Raspberry Meringue Hearts – recipe at Women’s Day

Pink Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes (OMG) – recipe at Bubbly & Sweet

Bubblegum Marshmellows [my daughter would INHALE these] – recipe at Piece of Cake

Lovely Pink Grapefruit & Strawberry Granita – recipe at Back to the Cutting Board

Cranberry & Chocolate Mousse w/ Pomegranate – recipe at eCurry.com

Pink Popcorn Hearts [LOVE THESE!] – recipe from Pillsbury

Peppermint Bark [don't like peppermint? -any crushed hard candy would work!] – recipe at Madly Stylish Events

The other day I made this delicious pork dish – so tender and full of flavor and I barely had to do anything.  I sliced up some onion, apples [peeled], celery, and fennel and put it into the crock pot with three thick cut boneless chops [seasoned w/ salt & pepper].  Then I poured a little spiced cider into mix.  I saved some of the fennel tops and placed them on top before putting on the lid and letting it do its thing.

I cranked it up to high and left it alone for the next three hours or so.  I checked on it, added a little more cider, and turned it down to low until we were ready to eat.  There are no pictures of the final dish because we gobbled it up before I remembered to take a photo.  That’s when you know it’s good!  I’ll be making this dish again for sure.

Some lucky person on our Christmas list will be getting a box of these gorgeous French Macaroons from Sparkles Kitchen.  Suck up now.  [lol]

Ingredients – Bacon.  Directions – “Place 2 sheets of paper towel on a microwave safe plate, lay the bacon out on the paper towel not over lapping the slices. Place 2 more sheets of paper towel on top. Place in the microwave on high for 6 to 13 minutes.”

(photo courtesy of naomi stelrose)

Wow.  Even more hilarious than the fact that this recipe is listed on Food Network’s site are all of the comments ….

“Hi Rachel Ray,
I have a huge dilemma. I love, love, love bacon and your recipe sounds DELICIOUS! But I’m just can’t stay up until “late nite”. What do I do???!!! Can you please urgently post a morning or preferably a mid to late morning bacon recipe? Thanks!” (from petersf)

“Rachel, would you PLEASE post this recipe in other languages? I feel it needs to be shared with other cultures. I also think you should bring this to the United Nations and conduct a workshop or something. You’re really onto something here. I know that some people think you look and sound like a waitress at a truck stop, but I don’t agree with that AT ALL!” (from angie)

“I was really hoping to combine this scrumptious recipe with some toast, but I can’t find the recipe anywhere on the Food Network. Rachel, please help me…if you know how.” (from teacher105)

And there are many many more.  Worth a read for a good laugh.

After featuring her recipe for Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad on my blog, Louisa sent me a thank you email [much to my surprise] and gladly obliged to answer a few questions for the blog.  Through our email conversations, I learned that she lives in my old home of Williamsburg [Brooklyn] – which made me like her even more!  Here is what she had to say ….

Q & A:

What kind of food did you grow up eating?  And when did you become passionate about local and organic cooking?

“I grew up eating fresh, unprocessed, homemade food. My mother is a great cook, and most nights growing up she would cook dinner. We had a lot of fish, chicken, beans, rice, vegetables, yogurt, and fruit. We didn’t eat a lot of red meat because my father has high blood pressure, and he’s a cardiologist so he knows red meat isn’t the best thing for your heart. That said, I do remember the classic “London broil” dinners (now completely un-trendy) and the ever-present exception [exception??  bacon is an exception??  no, Louisa ... it is a MUST.  lol] for bacon with Sunday breakfast. [I say ever-present because I’ve met so many people who otherwise don’t eat meat, but can’t say no to the bacon.]

I also tasted lots of interesting ingredients at a young age, particularly from Persian cuisine because my father is from Iran. When our Iranian relatives came to visit, or when my American mother experimented with Persian cooking, I tasted things like saffron, rosewater, dried limes, sour cherries, pomegranates, dates, and pistachios. I’m grateful that I was exposed to all these flavors, because they gave me a sense of openness towards different cuisines and therefore different cultures. [I must interject here ... Louisa grew up lucky.  I think most of us didn't have that exposure to 'un-American' tastes.  I am trying to do that with my daughter and even with my mom and gramma back home in Ohio.  I was so food sheltered, I never even tasted goat cheese until I was 21 and it was weird to me!  Thanks alot, mom. :-) ]

I didn’t eat fast food until I was in my mid-teens [I had my 5th birthday party at McDonalds. Groan.]. When I discovered a certain processed chicken product that has been made to look like “nuggets,” I swung to the other side of the food spectrum for a while, and I clearly remember stopping off to get a donut every day after school during the same period.”
What is the best piece of advice you have received in regards to cooking?

“That would have to be the rule that “fat carries flavor.” When I learned this at my cooking school, the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, it was like someone turned a light on. When a dish lacks pizazz, my first solution is to drizzle on some olive oil. Depending on the context, I’ll add nuts, nut butter, seeds, avocado, butter, yogurt, an egg, or oil. I feel good about adding healthy, unprocessed fats to my meals — our bodies need them!”

Name three foods and three spices you couldn’t live without [salt, pepper, olive oil excluded].

Kale

Rice

Nori seaweed

Hot pepper flakes

Miso paste

Lemon juice …..[Funny that her 'can't live without' picks are things most people have no idea what to do with - cook outside of your comfort zone and be pleasantly surprised!]

Are there any more cookbooks in the works?

“Yes. My next book will definitely be about celebrating the sensuality of food through fresh, beautiful, rustic cooking. Beyond that, the rest hasn’t come to me yet.”

What was your inspiration for putting together Lucid Food?

“I found that people were really excited by what I was doing with my catering company, also called Lucid Food. People were surprised that they could have catered food that was sophisticated, delicious, and unique, while at the same time being eco-friendly. After working at restaurants in San Francisco, composting vegetable scraps, buying from local farmers, cooking seasonally, and eschewing disposable goods in favor of reusable ones like glass bottles and real china, and other sustainable practices were second nature to me. People in New York were charmed by my food and intrigued by my green kitchen practices, and wanted to know more. I felt like I had some valuable information to share with people beyond my clients.”

What is something most people don’t know about you?

“My cocktail of choice is a Makers Mark neat. My now fiancé was shocked when I ordered this on our first date (it was late, we had gone to see some music). This always surprises people because my diet is healthy, and because I’m a rather quiet and ladylike type. But on a cold evening, at a cozy bar with a fireplace, for me there’s nothing better. In summer, I’ll take good tequila either straight or in a sour margarita.”

What is your “go-to” comfort food?

“Kale sautéed with garlic and ginger, over brown rice seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper.”

Louisa, Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions.  Can’t wait to read the next book!!

XO

I love it!  You get the fresh scent with each sip and a hint of the spicy mint flavor of the basil.  I just rip a few leaves in half and stir them into my glass or into a large pitcher.  In my latest CB2 catalog, I came across this Ceylon Pitcher with a filter on one side so you can flavor your water, brew tea, whatever.  Must have!!

And don’t stop with basil.  Water tastes great when infused with cucumber, mint, lemon, lime, and orange too.  A great spring / summer taste sensation!

At Home Veggie Sushi by Sara Bimmel

If you want gorgeous results with minimal effort, look no further. It helps to have a few pieces of special equipment to create these lovely works of edible art, but they’re easy to use, so don’t panic!

Head to your local specialty-foods store or Asian grocery and pick up a flat sushi paddle and a sushi mat.  [Often they come packaged together.]  You’ll also need a bag of sushi rice, which cooks up sticker and thicker than basmati or regular white rice. Finally, you need sheets of flat nori seaweed that you can use to wrap the sushi.

All set? Okay. Cook some rice according to the directions on the package. While it’s steaming and simmering, chop your desired fillings into long, thin strips. I’ve had good luck with thin carrot sticks, avocado slices, cucumber sticks, and fried sweet potato sticks, but you can use whatever you like—including fish, if you’re so inclined.

When the rice is finished, give it a few minutes to sit away from the heat so that it gets nice and sticky. Lay one sheet of nori seaweed on your sushi mat. One side will feel a bit rougher, and that side should face up. Use the sushi paddle to pat a thin layer of rice on top of the seaweed, but leave a rice-free margin of about 1/2″ to 3/4″ at the top of the nori.

Add your fillings about 3/4″ above the bottom edge of the rice. Don’t pack them in too tightly or the roll will be hard to close. When you’re ready, take the bottom edge of the mat and roll it up with the nori. Roll until the bottom edge of the nori forms a complete loop and meets more rice. Then peel the mat back slightly and keep rolling until your roll is completely sealed.

Believe it or not, that’s all there is to it. Slice it up into bite-sized pieces, serve with some wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger, and enjoy!

Risotto alla Milanese by Emilie Boudet

Roasted Potato Wedges by Rachel Rauch

]]> http://furiousshirley.com/blog/2010/02/26/cool-find-www-recipelook-co-uk/feed/ 0 http://furiousshirley.com/blog/2010/02/10/cool-find-jar-tops-mason-jar-lids/ http://furiousshirley.com/blog/2010/02/10/cool-find-jar-tops-mason-jar-lids/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:27:10 +0000 Shannon Shirley http://furiousshirley.com/blog/?p=1699 I love the look of mason jars.  I even have one I use as drinking glass … so I was pretty excited when I saw these Jar Tops on Re-Nest!

Available at Unica Home – Set of 5 lids for $25.00 in Charcoal or Green.