tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75176579024757156892012-01-25T16:35:59.845-08:00chronicling my mad race to get the most out of what's in seasonangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-11365810705535730672011-12-02T15:30:00.001-08:002012-01-25T15:51:48.076-08:00

i have a special reverence for cabbage. i'm not sure what it is, exactly, that has put cabbage on a pedestal for me, but it's certainly perched up high. it's one of the most beautiful vegetables of any season, and the density i always find surprising and impressive. plus, it just feels healthy. raw, cooked, fermented--i simply love cabbage. the beauty above is from nash's organic farm. isn't

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-20833739493809800092011-11-20T16:17:00.001-08:002011-12-01T13:51:38.763-08:00

it seems that one of the first things i get excited about when fall rolls around are savory fruit soups. i like the flavors, i like the blended texture, and soup feels so nourishing, especially when it's full of yummy fruit. this one is a pear soup with bacon and blue cheese. (the original recipe called for pancetta, to which i tend to say to-may-to, to-mah-to, primarily because i love the

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-19427346961130115252011-11-19T15:58:00.001-08:002011-11-19T16:32:32.538-08:00

i'm no stranger to getting into a rut when it comes to cooking. as much as i enjoy both cooking and eating, i do sometimes get, well, bored. reason #2455 for eating with the seasons: it's exciting! when the weather changes and new crops start to show up on tables at the farmers market, it wakes me right up. welcome, fall, and every delightful fruit and veggie that comes with you! i look

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-1382143521407295982011-09-21T12:49:00.000-07:002011-09-21T12:49:31.177-07:00

here's another go-to recipe for summer, compliments of bobby flay's bold american food. the garlic, ginger and honey marinade is perfect for an otherwise boring chicken breast, and the relish of sweet corn, roasted red pepper, balsamic vinegar, and jalapeno is a great balance of sweetness with just a little heat. bump up the amount of jalapeno or add other chilis if you want more bite, but i

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-4351338857811292562011-08-24T13:45:00.000-07:002011-08-24T13:45:38.334-07:00

now that i've decided i like deviled eggs, i've opened up a whole new world of quick dinners. for these, i took inventory of the fridge, freezer, and herb patch, added up the available ingredients in my head, and did a google search for "deviled eggs with smoked salmon, capers, and dill." quelle surprise, the internet gave me what i asked for. you can probably imagine what these are like--

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-73904414301357723412011-08-08T18:38:00.000-07:002011-08-10T11:40:02.870-07:00

there's a tiny pocket of commerce in the middle of our residential neighborhood called "tangletown" where you can find one, and only one, of pretty much everything. one pub and brewery, one coffee shop, one doughnut joint, one sushi restaurant, one dentist, one general market, one dive bar, one chiropractor, and, oddly enough, one kingdom hall are a part of our little hood. (it makes our area

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-41960602729193657972011-07-29T15:08:00.000-07:002011-07-29T16:18:24.432-07:00

i essentially doubled my cookbook collection a couple of weeks ago. food magazine editors are sent a lot  of cookbooks for promotion, and, lucky me, i happen to know one who had acquired enough of them that she'd created a "free" box that i was invited to pilfer. i came home with 11 shiny new cookbooks, and food and gardening books. SCORE.  one book that seemed at first as though it had

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-89864881746804264392011-07-24T11:58:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:06:25.186-07:00

i first heard about this recipe last fall when i attended a "holiday preview" of sorts at interbay whole foods. they had invited a group of foodie folks to sample their new thanksgiving dinner offerings and, la-di-da, i got to go because jill lightner, the editor of edible seattle, gets invited to this kind of thing and sometimes invites me to come along. at this particular event, food

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-81724899838357968492011-06-19T12:37:00.000-07:002011-06-19T12:37:43.935-07:00

remember when you were a kid and a special occasion would roll around for which you'd get to choose what you had for dinner? those were exceptionally special days--no asking "what's for dinner?" and dropping your head in disappointment after hearing "goulash" or, even worse, something involving large slices of stewed onion. no, this was your birthday, and you were in complete control over

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-42723643112042239452011-06-16T17:33:00.000-07:002011-06-17T02:02:17.039-07:00

i was never much of a deviled egg person. i realize that either my southern roots or the 37 summers i've spent on planet earth should have changed my distaste for them, but neither has. a few weeks ago, something shifted. i was reading through the recipe list on edible seattle's website and found a recipe for deviled eggs with sorrel-pistachio pesto. i was definitely intrigued by the idea

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-70075111246647106522011-06-14T19:20:00.000-07:002011-06-14T20:40:44.484-07:00

like this time last year, i have a glut of fruits and veggies in the freezer from last summer's preservation. i counted many, many containers of tomatoes in there recently, and figured since i have 10 tomato plants outgrowing their half-gallon pots and waiting impatiently for me to put them in the ground, it won't be that long before handfuls of cherry and salad tomatoes are coming in from the

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-12012369795009065182011-05-16T13:46:00.000-07:002011-05-16T21:51:27.585-07:00

this spring has been terrible. it's been the coldest spring in seattle on record, and as a result, spring crops are painfully slow coming in from local farms. we've been cooking soups and stews from ingredients in the freezer, waiting, waiting, for asparagus, spring peas, fennel--anything to make it seem like seattle spring really is different from seattle winter. eventually, i ran out of meats

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-25381733546604427832011-04-19T11:56:00.000-07:002011-04-19T16:56:07.008-07:00

spring officially arrived on march 20th, and i have yet to officially acknowledge it here. (probably because it's barely broken 50 degrees in seattle in the last 6 weeks and that's a buncha--sorry, what? me? oh no no, i'm not bitter!) so, a month late and without further delay, my spring 2011 posts will begin the way all things should--with a big ol' bloody mary. bloody marys, full octane or

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-42361562934487562852011-04-01T13:55:00.000-07:002011-04-19T10:50:00.625-07:00

we stopped by stokesberry farm's booth at the ballard farmers market a couple of weeks ago, hoping to pick up a whole chicken for roasting. janelle told us she didn't have chickens that day, but offered to show us their chicken sausage with sage and garlic just as an fyi. ok, great, good to know, thanks! about 5 minutes later we were back at her booth, money in hand. i'd just bought some

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-56162232340845369582011-03-25T15:08:00.000-07:002011-03-25T15:15:34.795-07:00

i flew home to georgia last week to surprise my parents for their birthdays. i'd coordinated with my brother and cousin to arrive undetected and make a grand entrance, and, thanks to a flawless execution, they were, indeed, surprised. we had so much fun for the week. during my visit, my favorite aunt jane made it clear that she USED TO enjoy reading my blog, but obviously i wasn't cooking

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-31178933571386338252011-02-14T16:06:00.000-08:002011-02-15T12:52:29.631-08:00

it's me! i'm here! i haven't been gone far, not at all-- i've been in my kitchen, cooking away, but seem to have let post-to-blog time slip out of my schedule. in fact, i'm sitting on 5 blog posts right now, just waiting for me to feature a pic and do the typy-typy thing to get them out. hopefully i'll make it through that pile in the next couple of weeks! the next post in the queue was

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-76234365154979806492011-01-31T15:48:00.000-08:002011-01-31T15:52:53.974-08:00

i don't think i've mentioned here yet that my super-sweet boyfriend surprised me on my birthday with-- wait for it-- a 3.5 quart, cherry red, enameled cast iron, le creuset dutch oven! mine. all mine. when i told my facebook friends about it, one said, without hesitation, "now go get molly steven's book, all about braising." i did as he instructed and am so impressed with this book! it's a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-34016784873948924632011-01-14T16:29:00.000-08:002011-03-26T10:34:08.093-07:00

i've never been much of a dessert person. fat, salt-- these are my cravings, but sugar? not so much. that said, there are some occasions that demand dessert, and christmas is definitely one of those.  i went to georgia to visit my family a little early  this year, and since i wasn't going to be there over the 25th, we rescheduled "christmas" for a couple of days before. it was great. we had a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-51246602493395411292010-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:002010-12-27T10:46:45.392-08:00

apply the fire with kindling now i'll pull the blankets up to my chin i'll lock the vagrant winter out i'll fold my wandering in -- joni mitchell, "urge for going"

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-5106843043151830062010-12-07T15:38:00.000-08:002010-12-08T01:15:53.724-08:00

fall is the season for soups made of squash and fruit. last year i posted about a butternut and apple soup-- this time, it's roasted pear and delicata squash, and it's scrumptious. i can always tell how well rob likes something i've cooked by whether or not he reaches over and rubs my leg while he eats-- this soup got two pats! he had the best description of it, too, that it tasted like

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-41868396310747774362010-12-06T18:17:00.000-08:002010-12-12T00:48:56.956-08:00

you know what it's like. you're pumping away on the exercise bike, watching an episode of "the office" on the ipad, and going over the list in your head of produce that will go bad if you don't act fast. this time, the scene lead to two successful side dishes-- the watercress and pear from the ravioli dish i never made were split up and turned into a salad using fennel leftover from the pickled

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-66696546886649857012010-11-30T17:53:00.000-08:002011-04-19T12:02:24.588-07:00

quel autumnal treat. cranberries get their tough skins popped with boiling water, then surrender their color and tart cranberry flavor to a bottle of vodka. the result is delicious, and absolutely beautiful. cranberry-infused vodka 1 pint fresh cranberries 750 ml vodka (we used finlandia-- guy at the liquor store said it's best for infusions) big ol' jar with tight-fitting lid wash

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-86238594479736586982010-11-22T18:53:00.000-08:002010-11-28T23:51:24.867-08:00

due to a series of events taking us out of the house at night lately-- my birthday, huskies games at the bar, pool with friends-- i haven't really cooked anything in a couple of weeks, which feels like years. not only have we been eating out and bringing home leftovers, but after a time of having someone else prepare our meals, it's easy to get a little lazy about being in the kitchen. brent

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-18522185290772342602010-11-10T14:03:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:50:08.258-08:00

i generally prefer to use this space and the recipes featured to say either "this was great, go for it," or "that didn't work-- continuing search." what i really don't like to say is, "well, this was good, but it was tricky, because the recipe was poorly written, and i guess i muddled through it well enough to end up with a dish rob and i both liked." nope, i don't relish that kind of post at

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-86399196333745604322010-11-02T18:28:00.000-07:002010-11-03T22:57:37.352-07:00

a couple of weeks ago i threw out my second attempt at cauliflower soup. both times i'd read a few recipes and thought, meh, i'll just wing it. and both times, it was AWFUL. (granted, the second time was because i blended the bay leaf into the soup. again. but still. awful.) so, i did what anyone else would do in such a situation-- i turned to facebook. i asked my friends, "friends, can you send

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-9635248328332259042010-10-21T16:48:00.000-07:002010-10-22T18:08:56.089-07:00

last year i froze about 7 quarts of tomato sauce for our winter consumption. i was making a somewhat fussy sauce, using onions, grated carrots, red wine, garlic, herbs, and who knows what else. this year i wanted to simplify. and, frankly, i wanted a better sauce. the first couple of quarts i made were basically tomato puree from fresh tomatoes simmered forever with olive oil and salt until

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-90072020857212713762010-10-08T16:39:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.919-08:00

jerry traunfeld continues to rock my world. he combines seemingly unlikely flavors with such surprising and delicious results, and it's kind of thrilling to know that when i cook one of his recipes i'll likely encounter flavors i've never experienced before. (peaches and tarragon? of course!) this time, chicken simmers in tomatoes, much like a cacciatore, but is punctuated with cinnamon, basil,

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-23689766179088485402010-10-02T11:57:00.001-07:002010-10-05T23:29:24.163-07:00

it takes a lot of ingredients to make worcestershire sauce. a lot. and this particular sauce takes time-- 3 weeks, to be exact. but it is so.worth.it. the sauce is dark, thick, and incredibly rich. it's not a high yield recipe, but the flavor is so concentrated that the 2 cups it makes should theoretically last a while. that said, it's so good that i want to put it on everything, not just the

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-46413375012137829682010-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:002010-12-30T11:48:48.157-08:00

i'd like to call back summertime have her stay for just anothermonth or so but she's got the urge for goingso I guess she'll have to go. -- joni mitchell, "urge for going" 

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-2536502922775510112010-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:002010-09-14T13:15:59.240-07:00

i think i've posted about crostini, like, a dozen times. it's such a default for us because if you toss beautiful vegetables and herbs together, you've got a great veg salad. put it on toast, however, and you've got a meal. and since the matt's wild and white currant cherry tomatoes have been cranking out ripe fruit by the daily pint, making a meal from them has become a necessary delight. 

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-23225542067915430442010-09-11T19:22:00.000-07:002011-01-05T01:15:30.496-08:00

every summer requires a reliable potato salad, and this summer mine was the herbed potato salad with lemon-olive oil dressing from bon appetit. some batches turned out better than others, but having an in-a-pinch recipe to turn to for dinner or last-minute barbecues has simplified several evenings over the course of the season.  the recipe caught my eye because it calls for fresh herbs that

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-91497475961751168072010-09-06T11:58:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.923-08:00

i often make zucchini fritters in summer, and generally don't fuss too much over what recipe i use. this one was in organic cooking, and since i knew right where to find it, when the urge struck to make zucchini fritters i went straight to it. in the middle of getting the batter ready, chatting away with rob about our respective days, i said, "beat the egg white? i wish i'd read this recipe all

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-47833534695946633662010-08-27T15:59:00.000-07:002010-08-30T01:08:32.001-07:00

looking for a light, sweet ending to your summer meals? try this roasted peach from chef jerry traunfeld's the herbal kitchen. the roasted peach with the crunchy topping is reminiscent of a peach pie, but you're spared the unbutton-the-jeans feeling that often follows dessert. still, if the devil on your shoulder prevails, serve it with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream to make it a full

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-80127973117969501162010-08-23T15:02:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.927-08:00

i tend to make a lot of quesadillas in the summer. one reason is that when the weather finally turns nice in seattle, i want a super-quick preparation so we can have porch time, or take a walk, or hit a happy hour before dinner. another reason is that i can't get enough of summer salsas, relishes, and chutneys-- anything fresh and raw with minimal fuss is my favorite way to experience warm

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-69962633743592786952010-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:002010-08-23T23:14:17.701-07:00

i planned and prepared, composted and cover-cropped, researched and cross-referenced, and was certain i'd have an award winning harvest this year. then i planted my tomatoes way too close together and over fertilized. behold the resulting jungle. this photo was taken a couple of weeks ago, back when i had literally not seen one of my plants in the back (a beefsteak variety called "nepal") for a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-22669296527475809672010-08-13T12:10:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.932-08:00

have peaches on the table that are not getting any younger, have pork chops in the freezer, have a garden tomato, finally ripe. i don't know about you, but to me this means pork kabobs with peach salsa! this is a great combination of summer flavors. the peach and tomato flavors play well together in the salsa, and while the peach comes through, it is anything but sweet. feel free to be

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-89741925927569387282010-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:002010-08-11T11:33:47.300-07:00

last night, we turned a corner. we finally had our first full-on celebration of the season of light, fresh,  summer food. nothing came from the freezer, nothing could have been from any ol' time of the year-- only fresh, bright flavors of the season of easy livin'. the star of the plate, for sure, was the first handful of tomatoes from our garden, sprinkled with some fresh basil and a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-41237370955236212052010-07-23T15:41:00.000-07:002010-08-02T00:40:33.513-07:00

i spend plenty of time prepping for blog posts that never make the cut, either because the photos didn't turn out like i wanted, or the dish wasn't that great, or the inspiration just fizzled. this was almost left on the cutting room floor until i pulled out last night's leftover dessert to have for this afternoon's snack and realized, this one needs to get out there.  now, i know full well that

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-34785634525171702782010-07-22T15:39:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:13:21.465-07:00

we had a lot of fun growing some brassicas this year! in truth we didn't get a ton of food out of our little beds of broccoli and cauliflower, but for a first attempt, it was quite enough to be worth it. and, some of the side-sprouting varieties are still delivering! our biggest producer, pictured above, was umpqua. these plants made tight heads about the size of two fists, and in the joints

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-33761140010743800512010-07-22T14:49:00.000-07:002010-08-02T00:43:28.970-07:00

so, the peas are all done, and here's a quick look back at how they did. you may recall that i went a little nuts at the seattle tilth spring edible plant sale, since all of the starts were half price by the time we arrived. i'm glad we had the opportunity to try out so many different varieties, as some did decidedly better than others.  one success was a variety of snow pea called golden sweet

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-47284641049747043302010-07-13T21:55:00.000-07:002011-01-25T17:54:27.935-08:00

imagine eating something that, for a few minutes, makes nothing else seem to matter.  this strawberry shortcake is AMAZING. amazing. like, make-you-forget-that-you-have-questions-about-the-meaning-of-life amazing. the drop biscuits come together like a dream and hold up perfectly while soaking in all of that syrupy strawberry juice. the berries are dark and sweet, the cream is light and dreamy--

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-72146011922543790622010-06-25T16:37:00.000-07:002010-12-06T18:25:59.796-08:00

right after we moved into our place in seattle i took a careful tour of the yard, looking for any perennial herbs left behind by previous residents. i found only 7 small plants growing along the front of the house that looked like a less woody rosemary, but the taste indicated they were definitely not rosemary. the flavor was a little like thyme, but with the bitterness and pungency of oregano.

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-21615157183706054702010-06-25T14:36:00.000-07:002010-06-27T00:21:03.673-07:00

a few saturdays ago, we drove 73 miles for a package of sausage. it's the same sausage we buy at the farmers market, and the same sausage we could have bought at the market that day. but we wanted to take a drive to see where our amazing sausage (and bacon, pork chops, top sirloins, ground beef...) comes from. so we drove north to skagit river ranch.you know those labels in the grocery store

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-12791586650373429052010-06-22T11:25:00.000-07:002010-12-27T10:48:44.245-08:00

dear spring, thanks for, ya know, all the renewal and stuff. let's totally do it again next year.xo,angela

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-80234552060974209902010-06-21T12:19:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.936-08:00

i've managed to convert rob. he was firmly planted in the "i don't like fennel" camp until this raw salad of shaved asparagus and fennel with a mustard dressing, and now he nibbles on the fennel tops on our way home from the farmers market. we've made it twice now, serving once with the crunchy topped, slow-roasted halibut in the recipe (we, and our dinner guest, thought the fish and salad were

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-28286995075207933352010-06-17T00:56:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:11:05.323-07:00

i finally made ricotta. now that i've done it i feel silly for taking so long. it's super easy, and it makes a ton-- one gallon of milk made almost two pounds of cheese, which is way cheaper than buying ricotta by the 15oz container. this recipe was from ricki carroll's book, home cheese making. (it's a good starter book, though i've heard from several "in the know" sources that there are better

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-60236471611702464152010-06-07T12:57:00.000-07:002011-04-21T17:26:25.621-07:00

we often go out for breakfast on the weekends, mostly because it's rob's favorite meal to have out. but sometimes the refrigerator contents insist on coming together for a sunday brunch at home. in this case, eggs, asparagus, and leftover goat cheese from another recipe became a quick and simple frittata.  asparagus and goat cheese frittata  serves 2 6 medium or large eggs, well beaten 10 or

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-75424327699485095022010-05-26T14:56:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.948-08:00

for 3 weeks in a row i had "paneer curry with peas" on the menu list for the week. and for 3 weeks in a row, it went ignored. the reason i never managed to cross "paneer curry with peas" off the list is what the rest of the line said: "-- make the paneer." from what i can tell, paneer is one of the easiest cheeses to make. but somehow, buying a gallon of milk and spending a couple of hours

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-24765690153590634052010-05-20T16:04:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.953-08:00

as it happens, it can be 55 degrees and raining well into may here in seattle. thus, beef stew season lingers. i make this all the time (really-- all.the.time.), but i'm just now getting around to posting about it. i first tried this recipe in 2002 when i was taking an evening course in landscape design at the local college. i came into class one day and a friendly classmate asked, "hey, how

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-71760962783471559852010-05-17T14:41:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:58:41.364-08:00

i used to be a big fan of bobby flay. it was about a hundred years ago when i was in college and he seemed to be doing a little more cooking and a little less posturing. i found him charming, and he made some really good looking food. somewhere during that time i found his cookbook bold american food on clearance and while i still haven't done a ton of cooking from it, several recipes have

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-72527140425054067012010-05-13T16:37:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:08:40.158-07:00

i made this mustard about two months ago, and i'm only now beginning to like it. the mustard was ready in 2 days, but it started off entirely too spicy for me (though rob liked it right away). it's mellowed enough now that i can actually taste the flavor of it rather than just the heat, and it's great! we had some on sausages from the grill the other night and thought it was spectacular. the

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-79713715203244118822010-05-07T16:17:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:08:09.627-07:00

the other day i  made, like, the ugliest pie ever. it was a rhubarb custard pie recipe from my friend annette over at sustainable eats (check out her blog-- it's amazing what she's doing), and while it tasted fantastic, i really screwed the pooch in the "visually appealing" category. i started cutting the dough into a shape, then messed it up, then the dough broke, then i decided "forget this"

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-59025375180436396752010-05-04T14:24:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.957-08:00

asparagus! you and your gorgeous spears of spring! welcome back, old friend. let us waste no time.  for the first asparagus of the season, i saw no need to get fancy. this is a simple asparagus and arugula pasta with a creamy sauce and a little bacon for fun. you can substitute another green for the arugula (spinach, etc), but the arugula brings a great peppery flavor to jazz up the sweet and

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-8704534354796200722010-04-30T14:43:00.000-07:002010-07-22T16:03:19.647-07:00

yesterday wrapped up 10 days of seattle restaurant week during which more than 100 restaurants served up 3 courses for $25. this is a better deal at some restaurants than at others, but to me it's just a great excuse to get out to new places and see what wonderful things are happening in their kitchens.  on wednesday, we went to stumbling goat bistro. i knew about them because they are mentioned

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-46055833914156583112010-04-26T16:34:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:33:25.744-07:00

i just looked at the date on the short rib ragu post and realized it's been two full weeks since i've updated! i feel so negligent. i've been traveling-- first to south georgia to visit my fabulous family, and then to portland to visit some dear friends. meanwhile, i've barely even stepped into a kitchen! i'm looking forward to some cooking this week, so hopefully a couple of food posts are on

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-42164565264425509432010-04-12T16:15:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:58.961-08:00

okay, so it's not exactly a springy meal, but the weather was fairly wintry last week, and the short ribs in the freezer needed to be cooked. i read countless short rib recipes last week, but ultimately decided to try a short rib ragu from bobby flay. (i may have mentioned, we really really like a good ragu.) i stewed the ribs in vegetables, wine, and stock for about 3 hours on the stove, as i

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-5601091551300684832010-04-09T15:16:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:06:44.828-07:00

here's a little bonbon for your friday afternoon-- a super easy and absolutely swoon-worthy rhubarb and strawberry cobbler.  i've never cooked with rhubarb. i've known all along it's the stuff that looks like red celery that you can make into a pie, but until last week i'd never even tasted it. i was looking forward to its availability this spring, though, precisely because i had no idea what

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-26533775792120431012010-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:18:17.307-07:00

after preserving lemons and using them to flavor vodka, i had a couple leftover. i'd bought a 1lb fillet of wild caught (not farmed!) pink salmon from loki fish company at the farmers market and thought my lemons would compliment the fish nicely. pink salmon is milder in flavor and a lighter color than the more robust-flavored, dark pink to almost red-colored coho or sockeye. still, it's a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-82228682583789066872010-04-01T17:45:00.000-07:002011-04-19T12:03:12.564-07:00

i suspect that when the woman at true value hardware asked "what's your project?" as i paid for a box of half-gallon ball jars, she hoped the answer would be "preserving pears for the church" or something like it. when i answered "vodka infusions," she was visibly let down. but despite true-value lady's disapproval, this is a totally worthwhile project. for one, there's something that feels

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-53618980106680178972010-03-29T15:00:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:04:50.930-07:00

i went on a meyer lemon spree the other week. they were in season (though these did come from california, i should point out), so there were a ton of great looking ones at PCC natural markets. i really love meyer lemons-- they are sweeter than the average lemon, perfumy, thin-skinned, and are the most gorgeous color of yellow that i believe there exists in nature. i've read in a couple of places

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-22060608068527305902010-03-24T14:58:00.000-07:002010-12-26T11:24:17.947-08:00

black bean soup. everyone has their own recipe, and anyone who doesn't certainly has easy access to any of the millions out there. i used to make this soup a lot, and tried out several different recipes until i found the one. unfortunately, the last few times i've made black bean soup, i've not been able to locate my magical recipe! it lives somewhere on epicurious.com, but i can't remember

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-9144256392504864442010-03-23T14:08:00.000-07:002010-03-23T14:12:55.133-07:00

saturday was pretty much the best day ever. first, it was my mom's birthday. happy birthday, foxy lady! second, it was the vernal equinox. WELCOME SPRING! third, it was the iranian new year-- i know this because the persian woman who cut my hair saturday morning told me so. which brings me to the fourth point of best-day-ness-- i got a haircut, for the first time in a year! and, AND, it was 70

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-64856307460706767132010-03-22T11:35:00.000-07:002010-12-27T10:48:44.248-08:00

dear winter, you were full of surprises. thank you for making way for spring!see ya in december,ang

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-39492848464223665582010-03-16T13:14:00.000-07:002011-04-26T01:36:33.383-07:00

these eggs are special. why? is it because they come from happy chickens, birds who live happy chicken lives, doing what chickens do and not confined to 60-square-inch battery cages with their beaks chopped off? well, yes. but i can get those eggs from several booths at the farmers market. what makes these eggs extra special is that they are the enterprise of a 12-year-old named caity, and i

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-53019627387159971562010-03-09T16:43:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:20:54.932-08:00

i'm really lucky to have someone in the house to cook for who likes the same food as i do. (or, is he the lucky one, to have the person cooking be one who enjoys the same food as him? i'll say it's both.) one fall and winter favorite around here are the maligned-by-children-everywhere brussels sprouts. they taste good, they make you feel like you're doing something good for your body, and they

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-9656657430884626712010-03-03T13:33:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.965-08:00

it's been a while since i cooked risotto. i used to make it all the time, but i never really could get the texture exactly right, and eventually i moved the dish out of the rotation in favor of other techniques that weren't so tricky. but when i finally got my hands on some leeks at the farmers market recently (they're almost always sold out by the time i arrive), i couldn't shake the idea of a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-34337318476796155782010-02-23T12:05:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.969-08:00

while on our vacation, we spent a lot of time with fruit. we ate it. we drank it. we battled the sugar ants coming for it. the opportunity to take a break from root vegetables and ingest a little sunshine was just what ol' man winter ordered.  the fruit superstar for the week was definitely papaya. sooo incredibly delicious. we had them with breakfast and coffee on the lanai every morning,

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-11938887846810790042010-02-22T11:48:00.000-08:002010-05-01T00:10:19.286-07:00

when planning our trip to maui a couple of weeks ago, two friends said, without reservation, "go to mama's fish house." mama's is an oceanside restaurant in a shabby-chic converted beach house on maui's north shore. opened in 1973, mama's was the first fresh fish restaurant on the island. not only is all of the fish served caught that day or the day before, but produce is grown on the island as

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-82383378936021969332010-02-09T16:10:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:55:23.406-07:00

heh. i thought i was getting tired of root vegetables until i wrapped them in bacon. edible seattle's recipe maven jess thompson presented a recipe last january for winter root vegetable gratins as an idea for a super bowl snack. this past sunday, i took her up on it. uh, can i just say, YUM? recipe here: bacon root vegetable gratins  the recipe says to use a mini-muffin tin, but my vegetables

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-8922754390413566242010-02-07T13:29:00.000-08:002010-11-08T00:01:51.393-08:00

roots and greens, roots and greens... seems like it's the same ol' song at the farmers market these winter days. but, spring is on its way, and in the meantime, i'm really getting to know some roots and greens.  this is celeriac, or celery root, a type of celery grown for it's root rather than the stalks and leaves. the flavor is very similar to stalk celery, though milder, sweeter, and not

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-72995006146911693002010-02-05T14:42:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:53:58.449-07:00

split pea soup is not sexy. not one bit. but, it is tasty. and it's cheap! we're eating on-the-cheap these days, partly because i'm trying to save money, and partly because i think it's fun. i love to see what i can make out of ingredients we already have on hand. i've had the split peas around for so long that i don't even notice them anymore-- they're just a part of the pantry landscape.

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-43730037428007297452010-02-03T15:23:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.973-08:00

you know that feeling when you find a recipe that, no question, you know you're going to love? the comforting feeling that sure, it won't be high-adventure, but it also won't let you down? that's how i felt when i opened up edible seattle's fall 2008 issue for the first time and saw the recipe for pear and hazelnut stuffed pork tenderloin with sour cherry syrah sauce from PCC printed on the

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-41328357881480446032010-01-29T16:46:00.000-08:002010-10-27T13:38:15.365-07:00

last week, i ruined the soup. it was a corn and potato chowder from edible seattle, fall 2008 that i'd been looking forward to all week. i made it to the final step, congratulated myself on how quickly it came together, and then i ruined it-- i forgot to remove the bay leaf before i went at it with the immersion blender. there are conflicting reports on the danger level of ingesting bay leaves--

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-90717424578167986872010-01-27T14:41:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.978-08:00

me: i need to come up with an angle for my beefy post. rob: what kind of angle? me: you know, an intro or an anecdote-- something besides 'i made this and it was good.' rob: 'i made this and it was REALLY good?' that's as good a place to start as any. i made this. and it was really. REALLY. good. it was so delicious and satisfying, in fact, that when rob forgot to take the leftovers for his

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-39968638847718739412010-01-22T14:08:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:47:06.784-07:00

i've been making this soup for years. i change it up here and there, using whatever is on hand, but the basic formula remains: meatballs, broth, leafy greens, and pasta. it was inspired by escarole and little meatball soup, epicurious oct. 2003, but i've changed up the basic measurements just a bit. this time i threw in some tomatoes from my freezer. not bad, though i think next time i make it

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-87135562252933850762010-01-19T15:08:00.000-08:002010-07-27T20:17:37.670-07:00

last thursday was soup and salad night. the soup was french onion, about which i promised to report since i was making it with my first batch of homemade beef stock. i'm happy to say it was wonderful! i followed this recipe from gourmet, december 2006, cooking the onions for about an hour and 15 minutes until they were amber colored and super creamy. topped with a cave-aged gruyere (oh my gawd,

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-10970329239869969572010-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:20:05.026-08:00

i tried and tried to get this post out yesterday, but i simply could.not.focus. i'd add a link, type three or four words i thought might eventually make it into a sentence, and wander away from the computer. i'd come rushing back thinking, "just write it! just get it done!" and then find myself in the dining room again. this continued until i gave up and did laundry. rob theorizes my trouble

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-43176052591530069742010-01-08T15:45:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.982-08:00

on wednesday i encouraged rob to have a big lunch. it was a courtesy suggestion because i knew i was planning on doing some experimentin' in the kitchen for dinner that night. the selection is getting lean at the farmers market these days, and it takes some creativity to keep the deliciousness coming. i have no doubt there are countless cream-of-pureed-vegetable soups in my not-too-distant future

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-78757890956645623972010-01-04T15:15:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:43:06.817-07:00

in desperate need of new reading material a few months ago, i picked up this book. it turns out to be one of the best purchases, desperation or not, i've made in a long time. it chronicles a year in the life of a holistic and integrated goat farm in eastern washington, quillisascut farm. broken down by season, the book beautifully details how each season is dependent on the previous, and

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-24741946508307011312010-01-02T14:12:00.000-08:002010-07-27T20:22:01.722-07:00

after my sweet peas were all finished up in the backyard garden, i left the vines in place to dry out, intending to harvest the dried peas for this spring's seeds. there really weren't very many, and i'm not even convinced that we'll grow peas again this year. but, the dried pods are so beautiful that i have to document. so, i don't have much to say about it, just wanted to kick off winter, a

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-10949719632235482422009-12-31T09:44:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:42:26.445-07:00

i know the holiday party season is coming to a close, but i can't resist posting about an appetizer/party food idea. in my oh-so-humble opinion, crostini with goat cheese is one of the best creations of all time. for one, as our friend scott once astutely observed, "goat cheese, like william shatner, makes everything better." but the true genius of goat cheese crostini is its versatility-- it

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-37365148220669078852009-12-30T14:15:00.000-08:002010-12-27T10:48:44.252-08:00

oh fall, you always deliver. thank you for all that you are. until we meet again,angela

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-60267907291631704742009-12-15T14:12:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:40:32.367-07:00

i'm heading across the country to spend the holiday with my family tomorrow, but really wanted to get one more post out because... i found cranberries!! dance and prance of cranberry joy! it's not that i exactly adore cranberries, or even that i've done much cooking with them. it's that one winter night two years ago rob and i found a pork chops with cranberries recipe that we decided would be

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-59318192295831773462009-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:21:45.581-08:00

like many of us, there was a time when i HATED onions. my poor parents had to sit across the dinner table and watch me pull every last tiny sliver of onion out of my bowl of chili for at least 10 years. "you can't even taste them!" they would say. but i was convinced they tasted like moths. (i don't know-- there's no explanation for it.) now, not only does every dish i make begin with an onion

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-37737068969751200842009-12-08T11:35:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.986-08:00

i go to the farmers market every week with a list and an open mind. i'm usually planning on a couple of recipes for the week, and the other nights are to be filled with a tbd market surprise. inevitably something new and strange makes it home with us. one such market discovery is romanesco. this gorgeous vegetable which rob and i call the "fractal fruit," abandoning accuracy in favor of

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-7656179965069891402009-12-04T14:27:00.000-08:002010-07-27T19:36:21.238-07:00

i don't use a ton of beef stock, but it's necessary for french onion soup, which i make a lot of in winter, and it's useful in braising. while there are a couple of brands that i don't mind using off the shelf (pacific foods is one), i've been curious for a long time about homemade. i finally took the plunge last week. it's easy, but unlike chicken stock, it takes forever. fooooreeeever. one

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-11340370177635702522009-12-01T12:13:00.001-08:002010-01-07T00:47:07.064-08:00

this is my favorite magazine. with a focus on sustainability and conservation, it is dedicated to showcasing the food traditions and bounty of the puget sound region. but edible seattle is more than amazing recipes and utterly beautiful photography. each issue is a crisp farm visit, a damp foraging adventure in the woods, a mouthwatering kitchen-table chat with a baker, and a garden tour of

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-81709352061311611082009-11-30T14:50:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.990-08:00

in cold weather months i often have to remind myself to eat light. summer is easy-- i can eat a tomato with a dollop of cottage cheese and consider it a reasonable lunch. not so as the dark and rain settles in over puget sound. sometimes, though, it feels good to eat something clean, something to atone for all those cheesy casseroles and cream-based soups that i do so enjoy during fall and

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-43906740920388823822009-11-24T13:06:00.001-08:002010-07-27T19:34:11.810-07:00

one january day in college i got it in my head that i wanted to make minestrone. i didn't, however, have a recipe and wasn't sure what to do about that fact. (this was pre-internet-- for me, anyway.) when i arrived home from class that very afternoon i found the apartment complex monthly newsletter hanging on my doorknob. on page 3 was a recipe, presented by a corpulent, cartoon italian chef,

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-256664147543750172009-11-23T14:03:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.994-08:00

christmas '06 was spent with my cousin's family in florida. aunts, uncles, sisters, cousins and kids all descended on her home on florida's gulf coast. it was the first time our family had experienced a destination holiday and for a person of inferior temperamental fortitude the pressure could have caused an ulcer. i mean, hosting christmas is a big deal, right? just before christmas dinner,

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-49800688111007398352009-11-17T13:00:00.000-08:002011-01-14T16:32:41.656-08:00

it's funny how much the inventory at the farmers market changes in just a few short fall weeks. heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, and zucchini give way to storage potatoes, variegated maize, and butternut squash. one of the fall stand-outs for me lately has been the pears. they are beautiful and plentiful and i can basically eat my way through the market by happily accepting samples from farmers

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-66285319783202933852009-11-11T14:15:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:58.998-08:00

yesterday, i decided i wanted a tart. a cauliflower tart, to be precise. i'd never made one before but felt that the leftover meatball soup in the fridge at least had dinner covered in the event of tart failure. none of the recipes i found were exactly what i had in mind so i took some ideas from different sources and set out on my own. the result was absolutely delicious! the crust was buttery

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-22424140399753883742009-11-06T11:42:00.000-08:002010-12-07T17:56:59.003-08:00

there are 3 key reasons why i like roasting a whole chicken. the first is that it reminds me of what henery hawk sees in foghorn leghorn. the second is that it's an easy one-pan endeavor that will feed a couple of people for a couple of days. third, i get 3-4 quarts of stock from the bones. on my most recent re-examnation of my diet i gave some extra thought to eating meat. i've always been an

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-85851515744179455082009-11-01T15:27:00.000-08:002011-04-05T15:40:55.286-07:00

i've found a new cache of online recipes. it's from pcc natural markets in seattle, "the largest consumer-owned natural food co-operative in the United States." they are dedicated to offering all natural, organic, sustainably produced, and when possible, local products, and when i can't get to the farmers market they are the next best thing. i was poking around on their website recently and came

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-84287143961500300172009-10-29T12:22:00.000-07:002010-07-27T22:01:28.916-07:00

i'm sure this will come as a complete surprise, but it's raining in seattle. i knew it was coming, of course, and i felt like i was in a race against the weather to get my tomatoes harvested before the rains came and changed everything. my plants had been sluggish all summer, then suddenly in late august bloomed and set a ton of fruit. i knew only a few would have the chance to color up before

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-80270874425678998522009-10-23T13:37:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:59.007-08:00

late last summer rob and i were having dinner at a fantastic little joint in portland called justa pasta. the leaves were beginning to change, the days were getting shorter, and i was excitedly describing a new recipe i'd found using fall ingredients that were soon to be available. i'd been trolling blogs for recipes and found a sweet potato gnocchi with apple cider sauce that sounded divinely

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-47701743453279245842009-10-19T13:11:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:22:13.117-07:00

it was about two years ago that i began to learn that the tops of root vegetables are edible. i grew up eating turnip greens, but as my mother recently pointed out we didn't eat the turnip. so the idea that both the roots and the tops are food came as a bit of a surprise. it started when i got a box of vegetables from a farmer who would bring his goods to our office. there were beets with greens

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-87004238117144632422009-10-15T12:58:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:21:18.633-07:00

i love the carrot scene at the farmers markets (or "carrost," as we call them, thanks to a canadian animated short called "the big snit"). nothing quite says "fresh from the farm" like dirty carrots all heaped up on tables with their feathery green plumes still attached. before i developed a borderline unhealthy obsession with farmers markets, i saw carrots as largely utilitarian. i used them

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-16999399582265139082009-10-09T15:19:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:19:47.369-07:00

one of my favorite things about where i grew up is that jimmy and rosalynn carter grew up there too. i believe them to be two of history's genuine heros and i am proud to be a product of the south georgia county that helped make them the great part-of-the-solution they both are. i was 3 when carter was elected and 6 when he left office, so my first awareness of the president and first lady was

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7517657902475715689.post-90161208537975277802009-10-06T14:49:00.000-07:002010-12-07T17:56:59.011-08:00

the motivation behind our move from portland to seattle was simple-- rob's job was here, and i no longer had a job anywhere. since i was unemployed and therefore home all day, i got to be the one who essentially unpacked and put the house together. it was during one day of unpacking that i turned on the food network, which i'd never really watched before, to see if there was anything worth

angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241551139641471675noreply@blogger.com0