Posts Tagged ‘Uncategorized’

Belgium endive (chicory) has a small head of cream-colored, bitter leaves. It is grown completely underground or indoors in the absence of sunlight in order to prevent the leaves from turning green and opening up. Exposure to light turns it to green and bitter so store in a brown paper bag in the crisper. It’s…

Hummus is one of those dips you can make at the drop of a hat which is good for those unexpected visitors. The garbanzo bean, also known as chickpea, is an edible legume. In addition to lowering cholesterol, garbanzos’ high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these…

According to food historians, the origins of carrot cake were likely a type of carrot pudding enjoyed during medieval times. Later, during the Middle Ages, sweetening agents were hard to come by in Britain and quite expensive, so as a result, carrots were often used in place of sweeteners. Even though the first carrot cake…

A simple soup to whip up after a cold day.  The health benefits of the sweet potato is surprising with its antioxidant nature (excellent source of vitamin A), anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. Because they are very rich in beta carotene, sweet potatoes are excellent immunity boosters. A chipotle  (pronounced chi-POHT-lay) is a smoke-dried…

Mussels have been cultivated for almost 800 years and have been used as a food source for more than 20,000 years. In North America, 80% of cultured mussels are produced in Prince Edward Island in Canada. Cultured mussels are grown in mesh stockings that are suspended from longlines (ropes) in the water. Because they never…

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This dish originates in the Sichuan province of China.  It is quite easy to prepare and is full of flavor.  Chilies aren’t indigenous to China and came to Asia from South America with the Portuguese.  It is thought that Buddhist traders and missionaries from the West brought such ingredients and cooking techniques into Sichuan.  Red…

I’ve been following Matt’s blog for a few years and love his style not to mention his beautiful food photographs and recipes. My first introduction to plantains was when I lived in Singapore (11 years ago) and my Puerto Rican friend invited me along with other women to sample her gourmet feast. It was here…

My husband and I enjoy entertaining and so to kick start 2011, we held a dinner party.  We served these delicious morsels when our guests arrived along with our favorite bubbly. Salmon is rich in natural proteins and is much lower in its saturated fat content than other natural sources of the same, such as…

There’s a slew of ideas of what to do with leftover food and this recipe makes use of two ingredients I had leftover: ham and homemade polenta. Use leftover food  in a stir-fry, soup, Shepherd’s pie, chili, curry or stew.  You should be able to keep leftover food in the refrigerator for up to 3…