Leeks can be intimidating but they capable of making borning mashed potatoes and elevating them to something extraordinary. Usually harvested in the autumn months, they are easy to grow from seedlings and are ready six months after planting. Much like an onion, they form a bulb and a long bundle of leaves above the ground. The soil must be loose and well-drained. The bulbs of the plant do not tolerate wet soil. As a very hearty vegetable, some varieties can survive during the early winter months, extending their harvest season. Most agree, prolonging harvest will intensify the flavor. Unlike its sister, the onion, leeks have a sweeter, milder flavor, and…
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Crazy for Crispy Celery
Earlier this year, Chef Curtis Stone developed a 9-course tasting menu centered around celery, for his restaurant Maude in California. He created a celery salad; reduced celery juice for an apple sorbet and braised some stalks for a celeri barigoule. Celeri Barigoule – a traditional Provencal dish of artichokes braised with onions, garlic and carrots in a seasoned broth of wine and water. Early culinary cooking, the artichokes were stuffed with mushrooms, however, modern cuisine no longer uses mushrooms. Some preparations are stuffed with spinach, carrots and cheese. Celery has a crunchy texture, slightly bitter, earthy flavor which has long been served as a cooling accompaniment to hot wings. …
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Tomatoes: Grocery Store Verses Growing Your Own
Springtime! Time to plant those tomatoes… AND STOP BUYING GROCERY STORE TOMATOES. I am absolutely sick of grocery store tomatoes! The skins are so tough and waxy! To me, they really have no flavor at all. Did you know…. growers are paid by the pound to propagate and deliver tomatoes to grocery store distributors Did you know... the majority of grocery store tomatoes have a genetic mutation called the GLK protein, which actually promotes uniformity, and their bright red color; however, reduces their natural sugars and sweetness Did you know… commercial growers pick tomatoes while they are still green, before they ripen, then spray them with…
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7 Ideas to Reduce Food Waste
As a food enthusiasts, it breaks my heart to know food goes to waste. According to Feeding America, a non-profit organization aimed at ending hunger, an estimated 40% of food grown, processed and transported in the United States will never be consumed. More food reaches our landfills than plastic, paper or any other type of solid waste; and the food filling our landfills produce so much methane gas, it has 21 times the global warming potential than carbon dioxide. An estimated 70 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States each year. Food Waste is an Epidemic What is food waste? Be leery of which statistics you…
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7 Culinary Tips for Turmeric Benefits
Used in cooking since 600 B.C, turmeric is the root of a tropical plant related to GINGER. Though native to the Orient, this spice is now also cultivated in India and the Caribbean. It has a bitter, pungent flavor and an intense yellow-orange color. In modern cuisine, it is used mainly to add both flavor and color to food. Popular in East Indian cooking and almost always used in CURRY preparations. It is the primary ingredient in MUSTARD and is what gives American-style prepared mustard its bright yellow color. Powdered versions are widely available in supermarkets. As with all spices, it should be stored in a cool, dark place for…
