Hummus authorities will tell you it’s truly calamitous to use canned chickpeas. Still, when time constraints thwarts the lengthy preparation, it’s a precipitous way of creating Hummus in a hurry. It may be a desecration of the Hummus Laws of the Universe, but you still get a pretty decent dip in my opinion, way better than any store bought. So, venture gently into the Hummus world, and know it’s fine to use the shortcut. Fair warning however, once you make…
With Super Bowl LII festivities squared off, crowning the Philadelphia Eagles as epic champions with their first ever Lombardi trophy, we’re all probably still reeling from the countless wings, nachos, burgers and dogs devoured nationwide. After yesterday’s game revelries, the foray in the kitchen loomed as an annoyance. Our stomachs were still lurching from yesterday’s buffalo wings, potato salad, pork sliders and a constant nibbling of chips and dip to boot! With that said, a thought had been lurking…
The ugly duckling of the root vegetable family – the lowly parsnip. Why should a root veg that is so flavorful and delightful, take a backseat to all other vegetables? Alas, Brutus – it is lamentable, but true! Grieved for its lonely state, the forlorn parsnip is one of the most unappreciated vegetables. Definitely not parading alongside the sexier, ruffled kale; the earthy, exotic shitake or the accredited showstopper, the Brussel sprout. It’s a darn shame really, considering that it…
Who doesn’t like Costco? There is a warehouse, it seems now in almost every country. It is a shopping Disneyland for adults, where every department is a new land beckoning exploration. My shopping escapades there are few and far between due to the inhibiting, magnitude in volume of their staples; it is a deterrent for two people, let alone one. Hence my shopping forays happen every two or three months. I will admit to acquiring my most sought-after pantry…
Ah yes, the putative acclaim of a good enamel cast iron pan. The Goliath in the kitchen – the mighty Dutch Oven. If you are culinary inclined and entertain spending any worthwhile time in the kitchen, do yourself a huge favor, which I guarantee you won’t come to regret. Invest in a good enamel cast iron pan – or better yet, a few, if you haven’t already. There are a couple leviathans dominating the arena that stand proud in the…
Where does my special acquaintance with recipes come from? I daresay I dream food constantly, read almost as much as my brain can process and at times my muse becomes even more active from watching a film or reading something notable. Having devoured every single, solitary episode from Downton Abbey and partaken of the series twice or thrice, it is stands to reason that Mrs. Padmore dishes subliminally left a weighty desire for replicating some of the lesser opulent ones.…
I am almost convinced there is a eulogy written somewhere about mayonnaise. Especially the homemade kind. Hard to believe that in America, it’s Numero Uno in the condiment department, having out seated its contender, the Ketchup by a landslide. Even harder to believe that Russia is the top consumer of mayo in the world. It’s rather fantastic, really, that a quick-thinking substitution in the culinary repertoire of the personal chef to the Duke of Richelieu in 1756, created the world’s…
In the kitchen, we are not discussing how hot and bothered you get prepping a chicken. The only juices that are running here are the ones that run clear when you carve it, having allowed the bird to rest for a while after roasting. It can be potentially arguable, but there’s something pretty damn sexy about rubbing a whole chicken with spices and olive oil. Well that is my opinion anyway Chicken has crossed the proverbial road over to swanky…
Aioli literally means “garlic and oil” in French and Catalan. It’s like a mayo on steroids, popular in Mediterranean countries, especially in France (Provence), Italy (Liguria) and most regions of Spain (called Alioli), mostly prevalent along the Mediterranean coast (Valencia, Cataluña, Murcia and Andalucía) where it is served literally by the bucket-full. Every restaurant in Alicante provides a bowl of decadent, creamy looking Alioli, with chunks of fresh baguette for customers to dunk before ordering their meal. In Cataluña, they…
Hummus is now the global swanky food at every deli counter. From Dean and Deluca in NYC to the Harrod’s Food Halls in London. It should be nominated for an Oscar and get a star on the Food Hall of Fame. And it’s no wonder, with survey trending sources back in 2015 predicting it would become the “chic” superfood in America – and it has – by a landslide. It’s now a mass produced superfood, sold on very supermarket shelf, Sabra…
During my sojourn in the City of Lights, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon had to be one of my favored French restaurants. Hands down. After a while, no matter how ravishing the venue or spectacular the food, you had a Ground Hog Day kind of moment – there are so many prodigious restaurants on or off the Strip. But no matter how ubiquitous that thought was, it never included Bouchon. I’d had the present delight to dine at his world-renowned establishment,…
‘WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT SALT?” JAMES BEARD The momentum of artisan food continues to barrel forward with something retro taking the spotlight every other day. Pucker up – pickle-palooza is one of the current rages and is here to stay. And, no, I am not talking about the pickling your grandma would make for picnics or winter pantry storage, either. The pickling fixation…
When I left AZ in late 2015 heading for the East Coast, Miami to be precise, I was able to check off an important item from my bucket list. Driving cross country solo. Relocating to FL for work, I was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of embarking on my trip, squashing a niggling amount of trepidation of arriving in Miami unscathed, without any car issues, belongings pilfered and ending up in Timbuktu. Leaving Prescott, I embarked on my cross…
“Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore!” No matter where you are in the world, the intoxicating flavors of India will be sure to find you, because undoubtedly, Indian food is the most intriguing and exotic cuisine on the planet. Not only is it pulsating with tongue-tingling originality, but the many consumers of this magnificent cuisine don’t have to be Indian natives to enjoy it! Indian Cuisine is divided into Northern and Southern. Northern Indian is typically the most…