Food
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An Education From Stalks10 March 2010, 10:18 pm
We all know that a cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with education, right? "Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."So here's a lot of education for you, about four cups of the stalks. Waste not, want not, we say. Waste I didn't, but would I want it?As it turned out, (a resounding) YES!The recipe is from here. The measurements are mine.Cauliflower stalks, chopped up: 4-5 cupsJeera/Cumin seed: 1 tspAsafoetida, a ...
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What's Your Tradition?10 March 2010, 12:40 pm
This is something that has been on my mind for a while but reading Indo's and Sandeepa's latest posts, I decided it's time I did some musing too, though my post is not directly related to theirs. As bloggers, and those who write mostly about food, there's a lot we write about 'the tradition in my family'. We romanticise (me included) how our mothers and grandmothers made this or that, how a recipe is traditional, peculiar to our homes, or twisted (you know what I mean - with a twist in it), etce...
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Mt Nacho24 February 2010, 1:55 pm
We scaled its heights - and grimaced. I didn't really know what I was letting us in for when I ordered this starter. (Yes, it was an 'appetizer', not the main dish.) I thought it was a typical menu illustration where the picture has been magnified a hundredfold. It was, but that didn't mean the original was a rational size. I have a little more respect for menu illustrations now. Needless to say, our meal ended here. (We had also ordered some corn and cheese poppers. They were only marbles, in c...
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Couscous, And Some News17 February 2010, 1:43 am
The appearance of some live forms of protein was no deterrent. It had cost good money, and it had to be used, so this was what I made with the last of my last batch of couscous.
I now have another batch of two big packets. It made its way here last January, a year and a month ago. I finally managed to inaugurate it last week. Along with that batch of couscous came a batch of other Mediterranean delights, which included sumac, thyme mix, zatar and orange flower water. I've used some of them on ...
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To Market, To Market ...13 February 2010, 6:36 am
I've done a guest post on Bong Mom's Cookbook. You can read it here.Travel Humour Musings Vegetable market Pune wholesale marketThis feed contains copyrighted photos and text from http://www.whenmysoupcamealive.blogspot.com. If you are not reading this material in a feeds aggregator or by e-mail subscription, the site you are viewing may be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact srablog (at) gmail (dot) com....
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Mellow Mallum1 February 2010, 1:33 pm
There was Baby Bok Choy,There was Big Bok Choy,Then there were incessantCups of chopped choy.In went the leek,Garlic and saltGreen chilli, turmericSpicy things all.Steamed was the mix,Covered for ten minutesStirred now and thenIn my li'l kitchen.Off with the lidSo went the liquidIn went the coconutShredded and grated.Mix it wellMix it niceWait just a minute (or two),And there's a dishFor your rice!As in all great literary works, there is much creative licence in this poem too. (One instance of i...
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Ultimate Recipe Swap: Whole Grains10 March 2010, 9:35 pm
Children learn what they live.
My mom had that on a plaque at our house growing up. And I’m finding it very true in many instances of life, particularly in food choices. You see, my parents did not like oatmeal as children. Or liver. As a result, those are two foods I was never required [...]...
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How to Survive a Shopping Trip with Children in Tow9 March 2010, 9:51 pm
Last week I decided that we needed to get out of the house — all of us. Normally I go shopping by myself. But, it had been off and on raining, and I, personally, was suffering from cabin fever. Plus, I had quizzed everyone on the way to church one Sunday about all the clothes [...]...
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Bookin’ It in 2010: The March Update9 March 2010, 3:24 am
Reading is a way to gain knowledge, to travel to distant times and places, to exercise your reason or your imagination. Reading moves us – to action or to tears. Reading is a means of growing and learning. In fact, reading is a way of life. Words matter and they are everywhere we turn. And [...]...
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Got a Picky Eater?8 March 2010, 2:18 pm
The doctor said to feed the baby salsa. My eyes popped out, and my husband’s ears perked up. What?! Her reasoning was that babies adopt the tastes of their families. Since their tastes develop most in the first 18 months of life, she continued, that was the time to expose them to as many [...]...
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My Household Planner Revealed (& a Few Free Downloads)8 March 2010, 3:52 am
Remember this? Awhile back I told you about my household notebook in which I busted out of the binder and had a planner spiral bound. I realize that for some this might seem wasteful because it’s a consumable product instead of a reusable one. But I actually use this planner, whereas I have shelves of [...]...
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Meal Planning: Homemade Convenience Foods7 March 2010, 6:22 pm
Basic Homemade Pizza
All of a sudden, life seems to have imploded on me. My trip early last month took a week of planning and a week of recovery, and I’ve been racing to catch up ever since. But, time waits for no mom. Life continues: laundry piles up, schoolwork needs to be assigned and corrected, [...]...
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Better than Cheddar10 March 2010, 7:49 am
Cheese… in a dessert? Clearly, some terrible mistake has been made…
Pondering what deranged, misled cook thought it was a good idea to top a perfectly good apple pie with little shreds of florescent orange cheddar cheese, the combination struck me as downright repulsive. Perhaps sheltered from such cheesy practices, it wasn’t until reading [...]...
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Maca Mania1 March 2010, 8:34 am
Who knew that maca was the new hot, must-have ingredient? Not I, that’s for sure! Though the $50 iHerb shopping spree was plenty popular, I wasn’t sure if there was more interest in winning, or just getting that cookie recipe! Never fear, I wouldn’t make you lovely people choose between the two, [...]...
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Pick Me Up26 February 2010, 11:00 pm
Worn down by demanding schedules and life in general, we could all use a little pick-me-up now and then, be it in the form of a stiff drink, a jolt of caffeine, or a pleasant little sugar buzz. Or, as some forward-thinking Italians realized so many years ago, all of the above. Enter [...]...
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iHerb, youHerb…25 February 2010, 9:25 am
Though I usually like to keep my reviews focused on specific edibles, books, and food companies themselves, the opportunity to go on a little shopping spree and give my 2 cents on iHerb.com, an online superstore, was just too tempting to pass up. Plus, it got both Celine’s and Ricki’s blessings, and I absolutely [...]...
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In a Pickle23 February 2010, 8:18 am
“There’s an unusually high amount of bacteria in my kitchen right now,” I cheerfully expressed to a coworker, after explaining what I had been up to earlier in the week. She looked at me with a look of horror, and quickly dropped the subject.
Ever since attending that fateful class on fermentation just over a [...]...
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Sunday Sweetness21 February 2010, 8:12 am
After a quiet but fairly grueling week of bouncing between jobs and schoolwork, just about the last thing I want to do is start a whole new project, be it cooking, baking, or crafting. Despite the seemingly endless energy that I pour into these things, right now, I am tired. All of the [...]...
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coconut milk fudge8 March 2010, 12:02 pm
Coconut Milk Fudge [Coconut Brigadeiros]
Adapted quite a bit from The Brazilian Kitchen, via the New York Times
A.k.a. Coconut Milk Caramels or Coconut Brigadeiros. Nervous about the gooey/sweet factor, I played around a little, using unsweetened coconut milk (the recipe didn’t specify, so I used what I thought would work) and then salted butter (honestly, by [...]...
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warm mushroom salad with hazelnuts4 March 2010, 9:23 pm
Warm Mushroom Salad with Hazelnuts and Pecorino
Adapted generously from Sunday Suppers at Lucques
1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
3 tablespoons sherry or a white wine vinegar
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds mushrooms (cremini or a mix of wild mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces salad greens such as frisé, arugula or a mix [...]...
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st. louis gooey butter cake1 March 2010, 10:56 pm
St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Adapted, just barely, from Melissa Clark at the New York Times, who adapted it from Molly Killeen at the Park Slope Farmers’ Market
This cake is ridiculous. I’m already looking for an excuse to make it again. I’m thinking “It’s Tuesday!” may have to suffice.
About the baking vessel: The recipe says to [...]...
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baked rigatoni with tiny meatballs27 February 2010, 12:14 pm
Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs
Adapted, no doubt blasphemously, from Marcella Hazan
Serves 8 but I think Americans would serve this to 4 to 6
When I first realized that this “baked ziti” lacked a tomato sauce, I had my doubts. But then Alex said “it would be like Italian mac and cheese!” and then, predictably, it had [...]...
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arroz con leche (rice pudding)24 February 2010, 7:05 pm
Arroz Con Leche
Adapted from Ingrid Hoffmann
Do you like Cozy Shack rice pudding? Has the rice pudding you fell in love with at New Jersey diners and New York delis been elusive to you at home? Well, step right up! (Can you see me in my cape and top hat, waving you into the circus tent? [...]...
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thick, chewy granola bars21 February 2010, 9:08 pm
Thick, Chewy Granola Bars
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
This is probably the most flexible recipe I’ve posted. When it comes to granola, what you’re looking for is a basic proportion of chunky (nuts, dried fruit) to sticky (syrups, sugar, butter or oils) and from there, you can really go to town. The vanilla is optional. The [...]...
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