I don’t know how many food bloggers are out there in the blogosphere. Thousands? Tens of thousands? I follow about 150 on a regular basis and they all do great work. The criteria for my monthly ‘best’ picks is quirky and subjective. It is whatever especially piques my interest for whatever reason.
For the next few weeks, I’m going to present a variety of tapas. Why? Because we all love them and because I’m working on a project related to my photos which, if successful, I’ll present at the end of the series. But, first, the genesis and metamorphosis of tapas.
It’s been said that the tradition of tapas began when open-air bars in Spain would place a piece of bread over the top of a wine glass to keep the flies from landing in the drink. That evolved into a simple topping on the bread . As time passed and with the globalization of cuisines in the last few decades, the term ‘tapas’ has taken on the meaning of ‘small plates’, ranging from bar snacks (like almonds) — to appetizers — to small, yet sophisticated, entreés. There is no wrong tapa in my book! Continue Reading
Most of you know that here at FOODalogue Sunday is a family day. It’s either spent enjoying celebratory dinners with the extended family (when you number 17, it’s always someone’s birthday or a holiday) – or – Jim, Cassie and I have food challenges. No birthdays this week, so we planned a ‘Family Food Fight’: Battle “burgers”. Though unspoken, we each came up with a non-ketchup burger (not that we have anything against ketchup).
Chayote (also known as sayote, chow-chow, mirliton, vegetable pear) is a gourd and a member of the melon, cucumber, squash family. Costa Rica is the major producer of this vegetable and exports it worldwide. Like its relatives, chayote is a light and watery fruit/vegetable(?).
I am most familiar with Chayote Relleno, a popular dish in Puerto Rican kitchens. There, the vegetable is boiled, halved, stuffed with picadillo*, covered with cheese and some condensed milk and baked in the oven. Continue Reading
Don’t panic. It’s really a simple salad. You probably have most of the ingredients (or reasonable substitutes). I must warn, however, “antipasta” is a misnomer here…you’re not going to want pasta (or anything) after this. It is a complete meal in itself and a great quick dish for summertime. Feel free to add a glass (or two) of wine. I did. Continue Reading
Why not? I love uncooked fennel. It has such a fresh taste. Like a tossed green salad, many Italian families serve fennel after dinner as a digestive aid. And, when you eat from an Italian kitchen, you sometimes need digestive aids! You eat well but, generally, too much.
Here, at FOODalogue, pesto genovese (the traditional basil pesto) is used as a base for many dishes…pasta, caponata, as a sandwich spread and as a dip for baked sweet potato “fries” to name a few. Continue Reading
It’s lighter, it’s fresher, and, for me, it’s even tastier! I’ll tell you why.
In this dish, the eggplant is baked, not fried; it is topped with a ground walnut mixture, not totally breaded; the cheese is fresh, not baked; and instead of tomato sauce, it’s a fresh tomato salad.
Continue Reading
I’m late, I’m late…for a very important date (remember that from Alice in Wonderland?) I’ve been preoccupied with the redesign and move of my blog, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking at other blogs. And, because this post is delayed, I’ve decided to treat you to more than just one. Here’s a few that were of special interest (to me).
For technique: Slow Roasted Salmon from Marc at No Recipes.
For uniqueness: Avocado Cheesecake from Chez What?
For the ‘wow” (I-want-to-do-that) factor: Parmesan Cones with White Bean Mousse from Proud Italian Cook.
I’ve already started bookmarking for August so get cooking!
So what cauliflower category do you fall in? Do you boil, steam…or avoid it? If I told you it was highly nutritional and gave you a few delicious ways to prepare it in your home, would you?Cauliflower is the first thing I go for when presented with a platter of raw vegetables and dip…but it didn’t used to be my favorite vegetable once it met the stove. I know there are ways to prepare it that make it more interesting, like in a cheesy baked gratin or with curry-based aromatics, but those techniques are not in my usual kitchen repertoire. But, Italian is!
Recent Comments