Talk of Tomatoes

resolutions 2012. plus spotlight: TIKI JUICE BEVERAGE CO. from Astoria, OR

Janelle — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:55:56 +0000

I always like to wait until February of a given year, to finalize my New Year resolutions. A bonafide procrastination technique: my excuse is that I begin THINKING about resolutions at the beginning of January. Then let them marinate. Until I finally come up with my deliberately crafted list of things to do/change/see/be. Yes: I need to drink more water (and probably fewer Manhattans—certainly not this whole case of beer!).… [more]

foodbuzz 24×24: an all white wintry meal

Janelle — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:44:00 +0000

I have long been intrigued with color. Some geniuses can look at the piano and ‘get it’ or do math in their sleep. To some, a canvas speaks to them or the sculpture is in the marble waiting to be carved free. Others are born to sing or work with their hands, have a sense of people’s needs or can readily wrap their mind around litigation. Numbers dance in… [more]

delicata squash ‘pasta’ ribbons with chanterelle mushrooms

Janelle — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:17:17 +0000

What is this mom? Not something the boys had seen before: ribbons of delicata squash made to look like pasta. A simple squash—skip the boiling water for this faux pasta—lightly sauteed, topped with toasted walnuts and chanterelle mushrooms. I LOVE this ingenious tip: you don’t even need to peel the squash. This yummy little number was inspired by a recent night at the restaurant (I help at a neighborhood… [more]

quinoa, red bean and yellow pepper chili

Janelle — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:50:01 +0000

I love chili, especially this time of year. It is perfect for a warm lunch, snack or light dinner the same way crisp lettuce greens and just-picked berries scream of summer. I love chili because: it is a brilliant after-school snack for my teenage, growing-taller-than-life sons. I can start a batch mid-afternoon and when they swing open the door and bee-line it to the crock-pot. Sometimes I make chili… [more]

swimming RAMA.

Janelle — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:07:05 +0000

There is a place called Jai Thai in the Fremont and Capital Hill neighborhoods of Seattle; almost every time I go, I order the Swimming Rama. Chicken smothered in coconut-laced peanut sauce, swimming on a bed of fresh spinach? Sign me up. Besides, then I don’t feel over-full from eating piles of carbs. This is as good a time as any to insert this chicken recipe onto our… [more]

gnocchi. and why it is your friend.

Janelle — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:33:33 +0000

I have been teaching a lot of gnocchi-making classes lately. I adore traditional gnocchi made with waxy, yellow potatoes (nope: don’t use russets/baking potatoes). Though sweet potato gnocchi is wildly popular and the other day a plate of beet gnocchi made me smile—I am still a sucker for classic potato. Gnocchi lend themselves to a myriad of dishes, and are a fantastic candidate for… [more]

a new year’s toast: new york style (think manhattan).

Janelle — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:30:53 +0000

I wanted to like whiskey. bourbon. rye. blends. And thanks to a brilliant Manhattan made at Elemental in Seattle: I was finally ushered in the door. I finally ‘got it.’ And for a gal who claims to wield martinis, well, earning my bourbon badge was a high priority. Suffice it to say, Manhattans have topped my personal chart: they are now my favorite go-to martini, complete with [more]

braised beef with red wine, onion brulee served on chive sweet potatoes

Janelle — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:50:25 +0000

I love a good roast. Especially this time of year. Not to mention finding yet another opportunity to use sweet potatoes. This was grass-fed chuck roast. I trimmed it of silver skin, then seared the outside until nice and brown. Note: see picture of spices in a jar? I tossed spices (see below) into a jar, then shook it up and smeared it on the steak. THEN I seared… [more]

cinnamon creme brulee

Janelle — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:55:19 +0000

Merry Christmas. I hope you and your family and friends are happy and healthy, full of merriment and grace. This is little dessert gift, from me to you. I adore the subtle flavor of cinnamon permeating this exquisite, always-welcome pot of cream. And I love that it is easy to make. I use a little culinary blow torch to ‘brulee’ mine, but truth be told: I am hankering for… [more]

urban farm & house remodel (update dec 2011; Part 2)

Janelle — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:58:01 +0000

Want to read part 1? Part 1 is all about the house and yard remodel. Dirt and paint, really. Part 2 is an urban farm update: crops and animals. I like saying ‘crops’. I know in reality I have a small collection of garden boxes, a ‘square’ of corn instead of long steady rows and probably only enough growing edibles to feed a single family.… [more]