Chaat are sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, crunchy, Indian snacks served from food carts, roadside stalls, and restaurants. Recipes for chaat are numerous, but the basic elements are fairly consistent: a carbohydrate base, a vegetable, an umami element, a sauce, and a crunch. My thanks to London based, Angela Malik for the inspiration and permission to…
Toasting nuts is a lovely way to deepen their flavor and firm their texture. They don’t actually become crispy, but they develop a firmer texture. After they are toasted, the skins become loose and you can rub them off in a towel. The tannins, which are bitter, are located under the skins. So, when you rub…
I love watermelon. I wait all year for the middle of summer when I can once again enjoy the taste of fresh, ripe watermelon. A hot late July or August day and a big, thick slice of chilled watermelon is heaven! Better yet, add some good friends to the scene and you have an invitation to share laughter…
On Monday I had the pleasure of being a judge at the 6th annual K&L Gates Cook-Off/ Bake-Off. This was a friendly, in-house cooking competition organized by the Diversity Committee at K&L with four categories for the dishes: appetizers, entrées, desserts, and a kid’s category. There were a lot of friendly rivalries, competition, ribbing, cheers,…
What to do with a leftover fruit salad? Freeze it using an ice cube tray if you have one.
All you parents with kids of a certain age will recognize the title of this post as the name of a fabulous song by the Wiggles. “Fruit Salad” was my all-time favorite Wiggles song. I was a major Wiggles fan; I saw them live twice! Yet fruit salad has never been one of my favorite dishes….
Shrimp chips are popular throughout Southeast Asia. They have many names, such as “prawn crackers” and “krupuk” (Indonesian). Properly prepared, these chips are light, not greasy, and have a mild but clear shrimp flavor. Like potato chips, it’s hard to eat just one. I always have some on hand. For entertaining, I bring out the…
What to do with all of the apples I collected for the photo in my last post? Applesauce. Applesauce is easy to make, and your efforts will be deliciously rewarded. It’s really worth the effort, and it’s a great dish to do with young children. Kids love applesauce, and eating the applesauce that they’ve helped…