tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82574509608477412332024-03-12T21:31:51.123-07:00Desserts,Taste Good!showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-43779769473730421662019-01-26T00:13:00.001-08:002019-01-26T00:13:10.395-08:00LA Times Critic Calls Konbi's Food a "Complicated and Delicious Feat"<br />
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Absolutely everyone seems to love Konbi in Echo Park, including the Los Angeles Times. The daytime Japanese sandwich shop earned plenty of shine this week thanks to new Times food critic Patricia Escárcega, who finds herself amused by the delicate and precise dishes inside the 500-square-foot space. She says in her weekly review: Technically precise cooking, made to look easy, is a hallmark of Konbi. The eggplant katsu sandwich gets the most love in the piece, but there's still plenty of room to sing the praises of a well-lit egg salad sandwich held together by an "immeasurably rich dressing" that includes Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise.<br /><br />Indeed, at least part of the appeal of the place for Escárcega seems to be its photographic dominance, as Konbi's well-layered sandos do seem to be clogging social media feeds all over the city. She says: "If you've spent any time scrolling through L.A. food Instagram posts in the last few months, there's a good chance that one [Konbi's Japanese carry-out sandwiches] — cut into neat thirds and stacked, cut-side up, on pretty blue ceramic dishes — has populated your feed."<br /><br />For Times critic number two, it's all about the new Hayat's Kitchen in Hollywood. The longtime North Hollywood staple pushed onto Cahuenga late last year with plans to expand its dinner menu as well as its bakery options, and though the full form of the place has not yet been realized, critic Bill Addison still finds a lot to enjoy.<br /><br />Addison notes adoringly that Hayat's relies on "immaculately fresh beef" for the raw meat standard known as kibbeh nayeh, and says of the fried kibbeh iteration also on the menu: A buzzing fragrance of allspice hits the olfactory system when you break open Fahed and Shatila's version; dip it in unstrained yogurt for cooling contrast. This is my favorite savory dish at Hayat's Kitchen. If I were dining solo I'd order the fried kibbeh alongside, say, some respectable tabbouleh and be content.<br /><br />In total it seems that with just a few months under its belt, Hayat's is still finding its final form. Owner Hassah Shatila promises that housemade pitas and more sweet dishes are on the way, though already the ma'amoul — "soft, patterned cookies stuffed with minced walnuts or, best of all, date paste trilling with orange-blossom water" — are a hit.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-70400227508564886782018-12-28T23:24:00.001-08:002018-12-28T23:24:06.363-08:002018 Was the Year That Netflix Ruled Food TV<br />
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By adopting a ravenous approach to the food world, and relying on fresh voices to tell their stories, the streaming giant ruled the culinary TV game this year<br /><br />"I think one of the main reasons I like Domino's is because I'm being told by the culinary snob patrol that I can't like it,” says David Chang in the pilot of his Netflix series Ugly Delicious. The Momofuku chef/restaurateur is setting up a scene wherein he works a shift as a pie-maker and a delivery driver at America's most popular pizza chain. "It's not something I eat all the time, but it reminds me of growing up — because this is literally the pizza I grew up eating,” Chang says as he enters a suburban Domino's location.<br /><br />In the Domino's kitchen, Chang looks like a kid in a candy store, admiring the toppings bar, the conveyor belt oven, and the digital order-expediting system. "This is very exciting for me to see,” he tells his manager during training, "because this is years and years and years of a lot of people's efforts to make it as streamlined as possible.”<br /><br />By expressing his un-ironic love of Domino's and its delivery operation, one of the most acclaimed chefs of his generation is forcing viewers to rethink their own conceptions of "quality” in the food world. This moment and many others in 2018 helped make Netflix a singular player in the food TV space, one that is broadening the scope of culinary entertainment, and bringing new audiences into the mix with each new release.<br /><br />The company that gave the world the the Upside Down, Zoya the Destroyer, and Hot Santa likes to do things differently than its peers in Hollywood and Silicon Valley. While a lot of food media companies spun off an endless stream of top-down recipe videos and edgier versions of Diners, Drive-In and Dives in 2018, Netflix went in a completely different direction by finding a group of new TV stars and building series around their unique culinary points of view. Meanwhile, the company also quietly amassed a number of excellent non-original food shows to add to its library.<br /><br />With a heady mix of celebrity food crawls, no-nonsense cooking segments, and smart conversations about the legacies of the foods we love, Ugly Delicious got the year off to a roaring start. Queer Eye launched a new kind of celebrity chef in Antoni Porowski, the makeover show's charming and effortlessly cool food expert. Nailed It!, a comedic ode to cake fails with a delightful hosting duo, became a viral sensation. Tim Burton-esque series The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell explored the craft behind show-stopping spooky desserts. The docuseries Rotten turned a seemingly snooze-worthy subject — big agriculture — into a scorching expose about American greed. The Final Table married the international fine dining scene with a high-stakes culinary competition. And Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat introduced TV audiences to the genius of Bay Area chef/author Samin Nosrat. <br /><br />It's an impressive slate for a company that previously only released two original food series: the auteur-obsessed Chef's Table, and the Michael Pollan-starring origins-of-cooking show Cooked. Whereas those shows were serious and borderline-scholarly in nature, the 2018 class of Netflix originals presented a much more democratic approach to the world of food. The message from shows like Ugly Delicious and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, it seems, is that good food is everywhere — in home kitchens, tiny lunch counters, open-air markets, and Michelin-starred restaurants — and the world is a better place when you know about the techniques involved, and, most importantly, who's making it.<br /><br />This eclectic roster of shows is a product of Netflix's unusual production style. Instead of acquiring and creating content to fit demographics — an old TV term used to describe groups of people categorized by age, race, and gender — Netflix aims to appeal to niche audiences that the company refers to "taste clusters.” The biggest hits play across several taste clusters, and build steam as more of these small audience groups discover the shows that embody their specific tastes and interests. Many new Netflix series — take Nailed It! or The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, for example — were rolled out with little fanfare, but became hits as more viewers made a connection to these shows and started spreading the word throughout their social circles.<br /><br />Although most of the best shows usually have a travel element of some sort, there's really no unifying thread to Netflix's 2018 food slate, other than the emphasis on distinctive personalities — and this, too, fits in with the company's master plan for building a bigger audience. "There's no such thing as a ‘Netflix show,'” chief content officer Ted Sarandos recently told New York Magazine. "That as a mind-set gets people narrowed. Our brand is personalization.”<br /><br />Most of Netflix's new food shows were also aligned with the big conversations happening this year regarding diversity and representation. But there were, however, a few missteps along the way. Although the critics generally praised Ugly Delicious, some viewers and publications took issue with the fact that the barbecue episode completely omitted African-American chefs' contributions to the genre. A season of Chef's Table focusing on pastry — a field that is full of lauded female chefs — only included one women out of the four people profiled. Despite its international focus, The Final Table's grand finale focused on two North American chefs and two Australians, all of whom were white men. And the new season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was peppered with gay jokes, as well as a condescending remark about a non-Anglo name, from host Jerry Seinfeld.<br /><br />Taking all of the Netflix original output into consideration, these sour moments are relatively few and far between, and both the company and its creators seem receptive to the feedback. After a few publications (including this one) criticized the Chef's Table series for its tendency to profile white men, the makers of that series announced two new seasons profiling more women and people of color than ever before. And while promoting Ugly Delicious at last year's Code Conference, David Chang also addressed the issues with his show, live on-stage. "I've read every criticism, whether it wasn't inclusive enough through African Americans or through women, I just know that we had one season, and we did our best, and we had no intention of trying to be exclusive,” he told Eater's Amanda Kludt and Recode's Peter Kafka. "And hopefully there's a second season, and we'll be able to do it better.” Chang and his partner Morgan Neville are currently working on that second season.<br /><br />Now that Netflix has established itself as the hottest brand in food TV, its growth may depend on its ability to keep telling more stories that have never been told before. In anticipation of the release of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Nosrat hinted at this idea while pondering the future of her show (though no announcement about a second season has been made yet). "Whatever I do next, I do think that the most meaningful part of this for me was getting the opportunity to work with a lot of different people who are not historically shown on television,” Nosrat told Eater. "Not only people of color, but focusing on home cooks rather than restaurant cooking — focusing on the grannies. Any time I could, I was bringing that kind of stuff in, because I do feel like what we get to see on TV is pretty limited.”<br /><br />In typically secretive fashion, Netflix is keeping much of its upcoming food TV calendar tightly under wraps. But if this year's growth is any indication, there's a good chance that TV audiences will be introduced to a whole new set of people, places, and delicious things in 2019. showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-81241632891626808822018-11-27T18:40:00.002-08:002018-11-27T18:40:19.785-08:00Afyonkarahisar: City of heroic history, delicious food<br />
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Due to its location on the crossroads of favorite holiday destinations, Afyonkarahisar province has always been our stopover point during our car journeys; hence, it was high time for me to get in the car and discover Afyonkarahisar for good. I do not have an eye on its famous sucuk, which is a kind of dry, spicy sausage. Turkish cherry bread pudding was the one that whet my appetite. I still remember the taste of the dessert served with delicious Afyonkarahisar's kaymak, which is a creamy dairy product similar to clotted cream. Lamb kebab, döner and village bread with poppy seeds are other dishes also still haunting my memory. So, let's take a quick visit to Afyon as the weather cools and winter is at the door. Let's rest in its healing thermal waters, eat and drink plenty.<br /><br />We can divide Afyonkarahisar into two sections, new and old. Old Afyonkarahisar is the area where old mansions now run as restaurants and boutique hotels are located. We can also call it the bustling and crowded part of the city. The bazaars and the famous castle of the city are also here. It's perfect for getting lost in the streets and photographing historic buildings.<br /><br /><b>First stop: Afyonkarahİsar Castle</b><br /><br />We can start our visit to the city with Afyonkarahisar Castle. The castle, which has continuously passed through different hands, starting from the Hittites to the Ottoman Empire, was the subject of many legends. Today, we can only see the walls of the castle, located across from the Grand Mosque in the center. To reach the castle, you need to climb 1,000 stairs. The food in Afyonkarahisar so delicious that the idea of doing a little exercise by climbing up to the castle doesn't sound so bad. An endless Afyonkarahisar view is waiting for you on the hill. The entrance to the castle is free. Afterward, you can take a breather in the old mansions that have now been converted into cafes or eat gözleme, a flat bread filled with meat, spinach or cheese. Both the stairs and the fresh air tend to make people hungry.<br /><br /><b>Where Great Offensive started</b><br /><br />Apart from the thermal hotels, Kocatepe is often the place visited first. You will have an interesting experience if you go with a guide to the place where the Great Offensive was kicked off on Aug. 26, 1922 by Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In almost every city, there is a grand mosque. This one is known as the Mosque of 40 Pillars, as it was built on a total of 40 wooden pillars. You can visit the mosque dating back to the Seljuk period between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.<br /><br />Afyonkarahisar Mevlevi lodge is one of the oldest ones in Anatolia. Afyonkarahisar has become an important center of the Mevlevi order. The Mevlevi lodge, which is thought to have been built in the 13th century, was restored in 2008 after having survived many fires and was put into service as a museum. There are dervish rooms, kitchens and cemeteries in its garden. You can visit the museum free of charge.<br /><br /><b>Journey to the past</b><br /><br />You can visit Anıtpark, which was erected in the memory of the city's salvation from Greek occupation in 1936.<br /><br />Triumphal Museum next to the government office was used by Atatürk as headquarters during the Great Offensive. It is open during working hours.<br /><br />If you are interested in antiquities, there is also an archaeological museum with a rich collection. It is open every day but Mondays.<br /><br />Çeşmeli Konak (mansion with a fountain) is also the first special museum and serves as a culture and art center.<br /><br /><b>Pastries, sucuk, kaymak and more</b><br /><br />Afyonkarahisar definitely deserves a gastronomy tour; moreover, its cuisine offers much more than the bread pudding, kaymak and sucuk, which I mentioned in the beginning.<br /><br />Everyone has heard of İkbal Restaurant, which was founded in 1922. It has two branches: One is on the main road, while the other is in the center. In general, vacationers take a break on the road; however, the taste of the restaurant in the center is different. Its tandır is delicious. Do not forget to leave space for cherry bread pudding.<br /><br />Have you ever tried sucuk döner? It is a dish you should absolutely try in Afyonkarahisar, and the best place to eat it is Gamze Döner. Don't forget to order some foamy handmade ayran, Turkey's famous yogurt drink, with it.<br /><br />Almost everyone has visited Şefika Aunt's house in the village of Ayazini. She is also famous and was on nearly every television channel. Her gözleme with potatoes, cheese, spinach and mixed ingredients are very tasty. She grows the products she uses in her own field.<br /><br />Aşçı Bacaksız (Chef Bacaksız), which has been serving since 1840, is now one of the cornerstones of the city. You should stop by to try famous its lamb kebab, which takes three days to prepare.<br /><br />Salim Chef was a cook at the palace in the past. His grandchildren run the restaurant, which was named after him in the grand bazaar in the center. In the restaurant, you can try dishes like tandır and güveç kavurma.<br /><br />If you want to take some cherry bread pudding home, visit Aftat. They pack it so well that it will reach your home still ready to eat.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-73902644222723241562018-10-25T18:42:00.003-07:002018-10-25T18:42:53.567-07:00Here's exactly what to eat when you're getting over food poisoning<br />
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One second you're enjoying some food from your favorite takeout spot, and the next you're logging your best running time yet while frantically searching for the nearest toilet. Anyone who's ever experienced food poisoning—which is caused by food that's been contaminated with bacteria or other infectious organisms—knows it's all sorts of miserable. And the recovery process is anything but easy-breezy. Rather, it's a full-time job looking searching vetting the proper food for upset stomach.<br /><br />A couple hours after eating contaminated food, the wave of nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea hits like a brick. Then as you're getting over it—which can take days—the sheer thought of food can be traumatic: something you ate just caused you a whole lot of pain, and no one wants to experience round two. Because of that, there are some rules to keep in mind in order to ensure your stomach stays happy.<br /><br />First, skip out on eating things that can upset your stomach even more—including dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, and anything that's high in fat or highly-seasoned, says the Mayo Clinic. The Oregon Clinic also recommends avoiding any raw veggies, citrus fruits, or hot or cold beverages, which can also make your symptoms worse. Once you start adding foods back into your diet, it's best to go for bland options that are easy for your body to digest, such as saltine crackers, bananas, toast, and rice. On top of that, it's also recommended to replace any fluids you've lost by slowly sipping on water, as well as options like apple juice, weak tea, and vegetable broth.<br /><br />As long as you take things slow and don't get fancy with your food, your body will be able to get the sustenance it needs to recover. Unfortunately, that means ditching avocados and matcha lattes—at least for a while. showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-59670491001673143282018-09-25T00:29:00.003-07:002018-09-25T00:29:44.190-07:005 Ingredients for Health: Starting with Food<br />
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On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dr. Robert Graham—board-certified physician and founder of FRESHMed NYC—combines mainstream medical practices with therapies inspired by ancient wisdom: an integrative model of medicine. "My dad was a biochemist, so I grew up in this integrative model. One of the things that really stood out is my mom was distrustful about the conventional Western model. She still thinks she's the only doctor in the house, because food is such a powerful medicine, especially from her culture," said Graham.<br /><br />You can listen to Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg on Apple iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music or wherever you consume your podcasts. While you're listening, subscribe, rate and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback.<br /><br />"I realized there had to be some new model of healthcare that honors the ancient wisdom or traditional medicine approach and incorporated, safely and effectively, into the conventional medical model," explained Graham. In 2016, Graham started FRESH Med, an integrative health and wellness center. Through his practice, he aims to address the root causes of today's diseases, rather than the symptoms of them, with traditional medical methods such as yoga, meditation, and healthy food. "I'm just a new messenger of an old story," said Graham.<br /><br />At Graham's practice, however, science supports every treatment. "My three pillars of what I do, from food, to meditation, to positive psychology—whatever I recommend—I always tell all my patients: it has to be safe, effective, and evidence-based. That's what we call science," said Graham.<br /><br />Food is Graham's first ingredient for health at the practice: plant-based diets can cure diseases for patients and the planet. In 2013, Graham created Victory Greens, the first edible organic garden on a rooftop hospital that provided patients with healthy food. Graham also recently completed culinary training and has taught more than 200 healthcare workers and medical residents how to prepare healthy meals—inspired by his belief that if doctors have healthy habits, their patients will too. "The best thing you can do for your health is cook your own food," said Graham.<br /><br />With five new ingredients for health—food, relaxation, exercise, sleep and happiness—Graham is seeking to place the tools for healing directly in the hands of patients facing disease. "I don't believe hospitals are where health begins; it happens in our communities, our homes, our kitchens, and our gyms," said Graham.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-36308403448291409882018-08-28T00:02:00.001-07:002018-08-28T00:02:09.909-07:00Easy ways to reduce your food waste<br />
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The week-long Eid Al Adha holidays have come to an end and people all over have shown the precarious symptom of being unable to find the will to go back to work. Many decided to travel; some expats flew back to their home countries, while the rest stayed back in Oman and enjoyed the long holidays with their friends and family here.<br /><br />Festival holidays are always special, as you know there is always something to look forward to. Celebrations galore, new clothes, exchange of gifts, and of course the delicious food that you always overeat, which can send you into a food coma for the next couple of hours. During these nine days, Oman did not just celebrate Eid Al Adha, but the Indian expats from Kerala also celebrated their harvest festival, Onam. The celebrations are as grand and large for both festivals. They involve new clothes and lots and lots of food. While during Eid, the meal is meat-heavy with shuwas and biryanis, Onam is associated with the sadhya, which is a number of vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf.<br /><br />However, what follows after savouring the sumptuous meal is what people fail to ponder over. Huge quantities of food are prepared, a lot of it eaten, but a lot more goes to waste. According to Be'ah, Oman Environment Services Holding Company, food accounts for 27 per cent of municipal waste and its cost is estimated to be OMR57 million in a year. The amount of food is generally higher during festivals, especially Ramadan and Eid.<br /><br />It's not just in homes that we find food being wasted in painful portions; it's the same in restaurants too. Food wastage is a huge problem that needs to be looked into. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), every year, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted. This is equivalent to the amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. <br /><br />But for those who wish to consciously reduce the amount of food they are wasting at home, there are some easy ways that may just lead to saving kilograms of food. Cook less and count the number of people you are preparing the food for instead of cooking in bulk. Make sure you look at the expiry date on products before buying them and use them before they expire. Avoid impulse buys and always keep a grocery list that you will stick to.<br /><br />Most importantly, make use of your leftovers. There are many innovative ways to use leftovers that you can find on YouTube and prepare a delicious meal for yourself. Every time you have the urge to waste some food on your plate, remember there are thousands of people starving in different parts of the world without even one square meal. In fact, one in every seven people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of five die daily from hunger.<br /><br />It is also up to hotels and restaurants to adapt sustainable practices that help in stopping/avoiding the mass wastage of food. Certain hotels in the country resort to methods such as recycling and reusing leftovers in innovating ways. Excess food is quite often recycled to the staff cafes. Hotel chains have even urged charities to focus on food wasted in hotels and restaurants and redistribute them among those in need.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-84163937641920313632018-07-24T00:39:00.001-07:002018-07-24T00:39:18.479-07:00World chefs gather to tackle issue of food waste<br />
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If you have ever thrown out food because it's started to spoil, or left food on your plate uneaten because you were too full or didn't like the taste of it, then you - like many others, myself included - have been guilty of food waste.<br /><br />Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted before it ends up on the table.<br /><br />Food loss is food that's spoilt before it reaches the retail stage. Food waste is food that's fit for consumption but not consumed and discarded.<br /><br />In a world where one out of nine people goes hungry, reducing the amount of food waste can be said to be a moral imperative.<br /><br />And when you factor in the greenhouse gases emitted by food that ends up in the landfill, then it becomes an issue of sustainability as well.<br /><br />The World Association of Chefs Societies, or Worldchefs, is tackling this issue head-on, through Feed the Planet, a Worldchefs initiative run in partnership with Electrolux and AIESEC.<br /><br />At the Worldchefs Congress in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, Chris Koetke, chairman of Feed the Planet, told an audience of chefs and culinary students, "If you can improve your bottomline through looking at food waste and improve things on the planet, why wouldn't you?"<br /><br />Feed the Planet has launched what's called the Food Waste Challenge - a plan that encourages chefs worldwide to start measuring the amount wasted from their kitchens, and make a commitment to cut the mountain of discarded food.<br /><br />"Those of us in white coats - we cook a lot of food; we use a lot of energy; we use a lot of water; we make a lot of waste," said Koetke.<br /><br />"So we have a responsibility to the larger society, to the planet, to make sure we're doing well in each of those categories."<br /><br />ReTaste, a pop-up, not-for-profit restaurant in the Swedish capital of Stockholm takes the concept of reducing food waste one step further.<br /><br />Twice a week, ReTaste serves up seven-course meals using mostly produce that would otherwise have been thrown out by supermarkets. <br /><br />It's a collaboration between two companies, Retired Hen, a food sustainability consultancy, and Pauls Kok, a restaurant.<br /><br />In an on-site demonstration at the Worldchefs Congress, ReTaste chef Christopher Ekman whipped up some dishes using produce given by local supermarkets. His menu included pasta made from stale bread that had been ground down and then mixed with flour, eggs and salt.<br /><br />Ruth Osborne, cofounder of Retired Hen, had a message for her audience: "You make incredible food out of premium products. And … if you use your imagination, take those skills, you can also make incredible meals out of less than premium products. And teach people that actually, they're valuable and worth the enjoyment."<br /><br />My takeaway from Worldchefs Congress is this: we all have a part to play in reducing food waste - whether it's finishing the food on your plate, or consuming that misshapen fruit.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-65982677257064794442018-06-23T00:26:00.001-07:002018-06-23T00:26:55.876-07:007 delicious foods you never thought to grill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sure, hamburgers and barbecued chicken are backyard grill staples. But for a special side dish—or even an unexpected main course—you can put your gas or charcoal grill to work! From a crispy sandwich to "grilled guacamole," we've got a bunch of unique grilling ideas to help you make the most of your next cookout.<br />
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<b>1. Flatbread</b><br />
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By now you probably know you can cook a pizza on your grill. (Seriously—it's so good. These 15 ways to make pizza on the grill will prove our point!) But have you ever made a flatbread? Here's a recipe for Grilled Cheese & Tomato Flatbread that brings together the best of smoky grilled pizza with creamy cheese and bright garden-fresh tomatoes. Yum!<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: Keep your eyes on your flatbread at all times. It will go from lightly browned to burned faster than you can say "Parmesan."<br />
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<b>2. Grilled cheese</b><br />
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Let's say you're craving a grilled cheese—you know, something like our Best-Ever Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Did you know you can make grilled cheese, literally on the grill? (It's called a "grilled" cheese after all!) Simply build your sandwich, and place it directly on the grill grate to toast, the same way you'd toast a hamburger bun. Be sure to use thick slices of bread and plenty of butter.<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: As with flatbread, this baby browns up rapidly. Keep your eyes on the grill; don't let it cook for more than a minute before lifting it up with a spatula to check on it. You might even want to consider using a copper grill mat since the cheese gets good and drippy.<br />
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<b>3. Quesadillas</b><br />
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If you think about it, what are quesadillas but a Mexican-style grilled cheese? It stands to reason that you can grill up a classic quesadilla just like you would a traditional grilled cheese sandwich. Here's a recipe for Grilled Caprese Quesadillas to get you started, but once you get the hang of grilling quesadillas, you can improvise with the ingredients!<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: You can place the quesadilla directly on the grates, but might consider using a copper grill mat. You could also consider using a parchment paper sheet. Just make sure the temperature on the grill doesn't go higher than 400° F.<br />
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<b>4. Fajitas</b><br />
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It's no surprise that you can cook the meat for your fajitas on the grill. But you can cook your veggies over an open flame, too. Simply slice 'em into one-inch strips (so they won't fall through the grates), toss with oil and grill over direct heat for six to 10 minutes (or until crisp-tender and slightly blackened). For skinnier vegetable slices, you can place an oven-safe skillet over direct heat, and with the grill cover open, sauté those peppers and onions as you would over the stove.<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: You might lose fewer veggies if you place them on a…wait for it…cooling rack! It needs to be all metal, oven-safe and able to withstand the heat of your grill. It will keep those veggies from falling through, and when you're done cooking, pick the rack up (wearing an oven mitt, of course) and serve!<br />
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<b>5. Anything in a cast iron skillet</b><br />
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Literally anything you can make in a cast-iron skillet can be made in that same cast-iron skillet on your outdoor grill. For example, how about this Southwestern Spaghetti? Or a tangy Lemon Pepper Tilapia? It's also easy to use your grill for baking, especially when it has a temperature gauge. Both the Fudge Brownie Pie and German Apple Pancake are real crowd-pleasers!<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: When using your cast-iron skillet on the grill, you're getting the best of both your oven and your stove. When a recipe calls for pre-heating your cast-iron, simply do so on the grill with the cover closed (as if it were your oven).<br />
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<b>6. Fruits</b><br />
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Maybe you've tried grilled peaches and realized how wonderfully sweet the fruit gets on the grill. Just about any summer fruit can benefit from a little heat. Start by grilling pineapple with brown sugar (it's heaven!) or mangoes for a Grilled Mango & Avocado Salad.<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: Fruit is another great opportunity for using a cooling rack or grill basket. Be sure to spray it lightly with oil to keep things from sticking.<br />
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<b>7. Avocado</b><br />
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But wait…there's more! Why stop at the grilled mango for your Mango & Avocado Salad? Go ahead and grill up that avocado, too. Just cut them in half, remove the seed, brush with fresh lemon or lime juice and olive oil and grill them cut-side down for two to three minutes. For anyone who loves avocados, you'll want to give this recipe for Grilled Guacamole a whirl.<br />
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Test Kitchen Tip: When grilling avocado, keep in mind that it's a delicate fruit. It's important to brush it (or spray it) with oil to prevent sticking.<br />
<br />showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-89567875084558143302018-05-25T19:13:00.001-07:002018-05-25T19:13:29.509-07:00Obese people enjoy food less than lean people – new study<br />
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Global obesity rates have risen sharply over the past three decades, leading to spikes in diabetes, arthritis and heart disease. The more we understand the causes of obesity and how to prevent it, the better.<br /><br />We are interested in understanding reward-driven eating. Laboratory experiments have shown that obese people are less rewarded by food than people who are lean. We wanted to know if this held true when people were in a more natural environment – that is, going about their everyday lives.<br /><br />For our study, we developed a smartphone app to record spontaneous patterns of food wanting and liking as they occurred.<br /><br />The participants used the app to score the intensity (on a scale of 0 to 10) of how much they wanted food whenever the thought of food popped into their head, regardless of whether they then ate or not. If they did eat, they rated the intensity of how much they liked their food (0 to 10), straight after eating. The app also recorded the time the participants ate and how long they took to eat.<br /><br />Participants used the app continuously for two weeks. They also completed a questionnaire about their food cravings and attitudes to food, and had their various measurements taken (such as height, weight and body composition).<br /><br />We grouped the participants according to their body fat. Of the 53 participants, 20 were a healthy weight and 33 were obese. Our analysis showed that obese participants reported slightly fewer food-wanting events per day – an average of five, compared with six in the healthy weight group. <br /><br />Both groups resisted about the same proportion of food-wanting (30%) events. And the duration of meal times was about the same: about 18 minutes.<br /><br />The intensity of the obese group's food wanting was not significantly different from the healthy weight group's food wanting, showing that obese people don't have more frequent or intense food-wanting episodes.<br /><br />However, obese participants reported significantly less intense food liking than healthy weight participants, revealing that they enjoyed or were rewarded less by the food they ate. There was a strong correlation between wanting events and craving traits measured by the questionnaire, which was not seen in healthy weight participants. Thus, obese participants showed that their decision to eat was strongly driven by cravings and not by hunger.<br /><br />In the healthy weight group, the intensity of wanting food when people resisted temptation was less than when wanting was followed by eating, as one might expect. And the scores for liking were high after eating. This suggests that, in people with healthy weights, the decision to eat or not to eat is based on the intensity of wanting, and that food enjoyment supported the decision to eat.<br /><br />This pattern, however, was not seen in the obese group. Their decision to eat, or not, didn't seem to be driven by conscious wanting intensity, and their food satisfaction did not support their decision to eat. Emotional motivation in connection with cravings seems to be more influential in eating decisions in obese people than in healthy weight people.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-47540762617402520342018-04-23T19:27:00.002-07:002018-04-23T19:29:08.348-07:00Simple, Delicious Food For The Intermediate Days Of Passover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Cooking's Just Begun — Pesach Part 2 And Healthy New Snacks To Pack For Play and Work<br />
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The Passover Seders are over and it's time to replenish your refrigerator. But don't fret: if you try my quick and easy fish ideas, you'll be out of the kitchen before you finish that last cup of coffee.<br />
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<b>Fish Cakes</b><br />
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Use your own favorite croquette recipe with binder of choice. Use some of your fresh leftover herbs and mince into very small, chewable pieces.<br />
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I use Dagim tuna, fresh salmon that I grind or even fresh white fishes like flounder. To make it very simple, use any brand of gefilte fish. I use both Ossie's Fish and Raskin's Fish logs, both available in my neighborhood. Slice logs into pieces.<br />
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However you choose, bake mini cakes, slices or even ball-shaped cakes until golden brown on both sides and fully cooked on the inside.<br />
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Serve with your favorite condiments — I like to make a fruit salsa and a lemon, garlic, dill sauce.<br />
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<b>Strawberry Rhubarb Salsa</b><br />
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1 Bag frozen bodek frozen strawberries and rhubarb, thawed and drained<br />
1/2 box fresh strawberries, cut in quarters<br />
1 Small red onion, diced<br />
1 Yellow or orange pepper, seeded and diced<br />
1 small Jalapeño Pepper, seeded and diced<br />
Fresh parsley, finely chopped<br />
Salt and pepper to Taste<br />
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Mix all ingredients together, let settle together in refrigerator at least 1 hour.<br />
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<b>Lemon Garlic Dill Sauce</b><br />
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1 Cup mayonnaise of choice (full, low fat)<br />
2 lemons squeezed for juice and some zest<br />
1 cube gefen garlic<br />
1 cube gefen dill<br />
A taste of sweetener of choice<br />
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Blend together and refrigerate for at least one hour until ingredients to settle together.<br />
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<b>Pack Those Healthy Snacks — Three New Products I Love</b><br />
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I can't keep enough of these products on my shelves. The children are even grabbing them, preferring these treats to the traditional goodies they enjoyed previously. All are available online as well.<br />
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Fruits By Pesha Dehydrated Fruits<br />
Sea Castle Seaweed Snacks<br />
Fresh From The Heart Cookies<br />
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<b>And A Tip….</b><br />
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Now is the perfect time to make your lists of what you need, what you want and what is readily available. For example, I need two new pillow case covers, as my nephews wanted me to give them mine as their afikomen gifts.<br />
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I also need a bigger food processor and some more dairy cooking utensils. Make these lists now and also put them in a very visible place so that when you start unpacking next year you have time to purchase and tovel before the holiday.<br />
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Also, now is a great time to stock up on coconut and almond flours, ketchup made without corn syrup, new bottles of spices and many kosher spirits and wines.<br />
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Take advantage of the competitive prices and availability. Also support Made in Israel goods and foods, especially those manufactured in facilities boycotted by the BDS Movement.<br />
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Have a fun and relaxing Chol Hamoed!<br />
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<br />showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-7001415516743914592018-03-22T22:43:00.002-07:002018-03-22T22:43:26.130-07:00New friendships, delicious food at Eagle's Trace: Culinary pros mentor students from Cordon Cool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since 2005, residents and employees of Eagle's Trace have carried forth a proud tradition of giving back to the greater Houston area.<br />
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In 2017 alone, they volunteered more than 35,000 hours on campus and in the surrounding community, serving local schools as mentors and creating partnerships with nonprofits such as the Houston Cannery.<br />
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That spirit of service is continuing in 2018 as the culinary professionals of Eagle's Trace enjoyed a unique opportunity to share their talents and expertise with a group of students from the Cordon Cool Cooking School.<br />
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The Cordon Cool Cooking School is one of the newest programs offered by The Next Step Academy, a day treatment program specially designed to meet the educational needs of individuals with developmental delays, specifically individuals with autism spectrum disorders. There are two Houston-area locations, one just north of the Heights and another in Sugar Land.<br />
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On Feb. 22, executive chef Donald Mutin Sr., along with sous chef Keesha Oldham and lead cook Adam Perkey, hosted six students from Cordon Cool for an exclusive, hands-on cooking demonstration in the kitchen of the Garden Room Restaurant located at the Erickson Living retirement community.<br />
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Together, they prepared a popular signature dining dish enjoyed by residents of Eagle's Trace: marinated lamb chops with rosemary potatoes and a lamb mint demi-glace, served with a chocolate black bean budino cake.<br />
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"The students were incredible. We worked with them on fundamentals of the culinary profession, such as proper measuring and mixing of ingredients, portioning, baking and garnishing of the finished dish," said Mutin, who has more than 25 years of experience in the dining industry in the United States and Asia.<br />
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"To be involved with the students of the Cordon Cool Cooking School is one of the highlights of my culinary career," Mutin said. "As a teenager, I benefitted from the mentorship of many skilled chefs, even the great Emeril Lagasse when I was the sous chef at the Commander's Palace. So I understand the value of these rewarding partnerships and consider it a true privilege to spend time with these amazing young adults."<br />
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Those who attended the session from the Next Step Academy agreed, including Lauren Harrington Abel, the school's founder. She said that "it was so encouraging to see the staff of Eagle's Trace willing to meet our students where they are, without judgment or preconceived expectations. They seemed to have as much fun with us as we did with them. We need more partnerships like this in order to help children with autism become productive members of our communities."<br />
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Barbara Haney's son Bobby participated in the session. Haney is the creator of the Cordon Cool program.<br />
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"Our visit to Eagle's Trace marked the first time our students enjoyed the wonderful opportunity to visit a commercial kitchen and experience the real-life, day-to-day activities of a professional culinary team," she said. "These experiences are invaluable to creating relationships with professionals in the industry throughout Houston. Our ultimate mission is to create future employment opportunities for our students."showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-2513853474904878632018-01-26T17:24:00.002-08:002018-01-26T17:24:28.242-08:00Taste Buds: Pennsylvania Dutch Market — eat delicious food with old people <br />
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When I entered the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in Hagerstown, I was interested in how the place compares to the Amish Market in Germantown, which is practically an institution. On Saturdays, the Germantown Amish Market looks like the United Nations — if the United Nations involved constantly bumping into people and waiting forever for fried chicken.<br /><br />I went to the market during a non-peak time of Thursday afternoon, but it seemed the building had a wider walking path that prevented the bumper-to-bumper traffic of Germantown. Also, the Dutch Market in Hagerstown accepts credit cards for all of the stations, including the pretzel stand, where in Germantown, I would be required to count the coins in my hand like a pauper.<br /><br />But traffic patterns and credit cards are nothing compared with the actual taste of the food. Thanks to my coworkers, I had a list of items I absolutely had to try. Slippery chicken pot pie, sticky buns, apple dumplings and hog maws were highly recommended. Hog maws, which are made from a pig's stomach, was something I knew I would never try — but I didn't tell them that.<br /><br />Fortunately, I did find slippery chicken pot pie from the Farmer's Cookhouse. For the $6.99 combo, I chose baked corn as a side, but I was confused about my second choice. I asked the server, and he suggested Triple Beans, which includes lima beans. Now, I hate lima beans with a passion. They taste like nasty paste full of everything that is wrong with the world.<br /><br />I was offered a sample, however, and I immediately fell in love with the sauce in which the side was drenched. I asked another server, who was so young I tried to ignore my understanding of child labor laws, who told me what was in the sauce. This is just a paraphrase, but she pretty much told me the Triple Beans sauce is basically a lot of sugar and ketchup. So there you have it folks: Sometimes, it's better not to know.<br /><br />I took my soupy tray of food along with a bag full of desserts like a whoopie pie, sticky bun, shoofly pie and apple dumpling. I planned to share a dessert feast later, but I did get a cinnamon sugar pretzel and ice coffee to eat with my meal.<br /><br />From the first bite, the slippery chicken pot pie tasted like someone giving me a warm hug from the inside. There's no crust, but the doughy pieces provided all the carbs I needed. The baked corn reminded me of mac n' cheese, with corn. The cheesy top layer and the creaminess below was delicious. I could honestly eat baked corn as a main dish. The Triple Beans were enjoyable to eat as well, but I'm pretty sure I could have tossed the beans out and just eaten the sauce.<br /><br />Hours later, I realized that Triple Beans might as well be called Triple Farts. And so I beg of you: Make sure you place distance between yourself and the people you love after eating this food.<br /><br />I may not order Triple Beans again, but I didn't regret getting a cinnamon sugar pretzel. If someone told me I could only buy one item from the Amish Market, I would choose a Dutch Twist Pretzel because you can get everything you need in one pretzel. If you want something that is savory that you could substitute as a meal, get a pretzel roll that's filled with delicious meat. If you want a dessert, get a cinnamon raisin pretzel and stuff your face with icing.<br /><br />Pretzels are the one thing in Germantown that I feel is better than the facility in Hagerstown. Because Germantown is so crowded on Saturday, pretzel batches are constantly made, meaning a hot pretzel straight from the oven is almost always available. I thought I would be disappointed with my room temperature cinnamon sugar pretzel in Hagerstown, but I was pleasantly surprised that the flavorful interplay of butter, soft, chewy pretzel, and cinnamon sugar was still there. I recommend if you have the discipline, wait until you get home to heat up the pretzel.<br /><br />Here's a quick rundown on Dutch desserts: Whoopie pies taste like huge swiss cake rolls made of love. The apple dumplings are delicious, but I wish there were more apples and a little less dumplings. I have no idea what Shoofly pie is (is it caramel filling? Why do the pie crumbs taste like powder?), but despite my confusion, Google cleared everything up when it told me that Shoofly is made with molasses, and that didn't stop me from finishing my dessert.<br /><br />Overall, when you go to the Pennsylvania Dutch Market, be adventurous and don't worry about making a little mess.<br /><br />Imade Borha can't cook rice and once burnt Top Ramen, but she is the adventurous foodie her friends rely on. She's ordered fried chicken through bullet proof glass and ate at a bowling alley that hosts Questlove every month. She believes food doesn't have to be pretentious or pricey for it to be good.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-65617431023404171932017-12-28T21:42:00.002-08:002017-12-28T21:42:13.001-08:00These Are The 5 Food Trends Expected To Dominate In 2018<br />
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Following the cycle of trend has always been a fickle business. One minute, your jeans are tight and slung low around your hips, and your phone is smaller than an amoeba's pinky. Next minute, you're traipsing around town in sock-less loafers, attempting to trap imaginary creatures with a phone the size of a tablet. <br /><br />Your food choices are no different. What you eat is also dictated by the ebb and flow of trend that has a unique ability to influence our choices, and fill our plates with unique tastes and textures, at a blink-and-you'll-miss-it pace.<br /><br />This year saw us tucking into tacos stuffed with fermented vegetables, salads made from seaweed, and non-alcoholic beverages. Next year, according to Clint Jaeger, Executive Chef of Seventeen in Sydney, will see a deepening of our understanding of food, and a larger focus on plating aesthetic. <br /><br />Here are five food trends you're sure to be sampling in 2018, that will make for a very appetizing and appealing year ahead. <br /><br /><b>1. Regionality</b><br />Most of the venues on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list boast a strong loyalty to showcasing regional food in a very distinctive way. As such, in 2018, consumers will be prone to seeking gourmet experiences which speak of a region's heritage, and highlight local produce. <br /><br />"Diners have become more and more willing to travel the world to taste a region on a plate," Jaeger says. "As such, we'll be seeing more and more chefs reverting back to local cuisine and cooking techniques to illustrate a region's uniqueness."<br /><br /><b>2. Flowers</b><br /><br />Micro greens have long been a chef's go-to for adding a little panache to a plate. Next year, however, plates will be abloom with the added colour of edible flowers. <br /><br />"They don't really add any flavor to the plate but they certainly add a dose of color, which is very appealing to the eye, making for a more holistic dining experience," Jaeger says. <br /><br /><b>3. Sustainability</b><br /><br />Moving on from marbling and gavage (or the final fattening phase of live stock for dishes such as foie gras), savvy diners will be seeking humane food experiences that promote sustainability. Think pasture-fed meats, farm-raised eggs, and supporting smaller producers who adhere to the ethical treatment of livestock. <br /><br />"Diners no longer want to see cruelty on a plate," Jaeger says. "This year will definitely see a surge in consumers wanting to know that the proteins they consume have had a good life." <br /><br /><b>4. Unique seasonings</b><br /><br />In his kitchen, Jaeger bakes and grinds kumamoto oyster shells to season his Pillows Angasi dish. <br /><br />Others take to stripping the bark off of native trees, or foraging the earth for insects that harbor interesting tastes. The use of unique seasoning will boom in 2018 and their consumption will no longer be an experience solely for the courageous. <br /><br />"We look at food differently nowadays," Jaeger says. "And the use of, say, ants that taste like lemongrass, or bark with a bitter coffee scent, will only further the authenticity of a dish."<br /><br /><b>5. Gold</b><br /><br />Forget rainbow bagels, and multicolored cream cheese. Next year, the road to culinary indulgence this year will be paved in gold, with desserts and fixings boasting gold leaf inclusions, glittery condiments, and a dusting of 24-karat indulgence. <br /><br />"Next year will be all about eating healthy and wealthy," Jaeger says. "Being able to consume gold is not a new technique but it will certainly pique the interests of those who like to sample the finer things in life."showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-64146574569312398372017-11-27T17:51:00.002-08:002017-11-27T17:51:28.327-08:00The Dish: Cameron's Seafood serves up hot, delicious food to go<br />
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Seafood where I come from is usually either a luxury or a gamble. In the middle of Texas, you have the white tablecloths of high-end establishments and the questionable quality of a fast food drive-through. Quality mid-range options are few and far between.<br /><br />Finding an affordable, casual seafood option in the Frederick location of Cameron's Seafood was a treat for my wife and me. That it's a carryout place is even better.<br /><br />As a physical space, Cameron's offers a clean counter and waiting area with a large glass display case full of fresh fish and shellfish. But the food is all made for takeout to enjoy at home, or at least somewhere else. There's no noisy dining room, no wait to be seated, no tables at all.<br /><br />Cameron's menu is straightforward but expansive without being intimidating. They've got fish and shellfish, with options for broiled or fried. The latter can be ordered on a sandwich. Platters and sandwiches come with classic sides like french fries, hush puppies and mac and cheese.<br /><br />That's where the choices stop being easy. Cameron's fish and shellfish selections rival most seafood markets. On the broiled side of the menu, customers can pick between rainbow trout, swordfish, mahi mahi, flounder, stuffed flounder and Chilean Sea Bass, in addition to standards like tuna, shrimp and salmon. For fried options, Cameron's also has croaker, whiting, ocean perch, black bass, softshell crab, haddock and others.<br /><br />Platters range in price from $9.99 to $19.99, depending on which fish you choose, and include rice and steamed vegetables. I opted for the high-end of the range and took home the Broiled Ultimate Platter, which includes three pieces of tilapia, and a crab cake along with broiled shrimp and scallops, all atop a large serving of rice and vegetables. In an enjoyable albeit excessive addition, I ordered a cup of crab gumbo as well.<br /><br />The fish preparation is pretty straightforward: broiled with garlic and Old Bay seasoning.<br /><br />Cameron's was appreciably able to accommodate my wife's celiac disease and hyper-sensitivity to gluten, dairy and many spices. She ordered the broiled Chilean Sea Bass and was pleased with the large piece of fish flakey and buttery enough to taste good without any seasoning.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-1713682915956568162017-10-24T19:47:00.003-07:002017-10-24T19:47:29.577-07:00Visit Mulkey's for delicious old-fashioned meals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's all in the family. That's what great about Mulkey's Restaurant in Rock Island.<br /><br />Change is only good when something needs to be changed, and nothing needs to be changed here. Mulkey's has been owned by the same family for over 60 years.<br /><br />When you enter the dining room, there is no doubt that this place is family-owned and has family pride. Photos of four generations of Mulkey men — Bob, Chuck, Ryan and Charlie — are hanging on the wall. Each photo looks the same — white shirt, black bow tie, mustache and goatee — with the exception of the youngest Mulkey, who broke tradition by not sporting a mustache and goatee in his photo, which was taken several years ago when he was 3.<br /><br />Bob Mulkey and his wife, Alice, opened Mulkey's in 1957. Bob had a cousin who worked for Tri City Equipment and sold Henny Penny Chicken Fryers, which were first introduced commercially in 1957. He convinced Bob to buy one, and a franchise was born.<br /><br />Henny Penny Chicken Fryers employ a form of pressure cooking — the meat and cooking oil are brought to a high temperature, allowing the food to cook more quickly. Very few Henny Penny franchises are left in the United States, and only the franchises can use the original Henny Penny breading mix that gives this chicken an old-school taste. You know a restaurant is a Henny Penny Chicken franchise when you see the Henny Penny Chicken wearing glasses on the marquee.<br /><br />Chuck came back from college in 1971 to work in the family business alongside his mother after Bob died unexpectedly. Chuck got his start in the business breading chicken when he was 11 years old.<br /><br />Chuck's youngest son, Ryan, began pouring gelatin and peeling potatoes at the restaurant when he was 10. Ryan returned home from college to work at Mulkey's when Alice passed away. Ryan is now in his 18th year at the restaurant, and Chuck continues to work a couple of days a week.<br /><br />Part of the charm of Mulkey's is the staff. The night manager, Joe, has been there 38 years, and the morning cook, Tammy, has been there 42 years. Between 80 percent to 90 percent of the employees are from four families, some on their third generation. Many of the customers are greeted by name when they enter, and it is easy to feel at home here.<br /><br />Mulkey's is known for its breakfast and lunch selections, in addition to dinner choices. The breakfast menu has all of our favorites: eggs, omelettes, Denver scramble, country-fried steak, buttermilk pancakes, and biscuits and gravy. We wish we lived around the corner so we could walk over for breakfast on a whim.<br /><br />Tammy's skillet, consisting of scrambled eggs with ham and sausage over fried potatoes topped with cheese, is first on our list.<br /><br />The salad menu has great-sounding choices, including a raspberry chicken salad. You can order a variety of sandwiches, including some unique ones like a grilled turkey Reuben, Texas burger, and a blue cheese burger. A low-cal plate and vegetarian sandwich are available for those watching their waistlines.<br /><br />We were hungry for old-fashioned home cooking, so we decided the area of the menu for us was Mulkey's Features. It was hard to choose, so we ordered all three: Henny Penny Chicken, a whole catfish and a hot roast beef sandwich. All entrees come with a choice of salad or homemade soup, choice of potato, and a roll with butter.<br /><br />We had to have the Henny Penny Chicken first. Do not confuse this chicken with fried chicken, it isn't fried; it is broasted. Broasted chicken is pressure-fried, a process that yields a more tender and better-tasting product. This chicken is crispy on the outside, but juicy on the inside.<br /><br />The four pieces of white and dark meat chicken were a bargain for $8.25. We had ours with a baked potato and coleslaw. The coleslaw is a classic — perfectly creamy and tangy.<br /><br />The catfish is cooked the same way as the chicken is. It, too, turns out crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside with the catfish taste we love. It was more than enough for one person at $10.49.<br /><br />The hot roast beef sandwich featured tender slabs of roast beef layered on top of white bread, topped with a generous scoop of whipped potatoes and covered in brown gravy. Priced at $8.89, it is the perfect comfort food for cold fall days.<br /><br />We opted for the lettuce salad with Alice's creamy garlic dressing, another Quad-Cities staple. The red-tinged dressing was thick and well studded with garlic.<br /><br />Specials offered daily include chicken a la king on Mondays, liver and onions on Tuesdays, hamloaf on Wednesdays, beef tips on Thursdays, Swiss steak on Fridays, and roast beef on Saturdays. Everything on the menu is available for carry-out. You can order tubs of Henny Penny Chicken ranging in size from 6 pieces to over 200 pieces. Mulkey's also offers catering services.<br /><br />Located at the top of the hill above Augustana College, on the corner of 38th Street and 14th Avenue, Mulkey's is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Sundays. On Sundays, it is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for limited carry-out (anything broasted), in order to allow their employees a day off.<br /><br />Some places need to stay the same, and Mulkey's is one of them. We look forward to eating here for years to come.<br /><br />He said: Mulkey's chicken is some of the best I have had in the Quad-Cities. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The hot roast beef sandwich took me back to Bakers Cafe.<br /><br />She said: The hot roast beef sandwich reminds me of my dad. It was his favorite meal. You get near perfection when you combine the food staples of white bread and gravy with beef and potatoes.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-30150408865776535082017-09-22T22:58:00.001-07:002017-09-22T22:58:34.778-07:00Introducing Missy Dress – Bridalwear For The Modern Romantic<br />
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Well hello again my lovelies and I hope that you're having an absolutely fantastic day today. Now, as you might expect from the very name of this beautiful blog, everyone at Love My Dress is, quite simply, head over heels with wedding gowns.<br /><br />So, when we've got the opportunity to share gorgeous new collections with you, we really couldn't be happier. Today, it's such a joy to say hello to Missy Dress and her collection of gowns that are just perfect for the modern romantic bride. Like so many brilliant wedding designers, Missy Dress was drawn to wedding dress design, excited by the creative opportunities that it gives.<br /><br />Missy Dress has developed her own signature style over the years – soft and drapey silhouettes with intricate, hand-embellished details are the hallmark of her work. These are silhouettes that wouldn't be out of place in your everyday wardrobe but the beautiful silks, decorated with the most exquisite beadwork and lace detailing, make a Missy Dress <a href="http://www.missydress.co.nz/wedding-dresses.html" target="_blank">wedding dress</a> something very special indeed.<br /><br />The new 2018 collection is full of clean lines and simple, flattering shapes but what makes it so so special is that up until now, Sienna has only created bespoke gowns for clients so this is her first bridalwear collection and it's simply perfect.<br /><br />I believe that a bride should feel completely comfortable and herself on her wedding day. So often, a bride will dress out of her comfort zone and is then so focused on this and dealing with the dress itself, that it's find it hard to relax and you then miss out on all those special moments.<br /><br />I love the fact that Sienna has created a collection that's effortlessly flattering without being overly structured or in any way restricting. The linings of the dresses are made in the same quality silk as that on the outside of the gown so they not only look beautiful; they feel beautiful against your skin. It's a secret luxury that only you can enjoy!<br /><br />All Missy Dress bridal gowns are made in New Zealand by experts and because each gown is made individually, there's a brilliant amount of control and flexibility. The 2018 collection is available through appointments at Missy Dress studio in New Zealand and you'll try on a base size gown, which is then made to your own measurements.<br />showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-75053564695335258722017-08-29T18:49:00.001-07:002017-08-29T18:49:23.280-07:00How to Make Healthy Food Taste Delicious, According to a Celebrity Chef<br />
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I'm a firm believer that first and foremost, food needs to be delicious. There is simply nothing very inspiring about a bland bowl of flavorless quinoa. Yeah, perhaps it might be “healthy,” but who really wants to eat it? Where is the joy? Where is the pleasure? As a professional chef, I've watched from a distance as the Internet has exploded with endless recipes for healthy food. And while there are a lot of great ideas and great dishes circulating, I find that the little tricks of the trade that we chefs learn growing up in kitchens are often overlooked. Armed with a little bit of savvy and a well-tuned palate, you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.<br /><br />1. Season, season, season<br /><br />One of the most common mistakes home cooks make is not being assertive enough when it comes to seasoning. Often, a little extra salt and pepper or even some lightly chopped herbs will go a long way to bringing out the natural flavors of a dish. Just imagine a roast chicken without salt and pepper. Blech! Now add some coarse sea salt, cracked pepper, crushed thyme and rosemary, lemon zest, maybe even some coriander seeds and sesame seeds. Suddenly, that pedestrian bird has become a flavorful masterpiece. <br /><br />2. But season as you go, too<br /><br />You want to add salt in stages to build flavor. Taste your salt to see how salty it is and adjust the amounts you add to your dish accordingly. Keep in mind that teaspoon for teaspoon, finer salts tend to add more saltiness. <br /><br />3. Start with good salt<br /><br />I prefer sea salt for its complex and concentrated saltiness and its abundance of minerals. My friends at Jacobsen Salt Co., in Portland, Oregon, harvest all their salt from the pristine waters of the northwestern coastline. I often finish dishes with Jacobsen's flake finishing sea salt and really like Jacobsen's specialty salts, particularly the one infused with ghost chile.<br /><br />4. Think of the four points of the compass of our palate: salty, sweet, sour, spicy.<br /><br />Playing spicy off sweet (think: mango and chiles) or sour off salty (think: salt and vinegar chips) can make a dish really feel balanced and craveable. I don't always have these elements in equal parts. Sometimes you want one flavor profile to dominate the others, but having a balance makes for a successful and exciting dish.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-16173327179622377002017-07-28T18:38:00.006-07:002017-07-28T18:38:54.600-07:00The East Village's Wave of Vietnamese Food<br />
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The great wave of Vietnamese restaurants that washed across the East Village late last year left casualties in its wake. Witness, for example, the high-water mark around the bleached bones of Chao Chao—known briefly for its slick cocktails and its live d.j.—stranded on the shores of Avenue A, with a "For Rent" sign in the window. Thankfully, like seeds scattered by the storm, others have survived, thriving in what Eater has called a "great new era for Vietnamese food."<br /><br />Each of the new restaurants makes an appeal to New York's cravings for authenticity, offering variously "traditional" or "quintessential" dishes, albeit in obligatorily hip settings. Madame Vo, on East Tenth Street, is loud and searingly bright, and bristles with life. The flavors are as brazen as the lighting, and many dishes burn with chili—after a while, you don't know what to do with the piles of peppers garnishing the softshell crab. Not that this bothers the trendy couples crouching over marble tables laden with bowls of pho and garlic noodles, recording every moment of their meal for their friends.<br /><br />A bit farther south, Hanoi House also aims to transport diners to a simulacrum of Vietnam. On a recent evening, a waiter informed a couple that the establishment had run out of trout. Luckily, they were about to be edified: "Seafood in Vietnam is traditionally served with scallion oil and peanuts," a waiter explained, recommending, instead, a dish of clams and congee, which also came with the oil-and-peanut seasoning, yet managed to taste sprightly and oceanic. In fact, most of the food here is light and carefully flavored. Take, for example, a summer roll, in which pieces of cucumber float on an impossibly aerated slate of pork sausage.<br /><br />Where Madame Vo is bright, Hanoi House revels in shadows. With the right Insta-filter, you can just about capture the Vietnam of Catherine Deneuve in "Indochine," the dark wood and slatted shutters calling to mind an opium den in the early twentieth century, though with a strictly reggae soundtrack, and sans the colonial violence. At this restaurant, however, sixteen-hour-stewed pho is the drug of choice. The steaming, perfectly balanced broth is remarkably light and simply trance-inducing. Follow the waiter's advice, add a few slabs of oxtail on top, or a marrow bone, and feel yourself dissolve into the evening.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-72322021537638877772017-06-24T02:32:00.002-07:002017-06-24T02:34:33.588-07:00Delicious food, bold elegance<br />
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A luxurious dining experience. That is what to expect at what is easily one of Nairobi’s more exclusive eateries. Its Italian name; Oro, does after all translate as gold in the English language. Oro is a family business run by Italians whose roots are in Milan, one of the fashion, style and food capitals of the world, a background which in itself lends to the majesty of this restaurant. Furniture at Oro is not the run-of-the-mill kind that is ubiquitous in most establishments of its kind. Large tufted dining and suede accent chairs with studded perimeters demonstrate a flair for the dramatic which I absolutely love. I mean, if I am going to pay to eat out, you might as well make it worth my while. <br />
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The rapid speaking Italian proprietors are friendly and are always on site to ensure standards are maintained by their well-trained kitchen and wait staff (whether this actually happens is a different matter altogether).<br />
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The establishment boasts a bold elegance where décor is concerned and features striking antique pieces. Oro’s unique cutlery and crockery make for great food presentation and the gold theme is recurrent through the entire restaurant.<br />
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Perched at the top of a building which hosts luxury furnished and serviced apartments (Suite Life) at the corner of Dennis Pritt and Nyangumi Roads, Oro has an indoor dining room, well-stocked bar and open area which is fantastic for watching the sun set on Nairobi over cocktails.<br />
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In the evenings, you can enjoy the company of a friend in the relative privacy offered by the canopies and potted plants on the terrace. The loom style wicker chairs are comfortable and when the inevitable chill strikes, there are Maasai blankets available on request.<br />
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While all this might sound quite exciting, be warned that Oro gives first priority to residents of the apartments and registered members so before you go there, you might want to call ahead and see if they are admitting walk ins.<br />
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As long-time members, my cousin and I had for some strange reason not eaten at Oro for an inordinately long time, so we agreed to meet there for dinner a few days ago. Our reception was warm, and we quickly got ourselves settled with our cocktails of choice. The waiter assigned to us, who might have been a trainee though his badge didn’t say, was a mess of wrecked nerves and didn’t seem to fully understand the menu so we abandoned the idea of requesting him to suggest options. Because I was ravenous, I ordered the Molo Lamb Chops with a side of chips with basil and almond pesto sauce but when it was served, I threw a fit so severe, I felt my veins start to throb. The chops looked like they had been carved from an emaciated animal and there was hardly any meat on them. I considered requesting an extra portion but changed my mind considering how long I had waited for the first serving.<br />
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That said, I was not disappointed by the quality of the food. The meat was tender and packed with juices. The marinating had obviously not been done for too long as I could hardly lift the flavours but the lamb was well aged and the pesto rather fresh which when as hungry as I was is all that matters. It was served on a bed of carrot and zucchini sticks which I gobbled up with glee. Happy with both our meals, we moved outside to watch the city lights with a large pot of tea and agreed that the team at Oro was still very much in the game.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-9137530060188014842017-05-26T01:55:00.000-07:002017-05-26T01:55:56.152-07:00Miso salmon: easy and delicious<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Salmon season has arrived, and the markets are brimming with gorgeous wild varieties which are perfect for grilling, poaching or even simply cooking in a lightly oiled pan.<br />
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With summer here, fire up the barbecue and master the grilled salmon - it's an incredibly versatile blank canvas that you can use in everything from light salads to heady curries to spicy tacos. And grilling salmon is quite easy, as long as you follow the rule to pull it off the grill just a minute before you think it's actually done.<br />
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Coat salmon fillets with a little oil, salt and pepper, and cook until the salmon is almost opaque; "cook until flaky" is bad advice that will leave your salmon overcooked and strong-flavored.<br />
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One of our summertime favourites is Easy Summer Miso Salmon, which pairs miso with refreshing lime juice to create something between a creamy sauce and a citrus vinaigrette.<br />
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Miso, or fermented soy bean paste, adds a ton of savoury flavour ('umami') and depth, while the lime juice keeps the recipe bright and summery. Serve with brown rice, grilled veggies or a bunch of vegetable 'noodles' for a filling and healthy summer supper.<br />
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Miso paste comes in various colours, with white and yellow being the mildest varieties, and perhaps the most widely available ones at the local supermarket. Keep a container of miso in the fridge (it lasts for months), and you can try adding a spoonful to soups, stews, dressings and dips, or even just stir it into a cup of boiling water and add a splash of soy sauce and rice vinegar for a warming quick broth.<br />
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Miso is low in calories, and offers a little protein and a smattering of minerals, including sodium, so you won't likely need additional salt when using miso paste. Try this week's recipe and add two new tools to your repertoire: grilled salmon and miso.<br />
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Easy Miso Salmon<br />
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Servings: 6<br />
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Start to finish: 20 minutes<br />
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INGREDIENTS<br />
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Salmon:<br />
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11/2lb wild Alaskan salmon fillet<br />
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1tsp neutral oil, like olive or grapeseed<br />
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1/4 tsp salt<br />
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1/4 tsp pepper<br />
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Sauce:<br />
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1tbsp olive oil<br />
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2 shallots, minced<br />
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2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
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1tsp fresh minced ginger<br />
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3tbsp white miso paste<br />
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1tsp raw honey<br />
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1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon juice)<br />
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3-4tbsp water<br />
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1 tbsp Dijon mustard<br />
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1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
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Method<br />
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Heat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grates. Rub the salmon all over with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook the salmon flesh side down first, (skin side up), until almost cooked through, about 7-10 minutes total, flipping halfway through. (Internal temperature will be about 140?F, and it will rise to 145?F as it rests.)<br />
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Meanwhile, make the sauce (or can be made in advance): heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saute pan and cook the shallots until tender - about three minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook another minute. Add the miso paste and mix with a wooden spoon for another minute or two, or until very fragrant and the miso paste begins to deepen a little in color.<br />
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Remove from heat, cool a minute, and then place in the blender with the honey, lime juice, water, mustard and black pepper and blend until smooth. Add extra water if needed. Spoon the miso sauce on to the hot salmon and serve with brown rice or veggies.<br />
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Chef's Note: The sauce can be made into a salad dressing by thinning with more water and lime juice.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-75187957790190124662017-04-08T00:46:00.003-07:002017-04-08T00:46:22.893-07:00The weekend cook: Thomasina Miers’ recipes for cassoulet and chocolate mousse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At last, a reason to celebrate: Easter is just a week away, and spring buds and blossom are all around. Goodbye winter, hello spring and a fresh cycle of life. Over the holiday, I intend to see friends and family, and not be hidden away in the kitchen the whole time, so I’ll be cooking simple but fun food. For Easter Sunday, I’m planning a light take on cassoulet, using neck of lamb instead of more traditional meats, and at a fraction of the cost, but still with that fantastically rich flavour. I’ll lighten the dish with some small spring onions, radishes and carrots, and give it a kick with a gutsy salsa verde made from wild garlic and watercress, both of which are in full season. As for pudding, I’m not looking much beyond a classic chocolate mousse with a scrunch of sea salt and a sprinkling of honeycomb.<br />
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Spring cassoulet with neck of lamb, borlotti beans, radish and watercress<br />
At this time of year, lamb is tender and mild-tasting, so if you prefer something with more oomph, ask your butcher for hogget or mutton instead. Serves six.<br />
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<i>1 whole head garlic (or 1 large bunch wild garlic leaves)</i><br />
<i>200g dried borlotti (or flageolet) beans, ideally soaked overnight in cold water</i><br />
<i>½ tsp bicarbonate of soda</i><br />
<i>600g neck of lamb</i><br />
<i>3 medium carrots</i><br />
<i>25g butter</i><br />
<i>2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil</i><br />
<i>300g radishes, topped, tailed and halved</i><br />
<i>2 bunches spring onions, topped, tailed, trimmed and cut in three lengthways</i><br />
<i>3 bay leaves</i><br />
<i>2 large sprigs rosemary</i><br />
<i>500ml stock</i><br />
<i>500ml white wine</i><br />
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<i>For the salsa verde</i><br />
<i>1 large bunch watercress, large stems removed and discarded</i><br />
<i>1 handful wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped (optional)</i><br />
<i>1 large handful mint leaves</i><br />
<i>2 baby shallots, peeled and quartered</i><br />
<i>1 large clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped</i><br />
<i>1 tbsp capers</i><br />
<i>2 tbsp red-wine vinegar</i><br />
<i>100ml extra-virgin olive oil</i><br />
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Heat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½. Bash the head of garlic once with a rolling pin, to separate the cloves, then peel them. Put the beans in a pan and add enough cold water to come a finger’s length above the top of the beans. Add the bicarb and half the garlic (if you can get wild garlic, use half a bunch instead of the garlic cloves). Bring to a boil, then leave to simmer gently for 60-90 minutes, until the beans are very soft.<br />
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Meanwhile, cut the lamb into five or six pieces and season all over. Peel the carrots and cut them into bite-sized chunks roughly the same size as the radishes.<br />
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Heat a heavy casserole on a high flame, then add the butter and oil. When the fat is sizzling, add the lamb pieces and brown on all sides for a few minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate, tip the radishes, spring onions, carrots and the rest of the garlic into the pot, and saute for six to eight minutes, to colour. Add the herbs, browned lamb, stock and wine, bring to a simmer, then half-cover and transfer to the oven to cook for two hours, turning the meat once halfway through.<br />
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Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Blitz all the ingredients bar the oil, in a food processor, then slowly stir in the oil until you have a loose-ish and vividly green sauce. Season to taste and put in a bowl.<br />
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Serve the lamb in shallow bowls with new potatoes or mash, and top with a dollop of salsa verde.<br />
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<b>Chocolate mousse with honeycomb</b><br />
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To give this rich pudding an even more grown-up edge, add a tablespoon or two of dark rum, brandy or mescal to the beaten egg yolks. Serves four to six.<br />
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<i>200g 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, broken into pieces</i><br />
<i>Sea salt</i><br />
<i>5 eggs, separated</i><br />
<i>250ml double cream</i><br />
<i>50g caster sugar</i><br />
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<i>For the honeycomb</i><br />
<i>200g caster sugar</i><br />
<i>5 tbsp golden syrup</i><br />
<i>2 tsp baking soda</i><br />
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Put the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl is not in direct contact with the water), stir with a wooden spoon until melted and glossy, then season with a few pinches of salt. Put the egg whites in a large, squeaky-clean bowl, and whisk to stiff peaks.<br />
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In another bowl, whisk 100ml of the cream until it’s just thickening: if you whip it too much, it will make the mousse turn grainy, so you want to take the cream to the point where it just slides off a spoon in dollops.<br />
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In a third bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture doubles in volume. Whisk in the chocolate, then gently fold in the thickened cream with a large metal spoon. Fold in a third of the egg whites, then fold the lot back into the remaining egg whites, taking care not to beat out too much air. Spoon the mousse into four to six ramekins or one large glass bowl, then refrigerate for a few hours, to set.<br />
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To make the honeycomb, oil and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Put the sugar and syrup in a deep saucepan and, over a low heat, stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and simmer until the mix turns a pale golden amber, then take off heat and whisk in the bicarbonate of soda (it will foam and fizz on contact, so take care). Pour out the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet and leave to set.<br />
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Serve the mousse with the rest of the cream softly whipped and chunks of honeycomb scattered on top.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-26454937026750143242017-03-24T20:39:00.001-07:002017-03-24T20:39:16.967-07:00Magnificent seven: easy, speedy weeknight pasta sauces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Felicity Cloake’s piece last month on Britain falling out of love with shop-bought pasta sauce garnered more than 1,000 shares and twice as many comments. Proof – if it were needed – that when it comes to sating our collective hunger, pasta enjoys a default position few other foodstuffs ever will.<br />
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What is less obvious, though, is why ready-made pasta sauce became so comprehensively embraced in the first place for there to be such a nationwide falling out. Making your own sauce from scratch, as Cloake put it, is laughably simple. And many take little longer than the time it takes to boil the pasta itself.<br />
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So here are our pasta quick fixes, perfect for the midweek post-work scramble to get dinner into tiny tummies before all semblance of domestic composure is permanently obliterated. They’re just ideas, endlessly adaptable, so long as you have a few things in your fridge and a few tricks up your sleeve. Any veg, steamed (broccoli, sweet potato, butternut squash) or roasted (tomato, cauliflower, beetroot), can be mashed in to a paste and enlivened with garlic, capers, olives, lemon zest; even miso.<br />
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Be sure to drain your pasta over a bowl: the cooking water is a useful thinner for thick sauces. Thin sauces can be thickened with cream of any kind – cheese, cream cheese, tahini ... Herbs and toasted nuts (hazel, pine, walnuts, almonds) bring colour and flourish to plated pasta. And with olive oil, salt, lemon juice and parmesan on the table, you’re sorted.<br />
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1 Sweetcorn<br />
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Stir a drained canful with one of tuna into a pan of seasoned bechamel. Mix in a handful of chopped curly parsley and some grated parmesan.<br />
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2 Cherry tomatoes<br />
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Roast a punnetful until caramelised and collapsing. Mix with steamed spinach and toasted pine nuts. Season and dress with olive oil.<br />
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3 Beetroot<br />
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Roast until tender (or use ready-cooked) and mix with seasoned cream cheese, toasted cumin seeds and lemon juice. Garnish with dill.<br />
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4 Sweet potato<br />
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Steam thick rounds until tender then mash with tahini and sweet white miso. Garnish with finely chopped chives.<br />
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5 Aubergine<br />
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Char whole in a dry pan then bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 until completely soft. Scrape flesh from skin, chop finely and mix with lemon juice and zest. Garnish with crumbled feta.<br />
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6 Broccoli<br />
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Steam florets until tender then fry in olive oil with garlic and chilli flakes, mashing everything together. Stir in lemon zest and juice.<br />
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7 Cauliflower<br />
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Roast half a head until tender and slightly charred. Mash with creme fraiche and lemon juice, season to taste and garnish with toasted hazelnuts.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-19870293542306440832017-02-24T19:17:00.003-08:002017-02-24T19:17:35.681-08:00How to make baked aubergine with lemon, thyme, feta and olives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQVOGFEPYAY4g3sTr-_A_J0NdcqPKp29hgOu04L00h7hInWg9b5qZOffhZzwyNY4a60F0GY-JLvWaDnmfzPB0gFIZC6EEhZb7sLxEA62WLL4G1b9EA06qJAk2yDZwbOpQU5Qnc87B7Yta/s1600/aubergine-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQVOGFEPYAY4g3sTr-_A_J0NdcqPKp29hgOu04L00h7hInWg9b5qZOffhZzwyNY4a60F0GY-JLvWaDnmfzPB0gFIZC6EEhZb7sLxEA62WLL4G1b9EA06qJAk2yDZwbOpQU5Qnc87B7Yta/s640/aubergine-2.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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One variegated thyme plant – that’s all that has survived the winter (so far) in a pot in my back garden. The other two thyme plants are either dead or doing a fabulous impression.<br />
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But the one that is hanging on is reason enough to venture out and pick fresh herbs.<br />
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It’s a small thing but it lets me (briefly) ignore winter and pretend (briefly as well) that spring is here.<br />
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This is especially welcome as thyme screams summer as if it can’t be bothered to acknowledge that either winter or spring even exist. Its aroma says Greece and southern France and sun and outdoor dining. With not a holiday in sight, these are important memories to savour.<br />
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Thyme is a grand partner for many ingredients including lemon and garlic and aubergine. Bake them together and dot with some black olives and feta cheese and you have a lovely side dish or a satisfying vegetarian meal: a bit of sunshine when the weather forecast is less than accommodating.<br />
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<b>Baked aubergine with lemon, thyme, feta and olives</b><br />
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Sometimes (not always), garlic will turn blue when it’s cooked with an acid like lemon juice. Not to fear – it’s safe but if it should happen you can remove the garlic before serving if the colour bothers you. I use lovely Italian striata aubergines as they’re longer and thinner and fan out better. Small Japanese aubergines would work well too.<br />
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Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main<br />
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<i>400-500g aubergine, about 2</i><br />
<i>1 lemon, rinsed and sliced thinly</i><br />
<i>1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced thinly</i><br />
<i>4-5 tbsp olive oil</i><br />
<i>small bunch of thyme</i><br />
<i>50g black olives, pitted</i><br />
<i>60g feta or goat’s cheese</i><br />
<i>Sea salt</i><br />
<i>Chilli pepper flakes, to garnish (optional)</i><br />
<i>Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, to garnish</i><br />
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Pre-heat oven to 160C. Slice the aubergines lengthwise, keeping the stem attached so it creates a fan shape. Each slice should be about ¾-1cm wide. Lay a large piece of aluminium foil in a baking dish that is large enough to hold the aubergines comfortably side by side.<br />
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Place the aubergines on the foil and brush the outer skin and cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.<br />
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Place a slice of lemon and garlic in between each slice, along with a sprig of thyme. Wrap the aluminium foil around the aubergines to create a foil parcel. Place in the oven and bake until the aubergines are cooked through and fragrant with the herbs and lemon – about 45 minutes.<br />
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Remove the pan from the oven, open the parcel and dot with the cheese and olives and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the cheese is softened and warm. Garnish with chilli pepper flakes if using and a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-5222458255094780672017-01-06T22:27:00.003-08:002017-01-06T22:27:43.681-08:00Top restaurant critic sparks outrage after writing a zero-star review of progressive fast food restaurant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7RD_jWV7Sun771RLnHZKuqBTXhTfS2-1etkE-6VFn-GgS61d6bWKkahUcuQlEqrmmE0aIRM8gNMAqqEmuEKqmh6Z3QyvzjvT0T4C_KZPlvBzX9FuEh03AXSyKdqUBDRsEiwWyDFNu6Po/s1600/locol-burg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7RD_jWV7Sun771RLnHZKuqBTXhTfS2-1etkE-6VFn-GgS61d6bWKkahUcuQlEqrmmE0aIRM8gNMAqqEmuEKqmh6Z3QyvzjvT0T4C_KZPlvBzX9FuEh03AXSyKdqUBDRsEiwWyDFNu6Po/s640/locol-burg.png" width="510" /></a></div>
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A recent review by The New York Times, however, has bucked the trend and sparked outrage across the internet.<br />
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NYT restaurant critic Pete Wells wrote a scathing zero-star review of one branch of LocoL in California and has received a backlash as a result - some people have even canceled their subscriptions to the paper.<br />
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Part of the reason people have responded so strongly is that LocoL is a restaurant with honourable intentions - the idea behind the mini-chain is to offer good quality, healthy food at affordable prices to some of the poorest, most neglected neighbourhoods of the US.<br />
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But Wells is used to reviewing fine-dining establishments, and he was not impressed.<br />
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He slammed both the service and the menu, claiming what he ate tasted “like hospital food.”<br />
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The biggest offender for Wells was the chicken: “LocoL’s chicken is an amalgam of chicken bits invisibly bound together.<br />
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“Inside a thin sheath of fried coating, this composite of ground meat is mysteriously bland and almost unimaginably dry,” he wrote.<br />
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It’s not all negative though, and the critic does commend LocoL’s wider mission, but that didn’t stop the furious reaction the review provoked.<br />
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Fans of the restaurant jumped to LocoL’s defence, arguing the critic had been unnecessarily harsh.<br />
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“Lovely takedown piece on a small company genuinely trying to make underserved communities better through food, innovation and employment,” commented one person on Facebook.<br />
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Another claimed that the restaurant was an example of west coast food scene being “too innovative for the suits on the east coast.”<br />
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But LocoL chef Roy Choi managed to take the high road, writing a lengthy response to Wells’ review on his Instagram account: “I welcome Pete's review. It tells me a lot more about the path. I don't know Pete but he is now inextricably linked to LocoL forever,” he said.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257450960847741233.post-56363254379395689162016-12-03T23:08:00.000-08:002016-12-03T23:08:03.373-08:00How to make unusual food combinations according to the woman who wrote The Flavour Thesaurus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz74Zh1GCdRFRq2D68UWoWc6IAcnNsBX3eLH_PqhIaJzeSL9Pgb7b_YhExmxWvnmqRE2klx0QrU0Q4Q-b4ZXi-WQT6Sy9izGh_SP1FsA9tE4tGC4Ov6TxZX5HRJ2treAeL42hqrBh1cYI1/s1600/chocolate-pear-istock-cobraphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz74Zh1GCdRFRq2D68UWoWc6IAcnNsBX3eLH_PqhIaJzeSL9Pgb7b_YhExmxWvnmqRE2klx0QrU0Q4Q-b4ZXi-WQT6Sy9izGh_SP1FsA9tE4tGC4Ov6TxZX5HRJ2treAeL42hqrBh1cYI1/s640/chocolate-pear-istock-cobraphoto.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The Flavour Thesaurus – a bible for anyone who cooks by grabbing ingredients from the fridge – includes tips on imaginative food combinations from white chocolate and olives to bacon and pineapple.<br />
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But the book, which has been translated into over a dozen languages, still isn’t comprehensive enough for its writer and tireless food-lover Niki Segnit, who has revealed to The Independent the combinations she wishes she could now include.<br />
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“In the south of Italy they pair aubergine and chocolate. It’s like a chocolate pancake,” she said. “Slice and fry the aubergines, and put booze in a chocolate ganache with dried peel and nuts. It’s incredibly delicious."<br />
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The combination works because aubergine has a neutral flavour, she explained.<br />
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Floral raspberry and deep and musky elderberry is another combination she wishes she could have included. “It’s one of those very harmonies matches."<br />
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Pear cooked in sauvignon blanc, rather than the traditional red, is another winner, she added.<br />
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“Red wine can dominate but this combination gives that crispness and the herbal qualities of a sauvignon blanc.”<br />
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But pear and nutmeg, she cautions, is one flavour she certainly wouldn’t include.<br />
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“My poor husband blind tasted the combinations and I gave him a very nutmeggy pear pudding and he thought it was parsnip.<br />
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“It was really horriblem but those mistakes can teach you things," she said.<br />
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Segnit hopes her book, which she spent three years working on before it was released in 2010, will also have an impact on food waste by giving people the confidence to step away from recipe books and experiment with what is in their cupboard.<br />
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Novices in the kitchen who are daunted by flavours should simply allow themselves the time to gain a footing, says Segnit.<br />
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“When you are cooking something up that you are using for the first time always take a bit, try to be on your own, concentrate, close your eyes, and really taste it.”<br />
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Try some of Segnit's flavour combinations taken from The Flavour Thesaurus below.showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10778926149761978958noreply@blogger.com0