I love eating with my hands. Considering my hand-washing compulsion, it’s ironic yet compatible. Combine that with spicy food, and Ethiopian cuisine can winningly satisfy me. Some standbys and favorites: Injera, a teff based flatbread that’s sour, spongey and soft. A good collection of vegetarian dishes, such as kik alicha (yellow split peas), atakilt wot […]
Category Archives: Food
Pizza with chicken, cheese & chutney
Monday, 21 April 2008
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 gloppiness issue crops up again. […]
Basic bread recipe for sandwiches and focaccia (and pizza)
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
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 […]
Local Salvadoran restaurants, pupuserÃas
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]