FOODalogue will be grazing in NY for a few days, but I left you this tasty choripan (chori-pan) which translates to a chorizo sandwich with sweet peppers, red onion, tomato and parsley. 
On Sunday “Our Family Food Fight” battled the States. The challenge was to cook something representative of the states we randomly chose from a U.S. puzzle box. Clearly, I got Idaho and , of course, I immediately thought of potatoes. Other states selected were Maryland, South Carolina and Arizona. You’ll be able to see the progression of all 4 dishes on the Family Food Fight blog when Jim posts later this week. I’ll tweet and let you know when they’re up.
I don’t know if anyone in Idaho ever ate a pizza like this, but they should!
By stretching your imagination, you could call this a lasagna, a quesadilla or a Napoleon.
It is an 8-inch spinach tortilla halved, then filled with layers of sliced zucchini and eggplant that had been “wilted” on a George Foreman grill and layered with sliced beefsteak tomato and a mix of fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and some dry herbs. A little oven and broil action and you get a toothy vegetarian delight — easily made from leftovers and/or pantry staples.
I’m going to start out by just saying…this is delicious! Like many of you, I’m always trying to find healthy alternatives to some traditional meals. I’ve done a lot of dishes replacing rice and pasta with the more nutritional spaghetti squash. It has less calories and less carbs and it works well because it takes on the flavors of the rest of the dish just as rice and pasta do. I treat it as a “starch”, substituting it as a base for the dish rather than as a side vegetable. Continue Reading
As you may know, in my second year of blogging I began to flirt with social media. That led me to twitter and facebook which, in turn, led to Tastecasting — and all that led me to a new circle of friends (real live people 
) which we affectionately call “So FL Foodies” on facebook.
In less than a year, the group has gotten together multiple times for upscale dinners at places like Scarpetta and Hakkasan in The Fountainbleu Hotel, for a Indonesian tasting dinner at IndoMania, Continue Reading
Chorizo, garbanzos y grelos. Simple seasonings of garlic and oregano. Es muy bueno!
I let my second anniversary slip by without any fanfare. It’s not that I’ve become blasé about blogging; in fact, I devote a large amount of time and energy to FOODalogue. I nourish, caress and finesse it daily. I just didn’t associate the date (July 31) with its due importance. Tsk, Tsk.
Since birthdays and anniversaries are all about numbers, I thought I’d share a few to commemorate the passing of 2 years. Continue Reading
Eggplant parmigiana is a popular item on Italian menus. But what is it? It’s basically breaded and fried eggplant that is baked with a tomato-based pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. The end result is a total meld of flavors and a soft, gooey texture.
It’s not my favorite preparation because I prefer the individual ingredients to stand on their own. I like texture and a good degree of brightness to the taste. I guess you could say, using today’s culinary terms, that I prefer it deconsructed. Continue Reading
Keeping a couple of Asian ingredients in your pantry comes in handy when you want to boost the flavor in otherwise ordinary dishes. Sesame oil and rice vinegar are two of my must-have staples. Add a little garlic and scallions and you definitely have an Asian-inspired taste.
I also keep a can of Chow Mein noodles on hand…just a pinch adds crunch and a fun Asian element (albeit questionably authentic).
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