When I lived on the island of Java in Indonesia, I ate this basic fried rice for breakfast many mornings a week. My Ibu (or mother) would heat the wok on her on of the two burners powered by a large blue propane tank, swirl a glug of peanut oil into the pan, and toss in large spoonful of the sambal she had hand ground … Continue reading Indonesian Fried Rice Breakfast
With the exception of our recent humid weather, it’s been a pretty cool, wet summer. Cool enough to turn on the stove, and even to make soup! I just couldn’t get tortilla soup out of my mind, but I wanted to use my fresh local vegetables. This soup was born, and let me tell you, it’s fantastic. It has a very rich flavor, but it … Continue reading Summer Tortilla Soup
I was testing some red pepper recipes last week for the September issue of Grid, and felt like I really wanted to take advantage of some more wonderful summer vegetables. I had three puffy pitas in the freezer, a basket full of produce, and a hankering for olives and feta. I quick stop off at Makkah, my favorite local middle eastern market, filled in the … Continue reading Summer Bread Salad
Originally, I planned to make this pizza because I had piles of beets and a bag of Trader Joes whole wheat pizza dough in the fridge. But the dough had expired (two weeks ago, yikes!) so I pulled some fluffy pitas out of the fridge and used those instead, and they worked just fine. Roasted Beet Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Garlic, and Feta makes one … Continue reading Roasted Beet Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Garlic and Feta
Dear Philadelphia, West Philly Dining Days has begun! If you’re a little over the Center City fiasco of poor service and unmet expectations that often accompanies Restaurant Week, why not hop over to West Philly and enjoy some of my favorite, unpretentious, tasty classics? In the $15 range, I recommend Desi Village, Vientiane, and Vietnam Cafe – all BYOBs that I visit with regularity and … Continue reading West Philly Dining Days Begins!
I’ve been a bad blogger, I know. I know. But I spent the last week eating from the YMCA of the Rockies cafeteria, and let me tell you, there was not a lot of exciting and photogenic vegetarian food to share with you. And I could of taken photos of the gas station dill pickle and jalepeno Combos I ate during the road trip, but … Continue reading Back in the East, eating salads
I’ve been a bad blogger. In the last week I’ve been transitioning from my old PC to a spiffy new Mac, and since I’m not the most computer-literate person I know, document and photo transfers took longer than expected. But I’m back! And promise to do better in the future. I’m kind of obsessed with canning, and you may have also noticed that I’m more … Continue reading Savory Jellies
I love beets, and recently learned to love beet greens, but sometimes I want to try something new with them. I found this recipe on Epicurious and though “huh.” The combination of horseradish and beets had never crossed my mind. But it work – really well. The risotto is incredibly earthy, the cheese brings a creaminess, and the horseradish is just the right amount of … Continue reading Beet Risotto with Horseradish
