tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83856858975650903322011-12-04T18:18:37.663-08:00I love food. And cooking. And growing plants I can eat. So this blog is a record of what I grow, cook and eat, and what I learn from that. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.comBlogger501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-77979998370461176682011-12-04T14:48:00.001-08:002011-12-04T18:18:37.677-08:00

Hmmm, it's been awhile since I last posted. But don't worry, you didn't miss anything. I didn't grow anything in the garden or cook any delicious meals in the past 6 months. Really. Yesterday Miss Rose co-hosted a lovely cocktail party with hubby and I at our place (she has such a tiny cottage!). It was a huge success, with delicious mulled wine, a Rose Signature Cocktail (a sparkly ginger

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-6612768096793874992011-05-25T21:21:00.000-07:002011-05-30T15:22:09.804-07:00

We had a most delicious and healthy dinner the other night that came largely from our young spring garden. First, hubby's contribution: the thai pork lettuce wraps, recipe from Cooks Illustrated I believe.What you need: - 1 pork tenderloin (about a pound), cut into chunks- 2 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce- 1 Tablespoon white rice (any kind)- 1/4 cup chicken broth- 2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-15546408973758716722011-05-19T21:20:00.000-07:002011-05-19T21:49:17.676-07:00

The spinach in my garden is going crazy and is ready to eat! (So is the lettuce.) I had a few people over for dinner last night (I made the chicken parmesan chronicled here), and wanted to do something special with the spinach. I found a good recipe in my Rachel Ray cookbook called "Caramelized Onion-Dressed Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts". With a few modifications, this was fantastic!Here's what

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-43313759053427367042011-04-01T15:33:00.000-07:002011-04-01T15:49:18.118-07:00

I believe I've blogged about our lamb before - where we get it and how tasty it is. I decided to share some of the chops with Mr. and Mrs. Modern Monkey (our lamb connection) and made a tasty Moroccan Lamb Chop recipe I had saved out of a February 2005 Sunset Magazine. Good thing I'm a saver cuz this was delicious!This recipe is for 4 people - I had 5 but two were hungry men so I made about 1 and

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-56156967214248640572011-02-23T16:44:00.000-08:002011-02-23T17:07:49.797-08:00

The title of this recipe does not disappoint. It's from Cook's Illustrated (July/August 2010), which did extensive tests to figure out how to cram 6, that's right, SIX bananas into this recipe. And it is amazing!So, if you have a whole bunch of bananas you forgot to eat and are getting to an uncomfortable ripeness (like I had), try this. If you like bananas, you will be very happy with the

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-72293758126744057182011-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:002011-02-18T18:11:59.159-08:00

Another year with my special Valentine, and another lovely dinner at home. This year we were joined by Miss Single USA - she's our best friend and single, she needed dinner!This was a great collaborative dinner. Hubby made tri-tip steaks, Rose made an amazing kale salad, and I made some smashed potatoes and a pie. We also opened a really nice Domaine Drouhin 2006 Pinot Noir. Yum!For the steaks:

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-2813760338073649392011-02-05T14:12:00.001-08:002011-02-05T14:27:58.710-08:00

I've been really into broccoli lately. I guess I need my iron and vitamins. And when am I not into cheese? So I tried some broccoli-cheese soup. It turned out ok - tasty but with some lessons learned. Here it is with my suggestions for improvement.Recipe from the Joy of Cooking's "All About Vegetarian Cooking". - 3 Tablespoons butter or veg oil (or more!)- 1 cup chopped onions (or a bit more)- 1/

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-3494017079163716832011-01-16T13:50:00.000-08:002011-01-16T14:04:34.915-08:00

I tried making something new for breakfast today - Dutch Babies! My dad's wife made us some over the holidays, and it was delicious. I remembered that I had a recipe for Dutch Babies from a B&B we stayed in a number of years ago, so I looked it up. The result was really easy and incredibly tasty topped with applesauce and maple syrup.Here's the recipe from The Baer House Bed & Breakfast in Baker

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-35371044328136214022011-01-12T08:44:00.000-08:002011-01-12T09:12:50.483-08:00

Hubby and I co-made a delicious meal last week: Homemade Caesar salad, and oven BBQ pork chops. The pork chop recipe came from the newspaper: "Oven Pork Chops with Easy Barbecue Sauce".Here's all it takes:- 1-2 Tblspn veggie oil- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 2 pounds)- salt and pepper- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce- 1/4 cup ketchup- 1 Tblspn brown sugar- 1 Tblspn cider

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-78837816063565870722010-12-12T21:05:00.000-08:002010-12-12T21:19:52.518-08:00

I tried making a carrot soup for the first time tonight. It was delicious - flavorful and creamy and healthy.The recipe came from my Vegetarian Times cookbook and is called "Carrot Soup with Cilantro". But I left out the cilantro and instead added a little ginger. Other than that, I stayed pretty faithful to the recipe and it came out great. Here it is with my changes: What you'll need: - 1

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-80153884244942276792010-11-28T13:13:00.000-08:002010-11-28T13:47:16.415-08:00

I love the traditional Thanksgiving foods. Though until adulthood I did NOT like two of the most traditional: Cranberry Sauce and Sweet Potatoes. Then I learned how to make these things in ways that were delicious. Here are two things hubby and I made this year - great ways to make both of these traditional sides. Seriously - even if you don't think you like cranberries or sweet potatoes, you

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-71192609631888729252010-11-09T07:26:00.000-08:002010-11-09T08:11:21.703-08:00

For my birthday this past weekend, I wanted to make dessert for the awesome potluck my wonderful friends contributed to. And I wanted to use my squash (see last post). So I looked up a pumpkin pie recipe in my ancient Joy of Cooking. First, a word on pie crust. Don't be afraid to make your own. It's easy and delicious. I also use the JoC's recipe. For a one-crust pie like this I cut it in half

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-74854481050593443832010-11-05T09:28:00.000-07:002010-11-05T09:55:15.030-07:00

I've been meaning to blog. Really. I finally am because the weekly horoscope I never read said I should. Since it is officially fall, and I love fall, this is a blog about pumpkins. Pumpkins I grew in the garden and cooked up a few weeks ago for later eating. I've never had a lot of luck growing winter squash in the garden, but this year I made sure they got plenty of water and fertilizer and I

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-53919701273809268632010-09-08T07:50:00.000-07:002010-09-08T08:02:56.012-07:00

It's everyone's favorite time of year: Excess zucchini time!When life gives you zucchini, make zucchini bread. Unfortunately, two loaves of bread only require one zucc. But that's one less sitting on the vine or in the fridge. I use a recipe from an old cookbook my Grandparents Walden gave me - a compilation from folks in their church. So I don't know where the original came from. But it is tried

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-11203355060519822062010-08-17T22:22:00.000-07:002010-08-17T22:41:42.114-07:00

We are blessed and cursed with blackberries here in the Pacific Northwest. They are non-native, and they grow EVERYWHERE - taking over fencelines and alleyways in both town and country. But they are delicious, and though I curse the ones climbing over the neighbor's fence to root on our side each year and cut them back regularly, I also relish the short season when they are ripe and reachable.

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-59143377418037740862010-08-12T08:03:00.000-07:002010-08-12T08:21:17.707-07:00

Miss Single, hubby and I enjoyed a super fresh and delicious summer meal last night. Key components: fresh baguette from local bakery, pesto from Mr. Monkey's garden, summer squash and onions from my garden, an heirloom tomato-watermelon salad with goodies from the farmer's market, and a peach-blackberry pie.Pesto squash dish: Chop up a yellow and a green summer squash. Chop up some fresh garlic

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-80076764285233763212010-08-01T09:24:00.001-07:002010-08-02T08:06:05.353-07:00

Everyone loves pizza. Well, I can't be sure, but everyone I know loves pizza anyway. I like to make pizza. Luckily, there a few local bakeries that make dough and sell it in little plastic bags ready to roll out and bake - easy and delicious.The great thing about homemade pizza (aside from getting to eat it) is that you can have it any time of year and with and endless variety of toppings. In the

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-77846300968117575572010-07-07T17:25:00.001-07:002010-07-12T22:27:04.174-07:00

At the Eugene Farmer's Market last weekend, we bought a 1/2 flat of fresh strawberries. Yumm!But what to do with all those berries? Hubby's idea was strawberry pie. I love making pie. But I don't know that I've ever made a strawberry pie before - just strawberry rhubarb. So I consulted the trusty "The New Basics Cookbook" for a recipe. The filling results were excellent, but the crust didn't

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-63278966618067752912010-07-03T21:42:00.000-07:002010-07-04T11:48:54.196-07:00

Dinner tonight was one of those things I both love and hate to eat. Love it because it is absolutely delicious. Hate it because it is very, very bad for me. Found originally in a big fat cookbook I think my mom gave me - "1000 Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World" - in the barbecue section, this meal is super hearty and full of two of my favorite food groups: cheese and bread. Here's what the

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-36575399710780561462010-06-15T08:08:00.000-07:002010-06-15T08:25:20.781-07:00

We've had a miserable May and early June around here. Rain every day for a month, chilly, no sun. Most of my garden seems to be ok with that, surprisingly. I did lose the cucumbers, and the beans came out of the ground and didn't go much farther. But the peas, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, squash, and some other stuff will make it through now that the sun has decided to return. Here are a few

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-87075560161301759562010-05-27T21:32:00.000-07:002010-05-27T21:41:16.196-07:00

For the last Lost potluck (but don't worry, we'll find some other reason to get together and eat good food!), we were grilling. So I made potato salad. But I've never been a big fan of your standard creamy potato salad, so I made a really GOOD potato salad. I recommend it. I cut up a bunch of yukon gold potatoes into bite sized pieces and boiled them for a few minutes until they were tender but

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-63772505359281419082010-05-09T21:41:00.001-07:002010-05-12T08:31:16.267-07:00

Sometimes a stroke of genius hits me. I'm sure this happens to you too. You're hungry, you're thinking about what's in the fridge and cupboards and... nothing. But sometimes... Sometimes something comes to you - WHAM! You think of an amazing meal. I got lucky the other day!This was inspired by my almost completely uninformed idea about what puttanesca sauce is. And it came to me mainly because we

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-56065265212680868332010-05-09T21:19:00.000-07:002010-05-09T21:40:52.651-07:00

Guys, do yourself a favor and make crepes for your mom next year. I think these were a huge success! Thanks to my mom for many things, but in particular coming to visit today and trying my crepes. :)Anyone can make pancakes, but crepes? Crepes are a little scary. But there was an article in the paper last week about a fool-proof recipe so I got it in my head that I should try them sometime. Then,

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-77037143979415158452010-05-07T22:13:00.000-07:002010-05-09T08:53:08.723-07:00

Those of you who have known me a long time know that I wasn't always a meat eater. My parents raised us without "red" meat, but we did eat fish, poultry, and occasional bacon. I was a true vegetarian for a while too. But my membership has lapsed and I haven't renewed. Disapprove all you want, but I really like eating meat. And luckily, in Eugene, it's easy to find meat that is raised as naturally

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-44629500382891311452010-04-25T19:45:00.000-07:002010-04-25T19:56:27.090-07:00

It was a pretty nice day here in Eugene. It started out chilly and ended up around 70. So we decided to fire up the grill for the first time this year. I had picked up some chicken sausages (two basil, two lemon) from the Market of Choice this morning - intending them for next weekend, but hey, no time like the present!But what to have as a side?... We had some cauliflower leftover from last

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-91108827467504554412010-04-21T07:52:00.000-07:002010-04-21T08:19:54.097-07:00

Our potluck had an Indian theme this week. This may have been my favorite theme yet, and not just because I chose it. Not only do I find Indian food delicious in general, but I was so impressed by how everyone went for it and tried making new and exciting things. On the plate above there is dhal, basmati rice, naan, saag paneer, cauliflower and pea curry, and a chickpea patty with raita. For

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-32825860619719339642010-04-15T07:45:00.001-07:002010-04-15T07:54:46.409-07:00

I never think to order salad for dinner out - even though many restaurants have lovely salads. I should; they are good for me. But at home, I'm happy to have salad for dinner - especially when hubby's out of town.This weekend we went to the Farmer's Market at Saturday Market and picked up some yummy things: like fresh greens and multi-colored radishes. I wanted to get some of the tasty-looking

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-84828682369226327742010-04-04T17:50:00.001-07:002010-04-04T18:23:21.313-07:00

Mmmm... Soup. We went to the opening of the Eugene Farmer's Market yesterday and found some very tasty looking leeks and potatoes. (our own garden potatoes are long gone, though new ones are now coming up in the garden) The spring has also taken a nasty rainy turn, so my thoughts turned to soup. I could make up a potato leek soup recipe, but I went in search of a recipe anyway. I found one,

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-8446628811961284902010-03-28T22:33:00.000-07:002010-04-02T08:54:52.559-07:00

I like cookies. Since I buy chocolate chips in bulk, not in the bag, I don't have the Toll House recipe at my finger tips... Or do I? In fact, there is a recipe for "Toll House Cookies" in the 1953 Joy of Cooking I work with. Guess the brand has been around a while...These cookies are always delicious, despite the strange measurements (6 tablespoons of sugar? What the?...). I usually put

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-81570339185263780412010-03-28T22:20:00.000-07:002010-03-28T22:29:03.581-07:00

One of my favorite things about my yard/garden is that I have delicious fresh herbs right outside the back door. When I need rosemary or thyme or oregano or fennel or cilantro or sage or parsley I can get them all fresh - many of them all year round - within seconds and for free. Yippee!There was a nice oregano plant in one of my beds when we moved into this house 5 years ago. And it lived

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-60244572530700924212010-03-23T19:01:00.000-07:002010-03-24T08:00:21.043-07:00

For this week's potluck we had "island" themed food - I just can't give up Hawaii yet. I experimented with some pineapple and macadamia rice. Others brought some BBQ chicken, some pineapple/coconut cod, spam musabi, hawaiian sweet bread and pina coladas. It was ALL delicious.For dessert I made my favorite chocolate cake, and added some mac nuts to "island" it up a bit. I'm pretty sure I

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-28160846774322333062010-03-22T19:57:00.001-07:002010-03-22T20:01:18.921-07:00

I've been a slacker as I have been on vacation, eating fresh bananas and papayas every day in Hawaii and cooking nothing. It was nice.Back to cooking later this week, but right now I'm excited about the seeds I bought today! I don't usually go through a whole packet of any one veggie each year, but this year I ran out of many things so I went on a little shopping spree. Soon, I'll get peas,

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-1574430580074801902010-03-09T07:39:00.000-08:002010-03-09T08:39:01.103-08:00

Thanks to my friend Kate, who served this appetizer at a party not long ago, I had a great idea for one of the apps I served at an Oscar party the other night. It's super easy, and super tasty. (sorry I didn't get a picture of the finished product - it disappeared too fast!)- Just lay out some filo dough - about 5 or 6 sheets thick - that is wide enough to cover a pie pan. (you can also use pie

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-57286869302968386822010-03-03T21:35:00.000-08:002010-03-03T22:05:37.715-08:00

Last week, we made something pretty amazing - and I say "we" because hubby played a major role.First things first, though: the olive oil.I heard recently (over twitter) that a new store had opened downtown called "Olive Grand". It's an olive oil store, so naturally I stopped in. What a sweet place! It's the first business venture for this couple, and they have a whole store filled with different

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-63120250389220147622010-02-26T08:10:00.000-08:002010-02-26T08:36:12.525-08:00

This week's potluck had a southern theme. It was quite a spread: fried chicken, mac & cheese, ribs, and pecan pie. I decided to contribute cornbread and collard greens. Can't get more southern, right? But I've never made collards before, and I don't even like them that much. So, I experimented. I looked up a few recipes for these greens, and most seemed to include cooking for more than an hour,

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-16869546901981687902010-02-22T17:14:00.000-08:002010-02-22T17:32:56.617-08:00

Picking blueberries is fun. With delicious rewards. This past summer I went with my friend Amy and her two little kids to McKenzie River Farm to pick amazing organic berries. We ate a TON of them over the next week or so. But I also slyly froze a few bags for later use. "Later" came last week when I remembered I had these tasty treats and made some blueberry muffins.This recipe also comes from

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-54791529335912791662010-02-18T22:03:00.001-08:002010-02-18T22:15:17.073-08:00

I said this blog would be about both cooking and gardening, but since I started in January there obviously hasn't been a lot about the garden. But how about a teaser of what's to come on our little plot of land...In the fall, I planted a few different things - hoping the weather would be mild enough so they'd grow slowly, maybe even yield a crop before shutting down for the winter. Let's see

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-41425454157815706952010-02-15T11:04:00.000-08:002010-02-15T11:07:56.192-08:00

We stayed in for Valentine's Day. Usually do, actually. It's especially nice this year since Monday is President's Day and we both have the day off. Ahhhh....I decided on a recipe I've made once before and vaguely remember liking. It's a coconut beef curry I got out of the newspaper years ago. Here's what you need:1 lb. stew beef, cut into small pieces (1/2 to 1 inch cubes)2 Tblsp. butter1 onion,

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-41470788510762420562010-02-14T12:17:00.000-08:002010-02-14T12:31:01.910-08:00

Mmmm, quesadillas. They cure what ails ya! What's more comforting than delicious melty cheesy quesadillas? (except maybe grilled cheese and tomato soup, which we also had last week - I guess it was a comfort food week.)Quesadillas are great because you really can put so many different things in them. We always put refried beans and cheese in ours, and sometimes other veggies. Last week, I had

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-1062882287175893112010-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:002010-02-10T08:26:00.364-08:00

I have wonderful friends. And am lucky enough that they are all fantastic cooks and love to eat. So we have a lot of potlucks. Which is why it was so great when Mrs. Monkey gave me "The Big Book of Potluck" (by Maryana Vollstedt) for my birthday. (Wait, what was she trying to tell me?!)I've tried a few things out of it, with good success. Last night our potluck had an Italian theme. So I found an

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-7522360048554919532010-02-07T11:23:00.000-08:002010-02-07T11:32:50.632-08:00

I don't know what to call the breakfast I'm blogging about today, so I just used all the words for what's in it. Hubby told me to just call it "tasty". Which it is. I think I originally got this recipe from the newspaper, and we have it every few months and love it every time. If you're feeling adventurous, I highly recommend giving this a try.For one person you need: - 1 or 1 1/2 hard boiled

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-52826911132950797052010-02-01T21:52:00.000-08:002010-02-01T22:15:20.455-08:00

I needed to make something for a potluck tonight, and decided to throw together a soup. And throw it together I did! Soup can be so easy - and healthy. I saw this morning that I had a big can of tomatoes, an old carrot, and half an onion. I picked up a can of garbonzo beans, a couple little zucchini, a red pepper, and some spinach at the store. I like to do all the prep for things like this ahead

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-31047267524227147632010-01-29T08:59:00.000-08:002010-01-29T09:40:33.154-08:00

It sounds so simple... but making stir fry has taken me YEARS to figure out. The first challenge is the tofu. I've learned, with much trial and error over the past 10 years, that the keys to good fried tofu are 1) thorough pressing, 2) high heat and 3) patience. Start by pressing your tofu (preferably some kind of fresh stuff. I use Surata from here in Eugene). I cut the block in half, place the

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-53470511798684987842010-01-23T17:22:00.000-08:002010-01-24T11:02:27.869-08:00

I don't usually like chicken wings. The proportion of skin and bone to meat is too skewed for my liking. However, I recently have had the same wing recipe twice and really enjoyed them. So I'll share my experience with you. Thanks to Miss Single USA, and her friend Matt for this recipe, "Matt's Hot Chicken Wings".2 lbs. Chicken wings and/or drumsticksOne stick butterOne jar of Louisiana Hot

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-71903521120861991262010-01-20T20:48:00.000-08:002010-01-20T21:05:55.756-08:00

My friend Jeremy is a FANTASTIC cook. He almost always amazes me when he brings something to a potluck or has us over for dinner. This weekend he made an appetizer of fried tofu with a spicy peanut sauce, a broth-based potato-leek soup, and brined pork chops with sauteed apples. WOW!As he was cooking, I asked him if, when he cooked, he sort of visualized the tastes and how they would come

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-84760476051708842772010-01-14T22:56:00.000-08:002010-01-15T08:40:07.453-08:00

I don't watch cable food shows. Except when I'm working out at the gym and it happens to be on. Odd combo, that. But I do know who Rachel Ray is. When my mom got me her "2,4,6,8 Great Meals for Couples or Crowds" book, I was skeptical. But we've found several great recipes in it. Tonight, we tried a favorite we haven't had in a while: "Uptown Sweet and Spicy Sausage Hoagies". This is a recipe I'm

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-40072554190080813262010-01-11T08:24:00.001-08:002010-01-12T08:10:25.350-08:00

Yesterday's dinner was delicious! A note about our lamb: For the past 3 or 4 years we have bought a half a lamb (processed into various cuts) from a friend's sister who raises them on a small hobby farm a few hours south of us. So they are totally sustainably and organically raised. And delicious. The chops are small, so you generally need to eat two of them, with a side dish, for a meal. Which

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-45282828288237922812010-01-10T09:23:00.000-08:002010-01-10T09:43:01.217-08:00

Page 505 of my ancient (1953!) version of The Joy of Cooking gets a lot of use. In fact, when I open the short, fat hardcover, it pretty much falls open there. It's the page for biscuits, which I make at least once a month on a Saturday or Sunday. The past two times, I've made the buttermilk variety, which tweeks the recipe slightly to add more butter and a little sugar.I know you can get

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-10547069195479288552010-01-04T21:28:00.000-08:002010-01-05T08:24:01.789-08:00

Many mornings, I make smoothies for breakfast. They mostly hold me over till lunch, and they are more or less good for me. Here's how I do it (scaled for 1 person):Add to a blender- one banana- two big dollops of plain lowfat yogurt (I use Nancy's, which is local and delicious)- a small scoop of a protein powder (I ususally have some non-GMO, non-flavored soy protein)- about a half cup of frozen

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385685897565090332.post-35891941658223307062010-01-04T21:18:00.000-08:002010-01-04T21:27:01.659-08:00

Hi there, world. This is my first post on this blog. The idea of this blog is to share what I cook, bake, and sometimes drink. Mostly I wanted to do this because I don't keep a record of all the yummy things I make anywhere else, and I sometimes have a hard time remembering how I did something when I want to replicate it. So, this will serve as much as a reminder to me as an experience for you.

Chandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496870975796287818noreply@blogger.com2