Eat Fresh

Which you will, when partaking of anything on the plate today.  There are the string beans fresh from the pole, no matter whether you picked them yourself or bought them from a farmer who did.  Then there are the sweet potato wedges, brushed with olive oil and grilled until they’re soft and fluffy on the…

For Real This Time

Not too long ago, a preparation of shrimp and orzo, a pasta somewhat reminiscent of rice, was featured on these pages.  Satisfying, surely, but it was merely wheat acting.  Enough of the imposture.  This time we get the real deal, no looks-like.  Honest-to-goodness rice, simmered with tomatoes and parmesan cheese until the whole sauce is…

Welcome Back!

Summer’s returning from its vacation soon, and it brings all sorts of nifty things we haven’t seen for nearly a year now, like fresh garden vegetables and cookouts.  What better way to celebrate the season of plenty than with a dinner featuring so much of what gives summer the nicest house on the block? Specifically,…

Make Some Noise, East Coast

Despite Canadians earning something of a reputation for being quiet, one of their more prominent desserts is anything but.  In fact, one of the sweeter specialties of the eastern (Maritime) provinces is something with the rather peculiar name of Blueberry Grunt, so-called due to the noise blueberries make as they cook down and partially reduce…

Party Tonight in Quezon City

Must be quite the occasion, as today introduces not just one, but two types of lumpia,  a Filipino egg roll of sorts typically served at parties and at other celebrations.  There’s the classic pork, carrot and water chestnut variety, pictured above on the right, and a newer crab, pineapple and ginger version from Hawaii, which…

Ultramar

“Ultramar,” the Portuguese word for “overseas,” was used for centuries to describe the country’s various colonies, including those in Mozambique, on Africa’s southeast coast.  A variant of the term also was applied to residents of those lands, who often mixed Portuguese traditions with native customs.  As history unfolded, the years refined the mixture and led…

Two for One

Really, it’s a marvel of applications.  Create one creamy, savory garlic-butter sauce flecked with chopped cilantro, and use it for both parts of today’s meal, the shrimp and the baguette.  Use the same grill even to cook both.  One sauce, two creations – Shrimp Scampi and Garlic Bread.  What a bang for that particular buck!…

Hand Cakes

Really, that’s what these are, whole coffee cakes in convenient, eminently approachable handheld form.  They even come complete with a creamy toffee topping, and a crunchy-sweet ribbon of toffee, almonds and butter crumb lacing throughout.  As coffee cake, they’re perfect for an uplifting breakfast, a sweet way to start the day.  As muffins, they’re ideal…

Hike an Alp or Two

When Austrians want to journey up one side of a mountain and down the other, or to fortify those who will, they prepare an encouraging one-skillet meal replete with what’s necessary for the day’s exertions.   Thus, they invented Tiroler Gröstl, a stamina-building combination of diced potatoes, onion and bacon, traditionally topped with a lightly…

Really, Just Like Chicken?

Saying something is “just like chicken” has become something of a culinary joke by now, a sure sign the speaker lacks imagination or descriptive ability.  Maybe so, but what if something is surprisingly similar to chicken?  Especially when it’s not even meat?  Cauliflower achieves such a feat when it’s prepared after the Lebanese fashion and…