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Tag Archives: recipe

Here's an example of my being a food mutant: I don't like pizza. To clarify: I don't like deep dish pizzas, which are far too soggy. Thin crusts tend to change my mind. I don't like tomato sauces —oh, I love tomatoes, sauces and tomato sauces, but on pizzas the ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Childhood memories of jaw-achingly chewy, hard caramel bits forever stuck to my teeth persisted for a long time. It wasn't until encountering softer, deep flavored examples did I feel that I properly entered the realm of delicious caramel. I've wanted to make caramel sauce, but have been discouraged by my fear ...
Making chocolate chip cookies is easy, and many recipes exist for this Ultimate of Snacks. Mine is a bit more "adult," especially if you're able to find similar ingredients. Darker, more molasses-y brown sugar offers a more deep, almost anise-like flavor (without being too much like licorice, though). Try to ...