Raw Kale Salad with Walnuts, Pecorino & Lemon / Pane co' Santi (Saint's Bread) / Roasted Figs

Blog Post & Recipe: Raw Kale Salad with Walnuts, Pecorino and Lemon

Kale is such a resilient leaf it can hold up to the onslaught of olive oil, lemon juice and cheese. In other words: it’s easily corruptible. And that’s what makes a raw kale salad great.

Blog Post & Recipe: Pane co' Santi {Saint's Bread}

The dough itself is a cinch to work with...it's totally the fruit and nuts that make it. Bright bursts of sweetness from the yellow raisins and a triple-nutty punch that comes not just from the pecans and walnuts, but also seems to emanate from the olive oil that they were sautéed in.

Blog Post & Recipe: roasted figs

The heat of roasting brings the dried figs back to life. Some of them will puff up to form almost perfect globes. The honey and oil mixture gives them a thick, shiny gloss that hardens slightly as the figs cool. They come out of the oven looking like something you want to put on a Christmas tree.

Wheat Berry Salad / Butternut Pumpkin & Sage Dinner Rolls / Fajita Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Blog Post & Recipe: Light and Fresh Wheat Berry Salad

This salad is rad because it has so much texture and crunch. So if you’re a salad hater like me, you should try this.

Blog Post & Recipe: Butternut Squash & Sage Dinner Rolls

The flavor of the squash comes through subtly, and I certainly can’t imagine a situation where sage and goat cheese make something worse, can you?

Blog Post & Recipe: Fajita Spiced Roasted Chickpeas [via]

Combine the spice mixture and sprinkle over the chickpeas. Toss to combine well. Pour the chickpeas onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, turning every 5-10 minutes until they are roasted and crunchy.

M., this is our one thousandth post.

Seaweed Salad (Miyuk Muchim) / Chai / Boiled Bone Stock

Recipe: Seaweed Salad (Miyuk Muchim)

This seaweed salad is a great little appetizer or side dish for when you want to eat light.

Blog Post & Recipe: Perfect Chai

When I’m brewing from scratch, this here is my ideal recipe. It’s got plenty of cardamom, which (I think) is the only ingredient other than tea in traditional chai. But it’s also got cloves, which add an undercurrent of spice to the drink.

Blog Post & Recipe: The Nasty Bits: Boiled Bones

If you do not want your stock to look cloudy and taste fatty, then simmer your bones. If you have a lot of good meat that's still on the bone, and you want to eat the meat, then simmer your bones ... If, on the other hand, you happen to have a pile of bones leftover from a roast, and there is nothing palatable about them, then boil the heck out of your bones.

Boiled Stock

Cochinita Pibil Tacos / Slow-Cooked Goose in Brandy, Aromatics & Tomato / Five Spice Pork Belly with Pickled Vegetable Salad

Blog Post & Recipe: Cochinita Pibil (Puerco Pibil) and then Cochinita Pibil Tacos

A tasty slow roasted pork marinated in sour oranges and red annatto seeds.

Recipe: Slow-cooked goose in brandy, aromatics and tomato recipe

This goose has a wonderful, assertive taste from the brandy, which cuts through the fatty meat. It is cooked long enough for the legs to get wonderfully soft.

Article & Recipes: Five Spice Pork Belly with Pickled Vegetable Salad

Belly Pork is fatty and I think best served with something to cut through, I love these spicy pickled salads, they wake you up, if don’t fancy the thai taste, cabbage , carrot and apple works well too dressed with lemon juice and black pepper.

Preserve Butternut Pumpkin / Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette / Carrot Fritters

Blog Post & Recipe: Help Me Preserve 15 Pounds of Winter Squash

Editor: Rose, yes, you can preserve the squash by pureeing. Here's a good post on this:

• Preserving Butternut Squash by Amy Palanjian

Also check out this post:

• Eight Things To Do With Butternut Squash

Readers, what else do you suggest?

Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

This is pretty much the ultimate holiday salad – mixed greens tossed with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, walnuts and Parmesan cheese, and then dressed with a warm apple cider vinaigrette.

Blog Post & Recipe: Carrot Fritters

Serve the carrot fritters with a wedge of lemon and natural yoghurt as well as a delicious salad, or two, and you have a fantastic lunch or dinner on those hot summer days. They can also be served cold, making them the perfect picnic food.

Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) / Spice Rubbed Roast Chicken / Tomato & Cucumber Salad with Cornbread

Blog Post & Recipe: seeing red

A traditional accompaniment is sliced cabbage and since you soak it in water for about an hour, it’s advised that you start with that step first. Once you get the cabbage soaking, break out the pork loin! Well, I used pork loin chops. You just need pork loin chops, salt, pepper, an egg, flour, and panko (flaky Japanese bread crumbs – flaky as in texture, not in terms of reliability). And oil for frying.

Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet)

Blog Post & Recipe: Look no further roast chicken

Until I came upon Thomas Keller technique for perfect and comforting roast chicken; his philosophy is pretty simple, straightforward and 100% foolproof: the drier the meat, the crispier the skin, the better the roast chicken. All he does is pat dry the chicken with paper towel, season it inside and out with salt and pepper and roast it in a heavy skillet for almost an hour without basting or disturbing until crispy and irresistible.

Spice rubbed roast chicken

Blog Post & Recipe: Tomato and cucumber salad with cornbread croutons

But the final piece of the dish—the cornbread croutons—ended up being a bit trickier. On my first attempt, I added them when the salad was marinating, but they soon turned to mush. After some experimenting, I learned the best way for them to stay solid was to add them right before serving. The cornbread croutons will still soak up some of the dressing, but they take on the bright fire of the jalapeños, which is always a welcome thing.

Beetroot, Peach & Radicchio Salad + Artichoke & Silverbeet Risotto / Panang Curry with Beef / China Chilo

Blog Post & Recipe: Passionate by design

Red salad (beetroot, peach and radicchio) ... Artichoke and silverbeet risotto

Blog Post & Recipe: Panang Curry with Beef | แกงพะแนงเนื้อ

I followed the general protocol for most Thai curries - heat the thicker part of the coconut milk over medium heat until it just starts to bubble and separate, add the curry paste, cook the meat, add more coconut milk and/or water, and adjust the seasonings.

Blog Post & Recipe: China Chilo

In The Spirit of Cookery: A Popular Treatise on the History, Science, Practical, Ethical and Medical Import of Culinary Art, (1895) by J.L.W. Thudicum, this was described as “a ragout of green peas and mutton, stewed with some onions, lettuce, butter and spices, to be served with rice boiled in broth and moistened with butter. This is a most excellent dish, and is most conveniently eaten with a dessertspoon.’

Green Mango & Papaya Salad / Braised Beef & Burdock / Fesenjān With Chicken

Blog Post & Recipe: Green Mango and Papaya Salad | ยำมะม่วงมะละกอ

I don't think this Thai-inspired salad is that far off from what you might expect to find in Thailand. I simply mixed the shredded mango and papaya with basil and mint, added some freshly roasted cashews, and then drizzled the typical Thai salad dressing of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chilis over top.

Blog Post & Recipe: Braised Beef and Burdock

In this braise, the iron rich burdock not only provides a texture contrast, it also adds an earthy flavor that goes well with the miso. The tomatoes and wine contribute sweetness and a fruity aroma and that balances out the earth-tones. Lastly, the collagen rich shank produces meltingly tender morsels of meat that adds richness and body to the stew.

Blog Post & Recipe: Fesenjān With Chicken

Fesenjān is one of those many great Iranian dishes that becoming so popular among my family. The deliciousness, nutty, fruity, sweet and slightly tangy flavor is tantalizing. One might think that this dish require times to prepare. It just the oposite, and though it sounds exotic, ingredient such as pomegranate molases, or pomegranate syrup are readily available in most grocery store. You can use any poultry for this dish, I suppose any meat will be delicious as well.

Carrot-Beetroot Salad / Garlic Scape Pesto / 13 Sauces (Pesto, Dressing, Salsa, Etc)

Blog Post & Recipe: carrot-beet salad

One of my favourite ways to change up boredom from green salads is to make a salad of grated vegetables. Coleslaw is all fine and good, but why leave it at that?

Blog Post & Recipe: The great garlic (e)scape

When I said "garlic scape", a friend thought I meant a painting depicting a crop of the infamously stinking rose. I would have assumed the same thing had I not been formally introduced to this tasty garlic flower stem (scape) that, according to Wikipedia, comes from the hardneck and elephant types of garlic.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Blog Post & Recipes: Some of my Favorite Sauces

So, here are some of my favorite sauces. All pretty easy.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa ... Roasted Tomato Salsa ... Red Chile Sauce ... Sweet and soy dressing ... Honey-Lime dressing ... Orange-Shallot ... Thai Peanut Sauce ... Traditional Pesto ... Chimichurri ... Balsamic Strawberry Fruit Butter with Chiles ... Stone Fruit and Fig Chutney ... Cranberry Sauce with Tart Oregon Cherries and Red Onions ... Honeyed cinnamon applesauce ... Salted Caramel Sauce.

Coriander Lamb Meatballs / Cashew Carrot Salad / Cooking Blue Camas

Blog Post & Recipe: Coriander (Cilantro) Meatballs

After the leg is roasted, the rest is super simple - just blitzing together the lamb leg, a bunch of coriander, eschalots, chives, bread (I didn't have white sandwich bread so I had to use seeded wholemeal), cream, eggs, and some cumin. And you're pretty much set.

Blog Post & Recipe: Cashew Carrot Salad

The not-so-secret ingredients are cashews and raisins, which when blended produce a creamy, lightly sweetened dressing that brings out carrots’ natural sweetness without smothering them. Normally I use lemon juice to balance out the sweetness, but just for fun this time I substituted orange juice for a sunny burst of flavor.

Blog Post & Recipe: Cooking Blue Camas

Most wild foods in North America were eaten by the Native Americans before us, so reading about what they did with whatever new ingredient you happen to have on hand is a good place to start. Camas is no exception. The various tribes of the American West loved camas, especially the Nez Perce, Shoshone and, to some extent, Paiutes. The smaller California bands did the same in the Sierra. What did the Indians do with camas? Almost without exception, they baked them, slow and low, in an earth oven

5 Recipes from the Momofuku Cookbook / Corn, Buttermilk & Chive Popovers / How to Sprout Lentils + Gourmet Sprouted Lentil Salad

Blog Post & Recipes: David Chang’s Momofuku (Cooking the Books 5)

A few months ago, a few crazy food bloggers (myself and the Boy included) decided that the next Cooking the Books would be from the Momofuku cookbook.

Ramen Broth ... Momofuku Ramen (Cup Noodles) ... Roasted Rice Cakes ... Pork Belly Ssam (sam gyup sal ssam) with Mustard Seed Sauce

Blog Post & Recipe: corn, buttermilk and chive popovers

I turned to Google, which led me to a recipe for corn popovers from The New Basics by Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins. I adjusted them a bit; I swapped buttermilk for regular, as was my plan, and I found that the corn really had to be blended to become part of the batter (rather than kernels that fell out after tearing the popover open).

Blog Post & Recipe: How to Sprout Lentils & Gourmet Sprouted Lentil Salad

Go here to this post - and follow the directions for Sprouting Quinoa, simply replacing the Quinoa with Lentils! Be careful though - Lentils triple in size when you sprout them: If you're using a wide mouth (3 cup) Mason Jar I recommend starting with 1 cup of dried Lentils at the very most. You don't want to run out of room in your jar.

Chicken, Leek & Fennel Pie with Cream Cheese Pastry / Roast Beetroot & Chickpea Salad / Pandan Lamingtons

Blog Post & Recipe: Chicken, Leek and Fennel Pie with Cream Cheese Pastry

Recipe adapted from Maggi Beer’s Chicken, Grape and Champagne Pie (from the cookbook Maggi’s Kitchen and online).

Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Beet & Chickpea Salad

This is an easy salad and was delicious at room temperature or cold from the fridge. The fresh mint goes really nicely with the earthy flavor of the sweet beets.

Blog Post & Recipe: Pandan Lamingtons

I adapted a recipe for plain lamingtons by adding some pandan essence paste to the sponge cake. It was quite convenient that the recipe used a chocolate ganache rather than a cocoa icing for the coating, as I was able to switch it to white chocolate ganache which was a much better match for that lovely soft & fluffy green pandan cake.

Sweet Potato & Brown Rice Salad / Zucchini Silver Dollars / How to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans

Recipe: Sweet potato and brown rice salad

A rustic, nutty little salad I make often.

Blog Post & Recipe: Zucchini Silver Dollars

Growing up, my mother made these frequently – sometimes as a side dish that she served with grilled fish or as a little “nibble” served with cocktails. So, in honor of the current zucchini “bonanza” I pulled this recipe out and decided to give it a bit of a face lift.

Blog Post & Recipe: How to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans

For those of you who just want to test the waters and keep it simple, I am happy to report that you need nothing more than a heavy pan, green coffee beans, and a wooden spoon. Oh, and an exhaust fan: coffee is a spitting, steam-producing dragon in the kitchen, and good ventilation is an absolute must.

Cucumber & Hakurei Turnip Salad / Sichuan Eggplant / How to Prepare a Geoduck Clam

Blog Post & Recipe: Cucumber and Hakurei Turnip Salad

The Hakurei turnips were delicious. They kind of reminded me of jicama, in that they are just a bit sweet and starchy. They pair great with cucumbers and would add a nice crispness to any salad, really.

Blog Post & Recipe: Sichuan Eggplant (Fish-Fragrant Eggplant)

You see, it doesn’t actually smell or taste like fish. Rather, the name refers to method of preparation usually associated with fish in Sichuan cuisine that results in hot, sour, salty, and sweet flavors all co-mingling on the plate.

Blog Post & Video:
Geoducks: The Only Shellfish Adored By Chinese Chefs, Japanese Gourmands And Native American Divers Alike

The fat, mustard-colored bivalves--whose name is pronounced "gooey duck," not "geo duck"--grow up to three feet long. They have been known to live for up to 150 years, buried a yard in the sea floor and eating whatever algae they can filter from the water immediately above them. ...

How to prepare a geoduck clam for cooking

Chayote Squash Sambal / Quick Pickled Roots / Grilled Onion Salad

Recipe: Sambal Goreng Manisah, Indonesian Chayote Squash Sambal

Simply delicious sambal with Chayote squash, which is pretty common everyday meal in Indonesia, especially in the island of Java.

Blog Post & Recipe: Quick Pickled Roots

Absolutely anyone can pickle quickly! You can pretty much pickle anything that grows with equal parts vinegar and water, a little salt and some spices. And as long as you're putting the jar in the fridge, no need to be cautious about acidity levels as you would with home canning. The best part? They take no time to make

Blog Post & Recipe: Grilled Onion Salad

Grilled onions can be just as good chilled as hot, especially when you let them marinate in an herb dressing. The grilling produces all sorts of caramelized goodness in the onions, taming their bite and bringing out their natural sweetness. An herby dressing acts like a marinade, further softening the onions, and infusing them with flavor. The best thing? The salad lasts for days, and actually improves with age, as the dressing soaks into the onions.

Nettle Pakoras / Watermelon & Fennel Salad / Caribbean Spinach & Coconut Milk Soup

Blog Post & Recipe: The Sting

My favourite way with nettles is to make Indian pakoras, all spicy, crispy, mysterious and green. They are a doddle to make and amazing to eat, even my 6 year old loves them.

Blog Post & Recipe: Watermelon and Fennel Salad [via]

I decided to try, pairing with fennel, whose anise notes I think go rather well with something sugary, and a little garlic & herbed goat cheese to help balance things out. A little fresh mint, olive oil, salt and pepper and I had myself a watermelon salad

Blog Post & Recipe: Caribbean Spinach & Coconut Milk Soup

Coming back to the recipe, as I started reading, first ingredient was spanish onion…well sweetish for me in a soup,second garlic…hmm…okay..followed by green chillies,coriander seeds & cumin (now we are talking)..then there was coconut milk,chicken stock and limes (I was already sold)..I must say it was the most amazing find of the day- a Caribbean spinach soup with coconut milk and known indian spices!!

Portabello Mushroom & Basil Pesto Panini / Roasted Sweet Potato Salad / Escabeche & Savory Granola

Blog Post & Recipe: Portabello Mushroom and Basil Pesto Panini [via]

I decided to have a vegetarian dinner for my family last night and picked up some big beautiful portabello mushrooms for our paninis. I also added fresh basil pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes and sweet vidalia onions to them.

Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

And it definitely takes the right kind of potato salad to make me realize that it’s ok to eat something warm on a hot day. I simply have no patience for chill time when there are sweet potatoes, black beans, red peppers, cilantro, and lime involved.

Blog Post & Recipe: Escabeche + Savory Granola (+ Las Manas Tamales)

So, you can imagine our delight when a plate of pickled asparagus, beets and carrots topped with a mess of puffed millet, seeds and spices arrived at our table. After our first bites, we both nodded in agreement. This is so good ...

The vegetables were sharp, intensely flavored and very vinegary. The granola is toasted, salty, sweet, and umami.

Concept: use that grill as a sandwich press. (Or has this already occurred to you, M?)

Braised Lamb Shanks with Yorkshire-Style Puddings / 3 Salads / Spetsofai (Stewed Sausages & Peppers)

Blog Post & Recipe: Braised lamb shanks with Yorkshire-style puddings [via] (and, see, another blogger is also making braised lamb shanks, and the NZ Herald has a recipe for lamb shanks and macaroni)

Instead of making the usual thick, sticky sauce, which can be a little heavy, I opted for a light, almost soupy, tangy tomato and stock sauce.

Recipes & Video: Veg out

The roasted beetroot salad can be made more substantial by adding crumbled feta or goat’s cheese. All of these recipes make a great accompaniment to a Sunday roast.

ROASTED BEETROOTS, CARROTS & CAPSICUM ... ROAST FENNEL SALAD ... WARM MUSHROOM & ROCKET SALAD

Blog Post & Recipe: Spetsofai

In it’s complete simplicity, spetsofai is sausages and peppers. It traditionally hails from the Thessaly region of Greece and whilst it lends itself as a winter dish the produce it uses is more synonymous with summer. The traditional recipe is a little more spicy and uses loukaniko (the Greek word for sausage). I was making this for a friend of mine and her eight year old so anything considered spicy was off limits. I added a little oomph to the spetsofai by using some smoked paprika and a little red wine.

100 Cooking Tips / 3 Recipes with Bread Crumbs / 3 Pear Recipes

Article: 100 Greatest Cooking Tips (of all time!) [via]

Food Network Magazine asked top chefs across the country for their best advice.

Article & Recipes: The California Cook: Mighty, mighty bread crumbs

But what I'd never really realized was the true potential of bread crumbs, how instead of being bland character actors toiling in the background, they can actually become the stars of a dish, or at least a very impressive second lead.

Grilled romaine with radishes, hard-boiled eggs and toasted bread crumbs ... Spaghetti with arugula and garlic bread crumbs ... Swiss chard with golden raisins and lemon bread crumbs

Article & Recipes: Perfect pears

To test to see if a pear is ripe, all you need to do is press the neck of the pear and if it gives a little it is ripe. If it is hard as a rock it needs a bit of time. Pears are rich in fibre and vitamin C – most of this is in the skin, so make sure you are eating some pears in the raw and in their skins to get the maximum nutritional value from them.

PEAR CHUTNEY ... PEAR AND PECORINO SALAD ... POACHED PEARS

Concept: bread crumbs

n.b. M! I'm going to top linking to the New York Times because they've installed a paywall.

Mutton Marinated in Yoghurt & Vinegar / Persian Pomegranate Soup / 9 Asparagus Recipes

Recipe: Mutton Marinated in Yogurt and Vinegar

I used mutton chops for this but you can use shoulder which is generally the best cut.

Blog Post & Recipe: persian pomegranate soup

The pomegranates give it a sour, earthy flavour and the lamb adds intensity and richness. This type of Iranian stew is thick and hearty with chunky ingredients. I highly recommend it.

Blog Post & Recipes: Thirteen (Plus) Years of Asparagus

I’ve made a point almost every spring either to try something new with asparagus or to revisit a classic, and there are plenty of those. Here are a few of the oldies ...

Grilled Asparagus With Lemon Dressing ... Roasted Asparagus With Crunchy Parmesan Topping ... Pan-Roasted Asparagus Soup With Tarragon ... Asparagus Dutch Style ... Asparagus Vichyssoise ... Stir-Fried Asparagus With Pork ... Asparagus Salad With Soy-Mustard Dressing ... Asparagus With Morels and Tarragon ... Asparagus Pesto