Happy Cinco de Mayo! Does anyone actually know why we celebrate this day? Because I didn't until I Googled it just now. In Mexico, it's a celebration of the Mexican army defeating France in the Battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican war. To Americans, it's a wonderful day that requires the consumption of Mexican food and salty drinks. No matter your reason for celebrating, there[...]
Artichokes are such a beautiful vegetable. They're so mysterious with their sharp leaves and fuzzy insides, though, that many people shy away from them or opt for the simplicity of canned hearts. Working with whole artichokes is not as hard as it looks - it just takes a sharp knife, and the reward is great. One of my favorite cookbooks, Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kit[...]
It's time for Recipe Redux again, and this month's theme is Treasured Cookware. Participating bloggers were given instructions to make a recipe using our most precious kitchen tool. For me, picking just one treasured item is a challenge; I've been collecting kitchen gadgets far longer than I've had a kitchen of my own, and I've had many amazing gifts given to me throughout my years cooking[...]
All of you who are experiencing this Midwestern backslide back into winter alongside me -- this one's for you. It may be cold with a chance of snow outside, but this mango-coconut sherbet is tropical sunshine in a bowl. Cheers! Coconut has held its place in the spotlight for the past couple of years. Touted to be a miracle cure for a variety of ailments, coconut oil has been flying[...]
Cauliflower has made a bit of a comeback recently, but I just can't get on board with cauliflower trying to be a carb. Carbohydrates provide satisfaction power in a way most vegetables can't, so I don't recommend substituting a veg for your true starch sources. Cauliflower, stop trying to make rice happen - it's not going to happen. Cauliflower is delicious, thoug[...]