It’s been years since I baked yeast-based breads. Glad I’ve picked up the habit again! Having focaccia to snack on, or just a decent loaf for sandwiches, makes for comforting (not to mention tastier and fresher) eats. The dough is versatile, so I also use it for pizzas.
Three cookbooks aided me in my rediscovery of [...]
Category Archives: Food
Basic bread recipe for sandwiches and focaccia (and pizza)
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Local Salvadoran restaurants, pupuserías
Monday, 7 April 2008
Oh, how I love pupusas: The creaminess of cheese and masa, with tidbits of chicken if I’m lucky. A fine reason to seek out eateries that focus on food from El Salvador. Not quite as well-known as Mexican food, Salvadoran cuisine tends towards the mild.
The Salvadoran version of horchata is the next-most-important thing. I still [...]
Conjunctional salad: Couscous (or) quinoa with nuts (and) fruit (and/or) vegetables
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Pasta and grain salads have so much potential for variety! But the cold pesto pasta with mondo veggo chunks, or the soggy tabbouli, are often uninspired. Then Robert and Sonya introduced me to the joy of couscous with fruits and nuts. Sooo gooooood.
Recently I made a quinoa salad with similar ingredients: Juice for tartness, olive [...]
What to do with pomegranate molasses?
Saturday, 1 March 2008
On an impulse, I purchased a bottle of pomegranate molasses. It’s pomegranate juice concentrate, with no added sugar, and pours like ketchup. It’s not a bright magenta, or red like fresh pomegranates, or grenadine; more of a maroon-brown.
It’s very tart and somewhat sweet —prolly nowhere near as sharp as unsweetened passionfruit purée. It reminds me [...]
Hazelnut frosting made from praline spread
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Mmmm, hazelnuts. Hazelnuts ground up and used in fillings for truffles, cakes, ice cream, chocolate spreads like Nutella. Mmmuh.
Hazelnut products aren’t too popular around here (defined as California, United States), which is sad. It’s more difficult to find things like hazelnut pastes and butters. One time I purchased some hazelnut butter, I think it was [...]
I made more cheese.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Chemistry makes everything better!
Adding a bit of acid, i.e., vinegar, made a lot more curds form. Really, dramatically more. More than twice as many curds as last time. This cheese was somewhat firmer and more squeaky. I was relieved that it didn’t taste or smell vinegary at all; its flavor was only slightly tarter (less [...]
Macaroni and cheese: simplified (somewhat)
Monday, 28 January 2008
The search for the ultimate macaroni and cheese never ends. That’s a good thing, too, because it’s fun to try out and taste more dishes made of pasta and cheese.
Tonight’s version was based on the creamy baked mac-and-cheese by Deb of Smitten Kitchen. The main draw was the avoidance of both pre-cooked pasta and cheese [...]
I made cheese.
Monday, 28 January 2008
I always thought cheesemaking was out of reach for a plebe(*) such as myself. Then I saw recipes by Mercedes of Desert Candy and Heidi of 101 Cookbooks, and thought, “Hey, that looks easy.”
(*)Here defined as someone who has only purchased cheese, never made it. Not meant as derogatory, just as an observation.
Well, things didn’t [...]
Chicken marinated in lemon, saffron & yogurt
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Sometimes it’s tricky to find a good chicken kebab. Sometimes too tough or dry. Sometimes bland. A recipe on Chowhound for jujeh kebab looked quite approachable and intriguing. Indeed, the long marination with lemon and yogurt results in a very tender dish. Here is a version with my usual mods and shifts, fit for chicken [...]
Chocolate frosting, with mocha & liquor options
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
I’ve often wondered why yellow cake with chocolate frosting is no longer as popular as it was in my childhood. I love the contrast between a simply flavored (vanilla) sponge and a rich frosting of chocolate or coffee. But when I’m at a bakery, grocery store or restaurant, what I usually see is chocolate cake [...]
