Posts for March 24th 2011

Guess Who

Name That Dish!

The above Mexican salad incorporates a vegetable from an unusual source.
The above Mexican salad incorporates a vegetable from an unusual source. Can you name either what the dish is called or what the main ingredient is?

Guess the Traditional Mexican Dish

Video

Jake Gyllenhaal Talks About His Love of Food and Finding the Right Restaurant

Jake Gyllenhaal, it appears, is quite the lover of food!

Jake Gyllenhaal, it appears, is quite the lover of food! On his recent visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live, the self-proclaimed "food aficionado" and star of the upcoming film The Source Code dished with the talk show host about taking a journalist out to eat at the Ikea snack bar in Burbank ("they have the best Swedish meatballs in Los Angeles"), who he turns to for restaurant advice (Alice Waters), and what it's like to be overshadowed by other celebrities when dining out.

community

Vegan Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal Cookies

Check out this recipe for vegan cookies by girlA from The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange.

Check out this recipe for vegan cookies by girlA from The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange.

I am so relieved and happy that these cookies turned out. I found myself in a funk today . . . Missed my workout this morning and struggled some more with an essay I've been trying to write for the last four years. Yes, that's four years. Then, to add insult to injury, dinner turned out to be a disaster. Awful. By far the worst results of anything I've attempted since the ill-fated red velvet cake nearly a year ago. I could have easily called it a night, but instead, I picked myself up by my bra straps and dusted my vegan-self off because I'll be damned to go nighty-night after today.

These are my Redemption Cookies. I swaggered into the kitchen and started pulling stuff out of the pantry, grabbed a bowl and got to work. One bite and not only did I feel the fog lift, I felt redeemed after that horrendous dinner. Talk about cookies for the soul.

Keep reading for the uplifting (and vegan) recipe!

Food News

Yummy Links: From Purple Pesto to Coriander

community

Fabio Viviani on Top Chef All-Stars Episode 15

Who better to cover the finale of Top Chef All-Stars than former cheftestant (and contender from this season!) Fabio Viviani?

Who better to cover the finale of Top Chef All-Stars than former cheftestant (and contender from this season!) Fabio Viviani? Fabio, take it away!Here we go. We're getting close to knowing who the Top Chef will be. I mean, these people are all Top Chefs in my book already, and honestly I believe that everyone but me was truly at a certain point thinking that they were actually going to win.

Now, let's get to the juice: three last standing! Richard is worried already, Mike is on a roll, and the Black Hammer is doing some voodoo in order to bring the kiss of death on the neck of the other two chefs! You guys know how much I love Antonia. We are friends, so please stop giving me crap about the fact that I always side with the boys, 'cause no one make the ladies happy like I already try to do. I'm just having fun with her.

The rest of Fabio's humorous recap is after the jump.

easy

Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal Cookies

Original recipeChai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal CookiesIngredients1 C flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 C rolled oats 1/2 C Earth Balance margarine Egg Replacer (and water) for one egg 1/2 C sugar 1/2 C brown sugar 2 Tbs agave 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 C fresh blueberries 1/2 C dried cherries, chopped (I think I’ll call them “cheeries” for this recipe) 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cardamon 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp fennel seeds Directions Preheat oven to 350.

Original recipe

Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal Cookies

Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C Earth Balance margarine
Egg Replacer (and water) for one egg
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 Tbs agave
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C fresh blueberries
1/2 C dried cherries, chopped (I think I’ll call them “cheeries” for this recipe)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg-replacer/water mix, agave, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
  2. Little by little, add to the butter/sugar mixture. Fold in the blueberries and cherries.
  3. Drop onto a baking sheet lined with foil. (For the first batch I lightly sprayed the foil with cooking spray since I wasn’t sure if they’d stick, but just go with the foil).
  4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Let them cool a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack, then thoroughly enjoy. And feel better. And redeem yourself from any minor infractions you committed during the day. They are guarantee to turn things around for you.

Makes 32-34 soul-good cookies.

Eating out

Let's Dish: What's Caused You to Leave a Restaurant Prematurely?

Usually when I'm looking for a bite to eat somewhere new, on vacation, or just a place I haven't researched beforehand, I ask for a menu before being seated to make sure it's something I'd be interested in.

Usually when I'm looking for a bite to eat somewhere new, on vacation, or just a place I haven't researched beforehand, I ask for a menu before being seated to make sure it's something I'd be interested in. But there are those times when you get caught up and end up being seated and served water before you realize there's nothing you like. I hate having to awkwardly get up and walk out because I always feel slightly bad for leaving without tipping and for the obvious diss on the restaurant. However, when I've been seated just to have to wait 30 minutes for the server to return, I don't feel bad for getting up and leaving. Whether it's been because of the menu, poor service, or maybe something unpleasant like a hair in your food, have you ever left a restaurant early? What happened?

Source: Flickr User _Pek_

recipes

Cheesy Florentine Biscuit Cups

This easy-to-prepare recipe for biscuit cups comes courtesy of OnSugar blog Above the Clouds.

This easy-to-prepare recipe for biscuit cups comes courtesy of OnSugar blog Above the Clouds. It's perfect for a springtime picnic or Easter brunch.

I looove refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits, mostly because I like popping open the can, but they're also delicious and easy to make. I wanted something different than just your everyday biscuit, so I looked up some recipes on the Pillsbury website. I had most of the ingredients on hand (with a few substitutions) so I chose this one.

Check out the speedy recipe — and mouthwatering photos! — after the jump.