Food Sense | Blog

2012’s Best Summer Cookbooks

2012-05-23T19:41:58+00:00

With the best of the season coming from “orchards, farms and gardens,” NPR has put together an impressive collection of 10 summer cookbooks.

Summer is, after all, so often a time of accidental vegetarianism. It’s when even carnivorous folk (myself among them) are seduced by fields and farm stands, lured in by lettuce and tempted by tomatoes. We don’t necessarily set out to go meatless. But a couple of fruit smoothies and several bowls of baby greens later in the lazy heat of a stove-avoiding afternoon, that’s just what happens. And so, to help you make the most of summer’s bounty, here are 10 cookbooks that take their inspiration from that most peaceful of kingdoms — the plant kingdom.

See the full collection here.

Image via NPR.

How to Make Vegetable Chips

2012-05-17T13:35:05+00:00

About a month ago, I ate almost an entire box of kale chips. My brother and I were visiting our cousin in Brooklyn, and before a very thoughtfully prepared vegan dinner, she put out these kale chips from her local co-op.

With a “cheesy” coating made from nutritional yeast, cashews, garlic, and a few other excellent ingredients, the chips were really, really hard to stop eating.

I just picked up a bunch of lacinato kale yesterday, and with this recent feature on NPR, am ready to start making my own - along with a series of other veggie chips. Read the full article here, and don’t miss the recipes for:

Kale Chips
Smoked Paprika Carrot And Parsnip Chips
Curried Sweet Potato Chips
Simple Salted Beet Chips
Chili-Lime Plantain Chips

What other vegetables can you make chips out of?

Join us on Pinterest!

2012-05-16T14:59:49+00:00

If I could curate a cookbook for you, this would be it.

We’re making boards with recipes that are meant to inspire today (I decided to make a vegan version of the tea sandwiches for lunch today), or to be saved for another day (I’m thinking of the strawberry lemon muffins for brunch on Sunday, for our out-of-town guests).

Photo by Julie

I love sharing with you through our Twitter feed and our Facebook community, but I do hope you’ll join us on Pinterest. It’s a very personal space, one in which to share dishes and experiences, just as they are. And, thanks to the brilliant photography of the incredibly talented food blogging community, it’s just beautiful.

When you get to our page, click on the red button that says “Follow All” - this way you’ll be able to see the new items that we add in your own Pinterest feed. Check out the Food Sense Pinterest page.

Recipes from a Sunday Supper

2012-05-15T14:42:45+00:00

I could not figure out what to do with the delectable slices of Pear Cake that I brought home from this wonderful Sunday supper - eat them slowly, a little bit at a time, and make them last as long as possible? Or, eat them all up, a snack full of love, as soon as it was tea time on Monday afternoon…?

We were delighted to be invited for dinner on Sunday, by a dear friend. As someone who cooks on most nights, I love it when someone else makes me dinner. It’s such a treat.

And, in this friend’s home, it’s not just about the food - which was fantastic, by the way - but it’s the way the table’s set, the lamps and candles are lit, a record is playing in the background, water’s ready to pour from a recycled glass jug, and special cocktails are being mixed. We sat for three and a half hours, enjoying food, company, conversation, and truly, it banished any possibility of oh-it’s-almost-Monday blues.

To start, we enjoyed a Kale Salad. The dressing was made of the juice of 1 1/2 lemons (or more to taste), olive oil, red pepper flakes, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper, and tossed together with 4-5 cups fresh kale, torn into pieces, and grated Pecorino cheese.

A celebration of the spring garden, our main dish was roasted asparagus, served alongside a Thai Red Curry-flavored couscous, topped with a summer vegetable medley - three leeks, chopped, sautéed for 15 mins in olive oil, kernels from two ears of fresh corn, one cup of edamame, one avocado, diced, sliced cherry tomatoes, and one bunch of fresh basil, lightly sautéed, all mixed together with lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt to taste.

I was already in food heaven, and then she brought out dessert. A pear cake, made with dried lavender - moist, fragrant, fruity, with just the right amount of sweetness. Oh, I wish I had more.

Recipe: Kale Walnut Pesto Pasta

2012-05-14T19:50:00+00:00

This recipe came to me from a good friend, who made the dish as part of a birthday dinner for her fiance. They loved it, we loved it, and so I had to share it with you.

I’ve tried making pesto with basil, spinach, and arugula, and was excited to try one with kale - an ingredient I’ve been using a lot lately in smoothies. The result is lick-the-spoon-delicious. It feels indulgent but also, with the kale, carries this feeling of being satisfyingly good for the body. In my vegan version, I substituted Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast. I increased the lemon and garlic, and added some salt, to taste.

This dish is as easy to pull together as throwing a bunch of ingredients in a food processor, and mixing with pasta. I had it for lunch today - maybe you can try it for dinner?

Recipe: Carrot Soup with Green Apple & Ginger, Sauteed Spinach

2012-05-08T15:10:45+00:00

I love juice made from carrots, apple and a zing of ginger. But, sometimes, it’s just a bit too thin for me. I wanted to replicate those flavors in a hearty soup, something that still feels like spring.

Mission accomplished, in this easy and simple soup. The earthiness of the carrots is brightened with fresh ginger and the tartness of green apple. It comes together really quickly, and it kept me fueled up during a week long sprint of five final exams.

To round out the meal, I sauteed some fresh-from-the-ground spinach (a find at Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market) with one spoon of olive oil, a clove of crushed garlic, and a pinch of salt.

Fresh & Simple Spring Cocktails

2012-05-07T18:07:17+00:00

One of my favorite things to as the weather warms up is to slice up some citrus - oranges, lemons, and limes - and steep them in a cool pitcher of water.

I’ll use other fruits, too - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, even cucumber and basil sometimes. It’s lovely. And, it makes me drink more water. But, sadly, that’s about as fancy as I get when it comes to making drinks. So, when we have friends over for dinner, I’m left to purchase ready to pour Italian sodas, wine or beer. But, when I’ve spent the time to carefully cultivate flavors in all of our dinner dishes, I’d really love to be able to do the same with drinks.

That’s why I’m very appreciative of today’s post from the kitchn, 15 Fresh and Simple Cocktails for Spring. From the Strawberry Basil Margaritas, to the Blueberry Rum Smash, to the Cucumber Rosemary Gin & Tonics, let my education in simple, creative mixology begin.

Photo via the kitchn.

Bruschetta With Arugula Pesto

2012-04-13T16:38:35+00:00

Just in time for a lovely spring weekend, this post came to me from guest blogger Sam Peters. Enjoy her take on an easy spring snack, one that might just make its way into your picnic basket this weekend.

Do you have a go-to snack, a food that you always turn to when you seek something easy, delicious, and fresh? Do you always keep the ingredients for this snack readily available in your kitchen? If you had to choose just a couple foods for emergency storage, would this snack make the list?

I don’t know about you, but here’s my answer to the above three questions: yes, yes, and yes.

For a while I didn’t have a go-to snack. Instead, I went through phases characterized by hummus dips, carrots, pita chips, granola, and rice cakes. I toasted bread to dip in olive oil and made my fair share of peanut butter sandwiches. These snacks were all fine, to be sure, but none stood out for its ease and quality. None made me want to eat it again, and again, and again—until I ate nothing else between lunch and dinner.

But then I discovered bruschetta with arugula pesto.

I had finally found my go-to snack—and it’s a delicious option that truly works great in every situation. After a long day of work I can whip together the dish in no time. While trying to impress guests I have no doubt what appetizer to make. And these days, as the sun grows stronger and spring gradually arrives, there is no better way to usher in the season than by slicing some bread, making some pesto, and enjoying a fresh bruschetta snack.

In fact, bruschetta with pesto is truly the ideal summer snack: it tastes green and natural but also has a crispyness that epitomizes the renewal of the season and the excitement of the summer to come. Eating the dish on a mild spring day—especially one that offers a warm breeze and the smell of flowers in the air—makes for the perfect complement of senses, tastes, and feels.

Here are the directions:

Step 1: Make the pesto
-Combine arugula, grated cheese, walnuts, and olive oil into a blender. The best cheese option is parmesan but a sharp cheddar can work just as well. (As for the arugula, the leaf adds a tangy bite to the pesto but often spoils quickly. I usually address this issue by freezing my arugula.)
-Blend all these items together until they have become liquefied. You can then add more cheese, arugula, and olive oil as needed to match your taste specifications.

Step 2: Make the tomato spread
-Cut up onions and tomatoes into small cubes. The ratio should probably be 3:2 in favor of tomatoes, although this is certainly a matter of personal preference.
-Mix the onions and tomatoes in a bowl and add basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
-Let the bowl sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

Step 3: Make the bread
-Slice a loaf of French bread and then toast the pieces until they are lightly crisped.

Step 4: Put it all together
-Spread a layer of pesto on top of the pieces of French bread.
-Spoon the tomato mixture on top of the pesto layer.
-Lay the bread slices on a tray and put the tray into the oven. Bake for about ten minutes and then remove.

So there you have it: bruschetta with arugula pesto. It’s that easy and – trust me – it’s also that good. If you don’t believe me, feel free to try the recipe for yourself, ideally sometime soon while spring still lingers in the air. Enjoy!

Samantha Peters is a passionate food blogger who loves writing about preparing delicious and healthy snack ideas.

Photo: Flickr member fifikins

Tomato Onion Herb Bread

2012-03-29T12:00:26+00:00

A friend invited me for dinner a week ago, and started us off with a lovely onion marmalade on crackers. It was tangy, sweet, smooth and tart, on top of crispy and salty. Wonderful on the tongue. I was reminded of that dish when I saw Ruth‘s Tomato Onion Herb bread, which might just be the best way to bring all of those flavors together in a bread that’s great as a starter, a side for salad, or a snack.

Here’s more from Ruth:

Tomatoes, onions, and herbs have always come together in a happy marriage. In this recipe they provide the building-blocks for a savory, versatile loaf topped with some smoked sea salt to provide additional depth of flavour. Any breadbasket would welcome a few pieces of this bread for the dinner table. It’s also great as a mid-afternoon snack, in the kids’ lunch bag, or some have even been known to eat it for breakfast.

Click here for the recipe.

What’s your favorite herb for bread?

Cajun Pizza

2012-03-27T12:00:06+00:00

Peppers and onions. Roasted eggplant, sundried tomatoes, basil. Mushrooms, onions, spinach. With all of the different ways to dress a pizza, I find myself making it one night a week. Still, I had never experimented much beyond my topping combinations, until I found this recipe for Cajun Pizza from A Couple Cooks.

Between the spicy seasonings, corn, green bell peppers, and (surprise!) gouda cheese, Sonja and Alex’s recipe reinvented the potential of pizza for me.

For the recipe, click here.

What are you favorite pizza toppings?