moscowfoodies

Biscuits

2012-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

Biscuits. I love them. The ingredients are always around, they're easy, and they give the impression that an extra bit of care has gone into, say, an easy soup dinner. You can add cheddar, use milk and butter instead of a buttermilk biscuit, sweeten them up with honey - yay, biscuits!Basic Buttermilk Biscuits(8 biscuits)2 c flour4 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt2 tbs butter2 tbs

Grim Party

2012-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

Crate&Barrel has a dour take on feeding guests.

Chicken Pot Pie

2012-02-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Since Ellie was born (6 weeks ago!!) I've been craving all the foods I hated to eat while I was pregnant (thanks, Hyperemesis Gravidarum!). That means meat, vegetables, meat, meat and vegetables. Plus some meat and vegetables. Beef pot pie sounds amazing to me, but to do a proper job takes more time than I have in a week, let alone a day right now, so here's my recipe for chicken pot pie - which

9 Months Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T13:58:00.001-08:00

Nine months pregnant and Thanksgiving, while I slather on the cocoa butter I'm grateful not to be mistaken for the bird. Weird that my role this year is essentially "Make a pumpkin pie and hold down the couch" while Adam and Mark handle the rest! Since the pie is, per Adam's request, the "traditional" mixed cans dressed up in a homemade crust (spiced up with some grated nutmeg!) I'm going to

Five Minute Gazpacho

2011-10-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, huh? Yeah, I got pregnant, which came with this rare condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum - and if you think feeling like you have food poisoning for 7 months sounds rough, imagine what that does to the life of a foodie! At 30 weeks, I still can't handle most eating let alone most "cooking", but I can only go so long away from the kitchen! So here's an awesome cheat, gazpacho

Carrot Cupcakes (and the latest in cupcake delivery systems)

2011-02-16T13:30:00.001-08:00

Cupcakes. The "cup" part is pretty straightforward it's the "cake" that ends up filed away under "Saccharine Disappointments". So here is a cake in a cup that is just the right amount of sweet, abundantly moist and has this great slightly crisped on the top thing going on.My cupboards don't usually have Pam cooking spray (or similar), but I always have a tiny spray bottle for food spritzing needs

Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-02-16T13:15:00.001-08:00

You're going to need this one, so permit a boring utilitarian frosting post!Cream Cheese Frosting(yield: 3 c; frosts two dozen cupcakes)8 tbs butter, softened8 oz cream cheese, softened1 tsp vanilla extract16 oz confectioners' sugar1) In a mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.2) Beat in the vanilla and confectioners sugar then raise speed to high and beat until the frosting is

SFLN: Ratatouille Relocated

2011-02-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

SFLN: Sandwiches From Last Night, which should be a Tumblr. Right?Ratatouille Sandwiches(6 sandwiches)Extra virgin olive oil - about 3/4 c1 eggplant, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces2 red bell peppers, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces1 onion, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces1 lb zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick3 Romas, seeded and diced8 thyme sprigs4 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp red pepper flakes1/4

One Big Table Now Available

2011-02-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

One Big Table, "the nation’s community cookbook" from Molly O'Neill, is now available - and on page 330 you'll find this recipe for Chicken Paillards with Tomato, Goat Cheese and Arugula. Eerie, right?There we are, Moscow Foodies printed and bound among "600 recipes from the nation's best home cooks, farmers, fishermen, pit-masters and chefs"! Thanks to everyone for reading, keep eating!

Sarah's Bread

2011-01-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is, as the title might imply, Sarah's bread recipe. It's a blessing and a curse - now empowered with the recipe you may have trouble getting her to make the bread for you. Really easy prep, though you do have to be thinking about it the day before to give it that 18 hours of rising time!Sarah's Bread(1 loaf, 6-8 servings)3 1/3 c unbleached flour1/4 tsp yeast 2 1/4 tsp saltcornmeal as needed1

Bacon+???=Good

2011-01-28T18:06:00.001-08:00

This time it's hot dogs. Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogshot dogs, patted drybacon, patted drysalsa, extra liquid drainedavocados, slicedsour creamhot dog buns1) Wrap a slice of bacon around each hot dog in a spiral, securing it at each end with toothpicks (stick the toothpick in as parallel to the hot dog as possible to allow for easy turning).2) Cook the bacon wrapped hot dogs on a grill pan or in a

Lavender Soda

2011-01-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

Cane sugar sodas rock - as anyone that's had Mexican Coca Cola knows - and there have been blog entries before about the super delicious Dry Soda Co. Their lavender soda is a thing of loveliness, their cucumber is great solo or as a cocktail component, and Adam adores the vanilla bean. Trouble is, they go for about $7-$8 for a four pack. Yeah, ouch. This Christmas, Mark delivered a gift-wrapped

The French 75: Hangover

2011-01-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, there's more than one recipe for, well, everything, but more specific to this post, The French 75. Last week's recipe from the Savoy is great in part because the ingredient list is so simple. However, since I don't have the same sort of fussily specific loyalty to this cocktail as I do to, say, the martini, I enjoy multiple iterations. I happen to have all the ingredients

French 75: A Cocktail for New Year's

2010-12-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

Everybody knows I like martinis, a lot, but I also like gin cocktails - note my versatility! ;) The French 75 is a fantastic cocktail for anytime of the year, it's that good, but I think it's a really great cocktail for New Year's. Why? Well, it uses Champagne, is delicious, is easy to make, is a classic, and it packs a serious punch - which is how it earned the name "The French 75". Concocted

This Soup is Magical

2010-12-07T11:59:00.001-08:00

This one is for Mark, who declared this soup "magical" last week - words every cook wants to hear!! The pedigree of the recipe is a bit odd, however, and I can't actually trace its lineage too clearly, but here goes: Bonnie always makes this amazing soup, which she says is based off the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup. Bonnie, however, is a proper cook in that she alters things to suit her

Bonnie's Birthday & Salted Fudge Brownies

2010-12-06T15:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Bonnie's birthday, so we made pizzas and brownies! This recipe for Salted Fudge Brownies from Food&Wine caught my eye. They're as easy to make as any brownie recipe (ok, maybe you need a couple more ingredients than out of the box brownies, but they're still dead simple) and they taste like, well, fancy! Yes, I am declaring these Fancy Brownies!!I did pretty much everything per the

Pumpkin Lasagne Rocks My World

2010-11-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

It sounds a little veggie (and I guess it is), but this Pumpkin Lasagne from Food & Wine rocks my world. It's seasonal, savory and so very rife with other alliteratives! The recipe says it serve four, but I think they mean four sumo wrestlers. With sides and stuff, this could easily serve 8. Chard is sort of unwieldy. It's huge, leafy, never fits in a drawer and gets wilty pretty quickly in my

The World's Greatest of the Best of the Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie

2010-09-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Because it wouldn't be a cookie recipe without a title like that? Why else would you try yet another recipe for one of the most basic of cookies otherwise!I've tried lots - lots and lots - of chocolate chip cookie recipes. Lots. This is the best, my recipe, the one I eat out of the bowl and only some of the dough makes it into cookie form and when it does end up as cookies they're the ooey gooey

Grasshopper, tongue - and why it's not about being a thrill seeker

2010-07-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Below is a shot from a recent visit to Oyamel, a tasty small bites style restaurant in D.C. where you can order up some really amazing food. Like these grasshopper tacos. Spicy, crunchy, and just a great bit of food I classify this outing alongside last year's lengua guisada tasting - a food adventure. Why? Because we just don't always get to go around trying out not just grasshopper and beef

Chocolate Pie

2010-05-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

Easy to make, scrumptious to eat - and oh yes, lighter on dairy than the average pie! If you're weird about tofu...don't be. Chocolate Pie1 c milk chocolate chips1 c semi sweet chocolate chips1/3 c amaretto liqueur (or coffee liqueur if that's your thing)1 block silken tofu1 tsp vanilla extract1 tbs honey1 graham cracker crust1) Using a double boiler (or by placing a small metal bowl over a

Dairy-Free Ice Cream - With One Ingredient

2010-05-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not even messing with you. There is, of course, one catch: it's best if you're not allergic to bananas. "Ice Cream"Ingredients:bananas1) Peel your overripe bananas, break each into a few pieces. Pop in a ziplock, and freeze.2) Puree frozen bananas in food processor (or blender, but I haven't tried that) for a few minutes - until it resembles soft serve. If one ingredient is just too

Espresso Shortbread

2010-04-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some tasty shortbread bars with a butterscotch glaze I made for the Populi guys. Really easy to make, I picked up the chocolate covered espresso beans from Starbucks and I don't even have a coffee maker so I bought an espresso shot the day before and popped it in the frig!I really don't know whether this is better described as a savory dessert, breakfast treat, or dessert-y appetizer...

Better Welsh Rarebit

2010-01-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

The cheese portion of this recipe is great, because you really spread it on top of toast for rarebit or serve it as a cheese spread at a party. It's delicious. As a bonus, discovering this recipe meant I also discovered Quilter's Irish Death, which I think I'm in love with. Sorry I don't have pics, I made this most recently for the Populi guys and their Friday meeting so I was flying out the door

Mashed Sweet Potato

2010-01-19T10:37:00.001-08:00

Sweet potatoes are really good for you with all sorts of good vitamins and dietary fiber. They're also a little confusing, so first a little sweet potato edumacation: The vivid orange potato commonly marketed as "yams" are sweet potatoes. So are the firmer, pale yellow sweet potatoes. They're both sweet potatoes and neither is really a yam! The orange ("yam") sweet potato is a little sweeter and

The Manhattan

2010-01-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Mark's comment about dry vs. sweet vermouth over on the martini post reminded me of this classic cocktail, the Manhattan. It is the first drink to ever incorporate Vermouth as a modifier, but it uses sweet, not dry Vermouth. Of course, like the martini, the Manhattan has as many variations as there are drinkers, so if you were making a "Perfect Manhattan" you would use both dry and sweet Vermouth

Pumpkin Divine

2009-12-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

By far one of my favorite holiday drinks! It's sweet with great fall spices and a pleasant kick. When making multiple servings I mix up a batch of the spices in a little bowl. Other than the pumpkin butter you should have all these things on hand!Pumpkin Divine(two servings)3 oz vodka3 oz pumpkin butter1.5 oz triple sec1.5 oz simple syruppinch each of: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ground ginger1)

Pumpkin Butter

2009-12-18T17:32:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin butter, like apple butter and just plain old butter is a great fall treat. Certainly good with breads, in our house it almost always ends up in a Pumpkin Divine.Pumpkin Butter1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree3/4 c apple juice2 tsp ground ginger1/2 tsp ground cloves1 1/2 c sugar2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp nutmeg1) Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices and sugar in a saucepan, stirring. Bring mixture to

The Real Nog

2009-12-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

An acquaintance was asking on Twitter what the best booze for nog is, which reminded me I should post this "real nog" recipe! (both recipes courtesy of Velvet Tango Room, via my Dad :) )Single Serving1 Egg0.5 Oz. Simple Syrup2.5 Oz. Hvy Cream (or Half & Half)1.5 Oz. Rum0.5 Oz. Brandy2–3 Drops Vanilla Extract Shake all ingredients in shaker filled with ice. Pour off and add ice cubes to cinnamon

Mini-Gyros

2009-12-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

Originally called "lamb pizzettes" or something like that, these are really lamb on tiny pita rounds. Or, as Adam dubbed them, "mini gyros". Part of my weekly experimentation that I pass off as feeding the guys at Populi I thought these were particularly tasty and a good place to start blogging about the backlog of these Friday recipes.You can use mini pitas split in two, but we don't actually

Saving Sugar

2009-10-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Unless it's around the holidays, I don't cook very often with pantry items like brown sugar. That means that when I do want to use brown sugar in the "off-season" I buy a bag, use about 1/4 cup, and stash it back in the pantry. Sure, I put it in an "airtight container", but no matter the precautions by the time I need that brown sugar again it's hard as a rock. There are a number of ways to

Mushroom Tartlets

2009-07-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

Affordable, and rather hearty for an app, these tartlets take about an hour and a half to prep and are a great warm app for a party. Because they are so affordable, I tried them out on the Friday meeting guys (gave me plenty left in the budget for beer).Mushroom Tartlets(yield: 16 tartlets)1 package frozen puff pastry sheets2 c walnuts4 yellow onions6 tbs butter1 1/2 lbs mushrooms (cremini or

Classic Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

2009-07-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

I think it's because I didn't get to have hot dogs and go to a ball game on July 4th that I've been craving some all-American food. Burgers, chips, that sort of thing, and last night I made a solid burger and this simple salad. The choice of lettuce is up to you, I like to mix a couple different types like Romaine and green leaf. Also, if we weren't on a pinched budget I would have bought more

Salad for Dessert: Watermelon and Cantaloupe

2009-07-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Salad for dessert, my attempt to come to a BBQ armed with a way out of the chocolate goodness I inevitably want to stuff myself with. A refreshing alternative on a hot day, this rather Italian dish even has the Mackenzie seal of approval (at least, she asked for the recipe and the woman doesn't even like cantaloupe!).The recipe can easily be scaled up or down, I just scooped as much fruit as I

Friday Meetings: Leek and Gruyère Tart

2009-07-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Just about every Friday I make food for about a dozen guys in what I'm pretty certain is a clever team-building scheme for their company. These guys are the best guinea pigs in town, and I try out all sorts of appetizers, finger foods and generally party-friendly concoctions with them as diligent taste-testers. I really want to blog about the results and share with you some of the better

Urban Spoon

2009-06-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

I don't get to use the Urban Spoon app much in Moscow. With a handful of restaurants in a given category, most of them Mexican, there just isn't a whole lot of culinary depth to be plumbed. On our recent trip to Annapolis, D.C. and Baltimore, respectively, I got to try some practical applications.Thing is, I think I am Urban Spoon incompatible. Yes, it pulls up a bevy of nearby restaurants;

Baltimore: Chameleon Cafe

2009-06-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

On what we thought was the last night of our stay (that story is for a blog on travel disasters!), we went out with Rob, Bonnie, and the Kadan elders to Baltimore's Chameleon Cafe. After a few culinary near misses trying to find a dinner spot with Urban Spoon (a generally great app, it served up a dose of fail this time around) I finally got my MacBook on some WiFi and searched for Baltimore+

Washington D.C.: Oyamel

2009-06-19T13:32:00.001-07:00

Early on in our trip we went with the family to D.C. for a day of museums. Of course, we couldn't help but make the focus of our day a trip to Oyamel, which we had seen on No Reservations. Touting "small plates" and traditional Mexican food, my mouth was watering before we were through the National Gallery.Our experience there was outstanding. Alex, our waiter, was helpful and the rest of the

Travelers and Meatballs

2009-06-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

At the end of May we took a trip to Maryland to visit with family and generally tourist it up. We made an effort to have some culinary adventures, and I will break them down in coming posts by location. In the meantime, here is a truly awesome, hearty, recipe that is bound to make everyone you feed it to very happy. I hope my Dad isn't reading, because I plan on tricking him into realizing

Chickpea Salad

2009-06-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

I love chickpeas, and I love the fresh meaty-ness of this salad. The brightness of the mint and lemon with the salty feta and the warm chickpeas just make for a perfect lunch, snack or dinner salad on a summer evening.Chickpea Salad(Serves 6)1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced2 red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced crosswise3 handfuls red and yellow tomatoes, grape and cherry2 lemons,

Black Bean Quesadillas

2009-05-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

I owe you all a few recipes, and I may as well continue on the Cinco de Mayo theme before blogging the amuse bouche I made last week! This black bean quesadilla takes about fifteen minutes from start to finish, and the ingredients are cheap. It is best topped with some salsa, and to save time I just buy Salsa Mendez from Rosauers (sorry, non-local types, this is produced by an area family so

Cinco de Mayo and Pork Tacos

2009-05-05T08:59:00.001-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I got hungry a little early, made pork tacos last night and told Adam we were celebrating Quatro de Mayo - on the plus side I get to give you the recipe in a timely way! I make the ancho chile powder by throwing some dried ancho chilis in a coffee grinder or food processor - it's the same principle as grinding your spices from whole spices. Also, don't forget the lime

Mustard-Baked Chicken with a Pretzel Crust

2009-04-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Another one of the "April Fools" 5 ingredient wonder recipes from Food & Wine (below is how I did the recipe). The biggest trick is the pretzel crushing; I ran mine through my food processor but the Snyder's sourdough pretzels were just so heavy and dense that afterward I still had to run them through my old-school nut grinder to get the right consistency. If the chunks are too big, they'll

Fettucini with Peas, Italian Sausage and Ricotta

2009-04-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Another really easy, really tasty recipe. The Italian sausage adds some great heat, and the cheeses are just so wonderful and creamy. I love peas, and frozen works just fine (flash frozen, preferably). With little effort it serves a crowd, and makes for a great low-maintenance Sabbath entree. Fettucini with Peas, Italian Sausage and Ricotta(6 servings)1 lb of any wide, long pasta1 lb Italian

Chicken Paillard and Warm New Potato Salad

2009-04-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

One of the most recent Food & Wine e-mails included a feature on "April Fools" dishes - recipes that are impossibly simple but really impress. With only five ingredients in each, they make for really easy meals to pull off at the last minute (say, when I'm dead tired from work and can barely fathom making it up the stairs let alone making a nice meal!).Since the ingredients are so focused, the

Green Beans, Better

2009-04-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, I owe you a lot of recipes. I've been cooking up a storm, so it will be like a regular flood of posts, I promise! To start, something I made last night - which is really a melding of my earlier green beans and my mushroom bruschetta. This recipe cooks up in about 8 minutes, tops, so I find it best to give everything that needs chopping or slicing a chop and slice beforehand. With

Sans Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Consider it a life dream fulfilled: the chocolate chip-free chocolate chip cookie. Before the disgruntled response revs up, I should make it clear that I love chocolate, love it. However, I'm supposed to be avoiding it at all costs and that combined with the fact that whenever I'm presented with a really delicious and gooey chocolate chip cookie I just end up eating around the chips has driven

Easy Apple Tart

2009-02-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

I am not exactly great about making desserts. Eating them is fine and well, but the whole making of them thing tends to fall off my priority list when I would rather be cooking up the rest of the meal. However, Adam made a very specific request for "an apple tart with Chantilly cream". Okaaay...So I googled, made the first apple tart I found, and as a complete apple tart n00b I can say with

Smokey Lamb Chipotle Stew

2009-01-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

Adam found this blog through a Graphic Designer he follows on Twitter, Dave Shea. Big thanks to Dave and his lamb stew! Also worthy of food props is the Rosauers butcher, Mike (sold our bestie Mark his Mustang, incidentally), who went above and beyond not only deboning the lamb I needed but also cubing it - saving me some serious prep time! He included the bones with the meat, and gave me

Chicken Salad with a Mint Dressing

2009-01-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

This salad is refreshing, filling and oh so tasty! I love a nice salad for lunch, and this is by far one of the best recipes I have tried lately. The original calls for being a bit more luncheon-fancy with a serving of the dressed chicken mix over a single lettuce leaf, but I'm interested in getting plenty of leafy greens so I prefer taking a handful of the lettuce and tearing it up to make a

Borscht (or, Why Eastern European Food is Awesome)

2009-01-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

I made borscht - and it was awesome. That is by no means a declaration of my borscht prowess - I'd never had the stuff before last Friday! I'm sensing, however, that borscht is one of those foods so beloved by those familiar with it that there are as many permutations as there are Eastern Europeans around to eat the stuff. That said, I'm really pleased with this recipe, and plan on making it

Creamed Collard Greens

2008-12-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

No way around it, I love collard greens and I think they are a fantastic holiday dish any way you prepare them. This is just one easy, pretty way to serve up a mess of greens sure to convince those less familiar with the veggie that it should be more than a southern meal staple. If at the end of the bake time the topping isn't as golden and crisp as you would like just turn the broiler on for a

French Onion Soup

2008-11-11T09:43:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of images lately, I keep falling into the "tuck-in trap" and am halfway through the food before I remember I owe you all a picture! This soup is hearty and warming with a bit of a twist that makes it more than just traditional. The brightness of the cider is really tantalizing, and while it is one of those longer recipes to concoct it by no means labor intensive. Mostly, you

Cool Cantaloupe Soup

2008-10-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

This soup is amazingly refreshing, light and tasty. Creamy and smooth, it makes me feel as though I'm having dessert for dinner. If you haven't used Agave Nectar before as a sweetener, it's like a more floral honey - really delicious. Cool Cantaloupe Soup(4 big servings)6 lb cantaloupe, peeled and seeded1 1/2 c coconut milk3 tbs ginger, grated3 tbs lemon juice3 tsp Adave Nectarpinch of

Raw Cream of Mushroom Soup

2008-10-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is a very rich tasting raw recipe for mushroom lovers. Be sure to get some nutritional yeast as it gives the salty, creamy flavor. I used button mushrooms, which I usually avoid, and it turned out just fine. Beware, the order of blending is important to the texture.Raw Cream of Mushroom Soup(2 servings)2 c water1/2 c sunflower seeds2/3 c mushrooms, chopped fine2 tbs Nutritional yeast1

Creamy Lentil Salad

2008-10-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Lentils are an amazing source of protein and a pretty unplumbed depth of culinary goodness. For any doubting their tasty potential, try this delicious and hearty salad. You can sprinkle the bacon and goat cheese on top if you don't want it to go all melty, but I think it's best gone all creamy and slightly warm!Creamy Lentil Salad(serves 8)8 oz lentils2 bay leaves1 sprig ofthyme1 large carrot,

Pineapple Curry

2008-10-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe is courtesy of Mackenzie, and is great if you're craving a tasty, simple curry. The first time I made it I wished it had more kick to counter the sweetness, so I recommend adding a chili pepper or two if you like things spicy. If you don't, make it as is, it's completely delicious!Pineapple Curry(serves 4-6)1/4 c red curry paste2 cans coconut milk2 chicken breasts cut into thin

Spicy Thai Chicken with Basil

2008-10-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

The Thai themed meals continue, partly because of my success with the coconut soup and partly because most of the ingredients for that recipe and this one overlapped! Because it uses chicken this recipe feels very light while remaining filling. It has a bit more spice to it, which I really love as the nights here are getting cooler.Spicy Thai Chicken with Basil(serves 4)1 1/3 lb chicken

Thai Coconut Soup

2008-09-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

It is generally true that I tend to have difficulty achieving the desired flavors when it comes to Thai cuisine. There is just something that keeps them veiled in culinary mystery to me, just different enough to make the fruits of my labor disappointingly mediocre. Not so, however, with this incredibly tasty and truly easy soup that I made last night.Having written the print version of Food and

Watermelon Soup

2008-07-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of those recipes that I call "mostly raw" - it's all raw up until the feta. Furthermore, I'll concede that at least on paper this recipe looks kind of gross. In practice, though, it's light, slightly spicy and incredibly refreshing. I prefer my soups smooth and easily assembled, so where I roughly chop and puree you could easily finely dice and mince into a chunkier version.

Chicken and Pesto Pasta

2008-07-05T00:46:00.000-07:00

Putting the pesto to good use, a simple pasta and chicken dish that uses pantry staples. It's a pretty hearty and refreshing dish, and you can definitely mess with the quantities and tweak the ingredients to your liking.Chicken and Pesto Pasta(serves 4)2 chicken breasts, brined and cut into small stripslarge handful of chopped onion1-2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped3/4 - 1 c pestoclove of garlic,

Pesto

2008-07-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

Our basil plants our thriving (yay!) and I'm pretty sure the best way to make good use of two cups of fresh basil leaves is to make a pesto.Basic Pesto(one cup)2 c of fresh basil1 clove garlic3 tbs pine nuts1/2 c olive oil1/4 c grated Parmesanlarge pinch of salt1) Combine the basil, garlic, nuts and salt and grind into a paste (food processor or mortar and pestle).2) Drizzle in the olive oil and

Spicy Cucumber Soup

2008-07-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

After having some truly delicious and refreshing cucumber soup in Charleston I wanted to devise my own, and of course that means it has a bit of a kick. There's a lot of ingredients but they're all pretty basic - besides, it makes a large batch! If you're worried about it being too spicy, leave out the 1/4 tsp of cayenne then add to taste at the end.Spicy Cucumber Soup(8 servings)