tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20887444845039205812011-11-16T23:20:51.087-08:00paprika red - a food blog, focused on cooking and eating in the Pacific Northwest.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.comBlogger501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-8740369742911691702010-12-08T21:58:00.000-08:002010-12-08T21:58:26.744-08:00

I've been on a leek kick lately. Those tender, delicate vegetables add such a great flavor to so many dishes. Here, leeks lend a subtle, sweet flavor to a delicious soup - green broccoli, thickened with yukon gold potatoes. I've made potato soups before with the hand blender, to varying degrees of success - they often come out a little gluey or gummy. And broccoli soups can taste thin without

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-34039928164284104292010-12-02T08:19:00.000-08:002010-12-08T22:03:16.631-08:00

I love mashed potatoes. Creamy, rich, comforting, starchy goodness, they are at home on my plate any time the weather is under 70 degrees, which is often around here. But man (or woman) cannot live on mashed potatoes alone - we need our veggies, and mashed potatoes are starchy and can be very rich. On the other side of the coin, there are mashed potato haters out there. I know, sometimes I can

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-43380595005972886312010-11-24T20:22:00.000-08:002010-12-08T22:01:45.971-08:00

Brussels sprouts are a vegetable I wrestle with. You see, I don't dislike many veggies. I like tiny veggies quite a bit - baby artichokes, small potatoes, tiny pickled cucumbers. And I love cabbage. So naturally, I should love brussels sprouts, seeing as how they're really like tiny cabbages. What's not to love? Well, I just usually don't like them, they taste funny and bitter and off to me,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-47654182103894602912010-11-10T08:51:00.000-08:002010-12-08T21:59:26.820-08:00

I'm back! It's been a long while, and the weather has changed drastically since I've been gone. But I have good reason - two good reasons, actually - for being gone so long. First, my hubby and I took a two week whirlwind trip to Europe, staying in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Zurich. There was much good food, much good beer, a whole lotta walking, wonderful weather despite it being October, and in

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-89682226774666849052010-08-23T20:21:00.000-07:002010-08-24T08:35:23.108-07:00

Years ago, I was invited to a party at someone's house that I didn't know. Not wanting to show up empty handed, I stopped at Whole Foods for some snacks, figuring I'd pick up something tasty from their enormous cheese counter. After chatting with the cheese lady and trying a few samples, I came across these intruiging sweet, sour, spiced, and pickled cherries. The gal had me try them with a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-48109781207489923472010-07-31T17:00:00.000-07:002010-08-05T06:49:04.952-07:00

I make stir-fries a lot. They're a really simple and tasty way to make a quick and veggie-packed dinner. Usually, by the time the rice is done, my meal is done, as well (or at least really close to being done!) I often use a few variations on some common themes: beef and broccoli (sometimes with red bell peppers or carrots) with a lightly sweet soy sauce; shredded pork and cabbage with dark soy

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-76631993477587219782010-07-29T17:22:00.000-07:002010-07-29T17:24:19.175-07:00

I told you guys I was on a burger kick! What happens when you take inspiration from Chicken Milanese and Salad Caprese and put it on a bun? You get a delicious sandwich, that's what. The idea for this sprang from seeing a recipe in Bon Appetit about a Chicken Parmigiana sandwich. It looked delicious, but I wrestled with the idea of putting tomato sauce on my sandwich. I envisioned trying to eat

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-62341733190318756742010-07-23T12:10:00.000-07:002010-07-25T20:04:20.924-07:00

I've been slightly obsessed with burgers lately. I love just about anything on a bun, from handmade veggie burgers to beef with bacon, with lamb burgers (with goat cheese and pickled red onions, please!) being one of my favorites. Not to mention that I think my husband has perfected the beef burger (he has a secret ingredient - I'll see if I can get him to share it in a later post!). But I've

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-56583103953817719132010-06-30T20:44:00.000-07:002010-07-24T09:10:59.645-07:00

I've been intimidated by fava beans before. These big beans that you have to peel twice: once out of the pod, then a second time out of the skin. (The internet says blanching them briefly in boiling water, then shocking them in ice water helps the skins slide off easier; you can also peel them as-is while watching TV, like I did.) It seems like a lot of effort for little payoff. I was wrong, the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-49734338254603117172010-06-25T17:00:00.000-07:002010-07-08T15:18:59.345-07:00

This is definitely one of those cases of simplicity is best. This soup is so good, I having a hard time getting past the superlatives of "really good" and "yummy". It's silky on the tongue, light and almost frothy, it's sweet from the corn, it has a little of that mild green bite from basil, and underneath it all is this tingly licorice from the tarragon. But this sounds weird when I write it

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-2253212101585068812010-06-22T20:47:00.000-07:002010-07-08T15:21:53.621-07:00

Are you familiar with kohlrabi? I sure am not. I have this thing, though, where if I see a new vegetable I've never tried, I just have to pick it up. I can't pass it by. It nags at me when it's unfamiliar, it whispers "why don't you just take me home and figure out what to do with me later". Usually this works in my favor, like with yummy long beans or or bitter-sweet broccoli raab. Sometimes

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-880676332935137512010-06-04T17:00:00.000-07:002010-07-08T15:20:35.167-07:00

It's early June, and it's raining. Today's high is expected to be a mere 52° Farenheit, a far cry from the normal 68°. I've been hearing lots of record weather in the last few years... record snows two winters ago, record highs last summer, record mild winters, and now, the wettest stretch of rain in the "dry season", or so says the weatherman. All I know is, my outdoor lounge chairs, BBQ,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-69919228824825351342010-05-17T18:11:00.000-07:002010-06-05T09:46:13.581-07:00

Summer means many things to me: fireworks at 10:30 pm; long, long nights and early mornings; the most beautiful blue sky and cool Puget Sound; hiking; the all-too-short season of those delicious Rainier cherries, pluots, and heirloom tomatoes; and grilling - in particular, a giant hunk of lamb. This is probably my favorite grill recipe ever, and I'm such a sucker for lamb. If you're only

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-64700753743308008652010-04-07T19:51:00.000-07:002010-07-01T11:58:36.638-07:00

Today I received a fantastic loaf of bread in my grocery delivery box - the most lovely loaf of French bread I have ever laid my eyes upon. Before I even put the rest of the groceries away, I cut off a slice from the end - perfection! Very moist, tender, and fine crumb, lovely yeasty smell and flavor, thin but crisp shell. An excellent bread from Boulangerie Nantaise, in Seattle. I hadn't

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-62207777552891517262010-04-02T09:51:00.000-07:002010-07-05T16:19:36.207-07:00

Tarragon is an herb that's pretty unfamiliar to me. I grew up eating my grandmother's Hungarian food, and in her desire to blend into American culture, a lot of simple American food - chicken breasts with rosemary and lemon, mashed potatoes, that sort of thing. Living in Southern California, then moving up to the Seattle area, I've been exposed to a lot of Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-80804115711398220892010-03-09T20:03:00.000-08:002010-06-04T17:15:24.446-07:00

I have an ongoing love affair with eggs and rice. Ever since I discovered the joy of an over-easy egg with rice and soy sauce, it's been my favorite breakfast, easy lunch, or I'm-too-tired-to-cook meal. I'd been eyeballing this recipe in the Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges cookbook, especially since I'd had good luck with several of his other recipes. So when I saw Mark Bittman wax poetic about

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-4468536282513842002010-02-20T15:10:00.001-08:002010-04-28T20:45:01.446-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for new side dishes or light entrees. Sure, local and seasonal veggies, prepared simply with good ingredients, are always delicious, but sometimes I just want something a little different. And while crispy oven-roasted potatoes are always a good idea, sometimes more actually IS better, as is the case with these - patatas bravas, a Spanish potato dish. Take delicious,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-6083451047972115052010-02-12T18:19:00.000-08:002010-04-28T20:47:36.698-07:00

Seattle is the land of smoked salmon, but I have a secret: as much as I love the salmon, I really love smoked trout. It's a little milder than salmon, with a sweeter flavor, but it still has a nice, meaty texture and pleasant saltiness. Unfortunately, it's a little bit hard to find - 10 kinds of smoked salmon, or even salmon candy, is readily available, but refrigerated smoked trout (I've tried

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-10896845004396410032009-12-29T16:55:00.000-08:002010-04-28T20:49:25.748-07:00

I did it! I made a trial run first, and learned from a few of my minor mistakes, but I tackled what I thought might be one of the trickiest things to make - a Bûche de Noël - and I came out victorious. The end result was a delicious and moist chocolate cake soaked with brandy and espresso, filled with a coffee-flavored whipped cream and ricotta filling with small, toothsome bits of dark

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-34043735754026920432009-12-26T10:48:00.000-08:002010-04-28T20:52:32.610-07:00

Continuing on the coffee theme, here's a rich bread pudding that pairs one of my absolute favorite flavor combinations - chocolate and coffee. I remember the first time I had bread pudding, it seemed like the oddest thing to me. But when I got it, I fell in love - the bread had been transformed from something simple to something decadent, creamy in the middle and crisp around the edges, all

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-41816301727391753612009-12-24T10:25:00.000-08:002010-04-28T20:54:03.391-07:00

These are a unique yet simple appetizer for get-togethers or a light lunch or dinner - pork skewers with a simple coffee-spiked peanut sauce. It's not the first pork skewers I have on here, and it probably won't be the last, but what can I say, I dig meat on a stick. I know the dipping sauce sounds a little strange -- coffee and peanut butter, really? -- but it’s a surprisingly nice flavor

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-78448285333471545392009-12-19T11:44:00.000-08:002010-04-28T20:54:58.558-07:00

Let me start right off the bat by simply saying this: this might be my favorite cookie ever. I love all the tried and true favorites - a good, thick, chewy chocolate chip cookie; a soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie; a crisp and delicate sugar cookie; and Newman-O's and Girl Scout Samoas and Thin Mints are oh-so-good. But this cookie fulfills all my favorite things I like about sweets in one

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-39321460781875572132009-11-28T18:43:00.001-08:002010-06-15T17:59:14.333-07:00

There's something really cool about getting your own, small, personalized cake. I'm not talking about cupcakes, although those are fine too. But your own small cake, on a dessert plate, maybe with a nice dollop of whipped cream or some glaze dribbling down the sides looking so prettily imperfect. What a fun way to elevate the homely but honest carrot cake - one of my favorite cakes! - by

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-6267161050208846012009-06-20T11:06:00.000-07:002010-04-28T20:59:09.240-07:00

It takes me a while to get around to trying fine dining places. When the weekend rolls around, often all I want is something comfortable, and with a really good IPA on tap. Something you don't typically find at fine dining. Well, after hearing so much about Tilth, we finally decided to get over there and give it a go. I had high expectations, but even so, this place still totally blew me out of

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-7079518386075133982009-06-16T19:10:00.000-07:002010-06-15T17:55:13.070-07:00

I love fresh artichokes. I've grown up eating the giant thistles, steamed until tender, dipping the meaty ends of the leaves into melted butter and scraping off the good stuff. And the heart is the best part, I would carefully scrape off each tuft of fluff, leaving the heart as intact as possible, so as not to waste any. They were always such a treat! So when I saw a giant package of baby

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-77540268572903883422009-06-15T18:27:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:03:16.809-07:00

It's always really nice when you throw some things together in a clean-out-the-fridge kind of moment, mostly hoping for something simply edible, and you end up with something so delicious, you make it again and again. Tonight was one of those nights. I'd had some gai-lan (Chinese broccoli, which is sooooo good) languishing in the fridge. Half of a sad cucumber. An old half-head of cabbage. I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-51992545912161386992009-06-11T19:20:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:05:21.245-07:00

Hooray for summer! That means wonderful fresh fruit and veggies, and lots of salads. I love salads, they're fresh and crisp, and you can throw in whatever you've got, and you've got a pretty good chance of it coming out good for little time and effort. Bonus 1: lots of veggies, so lots of vitamins, it's good for you. Bonus 2: no to little cooking! And when it's over 80 degrees inside, because

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-62815054066061742442009-06-04T18:42:00.001-07:002010-04-28T21:06:51.058-07:00

I think this is my favorite summer meal. I might declare something else my favorite later on, but for right now, this is it. Light and loaded with sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, delicate fingerlings and herbs, a little bit of crispy bacon for texture and salty pork goodness if you like, and an egg to round it out, it brings together some of the best of summer in one easy, but super delicious, dish.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-9471429756134922042009-06-04T18:09:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:08:36.361-07:00

This is such a snap to put together, and has a luscious taste of vanilla and brown sugar. It has all the components of ice cream - egg yolks and cream - but none of the cooling and churning. Plus, my ice cream always seems to turn out icy if not immediately consumed - this stayed nice and creamy. I highly suggest chilling the serving plates - this stuff melts quickly, and it will buy you time to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-47577232863480564482009-05-14T17:27:00.000-07:002010-06-25T20:38:56.132-07:00

Here's a great way to lighten up mac and cheese a little bit, while improving flavor and giving it a little extra tang: buttermilk. Even the very low fat buttermilk has a thick, creamy texture, so you get a nice sauce without having to resort to a lot of whole milk or cream. Maybe not so great for drinking (people do that, really?), but great in this application: because I'm sure as heck not

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-65255429811973735082009-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:11:30.752-07:00

What a fantastically, easy dessert: a lightly crisp crust, that crumbles easily but stays in shape while you cut slices, a sweet-tart lemon filling that is light, creamy and a snap to make. The crust is a pat-in-the-pan crust too - so no rolling, no patching, no fighting with the dough, and the filling takes 15 minutes to make, and sets up quickly. I did make a few minor changes to the recipe

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-36006849975073563262009-05-10T16:48:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:12:06.610-07:00

I've been absent lately, I know. I've been busy, and I have been cooking! But oft forgetting to take pictures. But I also spent a few days in my favorite city, our smaller, cooler neighbor to the south: Portland, OR. Portland has the most breweries of any city in the world! And to those that know me, it should come as no surprise that I love Portland, in good part because of the beer. We did a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-59643902116820573392009-04-07T20:23:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:13:31.715-07:00

Being near Seattle, I have access to an amazing local charcuterie place: Salumi. (And so does anyone else in the US, since they do mail order!) Owned and operated by Armandino Batali (yup, that Batali family), they make some of the most amazing cured sausages and meats you've ever tried. They're also a small restaurant, so if you're in the area (or visiting), make sure you get there. Just get

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-57488902441802842542009-03-25T21:21:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:15:12.720-07:00

During the week, the only time I can afford for breakfast is usually just making a bowl of instant oatmeal. But on the weekends, I love to have a good breakfast. My dear hubby usually makes the french toast - I'll go into the trick for that another time - but if there are scrambled eggs involved, I'm usually the one on it. I know people can be picky about their eggs, and there's a lot of hype

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-73716423002876859452009-03-22T19:01:00.001-07:002010-04-28T21:16:37.643-07:00

Spring is here, and while I'm always eager for the fresh and vibrant foods of spring - fresh garlic, asparagus, pea shoots, wild salmon - I usually start to get a little anxious about the going away of winter foods - long braised meats, root veggies, hearty soups and stews, and stick-to-your-ribs kinda meals. So I decided to make perhaps one of the heartiest, most comforting dish I know, and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-55425590988122464352009-03-21T09:20:00.001-07:002010-04-28T21:18:59.133-07:00

Mousse is one of those things that will always be a little bit of a mystery - how does something so laden with heavy cream and chocolate taste so light and delicious? It's a amazing what a little air can do. This recipe is great in that it's pretty simple, tastes really fabulous, and I've never run across another mousse like this! You can make it ahead of time, up to about 12 hours. It will

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-28711639238538967422009-03-18T17:01:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:20:58.200-07:00

I love the fresh flavors of this dish. Lots of bright ginger, lime, cilantro; fresh and cooling cucumber, carrot and bean sprout garnish; and a tingling of chile sauce for spice and fish sauce for a little kick of saltiness. And then there's pork, and who doesn't love pork? Ok, maybe lots of people, but not me. If you use a lean cut, like tenderloin or loin chops, they're more or less guilt

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-5562840622363799352009-03-11T18:55:00.001-07:002010-04-28T21:24:34.907-07:00

It's no secret that I'm fond of pasta dishes. While I like to cook more elaborately on the weekends for my hubby and I, and for friends and family, during the week I just want something tasty and relatively fast. Pasta dishes tend to come together easily, don't make a lot of dishes, and make enough for leftovers the next day. This is one of my favorites. It has just a few ingredients, and is

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-91856746327051827312009-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:002010-04-28T21:25:01.255-07:00

I've always had a love/hate relationship with bread. I love good bread. I am very picky about my bread. But man, do I hate making it. Proof, mix, knead, rise, punch, rise, shape, bake. Set aside 4 hours, at least! Make sure the house is warm enough (we keep it chilly in here in the winter). And then, hope and pray it turns out good after all that work. Usually it just turns out ok. Sometimes it's

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-85085300989801305372009-03-04T21:08:00.000-08:002010-06-28T13:08:34.461-07:00

I really love french onion soup. But I don't like heavy, overly beefy, salty soup, and I really don't like all that cheese on top. It's just too much, and you end up chewing great hunks of rubbery cheese, which I don't find pleasant. However, I made this onion soup and really loved it. Not only did it take less than an hour, it still had the sweetness of the onions and a little richness from

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-59790121657524991962009-03-04T19:59:00.001-08:002010-06-25T07:41:58.554-07:00

If you've never made pâte à choux, and you're reading this, you owe it to yourself to try it. You may know this dough only as the basis for cream puffs or eclairs, but it makes a fantastic savory little cheese ball known as a gougère. It's such an easy, simple dough, and so versatile, no wonder the French adapt it to both sweet and savory dishes. Even when I think I've done something wrong, my

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-67875872351592666032009-02-25T16:02:00.000-08:002010-04-28T21:28:10.779-07:00

Here's another recipe involving beets that I love. It was actually my introduction to using beet greens, and I love that this recipe uses the whole beet, stems and all. The rice takes on a really vibrant hue, so the whole dish looks hot pink, which I think is really neat. How often do we get to eat fuschia food? There's a nice contrast of textures here: soft onions, creamy rice, nice bite from

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-30780395446262365782009-02-20T19:06:00.000-08:002010-06-07T20:58:08.328-07:00

Years ago I did a shameful thing. I knew the key to buying good beets was to purchase them with crisp greens intact. So I bought beautiful whole beets from the local farmer's market. I made delicious things with the actual roots, but I threw away the tops. At the same time, I was buying bunches of swiss chard and kale. How foolish I was! Beet greens are delicious and nutritious, with a taste and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-38541249308091984452009-02-16T15:18:00.000-08:002010-06-15T18:10:00.645-07:00

At least a year ago, maybe even over two years ago, my hubby ordered the powders necessary to make those fancy molecular gastronomy "caviar" or "pearls" - sodium alginate and calcium chloride. And they sat in our cupboard until this weekend, when we finally dusted them off and got to using them. If only I'd known how easy it was, I would have done it long ago! And for under $20 for both

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-84523005885670951742009-02-11T20:36:00.000-08:002010-04-28T21:33:09.793-07:00

Larb, at least as I've come to know it, is a fresh, herb-laden Thai salad, with finely minced or ground lean chicken, lemongrass, mint, cilantro, and lots of lime. Toasted rice powder is a traditional topping, for toasty flavor and a little crunch, but toasted sesame seeds do the trick for me. It's fresh, light, and healthy, and you can put it together while the rice is steaming. You can eat it

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-72505307427069060252009-02-07T09:15:00.000-08:002010-04-28T21:34:53.878-07:00

This is a restaurant review - no recipes or pictures here, sorry! For my husband and my collective birthdays (our birthdates are only 2 days apart), we decided on dinner at Cafe Juanita. We both adore Italian food, and while I had been once before, he had never been. My previous experience had been mixed; some items were stellar (the octopus!), while others were too salty (the rabbit plini) or I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-6314439931766959172009-02-05T18:50:00.001-08:002010-04-28T21:36:50.954-07:00

Here's another great weeknight meal - lots of flavor, doesn't make too many dishes, and comes together in a snap. This is a bit of a cross of between a Rick Bayless recipe for Salmon in Luxurious Green Pipian, which uses tomatillo salsa as a shortcut, and the more traditional flavors of a pipian with toasted and ground pepitas, peppercorns, cloves, sesame seeds, and cumin. Adding all those lovely

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-23666699715810312202009-02-04T20:34:00.000-08:002010-04-28T21:38:21.477-07:00

I know, I know. My first post here involving paprika really shouldn't be a weeknight dish, or even worse, something totally unauthentic. But it is. Some day, I'll post the real deal, just like my grandma made, with nokedli (Hungarian dumplings, basically spaetzle) and full-fat sour cream and the hour long plus cooking time. But when I asked dh what he wanted for his birthday, he said "Chicken

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-33961580920723661342009-01-26T21:21:00.000-08:002010-04-28T21:39:47.868-07:00

Pasta, yum. This is one of my favorite go-to recipes, as if pasta wasn't easy enough already. And do yourself a favor, don't bother with the jarred stuff when you can make something like this. In the time it takes for the water to boil, you can prep everything else you need. Cut the ham into irregular, thinnish bite sized pieces. The rough texture of the ham really improves this dish, so don't

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2088744484503920581.post-7889064088877412342009-01-21T20:17:00.001-08:002010-04-28T21:41:29.095-07:00

Bulgur is one of those things that I should probably eat a lot more of - it's healthy, quick, and very cheap. However, I can't say I've eaten much of it at all, other than the occassional deli-purchased tabbouleh salad. Now I can't remember what I saw recently that made me perk my interest in bulgur again, but I recalled a recipe I'd seen long ago - Bulgur "risotto" with spinach and bacon. It

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498003854331054049noreply@blogger.com1