Bean Thread Noodles with Veal, Tomatoes, and Mint
This is a picture of a recent lunch. It was very simple to make. One reason was that I had bean thread noodles on hand. § Read the rest of this entry…
Shrimp Chips
Shrimp chips are popular throughout Southeast Asia. They have many names; prawn crackers, and krupuk (Indonesian) are two examples. Properly prepared, the chips are light, not greasy, and have a mild, but clear shrimp flavor. Like potato chips, it’s hard to eat just one. § Read the rest of this entry…
Applesauce
What to do with all of the apples I collected for the photo in my last post? Applesauce.
Applesauce is an easy thing to make and your efforts will be rewarded with a delicious result. Applesauce is really worth the effort. And it is a great dish to do with young children. Kids love applesauce and eating the applesauce that they have helped make is a real treat. Pride of accomplishment makes it taste that much better! § Read the rest of this entry…
Apples for Baking
This entry is a work in process. I am not focused on baking. So when I go to bake something from apples I find myself in a quandary. I go to the market or store and look around to see what apples are available. But I don’t always know which are the best for baking. In my experience, some apples are reduced to mush by the baking process. Others hold up but don’t taste so good. And then, just like the Disney story, there are those that are “just right,” fruity, soft, a good amount of acidity, but remaining intact after baking. § Read the rest of this entry…
Mushroom Stuffing
Thanks to Sam! My nephew, Sam, is a vegetarian. And if it wasn’t for him I would have never developed this recipe. If you’ve read my previous post, about roast turkey, then you know I am a big fan of stuffing cooked in the bird. But, of course, one can’t do that for a vegetarian stuffing. So I had to come up with one cooked outside the bird. § Read the rest of this entry…
Roast Turkey
It’s that time again. And the big question is coming in. HOW DO YOU ROAST YOUR TURKEY? Well I have tried numerous methods, and this is the one that I have settled on. It is from the now defunct Gourmet Magazine. In the original article, I believe they said that they had tested over 25 ways to roast a turkey and that this method won out over all the rest. That was enough for me. I decided I trusted their research and I was going to try their method: high heat throughout the cooking process. I’ve used it many times since and have always been very pleased § Read the rest of this entry…
Fresh Figs with Proscuitto Ham
The first time I ever saw, touched, and tasted a fresh fig was a revelation. My knowledge of figs until then was mostly confined to Fig Newtons. I hadn’t know what a fresh fig looked like. And, at first, didn’t know what it was when I saw it at the health food store in Santa Cruz, CA in the late 70′s.
The texture of the fruit was, I think, the biggest surprise. The skin was thin, but firm, the inner flesh soft, and in the center were small seeds that added a slight crunchiness to the whole experience. The taste was sweet, but softly so, especially if you were comparing the sweetness to that of a dried fig. § Read the rest of this entry…
Fresh and Simple Zucchini with MInt
A gardener friend once said that if she was ever a cast away on a deserted island she would want to have a squash seed with her. One seed and she could grow a large vine and have a plenty of food! And if you have ever grown zucchini in your garden you know what she meant. A healthy zucchini vine provides an abundance of delicious fruit. And yes, zucchini, a summer or soft squash, is technically a fruit although we treat it as a vegetable and serve it most often in savory dishes. § Read the rest of this entry…
Fresh Asparagus Soup
This is a simple, refreshing soup that is good hot or cold. The original inspiration comes from Deborah Madison’s Greens cookbook. It is a vegetarian soup that can be made vegan. It is a rather self-contained unit. You make the stock for the soup from the asparagus ends and leek tops. Then use the body of the asparagus and leeks to make the soup.
I am not one who enjoys many cold soups. I don’t think I have ever ordered one in a restaurant. And, before this soup, I rarely thought to make one. The first time I served this soup it was hot. But a comment was made that it would taste good cold. So, the next time I made it, I tried it. I don’t think I’ve served this soup hot again. To me, it is a perfect spring or early summer soup. It is so fresh tasting, yet it has a wonderful creamy, depth. And it pulls it off without being a cream soup! § Read the rest of this entry…
Simple, Fresh Lemonade
Spring is officially here and summer is just around the corner. Time for a tall pitcher of cool, refreshing, freshly made lemonade.
Our neighborhood sponsored a yard sale last weekend. The kids operated a lemonade/ bake sale table to raise money for charity. We didn’t make much at our yard sale table, but the lemonade/ bake sale table was a big success. The lemonade drew a lot of surprised comments. “The lemonade is really good!!” The kids were really proud to say, “We made it. It’s fresh squeezed!” § Read the rest of this entry…
