[1] A Bloody Mary with three Mexican restaurant garnishes (photo © J-Remy | Blue Moon Café). [2] Japanese accents: ingredients in the mix, an octopus tentacle and a skewer of raw tuna and beet cubes. Here’s the recipe (photo © Bamboo Sushi | Portland, Oregon). [3] The Wayfarer in New York City calls this its […]
Honeybees gathering nectar. Their bodies pick up pollen, which they rubs off on the next flower they visit (photos © The Honeybee Conservancy). Last week, The Honeybee Conservancy launched a new initiative: Bee The Solution. It’s a nationwide call-to-action and educational tour to raise awareness around bee conservation and the important role bees play […]
Fall reminds us of polenta, a comfort food from Italy, served hot. (It’s comforting like mashed potatoes.) Polenta is cornmeal (photo #1) that is often boiled served as breakfast porridge (here’s the difference between grits and polenta). Its versatility allows it to be incorporated into mains and sides for lunch and dinner. You can also […]
[1] Tomato cheesecake, a sweet dessert (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Italian Association of Canned Tomatoes Producers). [2] A close up of the slice of tomato cheesecake. [3] Canned tomatoes from Italy (we use San Marzano, as does this recipe). [4] Green Tomato Crumble Pie. Here’s the recipe from Healing Tomato (photo © Healing […]
If you’re a member of the kale cult, here’s a recipe for your repertoire: popcorn with kale (photo #1). It’s easy to make, with purchased popcorn and kale chips. Or, pop your own and microwave kale into chips (photo #5). Popcorn is already a better-for-you, whole grain snack. Now, you can add this recipe from […]
September is National Potato Month, and our contribution to the festivities is Mashed Potato Pizza. Our favorite baker, The Baker Chick, made it with leftover mashed potatoes. She used slow cooker mashed potatoes, but you can make the mash however you like. For a Thanksgiving Leftovers pizza, you can substitute mashed sweet potatoes and top […]
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum: August 16th is National Rum Day. Many thanks to Pat Croce’s Rum Barrel sports bar and grill in Key West for much of this information. Head to the heart of historic Old Town Key West to sample more than 150 rums and an extensive collection of specialty and craft […]
How do you eat sushi? Most people simply pick up the sushi with chopsticks and dip the bottom of the rice into soy sauce. But many Americans don’t know that there is actually a “proper” way to eat sushi. This example is on the “improper” list. Sushi comes with its own set of table manners. […]
[1] Turn the s’mores recipe into an ice cream sundae (photo © Bamboo Sushi | Portland). [2] The classic S’mores cookie sandwich (photo © Dandies). Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Oregon does more than turn out great sushi: It creates smashing desserts like this S’mores Sundae. This one is so easy to make. National S’mores […]
Looking for some sophisticated party fun? Here’s an idea from Elegant Affairs Caterers, riffing on tomato soup and grilled cheese: Gazpacho shooters, topped with mini grilled cheese sandwiches. Make your favorite gazpacho recipe, and use thin bread for the grilled cheese (photo #1). Another fun gazpacho idea: top the shot glass with Tostitos Scoops filled […]