tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210167382008-05-17T15:13:03.834-07:00Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-67651060289708480932008-05-17T13:33:00.000-07:002008-05-17T13:35:22.620-07:00

No cooking today ... Taking a break from our hot kitchen and visiting Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-79798719828960127142008-05-07T10:01:00.000-07:002008-05-07T19:16:38.317-07:00

I always forget how much I enjoy these easy to make spring rolls. The last time we made them was for a party at our house, everyone loved them. I came across a partial package of spring roll wrappers while cleansing my cupboard of all the bad things I should no longer eat. Although the spring roll wrappers are essentially rice flour, they are thin and healthy when filled with plenty of

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-64088279082303465842008-05-06T13:44:00.000-07:002008-05-14T10:09:08.954-07:00

This morning I received a flyer informing me of a national food drive taking place this Saturday, May 10th. The National Association of Letter Carriers is holding the "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive and all you need to do is leave a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox. The postal carrier will pick it up and deliver it to your local food bank! "Though thousands of local post

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-75209951280905258222008-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:002008-05-04T09:01:08.609-07:00

I've been meaning to cook with quinoa for quite some time. I bought a small amount of it in the bulk bin at Whole Foods a few weeks ago and hadn't gotten around to trying it out. With my recent focus on eating healthier, I figured it would make for a nice light supper along with some roasted veggies. It's as though quinoa is becoming more popular as I'm seeing it popping up on more blogs. I

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-51452369194158352082008-05-02T18:41:00.001-07:002008-05-02T19:19:31.578-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your recent kind words of support! I've been a mopey and grumpy person since learning of my high cholesterol and am starting to snap out of it. Today's weekly produce delivery gave me much needed inspiration and I crafted this wonderfully simple dinner tonight. Tonight's star ingredient is the golden beet, sweet and earthy. My produce shipment also contained fennel,

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-74437813801335149492008-05-01T14:11:00.000-07:002008-05-01T15:00:14.033-07:00

Life has a funny way of kicking you right between the legs just when you least expect it. The past two weeks have had a few ups and downs, with a doctor's appointment this week which has changed a few priorities. I rather dislike change, especially when it requires sacrifice of things I greatly adore. Two weeks ago I was required to attain a medical physical for my immigration paperwork.

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-39839133882053072882008-04-25T10:46:00.000-07:002008-04-25T16:13:39.526-07:00

Today, I received my first delivery from Farm Fresh To You (FFTY). FFTY is a local organic family farm delivering fruits and vegetables direct to your door. For $29 (which includes delivery), I signed up for the 'regular' box which contains mostly vegetables with a bit of fruit. They provide many options and are flexible in customizing what shows up in your box (i.e. I never want peas, but

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-59473093915502468222008-04-25T07:28:00.000-07:002008-04-25T10:18:59.492-07:00

I rummaged around in my freezer to see what sort of meat might be lurking in the chilly bin. I found a package of pork chops which I don't remember buying recently, which meant it was time to use them up. Normally, I fry pork chops with a few spices or fresh herbs but wanted to do something different. I like the sweet and savory combination of pork with apples, so decided to combine them in

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-24637415972450429412008-04-24T10:18:00.000-07:002008-04-24T10:50:42.126-07:00

I'm in a strange mood today, completely overwhelmed by nostalgia. I blame it on Classmates.com which sent me an email this morning to alert me someone had signed my guestbook. I rarely use the site but was intrigued to see if there was any new information from my former high school classmates. One thing led to another and I found myself visiting the website for my high school. I grew up in a

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-90123244861146440012008-04-23T00:26:00.000-07:002008-04-22T21:59:49.576-07:00

My vegetable supply is dwindling down in anticipation of my Friday product delivery so I didn't have much to work with tonight. I wanted something healthy and without much salt, but packed with flavor. After a scan through the pantry, my mind kept going back to two cans of beans. I walked around the house and thought about it, wrote a few emails, read a few blogs, then decided I would go with

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-34541657997880446452008-04-22T11:26:00.000-07:002008-04-22T12:15:02.887-07:00

Last month, I entered the Taste & Create food blog event which pairs two food bloggers who must each make a recipe from the other's site. Unfortunately, my partner didn't follow through so it was a little disappointing and not nearly as exciting as I'd hoped. Regardless, I was able to look through all of the other pairs and see many interesting dishes. I decided to chalk my experience up as a

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-90037788532212172852008-04-20T11:54:00.000-07:002008-04-20T12:29:16.157-07:00

It feels like years since I've blogged or even read a blog ... in reality it's been just over a week. My work-life collided with real-life and I had to put writing on hold. We rarely order take-out food and this week we ordered take-out food two nights in a row! Fortunately, I'm back at it again and writing about these wonderful little cookies of Austrian origin flavored with almonds. I love

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-83842074575814327432008-04-11T08:32:00.001-07:002008-04-11T14:53:25.048-07:00

Last night, dinner wasn't planned and in all honesty I anticipated reheating leftover pasta. As I finished up my work day, a StumbleUpon friend from Uruguay twittered that he had just eaten spicy empanadas. My stomach grumbled as my eyes lit up. I pinged him for more information. He pointed me to a recipe and I set to work making them :-) I'm not sure why I am so 'shoot from the hip' with

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-53843451972236988122008-04-09T14:41:00.000-07:002008-04-09T14:51:55.417-07:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 'Baker's Odyssey Giveaway'! I received nearly 30 responses from around the world, but unfortunately there can be only 1 winner. And, the winner is ... And, the winner is: Patricia of Technicolor Kitchen in São Paulo, Brazil If you're not familiar with Patricia's site, please check it out. You'll find many interesting recipes and mouthwatering

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-79605501864918299162008-04-09T00:01:00.000-07:002008-04-08T23:47:46.128-07:00

Yesterday, I wrote about how to make paneer so today I'm going to show a dish using it as the main ingredient. Once again, I turn to Ms. Anjum Anand for inspiration and guidance. I've had a similar dish before in restaurants so was eager to try it at home. It is a combination of spinach and paneer in a creamy sauce with garlic, ginger, and spices. I also made a batch of naan to accompany it.

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-91172348114464623442008-04-08T11:10:00.000-07:002008-04-08T11:53:43.588-07:00

Making cheese is one of those things I've always wanted to try. As a baby step, I figured it might be best to start with a simple fresh cheese easily made from common ingredients and without need for complicated devices. Last night, I set to work making Paneer, a type of farmer's cheese common in Indian cooking. You'll find many resources for making paneer, however FXCuisine provides easy to

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-11633829401156278702008-04-07T10:33:00.000-07:002008-04-08T20:25:45.223-07:00

Many of us read food blogs every day and when we come across an interesting recipe or idea we bookmark for our 'to-do' list. Sometimes, we see something so delicious and intriguing that it bypasses bookmarking, all other activities halt, and we immediately begin making it. Such is the case with these Pirojki, a baked dough wrapped around a savory potato-meat mixture. Just last week, Farida

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-62821495565213839362008-04-05T12:41:00.000-07:002008-04-05T12:32:56.906-07:00

Delightfully chewy and crisp, these Anzac cookies are my new favorite thing. I've noted on several posts recently different 'crushes' I'm having for people and blogs. Well folks, I've got to say that the Anzac cookie is my new cookie crush. Although there is some debate about whether this cookie (i.e. biscuit) originated in New Zealand or Australia, the name 'anzac' is the abbreviation for

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-53267172554039477612008-04-04T16:10:00.000-07:002008-04-06T10:05:52.597-07:00

A few weeks ago I explored making and canning orange marmalade. This week I decided to use my surplus strawberries to make fresh jam. While I don't eat alot of jam or preserves, I figured a small batch would be worthwhile and used by end of year. And, if I didn't eat it as jam, I knew it could come in handy when making a quick dessert topping (i.e. drizzled over ice-cream or poured over a

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-68972015413462991492008-04-04T00:08:00.000-07:002008-04-04T09:11:23.305-07:00

The title is a bit misleading, eh? Well, I had the best of intentions and set out to build a delightfully vegetarian lasagna. I ran to the store to buy missing ingredients and immediately set to work on the lasagna assembly. Mid-way through my tummy began to growl and before I knew it, I was crumbling sweet italian sausage on the top, as though covering it in a blanket of meat. Lasagna is

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-25455168813004483182008-04-02T19:17:00.000-07:002008-04-02T20:01:15.170-07:00

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I did not want to cook anything tonight for dinner. I woke up this morning with a stuffed up nose and throbbing headache. I forced myself to work today and when it came time for dinner, I didn't know what to do. I felt guilty about the 1/2 package of tofu I knew was sitting in the fridge for the past few days, so decided to muster the energy and make

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-65649666978125828632008-04-02T08:30:00.000-07:002008-04-02T08:24:04.509-07:00

Title: A Baker's Odyssey (includes DVD) Author: Greg Patent Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 0764572814 Recently nominated for a 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Award, A Baker's Odyssey: Celebrating Time-Honored Recipes From America's Rich Immigrant Heritage is the latest work from Greg Patent. In this book, Patent explores and successfully captures immigrant cooking in the United States,

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-36998255983673196692008-04-02T03:11:00.000-07:002008-04-09T14:59:33.171-07:00

I'll be sending a copy of A Baker's Odyssey to one lucky person. So, enter now and spread the word! Read this post for further details. I recently reviewed Greg Patent's latest book and decided to attempt my first giveaway! The drawing is for a brand new copy (not my review copy) of A Baker's Odyssey. Entries accepted: April 2-8, 2008 (US PST) Unfortunately, this giveaway has now ended.

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-13560765865093227892008-04-01T17:48:00.000-07:002008-04-01T18:00:19.175-07:00

Below are links and pictures from all the dishes I made this month. You'll see candy bars, bagels, a few Indian dishes, and much more. Enjoy!                                                

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21016738.post-5596368270267809152008-03-31T13:55:00.000-07:002008-03-31T14:53:12.431-07:00

A couple month's ago we were out shopping on the weekend and decided to grab a bite before heading home. We opted for a small local chain called Straits Restaurant which offers modern Singaporean cuisine. Although the restaurant is not as highly acclaimed as it once was, the restaurant offers a few interesting bites. I wanted something light and ordered the banana blossom salad for the

Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455981776033579827noreply@blogger.com