Archive for May, 2011
Guyanese Beef Patties, Pine Tarts and Cheese Rolls
Cakes, Pies & Tarts • Tags: beef patties, cheese rolls, Ethnic Exploration, Guyanese, homemade pastry tips, pastries, pine tarts, shortcrust pastry, sriracha
Neither of us can believe the end of May is already here, as it’s time to share with you our newest Ethnic Exploration. In this edition, we venture into Guyanese cuisine. We had little knowledge of Guyana in general, so we were approaching this expedition a bit more “green” than usual. As always, however, whenever there is a culinary challenge or question in need of immediate attention, Chrystal reaches for her BlackBerry and the answer is just a tweet away. And like so many times in the past, the Twittersphere did not let her down. A couple of friends–Jehan from Jehan Can Cook and Cynthia from Tastes Like Home–hopped in with advice and lots of emphatic support! We now had some general guidance into the land of Guyana, as well as some food suggestions to help us begin our journey.
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Glorious Granola
Other Sweet Treats • Tags: baked granola, Guest Test Kitchen, healthy breakfast, homemade granola
Our Guest Test Kitchen feature always sneaks up at a perfect time. In fact, sometimes we even find the days flying by. Before we know it, we’re reaching out to another awesome person in our lives who has a knack for whipping up equally as awesome food. Sarah is actually a friend of a friend, but she made her love for food and creating recipes known, and without a doubt, we decided she needed her own space to share on our site. Sarah lives far away in Chicago, so unfortunately, she’s not cooking anything that either of us can nibble on. No matter, you can easily shoot her a message, and she’ll get back to you with a bunch of her own vegetarian and vegan creations–most of them flawlessly transcribed to make it easy for you to replicate. Now that is a friend. In this month’s Guest Test Kitchen, Sarah has full rein, and she’s bringing a crunchy breakfast or snack treat for any day.
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Linguine with Portobello Mushrooms, Asparagus and Leeks
Vegetarian • Tags: 30 minute meal, leeks, portobello mushrooms, reheating cooked pasta
Here’s how quickly this meal was made. It was a generic midweek evening, and a friend called to say ‘Hey, are you almost home? Come over and watch [insert generic midweek TV show name here].’ The response was a resounding OK, followed by a quick look at the clock to check the time. Less than 30 minutes remained before said TV show’s beginning, but for some reason, there was a desire to cook up dinner to share for the evening. It was in this short span of time that one of the easiest pasta meals ever was born. There should be much more to say about it than that, but honestly, there’s no need to when all you really want to know is how to make it for yourself, right? So let’s get to it.
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Thai Black Rice Salad
Vegetarian • Tags: black rice, cooking with coconut oil, green papaya, product review, Thai, Tropical Traditions, vegan salad
There are some dishes that make an impression on you because they include a number of impressionable ingredients. This is a salad made of rice and vegetables. That’s all really. Actually, it’s more than that. It’s a salad made of rice and vegetables and truly authentic Thai ingredients that mesh in a colorful, filling, spicy, crunchy meal. One of the main ingredients in this dish is coconut oil. We received a free sample of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to review, and honestly, as is the case, it took a while to actually get around to it. In truth, the coconut oil was used a good bit, but all of the applications were haphazard as it was the first time cooking with the alternative oil. A little here to saute shrimp and scallions, a bit there to pan fry potatoes with garam masala, a drizzle over toast. It was a good addition to those dishes, and it proved to be great in this simple rice salad as well. When you combine several special, unique ingredients in one meal, the end result is going to hold its own.
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Tomato, Mango and Onion Chutney
Vegetarian • Tags: chutney, ginger, Indian, lentils, mango, sweet and sour
Let’s talk about ugly food for a little bit. We eat with our eyes, and we all know that. When food looks good, you want to eat it. Bright, luscious colors attract the eye, which probably makes your mouth water, and then you find your fork moving in that direction. When the food is just an image on a screen, it really has to look pretty, or you might not find any interest. Well please, please, please don’t turn away just because you see a brown patty above. Today’s recipe is not even about the brown patty, which was a lentil cake gone wrong. The recipe you need to know is actually for the chutney sitting atop the lentil cake–the chutney that saved this ugly lentil cake actually. Let’s focus on that one, shall we?
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Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with 'Cream Cheese' Frosting
Cakes, Pies & Tarts • Tags: cupcakes, Earth Balance, Tofutti, vegan
Not too long ago, a friend hosted a vegan dinner party. Neither is a true vegan, although one of them did attempt the lifestyle for a month. During that time, she found it difficult to whip up lunches and dinners that appealed to her tastes. Eating out was simple, but eating in became a dreaded chore. I ate vegan for three months, but the days passed fairly easily for me after a while because I enjoyed cooking dishes. When said friend decided on a vegan potluck, bringing a dessert seemed like one of the most fun contributions. Most people are scared of vegan desserts and other sweets, but you should quell your fears as there are a number of good ones. Do you remember this fruit crisp, this bread or these muffins? All good stuff. A vegan cake was the next experiment, and it proved to be a success.
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Sweet Potato, Sausage and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Poultry & Pork • Tags: caramelized onions, pizza, roasted garlic, sweet potatoes, Tofurkey, vegan
Are there some things you feel like you cannot tire of? Even if you’ve managed to eat them many days in a row. Pizza is one of those meals that can be rocked out in a million ways, and we’ve successfully fashioned at least a thousand versions that have made us happy. Most recently, we provided pizzas for a professional event and baked up a pizza for our first video. There was also a quick and easy dessert pizza for a friend’s birthday almost two years ago. When another strong hankering for crunchy crust and savory toppings bubbled to the surface, it was time to think of a new way to serve it up. One of the favorite vegetables around these parts is sweet potato. If you don’t know by now, let it be known that a sweet potato will not go uneaten when once placed under our respective forks and knives. Tossing slices of sweet potatoes on a pizza seemed like just the way to go with this one. All that potato needed was a few more friends to round out one of the world’s best pizzas.
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BoHo: Hollywood's Newly Renovated Gastropub
Restaurant Reviews • Tags: Adolfo Suaya, BoHo, craft beer, gastropub, happy hour, Hollywood, Kristofer Keith, restaurant review
Not too long ago, we were invited to visit the newly renovated gastropub, BoHo. Previously stationed on Sunset Boulevard, the restaurant had just completed extensive changes, including a move to the always busy Hollywood & Highland center. Of course, we were down for a visit to see the new place and also taste a few of the dishes on the menu. We chose a midweek date and arrived ready to grub. With much more space in which to spread its wings, so to speak, in the H&H complex, there was no doubt we were in for a treat.
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Chorizo and Potato Tacos, Roasted Tomato and Garlic Salsa
Vegetarian • Tags: roasted garlic, salsa, soyrizo, tacos, tomatoes, vegan
We’ve recently been roasting garlic a lot, mostly for pizza, although it’s great in a number of dishes. Roasting brings out such a natural sweetness that even someone who claims not to like garlic could be persuaded. Once roasted, you can literally eat it right out of the peel, popping the fragrant clove right on your tongue. Or you could swipe it on a bit of bread or a cracker. This time, though, the roasted garlic would play a prime role in a blended salsa for a batch of tacos. Along with the garlic, a bunch of tomatoes also found themselves slow roasting in the oven. The aroma of roasting garlic and tomatoes filled the kitchen, exciting all for what was to come. The final meal was worth the wait.
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