tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:25:55 +0000A smorgasbord of food, love, and life's funnies by New Orleans writer Jennifer Colemanhttp://slicesofme.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)Blogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-6125687340161826338Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:48:00 +00002010-09-27T22:57:53.948-05:00 Warm Asparagus Soup with basil + a hand-rolled Goat Cheese and Basil Wedge; Basil Pesto for dipping assorted vegetables and roasted potatoes. Thank you to my cat sitting client Sue for tipping me in basil leaves! http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2010/09/basil-inspired-feast-to-remember.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-2596508557201070343Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:46:00 +00002010-03-06T15:43:57.297-06:00Sadly, the above basil sprout dried to a crisp and withered away a few weeks ago, and my planters remain dry and empty. I was remiss at watering my seedlings enough, and the big, romantic thunderstorms of last summer have yet to arrive and routinely drench my herbs. I aim to plant more basil seeds soon. And whether it's homegrown or store-bought, I do declare there will be fresh pesto made in myhttp://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/06/julep-update-seeds-to-be-replanted.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-842219102069811786Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:58:00 +00002009-03-23T10:43:39.605-05:00Today I planted the first porch seeds of the year. This season I have one planter of basil, and another of spearmint. I'm keeping it simpler than last year, and also planted much earlier.This year I used better soil; have a new, more sprinkly and gentle watering can; and know how to fight bug fungus should it again attack my herbs.I'm looking forward to making pesto from my basil, Cuisanarting http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/03/julep-update-seeds-planted.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-2506237990928151039Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:38:00 +00002009-03-16T09:58:37.513-05:00Photos of and recipes for my recent culinary 'conquests.'Bad table manners during dinner at Cochon, which is owned by two of New Orleans' top chefs, Donald Link and Susan Spicer. On a double date, Jon and I feasted on roasted oysters that taste like liquid gold, cucumbers that had just the right amount of vinegar and mint, and a smorgasbord of pork delicacies. I'm often inspired by my food http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/02/february-food-porn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-6363264206023223721Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:24:00 +00002009-03-16T07:01:47.372-05:00Per my February Food Porn post, the link to Gourmet's Spaghetti Spice Sauce recipe is here.I like to slice (not dice) the Kalamata olives into threes so that there’s more to go around, and you can actually use any tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, or pre-made spaghetti sauce you like.I often add diced yellow onion to make it chunkier. I recently tried a new pasta, VitaSpelt Whole Grain Angel Hair, http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/02/recipe-spaghetti-spice-sauce.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-6012213154790671805Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:30:00 +00002009-03-15T00:26:58.901-05:00Oddly, this recipe comes from my Cuisanart manual's recipe section. As mentioned in my February Food Porn post, the pureed cauliflower truly tastes just as good as mashed potatoes and has less carbs. You could vary it using goat cheese instead of butter, and raw or sauteed shallots instead of garlic.Note: This recipe requires a food processor and makes approximately six servings.Ingredients1 http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/02/recipe-cauliflower-puree.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-7260330433768340513Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:31:00 +00002009-03-15T00:27:18.498-05:00My beet soup looks just like the picture in Bon Appetit, oui?http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/02/beet-soup-just-like-picture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-6032645646501482213Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:41:00 +00002009-02-02T06:45:15.387-06:00Over the weekend, Jon and I returned a Pottery Barn lamp I'd bought online with the last of our wedding-related credits (the blue lamp base was not the same in person as it was in the catalog, which is silly since it was a non-store product!). We decided to use the credit at Williams-Sonoma to buy some fun stuff instead.Note: My idea of fun stuff is different from what it used to be (a $50 meal http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/02/kitchenware.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-1179514149848799121Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:41:00 +00002009-01-27T11:33:51.957-06:00To celebrate President Barack Obama's inauguration, Jon and I threw a party in his honor, replete with many of his favorite foods. We relied on the blog ObamaFoodORama, and some serious Google research, to come up with the following menu.-Obama's family chili recipe (link to the recipe here), which was very tasty. I'd definitely make it again.-His supposed favorite snacks, Planter's Trail Mix andhttp://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/01/obamarama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-7651236493401807162Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:08:00 +00002009-01-27T11:50:44.333-06:00I forgot to take a picture until the very end. Guess everyone liked it!I tripled the following Obama Family Chili Recipe for our Inauguration Party and made it with ground turkey meat. Due to time constraints, I used canned tomatoes. I chose not to purchase oregano or ground basil, served the chili with non-fat, pre-grated cheddar cheese and skipped the rice. The recipe doesn't include timing http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-family-chili-recipe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-3542743585761065885Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +00002009-01-26T08:57:19.932-06:00"We can't allow any idle hands," President Barack Obama has been quoted as saying, which is why there was a make-your-own-salad-roll bar at our Inauguration Party. The prep is a lot of work, so my hands were definitely not idle that day!Salad rolls are a fun way to shake up a regular bowl of lettuce, especially if you eat salad all the time and are bored by the same ole-same ole. They're also http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/01/make-your-own-salad-roll.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-1875489407250608523Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:35:00 +00002009-01-11T15:52:35.517-06:00Jennifer: "What is this?" Chew, chew, chew, smell, glare, sigh,take a big swig of red wine, chew, grumble.Jon: "Not pizza." Swallow, swallow, swallow, flip the channel to check the basketball score, growl, swallow, sigh.Jennifer: "Do you think Bret Michaels has any hair under that bandanna?"http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/01/rock-of-pie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-4213725068835067926Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:01:00 +00002009-01-10T21:38:38.683-06:00Apparently, according to Wikipedia, this year I made Skippin' Jenny instead of Hoppin' John, since I cooked the traditional Southern New Year's Day dish on January 2nd instead of the 1st. Incidentally, collard greens are still called collards no matter what day of the year you make 'em.Whether you call them Jenny or John, the combination of black-eyed peas, celery, onion and green pepper simmeredhttp://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2009/01/auld-lang-syne-southern-style.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-8037498080009660949Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:59:00 +00002008-12-23T00:00:26.639-06:00(A traditional King Cake in all its sprinkled, iced glory.)1. My last meal as a New Yorker: As the terrific friends who I met and grew with during my years in New York came in from the January cold to John's Pizzeria, my favorite pizza shop, the waiter continued to add extra chairs to our table. Though many goodbyes were said that night, amidst the bittersweetness a happy discovery was made, andhttp://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/12/8-of-best-slices-i-consumed-in-2008.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-2642628663444579188Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:50:00 +00002008-12-21T16:37:42.892-06:00One of my favorite meals of the year. Please go to this link for the recipe, but read below for my input.~Prior to making this recipe, I'd rarely cooked shrimp. I have no problem seeing or tasting any kind of food in a restaurant, but with meat, fish, and especially shellfish, which I love so much, I've previously been scared I'd do something wrong and turn myself off it, like I did with http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/12/recipe-greek-baked-shrimp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-4532024926290004391Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:28:00 +00002008-12-21T16:33:52.434-06:00I submitted this entry to one of my favorite food blogs, Not Eating Out in New York, which was seeking a 27th reason for why "not to eat out in New York." Another was chosen, so I thought I'd share mine here:During the eight years I lived in New York, my fridge was a vessel for a few condiments, a Brita pitcher, some Whole Foods containers, and vodka. I didn't even keep milk for coffee. I could http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-truth-i-prefer-to-continue-to-buy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-2947631577391149596Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:01:00 +00002008-12-10T08:06:26.535-06:00This year Whole Foods made a happy mistake and gave us double the amount of turkey breast we ordered for our Faux Thanksgiving. After turning it into lunch sandwiches and a curried turkey casserole dinner, I froze the rest until today.Then I baked it a little more, trimmed and chopped it, and made a Pink Lady apple, mayonnaise, spicy mustard, and salt and pepper turkey salad.Soon as the turkey http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/12/last-of-thanksgiving-turkey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-7243868152638151404Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:51:00 +00002008-12-05T06:52:59.658-06:00Voila, more kitchen space!http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/12/these-are-things-that-make-me-happy-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-4721942830960726231Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:24:00 +00002008-12-04T06:50:41.985-06:00When I lived in New York and was overcome by a particular food craving, I knew exactly how to fill it. Chocolate: Black sesame crusted mochi wrapper filled with hot liquid Callebaut chocolate at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar; Pizza: John's on Bleecker -- no toppings necessary, or the braised lamb and roasted lemon pizza at Waldy's; Skirt Steak: Jane; Indian Street Food: Bread; Comfort Food: Mama's Food http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-kind-of-comfort-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-8900887982413173008Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:29:00 +00002008-12-05T13:16:52.439-06:00Thanksgiving came early this year. My in-laws visited the weekend before, and we celebrated a Faux Thanksgiving. Whole Foods provided the turkey; brussels (I fell in love with them years ago thanks to WF due to the way they roast and almost burn them); rolls; sweet and mashed potatoes; gravy, cranberry sauce with citrus; cherry pie with vanilla bean ice cream; red wine; and prosecco that I added http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/11/thanksgiving-came-early-this-year.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-5544962411958680099Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:01:00 +00002008-11-17T00:50:58.529-06:00As I continue to heal, I've begun to regain my "kitchen legs." Less than a year ago, when my fridge only had condiments and take-out, I never imagined I'd say this, but I actually love to cook. It's helping me regain my confidence, creativity, and focus, as well as comforting me.Over the last couple of weeks, I was visited by Alesa and Nicky, two of my very best, dear, energetic, kitchen-savvy http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/11/back-in-kitchen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-7854524172604055439Sun, 02 Nov 2008 05:01:00 +00002008-11-17T07:02:28.771-06:00As I ease back into living in New Orleans, and life itself, I am equally joyful and hopeful; hungry for new experiences; happy for the fall sun that cinematically shines through our kitchen and hall windows; delighted to again be able do simple things like sit on the floor and scrub until the front of the oven is free of grime; and look forward to one day soon, when I can finally unpack my books,http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-pig.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-8743052909515792999Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:33:00 +00002008-10-30T23:50:56.054-05:00It's late and I'm a tad hungry, so I had a few slices of pre-bed sharp cheddar cheese (it's one of the items on the oft-published list of things that are "OK" to eat if you're hungry before bed). Maybe a list of meals I'm looking forward to in the next month will also help quiet my noisy stomach. Or, it may lead to the need for more cheese...-Tomorrow morning, I'll wake up with my revered http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/10/food-to-look-forward-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-2397078257902041933Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:06:00 +00002008-09-21T23:28:58.792-05:00Each year during the month of May, I visit a garden or plant something, like cat grass or flowers, in memory of my Mom, Eve, who died of breast cancer in 1994. Both her birthday, which sometimes falls on Mother's Day, and the anniversary of her death, are in May. Depending on the year, and how softly the late spring breezes blow, this cluster of important days can be a blessing or a curse; a http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/09/summer-basil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10586376.post-3345419101139720459Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:31:00 +00002008-08-29T23:56:07.386-05:00One recent morning, I went to Cafe Du Monde for a classic New Orleans breakfast of cafe au lait and beignets.It was barely 7 a.m. when I arrived, and the outside tables had yet to be put out. I sat inside and watched the waitresses bring tray upon tray of warm beignets and steaming coffee to the other customers. I hadn't had a beignet since before I moved to New Orleans, and the heavily powdered http://slicesofme.blogspot.com/2008/08/powdered-courage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Coleman)0