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Kitchen Organization: How to Stock the Pantry
Cooking with fresh ingredients including seasonal vegetables and fruit can be simpler when your pantry is filled with essentials such as your favorite olive oil, seasonings, and whole grains. Whether you are stocking the kitchen in your first home or organizing the cooking staples you already have, consult this list of items that I find most useful for the home cook. Since they are not as perishable as the eggs, milk, and others stored in the refrigerator, you can use these pantry essentials over time, keeping track of expiration dates and storing them in that order. Allow your personal list to grow over time based on your preferred cuisines and…
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The Spring Kitchen: Cooking with Seasonal Vegetables and Fruit
Thanks to an early burst of spring at the market, I have been thinking about the seasonal produce soon to make its way to our tables. The dish that made its way to mine, sesame asparagus with roasted plums, was so vibrant that I was told it looked like roses and stems. With its green spears and crimson pieces of fruit, it likely will return for spring gatherings and holidays. Certainly the flavor of toasty sesame and the tangy sweetness of roasted plums is something I look forward to sharing again. As bits of spring soon will surface everywhere, here are some tips on how to make use of the…
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The Language of Spice: Chili, Chile, and Chilli
If you enjoyed reading last week’s hot chocolate recipe and happen to be interested in the language surrounding food, you may have wondered about the spelling of one of the key ingredients: chile. As I write up the recipes that hopefully will inspire your own home cooking, I occasionally come upon the name of an ingredient or traditional dish that requires a little bit of editorial finesse. Take, for example, my recent pasta e fagioli. I faced a decision of whether to translate the name into English for those who were not familiar with this Italian soup. Since my grandmother pronounced this dish and other Italian classics so fluidly, it’s…
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Welcome Spring Into the Kitchen
The first day of spring is upon us, and a rotating array of the season’s produce will be on display at the farmer’s market. Regal spears of asparagus, handfuls of pea pods, and wily bunches of sprouts will make their way into my basket and onto the pages of Thirsty Radish. Along the way, I’ll share what I’m enjoying and invite you to cook along with me. To kick things off, here are some seasonal cooking ideas, a little music advice, and even a recommendation of what to wear to stay comfy as you usher in spring. Take Chocolate to the Floral Side A gift of candied violet chocolate and…
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Late Night Cravings
Conventional wisdom says that if you’d like to avoid extra pounds, keep tempting food out of sight, and certainly don’t bake brownies after 10 p.m. as I did this Tuesday. If your cravings come and go quickly, you probably weren’t all that hungry in the first place. As someone whose counter might be home to just-cooled maple granola or a dessert recipe I plan to share on Thirsty Radish, that just would not be possible, nor would I want it to be. January is a time when we often make health resolutions or bring ourselves back to the basics. You’ll note that I shared a salsa verde recipe last week…
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