A new sushi place opened near my house, Maru, extending a modernized, chicness to the neighborhood. A friend suggested that I revel in a “pillow of goodness,” aka tofu from the vegetarian hibachi grill and well, it was clearly, quite good! The first bite presented a crisp, golden texture on the outside, followed by a fluffy center that melted in my mouth. The tofu was drizzled in a sweet sauce, brandished with sesame seeds. It was a dish that had me asking, how? What made the tofu so perfect! Crisp and springy?!!!
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Irony of Democracy
I tend to keep political views personal–meaning no rants on Facebook, no tweeting or hashtagging, however, I may throw in the occasional pin or two!
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Crisp Leaves, Blustery Winds and Apple Cider Pancakes!
What cries out fall more than a chilled, windy day, stirring up colorful leaves in your path? Well, coming home to a piping, hot stack of Apple Cider Pancakes of course!
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Y∆CHT
….not to be confused with a recreational boat or ship.
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Rustic Cabbage Salad Scented with Orange Peel
I recently acquired a green cabbage which could quite easily be the same size as my very own head. Thinking about what to do with a cabbage of this stature, my thoughts processed, cabbage rolls, stew, slaw….and then I remembered a fabulously, simple salad that a dear friend had made for me years ago. I believe it is Italian in origin with rustic roots and a taste that hits home.
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Lemper: Indonesian Sticky Rice Rolls
Parcels of goodness.
Found in all corners of the world, in different forms, tastes, and textures: Latin America boasts empanadas, Eastern Europe takes pride in pierogis, China devotes itself to dumplings and Indonesia likens their lemper or sticky rice rolls.
I tasted my first lemper over one year ago and it would not be my last, at first bite I needed to get my hands on a recipe.
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Mash it up!
It rained the other day, and the smell of fall-dampened leaves was poignant. To me, this weather calls for comfort food, a warm kitchen and soul-satisfying eats. I turned to some pantry staples: potatoes, kale, butter = mashed potatoes, by no means ascetic but fun to cook and good to eat! I’m sure kale does not cancel out butter but it is an added nutrient!
Kombucha Homebrew Update
To follow-up on my first attempt on brewing kombucha, IT WAS A SUCCESS!
I allowed the tea to ferment for 1 week and then removed the mother/scoby (which now, there were 2!) I had my dear friend Ruth come over for moral support as I peeled away the mothers/scobys from one another, thankfully it was not nearly as bad as I had envisioned, (I do have a sense of dramatization.) The texture of the pancake-like mother/scoby was firmer than I anticipated, I was suspecting it to be ooey, gooey and slimetastic!
Kombucha Homebrew
Via Facebook I acquired my first mother/scoby and am on my way to creating my very first batch of home-brewed Kombucha! A scoby is actually an acronym for, Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast (sounds pleasant, yeah!) The scoby/mother looks like a beige or white rubbery pancake. It is placed in sweetened black or green tea and turns a bowl full of sweet tea into a biochemical powerhouse, brimming with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and health-giving organic acids!
Tagine, Tajine
I am one who appreciates eclectic taste hence, identifying my love of collecting, antiquing and thrifting. It takes a creative mind to repurpose an item, see past the junk to seek out the gems and have an appreciation for the ‘hunt’. I enjoy antique shops, junk shops, estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores and great deals!
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Frutas, Frutas, Frutas!!!
Meandering the streets and open-air markets of Mexico you’ll find push-cart vendors selling varied items from chapulines (fried, spiced grasshoppers) to squash blossom tacos. Street food is commonplace and abundant as a means to a living for some locals and a way to experience a culture and a country for some tourists (like myself.) I basically ate my way through the Zòcalo of Oaxaca!
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Summer on Sliced Bread
Summer days seem to last forever yet fill up fast, no one wants to miss out on sunshine and warm-weather activities by spending a few hours over a hot stove. Fire up the grill and whip together these open-faced sandwiches by harvesting a few key ingredients straight from your garden!
Smash-tastic!
For those of you who are familiar with whoopie pies (and you know how good those are) well, eat your heart out because to me, a smashie is a delicate and glorified whoopie pie!
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Remix: Born to hand CHIVE baby!
The following recipe is a spin-off from a class I took with the Grand Rapids Cooking School at the Uptown Kitchen in Grand Rapids, MI. At the class we made a Garlic Chive and Almond Pesto which was shockingly green and highly addicting! I remixed it fusion-style with Asian Chives (which are very garlicky) and Candlenuts. Candlenuts frequent the sauces and sambals of Malay and Indonesian cooking, acting as a thickener and are known for their high oil content. I find it interesting, that throughout various parts of the world the candlenut plant is medicinal, treating ailments with the bark, leaves and fruit.
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Fish on the Grill, Beer on the Porch
A long day of work overturned by a relaxing, late night meal and enjoyment of nightfall whilst sharing conversation and beers with friends on the porch. Can’t get better than that!
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Knee-High by July
A summer memory:
Sitting on the front stoop, my sister by my side with a brown-paper grocery bag and a heavy bottomed cooking pot. There we sat shucking away the green husks and wisps of silk from Mid-Western sweet corn. We knew that summer had arrived when corn was offered up at roadside stands and grew to be knee-high by July. Nothing beat those crisp, golden kernels, bursting open with a pop of sweet, starchy goodness!
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Table Without Borders 