Tucked away in a quiet corner behind mile high piles of pearly grapes and fat figs sat a man working quickly with a knife, sliding his blade across apple green paddles—cactus! (Also known as nopales, the young pads of the prickly pear cactus.) The farmer sent me on my way with several crisp paddles and some cooking suggestions. I’ve been addicted to nopales ever since. Cactus has a crisp texture and tangy vegetal taste....
The last time I made caramel apples with young Piper she was barely 4 years old, and she covered her apple with pink sprinkles. This time, we kept our homemade caramel apples simple and unadorned, but you could easily dress them up with chopped nuts, raisins, M&Ms, or candy sprinkles. What Kind of Apples Work Best? For caramel apples you want an apple that is firm, tart, and crisp. Tart apples will especially help balance the sweetness of the caramel....
This morning it was quiche, specifically an onion quiche. To my dear father who turned up his nose at this masterpiece, mumbling something about real men, I say, “phooey.” Kudos to my brother Ed, who almost made up for dad’s transgression by saying just “damn good” after inhaling a piece at dinner. Baking Pans for Quiche A tart pan is tradition for quiche, but you can use a variety of baking pans for this savory delight:...
What is Ceviche? The acid from the limes and lemons changes the structure of the proteins in the fish, essentially “cooking” the fish without using heat. I love ceviche rolled up in a freshly cooked, still warm corn tortilla with lettuce and salsa. Ceviche Safety Tips Ceviche isn’t cooked in the true sense (cooking involves heat, and this isn’t heated). After sitting in the acid from the citrus juice—a process called denaturation—the proteins in the fish change in the same as they would if cooked in heat....
This basic chicken congee recipe is an easy and flavorful place to start and tastes great leftover. What Is Congee? Congee, also known as rice porridge or jook, is a classic Chinese comfort food that can easily be made at home. It is a humbling dish that was commonly served in feudal China when grains and food were scarce. With just rice, water, and salt, this delicious rice porridge was made to stretch for days....
In this recipe, you cook ground chicken (or turkey) in a skillet quickly until it browns, add some chopped shallots and season it all in the end with lime juice, chili sauce, and fresh herbs. Pile it all into a lettuce cup for a supper that has tons of flavor with very little effort. What Is Larb? Larb (pronounced lahb) is a Laotian dish that is also popular in northern Thailand, where the flavor adaptation is slightly different (the Thai version is not as sour and does not contain fish sauce like the Laotian one here)....
For a recent potluck for all the Sacramento food bloggers I decided to throw together this intensely decadent and very easy chocolate torte. The original recipe is based around David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Idiot Cake, however, this one bakes up much more quickly, uses less butter, and has a bit of burn to it. The chipotle pepper and cinnamon give a nice bit of spice and a slow, sweet tingle that lingers after each bite....
The simplest versions call for only vodka and chocolate liqueur or crème de cacao, while more robust recipes also include Irish liqueur, chocolate syrup, and/or vanilla simple syrup. I’ve chosen an approach that’s right in the middle to a create a well-balanced chocolaty drink that doesn’t require a degree in mixology. Who Invented the Chocolate Martini? Most cocktails have origins with professional bartenders, but the chocolate martini was invented by classic movie star Rock Hudson....
This favorite Italian soup is made with fresh seasonal vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes. There is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season. It can be vegetarian, contain meat, or contain a meat-based soup base (such as chicken stock). Video: How to Make Minestrone Soup When It Comes to Minestrone, Improvise!...
The sauce starts with lightly browning diced salt-cured pork, followed by softening the mirepoix (finely chopped onions, carrots, and celery) for a few minutes. Add garlic, a bay leaf, a few sprigs of thyme, whole tomatoes crushed in a bowl, and stock. Cover the pot and pop it in the oven for a slow simmer. All that deliciousness comes with a time commitment. The sauce needs to simmer for a couple of hours to build and concentrate all of those flavors, but that can be done handily in the oven, allowing you to use your time however you please instead of standing over the stove....
Three favorite food groups in ice cream form. Yes! If you’ve ever made homemade coffee ice cream, you know why we get so excited about it. It’s like an ice cream latte—smooth, rich, creamy—but you get to pick the coffee. In my case, I use decaf beans because otherwise I’m bouncing off the walls for days. Bump it up with some chocolate chips, douse it with a little smoky bourbon whisky, and hello, this is an ice cream dressed for a party....
So when my friend Audrey came by this week to help me with some cooking and mentioned she had been making a homemade version of Ben and Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, my brain practically short-circuited, the synapses were so lit up with their version of a happy dance. Here’s her recipe, a classic custard base, infused with coffee, churned and then mixed in with broken up Heath bars before freezing....
While the method for preparing the potatoes is an Australian specialty, these toppings are all about my childhood. Most family gatherings (especially brunches) included a spread of bagels and lox with all the trimmings. With a base of crispy potato, a classic combination of bagel toppings gets a fancy makeover. The Best Potatoes for Crash Hot Potatoes I use extra small potatoes called petite gold potatoes for this recipe. They make for more manageable appetizers than something larger in size....
I adapted this recipe from Alexa Weibel’s popular Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta recipe in The New York Times. In my version, I add mushrooms to make the dish more hearty and filling and garlic for even more flavor. What Is Miso? Miso is a paste typically made from fermented soybeans, rice, and salt. It has a salty, umami flavor and is popular in Japanese cooking. There are two types of miso paste that are commonly found in the U....
Great Chili Without the Meat! For this recipe, I take basic vegan chili up a notch by adding quick-cooking bulgur wheat, which can be found in health food sections at the grocery store, and minced mushrooms. The combination of bulgur and mushrooms mimics the texture of ground beef. Don’t like mushrooms? No biggie. Skip the mushrooms and double the amount of bulgur. Have a wheat allergy? Just leave out the bulgur and double the amount of mushrooms....
Instead, you just throw everything into a dish and let the oven do the work! You can even assemble the casserole the night before and bake it the next morning. You still get all the best parts of a slice of French toast, but with far less effort: soft and custardy middles, cinnamon-infused edges, plus an extra-crunchy toasted topping. Video: How to Make French Toast Casserole What You’ll Need For this French toast casserole, you are going to need a fairly large loaf of bread – enough to make about 10 cups once cubed....
While there are some versions of this taco made in an air fryer, I actually prefer to make it in a standard skillet (either nonstick, cast iron, or stainless steel) so the tortilla gets super crispy with direct contact to the skillet. The Best Kind of Pan to Use You can use any pan for these tacos. If you are worried about the tacos sticking, you can use a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet....
But every once in a while I need a change. This Greek version is made with sautéed fresh spinach, zesty feta cheese, and ground beef. It doesn’t stray too far from classic meatloaf, but the spinach and feta, plus a touch of both ground coriander and cinnamon, make a world of difference. Keeping with the Mediterranean theme, I topped the loaf with a pomegranate molasses glaze and brightened it with some chopped parsley and pistachios to transform a tasty but—let’s be honest here—drab-looking loaf into something enticing....
