My Garlic Press "making the world taste better"

Sometimes the best tasting food is not the best looking. Some of my favorite salads look like a mish mash of ingredients, held together by a little lettuce. I love soft polenta with a meat sauce, but when mixed together to combine the flavors in each bite, it really doesn't look very pretty even while it tastes delicious. Tonight's pasta dish is a bit like that. Sweetie had found some beautiful ahi tuna steaks at a good price and I volunteered to make a baked pasta dish to go with it. A while

I recently discovered how easy it is to decide to do a post every few days instead of one or two each day. Now I understand why some authors sit at their computers at the same time every day and dedicate a certain number of hours to writing. Otherwise it all unravels so quickly. Thanks to the folks who noticed I haven't been posting. I'll blame some of it on my work schedule, and some on an ennui that has descended on me. Hoping for changes soon. Today, I'd like to share with you a trilog

*Give me more please! Early last month, local food advocate, gardener, and radio personality Michael Warren Thomas of Rochester's Savor Life, took me on a tour of Ra-cha-cha. The focus was on food and gardens as I interviewed him and several others for the latest issue of Edible Finger Lakes (start looking for copies of the summer issue this weekend!) Michael knows EVERYONE there is to know in the Rochester food scene and one of the delights of the day was lunch at a small Dominican rest

I've been overwhelmed by zucchini and other summer squash for the past month. I receive 2lbs of fresh squash each week from the organic produce delivery service and find myself running low on new ideas. I read through a few food blogs for ideas and reviewed a wonderful list of ideas published by Kalyn, but nothing seemed to catch my interest. I turned to a google search and came across the usual About.com and Recipezaar pages, all of which usually don't appeal to me. However, this time I not

1. The beginning of a cold Several green onion white bulbs (with root), 15 grams of sliced ginger. Boil them with a bowl of water (about 250 ml), and add some brown sugar (depends on your taste). Drink the soup without cooling down (do not swallow ginger slices and green onion). Go to bed immediately. You will recover right after sweating. 2. Bad cold During daytime you can still follow #1 to sweat. At night, apply garlic paste to the centers of the soles of both of your feet, then wr

Corn Vichyssoise 4 cups water 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 6 ears of corn-kernels cut off the cobs and cobs broken in half 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced 1/4 cup dry vermouth salt and pepper 3 tbsp heavy cream 2 white mushrooms, thinly sliced 2 tbsp chopped cilantro extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling In a saucepan, bring the water and broth to a boil with the corn kernels, cobs, onion, garlic, celery and vermouth. Simm

Salads are great for weight loss, but they can get boring after a while. Get creative with this Layered Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing. Using a large glass bowl (I recommend a trifle bowl) you layer your vegetables so you can see all the different colors in your salad. Each serving of this salad has 250 calories and 7 grams of fiber. There are 14 grams of fat in the recipe, but with some modifications you can lower that amount to fit into your plan. Here are 2 easy changes you can make:

Jerk Pork on Red Pepper Mayo and Black-Eyed-Pea Cakes Recipe 23 Jul 2008 Author: danky In: Recipes As any southerner will tell you, eating black-eyed peas at New Year’s will ensure good luck. For a simpler (and meatless) version of this hors d’oeuvre, omit the pork and serve these tender little cakes topped with just the red pepper mayo. Makes about 60 hors d’oeuvres INGREDIENTS 4 (15 2-oz) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (about 6 2 cups) 3 red bell peppers, finely chopped 3

Love that coq au vin! Especially the recipe that Julia Child put into her classic, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," but making it is a bit of a hassle requiring three pans so when I saw this recipe for Coq au Riesling that could all be accomplished in a single skillet, I jumped at it. One change I made to the basic recipe is that, when it suggests removing and discarding the skin after browning, I knew that no self-respecting French housewife would waste perfectly good chicken skin so I m

As I said before, Abruzzo wines can be victims of mistaken identity. Last time it was a grape and a cheese--this time it's a grape and a wine-growing region. In the Montepulciano region of Tuscany people make wine from the Sangiovese grape that earns the designation "Vino Nobile de Montepulciano." In Abruzzo, they use the Montepulciano grape to make a red wine that is deep, dark, and delicious. It's often a bargain, too, and it's very easy to find in most areas of the country. Despite the large

My third fish dish in a row - I love summer! This was yet another home coming dish - I was away at a festival all weekend... and definitely in need of a healthy home-cooked dish on my return. After a bath that is - after 4 days in a field that was my top priority! The festie was amazing - so much better than last year, when we got totally flooded out!! Want to see a pic of my tent last year?? Hmmm... see that puddle on the tent?? Well that's where my head was supposed to be... At that point

Enough of the greens for the mean time.  Let’s add a splash of red into the mix!  We’re right in the middle of winter here in Sydney, Australia.  Very cool nights and “crisp” mornings.  As I type this, the wind is howling and its raining.  I don’t really mind winter.  You  just have to adjust and “go with the flow”.  So to cheer myself up and dream of warmer climes, I made some really bright red tomato and capsicum soup. Admittedly it’s not tomato season here (naughty foodie!) but I couldn

There are many different kinds of low cholesterol recipes. This is due mainly to the common nature of many people having high levels of cholesterol. Many of these people who seek low cholesterol recipes are intent on lowering their cholesterol levels and maintaining it to a healthy level. Along with a diet consisting of low cholesterol recipes, we also need to exercise in order to burn the fats that have accumulated in our bodies. Going on a low cholesterol recipe may reduce your bad choleste

Tortilla Espanola From Spain And The World Table I love this book,  Spain and The World Table  from the Culinary Institute of America. It isn't a book for the novice cook.  I doubt I'll cook  from it very much - like using 18 egg yolks for Crema Catalana.  And there are things in I don't approve of - like Sushi Paella or Red Wine Sushi Rice. And there are things in there I love - like Paella Valencia or Mission Fig Flan. And recipes using salt cod -  if I can find salt cod in Australia. E

Daily Random Recipe INGREDIENTS: 1 medium-large onion, peeled and thinly sliced 50 milliliters / 1.7 fluid ounces extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 400 grams / 14 ounces broad beans (fava beans), hulled Large handful flat-leafed parsley 80 milliliters / 2.7 fluid ounces thick soy yoghurt Juice of 1 lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD: Saute the onion in half the oil until softened and golden. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Cool. Place the beans in a f

Daily Random Recipe INGREDIENTS: 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz linguine or spaghetti 75 ml / 3 oz olive oil 1 small red onion, chopped 1 x 250 g / 8.8 oz pack natural cooked beetroot, cut into 5 mm / 1/4 inch cubes 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 T balsamic vinegar Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 T freshly chopped oregano Salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD: Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat

Noodles in springrolls July 23, 2008 From my stock photos, I found these two photos. Lumpia (fried springrolls) which in the beginning I found a bit strange when I first had the chance of eating this kind, few years back. Because the filling was with noodles. I was used to springroll preparation with fish, chicken or  pork - all mixed with vegetables, sauteed. But never with noodles. Until I saw them being served in local Chinese and Indonesian restaurants here. I realized that noodles (I pr

Day 205. A hundred million years ago, my very first job was working at the Zoo, in the education department. I loved that job---I loved the people, the work, the animals, speaking to the public, and the food. I really loved the food. I think I spent pretty much every dollar I made going to the different hole-in-the-wall restaurants ordering food I had never before heard of that were within walking distance. Directly across the street was a Gyro stand. A bunch of us would run across the stree

Dubbed by the guys on Gustoblog as a “new recipe”, it’s no news to me, having had experience with a more international style of Italian cooking. Below, we give you the run-down on pasta with sundried tomatoes. Ingredients: any kind of pasta you like, dried tomatoes, salty ricotta, garlic and extravirgin olive oil. While we recommend homemade dried tomatoes, if that’s difficult try and find some that aren’t in oil. Process: For the tomatoes, put some water to the boil, and in the meantime ju

Fresh Corn Soup with Poblano Chilis (Recipe from Dr. Preston Maring, Kaiser Oakland, 07/22/2008, Contra Costa Times) 1 chili of choice 1 ounce queso fresco or feta cheese 2 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, minced 1 medium carrot, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme 2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped ½ teaspoon crushed red chilis 5 cups corn kernels, approximately 10 ears (cut the