Appetizer

Chana (Chick-pea) Blueberry Chaat
Appetizer | Salad | Sides | Snacks | Vegetarian

Chana (Chick-pea) Blueberry Chaat

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…

Zucchini Fritters
Appetizer | Fall | Produce | Summer | Vegetarian

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini and other summer squash are very prolific. Therefore, one can never have too many delicious, quick recipes for them. This one is a family favorite. I’ve found that even finicky kids and hesitant adults are willing to try these tasty zucchini fritters; and unsurprisingly to me, they always love them.

How to Cook an Artichoke
Appetizer | Cooking Basics | Fall | Ingredients | Produce | Sides | Spring | Vegetarian

How to Cook an Artichoke

I have to thank my husband, David, for this entry. He’s the one who discovered this cooking method for artichokes. I came to love artichokes when I lived in Northern California. Artichokes can’t be grown just anywhere. They need certain soil and the right growing conditions. Those conditions exist in Southern Europe and, fortunately, in…

Shrimp Chips
Appetizer | Gluten Free | Snacks | Techniques

Shrimp Chips

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…

Shrimp Butter
Appetizer | Holiday, Occasion, Entertaining

Shrimp Butter

This recipe was another request. My sister-in-law, DD, compiles a great cookbook every so often that’s comprised of recipes contributed by family and friends. She’s working on the third edition and wanted me to contribute my recipe for Shrimp Butter. The premise of her book is that all of the recipes are very easy, tried and…