December 21, 2010 – 4:06 pm
I’ve really been embracing the ease of a crock pot lately. Just throw everything into the crock in the early afternoon, let it be, and by dinnertime it’s delicious.
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.
June 18, 2010 – 3:22 pm
I love cooking, but I rarely follow recipes to the tee. If I want to find out how to make something, I usually scan the ingredients list, close the cookbook and just wing it. Last Christmas one of my gifts was Louisa Shafia’s cookbook, Lucid Food. It is one of the first cookbooks I actually read and actually followed all the directions. Food is personal and her cookbook tells a story through her appreciation of food. She has had the honor of cooking at Millenium and Roxanne’s in San Fransisco and Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit in New York City. Her love for food and eco-friendly practices resulted in the start of her catering business, Lucid Food in 2004. Her cookbook features seasonal recipes that draw from a variety of cuisines. Indonesian Corn Fritters, Seven Vegetable Miso Soup, Crispy Yuba Rolls, Watermelon/Apple/Lime Shake, Dungesness Crab w/ Fennel & Orange, Poached Quince in Orange Blossom Water … is your mouth watering yet??? A wide range of delicious food peppered with eco-conscious tips and earth friendly alternatives – and it’s all pretty easy to make. Cooking good food doesn’t have to be complicated and Louisa’s food is a testament to simple & sophisticated dishes.
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 ….
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February 26, 2010 – 4:13 pm
While going through my RSS feeds this morning, I happened upon a post from Talk Crafty To Me about one of the coolest recipe sites [Recipe Look] I have ever laid eyes upon. It is the creation of Artists & Designers, Amelie Labarthe and Tom Ballhatchet and filled with readers’ drawings of recipe instructions. So clever – and the drawings are pretty amazing. Many of them would look great as prints to hang in the kitchen …
Risotto alla Milanese by Emilie Boudet
Roasted Potato Wedges by Rachel Rauch
January 21, 2010 – 5:09 pm
I will admit it – before making this recipe I had never eaten a pomegranate. I have had pomegranate juice, but this was the first time I’ve purchased the whole fruit. I had Mike open it up and get the seeds out for me [it kind of looked like a pain to me - thank you, honey!]. I popped one in my mouth – a little crunch, a little explosion of deliciousness! Yum!
This Cucumber and Pomegranate Salad recipe is adapted from my Lucid Food cookbook by Louisa Shafia. It’s fairly quick and easy to make and should be devoured immediately.
You will need:
2 Cucumbers [halved, peeled, and seeds removed - or use little Persian cucumbers like I did and just peel and slice]
Seeds of one Pomegranate
2 chopped scallions [original calls for just the greens, but I used the whites too]
Some fresh cilantro
Feta Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Lemon & Sweet Grapefruit [or a Lime]
Olive Oil
Just chunk up the cucumbers and add 3 or 4 tbs of pom seeds, the scallions and cilantro. The original recipe calls for lime juice, but I didn’t have any around so I used the juice of a sweet grapefruit and a lemon.
Squeeze the juice in and add a little drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper to taste, and then toss together. Crumble some feta cheese on top and enjoy! This salad is super refreshing. I’m addicted.
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May 13, 2009 – 2:45 am
I love cooking, but I’m not very good at sticking to a recipe. I like to just look in the fridge, see what I have on hand and come up with something [hopefully] delicious. I don’t have time for elaborate dinners or ingredient heavy dishes, so I try to keep meals healthy, flavorful, and most importantly simple. Today’s recipe is for a refreshing Green Apple Salsa that can be used several different ways.
GREEN APPLE SALSA – recipe by Shannon Young
[serves 3-4ppl]
1 green apple
1/2 large red onion
1 cucumber
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro
[salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste]
Dice or lightly food process [you want it to be slightly chunky] ingredients and serve on pita or tortilla chips!
OR
Toss a few spoonfuls back into the processor for a couple more pulses, then mix with a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise for a crisp and tangy sandwich accompaniment!
OR
Mix a few spoonfuls of the salsa into your ground beef, chicken, or turkey [I made it with my turkey burgers last night and it was delicious] to give your burger some flair!
OR
Add about 1 cup of plain yogurt and liquefy for a great springtime chilled soup! Chop up some fresh dill or mint and toss that in too if you have it handy!
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Check back every Wednesday for more cooking related features! Have an original recipe you think my readers or I will like? Email me! Bon Apetit!
