May 2012
3 posts
2 tags
hearty.
This is a good one. A really good one. I mean it. So good in fact, that it has displaced my usual snack suspects- I crave this Roasted Cauliflower & Cannellini Bean Salad more than the rest. Truth be told, I had it for lunch and again for dinner last night. This is serious. Maybe this is simply a new food romance- maybe Ill grow bored once the novelty has worn off (Im no romantic, and...
2 tags
perfect protein.
This folks, is fresh protein. Filling-without-feeling-too-heavy protein, the type that can be eaten before or after you break a sweat. This crunchy, savory, creamy salad is what I crave after long runs and challenging yoga classes. It sits well in my belly, satisfying not overwhelming, tasty and light while still substantial and nutritionally dense. [[MORE]]
Theres vegetables- cucumber, red...
2 tags
otherwise occupied.
May. Already. The last few months have snuck by super stealth style. And now-canyoubelieveit- its warm out (well, at intervals anyway) and I dont want to write as much, and I certainly dont want to cook as much. What I do want to do is lie in the sunshine for long stretches of time…and fall asleep at random…maybe read, a little bit of reading but really, a lot of napping. Ill eat too...
January 2012
2 posts
2 tags
wonder food.
This is my lunch every day. Really now. Every. Single. Day. Its a given, Ive stopped worrying over my mid day meal altogether- I know Ill have my usual kale saute thing. Its quite relaxing actually, not having to fuss, having that go-to dependable food. Especially when that food is good for me, when it makes getting greens in so easy. And its delicious too, satisfying- thats important.
Now...
2 tags
twice now.
I think I did this last time. I know I did. With the beets. I took a beautiful ingredient, so very unique in its pattern, color etc. and I marred it simply by putting my hands on it, by using it. Gone are the interesting spots/stripes/stars that drew me in initially, lost to my very own negligence. Its happened twice now. I need to be more thoughtful in my recipe process it seems.
So these...
December 2011
2 posts
2 tags
minimum.
Im not going to talk about the weather or the season or the holidays or any of that. Because Im sick of it. And its boring. And Id rather just stick with food chatter and even that, Ill keep to a minimum. Today, this last week, has found me in hibernation mode so excuse my quiet, it will pass. Truth be told, I havent been cooking much for myself lately. I havent felt like it. Straight up...
2 tags
unfamiliar.
This is new. Havent been here before. Braised Daikon- I am unfamiliar. Daikon, to me, is a slaw ingredient, a food best enjoyed crunchy. Here I am, stepping outside of my habits, venturing into new preparations of foods I know well- braising a damn radish.
Took my pretty (hm, “pretty” might be a bit generous) pair of daikon, chopped them into neat 3/4 inch rounds & sunk the...
November 2011
3 posts
2 tags
appropriate.
This, I did not expect. Oh no, not at all. You see, I had read about hen-of-the-woods, heard of their preparations, had even spotted them at the market. Over time, they had become familiar to me in that circle of friends/we’re kind of acquaintances way- you know, we “see each other around”. What I didn’t realize, based on looks alone, was that this mushroom was, well,...
2 tags
union.
Im new. Thats my only (questionably valid?) excuse. I say this because I have only just now stumbled upon a delicious union of textures and flavors that I had failed to marry before. Why didn’t I think of this? And sooner at that? Creamy avocado & roasted brussels paired with toasty pecans, theres nothing else to say- my mouth is full. Well, maybe there is, I think the appropriate...
2 tags
elementary.
Admittedly, this is too easy…I mean, it hardly requires a recipe. Slaw is like that, its laid back- its chop up some cruciferous vegetables, add an acid (vinegar, lemon, what have you), a little fat (oil or mayo), maybe some sweetie sweetness (agave, maple syrup etc.) and there it is- a tangy/creamy/crunchy snack. The true challenge is in allowing it to sit undisturbed in the fridge so that...
1 tag
more please.
Brussels making their first appearance at the market may as well be a holiday- I get that happy, that excited. Not even kidding. I completely, achingly and absolutely love them. On second thought, “Love” might not be the word Im looking for…its a bit light yeah? It downplays the seriousness of my affection. Love fades, existing as an ebb and flow of emotion- my interest in...
October 2011
4 posts
2 tags
pulled.
This might just be the last of it. The last of my garden, the last of my beets and carrots, kale and salad greens. Good riddance…I mean that, I do. This past season was brutal- growing less than kind. A portion of this years beds, a number of my beautiful little food producers suffered and in the end collapsed. The worst part? I was powerless as my plants devolved to pathetic. My kale...
1 tag
natural habitat.
Rain is quickly becoming our citys backdrop again. Its happening fast, this change. Grey- the favorite color, damp- the most familiar sensation. Fall, means leaves tracked into the house & an increase in time spent inside doing whatever it is we do when it gets dark at four in the afternoon- read? Drink? Both, simultaneously? Yes please.
Here we are with the weather getting cooler, the days...
forage & feast.
Its only appropriate right?
Culinary school, food writing, farm chasing… all of it was bound to culminate somewhere- and so it has, and here I am and at long last…
here we are.
Im finally doing food & my partner in crime is Vanessa- a good pal of mine that is as talented as she is easy on the eyes. We make a damn good team…believe you me, the two of us are a force to be...
August 2011
2 posts
3 tags
another fork in the trail.
Camping is not something I do too often and theres a couple reasons for that. First, I dislike tents (and people for some reason are always really opposed to me sleeping by the fire- which is where Im most comfortable) and second, I love food too much to suffer through canned chili and fucking trail mix for days on end. Well, I can finally put one of those issues to rest- I was sent a cookbook to...
2 tags
less of a mess.
I dont like pie. I know, I know- everyone fucking loves pie, I hear about it all the time. Pie this and pie that and “oh its so good” and “you dont know what you’re missing” and “you’re the devil” and “its really in right now” and blah blah blah. But I dont- and do you know why? Because I still have all my teeth. Pie is old people food....
June 2011
2 posts
2 tags
threshold.
Im quickly nearing my asparagus threshold. Real quickly. And when I say “quickly” what I mean is I have surpassed it altogether….a week ago. Asparagus in any and all forms makes me scowl. Perhaps I overdid it by eating it every day? Well…yes, yes that may be the case but who knew? It was so delicious and fresh and screamed Spring and I loved it and ate it greedily knowing...
grown.
Im not sure what to do with these. Im oddly stymied by how darling they are. Carrots usually dont have this effect on me mind you…but just look at them. They’re small and bright and just damn perfect. Oh and they’re deliciously sweet as well so it seems as though cooking them would border on criminal. I plucked these from my garden this past weekend as well as some lovely...
May 2011
2 posts
2 tags
donut treat.
As a kid I loved a good raised sugar donut. That soft yeasty deliciousness was my absolute favorite treat- I was loyal, no other type would do. Throughout my childhood, I can recall many a messy car ride with that particular donut in hand, the sugar finding its way into my hair and coating my face as I attempted to eat while my Mama drove. Sweet memories like that are sometimes all it takes to...
2 tags
sprouting.
Beautiful aren’t they? I started these adzuki beans a few days ago and have closely watched their transformation from hard, tight & brown to soft & green. That shit never fails to amaze me. Now they’re ready, ready for me to toss into generous salads coated with creamy dressings, to incorporate into meals making each that much more tasty and most importantly, ready for me to...
March 2011
1 post
2 tags
energy snack.
Im not a snacker. I prefer real meals- big meals, full meals, meals that leave no room for anything in between. Substantial breakfasts, lofty lunches, hearty dinners. Theres something else- I hate small plate food. Hate it hate it. Main dishes that are the size equivalent to an appetizer are just down right offensive. Oh, this “art food” thing- sure, yeah yeah, its pretty and all but...
February 2011
1 post
2 tags
goldmine.
Months pass like minutes. Once upon a time it was December and now its nearly March. Shocking…its disorienting how quickly January and February have slipped by. Ive always heard that time moves faster as one gets older- Im beginning to believe that that is true.
I kept trying to come here, to post a recipe or a photo but sometimes a girl just cant catch a break. Its difficult to fit...
December 2010
2 posts
2 tags
sweet bread.
I bake on occasion..when I have the time, the resources, the wits about me etc. Its a process right? Theres the corralling of the ingredients and the mixing and the proofing and the rising and the resting and the kneading and finally, good God finally theres the baking…followed by everyones favorite part which is the eating. As much as its a process I also view it as an odd sort of kitchen...
1 tag
on the tube.
The Cooking Channel will be featuring my beloved Sutra in a show devoted to veg cooking. “The Veg Edge” highlights veg establishments across the states from Seattle to New York. Lovely…finally something worth watching on the Tee Vee.
November 2010
4 posts
2 tags
thanks giving.
This is my favorite holiday. I love the eating and the drinking and the smiling faces around my dining room table. I like the way my house smells and my kitchen feels. Tomorrow, Ill wake up early to start in on baking and by late afternoon most dishes will be complete…or pretty damn close. The oven will be going, all four burners on my stove lit up. Mixing and chopping, tasting and...
2 tags
rut.
A few days back, I tried my hand at making dosa’s for the first time ever. The distinct reason for this particular culinary venture? These funny pancakes were meant to pull me out of my rut. Lately Ive felt exceptionally uninspired food wise and this dosa idea called out to me as something new and exciting. So it goes, heres me getting wild in the kitchen, venturing into uncharted territory...
2 tags
warmth.
I should do this more often…mainly because my house smells so lovely afterwards. It smells like Christmas? Or campfire? Maybe both- it just smells warm. Dont know what exactly prompted me to spend such a beautiful sunny Fall day inside roasting hazelnuts, but thats exactly what I did. Not that I didnt get outside…I did that too- took the dog on a long walk while my roasted nuts were...
2 tags
macho.
How is it that some folks “skip” lunch? Or any meal for that matter? Are people really that busy? Too bad. For me, I go brain dead as soon as hunger sets in so no food is not an option. When it comes to a mid day meal Im usually looking for something not only fast but filling- tasty and fresh but also substantial and easy to come by.
Salads can (and usually do) do the trick but it...
October 2010
2 posts
2 tags
an appetite for autumn.
Karissa and I spend every Sunday morning at the Farmers Market. Every Sunday, rain or shine. Its what we do. Theres always a ton of coffee drinking involved (one cafe in particular provides an excellent perch for people watching) and we talk and sip and laugh hysterically at our own jokes, then we link arms and wander the stands to make our purchases. The crowd is, without exception, wonderfully...
2 tags
for good reason.
It must seem as though I eat a lot of soup. I dont…well, I do…kind of? I eat soup when its cool outside or when I need to throw together something tasty quick…and I like it when Im under the weather or when I need to put ingredients to use. These are all good reasons, mind you. Very good reasons…not that I need to justify my affection for soup. So maybe I do eat it quite a...
September 2010
6 posts
2 tags
often.
Quick, filling, healthy, delicious and astoundingly easy to make. Maybe once a week? Maybe twice? I enjoy it immensely each and every time despite the almost monotonous regularity in which I consume it. Dal just sits well you know? Makes the belly feel satisfied in the way chicken soup does or buttered toast. I like to dig through my spice cupboard (the majority of which is occupied by Indian...
1 tag
externship: in praise of variety.
I walk into the restaurant at the beginning of each week not knowing what to expect, which direction Chef Colin will take with the ingredients available. The countertops will be hidden under piles of vegetables, nuts and oils and spices splayed out, the lovely aroma of stock simmering on the stove. After I stash my bag/grab my apron & knife, I try to take it all in. Try because a lot of the...
little lanterns.
Beautiful, really, just stunning. I cant get over how much they appeal to me aesthetically. Breaking their delicate paper husks is a somber act, still, I do and they are delicious and I have no choice but to continue defiling them this way, soldiering on only because the end more than justifies the means. The flavor is a combination of that of a strawberry and a cherry tomato- wonderfully...
2 tags
the odd couple.
Does this count as “fusion” cooking? I sure as hell hope not…I have a visceral aversion to that idea for some reason or another. This soup (more of a bisque when I got through with it) is a bastard- its the illegitimate love child born from the unlikely coupling of broccoli cream soup & Indian dal. Weird right? Well, yes it is, but its also delicious. I had my doubts, of...
beautiful food.
Im collecting riches in the form of local fruit….and from the looks of it Im pretty flush. The other week not only did I find a neighborhood fig tree to pilfer but my good pal Mini dropped by a freshly harvested bag full from her neck of the woods as well. Its disgusting how many figs Im ingesting and the frequency in which Im indulging. I love them. They might be my most favorite fruit...
2 tags
tomato basil cream comfort.
The photo isn’t great- I know this. But really, have you ever tried to photograph pasta? Its tough especially when its a simple dish like this one. Trust me, it might not look like much but the flavor is stellar. Sweet tomatoes, fresh basil and a slight kick of garlic are enveloped in a rich creamy sauce. Its delicious. Killer tasty. This is my kind of comfort food you know? Theres nothing...
August 2010
4 posts
1 tag
externship: inspired.
Am I inspired? Yes…but also completely befuddled. How does the man do it? Week after week Chef Colin creates menus that ultimately just floor me. How does he come up with these beautiful foods, these baffling combinations of flavors? Seemingly its almost effortless on his part. Colin simply reads through the weekly produce lists that come in from local farmers and dishes begin to take shape-...
1 tag
externship: sutra bliss.
This place really is magic. It just absolutely kills me how damn proud of it I am. Truly, working in this restaurant is a pleasure, no no, its more than a pleasure- its bliss. The hours pass so unbelievably quickly that I find myself reeling at the end of the night staring, mouth agape (smiling all the while), at the clock. One minute Im putting on my apron and the next, it seems, Im plating and...
1 tag
the bleu brick road: 4...3...2...1.
4. More. Days. Well, really 3 more since today is done & over with. Incredible eh? Three measly days of school left. Hallefuckinglujah. Classroom hours are finally coming to an end and the start of externships are just around the corner. At long last I will be free of uniforms, quizzes, practical exams, paper writing, lectures and of course (maybe best of all actually)- no more commuting! Back...
2 tags
vegetable lust.
In general, I love vegetables absolutely & entirely, I do. I enjoy the hell out of the whole lot of them but there are a couple in particular that rise above the rest, two types that I full on aggressively adore. They are just good. Every time and in every way, on their own or as part of a larger entree- I just cant get enough. Those veggies? Eggplant & greens. It hardly matters if its...
July 2010
13 posts
1 tag
how sweet it is.
Im a snob. My honey, I want it fresh from the hive- hell, just hand me a honeycomb and Ill extract it myself. Dont mess with it. No processing or filtering or whatever it is folks do to make honey more palatable to the masses- I dont care if there are little bee legs or pieces of debris suspended in it…really, Id prefer it.
Lucky for me, there is a local honey farm that hand bottles right...
hard as it looks.
Crab doesn’t fuck around. Those feisty bastards by no means make it easy to get at their meat. It truly is a wrestling match- one which involves sharp shells and cutting claws, guts and gore…but the reward? Well worth every cut, every bruise. Hunched over the sink pulling out each tiny scrap of soft sweet meat- my hands ache, Im covered in bits and body parts but I cant help but love...
1 tag
the bleu brick road: mystery bag.
Well, not a mystery “bag” exactly, more accurately it was a bain marie. We were to reach our hands in and draw a slip of paper…and on that lil’ slip of paper? An ingredient with which to compose a main dish (this was our midterm practical exam mind you, big points at stake here folks- BIG). I drew “barley”…barley? Hmmmm. I scoured the refrigerator and...
1 tag
for the bees.
I associate lavender with soap. I do. It seems fitting that its flowery aroma flavor bath salts, shampoos, lotion…but food? Hmmm, I couldn’t be less interested. It certainly had its day in the sun with chefs adding it to everything from meats to ice cream, this herb was (and maybe continues to be?) one of many hip go-to ingredients. Needless to say regardless of its growing popularity,...
2 tags
a slaw less ordinary.
Had a hankering yesterday for something tangy and cool, tasty, refreshing and well, interesting. Also wanted something that would compliment the chicken I had planned to marinate & throw on the grill later in the evening. What came to mind was slightly less ordinary than the usual grilled chicken & coleslaw. Nothing too crazy now, in fact I stayed within those same parameters but instead...
2 tags
every day of the week.
Gluttonous doesnt even begin to describe my relationship with Tahini dressing. I eat it, no joke, every day of the week. I never tire of it, I dont even come close and to be frank, the opposite actually occurs- I grow more and more fond of it. Sick eh? See, most days I get home from school and Im ravenous. Yeah yeah, Im surrounded by food in the classroom but the bites I take of what we have...
1 tag
the bleu brick road: memories of mexico.
Mexico is, and always will be, my second home. I lived down there for quite some time and to this day own a small farm on the outskirts of a tiny (yet increasingly popular) surf town. The place is magic. The food, the folks, the land, the culture in general…its all lovely and lively and simply put, its paradise. Todays lesson brought me back- just the smells circulating about the kitchen had...
1 tag
the bleu brick road: eating asia.
My favorite lunch in the summer- hands down no contest: Fresh Spring Rolls. When its hot out they truly are the perfect food…all fresh and crunchy and light and whatnot. I love the soft rice paper wrappers and their tasty colorful fillings: sweet basil, bright mint, fragrant cilantro, crunchy carrot, tender rice noodles, savory tofu, refreshing lettuce. The rolls themselves are delicious but...
1 tag
the bleu brick road: south & south.
Beginning in the Southern US of A- Hush Puppies, Cornbread, Funeral Grits.
Dipping further down- Mexican Corn, Salsa, Guacamole, Corn & Flour Tortillas.
And a little deeper even- Arepas with Carnitas.
Gotta love Southern food, whether it be native to Louisiana or Venezuela…it dont matter- its all just fucking delicious.
We re all familiar with Hush Puppies (little deep fried...
1 tag
the bleu brick road: glorious grains.
We’ve been hittin’ grains something fierce this week. Yesterday it was a hop through Europe as we cooked up polenta, barley and farro (oh and lasagna as well…not so much a whole grain but nonetheless). Today, we skipped into the Fertile Crescent and made bulgur (in the form of Tabbouleh), quinoa (in the form of a salad), rice (in Indian Coconut rice, Rice Pudding, Gosht...