As Brooklynites, we rarely visit Flushing, Queens because of its distance. Queens is known for its authentic, ethnic cuisines mostly from Greece, China, Thailand and India. When we heard of an upcoming SoupNextDoor.com’s dinner inspired by Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, we signed up. After all, the dinner date was a few days before the Chinese New Year. Continue reading
A winter farmers market initially looks deserted, but it has plenty of unusual root vegetables and varieties of dark leafy greens. The apples and pears overflow their crates. Some markets, such as New York City, also serve goat cheese, yogurt, cured and cuts of meats, milk, honey, bread, eggs, grains, and dried beans. Heirloom carrots in purple and varieties of potatoes are visual reminders of whole food’s diversity.
When visiting a winter farmer’s market, search for the unexpected vegetable. Pick up the strange, knobby root vegetable–the unfair of them all. Write down the name and buy it. Once at home research the new vegetable and a recipe to use it. With this method, I’ve discovered rutabagas are savory substitutions to potatoes in stews. Turnips–with an unfair bad reputation–roast well with chicken. Thinly sliced beets make a sweet topping to homemade pizza with ricotta cheese. Celeriac root mashed with potatoes have a mild celery taste.
Shredding some root vegetables is winter’s version of fresh, crisp and light–characteristics missed from summer produce. They’re excellent garnishes or side dishes to many cold weather, slow-cooked meals. While visiting Union Square’s Greenmarket in New York on a mild cold day, purple kohlrabi and watermelon radish are brought with a few bosc pears. Continue reading
Posted in Condiments, Dinner, Fresh Food Fast, FrugivoreMag.com, Recipes, Vegetables, Winter
Tagged arugula, bosc pears, farmer market, frugivoremag.com, pear, root vegetables, salad, side dishes, winter
My boyfriend and I have similar diets, but there’s plenty of compromise. We eat at his favorite family-style restaurants using factory-farmed meat. He eats less greasy breakfast sausage and bacon sandwiches from the corner bodegas. With his viewpoints about animal cruelty, he only buys lobster dinner for special occasions. We may never share the same level of passion for locally grown, organic and other sustainable food trends, but he’s more conscious about it. Continue reading
Posted in Dinner, Recipes, Seasonal Dish, Vegetables, Winter
Tagged healthy, ricotta, Vegetables, Yellow Beet and Parsnip Wheat Pizza
By now, we’re familiar with amaranth, millet, barley, or quinoa—to name a few. Each wholegrain is welcomed with curiosity and questions: What’s the history, where’s it from, and how is it cooked? Similar to rice, they’re mostly mild with a nutty, wholesome taste. Most whole grain recipes are served cold or room temperature as a vegetable salad or pilaf. They’re often used in breads and cereals, too.
In this recipe, quinoa is mixed with sausage to create a savory and healthy stuffing for cubanelle or poblano peppers roasted in the oven. The stuffed peppers are served with a sweet Tomato Peanut Sauce. The sausage is a simple and flavorful addition to quinoa’s mild nutty flavor. The Tomato Peanut sauce is adapted from Marcus Samuelsson’s The Soul of a New Cuisine cookbook. Such a recipe promotes quinoa from a dainty side dish or salad into a main course. Continue reading
Gojee.com is having a potluck party. My dish is simple: Crackers and cheese. That’s it. It’s best to keep it simple, instead of introducing a complex dish. Of course, everyone’s dish is going to be superbly unique. It’s not a competition, but it’s necessary to try my best. After all, we drool and glaze at each other photographs. This time, we’re tasting the creation.
My idea starts with a simple recipe: Crackers. They literally take 30 minutes from prep to serving. That’s the same amount of time it takes to buy crackers at a store. These aren’t basic flour and butter crackers, for they’re “whatever’s in my pantry” flavor. I started by adding lemon to the basic recipe. Then I changed the recipe to include cornmeal and chili spices. Lastly, rosemary and wheat are classically paired together. I’m proud of my quick creation. However, there’s a little encouraging voice in my mind to push this plain cracker idea further. Continue reading
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