Today was a gorgeous day at the Jackson Heights farmer’s market, where you can really tell that summer is in full swing. From the sour cherries that have just cropped up, to the tomatoes, lettuces, zucchini, and peas, it’s all there, ripe for the picking. I was one of three chefs taking part in a pea-themed cooking demo, co-sponsored by Greenmarket and the Queens Harvest Food Co-op. We handed out samples of sauteed peas with mushrooms and shallots, a raw snap-pea salad with mint and radishes, and (my creation) a snow pea and potato curry. We had a great turn out and I’m looking forward to helping out with more outdoor cooking demos as the summer progresses!
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Sesame seeds are small, flat oval-shaped seeds with a nutty flavor and light crunch. There are a variety of colors including white, yellow, back and red, but the most commonly used are black and white, especially in baking and Asian cooking.
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But first a preamble to this digression: People, I’ve been busy. And, sadly, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve cooked a real meal in my own kitchen. Sure, I’ve made meals for my client. I’ve taught groups of people how to make chicken cacciatore. I’ve even been sous chef for a wedding of 120+. But have I managed to get a single recipe up here since the 1st of June? Negative. (Oh, I’m also planning my own wedding. Just one month to go – jeepers!)
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Getting by as a vegetarian in a family full of avid meat-eaters can be quite the struggle. This past December, I decided to remove meat from my diet, and I haven’t looked back since. Given the plethora of meal options at Emerson College, this diet was comfortingly manageable, but now that I’m home for the summer, I oftentimes find myself scrounging for food come dinner time. While the rest of my family enjoys grilled chicken breast or steak, I’m stuck with the side dishes: potatoes and a green salad. I’m not complaining, but every once in awhile it would be nice to enjoy a nice, hearty, vegetarian meal as a family— one that we can all eat and enjoy.
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At home we make homemade pizza once a week. It’s almost a given on Sunday evenings. We like to try different sauces, toppings, and of course seasonings/herbs. Instead of pre-made Italian seasonings that contain a decent amount of sodium at times, I like to make a huge bottle for my mom when I come to visit. It really is just a trail mix of ingredients.
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A cool refreshing summer treat. This vegan ice cream sundae is perfect when cream is too heavy on a hot summer day. Filled with bananas, berries, cocoa and agave nectar, you feel light and refreshed after eating it.
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Drying chilies has been a practice for so long in Latin American, Asia, and Africa. With winters and monsoon seasons, people would dry chilies to preserve them. When added to soups and curries, the chili retains its original form and heat. To undermine the heat, split the chili open and remove the seeds and white rib in the middle. Dried red chilies are perfect for long term storage. When I visited India in 2002, I got to help one of my grandparents’ neighbor dry chilies on their rooftop.
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I’m incredibly excited about the onset of summer. Sure, summer means there is no cooking without sweating – and, if you’re me, there’s no cooking with pants – but it also portends that a sumptuous bounty of amazing produce will explode into NYC from all the surrounding farmlands. And that’s sweeeeet.
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Yes, Yes, I know. Pine nuts are not a spice or herb as I promised in all of my posts, but they are something even more special (to me at least). I have chosen to write about pine nuts because they truly enhance the flavors of herbs and spices in your cooking (ie. pesto). It brings an extra level of texture as well as flavor with its nut-complex oils, which is why pine nuts are often cooked with herbs.
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One of my favorite cities in the US is New Orleans. The jazz, history, and food defines the people and culture of the southern port city. The indigenous cuisine is distinctive and has been influenced by 3 main cuisines: local Creole, haute Creole, and New Orleans French with ingredients from French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, Cuban, and even Chinese cuisines.
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