Category: Food

All Doughs Lead to Rome

Pizza bianca (which means “white pizza” in Italian) is a popular snack sold at bakeries in Rome. This type of pizza might seem a little strange at first, because it isn’t topped with any tomato sauce or cheese, but trust us, it’s delicious! Traditionally, pizza bianca is baked directly on the “floor” (or the stone bottom)…


Tips to Make Cooking Fun and Rewarding

I remember my grandmother saying, “If we didn’t need food, we’d all be rich!” This may be true, but then, a life without food would be a little less pleasurable. Still, there are so many ways to make great food cheap, make perishable food last and the grocery budget stretch like nobody’s business. Enjoy today’s…


Jackfruit of All Trades

Jackfruit has become a popular meat alternative in the past few years. It’s popping up on menus and in grocery stores, prepared in many different ways. You can find it on tacos or on a vegetarian “pulled pork” sandwich at the BBQ joint, and anywhere else meat or proteins are found. The trees are native…


Deconstructing the Spring Roll

If you like Thai and Vietnamese spring rolls—the fresh ones that are wrapped in rice paper, bursting with vegetables and shrimp—you will like this salad. Call it a lazy spring roll salad, if you like, since it’s essentially composed of the jumble of ingredients that are traditionally wrapped in rice paper. The salad moniker (and…


Eating the Season: Spring

Spring brings an abundance of tender greens, young roots, vibrant herbs, and sweet green peas, all plump in their pods, to farmers markets. These early-season favorites make some of the season’s best dishes, from bright salads to hearty soups and stews brimming with fresh vegetables. Depending on your climate, these vegetables are typically available at…


Creamy Asparagus Soup

At once light and rich, this creamy soup features a double dose of one of spring’s best ingredients: asparagus. In the spirit of using every scrap, this recipe calls for using the leek and asparagus trimmings to flavor the soup’s broth. Serves 6 1 pound asparagus 1 large leek 4 cups chicken broth 2 bay…


Carrot Leek Soup

Carrots and leeks simmer together in chicken broth for a simple, nourishing soup. Fresh thyme gives the soup a delicate herbal note, while sour cream, added just at the very end of cooking, delivers a lovely creaminess and pleasant tang. Serves 6 2 tablespoons ghee 3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced…


Organic Isn’t Always More Expensive

Many people complain that buying organic food seriously influences their budget. Comparing the two kinds of fruits and vegetables, GMO (genetically modified) food almost always looks better. Apples, tomatoes, and bananas are way bigger and seem more appealing than organic ones. Even so, people want to buy healthy organic food—yet it’s perceived as more expensive than GMO…


Sweet or Dry — or Flabby

Decades ago, a German winemaker pulled a label-less bottle of riesling from a fabric bag, pulled the cork, and asked me to taste it. It was a time when most imported German rieslings were sweet and the winemaker asked me, “How much sugar do you think this wine has?” The wine was tart, but I…


The Best Way to Defrost Meat

The freezer is one of the best ways to make your food last longer, especially when it comes to meat. When the time comes to cook that meat, however, it’s important to know the safest and most effective way to defrost it. And there’s a good chance you’ve been doing it wrong. The best method for defrosting any…