tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111554252009-11-07T03:26:04.650-08:00Vegetarian chow and goodnessSuebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-88477193919390952852009-10-23T13:57:00.001-07:002009-10-23T14:39:11.721-07:00

Since I am on the West Coast and most of my co-workers are in the Eastern time zone, our calls inevitably end up being right in the middle of the day - usually during the lunch hour. Thus, one needs something to stave off the hunger demons until lunch can be had. It's usually a Clif or LaraBar, but the other day, in a fit of creative fridge-purging, I brought a cold artichoke.The only problem was

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-87750195792315849682009-10-20T13:42:00.000-07:002009-10-23T16:21:44.056-07:00

I cleaned out the cabinets recently. This brought up some interesting questions:Why do I buy so many packages of golden raisins when I obviously never actually eat golden raisins?What does "Best by August 2006" mean, anyway? I mean, it may not be best anymore...but it's still good, right?Are whole grains helping my health just by sitting there in little storage containers? Because I am sure not

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-72628741600101693182008-06-17T11:23:00.000-07:002008-06-17T11:36:38.472-07:00

I don't believe in low-fat yogurt. Or worse, non-fat yogurt. It is a tool of the devil.The only yogurt that enters my home is Straus Family Creamery Organic Whole Milk Yogurt or its not-so-secret cousin, Trader Joe's European-Style Thick & Creamy Oraganic Whole Milk Yogurt.As a secret member of the amazing Margaret Fox's (Cafe Beaujolais Cookbook)Lily Gilder's Society, I can't leave my fabulous

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-85573941243794708522008-06-07T13:42:00.000-07:002008-06-07T13:54:29.860-07:00

Proof that I have a very odd mental illness...I have gotten some great cookbooks for review from DK Publishing including the lovely Spain and the World Table.I have been keeping the cookbook in the bathroom for the past few weeks, where I get to look at it 30 seconds at a time.The other day when I first awoke, I looked at a recipe for saffron consomme, which sounded amazing. I have never been

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-11584516017208142272008-06-01T19:05:00.001-07:002008-06-01T19:15:44.862-07:00

My love for olives is unbounded.Nicoise, picholines, arbequinas, kalamatas, manzanillas...I love them all.Knowing this, my friend Stacy got me this nifty snack dish at the Oakland Friends of the California Museum sale, an annual treasure bonanza.The painting on the bottom says "Aceitunas," which means "olives" in Spanish. I had always thought it was "Olivos" because my dad is from Los Olivos, but

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1480404742904461932008-05-27T14:44:00.000-07:002008-05-27T15:11:36.640-07:00

So the nice people at DK Publishing sent me a free copy of "Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas" by Craig W. Priebe and Dianne Jacob to review.(I wanted to add an image of the cover, but for some evil reason, it won't upload).First of all, I learned something: a piadina is an Italian sandwich kinda like a pita sandwich, but using a folded-over thin pizza crust as the bread. Looks like yum.In fact, most

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-3671981414494576592008-04-20T11:36:00.001-07:002008-04-20T11:36:39.572-07:00

I have a small kitchen and don't have much specialized cooking equipment or dinnerware. But one thing I always look forward to getting down from the high shelf is the asparagus platter, for that means that spring is here!The plate is designed for steamed asparagus. The little impressions of asparagus on the plate allow any clinging water to channel away from the spears. And the pocket on the side

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-52516658305150252952008-02-12T21:32:00.000-08:002008-02-12T21:38:27.101-08:00

The other day I was going through the cookbook shelf (already I'm lying - as if I have ONE cookbook shelf) and found this hideous old cookbook that my friend Stacy gave me a long time ago. I scanned some of the pages and put them up as a flickr set for all to enjoy.As a preview, just in time for Easter preparations, here is one of my favorites:

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-77148459039673511912008-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:002008-02-10T12:54:16.294-08:00

Oh, yes, doesn't "high tea" sound elegant and refined?The problem is that the thing we do where we spend too much money on a pot of tea with finger sandwiches and scones with our lady friends is NOT "high tea." If you're an American, strike "high tea" from your vocabulary because it is unlikely that you will ever have high tea, or at least if you do, you will probably call it "dinner" lest you

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-62357790330630231312008-02-06T06:05:00.000-08:002008-02-06T06:15:05.870-08:00

While we’re on the subject of drinks I tried at the NASFT Fancy Food Show, I want to mention other two non-alcoholic beverages I tried besides my beloved Dry Soda.Vignette Wine Country Soda is sweetened only with wine grape juice and comes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rosé flavors. The flavor is not at all like wine, but rather a refreshing, fruity, but not overly sweet soda.My friends and I

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-84197545859902209912008-02-01T14:30:00.000-08:002008-02-01T14:41:38.491-08:00

My very favorite new product from the NASFT Fancy Food Show in San Diego a couple weeks ago was Dry Soda.Not only did they have one of the most stylish booths, their product rocked my tastebuds like a hurricane. Let me state for the record: I want to have a long-term, meaningful relationship with Dry Soda. I want to have a Dry Soda fountain in my house. I want to have a Dry Soda megachurch with

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-89337201614809424672007-10-28T19:45:00.000-07:002007-10-28T19:53:34.065-07:00

I buy a lot of Swiss Chard because it is so pretty. The big green leaves and the colorful stems - the rainbow kind is especially festive.Then I don't know what to do with it. There is only so much pasta fazool one girl can eat, and I don't really like it by itself.I found a recipe for Swiss Chard, Tomato and Cheese casserole on Epicurious.com and thought the late-summer combination of big ripe

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-85725153919433538982007-09-11T12:52:00.001-07:002007-09-11T12:57:08.335-07:00

I am serious. I really DON'T know what I am eating.I had lunch at Jay Bharat on Pioneer Blvd. in Artesia, CA - the street known as "Little India." After lunch I decided to buy a snack and this is what I ended up with.It is spicy puffed rice and nuts. I remember it had "Poha" in the name, which I have found means "flattened rice." But there was another word that began with P in the name, and it is

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-76144171650672326142007-09-03T07:55:00.000-07:002007-09-11T15:30:57.524-07:00

Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese CookingMasaharu MorimotoDK Publishing 2007272 pp, hardbound, $40 US, $50 CanadaEverything about this book is as beautiful and stylish as you would expect from something connected to Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto.The plentiful photos, the clever printing on the cover, the typeface - all of it makes a gorgeous, impressive package that would make a great

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1167704028748340692007-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:002007-01-01T18:16:08.363-08:00

I used to call this "canned stew" but it only confused people. Read the recipe and you will see why.This pairs well with cornbread and a handful of shredded cheese.Lazy Girl's Lunch1 onion, dicedCoupla cloves of garlic, cut into small chunksOil2 carrots, if you are feeling enthusiastic, dicedChili powder, salt and cumin to taste1 can kidney beans, drained1 can garbanzo beans, drained1 can corn

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1164340562721849542006-11-23T19:50:00.000-08:002006-12-03T10:27:34.766-08:00

I hope your Thanksgiving went well. Mine was a bit odd - no traditional feast. That is okay, because here is my family's usual menu:Turkey (I'm a vegetarian)Stuffing with raisins in it (why, God, why?)Canned julienned green beans with canned cream of mushroom soup and Durkee canned onions (what did green beans ever do to my mom to deserve this?)Mashed potatoes. I am okay with this.Sweet potatoes

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1159158070259805712006-09-24T21:20:00.000-07:002006-09-24T21:21:10.533-07:00

I made my favorite curried peas and eggplant dish. I love it because it is very simple - chop up the eggplant and toss it and the peas in a pot, add some stock, spices, butter and cook until the liquid is gone.The recipe calls for a couple whole chiles. I picked a couple jalapenos off my plant and tossed them in. At the end of cooking, you remove them.Except I didn't.Blogging and eating, I ate

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1152397738663453312006-07-08T15:24:00.000-07:002006-07-08T15:28:58.680-07:00

Three months since I posted! THAT doesn't seem quite right. But I have been subsisting on frozen pizzas and steamed veg, so I haven't felt like my membership in the food blog world was up-to-date. Why the hiatus? I dunno. Lazy. I live by myself, cook for myself...not that inspiring.I do have a discovery, completely by accident - cherry tomato raisins!This requires tiny cherry tomatoes (I used the

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1143312215635394002006-03-25T10:39:00.000-08:002006-03-25T10:43:35.660-08:00

These Cara Cara oranges are beginning to appear at Farmer's Markets here in Southern California. They are sweeter and less citrusy than other oranges, and their flesh can range from a medium to a dark reddish orange. I'm not a big fan of regular oranges, but I love these.Melissa's Produce has the whole scoop on where they came from, how to pick a good one, and nutritional values.

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1140319343962017712006-02-18T19:13:00.000-08:002006-02-20T08:57:45.473-08:00

After a week with temperatures in the 80s and 90s (yep, that's what I said), it suddenly got cold and rainy here just in time for the weekend.So today we take on another much-hated vegetable - turnips! The key is to buy small turnips, not those softball-sized purple and white jobs.I had a bunch of pretty white Japanese turnips in the fridge just waiting for the weather to turn. I had thought of a

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1140221608713446162006-02-17T16:05:00.000-08:002006-02-17T16:18:10.846-08:00

John and Kira's ChocolatesMr. Snackish did good for Valentine's Day, and since I love what he sent me so much I thought I would tell y'all about it in case you are in a gift-giving or self-treating mood.At about 10 a.m. on Valentine's Day I got a call from Roger the security guard at work (the nice morning guy, not the kinda trippy afternoon guy) telling me there was a package for me."Is it heavy

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1139636629534234042006-02-10T21:31:00.000-08:002006-02-17T16:23:56.610-08:00

I took a disappointing cooking class the other night. Why?Two words: vegan cheese. The class was a hands-on vegan demo, led by Ann Gentry of the very popular Real Food Daily vegan organic restaurants in Los Angeles. That's Ann on the leftI was not afraid - as a vegetarian of two decades, I am fully conversant with vegetarian/vegan food and it doesn't seem at all odd to me.My classmates, about 20

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1139287200671689942006-02-06T20:34:00.000-08:002006-02-06T21:00:29.426-08:00

About 45 food lovers met to worship at the altar of genius chef Suzanne Goin Wednesday night at Let's Get Cookin' in Westlake Village, California. We were packed into the demo kitchen area of the combination cooking school/gourmet shop/bookstore almost cheek-to-cheek, so to speak.The reason for the crowd was that Goin is the chef/part-owner of two well-respected - one might even say beloved -

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1139122779690358542006-02-04T22:54:00.000-08:002006-02-05T18:12:10.746-08:00

A big shoutout to the Evil Fruit Lord - check out my banana crop. I am so excited to live in a banana-growing microclimate so uncommon in the United States.I didn't do anything to make this happen - the flower just spontaneously appeared one day, then the petals started spreading out, then oozing sap, then falling off to reveal...tiny bananas!I don't know what variety this is. Probably Cavendish

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11155425.post-1139032661115311052006-02-03T21:37:00.000-08:002007-02-21T13:33:51.660-08:00

I can't write more about the NASFT Fancy Food Show after this because I am in serious blogging trouble - I have a new post, complete with photos, ready to write, but I haven't finished the previous subject yet. So let's put an end to the Trade Show of My Dreams with a post about one of my favorite foods: cheese.In a word: farmhouse cheddar. My first favorite Farmhouse (why a farmhouse? Maybe

Suebobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14652931599004264512noreply@blogger.com4