[1] General Tso’s chicken, the most popular Chinese food (photo © Spicy Southern Kitchen). [2] Tamales are ground meat, poultry, or vegetables stuffed into masa (corn dough) and steamed in a corn husk (photo © Mackenzie Ltd). [3] Chicken pad Thai, garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice (photo © Good Eggs). […]
[1] Chile peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical compound that burns (photo of jalapeño chiles © Good Eggs). [2] In peppercorns, the heat chemical is piperine (photo iStock Photo). [3] Yellow mustard seeds. When mustard seeds are crushed, the heat is released (photo © Hillshire Farm | Facebook). 18 Ways To Spice It Up > The […]
[1] A book for anyone who wants to paint food (photos #1, #3, #4 © Rocky Nook). [2] Create lovely watercolors of your favorite foods (photo Pinterest). Here’s an interesting gift for a food lover who’s artistic, or who wants to try being so. Watercolor Snacks: Inspiring Lessons for Sketching and Painting Your Favorite […]
[1] Hatch chiles have a short growing season: just August and September (all photos except #2 © Melissa’s Produce). [2] Dried hatch chiles (photo © Otis Acres Micro Farm. [3] Once dried, you can enjoy Hatch chiles year-round. This Hatch-At-Home box from Melissa’s has everything from seasonings and salsa to polenta and popcorn. [4] For […]
Mid-Day Squares are functional chocolate bars, part of a growing movement towards functional foods. Functional foods and beverages are everyday foods enhanced (fortified) with supplemental nutrition. The goal is to provide a health benefit beyond normal satiation and nutrition. Here’s more about functional foods. The Mid-Day Squares line was conceived by Lezlie Karls, a chocolate […]
[1] The champion: Cucumbers are 97% water, the most of any food (photo © Sun Basket). [2] It’s easy to carry celery sticks—95% water—to munch on for added hydration (photo © Good Eggs). [3] Tomatoes are 95% water. These are home-grown tomatoes: Have soil, will plant (photo © Bonnie Plants)! [4] Watermelon is 91% water. […]
[1] Mac and cheese with a touch of pumpkin (photos #1 and #2 courtesy Libby’s). [2] How about a pumpkin peanut butter sandwich? [3] Another delicious comfort food: pumpkin mashed potatoes. Here’s the recipe from Taste of Home. You can also make a pumpkin and cauliflower mash. [4] Be sure to use pumpkin purée, not […]
When chefs create a recipe, they include elements of salt, acid, fat and heat (and sometimes, a pinch of sweetness). It’s all about flavor: Salt enhances flavor; acid balances flavor; fat delivers flavor and mouthfeel; and heat (pepper, chiles, etc.) is a counterpoint. But what about texture? Good recipes take time to add texture as […]
[1] Bouillabaisse, a fish soup or stew from Marseille (photo courtesy Mackenzie Ltd). [2] Escargots, a delicacy of snails in garlic and parsley butter (photo courtesy Williams Sonoma). [3] Tarte tatin (photo courtesy Taste.com.au). [4] Ratatouille with a fried egg (photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers). July 14th is Bastille Day, the national day of […]
Two days ago we showed how to give international flair to poke, the Hawaiian spin on sashimi salad. Today, our colleague Hannah Kaminsky transforms one of the blandest foods in America (via Italy): gnocchi. Here, she makes a fusion dish of potato gnocchi and Indian spices (photo #1), to create “samosa* gnocchi,” inspired by the […]