Food Meditations...: February 2011

Okra, Paczki and Truffles. Mardi Gras and Other Seasonal Delights!

Grandmothers' tips ~

There's More To Okra Than Frying

"...a few simple rules to follow: First, use tender, small pods (the large ones are hard as wood and cannot be eaten..."

Recalling the first vegetable that the author learned to cut, the okra, and the mucilage excreted from the cut little pod...
Read more: There's More To Okra Than Frying; npr.org

FREE Healthy Diabetes Friendly Recipes & More!

"Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them." ~Saint-Exupéry (quotegarden.com)

delightfully yours, Food Meditations

Soul food
African-American chefs debate tradition versus innovation of soul food. Coined during the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960s and early 1970s...
Read more: Soul searching; chicagotribune.com

Travel bites
~ Paczki are a sweet treat for the spring season. Many Polish households look forward to Paczki Day, which is celebrated the Thursday before Mardi Gras...
Read more: Paczki are the Polish treat for Mardi Gras 2011; nola.com

~ Should everyone eat only locally grown foods? Sure. Can everyone afford to travel like we used to, dining on the exotic cuisines of foreign lands?...
Read more: The FedEx Meal Plan; gq.com

Black or white, it's a delight
White truffles may be less popular and more expensive than their black-colored cousins, but they have more of an aromatic appeal...
Read more: There's Something About Truffles; wsj.com

Favorite home cook
In January, after 13 years and almost 700 columns, Mark Bittman announced the exit of The Minimalist from the Dining section of the New York Times...
Read more: The Minimalist Joins Cooking Channel; cookingchanneltv.com

In season
~ The root of a member of the mustard family, radishes have a peppery flavour and a crisp, crunchy texture...
Read more: Radish; bbcgoodfood.com

~ Citrus Recipes and Tips; epicurious.com

The mixer
~ Does Language Influence Culture? wsj.com
~ Recipes Inspired by Microcredit Clients; wholefoodsmarket.com

Check Also:
~ FOOD MEDITATIONS »: A digest on what's happening in the global food community ...
~ MISHKA BITES »: Travel Bites and Other Life Distractions ...
~ OCK STYLE »: Photography, Styling and Everything Chocolate, Wine, Etc. ...
~ RECIPES HUNTER »: Passionately compiling a comprehensive collection of recipes from all over the world ...
~ SERIOSAMENTE »: Questioni Italiche e Non. Cercando di Essere "Polemicamente Corretti", Ma Non Troppo! ...

Bites - Mini Bell Peppers stuffed with Goat Cheese

Image by ockstyle via Flickr
Appetibilis
~ Shrimp Bisque; bellalimento.com
~ Homemade Eggrolls; stetted.com
~ Three O Cherry Vodka; kateiscooking.blogspot.com
~ Gambas à l'Armoricaine; cuisinemalin.fr
~ Sausage Pici with Chestnuts and Eggplant Croquet; fabiolouscookingday.blogspot.com

Looking for recipes? Check The Recipes Hunter collection...

Blue Cheese Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

Join The Food Styling and Photography Club on Facebook to improve your skills in food photography and food styling, learn something about cooking and enjoy the visual.

Food 'Craft & Art' like 'Popcorn & Movies'

Useful cookbook ~

The Gastronomer on 'Modernist Cuisine'

"...the answer to everything you wanted to know about cooking, not to mention so many things you never thought about..."

Simply put, could be the most useful cookbook you'll probably never cook from...
Read more: The Gastronomer on 'Modernist Cuisine': big, beautiful and worth the hype; washingtonpost.com

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master” ~Ernest Hemingway (thinkexist.com)

Delightfully yours, Food Meditations

Chef talk
~ Dario (Cecchini) spoke of the animals he worked with, which should lead good lives, eat healthy food, and...
Read more: Going Whole Hog: Adventures in Meat and Italian Butchering; theatlantic.com

~ As Martha Stewart pointed out in a February 9 Huffington Post editorial, “food is the new fashion.”...
Read more: Andrea Reusing, a Chef Who Puts Craft Ahead of Art; publishersweekly.com

Food stories
~ Ever wonder why popcorn and the movies go together like Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio? Here’s a brief history of the duo...
Read more: The History of … Popcorn & the Movies; live.gourmet.com

~ Cooking Is An Essential Aspect Of Family Togetherness; marcussamuelsson.com
~ February Member Spotlight: Primal Alchemy Catering; chefscollaborative.org
~ Sam Bompas and Harry Parr; wmagazine.com

Oscar pantry notes
~ Is the recipe coming with Mr Bridge? Or is the other way around?...
Read more: ~ The Best Recipes to Honor Our Oscar Picks; bonappetit.com

~ Weekly Roundup: Recipes for Hollywood Gold; live.gourmet.com

Healthy corner
~ January has been and gone. The drop-a-dress-size craze of the first month of the year is behind us...
Read more: How healthy is healthy? bbcgoodfood.com

~ 6 Surprising Ways to Heart Longevity; health.yahoo.net

Image by ockstyle via Flickr
Appetibilis
~ Beef Stroganoff; fivestarfoodie.com
~ Miso Salmon; rideronrecipes.com
~ Shaved zucchini salad; australianfood.about.com
~ Crema Fritta ~ Fried Pastry Custard; aglioolioepeperoncino.com
~ Bulgaria – Pork Kavarma Kebap; aroundtheworldin205meals.wordpress.com

Looking for recipes? Check The Recipes Hunter collection...

Food Meditations [by ockstyle]

Join The Food Styling and Photography Club on Facebook to improve your skills in food photography and food styling, learn something about cooking and enjoy the visual.

Foodies Following Flavours Across the Globe with GF Notes

Local, Sustainable and Vegan ~

A Foraging for Wild Mushrooms How To Guide

"the ultimate in foodie fun, and each edible species has its own unique, earthy flavor"

The following six mushrooms are among the easiest to identify and the most delicious...
Read more: Open Season; ecosalon.com

"Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well." ~Marcus Valerius Martial (quotegarden.com)

delightfully yours, Food Meditations

Food for thought
Food lovers are motivated by gluttony—or are they? A writer argues that the food movement is really about moderation...
Read more: Defending 'Foodies': A Rancher Takes a Bite out of B. R. Myers; theatlantic.com

African-American cooking
When food writer Jessica Harris first visited Senegal, she scoured the markets and cafes for traditional foods...
Read more: Following The Flavors From Africa To America; npr.org

Party Menu Ideas
~ Entertaining a big group doesn’t have to mean a giant pot of stew or curry...
Read more: Cooking for a crowd; irishtimes.com

~ Let Wolgang Puck serve pot pies and smoked-salmon gallette. With a little imagination, you can throw a heck of a party...
Read more: The Obsessive Movie Watcher's Guide to Oscar Night; esquire.com

~ Two Winter Salads That Snap, Crackle, and Pop Like Spring; theatlantic.com

Gluten-free notes
~ Those diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can still enjoy going out to eat in restaurants, it just takes a little extra work...
Read more: Celiac Disease and Eating Out; suite101.com

~ 5 Easy Ways to Get Real Food Into Your Day; thewholegang.org
~ Gluten-free Grain for Baking: Sorghum flour; glutenfreeworks.com

Restaurant dilemma
Would it encourage you to eat a 3 course lunch if you're guaranteed to be out in an hour?...
Read more: The need for speed; guardian.co.uk

Healthy corner
~ Mucosal Recovery and Mortality in Adults With Celiac Disease Following a Gluten-Free Diet; celiac.com

Mushrooms Soups with Spicy Grilled Bread

Image by ockstyle via Flickr
Appetibilis
~ Gluten-Free Pizza Crust - My New Recipe; glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
~ Zuppa di Fagioli e Crostini di Formaggio [Italian Bean Soup and Cheesy Garlic Crostini]; cakeduchess.com

Looking for recipes? Check The Recipes Hunter collection...

Food Meditations [by ockstyle]

Join The Food Styling and Photography Club on Facebook to improve your skills in food photography and food styling, learn something about cooking and enjoy the visual.

Bouillabaisse, Oolong, Oscar Party and The Splendiferous

Alternate animal proteins ~

The Benefits of Eating Insects

"At the London restaurant Archipelago, diners can order the $11 Baby Bee Brulee: a creamy custard topped with a crunchy little bee"

Insects are nutritious, easy to raise, environmentally friendly, with a nice nutty taste, (when properly prepared). Are you been served?...
Read more: The Six-Legged Meat of the Future; wsj.com

“We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics.” ~Bill Vaughn (thinkexist.com)

delightfully yours, Food Meditations

Entertaining
~ Don't schedule the party to begin at the same time the Oscar telecast begins. For one thing, people like to watch the red-carpet part...
Read more: The 9 Commandments of Throwing an Oscar Party; esquire.com

~ Canapés recipes; bbc.co.uk

Tea time!
~ If you like woodland legends, oolong's is a good one. They say this semi-fermented tea was discovered by a hunter (or a tea farmer...
Read more: Tea Time: All About Oolong (Part One - China); seriouseats.com

~ Tea's Got a Brand New Bag; wsj.com

Deco
Update your kitchen wall with a beautiful poster mapping more than 100 tools....
Read more: Poster: The Splendiferous Array of Culinary Tools; latimes.com

Food stories
It can be the elegant high point of a festive menu. Originally, the catch of the day--or whatever was left of it...
Read more: Bouillabaisse : It began as a humble peasant's stew...; latimes.com

Travel bites
Bold, brash kebabs
Amber India serves up lusty dishes, like these duck tikka kebabs with dill caper sauce, which are easy to prepare at home.
Read more: Brash duck kebabs at Amber India; sfgate.com

~ Singaporean Cuisine Of All Stripes, Courtesy 'A Tiger'; npr.org
~ 10 Strange Chef Favorites That are Now Mainstream Hits; ny.eater.com
~ Oysters stage a comeback after BP disaster; eatocracy.cnn.com
~ Nigel Slater's classic marmalade recipe; guardian.co.uk

Healthy corner
~ Better knowledge needed for salt reduction in cheese, says review; foodnavigator.com
~ Breaking news: Marijuana gives you the munchies; latimes.com

Flowers - Edible Flowers at Zuma London (2)

Image by ockstyle via Flickr
Appetibilis
~ Guacamole Pomango; welljourn.org
~ Zucchini Kofta Curry; foodfunfreak.blogspot.com
~ Manduguk (Korean Dumpling Soup); eatingandliving.blogspot.com
~ Shrimp, Potato & Fennel Chowder Recipe; cookincanuck.blogspot.com
~ Arugula, Sun Dried Tomato, Peppers, and Date Salad; rawgirlinmumbai.blogspot.com

Looking for recipes? Check The Recipes Hunter collection...

Food Meditations [by ockstyle]

Join The Food Styling and Photography Club on Facebook to improve your skills in food photography and food styling, learn something about cooking and enjoy the visual.

Savory, Not Salty: Sodium, Use It with Moderation!

A week of limited sodium intake ~

How hard is it to reduce your salt?

"Salt lover Tim Carman investigates what it means to keep to the government recommendation of 1,500mg daily"

Before starting a low-sodium diet, the daily intake was a complete mystery, and what about the sodium naturally occurring in the muscle, should that be included...
Read more: How hard is it to reduce your salt?; washingtonpost.com

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one." ~John Lennon (goodreads.com)

delightfully yours, Food Meditations

Fast n healthy
~ When afternoon snack cravings hit, don’t always reach for the Doritos—there are lots of great options for snacking...
Read more: Top 5 Afternoon Craving Busters; marcussamuelsson.com

~ Here a selection of healthy convenience food products that make dinner a little quicker and no less tasty...
Read more: Top 10 Healthy Convenience Foods; cookinglight.com

Chef notes
~ A recipe for "small beer," recently published by the New York Public Library's...
Read more: George Washington's Handwritten Beer Recipe; bonappetit.com

~ Thomas Jefferson's Maple Sugar Love and More Presidential Food Facts; smithsonianmag.com
~ 5 things cooking has thaught me about life; virginiawillis.com
~ Grant Achatz Unveils the First Menu for Next; nytimes.com

Faddy foods
A chef describes how suddenly hot ingredients -- like razor clams -- hurt the consumer in the end...
Read more: The utter ridiculousness of hip food trends; salon.com

Chew the right thing
In the chapter on New York in Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood, Taras Grescoe comes down hard on the Big Apple’s elite chefs...
Read more: Looking for Mr. Goodfish: Chefs aim to expand our seafood horizons; ethicurean.com

~ London's Great Olympic Achievement May Be Sustainably Caught Fish; change.org

Healthy corner
~ Exotic new grains are appearing on grocery store shelves everywhere; this week we offer recipes that make good use of them. Today: amaranth porridge.
Read more: Put Away the White Rice; nytimes.com

~ 6 things you should never put in your mouth [SLIDESHOW]; grist.org

Image by ockstyle via Flickr
Appetibilis
~ Quick-and-Easy Vegetarian Recipes; cookinglight.com
~ Clam Sauce Linguine; seachoice.org
~ Ginger Shrimp and Watermelon Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette; umamiinfo.com

Looking for recipes? Check The Recipes Hunter collection...

Food Meditations [by ockstyle]

Join The Food Styling and Photography Club on Facebook to improve your skills in food photography and food styling, learn something about cooking and enjoy the visual.

Okra, Paczki and Truffles. Mardi Gras and Other Seasonal Delights!

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