So here is an embarrassing admission. We have lived in Southern California since September of 2008 and we have only tried chorizo for the first time like a month ago. That’s four years without tasting one of our region’s most delicious local delicacies. It is pretty ridiculous. So I finally got around to picking some up a few weeks ago, but for some reason, I pictured it being like a sausage in a casing, and that I would slice it then brown it with some garlic and red bell pepper and maybe serve with a f... read more »
As my appreciation for Tomatoes evolves, I like when I see recipes that dress them up a bit. So far, I quite like the seasoned breadcrumb mix on top as seen in one of my favourite creations, Polenta with Parmesan and Parsley, Mozzarella and Tomato. Todays recipe is a classic French dish that I [...] read more »
One of the best things in the world is grilling at night. Something about the mix of the cool air, dark sky, and brightly lit, red hot charcoal is almost magical. That scent of smoldering briquettes of wood wafting through the sweet air of the night – intoxicating! All those juxtapositions and contrasts makes the act of night grilling simply awesome. These grilled mushrooms share the same sort of contrasts – sweet touches of cinnamon and sugar play off spicy cayenne and chile powders to make for a truly ... read more »
I find cauliflower to be a rather deceptive and mendacious vegetable. Why? A head of cauliflower is a pleasing sight to behold. All those pretty white florets all bunched together in a nest of green leaves – it looks like a pretty flower! Even the word floret is pleasing, evoking images of tiny flowers. And once this vegetable catches your eye, it is hard to resist. And then you bring it home and put it in the fridge until you need a veggie side dish. And then that day comes when you actually need that v... read more »
Since making our pork flower dumplings a couple weeks ago, those leftover wonton wrappers have just been calling out to us. “Please use me, for the love of god please use me!” could be heard every time we opened the refrigerator door. These exclamations probably rang so clear because there they were, right there on the top shelf on the side of the fridge door. Not hidden way in the back or in one of the drawers or lost under a pile of stuff. Right there on the side of the door. So, being that the refrige... read more »
Once upon a time in a far away land called Dana Point, CA, there lived a Seth and a Jenn and a toddler named Max. All three of them loved to dip things. One day Seth came home raving about a pizza he had for lunch. That pizza was called Carbonara Pizza. He wanted to recreate that amazing dish. However, they were very far away from making acceptable pizza at home. So instead, they did what came naturally. They made a dip. And that is the story of how Carbonara Dip came to be, and all three dip aficionados... read more »
Sometimes, pork just wants to be elegant. Don’t get me wrong, pork does enjoy being in the comforting, homey dishes like pulled pork and pork chops, or more often in our house, pork stir fry. But every now and then, the mood strikes, and it has the desire to put on its frilly dress and head out to the gala. So we let ground pork mingle with a juicy mixture of scallions, ginger, and Serrano, then wrapped them up in wonton wrappers and baked them into some fancy, flowery dumplings. A lime and soy ginger sa... read more »
The carrots in this house are staging an uprising. They feel they never get to be the star of the show. I guess they do have a point (as evidenced by the roasted radish and carrot dish and vegetable dip). So we are giving into their demands for the royal treatment….their very own dip! We love how the sweetness of the carrots works with the creamy nuttiness of this tahini dip. Ingredients3 bunches baby carrots, peeled½ cup tahini + 1 tablespoon 2 teaspoon sesame oil1 teaspoon canola oil1 teaspoon honey1 ½... read more »
This treat is almost designed for Valentines Day. It is a simple little recipe that takes strawberries and melted chocolate to a new level of fun, flavor, and presentation. The dark chocolate has been melted with cream and mixed with a little champagne, and along with the classic strawberry, we’ve added grapefruit and mint leaves for a richness of flavor. These bite size little skewers from heaven are decadent, fresh, healthy, and romantic, and they only take about 15 minutes to put together.Ingredients ... read more »
Super Bowl Recipe #5: Vegetable dip may not be the sexiest of options on the table. But it is the workhorse, a necessary counterpoint to the fun, heavy appetizers. This dip is full of clean vegetal crunch with accents of dill and citrus.Ingredients 1 ½ cups sour cream¼ cup mayonnaise¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper2 tablespoons chopped dill2 scallions, minced1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper2 carrots, minced½ teaspoon lemon zest1 tablespoon lemon juiceInstructions After the ingredients are prepared,... read more »
