactly, except I omitted the ground cardamom in her recipe because it's already in the Srikhand Icing

Srikhand Frosting/Icing (inspired by Showmethecurry.com See their original recipe here)

Ingredients

1 8-oz package cream cheese (do NOT get reduced fat for this)

1 tsp ground cardamom

2 oz plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of saffron

Chopped pistachios

Directions:

1. Pulse 8 oz cream cheese in a food processor a few times. Add sugar, cardamom, and greek yogurt. Process until completely smooth. Add pinch of saffron and pulse again, until fully combined. Scrape the sides of the work bowl as needed. Allow to sit for an hour at room temperature. Saffron threads will release some color.

2. Put cream cheese mixture into a piping bag. I used tip #32. If you don't use a tip, no worries. It will still look great. Use the back of a spatula to spread cream cheese on each cupcake.

3. Garnish with chopped pistachios

Szechuan Style Green Beans

2011-08-30T07:07:00.020-05:00

Toothpick, dental floss, stick, twig...

No one feels sorry for a skinny girl, but these are just some of the names we were called in school. But the one I heard often was "beanpole" and I went home thinking "what the hell is a bean pole?" There was no googling. You just sit on the stoop and wonder. Actually, there's no stoop in suburbia, but I'm trying to paint a picture. Beanpole... People would say that and I didn't know what it was, but I knew I was supposed to be offended in some capacity. And I was. They could have said "you're a smorgasbord" and I'd be offended.

And it hasn't stopped in my 30s. "No wonder you're so skinny! You need to eat meat!" or doctors asking me if I've ever had an eating disorder. Excuse me, just because I'm not a giantess, doesn't mean I have an eating disorder. Let me confisgate your license. And now I'm married to a guy that makes the same jokes. Here's a picture that he took right before our hike last week. See his caption below:

Husband: "Which one is Amee's leg?"

I wear my skinny jeans with apprehension. Won't this just accentuate my beanpole-ness? When are they going to come out with Beyonce Jeans? I'm ready for thick jeans.

No one feels sorry for a skinny girl, but people make fun of us too. It's back to school....be nice....and if you just can't help yourself, use a big word like smorgasbord.

Szechuan Style Green Beans

recipe by Earthbound Farm organic

If you like the green beans at PF Changs, you'll love these. It's a great way to make veggies disappear off of a plate.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

Hot chili flakes to taste

1 pound green beans, trimmed

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic (I recommend grating the garlic to avoid big chunks)

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili flakes. Set aside.
Place 1/4 cup water in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans, cover the pan, and cook until the beans are crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, and drain any water that remains in the pan.
2) Add the oil, ginger, and garlic to the beans in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the beans are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn. Add the soy mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and glazes the beans, about 2 minutes.
3) Transfer to a platter and serve the beans hot or at room temperature.

The Perfect Cup of Chaa Masala Tea

2011-08-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

In our house, we say the Gujarati word "chaa", not the Hindi word, "chai". In Chinese, the word for tea is "Tsa", coincidentally rhyming with "chaa", so therefore I've decided "chaa" is the more global way to say it. I'll alert the UN right away.

I like the word chaa for one reason: If you go to India, someone in Gujarati might ask "Would you like some tea?" "Chaa joye che?" while someone might ask the same thing in Hindi "Chai chaahiye?" See how redundant that sounds? And plus, there's joy in the way we ask.

Some chaa Masala ingredients: Ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seed, and black peppercorns

Chaa is very simple to make but you need the staple ingredient first - chaa masala. Chaa masala is a wonderfully aromatic ground spice mix which you can make in your own home.

So I need to discuss something first. Do you ever wonder about food origins and food discovery? I mean seriously, just look at the photo here. What made anyone think that they should try ingesting any form of these ingredients? If I saw a peppercorn, I would not say "Hmm, let me try swapping some of my tooth enamel for one of these babies!" or if I saw a clove, I would not think "i have so many uses for mini tree trunks!" And have you ever peeled a cardamom pod and seen the inside? Come on...what does it look like? Just say it. It looks like a bug took a poo. A very constipated poo.

So now I bet you're really in the mood for chaa, huh?

I've tried making chaa/chai masala from raw ingredients (like the photo shows) but I don't have an effective spice grinder. The larger particles end up settling at the bottom of the liquid instead of infusing flavor. I have better results using pre-ground ingredients. You can customize and adjust each spice to your liking (more cinnamon, more ginger, omit fennel, etc)

The Perfect Cup of Masala Chaa

(makes 1 cup)

There are hundreds of ways to make chaa. More milk, less milk, etc. Sweetners and teas also vary. At our family reunion, everyone was criticizing the next person on how they make it. One becomes very territorial about chaa. Once you decide what you like...that's it. You have to own it and you better be ready to defend it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp Chaa Masala Spice Blend (recipe follows)
1/2 Tablespoon of Assam Tea (loose tea - I use Wagh Bakri brand)
sugar to taste

Directions

1. Heat water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sugar, chaa masala, and loose tea. Allow it to come to a rolling boil.
2. Add milk. Allow it to come to a rolling boil again.
3. Strain and serve in a mug or teacup.
*Tip: During cold weather seasons and/or to soothe a cough/cold, add 2 Teaspoons freshly grated ginger.

Chaa Masala Spice Blend

I've been very pleased with storebought chaa masala, but here's how to make your own.

Yield: approx 1/2 cup

2 Tablespoons ground cardamom

2 Tablespoons ground ginger
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 Tablespoons ground cloves (1/4 tsp allspice works as a substitute)

1/2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Mix ingredients and store for 6-8 months in an airtight spice jar.

FIG

2011-08-17T20:47:00.001-05:00

Fig is a weird fruit...and word. If you stare at the letters long enough, it looks weird. Like an acronym almost. F.I.G. Fruit Ingestion Guideline? FIG.

And, it rhymes with...pig. (I don't want to boast, but you can guess who rocks scrabble at our family reunions)

I would have never tasted a fig, if my dad hadn't brought some home one day. I wasn't eager to try them. You know how you might offer a 6-yr old to try tasting something new, but they've already sculpted the perfect skeptical expression and prepared for vomit to come up? I was really good at making that face.

But the fig wasn't bad. ... and I was 17.

And now, here I am. All grown up, able to be friends with ~~pigs~~ figs. They are mildly sweet and a perfect "palate cleanser" dessert. We like fruits following dinner. Fruit is a good economical dessert option during a recession...or if you're too lazy to make a "real" dessert. Either one. I find it more comfortable to blame the economy instead of my lethargy.

Here's my Fruit Ingestion Guideline #1: Use figs to impress (on a weeknight!)...

Fig Flowers

A light clean finish to a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

6 Figs
3 Tablespoons Preserves (any flavor) - I used my Confituras Bourbon Brown Sugar Peach Preserves. See my post on Confituras Preserves
1-2 oz goat cheese

Directions:

1. Make a mound of preserves: Drop 1/2 Tablespoon each of preserves on a plate, where you plan to place each fig flower.
2. Cut the figs: Slice the fig from the point (stem) all the way down to just above the base (not through the base). Make another similar cut crossways, creating a quartered fig. Gently open up the fig "flower".
3. Place the fig flower on each preserve mound.
4. Make a small goat cheese ball and place it at the center of the fig flower. Garnish.

Alternate: You can make this an appetizer by serving these on round baguette slices. Drop the preserves on each slice, and top with the fig flower and goat cheese.

*I apologize for my 3 week hiatus. Thanks for coming back to read RFR.*

Quinoa-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers (or Banana Peppers)

2011-07-26T21:42:00.001-05:00

The previous owner of our house kept the doghouse on a shaded patch of grass between our neighbors house and ours. (Our doghouse is on the couch.) Once they moved out and we moved in, they left a footprint of dirt where the doghouse sat.

Before I allowed grass to grow back in that spot, I planted rosemary, basil, and italian parsley and there was room for something else. I planted banana peppers (cubanelle peppers) in this space allotted for "something else".  So now I have an herb garden island surrounded by grass. It looks like...Alcatraz.   You should see my sister's herb garden - it's in a perfect platform rectangle bed that's self irrigating and self-fertilizing. They probably have a chute to transport the produce from the garden to the kitchen sink and a return chute for the compost. But when I planted my herb garden, I wasn't thinking that far ahead.

And then one day I thought "It needs stones or something to separate itself from the grass." So what do I do? Go to the store and buy stones? No no. I go to the garage and grab the "spare" bricks from our garage. Instead of landscaping stones, I have bricks surrounding my herb garden. Our lawn care guys love this, I'm sure, because not only is it hideous, but now they have to mow AROUND it. Again, not thinking ahead.

Suddenly after just a few months, I had 30-40 banana peppers. I was very proud. And while I was taking credit for the work done by mother nature and the sprinkler system, someone said, "What the hell are you going to make with banana peppers?" Why burst a bubble with a needle when you can destroy it with a butcher knife? But she was right - I hadn't really thought that far when I planted the seeds. Again, not planning ahead.

Type Bs don't plan*.  But we know how to adapt.  We've done that our whole life. We adapt.

So basically, I bought the shoes before the dress. So what?  The most stunning outfits are made that way...just like this dish.

*Some of my friends will say I'm type A, and my family will say I'm a Type B. But I'm also a Gemini, which means I get to choose what I want to be when I want. :)

A special shout out to Cheryl for voicing that we can enjoy the near-sighted tiny dreams and thanks to people like Colin and Shefaly for calling us "interesting". We've been called worse.

Quinoa Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

(or Banana Peppers)

Serves 4

recipe by Rabbitfoodrocks

Have you ever had or made a stuffed bell pepper? It looks so pretty and then you grab a fork and just as you're about to dive in, you think, "how the heck do I eat this thing?" It's so awkward.

This recipe is more manageable to eat and a breeze to make. Not to mention, meatless and delicious and healthy and kid friendly? This one is a looker and a keeper. Like the (wo)man of your dreams.

Ingredients:

32 banana peppers (mini sweet peppers or cubanelle peppers), halved and ribs removed

3/4 cup quinoa (or 1 rice-cooker cup)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, peeled and sliced

1 green onion, sliced

1 Tablespoon Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning (or Taco seasoning)

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (flat leaf or curly)

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz can tomato sauce (or tomato puree)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup shredded mexican blend cheese

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add quinoa and roast for 1-2 mins until slightly fragrant. All of the quinoa should be shiny from the oil.

2. Add 1.5 cups (or 2 rice-cooker cups) of water and a pinch of salt and cover. Stir periodically. Cook until quinoa is done and has just released the "halos". Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. In a bowl combine shallots, green onions, Northwoods Seasoning, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Add cooled quinoa and toss well. Add tomato sauce and mix thoroughly. (you can also add some chopped peppers here if you have a few extra peppers)

4. Preheat oven to 350. Using a small spoon, fill each half pepper with filling. Add each pepper in the casserole dish (filling face up) after you fill them. Once all the peppers are filled, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 mins uncovered.

Neepa's Pomegranate Raita

2011-07-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

Photo kindly borrowed from Tripadvisor

What is this landscape photo doing on my food blog? But it's nice, isn't it? This is the town of Satara, India, located in Maharastra, India. It's just a few hours away from the town where my father grew up. (Although, I'm not certain my dad is totally grown up yet. Still a boy at heart.)

I went to India for 2.5 months in Fall 2002 with my parents and sister. It was a get-in-touch-with-your-roots-after-graduating-college trip because, until then, I could never afford more than a few weeks to travel overseas. And we were not about to go there in the summer because we weren't interested in a heat exhaustion survival test.

Our first stop was in my Dad's hometown, Jaysingpur, which originated with 100 inhabitants many years ago. (I guess most towns start that way? You don't have 50,000 people that just appear, I suppose). My Dad and his 10 siblings and their spouses/kids were numerous enough for this town to warrant an official name and place on the map.  The family has a tobacco farm and many members of our extended family still live there today. [Dad SAYS tobacco, but who really knows. ;-) ]

After a few days, we went to visit Neepa's family in Satara, just a few hours from Jaysingpur.
Neepa is my cousin, but to spell it out, she is Dad's 4th eldest brother's eldest daughter.  On the way there, we passed many streetside vendors selling sweet fire-roasted corn on the cob, each seasoned with lime, chili powder, and salt filling the nooks and crannies of each kernel on the cob. We were amazed by the scenery on the roadtrip there. Satara's lush green hills and expansive windmill farms are a serene break from city life.  Imagine a tiny pocket of Scotland or New Zealand, nested in India. What a gem of a city!

Upon arrival, Neepa hosted a feast of a lunch at her house with at least 7 dishes from what I can remember.  Everything on the menu was sooooo delicious, but the dish that was unforgettable was her Pomegranate-Squash Raita. I didn't get a recipe, but this is my best re-creation.

Neepa's Pomegranate-Squash Raita

This Raita (yogurt sauce) is made with thickened yogurt, so greek yogurt is the best choice. There is a flavor party going on in this dish: sweet, spicy, soft, crunchy, and creamy. This is a great complement to Indian curries but can also be served as a delicious and healthy party dip for crudites.

Ingredients:

3 6-oz containers of Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 Bottle gourd*
3 Tablespoons Roasted shelled peanuts, coarsly chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded **
2 Teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Empty 3 yogurt containers into a large mixing bowl. Mix yogurt into a smooth texture.
2. Using a knife, remove thick skin of bottle gourd. Then, cut in half lengthwise and remove the big seeds. Cut into segments to handle easier for grating (or use the food processor). Grate, and set aside 1/2 cup packed grated bottle gourd.
3. FINELY mince the seeded serrano pepper. For best results, use the food processor. Scrape the sides of the work bowl after processing. Set aside 3/4 teaspoon of minced serrano pepper.
4. Combine 1/2 cup grated bottle gourd, 3/4 teaspoon of minced serrano pepper, sugar, and salt into yogurt.
5. Just before serving, add roasted peanuts and fold in pomegranate seeds into the yogurt mixture.

*Pomegranate and bottle gourd grow in opposite seasons, I think, but you might be able to find them here at the same time in an Indian or Asian grocery store. Alternatively, you can substitute another mild flavored squash. You can also use a heartier, flavored squash like acorn or butternut: After grating, immerse the grated mixture in water in the microwave and cook for a few mins until tender.

**The heat of the serrano pepper in this dish is almost a contradiction because a cooling raita is intended to counteract the heat and acidity of spicy Indian curries. It really adds something to this dish.

Cherry Frangipane Pie/Tart

2011-07-06T08:54:00.000-05:00

Do not adjust your monitors. This is not a beetle pie.

Making this pie, I learned:

1. How to blanch almonds. Verrrry easy. Boil whole shelled almonds for a minute, immerse almonds in ice cold water. Air pockets are created between the shells and nuts, and then almonds can be easily removed from their skins. (I accidentally shot a few across the kitchen...so consider it a weapon also?)

2. How to pronounce Frangipane. It sounds like it's spelled...I wasn't expecting that. It sounds very unnatural on the tongue, but it is fran-juh-PAIN. Frangipane is indicative of an almond flavored filling.

3. How to pit cherries. I felt like Dexter, the lead role of the SHOWTIME series about a serial killer. The OXO cherry pitter, that my sister bought for me (inspired by The Cilantropist's post), has a splatter guard. A splatter guard! How serial killer is that???? This is a Rated R kitchen gadget, but Williams-Sonoma won't tell you that. Don't let your kids see you. Put on a Disney movie.

4. How to age cherries exponentially. Putting cherries in the oven is a reverse face-lift for these guys. Remind me never to go into an oven.

5. How to mask that the first slice is missing. I'm all kinds of wrong. I made this for my husband to congratulate him for his one year of fitness bootcamp. And then I ate the first slice. Sorry. :(

Cherry Frangipane

adapted from Peach Frangipane in Bon Appetit Magazine 1992

(my changes in italics)

1 Pie crust made from scratch from AllRecipes
3/4 cup slivered blanched almonds (about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1-1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries plus a few extra for you to eat as you prep :)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Set rack to middle. Open crust on work surface. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Rub flour over crust, rubbing out creases. Arrange floured side down in 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable sides. Trim and finish edges. Pierce all over with fork. Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.

Finely grind slivered blanched almonds in processor. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons amaretto, almond extract, and butter and puree. Add egg and process until well blended. Pour into crust.

Halve the pitted cherries and gently arrange cut faces down. Arrange as densely or sparsely as you like.

Bake until filling begins to brown and is springy to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Book Review: World Food Cafe Cookbook

2011-06-30T11:47:00.000-05:00

I bought this on whim. A sad looking book that needed some attention at Half-Price Books like a dog at the SPCA.

I flipped through really quickly and saw some photos and recipes that I never heard of. World Food Cafe 2 (there's another one?) is a book with recipes from Thailand, Cambodia, Middle East, West Africa, South Africa, Tanzania, India, Pakistan, ...okay okay I'll buy it. Surely there's something vegetarian that I could make from this.

Only when I brought it home and opened it to do "menu planning", the nerdiest culinary task ever, was when I realized that the cookbook is all vegetarian?!?! Score.

This book is great if you're feeling uninspired or feeling "bored of food". When nothing sounds appetizing, open this book. There's a world of flavor here....hehe.. I heart puns. So far I've made the Cambodian Samla Soup (which was awesome), the East African Yam Patties with Piri Piri Sauce, the Thai Red Curry, and recently, the Pakistani Paneer Cashew Nut and Hunza Apricot Dish. I was pleased with every single one of them. Everything is made from simple, raw components. You won't need red curry paste, for example because you'll be making it from scratch.

I was really just wondering what a Pakistani dish tastes like. They're my neighbors...or my ancestors neighbors, rather, so why don't I know what their food tastes like? I found it's heavier on the spices. Which is a nice change! If your spice cabinet and palate is looking for some attention, grab this book. You know you've got at least 3 spice jars that you haven't touched.

If you'd like to learn more about Chris and Carolyn Caldicott who traveled together and wrote this book, read this link. They also have a restaurant in the Covent Garden, London called World Food Cafe.

Espresso Rocket Shake

2011-06-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, you might have reached into a dusty box in the garage and uncovered some trinkets and personal belonging that meant something to you one day. It might have been a handwritten letter from a relative, a photo of you and some classmates, a ticket stub, a small gift someone gave you. There were some people who were acquaintances to you - a mere thread in the tapestry of your life. But for whatever reason, they might have etched a small but permanent impression in your memory. And then, there are people that are very close to us at some point and after building memories, our lives diverged for various reasons: differences/interests, geography, greater responsibilities/priorities, or it just happened. Life.

You might look at some of these belongings and say "What ever happened to him/her?" "I wonder what they are up to now?" You can ask questions but you won't get answers. It was once upon a time. What is our past remains our past. You can't recover history.

Until now.

For the first time, we can fold time onto itself. We can reach into that box called Past and take something back out. Someone who was a part of your past can be a part of your present. But, fortunately, only if you want to.

I reconnected with my good friend from middle school. It had to be 20 years since Manisha and I talked. I think one year we had almost every class together...U.S. History, Pre-algebra, Life Science, English, etc. I don't know what triggered my memory of her, but I searched her name on facebook. I sent her a long message saying that I regret not staying in touch with her. I told her what I remembered about her/us. I gave her a 10-sentence synopsis of my last 2 decades. I omitted obvious developments that had taken place since then, such as "I got my period" and "I have crows feet around my eyes". Hoped to hear back from her, but not expected.

Not only did we reconnect and exchange several messages on facebook, but I got to meet her in person. Though I'm in Dallas and she's in New York, we both happened to be in the same city at the same time. I have to admit I had a little flutter in my heart...like the feeling you might have before a date...a good one.

And the moment we saw each other at Starbucks, it's like we never missed a beat. I could have talked to her for hours.

I've been very very blessed with great girlfriends, and that includes moms, sisters, and cousins too. I have a chamber in my heart exclusively for them. Food and drinks unite us and make our hearts swell and spill over to one another. For me, I'm united with my girlfriends over a good Thai lunch in a sketchy location, or high tea nested in an antique shop, or a good lemon cupcake, or wine & cheese plates, or spicy potato filled dosas, or the famous Espresso Rocket Shake from Metro Coffeebar in Austin.

I ask you to reach FAAAR into your past and send them a facebook message telling them what you remember about them. It won't take long and I bet you'll be the highlight of their week.

Cheers to reconnecting!

Espresso Rocket Shake, Re-created

Serves 2

(I don't know what the exact proportions are, but this worked for me)

This recipe is inspired by a favorite treat that my 2 best friends and I would indulge in when we were in college. We would go to Metro Coffeebar* on Guadalupe in Austin to study. But instead, we would stay up really late and talk, gossip, laugh, and cry. And now we have to stay friends because we have too much dirt on each other.

If you don't try this, you are missing out!
Metro Coffeebar is now closed. :(

Ingredients:

1 banana, peeled and halved

6-8 oz. good quality chocolate ice cream

1/2 cup espresso

Directions:

1. Blend in a blender.

2. Taste with a spoon.

3. Adjust (with more banana, ice cream or espresso) if desired.

4. Serve.

Chilled Watermelon Steaks with Feta and Basil Vinaigrette

2011-06-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

Flip flops, tank tops, lemonade, sundresses, swimming pools, etc. Summer is supposed to be pleasant, isn't it?   Let me tell you about summer in Dallas. It ain't no picnic. Really - no picnics in June, July or August. Parched grass, too many mosquitoes, and everything melts and loses it's original form. Pita chips are safe though. You can have pita chips...with warm hummus....by yourself.

My plants are begging for mercy from the heat, and if I step outside for 2.5 minutes to water them, I come back inside smelling like outside.   There isn't a Bath and Body Works mist, spray, lotion, or candle that can conceal it.  "Lilacs n Lillies" doesn't cover up "Texas Sweat 'n Grass".

Don't dare go to the grocery store between 11am and 6pm in the summer because all of your diary products spoil on the way home. You can't keep the car cool enough unless you have a subservient husband to chauffeur you around and keep the car running at $5/gal of gas.

It's 104 today. I'm thinking about serving a crushed ice casserole tonight. Don't think anyone will complain.

Chilled Watermelon rescues me on days like this. After the sun siphons the energy out of me, I want to move as little as possible.  This is a very quick and easy salad which you can enjoy with any light meal. And this is man-tested and approved too. They licked their plates clean.

Chilled Watermelon Steaks with Feta and Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

6 slices watermelon 4" x 4" x 3/4"

2 Tablespoons crumbled Feta cheese

15 leaves fresh basil, chopped (or chiffonade)

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Arrange watermelon "steaks" on a plate, as desired.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, pepper and garlic. (Alternatively you can blend these ingredients in a small food processor to emulsify the mix...but I really don't use big words so early in the week. I usually stick to four-letter words or less on a Monday.
3. Drizzle balsamic dressing over watermelon steaks. Sprinkle with feta crumbles.

The Baked Potato: Old, but Still Very Much Alive

2011-06-14T08:34:00.005-05:00

Baked Potato is a lost art...like letter-writing. And forget an entire handwritten letter - even writing letters of the alphabet is a lost art. The fluidity of my handwriting is plummeting. It feels like a robot possesses my arm sometimes. Tangible greeting cards are still around because it keeps us from showing up somewhere empty-handed, but true penmanship sounds like sea transportation to this new generation. We were once concerned with folding a paper into perfect thirds to fit into an envelope, and now we are concerned with video buffering on our phones.

We can't save the endangered vicitims of technological advancements, such as Atari and letter-writing, but food doesn't have to work that way. We continue to build culinary creations, decade after decade, but we haven't lost touch with making the basics, like bread. With the help of Cuisinart, maybe, but still, bread is being made from scratch somewhere.

Another dying food - (that's not to be confused with food which is dead) - is the Baked Potato, but it can be saved!!! This isn't your mama's baked potato though. This is MY mama's baked potato! Mom can ROCK a baked potato...why? Because it's not all about the potato.

You can't have a Mavericks team, the oldest team in the NBA, win the Finals with just a Dirk. The baked potato carries all the key players from the bench: Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Melty Gooey Cheese, Cottage Cheese, and Scallions. And they know how to bring it.

"It's already been broughten." -Not Another Teen Movie

The Miami Heat

The Dallas Mavericks

Loaded Protein Baked Potato

This is one of my favorites. My mom used to make this and she always uses lots of broccoli and serves it with cottage cheese instead of sour cream. Genious! Even if you're not a fan of cottage cheese, you won't mind how cooling it is in every piping hot potato bite! You can buy "broccoli medley" in the produce section and steam it right in the bag in the microwave for a minute or two.

Ingredients:

1 Large Potato, pierced 4 or 5 times with a fork

1 Tbsp Butter

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup Broccoli "Medley" (Broccoli, Carrots, and Cauliflower), steamed

1 handful Mexican blend cheese

1/4 cup reduced fat cottage cheese

1 Tbsp sliced scallions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees. Wrap potato in foil and bake for 1 hr 15 mins.

2. Lower heat to 300. Partially unwrap the potato, exposing the top half. Make a cut lengthwise across the potato, but not all the way through.

3. Using a fork, gently "fluff" the potato. Add butter, salt, and pepper and fluff.

4. Top with broccoli medley and mexican cheese blend.

5. Heat in the oven until cheese is melted on the veggies.

6. Remove from the oven. (Turn off the oven) Top with cottage cheese and scallions. Serve!

Strawberry Gazpacho

2011-06-05T21:26:00.001-05:00

I just figured out the name of the Dos Equis guy, "The Most Interesting Man in the World". It must be Gazpacho. It's a name that sounds powerful. A man that is respected, and also intimidating. Sounds very cool-tempered, yet firm. Someone who wears nice jackets with printed linings. Someone who owns distinguished hats. Someone that doesn't say much, but when he does, everyone shuts up. Gazpacho.

I just made Gazpacho soup for the first time. Gazpacho is a chilled Spanish Andalucian tomato-based soup. I've seen chunky versions and I've seen pureed versions. I went with a chunky version to comply with my cookbooks. [Insert pat on the back] I didn't have enough tomatoes, so instead of going to the store, I substituted a pound of strawberries, in place of some of the tomatoes. [Retract pat on the back]

So what did I learn?

1) Chunky Gazpacho failed the soup test. A good soup must pass the soup test. This can be a very simple exercise with your 10 year old. If you're going to call yourself a soup, then I would imagine you can't get through TSA airport security. Of the phases of matter, a soup cannot be a solid, cannot be a gas...unless it's making an exit from your digestive system. Soup should be pureed and slurpable. And when you think about spilling it on the floor, you should cringe.

2) A chilled soup sounds cool (literally), but no one I know so far actually wants it or craves it. As, I said before, the name Gazpacho is very intimidating.

3) It's all about Marketing. After I combined the ingredients, I was thinking "Um, gazpachoooooo...this is what we Texans call SALSA, people!!!" Salsa test - Pass! I did add some liquid to mine because the original goal was soup, but it was still a salsa. So, serve it with a tortilla chip instead of a spoon and call it "Gazpacho Salsa".

4) Some good things come about by accident. The strawberry substitution was a great accident. You get just a sweet, cooling hint of strawberry, but still the flavor of a good salsa.

I don't always make gazpacho, but when I do, I prefer strawberries.

Strawberry Gazpacho Salsa

Recipe: Adapted from MANY cookbooks,

mostly from Cuisinart Food Processor Manual

Yield: Enough Salsa for a small village
Pre-requisite: This is a breeze with a food processor. This is a nightmare without it.

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno, cut into 1" chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper cut into 1" pieces
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1" pieces
5 roma tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks
1/3 cup italian flat leaf parsley
1 lb strawberries, halved
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Finely chop jalapeno and garlic cloves in food processor. Empty into a bowl
2. Finely chop onion and parsley in food processor. Empty into the bowl.
3. Finely chop cucumber and bell pepper in food processor. Empty into the bowl.
3. Finely chop tomatoes and strawberries in food processor. Empty into the bowl.
4. Add olive oil, vinegar, and salt and mix well.
5. Chill in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
6. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Confituras: Jam of The Month

2011-05-30T19:34:00.000-05:00

In 1997, online shopping ramped up and fueled the e-commerce phenomenon. Ebay was merely at its embryonic stages. The concept of being able to buy something while sitting at home in your pajamas was so exciting, that consumers simply perpetuated the phenomenon. They bought more pajamas...online.   My roommate, Rosa, and I were freshman at the dorms at The University of Texas in Austin. (Rosa spent many hours of her life on the phone with telemarketers explaining that she is Asian, not Hispanic.)  One night, Rosa and I set aside our Engineering textbooks and spent 2 hours registering for free stuff online. Freebies.com or something like that. And then we were so exhausted from typing in our address one million times (no text field recognition at that time), that we ordered a giant Papa John's pizza and we inhaled the entire thing and then passed out for 4 hours.

For the following month, Rosa and I frequented the mailboxes, and mind you, we rarely saw anyone else there, except for the student working behind the counter.  We got many pseudo-surprises in the mail: a personalized stamp, Jelly Belly jellybeans, a "The Lord is our Savior" coloring book... This would have been an appropriate time in our life to add masking tape to the bridge of our eyeglasses, but these dork milestones were critical in adapting to the Mechanical Engineering mold. Rosa is going to read this post and either 1) kill me or 2) comment with "that day was soooooooooo fun!!!!"

Now in 2011, when you come home and see a package in your mailbox or a bulky envelope at your door, or a little note that says your package is at the leasing office, it has to add a little spring to your step. You don't have to admit it to anyone, but you know it. Inside your thinking "Eeeeee!" The part you don't want to admit is that you already know what it is because you ordered it online approximately 8-10 business days ago. It could be your findings in the Old Navy scavenger clearance, it could be an extra charger for your phone, it could be a replacement part from the manufacturer for a kitchen appliance. Yet, still, "Eeeeee!"

When I received a teeny weeny box at my door step last month, I couldn't pinpoint what it was. From Austin? Hmm.   3M is in austin...did I register for free post-its? no...can't be that. My sister lives in Austin. Did I leave something there? Did she scout an underwear clearance? No...too heavy for underwear, unless it's woven with cast iron underwire....

I opened the package and it was the cutest little mason jar of JAM! Rio Star Grapefruit Marmalade. It was neatly decorated with a little raffia and a tag that read "This is jar 1 of 12! You will receive one jar per month." And need I say "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"?

Confituras of Austin* makes delicious jam with quality ingredients. For someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth, I was eating jam right out of the jar. If you can't commit for a year, no worries. Many men in New York share that problem. You can buy singles or smaller gift packs. I just received my second jar of Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper preserves and I used the entire jar to make Streusel Bars from The Joy of Cooking cookbook. I leave you with this recipe and wish you many many happy "Eeeeee"-commerce days ahead.

Whatever-Jam-You-Have Streusel Bars

adapted from The Joy of Cooking Raspberry Streusel Bars
(makes 20 two-inch square bars)

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cold salted butter (1-1/2 sticks)
3 Tablespoons milk
1 tsp. almond extract

Filling:
1 c. seedless raspberry preserves or jam (from Confituras!)

Streusel Topping:
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick)
1/4 c. blanched almonds, chopped
2/3 c. rolled oats
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons milk

Directions for Crust:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

2. In a food processor, using the "dough blade", combine 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, and pulse in butter (cut into 1 Tablespoon pieces) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and almond extract to the food processor, and pulse until they begin to hold together. It will still be pretty crumbly. Don't expect a "dough" look at this point.

3. Firmly press this coarse crumble mixture into the greased pan to form a smooth, even layer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake the chilled dough in the center of the oven until barely firm in the center, 12-15 minutes. Spread jam evenly over the hot crust.

Directions for streusel topping:
4. To prepare the streusel, combine 1-3/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and the 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a food processor. Sprinkle butter pieces over the top. Pulse (using dough blade again) until the mixture is well-blended. Turn out into a medium bowl.

5. Using a fork, stir almonds or walnuts into the mixture. Once combined, stir in rolled oats. In a small bowl, beat lightly together the egg and remaining milk. Stir into the flour mixture until streusel is moistened and forms small clumps. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the raspberry preserves, breaking up any large clumps.

6. Bake until the streusel is nicely browned and the jam is bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan to a rack and cool completely. Cut into bars.

*This post was not sponsored by Confituras.

Texas Jalapeno Sweet Corn Chowder

2011-05-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

Corn is the enemy. We've learned that by now. High Fructose Corn Syrup is the new anthrax. North America has been leaking this into our digestive systems for decades: in cola, in "fruit" flavored snacks, in 100 real fruit juice cocktail mix, sweets and treats like the once pure and wholesome ice-cream. Then you'll find it in places where you don't expect like in breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs! Why can't I just purchase pulverized stale bread without a loser sidekick? I'm surprised that Karo corn syrup isn't locked up behind the pharmacy window for fear of teenagers shooting it up intravenously.

And to Corn growers association or whatever - your dumb commercials highlighting conversations between two people:

"Well it's got corn syrup"
"So???"
and then the blank stare...

That marketing strategy only works for people who don't realize that you cut off the end of the commercial where the person says "So...IT MADE AMERICA FAT" And then [Insert blabber about "in moderation it's okay...." blah blah blah. ] At a moderate 41 lbs of consumption per person per year, we just surpassed snails on the spectrum of the most immobile species of the animal kingdom. Corn people - take your efforts elsewhere. Go fuel some cars or package electronics with corn remnants so that we don't have to buy that dumb hand tool from bed bath and beyond to unpackage our new gadgets.

So now that I've done an excellent job of selling the benefits of corn consumption with the help of Corn Growers Association sponsorship, I must say this following recipe is DIVINE. If you do find in few years that corn and corn products require a prescription to purchase, I know a guy in the back alley at the farmer's market that will hook you up. He's the awkward skinny teenager carrying a backpack and wearing his jeans past his butt. Slip him a 5 and he'll hook it up with some cobs.

Texas Jalapeno Sweet Corn Chowder
(Vegan-friendly)

recipe by rabbitfoodrocks.blogspot.com

Serves 4-6

This corn chowder is so rich and creamy, you really don't need help from milk or cream. We're just talking about fresh sweet creamy corn, in its most natural state, sliced right off of the cob. Not so terrible, right? This is HEAVENLY.

Ingredients
1 small white onion, finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
2 Tablespoons vegetable/canola oil
2 bay leaves
4 ears of corn (cut kernels and keep cobs)
1 jalapeno pepper
3 cups water
1 cup milk (1% is fine) or soy milk
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Saute the first 3 ingredients plus bay leaves in vegetable/canola oil on medium heat for 5 mins or until onions are translucent.
2. Add water, milk and cobbs. Simmer on medium heat for 10 mins. Remove cobs.
3. Cut jalapeno in half, lengthwise. Cut again lengthwise. Add one of these quarter to the simmering liquid after cobs are removed. Add kernels at the same time. Finely dice the remaining jalapeno pepper.
4. Simmer for 5 mins or until corn kernels are tender. Remove jalapeno as bright green color fades/dulls. Remove bay leaves and discard.
5. Turn off heat. Reserve one ladle-full of the solids. Using an immersion blender, blend the rest of the mixture until smooth. Add the spoonful of corn solids again.
6. Serve in soup bowls topped with cheddar cheese and diced jalapeno.

I must add this clause for those who are new to sarcasm. This blog post was not sponsored by Corn Growing People...

Easy Entertaining: Patio Brunch

2011-05-18T21:04:00.002-05:00

Californians have it all. Great weather, great food, sunshine, and the people are eco-conscious, beautiful, expressive, tan, and they always look like they get at least 9 hours of sleep every day. And to make things worse, they are all really really nice people. They are that beautiful girl who dates the boy you are in love with, but then you find that this girl is actually a really really nice person, so you can't even hate her. Grrrrrr.

Californians who are born there or move there - they don't leave (understandably). So, in turn, they don't understand weather limitations that the rest of us suffer.

"So, tell me, you actually have to go to the 'market' to buy vegetables? Interesting. You can't grow the complete kingdom plantae right in your backyard?"
or
"You don't have a giant expanse of wine country in arms reach?"
or
"Now, what is this mosquito organism you speak of?"

Last Sunday, we hosted brunch on our patio and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The sky served us a cocktail of mild-sunshine-with-light-breeze, probably donated by California because they have to be so damn nice. They told God, the bartender, "Tell her [Texas] this drink's on me." Well thank you, Cali, for offering us a sip of what you normally enjoy in a tall glass.

Entertaining is really more about the company than the food, but having great food and great weather is a plus. :)

Patio Brunch Menu

1) Beverages

Mimosas with Lime Sugar rimmed glasses (Made of Orange Juice, Mango Juice, and Sparkling Wine. Lime Sugar was a concept I learned from Louise Mellor of The Art of Cuisine. Instead of granulated sugar I used turbinado sugar. )
Bloody Marys
Coffee

2) 7-Layer Breakfast Scramble Casserole (vegan-izable!) - Recipe below!

3) Roasted Tomatoes with Thyme - Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise, face up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme and bake at 400 degrees for 10 mins.

4) Bread Basket

Buttermilk Biscuits - Recipe from the black and white Joy of Cooking cookbook, the most underrated cookbook ever...we Gen Xers avoid reading anything without color, just as equally as the next generation can't function without digital devices. I used homemade plain yogurt, in place of buttermilk.
Raisinbread Slices - store-bought
Lemon-Poppyseed Muffins - Homemade from the Joy of Cooking cookbook

5) Condiments - (store-bought) - as my friend Roshni says, "breads are simply the vehicle for the really really good stuff." (She also kindly photographed every photo shown in this post. Thanks, Roshni!)

Cream cheese
Grapefruit Marmalade
Lemon Curd

6) Deviled Eggs (store-bought) - I made these last year and decided it was too much work. But I prefer the taste of home-made rather than store-bought.

7) Fruit Cup of Grapefruit Segments, Blueberries, and Cantaloupe (store-bought components)

7-Layer Breakfast Scramble Casserole

(Eggless and Vegan-friendly)

Recipe by http://www.rabbitfoodrocks.blogspot.com/

Serves 12-16

Make ahead tip: Do steps 1-3 the night before.

This is a giant casserole of breakfasty goodness. I really wanted to serve a piping hot "skillet" type of dish, but for a large group. Eventually I thought of a 7-layer dip, but breakfast style.  Seven layers: Potatoes, Blackbeans, Corn, "Egg"-less scramble, Asadero-Manchego cheese blend (or vegan cheese), cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips.   This casserole is a great way to feed and please a mass of people. Most guests won't even know that there is "tofu scramble" in place of eggs. You can find many tofu scramble recipes online - I had a recipe from a local vegan restaurant. The key ingredients are tofu, turmeric for color, a dash of ground cumin and then seasoned additionally with your favorites from your spice cabinet...play around, and don't be intimidated...but you do want the taste to resemble eggs, so don't go crazy...unless you're from California. Then it would turn out perfect no matter what you do.

Ingredients:
1 32-oz bag frozen diced potatoes
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
4 Tablespoons Butter/Vegan Butter
2 cans Black Beans, excess liquid poured off, but not rinsed/drained
1-1/2 Tablespoon Arizona Dreaming spice (from Penzey's)
1 12-oz bag frozen corn kernels, defrosted
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1/4 to 1/2 red onion finely diced
1-1/2 blocks packages firm or extra firm Tofu, well drained
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
vegan cheese or mexican cheese blend ("Authentic Mexican" with Asadero and Manchego cheeses)
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 jar Herdez tomatillo salsa - really, the best tasting tomatillo salsa you can buy (and with the shortest ingredient list)

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add paprika until butter turns into a fiery red-orange color. Add potatoes and coat in butter. Cover and lower heat. Stir occasionally until potatoes are cooked through. Add salt to taste. Set aside.

2. Empty beans in the same skillet and turn heat to medium. There should be a bit of a "gravy" from the cans. Add Arizona Dreaming spice mix. Allow flavors to mingle over heat.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Using your fingers, crumble the tofu blocks finely. Add the turmeric, ground cumin, garlic, herbs de provence, and pepper.  Mix well with a spoon, not to alter the texture. Add salt to taste. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute onions and celery, until onions are almost translucent. Lower heat to medium and add tofu mixture and mix thoroughly. Color should intensify to a deeper yellow. Heat until excess moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer ingredients in a greased, oven safe 9x12 casserole dish. First add potato layer. Most of the potatoes should fit on one even layer. Then add beans. Spread them gently to one even layer. Then add defrosted corn kernels. Then add tofu as the 4th layer, using a spatula to gently spread it evenly across the pan. Finally, sprinkle with cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 mins.

5. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Top with cilantro and crushed tortilla chips. Serve with tomatillo salsa and tortillas.

Caprese Impostor Salad

2011-05-11T14:24:00.002-05:00

"Fruit Salad, Yummy, Yummy" - The Wiggles

If you aren't familiar with this viral tune, you must download the song sung by the famous children's band from down under Australia. And please listen to at least half of the song before reading further.

You might find yourself singing it while waiting for your morning coffee at Starbucks or while you are in a department meeting. You never know when it will sneak up on you. I find it best to scream the lyrics of this song when you and your significant other are arguing and you just want to be done fighting and you don't care who's right or wrong anymore.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DO [insert responsibility of choice] INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR ME TO ASK YOU???"
"FRUIT SALAD YUMMY YUMMY!"

See? This aussie tune can be the solution for many things. Australian anything is a one-way direct flight to coolness. Recently I met Aussie Sarah Henry of Lettuce Eat Kale who is one energetic spunky sassy talented lady...I felt like I have known her for years, because just after 24 hours of meeting each other, words like "flatulence" and "pellets" were part of our banter...like 12 year old boys. I'm going to start a joint blog with her called "Lettuce Be Juvenile". Then there's Curtis Stone, the take-home chef who finds women in the supermarket and helps them cook a meal at their home. The season didn't work out too well because his dangerously good looks posed a major safety hazard in the kitchen. If he spotted me at the supermarket, I would run in the opposite direction, because I'm probably wearing my gym clothes and my hair is demonstrating the powers of an electrical socket. And finally, there's the Wiggles...who must have been the inspiration for the recent Fruit of the Loom underwear label ad campaigns: Grown men enveloped in fruit costumes, singing.

After all of this fruit salad talk, you can't help but be inspired! I created a very simple tropical fruit salad imitating the traditional Italian Caprese salad. In place of tomato, mozzarella, and basil, I combined sliced strawberry, flesh of young coconut, and sliced kiwi, respectively. I had to think very hard about what would be the mozzarella understudy. There are few white colored fruits, but flesh of coconut works well visually and texturally. Lychee fruits would be a good substitute also, but it won't lay as flat. This would make a wonderful snack and a light satisfying dessert. I might recommend serving it with a modest scoop of Lemon-Thyme Sorbet from The Cilantropist!

This dish says a lot without a lot of work behind it. You know that guy at the office that talks big in the department meeting, wowing management with 3-syllable words, but in actuality he does didley squat and just spends the day hanging out at everyone else's cubicle?

Yeah, that's what this dish is...an Impostor.

The challenge is actually opening the young coconut - it's about as easy as removing a ship from a bottle.
* This post is dedicated to my $6 Ikea end table, who was sacrificed in this project. Rest in pieces.*

Cinco de Mayo: Tableside Grown-Up Guac(amole)

2011-05-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

I don't know who started this joke which was supposedly so hilarious, but all day yesterday people were telling me "it's Star Wars day." And then you say "What?" and the comedian responds "May the 4th be with you." The first time I heard it, the geek in me seeped out, so I couldn't help but chuckle a little, but then I immediately shut that down. Laughter would only ignite bad jokes like wildfire.

Thankfully, today is a new day, and it happens to be Cinco de Mayo. I would love to start by telling you all about the history of Cinco de Mayo and what it represents, but I didn't pay attention in 7th grade Texas History and googling right now sounds like a lot of effort for something you won't remember anyway. So, let's skip that part! (something to do with Mexico and independence...and May 5th)

Texans use Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to have a party or go to a happy hour. At every Tex-Mex joint, margaritas flow forcefully and patrons are usually waiting for refills on queso and guacamole. None of these items are likely served in a Mexican home in Mexico, mind you. This is the nomadic-Texican-with-cash-to-burn way of celebrating. But many of us are working or working moms or stay at home moms...and more importantly, we are old and we don't always make it to happy hour. So let's bring happy hour to you. Introducing...tableside grown-up guac(amole). A perfect chunky guacamole, spiked generously with Tequila! Tableside infers "ingredients combined right there in front of you".

Celebrate on the back patio or front porch.

Tableside Grownup Guac

Recipe by Rabbitfoodrocks:

Serves 4

2 Large Avocados, peeled and seed removed

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

3 scallions, finely sliced

1 roma tomato, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 serrano pepper FINELY diced, with seeds for heat (not shown)

1 shotglass of Tequila

Directions:

1) Mash avocados in a wide-based bowl until smooth or slightly chunky

2) Add scallions, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, serrano peppers, tequila and lime juice

3) Combine well, but leave it chunky. Serve with Corn Tortilla Chips

Mother's Day: Recognizing moms who deliver love from the kitchen

2011-05-02T16:32:00.003-05:00

I was sitting on the plane on the way back from Camp Blogaway absorbing so much that was shared by the sponsors, speakers, and participants. There were many blogger-moms in the group sharing the stress they carry with them everyday and talking about balancing daily challenges. On the return flight, while Osama Bin Laden was dying, I was thinking about my mom actually and how she is the reason I am the way I am. I wouldn't be interested in food or cooking if it wasn't for her. Still trying to figure out if I should credit her or blame her. Allow me to share a small gallery of memories about my mom-and-food associations.

I remember in my 4th grade class, we each had to write a descriptive essay (a lesson on adjectives and imagery) about what we ate for dinner the night before and then after writing it out, we had to read it in front of the class.  I felt very uneasy about this assignment because while my classmates were eating meatloaf or chicken pot pie, I was eating Indian vegetarian foods that my mom cooked, like "rotli, daal, bhath, shaak"(translation "flat bread, lentils, rice, vegetable side dish"), and too ashamed to say it or talk about it in front of the class. And I was dreading having to explain the omission of meat. I was the only kid with immigrant parents in that class and back in 1988, there wasn't so much awareness about ethnic foods or international cultures and therefore, there wasn't much sensitivity to those things, as there are now. So what did I do? I wrote about my delicious spaghetti and meatballs dinner. Of course, I had never had spaghetti with meatballs so my descriptive essay sucked and probably included phrases like "curly noodle" and "round meat thingies". My mom always taught me to always be proud of my heritage, but I never told my mom about that incident.

My mom was a stay at home mom from my entire K-12 life. I hated it. Why can't my mom go to work like everyone else's mom? I wanted to come home to an empty house after school and watch Tiny Tunes or General Hospital (don't judge my broad range of interests) instead of being asked to drink milk or start on my homework. What I overlooked was the wonderful welcome I got when I came home from school. I remember when I came home from school, she would make piping hot french fries perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper. On rainy days, she would make chaa and bhajiya which is hot chai spiced tea and deep fried savory chickpea and fenugreek dough balls. We would have these in the backyard and watch the rain....and then she'd tell me to drink milk and go do my homework.

Once I was in 6th grade, Mom never packed my lunch. Never. She would be awake at 5:30am every day, but she would not pack my lunch. She would WATCH me pack my lunch. While that was mean, in hindsight, it's still mean, but it was her backhanded way of teaching me time management in the kitchen.  I complained about this for years, and on the very last day of 12th grade, I woke up and she packed that one lunch for me. I'll never forget that. A great example of "under promise and over deliver".

As high-schoolers, my sister and I would have to come home and prep our usual Indian dinner, kneading the flatbread dough, soaking the rice, preparing the pressure cooker for lentils... Why are we doing this while our friends are at the mall???? My sister and I are 4 years apart, so once she went off to college (a freedom I was so prematurely thirsty for), I was sous chef with Mom for the next 4 years. My mom strategically arranged for 8 years of child labor in the kitchen. Smart Woman.  At the time, I never gave mom brownie points for the great heart-to-heart talks we would have at the stove and sink between the "I hate you"s and "You don't let me do anything"s.

Mom made it all about Family and Food and the Kitchen. She would learn western diets, making broccoli and cauliflower casserole or bean and cheese enchiladas. She'd make cheesecakes and chocolate chip cookies. We ate together ALWAYS. We occasionally watched Wheel of Fortune while dining. And on Fridays, we'd have Pizza Picnics. We would have a picnic in our living room and order pizza, drink soda, and watch NBCs TGIF. And if it was movie night, we'd have chips, queso, and salsa.   She never took "Me Time" or "Girl Time" or "Date night with Dad" or "Spa Day" or "Shopping Time" or "Getting My Nails Done". While she ran a tight ship, her heart swells and overflows with selfless unconditional love. My mom made so many sacrifices and pinched pennies to give my sister and I the life she always dreamed of.

Ps - I'm writing in past tense because these are memories, not because she is no longer. I'm very thankful that she's still around...trying to find my "blob" on the Internet.

I got off of the plane yesterday around midnight, and waited for 45 minutes for the parking shuttle bus. It was cold, wet and rainy. I could really go for some chaa and bhajiyas.

Mom, you rock. (Much more than rabbit food.)

***If you have a favorite food memory with your mom or mother-like figure, please share it in the comments and make sure you share these memories with her on Mother's Day this Sunday. ***

Pasta 101: Betcha didn't know that!

2011-04-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

You might be making pasta a certain way because that's how you've always done it, or that's how you were taught. I thought I would publish some pasta fundamentals. As an engineer I ask "why" a lot, and found some good answers/reasons over the years. A few small techniques go a long way in texture, taste, and presentation!

1. Pronounciation: Pasta is pronounced PAHS-tah, not PASS-tah. With the Royal wedding in the blinding spotlight, now is a good time to practice your English accent. "Pardon, Paula, would you possibly pass the parsley for my pasta?"

2. Yield: This obviously depends on a few things. Are you serving sides and an appetizer with the dish? Lots of mixins/veggies and sauce in the pasta? A good rule of thumb is 3/4 cup of pasta per person. That's for penne, orrechiette, or medium sized pasta. For smaller pastas like orzo, elbows, or ditalini, use 1/2 cup per person...smaller pasta is usually in a soup or salad so you'll have to gage based on what you are serving. For something like spaghetti, a 16-oz box serves 4.

3. The vessel: Use a large pot with lots of water. You know how you don't like close-talkers? Pasta doesn't like other pasta getting in their personal space either. More water means a happier pasta.

4. The Water: Cold water in the pot only. Hot water from the tap is public transportation for gross stuff in the pipes. And once boiled, hot water might kill some things, but it absorbs the worst things.

5. Hold the Olive Oil: I don't know who came up with this idea, but your pasta water doesn't need oil. Whoever came up with this notion should have taken a chemistry class first because everyone knows that oil and water don't even mix. What is the point of having olive oil globules dancing on the surface of a rolling boil?

6. Put a lid on it: Get the water to a fast boil by covering the pot. And it's more "green".

7. Salt: You MUST add salt to the water, after it reaches a boil. This is how you season the pasta. You need at least a tablespoon. Omiting this step will cost you serious flavor, and seasoning the dish afterwards won't make up for it. Wait for it to reach a boil so that the water boils faster, and the salt dissolves faster. Once it dissolves, THEN add the pasta.

8. Cook to "al dente": No one wants mushy food in their mouth unless you just graduated from breast milk. Al dente is the SIGNATURE of pasta. Put away angry birds on your smart phone for a few minutes and keep an eye on your pasta, because there's a narrow window between undercooked and overcooked.

9. Stop ruining your walls: Don't throw spaghetti on your backsplash to check if it's done. That doesn't work unless you have feathered bangs and live in 1985. Just take a bite.

10. Drain immediately and return pasta back to the pot: Drain the water from pasta the moment it's done, and then put it back it the pot to add your sauce, veggies, etc. There's no down-time between the two tasks - otherwise you'll have sauce-noodle attraction issues. Sauce only flirts with a glistening noodle.

Bombay Cheese

2011-04-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

Originally named Bombay Cheese, this recipe was published in the Neiman Marcus Cookbook, No Jacket Required. However, this book was probably published before the city's official name change, so I shall name it Mumbai Cheese.

I make it often, and I always get requests for the recipe. I have yet to find someone who doesn't like this one, so I hope this becomes one of your "regulars" as well.

WARNING: If you serve this, anticipate a high traffic area. Guests will camp out in front of this appetizer, hog it, hide it, guard it, etc. You and Lady Gaga could potentially compete for guests. I highly recommend hiring a bouncer and removing fragile items from the area.

Bombay Cheese
Mumbai Cheese

Ingredients
8-oz soft cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 Teaspoon Curry Powder (I use 1/2 Tablespoon curry powder)
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used "mexican cheese blend" from the grocery store)
1/3 cup mango chutney (widely available in most grocery stores' international foods aisle. I buy the spicy mango chutney for a faint kick)
1/4 cup toasted almonds (pecans work too!)
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut (sweet or unsweet - whatever you have)
1 Scallions, finely sliced
1 Tablespoon red currants (I used dried cranberries)

Directions

Combine the cream cheese, Cheddar, and curry powder in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until well blended and smooth. Or, beat by hand with a wooden spoon until smooth. Shape the mixture into a disc about 5½ inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 mintues. The cheese can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

To assemble, place the cheese on a serving tray. Spread the chutney on top. (You might need to warm the chutney in the microwave for 30 seconds to make it pourable. No too hot, though...you don't want it to melt the cream cheese disc underneath.) Sprinkle the coconut flakes, nuts, scallions, and currants over the chutney. The cheese can be prepared an hour ahead and kept at a cool room temperature. (You can just "eyeball" the quantities of the coconut, nuts, scallions, and cranberries)

Toss the apple wedges with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration. To serve, arrange the crackers and apple wedges around the cheese.

Serves 8-10 guests.

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Honey-Rosemary Crust

2011-04-17T22:56:00.000-05:00

It's my sister-in-law's birthday today and I wanted to try to bake a sweet treat for her to enjoy and share with her friends. I took FOREVER deciding what to make. That's probably the hardest part! I was busy perusing through cookbooks and websites and then considering the familiar, tried-and-true recipes and then going back to the new recipes which flaunt pretty pictures. These pictures are misleading because you always assume your end result will match! Well, this time I went for the pretty picture. I'm so superficial.

Rose Elliot is a vegetarian/vegan cook from the UK and she has published several cookbooks. If you haven't picked up a copy of any cookbooks by Rose Elliot, you are missing out! She does wonderful work and her dishes are very creative. On many vegetarian recipes, she also offers a vegan alternative. Her books make a wonderful gift!

In her cookbook, Vegetarian Supercook, she shares a recipe for Little Lemon cheesecakes with Blueberries. With the onset of a Texas summer, and an outdoor celebration this afternoon, I couldn't resist making these for my sister-in-law.

Our friend, Janice, who is an incredible baker, says she always makes a recipe "as is" first and then makes changes the next time. That's the right thing to do and I believe that is the oath that a lot of cooks and bloggers take. And you can always count on me to do the exact opposite. And that's not because I'm rebellious. That would be a more glamorous reason. I'm just not good at following directions and have a short attention span. This problem dates back to pre-school at Busy Bee Academy when my teacher Ms. Holly asked, "What crayon color are you using?" and I responded "Are we coloring right now?" True story.

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Honey-Rosemary Crust

(adapted from Rose Elliot's "Little Lemon Cheesecakes with Blueberries" - my notes in italics)

Preparation 25 minutes; Serves 6 (or 12 small portions)

Ingredients:

6 oz ginger cookies (I used 6 1-oz bags of Annie's homegrown honey "Teddy Grahams" - from costco)
1/2 cup less 2 Tablespoons butter, melted (Does that mean 3/4 stick of butter (6 Tablespoons)? That's what I used)
2.5 Tablespoons minced Rosemary (lemon and rosemary go together!)
1.5 cups blueberries (a generous handful or two will do)
confectioners sugar for dusting
1-2/3 cup low fat soft cream cheese (I used this, but had a lot of extra left - one (1) 8-oz pkg would be enough)
zest of 2 lemons
2 Tablespoons sugar (I used 5 Tablespoons, and maybe more if you have a sweet tooth)
2/3 cup heavy cream (I added this, but in retrospect, don't think it's necessary. If you leave this out, then I imagine you need the full amount of cream cheese)
4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Put the cookies into a polythene bag, close the top, then crush with a rolling pin. Tip the crushed cookies into a bowl, add the minced rosemary, add the melted butter, and mix to combine. Divide mixture between 6 x 3-1/2 to 4-inch flan rings with a removeable base, pressing it onto the base in an even layer (don't attempt to go up the sides). Place in the freezer or refrigerator while you prepare the topping. (I tried the ziploc bag, but decided the food processor was faster since I had one. Didn't have flan rings or mini springform pans, so I used 12 cupcake liners and cupcake pans. I used a small spice jar to press the mixture into each cupcake liner)

2. If there is any liquid on top of the cream cheese, pour it down the sink, then put the cheese into a bowl and add the lemon zest and sugar. Stir to make a creamy mixture, then add the heavy cream and whisk until thick. Add the lemon juice and stir with a spoon - the acid in the juice will make the mixture even thicker.

3. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the flan rings. Take the mixture to the edges, but don't try to smooth the surface. Refrigerate until required. (This is the point when I realized that this is a no-bake recipe. The filling was not as thick as I like, which is why I believe the cream is not necessary?)

4. To finish, lift the little cheesecakes out of the dishes - they will come out easily - and gently slide them onto individual plates, removing the bases of the dishes as you do so. Decorate the tops with blueberries, dust with confectioner's sugar, and serve as soon as possible. (I had to transport my cheesecakes to the birthday venue, so I needed to create "compartments" to keep the cheesecakes from colliding in transit. Thanks to my husband's advanced craft skills from Highlights magazine, we were able to deliver 9 mini cheesecakes, as opposed to a giant mess-in-a-box)

Happy Birthday, sister-in-law!

Meet a Great Shef

2011-04-14T10:10:00.001-05:00

I've been BEGGING Shef to launch her website forever. I said "I can't introduce you without a link to you!" I love her for so many reasons - she's indisputably talented, her regional Indian cooking boasts with all the love behind it, and as she continually perfects her recipes up to the tiniest granule of garam masala, she practices her trade with more integrity than anyone I know. Oh, and I also love her because she exited the same womb as me...a few years before I showed up, so she you know, broke the ice with the 'rents for me...or should I say, broke the water?

Specializing in regional Indian cuisine, Shefaly lives in Austin, the little blue heart of Texas. This is where all liberals seek refuge in Texas. It's green with hills and has vegetarians, vegans, and free-thinkers running all over the place, not to mention it houses The University of Texas, one of the largest schools in the nation! If you're fortunate enough to visit Austin or live there, be sure to sign up for one of her many cooking classes, such as Roti Workshop or Indian Street Foods. She also posts a very flavorful recipe-of-the-month - this month is Lemon-Scented Basmati Rice!

Now, even though she's not the one Dad calls for tech support, she is apt to operate heavy machinery...in the kitchen. She is a kitchen gadget geek. If there is an artichoke heart extractor, she would have it. So when I asked her to do a guest post, I thought, why not one about using our appliances?

Using Appliances in an Indian-American Kitchen by Shefaly

Here’s a list of 5 must-haves if you are cooking Indian food once or twice a week or more. Know that you could and would use most of these when cooking non-Indian food too.

Microplane “ginger” grater: The microplane is a versatile tool in any kitchen, novice or professional, Indian or not. There are microplanes out there for zesting citrus fruits, shaving parmesan or other hard cheeses, or simply coarse or fine grating whatever it is you need. The one I use, almost daily, is the “ginger” one. If you plan on getting this, make sure you buy the one that is labelled for ginger. The texture you get from a microplaned ginger root is perfect for South Indian style Indian cooking, which uses a lot of minced or pureed ginger and garlic. I take this tool with me always when I’m a guest instructor anywhere.

Blender: We Indians love our blenders. So much that we have our own brands of “Indian” blenders that grind and puree solids into sauces and chutneys. Kinda like a Vitamix, but not as versatile. What would I recommend for anyone cooking Indian food sometimes? On the lower end of the cost spectrum, I’d say an Osterizer blender. They are high-powered, but most importantly, they have a narrower tapered base so that smaller amounts of liquids can blend fairly well. Wider blenders have too much surface area and therefore the chutney or sauce end up needing too much water, making the sauce too liquid. A more expensive blender of course is the Vitamix, which superbly blends, for example a small amount of cilantro chutney, or garlic chutney, to the right consistency. You can use both Oster and Vitamix for smoothies, drinks, milkshakes, etc… of course, but with the Vitamix, you can grind flour, make nut butters, soups, etc...

***A side note: if you’re planning on grinding rice or lentils for say idli or dosa batter, you’ll need an Indian grinder. I’m pretty certain a Vitamix will allow you to do the same, but I haven’t tried it yet. Vitamix does sell a dry goods container with their blender for grinding flours. Also, I have made dosa batter in my Oster blender. Took a bit longer than my Indian grinder, but it did work. However, those blades may not last if you do it often, and the motor excessively heats up.

Mortar/pestle OR spice grinder: a mortar/pestle duo costs about ten bucks. A spice grinder (basically sold as a coffee grinder) is about 20-30 bucks. The spice grinder is useful for larger batches of masala (spice mixes), like about a half cup or so. If you just want to make garam masala for one curry, use the mortar pestle. Or even use the MP for grinding fresh cardamom and cinnamon for a cup of masala chai. If you use a coffee grinder for spices, dedicate it just to the spices. Smell the grinder before using it. If there are remnants of coffee or something unwanted, grind a small piece of bread in the grinder to help eliminate the odor.

Non-stick 10 inch skillet: An inexpensive non-stick skillet is perfect for making all kinds of Indian flatbreads. Chappattis, paranthas, theplaas, etc…Typically North Indians make these breads more often than South Indians, but modern day Southies make or purchase chappatis often too, because of the slightly increased health benefits over plain white rice. Disposing of the skillet every year or two is a good idea, since they scratch and wear easily and are coated with chemicals. The traditional cast-iron tawaa pan is an alternative, though hard to find.

A sharp chef’s knife: Last, but not least, is the important chef’s knife. Now, I know people of my parents’ generation and those before them created beautiful food from using plastic serrated knives from the dollar store or metal-handled dull knives passed down to them from their grandmother.

But a sharp sharp 10 or 12 inch chef’s knife in combination with some knife skills will do you good in the kitchen! Your sharp knife will carve a few onions into a heaped mass of little tiny squares in no time. The chef’s knife is a convenience tool that helps avoid you from getting carpal tunnel’s in the future from years of forcing a dull knife through a hard carrot or a large onion. They don’t have to be expensive either, but they do need constant sharpening (maintained with a sharpening steel) to be effective.

That’s it! There’s a quick short list of a few appliances or gadgets. If you think of an item you use a lot in the kitchen or one that I’ve forgotten, please leave a note!

Easy Entertaining: Indian Menu for 10

2011-04-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

We had some friends over on Sunday night and prepared an Indian menu for the event. I have decided that from now on, when I entertain, I'm only making indian food. It's all make-ahead. You can make everything in the morning, and you'll have so much time left in the day you won't know what to do with yourself. You can probably squeeze in a road trip. :) The flavors will mingle all afternoon until you re-heat the dishes. Don't add the peas to the rice or to the cauliflower until you re-heat everything. I can provide more recipe details and tips upon request! rabbitfoodrocks@gmail.com

Dinner Menu

Storebought Naan (reheated on a skillet (not shown))

Gobi Masala (recipe adapted from cookbook Mangos & Curry Leaves)

Saag Paneer (from cookbook Khana Kazana with a few changes)

Rajmah Daal (exact recipe from http://www.showmethecurry.com/)

Jeera & Peas Pullao (thanks to my rice cooker :)

and

Mango-Saffron Custard (Srikhand) - from http://www.showmethecurry.com/ with a few ingredient changes to make it less fatty but just as yummy! :)

Pantry Staples

2011-04-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who asked me what my pantry staples are. There are a ton of things you can make on whim if you stock some of the basics.

These are the contents of my pantry to make quick weeknight meals:

Rice (Basmati, Jasmine, and Brown...bonus points for wild.) That's points for wild rice, not for being wild
Lentils/Daals (red (masoor), toor (yellow), moong, ...bonus pts for urad, puy (brown)
Flour (whole wheat, all purpose)
Pasta (whole wheat penne, orzo, orecchiette, lasagna)
Vermicelli or Pho Noodles
Quinoa (for salads, sides, and fillings)
Couscous
Breadcrumbs
Dried Beans (black, kidney, garbanzo (chickpeas), and bonus pts for cannellini)
Dried Fruits (Cranberries, Apricots, golden raisins, dates, prunes)
Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans and pinenuts)
Garlic
Onions (red and yellow)
Sweet Potatoes
Sugar (Brown and White)
Peanut Butter
Canned beans (black, kidney, garbanzo (chickpeas), vegetarian refried)
Vegetable Stock/Broth
Can of Chipotles in Adobo sauce
Can of Water chestnuts
Can of baby corn
Can of bamboo shoots
Can of green chilies
Can of coconut milk
Can of Tomato paste
Can of Tomato Sauce
Can of Diced Tomatoes
Can of Crushed Tomatoes
Spices
Vinegars (white wine, red wine, rice wine, and balsamic)
Oils (olive and grapeseed, and small bottle of sesame oil)
Jar of Roasted Red Peppers
Soy Sauce
Salsa (regular and tomatillo)
Cheese (cubes, shredded blend, artisan cheddar, goat, parmesan)
Tortillas (corn and flour)
Bread (whole wheat slices, mini bagels, artisan on occasion)
Eggs
Yogurt (Plain)
Butter
Milk
Citrus (lemon/limes)
Frozen Veggies (peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach)
Frozen Dumplings or Potstickers

Meal-for-One

2011-04-06T08:41:00.001-05:00

Look to the left. Look to the right....no one's home. What are you going to eat for dinner tonight? It's just you. Obviously anything requiring effort is not part of the plan. Are you going to have cereal? Ramen noodles? Chocolate? Something from the freezer? Take out? Cubes of cheese? What's your guilty pleasure meal-for-one?

For days when I'm cooking for one, my love is exclusive to BREAD. Nothing like a fresh loaf of french bread.

My favorite meal revolving around bread is called Masala Bread, or, Indian Bruschetta.

I recently had the opportunity to do a guest post for a good friend and fabulous blogger, Sarah Das who writes Pink Rickshaw. What I love about Pink Rickshaw is that it is all over the map, truly like an online magazine with topics ranging from fashion, books, art, food, and much more! She even does a neat monthly post called "Super Six" highlighting 6 trends for that month!

She asked me to submit an Indian recipe and of course I had to share my recipe for Indian Bruschetta. Do yourself a favor and try something new, yet familiar. Check it out!

Restaurant Review: Good 2 Go Tacos

2011-03-30T08:15:00.004-05:00

This place has been on my list FOR-EVER.

When I drove up to this place, it reminded me of Austin, TX. And then I thought to myself, "Is it me, or is Dallas becoming more Austin, and Austin is becoming more Dallas?" No complaints here. I love being welcomed in my Sunday worst...looking like an unshowered fitness instructor poser...except I did shower.

I saw an Asian goth girl sitting with her lab and reading on the patio. No designer handbag in sight. I love this place already.

The breakfast menu has 4 options, plus a DIY menu. The afternoon menu has 4 or 5 options as well. We got there just after noon, so both menus were fair game.

We ordered the Ranch Hand, the Curry-in-a-Hurry, the DIY potato & egg, the DIY, spinach and potato, chips and salsa, and verde rice.

The salsa is enough reason to come back. Fire-roasted something with a faint smokiness. Curry in a hurry was inventive and delicious. The flour tortillas are thin and soft and not carby-tasting. It included bok choy, butternut squash, mushrooms, coconut milk, and some variation of their verde rice. The verde rice itself - nothing to write home about. I don't recommend it. While the curry-in-a-hurry was tasty, I still prefer the simple, traditional route for breakfast tacos - potato and egg. The eggs were a soft scramble topped with cheese. Cheese is not listed on the menu but included on the DIY tacos, so if you don't want cheese, say so. And the potatoes have crack in them, so if you don't want crack, you should leave this establishment. How can a tumor-of-the-earth be transformed into something so flavorful?

Open for breakfast and lunch...OR you might go for breakfast and stay for lunch.

Single White Cake Seeking Short Term Commitment

2011-03-28T07:52:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to get myself to bake more. It's such a commitment that I never sign myself up to bake anything. Baking is like scrapbooking. If you're going to try to make a scrapbook, boy, you better be all in from the get-go. You are signing yourself up for materials, time, space, patience, and then you have to go print photos, crop them, embellish,... Just talking about it annoys me! Baking requires the same commitments but brings the same rewards - smiling faces.

My husband got a promotion a couple of weeks ago and "bake something" has been on my to-do list for the occasion. I asked a very very talented blogger friend, Xiaolu, at 6 Bittersweets for some recommendations. She is seriously the nicest person I've ever met...electronically, I mean. She offered a range of 4 different desserts which all looked and sounded amazing like everything she does. I really couldn't decide between the Pizzookie or the strawberry cake. I finally just went with the strawberry cake because my brother-in-law just made chocolate chip cookies from scratch last weekend and the pizzookie seems to come from the same chocolate chip cookie lineage. Diversity is good.

First of all, it took me 3 attempts to get past reading the recipe. It has sections of instructions and I kept walking away from the recipe because it seemed so demanding . But for the occasion, I did it anyway. I just had to wait for a Sunday to allow the time. Well, even though there were paragraphs of text in this recipe, it wasn't as demanding as I thought. I realized that the instructions are just really really good! I had to make do with the cake pans that I had but it still turned out fantastic! This cake was AWESOME.

Unfortunately, when you share living space with someone, it's hard to keep these things a secret or surprise. So while he was going to the hardware store and then changing the water filter on the fridge, I was baking a cake for him. So there wasn't a "congrats!" effect unfortunately, but that's partly because I should have baked this two weeks ago when he first got the promotion.

The photos don't convey the rich creamy cream cheese frosting, but it totally makes the cake!

The mint sprig is really to disguise the hideous strawberry flower I tried to create. Mint is rescuing my cake photo actually.

So this cake has a long string of makers and is becoming an internet heirloom, documented and passed down by blogger to blogger. It started with Cook's Illustrated, then seen on Simply Recipes, then blogged by eat me delicious, then blogged by 6 Bittersweets, and now me. So who's next?

Recipe below by 6 Bittersweets below with Xiaolu's notes w/ one asterisk (*). My notes in italics with two asterisks (**).

Strawberry Cream Cake

From 6 Bittersweets
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated through eat me, delicious and Simply Recipes
Serves 8 to 12.

Cake

1 1/4 cups cake flour (or substitute all purpose and replace 2 1/2 T with cornstarch)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 Tbsp water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Strawberry Filling

2 pounds fresh strawberries (medium or large, about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed
4-6 Tbsp sugar
2 T Kirsch or dark rum
1 tsp finely minced fresh mint (optional)
Pinch table salt

**I only had one pound of strawberries. More is better, though!
Whipped Cream

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (low-fat is fine)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 cups heavy cream

(**I used 1 cup, because I accidentally bought that instead of a pint! Turned out yummy still, but try to stay true to the recipe if you can)

*I stabilized the cream with about 3/4 tsp gelatin dissolved in 1-2 T water then microwaved 1 minute on high and cooled

Bake the cake:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour round 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, by hand, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 Tbsp of the sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter *or margarine, water, and *extracts. Whisk until smooth.

2. Using a mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten. Add the remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.

**I used a larger springform pan, because that's all I had, baked for 30 mins, and it made 2 layers.

Strawberry filling:

3. Cut in half 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. *Maybe my berries were super large but I only needed about 20. Slice or quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The sugar will macerate the strawberries, making them soft, and generating liquid. Strain the juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup *or more). Put the strawberries in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash them; *add minced mint and set aside. In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices with rum until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. *This took me over 10 minutes, but I think I had over 1/2 cup of reserved juices. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled.

Whipped cream:

4. When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, *add dissolved gelatin if using and increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).

**I did not do the gelatin part

Assemble the cake:

5. Using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 12-20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of mashed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 12-20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries.

Serve immediately, or keep chilled. If the whipped cream warms to room temperature it will be harder to keep stable while cutting. *Stabilizing the whipped cream helps it keep a little longer but still try to keep it cold as much as possible.

Baby Corn Confusion

2011-03-16T21:47:00.003-05:00

Baby corn is such a random vegetable. Or is it a fruit? Or actually...what is it? It's actually is a grain, like regular corn, but nutritionally speaking, grains are a subset of fruits. It's one of those identity crisis tomato-types. If you want to be thoroughly confused about how to distinguish these, check out the mecca for 8th grade research, Wikipedia, where information is abridged into a conveniently brief commercial break segment for our paper-challenged teens:

◦A fruit is the matured ovary of a flower, containing the seed.

◦A vegetable is considered to be edible roots, tubers, stems, leaves, fruits, seeds, flower clusters, and other softer plant parts.

◦ A grain is described the "seedlike fruits of the buckwheat and other plants, and the plants bearing such fruits." So, grain is also a fruit.

◦A nut is "a dry, one-seeded, usually oily fruit." The term nut also refers to any seed or fruit with a hard, brittle covering around an edible kernel, like the peanut, which is really a legume.

◦A legume is defined as "(the) name for any plant of the pulse family; more generally, any vegetable.

◦A pulse is "the common name for Leguminosae or Fabaceae, a large family of herbs, shrubs, and trees, also called the pea, or legume, family. "

Now if you've imagined a mental Venn diagram, classifying everything in it's place, it should resemble something like this:

Some people say it's a fruit, some say vegetable, and while the debate continues, the rest of us just eat it. Nutritionally, baby corn is very high in folate and is a good source of potassium, riboflavin, B-6, and Vitamin C. I never cared much for baby corn until I tried this recipe and it's amazing! It's an asian-inspired side dish that will compliment an asian entree or rice dish. It's got a kick, so be careful with the chilies!

Crispy Baby Corn

Appetizer

Serves 4

1 can baby corn, drained, and patted dry

3-4 Tbsp Flour

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 tsp Cayenne

1" ginger, grated

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 scallions, chopped

1-2 green chillies, coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp Tomato sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Vegetable oil

salt

Cilantro

1. Mix flour, cornstarch and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Add a little water at a time to make a thick, smooth batter. Add baby corn to batter and coat thoroughly.

2. Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet on med-high heat. Add coated baby corns to pan fry until brown and crispy. Set aside.

3. Heat two tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Saute garlic, ginger and chillies for a few minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for 1-2 mins. Add tomato sauce and soy sauce. Add crispy baby corn and coat them evenly in the mixture. Sprinkle with scallions. Ready to serve immediately.

*Not a microwave-friendly dish - you'll lose the crispy-ness of the vegetable...er, I mean the fruit.......You'll lose the crispy-ness.

5 Things to Make with White Truffle Oil

2011-03-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

I indulged. How can something so little cost so much? You hear the name White Truffle Oil often, but what is it? I didn't care. I just bought it. And then I came home and thought, "Now....what am I going to do with you?"

Here are 5 easy ways to use White Truffle Oil:

Drizzle over scrambled eggs
Toss with any roasted vegetable seasoned with salt, pepper
Drizzle over soup (preferrably, warm, creamy, homogeneous consistency - pea, potato & leek, butternut squash)
Drizzle on a brick-oven made pizza
Gently warmed, on popcorn

Storage Tips: As with any oil, it should be kept in a cool, dark place. It will certainly last, unopened, for six months. Once opened, it should be polished off within about 3 months. Storing it in the refrigerator will extend its shelf life, but it can also cause the oil to become cloudy and partially solidify. If it does, leave it at room temperature until it melts.

Meatless Monday

2011-03-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

What started out as food rationing during World War I, is now a successful health and environmental campaign. Making a small sacrifice at the beginning of the week can have wonderful benefits! (And you aren't really sacrificing - you're substituting!) People all over the US are giving up meat at least one night a week - on Meatless Mondays. Why Monday? Studies show that Monday is when people like to start good habits and are likely to maintain them. Hey, even Oprah's on board. And anything Oprah does, the rest of America must do.

The Meatless Monday site is flooded with history, research, testimonials, recipes and videos. Just take a look at this long list of newspapers and magazines and see what they have to say about Meatless Monday.

While perusing through the website, I found this great kid-friendly recipe video for Black Bean Tostadas:

Book Review: Healing Spices

2011-03-04T08:47:00.003-06:00

Funny - this book is titled "Healing Spices" but the object on the cover looks like a ninja weapon to stab people. Actually, that object is a spice called Star Anise. Star Anise is my most prized possession in my spice cabinet. Expensive saffron doesn't hold a candle to this guy. It smells WONDERFUL!
No matter what your favorite spice is, you are sure to find abundant infomation about it in this book.

Author Dr. Aggarwal, originally from India, is a professor in the department of experimental therapeutics in the division of cancer medicine at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. [Insert Texas Shout-Out Here e.g. Woohoo!] He begins the book by sharing anecdotes and "old wives tales" from his upbringing in an Indian household. Indians have the wealthiest spice cabinet than any other household and the author shares the history of each spice and he presents the scientific theory proving the positive effect each spice on has on the body.

Each chapter is dedicated to a particular spice and you'll learn what it is, why your body needs it, how to buy it, and how to cook with it. He even discusses compatibility of the spices when mixed together. He offers recipes to help you get started and get comfortable with them!

This book would be a great gift for health nuts, the novice or pro chef, the yoga addict, and of course any foodie!

The only thing this book needs to communicate its message is spice-scented pages.

Entertaining: Texas Breakfast for 8

2011-03-02T08:00:00.008-06:00

Got weekend guests? Typically, you'll go out to eat most of the weekend, hitting up all the latest hot spots. But getting a group to go out for breakfast is challenging. If there are kids, there's a packaging issue. You bundle them up for the cold and when you're just about done sealing every orifice shut, you hear "Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom". If there are tweens, there's a they're glued to their electronic devices and don't understand the word "outside". If you've got 20-somethings, they're probably too hungover too move faster than a turtle's pace. And we 30-somethings and up are usually handicapped by these 3 other groups. :)
Mornings are the best time to serve a warm, satisfying meal to your guests: everyone wakes up at different times, everyone takes turns showering and getting ready, and everyone is there for a relaxing stay. No need to rush anyone.

An all around pleaser is a very simple Vegan-Friendly Breakfast Taco bar, which will please both meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. Everything is store-bought with almost no prep!

Paprika & Green Chile Potatoes*

Scrambled Eggs (~12 eggs)

Soyrizo (Chorizo) (1 pkg)

Refried Beans (1 can)

Grated Mexican Blend Cheese

Tomatillo Salsa

Tomato-Serrano Salsa

An assortment of 25-30 Tortillas: Corn, Flour, and Whole Wheat

*1 bag of frozen Ore Ida diced potatoes, cooked in a skillet and seasoned with sweet Paprika, salt, pepper, and add a 4-oz can of diced green chiles and chopped scallions.

Restaurant Review: Anvil Pub

2011-02-28T13:41:00.001-06:00

I see why it's called Anvil Pub. I saw the menu and the weight of surprise dropped on me like...an Anvil.

At Anvil Pub, as a beer-drinking vegetarian food seeker, you will not be restricted to order mozzarella cheese sticks and French Fries for once. You will not be saying to the waitstaff "I'd like Buffalo Wings, hold the Wings". Can we just go somewhere to have a beer, eat good beer food, and not feel gross afterwards? Yes we can...finally.

This pub recognizes that beer lovers can be animal and planet lovers too. Its green kitchen vows to abstain from frying to avoid releasing hazardous fumes into the atmosphere. Numerous veggie options from a green kitchen does its part for the environment while keeping our stomachs full.

Want something meat-free to compliment your beer? Yup, there's an app for that. You'll find apps, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. And there's nothing about this place that's ordinary. They manage to keep the classics with a twist.

After seeing the food options, you'll forget that you're here for beer. Mac n Cheese gently seasoned with curry powder? Raspberry and Jalapeno Pizza? A caesar salad with breaded soy-chicken? Vegan Chili? Bread pudding soaked in bourbon glaze? Anvil Pub, where have you been all my life? I love you - I would take a bullet for you.

No really, I would take a BULLET. You can order a "roulette" pizza with one or more "bullets". That's a pizza with an incognito slice spiked with extra cayenne pepper. And yes, it hurts...are you [wo]man enough?

A generous menu boasting with vegetarian options, outdoor seating, a bar with numerous beers on tap, and a dart board will make this venue "the new hangout of the year".

Video: Sneaky Macaroni (Mac n Cheese) Recipe

2011-02-24T08:37:00.011-06:00

Here's my very own mac n' cheese recipe with a secret ingredient. It's a great way to sneak in a vegetable and kids (or choosy adults!) won't even notice!

I'm really excited about sharing this with you because:
1) It's my very own recipe
2) It turned out just the way I wanted it to on the 1st try (creamy and delicious)!

A few minor details got left out in my video editing but I think you'll get the idea. I'll publish the written recipe in my next post! Enjoy!

Recipe for Sneaky Mac N Cheese

(Macaroni and Cheese with...psssst *Cauliflower*)

1-1/2 cups Macaroni (or two of the Auntie Anne's Organic boxed variety)

2 generous cups of cauliflower florets (frozen or fresh)

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

8 oz Cottage Cheese

1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup milk

2 Tablespoons Flour

2 Tablespoons Butter + 1 Tablespoon butter

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1) Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in one pot and bring another 6 cups of water in another pot at the same time. Add macaroni pasta in one pot and add cauliflower florets in the other. Cook both for 8 minutes. Drain. Allow cauliflower to cool a little.

2) Put cauliflower florets in a blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup milk. Puree the mixture. Add more milk if necessary until the mixture is pourable. Empty the puree into a bowl.

3) Make a roux. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk in 2 Tbsp flour until it makes a smooth paste.

4) Make the cheese sauce. Whisk in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Add mexican cheese blend, cottage cheese, and cauliflower puree. Stir until the mixture becomes a creamy consistency. Add more milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5) Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 300 degrees.

6) Make the breadcrumbs. In a skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat and add the breadcrumbs. Stir until the breadcrumbs become toasty and light brown.

7) Assemble and bake. Empty cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce. Pour macaroni and cheese into an oven-safe dish. Top the macaroni evenly with breadcrumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to burn or over-toast the bread crumbs. (Cover with foil if they brown too fast)

8) Remove from toaster oven. Inhale.

Got Soy? How Much Soy is Too Much?

2011-02-21T13:39:00.000-06:00

I recently met a blogger friend, Tommy, who started Switch2Veggies. Tommy has recently taken up a vegetarian lifestyle and his website covers a broad range of topics concerning vegetarianism and veganism, including recommended reading. He stays very current on vegetarian topics, but I especially appreciate his focus on nutrition.

Vegetarians are often criticized for consuming too much soy, and while there are many myths against soy consumption, there is some truth in the claims. Tommy at Switch2Veggies wrote an article for rabbitfoodrocks sharing his take on soy consumption. Enjoy!

Got Soy? by Tommy @ Switch2Veggies

Your guide to how much and which soy products to eat

You walk into the grocery store to buy some milk. As you peruse the dairy section, you decide you want to buy something more healthy--a cow juice substitute. Then, you are confronted with a wall of choices: almond, hemp, soy, calcium added, organic, nonfat, etc. How are you supposed to choose?

Many vegetarians, and those with an allergy to lactose, are choosing soy milk. There has been research to state, however, that soy isn’t all that great for you--despite many healthy claims from the soy industry. So, in an America that is growing ever heavier, we are faced with numerous options at the grocery store, and when foods are healthy one day, and not the next... how can the consumer make informed decisions?

This is not a dilemma for only those who need an alternative to dairy, but for all looking to eat healthy. The specific problem with soy is that the mystery is deep--hidden in history and behind fancy marketing due to greed and politics. So, after expediting my own mission to uncover the truth, this is what I’ve found.

Soybeans contain two compounds that could specifically affect your health: proteins and isoflavones.

Vegetarians have been advised to eat soy because its amino acid count is similar to that of meat--and it is considered a complete protein. Therefore, abounding amounts of people on plant-based diets are reaching for soy milk, tofu, and other soy meats. But, out of the two main categories of soy, fermented and unfermented, the latter is considerably bad for you.

Unfermented soy products, such as the ones I list above, can affect different people in different ways; but, it has the ability to lower the immune system, promote kidney stones, and contribute to thyroid disorders. Unfermented soy goods are also high in isoflavones, which can act like estrogen in the body. This can be particularly concerning for women as extra estrogen in the system can contribute to breast cancer and other degenerative diseases. Additionally, unfermented soy is genetically modified, which can lead to even more degenerative diseases.

On the other hand, fermented soy products, such as tempah, miso, and soy sauce, can be beneficial. They have properties that are helpful for the body--like the assimilation of foods and nutrients--because the phytic acid inherently in soy is neutralized in the fermentation process.

Overall, the issues of soy products can be quite polarized. Soy even has an interesting history, in that its popularization was never intended by farmers. At first, it was soy oil that was sought after. And then, once the oil was pressed, protein residue remained. So, when there was about 80 billion pounds or so of this protein laying around, a business idea developed to make a profit from this residue. Many manufacturers sold it to farmers to feed their animals, but the animals could only eat so much of it--leaving the rest to human consumption.

So, do I trust a product that is largely an after thought in the interests of profit? I may not.

When considering how to get your protein on a plant-based diet, consider that fact that most Americans are consuming more protein than they need. Check out this article on The Protein Myth for more.

In choosing an alternative to diary, I have been going with almond milk. It has a better initial taste than soy and lacks a bad aftertaste--which is a whole other issue with soy. Soy milk often adds additional (and potentially harmful) ingredients to the mix to mask its bean-y taste. And although almond milks lack the protein of soy milk, I get my protein from other sources, such as sprouted bread and pastas, peanut butter, beans, and vegetables. Overall, when making soy product decisions, I try to keep things grouped into fermented and unfermented--and only choose the fermented goods.

With soy being advertised as a great health food, how can we know what to do? The best defense we have against misleading marketing is questioning everything. While this may be a pain, in the end, we, as consumers, will be better educated, healthier, and be able to begin to weed out the bad products as we continue to learn and inform each other.

Thanks for reading.

- Tommy
http://www.switchtoveggies.com/

Thank you, Tommy, for submitting this wonderful article!

Moroccan 30-Minute Meal: Winter Vegetable Stew

2011-02-15T08:46:00.000-06:00

"Couscous - The food's so nice, they named it twice." - Pineapple Express

I made a Moroccan Winter Vegetable Stew. It's a vegetable medley seasoned with generous participation from your spice rack. So everytime I make this, I change it up a bit. But I think I've finally found what I'm happy with.

I use the following spice blend:

1 tsp paprika
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 T grapeseed oil
Garlic Cloves (3 crushed)
Onions (1, diced in 1" cubes)
Carrots (3, diced in 1" cubes/slices)
Frozen Green Beans (1 cup)
Small Yukon gold potato (1, diced in 1" cubes)
Large Sweet Potato (1, diced in 1" cubes)
Chickpeas (1 cup)
3 T moroccan spice blend

2 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot and sautee garlic and onions for 4 minutes.

Add carrots and Yukon gold potatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, chickpeas, vegetable broth, and spice blend.

Cook covered for 4 minutes. Add more broth or water if necessary.

Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes.

Green beans should keep their bright green color.

Serve with Near East pine nut couscous and a light salad topped with orange slices.

Restaurant Review: Bee Enchiladeria @ Bishop Arts

2011-02-13T21:52:00.003-06:00

It is quite simple - BEE - Best Enchiladas Ever

Quite a clever name, allowing bee lexicon all over the establishment. 'Bee'verages, 'Bee'ware Salsa, 'Bee'f...actually, beef wasn't one of the bee-isms but they could have capitalized on that.

BEE is located and marked so brightly and clearly in the Bishop Arts district, you might have to put your sunglasses on to abate the radiance. Not to worry, the hungover look is welcomed in this establishment. Their giant yellow and black restaurant sign was like a red cape for the hungry bulls that we were that day.

Chenille - taking a test. (She got a B)

Walking in, you get the atmosphere of a Chipotle but this is also the Which Wich of Enchiladas. But don't let these comparisons mislead you. This establishment clearly has its own identity and unique concept. Enjoy a margarita while you fill out the appropriate Bee paperwork - ask Steven to help you out. Simply select your choice for tortilla, filling, cheese, and sauce. If it's too much thinking for a hangover morning, then select one of the four "made our way" plates. Quinoa & Tofu combos too!

I don't know how meat-eaters do it. At a place like this, I wouldn't know where to BEGIN my selection! Thankfully, I have a few vegetarian options - enough to feel like I have options, but not so many where I feel overwhelmed! Surprisingly - beans (beens?) were not a filling option. That was my only disappointment. But you CAN get beans on the side and they are simply perfect.

Let your palate be sensitized by the flavors of queso fresco, blue corn tortillas, avocado verde sauce. Some enchiladas are cool, some hot, and all of them, damn good. Top it with the mixins of your choice and bee impressed.

The quality of the ingredients are undisputed. Great taste, only, I'll have to come back a few times to taste test everything. And the Beeware salsa is no joke. It's called Beeware for a reason.

Valentine's Day Gifts

2011-02-08T22:59:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and a lot of people have sweet treats on their minds. I don't have much of a sweet tooth actually. Yikes. I'll work on that okay?

In lieu of a sweet treat, I thought I would give you a gift list for Valentine's Day. You want to gift something small, not quite birthday or Christmas worthy, but large enough to know that you took the time to pick something out! I know it's not quite black and white, but here are some gifts which I thought were somewhat unisexy, and all in black and white. :)

Jonathan Adler Mug @ Starbucks $10.95
Damask, and Paisley design, with a "manly" heart incribed. Girls would love this and for guys, it would not cost you your man card. It's part of the (RED) campaign!!

Orka Mastrad Baroque Fondue Set @ Target, $21.99
Okay, my significant other would not appreciate this at all, but I know in some homes, the man of the house is the gourmet chef, and sometimes, even quite territorial about the kitchen.

Buddha Board @ Barnes & Noble, $34.95
Paint any image, sketch, or graph using only water. This has absolutely nothing to do with food but it's so cool!!! Great for someone with a desk job.

Cellar Optics Mugs @ Macy's, $17.97

Today's Groupon! What a Steal

2011-02-07T08:09:00.000-06:00

Check out today's Groupon:
$29 for a Central Market Cooking Class; (valued at $60)

WHAT A STEAL!

(redeemable at 2 DFW locations: Dallas & Plano)

Sign Up! Chocolate, Cheese, and Bubbles @ Scardello

2011-02-06T22:16:00.000-06:00

Scardello Cheese is hosting an event featuring 3 popular loves: Chocolate, Cheese, and Wine

Chocolate, Cheese, and Bubbles

Thursday, February 10, 7:00pm
OR
Friday, February 11, 8:00pm

$30 per person

*PS - Many of you ask if I am attending these "Sign Up" classes. Not usually, although, I LOVE classes. I just post the ones that I find interesting and hope you sign up and tell me about it! :)

Book Review: Simple Italian Sandwiches

2011-02-03T18:27:00.001-06:00

I received this book called Simple Italian Sandwiches from my sis (S.I.S. - coincidence?) and who knew that so much could be written about paninis. I think I'm inspired to write a cookbook called "Toast".

If you aren't going to Italy any time soon, (but it's still on your list - it better be!), allow the recipes in this book to steer you to Italian cuisine without leaving your kitchen. This is real deal Italian...this is what one's Mama might grab at the corner cafe on her lunch break. Mangia!

The authors, Jennifer & Jason Denton, share recipes for Condimenti, Panini, Bruschetta, Tramezzini (a sibling of the Tea Sandwich), Antipasti and Insalate. The authors explain in detail the key players in a panini: The Bread, The Cheese, The Meat (not for me), and top-quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So simple but so good.

There were several items which I found unique. Lots of dishes included fragrant greens such as Fennel, Basil, and Arugula. Arugula has since become a regular in our house, even though its tragic name sounds like a villain(ess) from a Pixar movie. I was especially intrigued by the Balsamic Roasted Garlic.

I wish I took a photo of the Roasted Garlic, but unfortunately I ate it all. Seriously. Each clove transforms into a savory, garlicky, sweet gummy delight...I can't explain it. I sliced up a baguette, baked each slice at 350 degrees for 5 mins and then spread each slice with goat cheese and topped each slice with this little sweet garlic kernel that's packed with a firework of flavor.

I would post the recipe, but I might get sued. I'm not sure. Don't want to risk getting sued, getting thrown in jail, and never being able to taste Balsamic Roasted Garlic again.

Chinese New Year: Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-02T22:08:00.002-06:00

So I wasn't sure what traditional dishes are served for Chinese New Year. I wasn't sure if there were regular key players or an all out feast where you make what you want and eat however much you can. One thing is certain - food is the heart of this holiday.

I found a couple of interesting ideas/features on Chow. It has an array of dishes to choose from.

But I found something more impressive and inspiring: 10 Good Luck Foods for Chinese New Year, published last year. This is a list of ingredients and what they represent in these contexts.

Here's an excerpt that caught my attention:

6. Jai. This vegetarian dish is eaten because it’s “part of the
Buddhist culture to cleanse yourself with vegetables,” says Lum. It’s also
packed with good-luck foods, writes Gong, breaking it down by ingredient: sea
moss for prosperity; lotus seeds for children/birth of sons; noodles for
longevity; lily buds to “send 100 years of harmonious union”; Chinese black
mushrooms to “fulfill wishes from east to west”; and more.

If you are interested in hosting a Chinese New Year dinner (and practically effortlessly) on short notice, try a stress-free DIY Vegetarian Dim Sum Entertaining Menu by Vegetarian Times. I've tried this and it's FABULOUS and you can just consider it "semi-homemade" entertaining. It relieves you of the stress and allows you to focus your attention on your guests.

Cheers to the Year of the Rabbit (Food)!

Soup-er Bowl Week

2011-02-01T20:53:00.005-06:00

Dallas cannot handle this icy, sleety weather. There are glaciers outside of my house! We have Pittsburgh Steeler fans and Green Bay fans here for the Superbowl, and this week's weather is Dallas' way of saying "make yourself at home"....except that we don't know how to drive in this weather!! How embarrassing.

Although the snow day is nice, I am suffering from cabin fever!!!! And what am I doing to kill time? Cook, bake, snack, graze. I gained 5 pounds today, not counting dinner.

What do you cook for an icy cold day? I thought about chili, but I need to save that for later this week when the high is 21 and the low is 10.

How about a good soup? Today we're having Vietnamese Pho for lunch. Pho is a wonderful winter time soup and will cure what ails you: a cold, a cough, or even cabin fever. How do you replicate a Pho taste without beef or chicken stock? Vegetarian Times has figured it out. I've tried their recipe twice and thought the flavor was spot on.

Pho is comprised of a broth (which I thought would be as basic as vegetable stock) plus your "add-ins" such as tofu, sprouts, noodles, basil, cilantro, and lime. The broth is so underrated!!! I had no idea how much is invested in order to make the broth. It's not a lot of work, but there are several ingredients - each with it's own purpose. There are a lot of ingredients with medicinal properties such as ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon. Hence, you can call it "Super" Bowl of Pho.

We like our Pho without tofu sometimes. Just the broth and noodles and the herbs. It will hit the spot.

Try it and let me know what you think!

CNBC's Grocery Store Documentary: Supermarkets Inc

2011-01-31T12:21:00.004-06:00

If you haven't seen CNBC's documentary about the Supermarket Industry, then you must check it out. Every foodie should learn some of these insider secrets. You will learn what information the grocery store knows about you before you even walk through the door. You will learn about how cut throat the industry is and how small businesses have to compete with big names just to get you to so much as glance at their product! You see interviews with the big dogs like the CEO of Whole Foods, as well as a mom-and-pop grocery store owner.

If anything, watch it to avoid the consumer traps so you can shop smart!

Here's a preview:

Sign Up! Cooking Class at Central Market

2010-12-17T07:57:00.002-06:00

Cooking Class from Dave Lebovitz at Central Market Dallas

Thursday Jan 13th

6:30pm

$65

DAVID LEBOVITZ, Award Winning Cookbook Author, Pastry Chef, Blogger, Culinary Tour Leader

Discover the complexity and satisfaction of desserts with a little zing. David Lebovitz, a master of creating enticing endings, will introduce you to a number of techniques that you'll want to include in your repertoire. The subtle flavors of citrus will wake up your palate in these tempting finales:

-Meyer Lemon-Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches with Nonfat Gingersnaps

-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cakes with Caramelized White Chocolate, Candied Tangerines & Dark Chocolate Shards

-Goat Cheese Souffles with Mixed Citrus Compote in Sparkling Champagne & Yuzu Jelly

-Tangerine Floating Island with Blood Orange Caramel

Recipes for Christmas Menu

2010-12-16T07:57:00.004-06:00

Thanks for the comments on the last post!

A special shoutout goes out to my flexitarians and those trying to change their diet to a more plant-based diet. Good job!

Here are the recipes for the menu in my previous post. None of the recipes are mine. I hope that doesn't disappoint you. I'm more of a recipe gatherer and vegetarian cuisine researcher and a foodie, than a cookbook/recipe writer/inventor.

1. Winter Fruit Salad w/ Lemon Poppyseed Dressing - recipe from Allrecipes

My changes: not as much sugar and swap the cashews with pecans; only pears, no apples (because we're having apple pie!)

2. Curried Maple Butternut Squash Soup - I will have to go home and type up the recipe for this. The recipe is from Creating Comfort published by the Genesis Women's Shelter. Loaded with recipes which have been passed on for generations. This is a great cookbook that should get more attention!

No changes here

3. Lentil Loaf - Trying this one for the first time. I tasted one at a vegetarian restaurant near Hollywood, CA and I thought it was delicious. I found a few recipes, but I'm going to go with the one from Whole Foods.

4. Veggie Shepherd's Pie - This recipe is from the food network and her recipe is pretty spot on!

My changes: Make this in a crockpot somehow - I'd like to free my oven for other things. No porcini mushrooms. I'll let you know how the crockpot works out!

5. Cheddar-Chipotle Biscuits - Had this at a Stephen Pyles restaurant here in Dallas once (business dinner) and have always wanted to try it. I'll make regular biscuits (for 12) and go a little heavy on the cheese and add 2 minced chipotle peppers in the batter. Of course I am not saying it will turn out like his version...!

6. Roasted Brussel Sprouts - recipe from The Cooking Photographer

7. Apple Pie with Cinnamon Crumble - Family recipe - cannot share!

Vegetarian Holiday Christmas Menu

2010-12-15T09:48:00.002-06:00

Here's a sample Vegetarian Holiday Christmas Menu. I hope it inspires you!

Winter Fruit Salad w/ Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Curried Maple Butternut Squash Soup

Lentil Loaf w/ Reduced Balsamic Glaze

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Cheddar-Chipotle Biscuits

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Apple Pie w/ Cinnamon Crumble

Tips:

Make ahead opportunities (in order) :

Cinnamon Crumble
Balsamic Glaze
Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Lentil Loaf
Shepherd's Pie
Butternut Squash Soup

Use your appliances and electrics! That's why you have them!

Immersion blender: puree soup
Food Processor: slice fruit for salad and pie; blend salad dressing; chop squash; crumble topping
Crock Pot: Shepherd's Pie
Toaster Oven: Roast Brussel Sprouts
Stand Mixer: Pie Crust; Biscuit Dough

Buy prepped ingredients from the grocery store if you are short on time.

Ladies' Night Craft Party Menu

2010-12-13T08:02:00.014-06:00

This weekend I hosted a small holiday craft party in the afternoon. I selected a small menu with an assortment of sweet and savory snacks and I hope you can also use this menu for your next "girls only" get together.

Savory Manchego Cheese Puffs

Recipe adapted from BHG

Rocky Road Peanut Butter Fudge

This was a simple no-bake recipe that I adapted from Creating Comfort, a cookbook published by Genesis Women's Shelter. All of their recipes are "tried and true". Although the cookbook has no photos, hence no attention, this cookbook is very deserving - loaded with anecdotes and family recipes.

2 c. choc. chips

1 c. peanut butter

1 stick of butter

3 c. marshmallows

1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

Melt the first three ingredients together in a medium saucepan on low heat. While melting, lay parchment paper in a 9" x 13" pan (or grease a 9x13" pan). When mixture is melted, add the marshmallows and almonds together. Mix until marshmallows are coated and just about to melt, but still holding thier shape. Pour into pan and cool in the fridge for an hour or more. Cut into square pieces and serve!

Arugula Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

10 slices Pepperidge Farm THIN bread

Cream Cheese, whipped

Arugula

1/2 c. Chives, chopped

1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle every other slice with chives and neatly layer that slice with arugula leaves. Top with other slice of bread and then neatly trim the four sides. Cut in half, making two triangles. Spread one cut side with a layer of cream cheese. Alternate and dip each side in sesame seeds or chives. (I saw this technique done in a martha stewart magazine and always wanted to try it!)

English Toffee (Brittle)

Another no-bake recipe from Creating Comfort Cookbook

Favorite Things Foodie Holiday Gifts 2010

2010-12-07T12:00:00.010-06:00

Can I even say "Favorite Things" without being sued by Oprah? Actually, can she even say "Favorite Things" without being sued by Julie Andrews??

Here's my Favorite Things Foodie List for 2010. If you have any specific requests, pls post a comment. Enjoy!

1. Table Topics! (you must say "table topics" loudly)
Table Topics come in a broad variety: "for couples", "for kids", "for ladies", etc and they are the perfect seasoning for a weekend getaway, holidays, or reunions. And of course for the obvious application - the [dinner] table!

2. A Beautiful Bowl of Soup cookbook by Paulette Mitchell, $14.00

An all vegetarian soup cookbook. Even meat eaters enjoy a meatless soup.

3. Inside Out Bowls from Anthropologie, $8.00 each

Although everything from the Anthropologie home section could be on this list, these prep bowls manage to grab your attention every time you see them. Use them for mixing bowls, whisking a couple of eggs, a candy dish, soup bowl, etc. The uses and cuteness are limitless.

4. Mexican Molinillo for Hot Chocolate at Dean & Deluca; $14.00

3-in-1 functionality: A hot chocolate mixer and frother, a beautiful and decorative piece, and a weapon.

5. Bamboo Water Bottle; $25.00

Equal opportunity employment for ideal for ice cold water or piping hot tea. No water bottle is as green as this one. It has a bamboo casing, a glass bottle inside, and a cap and bottom that is 100% recyclable. (They are striving to make the next generation plastic free!)

6. Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker from Williams-Sonoma; $149.95

Foodie is a genetic characteristic. Foodies raise wee-foodies. Bland sweet potato in a jar won't cut it for your cutie. Get that palate adjusted to roasted root vegetable seasoned with basil. The Beaba can do the job. It's a steamer, blender, and a warmer all in one.

7. Adopt an Olive Tree Gift from Abruzzo; $91

For under a hundred bucks, you can adopt an Olive Tree in Italy and they will mail you the fruits of your arbor! You receive an Autumn package of your tree's harvest (~ 2 liters), a Spring package (flavored olive oil, handmade soap, and a cookbook). Oh and FREE SHIPPING. The $91 is all in! There are other adopt-an-olive-tree options, but this one is the best.

8. Fran's Gray Salted Caramels; $12 (+ shipping)

There's nothing like these gray salted caramels. You would be commiting a felony if you didn't buy a box of these for yourself.

The shipping is a bit steep, as it is a perishable item, but SOOOOOOOO worth it. Oh, to live in Seattle...

9. Adjustable Rolling Pin from MOMA store; $20

This is like setting your rolling pin on "cruise control" for baking. No more eyeballing the pie crust thickness which ends up in a lumpy unimpressive mess. 1/4" thick will be 1/4" thick!

10. Finishing Salts at Williams-Sonoma; $42.00

Here's how to impress without lifting a finger. Make an ordinary Caprese salad into another personality with smoky black sea salt or transform a mundane grapefruit into a taste sensation with a sprinkle of Australian pink salt.

(still not finding anything? Check out my previous Favorite Things List for 2009)

Top Chef All Stars!

2010-12-03T09:35:00.000-06:00

If the names Fabbio, Carla, Richard, Tre, or Casey ring a bell, then it's time to tune into Bravo on Wednesday nights. Top Chef is back, and it's going to be Gooooooood! The premiere was this week and the elimination challenge set the pace for the rest of the season! Egos are running high, intimidation even higher, stringent rules, and best of all - the personalities we love or love to hate!

My faves are Casey, Carla, Richard....and maybe Fabbio beats them all...You never know what he's going to say!

"there is no blue food!" :)

Business Lunches

2010-12-02T09:01:00.000-06:00

It's not easy being vegetarian in Texas. We are normally good at "spotting our own kind" - finding places with a reasonable selection. But there are times where we aren't making the decisions. Business lunches are a perfect example. I once had to go to Chamberlain's Fish Market & Grill with my team to entertain a client and it was very obvious that I would be having the dreaded "vegetable plate". I love vegetables, actually, but I do like to have a real entree option too. So the first thing I learned is that Chamberlain's has a distorted perception of "vegetable". They consider rice, mashed potatoes, and french fries as vegetables. Can someone give these people a food pyramid diagram? I digress...anyway, I ordered steamed broccoli, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and french fries. The broccoli arrived as a slender head of steamed broccoli. A head of broccoli! My bad. Was it too much for me to expect that you would actually cut the florets off for me? We vegetarians don't exercise the butter knife in our cutlery unless it's for butter. And my goodness, can you at least please put some salt, pepper, and/or butter on this steamed head of broccoli??? How can you even call yourself a chef?????

Vegetarians are totally unwelcome at many establishments (probably due to my sarcastic attitude) and we are a nuissance to many chefs (especially in TEXAS!).

We vegetarians must coexist with the omnivores but sometimes I wonder why they even let us drink from the same water fountain as they do.

Kale Chips

2010-10-27T13:32:00.004-05:00

I applaud you for reading past today's blog post title. Thanks for not dismissing me. Kale chips are a tasty and easy way to get those leafy greens in, without all of that exhausting chewing. Lazy foodie. :) I bet you can't eat just one, so you might want to buy two bunches. With a little salt and olive oil (the combo I call "the healthy heart's 'butter'")

photo courtesy of green heart food

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner.
3. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

For my gold star students, try subbing the kale for a head of purple cauliflower. Cut the large florets into 1/8" thick slices and follow step 1,3, and 4.

Dallas Vegan Week - Oct 24th - Oct 31st

2010-10-25T08:16:00.004-05:00

Restaurant week can be less than enticing when your only option is penne pasta primavera or something you could potentially concoct at home in PJs.

But now there is a week of dining celebration for vegetarian/vegan people like me! And although I do enjoy cheese and dairy and eggs, I don't mind an occasional hiatus from it...it's good for me! I'm salivating just looking at the menu!

I would really be interested in every single one of these. Hopefully I'll see you at one of the restaurants!!

Looking Trashy

2010-10-20T14:11:00.001-05:00

Ice Cream Contest!!

2010-10-13T14:44:00.002-05:00

Want a chance to invent a flavor? You could be famous...at Baskin-Robbins, at least. :) After all, Dallas is the LA of the south...or is it Scottsdale? Not sure. Anyways, have fun here.

I submitted an ice cream version of Banana Nut Bread. Mmmmmmm.

Something along the lines of...gross

2010-10-12T16:47:00.003-05:00

This would not happen to....broccoli.

Dexter Theme Party

2010-10-07T17:47:00.000-05:00

Dexter Season has started, but I'd rather watch it on DVD. Why? Because I CAN'T WAIT until the next episode!

Nevertheless, I'm inspired to throw a Dexter-Themed Dinner Party. This will be gruesome! With Halloween around the corner, I hope you will be inspired to throw a Dexter party as well. It's the perfect plan if you're not going to a Halloween party and you're too old to go trick-or-treating! You easily make this party into a murder mystery party as well. See Pepper Design Blog for setting up a great Dexter-themed party!

Here are some menu choices that I believe will work.

Sangria Blood Orange Vodka Shooters in Test Tubes;
Pomegranate Juice and White Wine Blend
Morningstar mini corn dog bites with ketchup "splatter"shaped into a man (for example, one piece would represent one leg, etc)
White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream
And what's a Dexter party without a box of Donuts?!?!?

Party Tips:

Make sure a fake hand with colored fingernails is displayed for extra creepy factor.

Have someone dressed in the "Kill Uniform"

Hand out safety glasses before dining

Use Dexter Forensic Analysis Coasters for drinks

Do you have any ideas you'd like to share?? (Besides telling me that I'm sick for suggesting this.)

Maybe not the most appropriate post for a veggie blog. :)

Would a Health Inspector Shut Down Your Kitchen?

2010-09-29T13:53:00.000-05:00

Read This.

Egg Molds

2010-09-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

This is soooo cool! I wish I had this when I was a kid. You can buy egg molds from Amazon and shape them into something fun. This is perfect for toddlers and adults who are still like children - like me!

photos by anotherlunch.com

Directions:

1. Boil the eggs

2. Peel the eggs and immediately put them in the molds.

3. Press the lids closed so you are forcing them or mashing them into the mold.

4. Refrigerate immediately.

5. Remove from mold after 30 mins.

Sign Up! Cooking Class at Central Market

2010-09-28T09:45:00.002-05:00

BAKED EXPLORATIONS: CLASSIC AMERICAN DESSERT REINVENTED

Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito, Cookbook Authors, Bakery Owners

Thursday, October 14th
6:30pm

Menu:

Marshmallow Chocolate Cups;
Sweet & Salty Brownies;
Mom's Olive Oil Orange Bundt;
Caramel Apple Cake; and
Chipotle Cheddar Muffins.

$70, includes a copy of Baked Explorations.
_________________________________

They had me at Chipotle Cheddar Muffins....

How to Love Cauliflower

2010-09-21T09:39:00.007-05:00

Cauliflower starts as an oversized, colorless, and occasionally, smelly vegetable. But this albino vegetable has so much to offer, beyond traditional uses. Cauliflower has the power to be crispy, soft, spicy and/or creamy!

Cruciferous vegetables should be consumed 2-3 times per week, 1-1/2 cups for each serving. Cauliflower is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Fiber, Omega 3s, and Vitamin B6.

Cauliflower is available in colors as well. Orange cauliflower contains 25 times the Vitamin A as white cauliflower. Purple cauliflower is packed with anti-oxidants found in red wine and purple cabbage.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup - Serves 6

This recipe accentuates the creamy properties of Cauliflower.

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, grated
2 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth
1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 cup grated cheese (swiss, cheddar, or monterrey jack)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cauliflower, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in cheese and stir until melted.
Puree in batches in a blender in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sherry. Heat through. Serve garnished with parsley.

For something a little more intense, with heat, crunch, and a punch, try Jeremy Fox's recipe:

Cauliflower in a Cast-Iron Pot with Raw Cauliflower "Couscous" Garnish

2 medium heads (about 3 pounds) cauliflower
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter
2 Tbsp. vadouvan (spice mix); for substitutions, see note below

1 cup whole milk
20 thin slices baguette (preferably a day old)
1 Tbsp. shredded mint leaves
1/4 orange , finely diced
Microgreens , for garnish (optional); available at Trader Joe's stores

Directions

Note: As an alternative to using vadouvan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add 2 thinly sliced shallots and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon curry powder and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each cauliflower into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Season some of the sliced cauliflower (about 1 1/4 whole cauliflower) with olive oil and sea salt to taste, and roast in oven until slightly charred and tender, about 25 minutes.

Put butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow butter to melt, become foamy, and turn golden brown. Remove from heat and add vadouvan. Let vadouvan and butter sit for an hour.

Add all but 1/4 of the remaining raw cauliflower to a pot. Add milk and just enough water (no more than 1 cup) to almost cover cauliflower. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt and cook on low-medium heat until cauliflower is completely soft. Remove from heat, then puree in a food processor; strain through a fine sieve.

Brush baguette slices lightly with vadouvan butter; arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 to 6 minutes.

Roughly chop remaining raw cauliflower, then pulse it in a food processor. Transfer paste to a colander and use a spatula to push it through the holes to form little couscous-like balls; season "couscous" with 1 tablespoon vadouvan butter, mint, diced orange, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Divide mixture into 4 parts and mold each to form an oblong ball. Take 4 mini cast-iron pots (or a shallow casserole) and layer roasted cauliflower and pureed cauliflower in them until filled. Top each with a ball of "couscous" and vadouvan butter; garnish with microgreens and serve with 5 slices of baguette.

Finally, for a touch of color and a dramatic presentation, this makes a great side dish year-round.

Roasted Tri-Color Cauliflower

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for greasing sheet pan
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1-2 dried red chilies or 1 fresh Thai chili (optional)
1 tablespoon ground cumin

1tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1 head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) cored and broken into medium florets
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 shallots
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a sheet pan or jellyroll pan with olive oil and set aside.
Mix the spices with oil in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower florets and onions and shallots and toss to coat. Add additional oil if necessary.
Transfer the vegetables to a baking pan, spread evenly. Roast until they're tender and the onions are caramelized, about 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with salt and toss, adjust salt to taste and serve.

Weekend Events and What's Brewing in Texas?

2010-09-17T10:25:00.002-05:00

GrapeFest this Weekend

Plano Hot Air Balloon Festival this Weekend.

And LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

See what's brewing in Texas Sept 22 to Oct 5th!

I'm there.

Sign Up! Cooking Class at Central Market

2010-09-16T09:16:00.004-05:00

OMG!!!!! I cannot believe I have to miss this one.

Hetal and Anuja from ShowMeTheCurry.com is coming to Central Market. If you have never seen their website, you need to check it out. They do a video for each recipe.

I have tried about 4 of their recipes and they are SPOT ON. I wouldn't change a thing.

PLEASE PLEASE check it out...I'm so jealous!

Central Market

@ PLANO on Coit and George Bush

Saturday, Sept. 18th

6:30pm

$50.00 per person

(I bet if you call ahead, Hetal and Anuja will accommodate your vegetarian diet and sub the chicken for something else. Only 1 meat dish on their menu).

Jeera Pulao (Cumin Flavored Rice);
Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cheese);
Murg Makhani (Butter Chicken);
Chana Masala (Spiced Garbanzo Beans);
Yogurt Raita; and
Mango Ice Cream.

5 Reasons to Eat at McAlister's Deli

2010-09-13T21:13:00.002-05:00

5. They support the Great American Dine-out (see previous post)
4. Giant Filling Tasty "Spuds" (Baked Potatoes).
3. Combo meals for those who can't commit to just one dish.
2. You can sub veggie chili for meat chili. I know, what?????? Where else can you get veggie chili in the middle of your busy work day?
1. McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea (sweetened, unsweetened, half and half, with lemon, no lemon...any way you like it!) The Cashmere Sweater of Iced Tea. Get instanly refreshed!

See a menu and find a location near you!

Great American Dine out

2010-09-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

Great American Dine Out

Feed yourself and the hungry on September 19th-25th.

Restaurants include P.F. Chang's, Corner Bakery, McAlister's Deli and much more.

See participating restaurants here.