Red Beans and Coconut Rice – Under Pressure
Pressure cooking can really save time and make it easier to avoid heating up the kitchen -- so necessary in the hot summer and really, at any time of year, who wants to spend extra time cooking? This recipe with its West Indian flair makes the best use of it, turning a rice dish into a hearty meal in itself or a great accompaniment to other foods. Rather than standard red beans, try the Salvadorean frijoles rojo de seda, which are actually silky in texture as the name suggest...
White Acre Peas and Butter Beans: A Southern Summer Treat
Peas and beans please. Not your ordinary English peas, green beans or even the popular snap peas with their edible pods. These are Southern peas and butter beans, with creamy texture and smooth taste. They are both cooked the same way here.Southern peas are also called field peas or cowpeas, and if you're lucky, you can find them fresh off the vines and shelled. Serving up a delicious mouthful perfect with hot cornbread, White Acre Peas are a treat from well below the Mason-Dixon ...
Savory Red Lentil and Garbanzo Cakes
In the mood for something tasty yet unusual? Staring at those pantry items and stumped about what to make? Somewhat like a falafel (but not fried), these delicious patties are inexpensive to prepare and form the basis for a quick lunch or an elegant dinner. We love the fact that they use two core food storage ingredients -- garbanzos and lentils -- too.Try the cakes served over a light and spicy tomato chutney or with some cilantro, lemon and sesame almond pesto. Once ...
Lemony Roasted Cauliflower with Olives and Almonds
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that many people overlook (though riced cauliflower has clearly become a thing for the carb-free folks) but it's packed with fiber, a decent source of protein, high in vitamin C and potassium and also provides vitamins B and K. Plus, it's filling and low-fat.This is a delicious way to serve cauliflower, the ubiquitous winter vegetable, that is sure to please even those fussy eaters who have decided they don't actually like cauliflower (probably because ...
Climate Change on Your Plate
I read that red salmon practically vanished from Alaska this year. They were once abundant, and clockwork-dependable and now, nada. It's not just the fish. Other species are suffering, whales and manatees and so much declining, becoming extinct from under us.What's happening feels so big. Recycling and cutting out plastic straws is a step but not a big one.If we really want to do something, it's time to look at the facts about the environment and what we eat.A haunting article in ...
Is Nano-Tech a Ticking Time Bomb?
How Safe is Nano-Tech? Nanotechnology is here. Nano operates in the Quantum Realm, where physics gets strange, the world isn’t always as it seems and particles can exist in two places at once. What you might not know is that it’s everywhere in products from food to makeup to clothing. Is nanotechnology a ticking time bomb?Nano is not like anything found in nature. Nano-particles cannot be seen, even under an ordinary microscope. Different chemical, physical and even biologic ...
Top of the Food Chain (of Fools)
I happened to watch in the seatback in front of me at 34,000 feet two smarmy (ok, obnoxious) money men dangling carrots in front of contestants in a reality TV show about food. They weren't actual carrots but the hopeful competitors stood the chance to get some advice and financing, which could help launch their restaurant/food businesses and make them flourish.One team had a tasty-looking vegan hot dog, with homemade pickles and toppings, which one moneyman seemed to like. The ...
Personalized Cheese? Kinda Cool, Kinda Creepy – Edible Synthetic Biology
It’s no secret we’re microbe-obsessed, which is why we’re always going on about living and fermented foods like kombucha, fermented tofu, pickles and nut cheeses. Probiotics, which is what the microorganisms are called in food and health circles these days, have become a trendy health food for good reason beyond their sheer deliciousness.Now, in a just-opened exhibit in Dublin, there’s a glimpse of the future of synthetic biology, which if you haven't heard of it, you should. (Don't ...
Is the FDA So Asleep it’s Dreaming all’s OK? Nano Versus GMO
By now, everyone's heard of GMOs, genetically modified food. You may think GMOs are the frankenfood of nightmares, potentially triggering bad reactions from allergies to immune and metabolic disorders. You may also know that the U.S. Congress, blessed by the President, has enacted the DARK Act as the law of the land, officially and legally known as the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (right?).States must follow the federal law, however effective (or not) it may turn out to be in ...
What’s Hot in Fancy Food Trends? Vegan, Gluten-Free, Herbal and More
It’s that time of year for fancy food (aka “specialty” food) at the massive 62nd Annual Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. The weather was June’s finest and the show floor was hopping. Your humble correspondent was there, bringing you the new and fanciest trends.Delighted to report, VEGAN is making inroads, with mayos, yogurts, frozen desserts and lots of options in the chocolate and snack departments too. Even the international folks (55 countries exhibited) added some ...
