I’ve mentioned in previous posts many times (many, many times) how I feel about homemade bread…that it is not only good for the body but also the soul; having your hands in raw dough–and making something as beautiful as a loaf of bread out of such humble ingredients–can be, well…spiritual. If not awe inspiring, atContinue reading “24 Hour Bread (or, how to control your dough)”
Tag Archives: Cooking
A Bevy of Swans (and how to build them)
Before I talk about the above photo I have to mention how interesting I think it is the different names for groups of birds. A group of swans on the ground, for example is a bevy or a game, but if they are in flight they are refereed to as a wedge. The oddest one,Continue reading “A Bevy of Swans (and how to build them)”
Whole Wheat French Toast with Pineapple Syrup and Caramelized Apple
This is a simple-to-make hearty and flavorful breakfast, and it also happens to be my son’s favorite (somewhat of a Saturday morning tradition). French toast can be made in any number of ways, but the key to a really good one is great bread and flavorful syrup…of course the syrup can be purchased but itContinue reading “Whole Wheat French Toast with Pineapple Syrup and Caramelized Apple”
I Like to Cook at Home
“Cooking is a great destresser because it serves as a creative outlet,” says Debbie Mandel, author of “Addicted to Stress.” “And while stress can numb your senses, cooking activates them. It’s a sensory experience with aroma, taste, touch, visual delight and even sizzling sound.” I could easily start and finish this post with it’s title:Continue reading “I Like to Cook at Home”
You’ve Got Mail…
I just thought I’d pass a long a bit of info on a new update to this page (shameless self-promotion is no easy task for me). I’ve recently added a mail widget to this blog…if you enter your email address you will receive an any new posts from via email. And just to let youContinue reading “You’ve Got Mail…”
Premonition Realized
Well this is interesting, if not a bit odd….but without doubt a premonition or at least a foreshadow of what was to come. But I’m getting ahead of myself as I often do…my mind usually thinks faster than my fingers can peck the words out. I’ll start over. Last week I was cleaning out aContinue reading “Premonition Realized”
Falafel (Yum!)
Falafel are an awesome and healthy food that is not only nutritious and delicious but easy to make. In it’s most basic description, it is nothing more than ground chickpeas (and/or other legumes) mixed with seasonings and deep-fried. It is traditionally eaten as a pita sandwich laden with tarator sauce (tahini sauce), but it isContinue reading “Falafel (Yum!)”
Fagiolini con Aglio e Olio
OK, firstly…I do not speak Italian, but I do know what aglio e olio means: garlic and oil, usually virgin olive oil; two of my favorite ingredients. And to cook “aglio e olio” is not just a manner of using these two ingredients, but an actual style of cooking. The traditional recipe for this isContinue reading “Fagiolini con Aglio e Olio”
Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#373)…plus two recipes.
Things on the bike: A canvas book bag containing two books; a cardboard box containing a just-kneaded batch of whole-wheat honey-oatmeal bread (see below for recipe), a small container of oatmeal, 2 pints of 3-bean soup with pork, 2 re-gifted coffee cups, and an extra pair of gloves (yes that’s snow coming down and visibleContinue reading “Things That Can Be Carried on a Bike (#373)…plus two recipes.”
Three-Bean Soup/Stew with Pork
I made this soup/stew yesterday to utilize some of the turkey stock that was left over from Thanksgiving. It’s a basic bean-and-pork soup or stew recipe, and I say soup or stew because it depends on how you like it. I made it thick (sort of condensed) so it would take up less room inContinue reading “Three-Bean Soup/Stew with Pork”
Broth, Bouillon, Brodo, Caldo
Well, if you are an American reading this blog, or an expat living abroad, you likely celebrated Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with a traditional turkey dinner. I personally love this holiday–it’s not so gift-centered and commercialized as Christmas has become–it’s more about getting together with family, being thankful, and eating a really good meal. Unfortunately theContinue reading “Broth, Bouillon, Brodo, Caldo”
A Few Recipes for Thanksgiving
I was going to post a few recipes for the Thanksgiving holiday but after I thought about it it would be just as easy (and likely more informative) simply to link previous articles that I’ve written and are still floating around the Internet (not to mention a bit of shameless self-promotion…I’m getting better at this).Continue reading “A Few Recipes for Thanksgiving”
Clay Pot Pork
That’s just fun to say isn’t it…clay pot pork. Anyhow, I made this small pork roast for dinner tonight for my son and I (delicious). Cooking in clay is not only super-healthy it is exceedingly easy; fool-proof…clay is the original crock pot. If you want to learn more about clay cookers or where to buyContinue reading “Clay Pot Pork”
How to Make Really Good Mushroom Soup (and a few others)…four recipes and a link.
“Goodsoup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can domore to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any otherone dish.”–LouisP. De Gouy As the weather turns colder so to do our appetites seem to turn heartier. Soups and stews are often on the menu this time of year andContinue reading “How to Make Really Good Mushroom Soup (and a few others)…four recipes and a link.”
Two Excellent Meals Made From Leftovers
Part of being a good cook is not only knowing how to cook well but also what to do with leftovers, and this is just as important–I think–whether you are cooking in a home kitchen or a commercial one. Two meals I cooked today are good examples. Pictured above is a closeup of chile conContinue reading “Two Excellent Meals Made From Leftovers”
How To Cook Pasta Like a Chef
Firstly, let me say that this post is not about pasta in general, nor is it about a specific recipe; it is more about how to cook in a specific style with just a few ingredients. And by this I mean cooking aglio e olio–or, with garlic and oil–which of course refers to the ingredientsContinue reading “How To Cook Pasta Like a Chef”
How to Make a Really Delicious and Nutritious Deep-Dish Pizza (and a loaf of bread, too)
Pizza is one of my favorite homemade comfort foods to make (click here for additional pictures and recipes). And while many believe it to be time-consuming and somewhat laborious–or even difficult–to make, it is neither. It’s basically bread dough with stuff baked on it. Thus, when I bake pizza at home I usually make twiceContinue reading “How to Make a Really Delicious and Nutritious Deep-Dish Pizza (and a loaf of bread, too)”
For the Love of Cooking
If you’ve been to this blog before you likely know a few things about me. One is that I like to ride bikes (for transportation, yes, but mostly because I enjoy it), another is that I often take pictures of the sky or flowers and wonder about life (this current incarnation, but also those previousContinue reading “For the Love of Cooking”
For the Love of Flavor
“How embarrassing… a house full of condiments and no food.” Narrator, Fight Club Condiments can make even the most mundane foods taste great, and they are so plentiful and inexpensive that they’re rarely made at home these days…somewhat of a lost art, one could suppose. These two recipes are perfect examples: course-grained honey-mustard, and pink (beet)Continue reading “For the Love of Flavor”
La Pomme
“Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits.” — Henry David Thoreau For additional recipes and to read a story about apples–with practical information, history, and lore–click here. Old Fashioned AppleButter Yield: 2 cups 6-7 large apples 1-1/4 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup water Peel, core and quarter the apples;discard the peels and cores. CombineContinue reading “La Pomme”
Urban Simplicty 