Entries tagged with 'Blogwatch'
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Making an adult soda is an easy way to add some zing to any fruit juice you may have on hand. My definition of adult soda is a drink consisting of sparkling water mixed with a fruit juice. A good general rule is to use a 1:1 ratio of juice to water, but this varies depending on how sweet the juice is. I certainly didn't invent this concoction, but I started making it because drinking sparkling water by itself hurts my mouth. The bubbles, people! They're lethal. Emily of Just Eat Food makes a refreshing grapefruit soda with some fresh orange and grapefruit. A good way to get your citrus on. Just between you and me, I also think...
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This cream of tomato sauce from Christina, of Doesn't TaZte Like Chicken, is a supremely rich reduction inspired by Heston Blumenthal's bolognese recipe. Christina's two secrets here are cream and reduction, leading to a thick and intense flavor. The sauce is reduced twice, so it takes a bit of time. It's probably best to save this recipe for a lazy afternoon. The color of the gorgeous sauce practically screams, "Eat me, it's freezing outside!" Paired with a copious amount of red wine, you'll be thanking me....
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Shucking clams is no easy task. Julie of Kitchenography bought 50 clams and created her "own personal clam shucking boot camp." It wasn't easy, but once they were all shucked, she was in the free and clear. Although she technically broiled James Beard's baked clams, they're still every bit as delicious. I would actually prefer to broil them because it's faster and I want my bacon ASAP. Julie also links to some helpful videos on clam shucking if you have a hankering to learn how....
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This Vietnamese caramel shrimp recipe from Closet Cooking is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at using caramel in a savory dish. "Simmering or braising in nuoc mau (Vietnamese caramel sauce) is fairly common in Vietnamese cuisine." Kevin, the blog's proprietor, uses a relatively simple recipe to make the caramel and sauté the shrimp. Once you make the caramel, the dish comes together in less than ten minutes. Follow Kevin's example and serve it over coconut jasmine rice so it soaks up all that salty-sweet saucy goodness....
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Sometimes certain cuisines just don't lend themselves to obvious pairing. But Sassy Radish attempts a unique fusion with a Southern twist on stir-fry. That kind cooking innovation can lead to surprising and tasty conclusions. That's why when I stumbled across her post for tofu stir-fry with spinach and okra, my creative side started salivating. Tofu is great when cooked right, and the addition of okra makes this usually Asian-themed dish unique. Also, a fun fact about okra, it's actually a fruit that is eaten like a vegetable....
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Love Ikea's meatballs, but can't bear to make the trek out there? Heather, of Gild the (Voodoo)lily, has the solution. Homemade meatballs + creamy sauce + buttered noodles = comfort wrapped in a nutmeg blanket. Bring a plate of this over to the fire and settle in for a cozy evening, sans Ikea parking lot slush. Previously: Ikea Groceries: Some Assembly Required...
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This vibrant soup from Rita of Pink Bites is a sight for sore eyes. The bright collard greens swirl in a base of olive oil, water, and potatoes to make a simple, cheap, and filling dish. Collard greens are full of vitamin A and are a good source of zinc. Seriously, I feel healthier just looking at this soup. Portuguese in origin, caldo verde simply means "green broth," and so it is. Add some sausage if you'd like something a bit heartier, but a nub of toasted bread works well too....
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with copious amounts of coconut, chocolate chips, and cream in your life. Diet schmiet. Throw in some eggs, sugar, and leftover bread and you've got a party in the form of Coconut-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding (or as I like to say, CBP). Emily, of (Visions of) Sugar Plum, whipped this up in preparation for an impending winter storm, and I suggest you do the same. Even if there's no storm, there are lots of things that this bread pudding could help you prepare for—like, say, life?...
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These tasty little tarts are vegan, if you can believe it. Maggie, of Dog Hill Kitchen, uses a vanilla-flavored coconut milk yogurt in place of a traditional pastry cream in these mini desserts. No special equipment is needed; just bake the crusts in a muffin tin. She says these are even better the next day, so they're perfect for a special dinner or for sneaking one as a snack when no one's looking. Plus, anything "reminiscent of an Orange Julius" is more than A-OK in my book....
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Writer, cooking teacher, and private chef Eric Gower, who blogs at The Breakaway Cook, has the skinny on making tangerine salt. "The salt is a wonder," Gower writes. "It turns a lovely shade of yellow-orange, smells fresh and toasty citrusy, and, sirenlike, beckons me to use it every time I go near it." I'd never really given tangerine salt much thought until reading Gower's words, but it sounds like a simple luxury that's both affordable and easy enough to make daily. Related Cook the Book: The Breakaway Cook...
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