Artichokes are always eaten cooked. Once cooked, they can be served hot, warm or cold. Pull off each leaf; dunk it in the sauce; put it in your mouth and pull, scraping the tender flesh through your teeth. Cut the tender nut-flavored bottom into bite-sized pieces, dunk in sauce and eat. Serve with béchamel, butter, […] More
Fresh and quick, serve raw or cooked asparagus in salads or as a side dish during spring. Cut fresh raw asparagus into one-inch lengths with the kitchen scissors. Then add them to the greens salad to add a bit of substance. Choose firm, plump, straight, round asparagus spears with tips that are tight and compact. […] More
The black bean – Phaseolus vulgaris – is kidney shaped and just short of blocky looking with a cream-colored flesh, and, of course, a matt to shiny black skin. Why is the black bean found in so many cuisines? Two reasons: it holds its shape when cooked, and its floury texture absorbs the flavors of […] More
Red cabbage is particularly well matched to apples, red wine, and vinegar. The red cabbage leaf lacks the delicate flavor of the savoy cabbage. Rather it has a hearty, full flavor that stands up well to equally full-flavored foods. The red cabbage is ready for harvest when its head is firm and unyielding. It is […] More
Hot oatmeal date squares! Yummy! This recipe will make 25 squares. Each square will be topped with sticky chewy dates and bottomed with flaky warm oatmeal. Ingredients 1cup chopped dates ½ cup water ½ cup brown sugar 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup oatmeal ½ cup sugar 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ […] More
Autumn into early winter is a great time to find fresh savory salad greens. Arugula is still in the market now and mustard, mizuna, and cress are easily found from late autumn to early spring. Cultivated mushrooms, such as the portobello, are easy to find year round, but their peak natural season is fall and […] More
The portobello mushroom is a large brown mushroom. It’s immature self–a small brown mushroom–is called a crimini mushroom and sometimes baby bella. In France, the portobello is called champignon de Paris. Champignon is the French word for fungus. In the wild the common brown mushroom can have a cap that grows 2 to 4 inches […] More
The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady’s fans. The oyster mushroom has been cultivated in Asia for centuries. Today it is very popular in Japanese and Chinese […] More
Calabaza en Jarabe is pumpkin in syrup. This is a tasty old-fashioned Mexican dessert that you can serve for Halloween. Piloncillo is the traditional cone shape of unrefined sugar commonly used in Mexican cooking. Piloncillo (which means little pylon) is made when sugar cane is crushed, the juice is collected and boiled then poured into […] More
The subtle flavor and meaty texture of eggplant make it especially versatile in cooking. Perhaps that’s why eggplant is found in so many cuisines around the world. One of the strengths of eggplant is its ability to absorb the flavor of whatever it is cooked with and at the same time add a creamy bulkiness […] More
Hummus is the Arabic word for “chickpea”. The chickpea is also known as the garbanzo bean; “garbanzo” is the Spanish name derived from the Greek. Hummus is also the name given to the Middle Eastern sauce or paste that includes cooked and mashed chickpeas mixed with sesame or olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and […] More
Piquant is a flavor that can be spicy, tart, or pungent. In this recipe that combines wax beans with chopped pimiento, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard, I think we are on the border between spicy and pungent. The wax bean is a pale yellow variety of green bean. Sometimes called yellow snap bean, the […] More
Stephen Albert