Simon Says: Daily Food Quote, September 17, 2012

Published by Monday, September 17, 2012 Permalink 0

 

by Simón de Swaan

If you were to ask me if I’d ever had the bad luck to miss my daily cocktail, I’d have to say that I doubt it; where certain things are concerned, I plan ahead.–Luis Buñuel

The New York Times was a Spanish-born Mexican filmmaker who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the United States. When he died at age 83, his obituary in The New York Times called him “an iconoclast, moralist and revolutionary who was a leader of avant-garde surrealism in his youth and a dominant international movie director half a century later.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Food Art: Baking Bonanza, a food photography exhibit by Rashmi Primlani

Published by Saturday, September 15, 2012 Permalink 0

 

 

 

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Weight Loss Challenge: Eat Smaller Portions

Published by Thursday, September 13, 2012 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway

Eating smaller portions is not always as easy as it sounds.

In restaurants, they invariably serve portions much larger than you would take if you were serving yourself. I decided a long time ago that I would eat until I felt full, and not feel guilty about leaving the rest. My husband and children often end up eating the rest or taking it home in a doggie bag. I often solve this problem by ordering two starters and no dessert, which is a somewhat less noticeable way to go about it.

Continue Reading…

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Simple Sustenance: MarketDay in a mid-September California farmers market with Renu Chhabra

Published by Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Permalink 0

by Renu Chhabra

 

Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization.–Daniel Webster

These are the colors of California farms — rich and vibrant!

Summer vegetables are brimming with freshness, and the abundance!  Everywhere I set my eyes, there is something that draws me to it. I can’t control myself; I want to shoot every colorful heap I see. I guess it’s the temptation to enjoy them, visually, later? After all, it is a feast for the eyes.

Continue Reading…

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Health Challenge: Healthy Snacking when Couch Potatoing in front of the TV

Published by Monday, September 10, 2012 Permalink 0

by Tamar Chamlian

As the winter kicks in and we are gradually easing in to cold weather, we naturally seek activities that are warmer and right in the comfort of our own homes.

In our house, we do a TV night once in a while, keeping warm, and maybe inviting a few friends over. While snacking on popcorn and chips seems to be a common and popular ritual as well as the easy solution, I suggest you try the three healthier alternatives I have listed below so you can ditch that caramel popcorn or those nachos and cheese.

  1. Mozzarella and cherry tomato skewers. Place one mozzarella ball followed by a cherry tomato on a skewer, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and dried (or fresh) basil leaves.
  2. Fruit skewers. Pick any combination of two or three fruits, place them on skewers and drizzle the fruit and juice of a passion fruit for some extra kick and flavor.
  3. Make “healthy” homemade chips. Slice apples, pears, peaches, and sweet potatoes very thinly. Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil and dried mint. Grill them in a pan, and serve in a bowl as a healthy alternative to fried potato chips.

Enjoy the movie!

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Food Art: Kheer, food photography by Sukaina Rajabali

Published by Monday, September 10, 2012 Permalink 0

by Sukaina Rajabali

Sukaina Rajabali is a Dubai-based food photographer and writer. She authors the blog Sips and Spoonfuls, a compilation of generations of recipes, tales of her family and childhood, as well as the labours of her passion to learn food photography. It is filled with beautiful memories, beautiful meals and beautiful images.

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Food Art: Summer Vegetable Pie, Emerald Green Salad, food photography by Meeta Khurana Wolff

Published by Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Permalink 0

//
See more food photo compositions at Meeta K. Wolff.

 

 

 

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

Simple Sustenance: In Season and Healthy — Peach and Spinach Salad

Published by Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Permalink 0

by Renu Chhabra

One should eat to live, not live to eat” –Benjamin Franklin

Peaches are synonymous with summer.

California being the largest peach-producing state, we are blessed with an abundance of them. Farmers markets are flooded with these fuzzy yellow beauties. So many of them. Different varieties with vibrant colors. Juicy, sweet, and simply delicious.

Farm-fresh peaches have flavor that can’t be found in supermarket ones. I have tasted a few California varieties that need no explanation. Instead, just close my eyes and bless the soil and the farmers who nurtured them. It’s nature’s bounty at its best.

These peaches are in season from May through September. Baking, grilling, roasting, and poaching are definitely a few ways to enjoy them. But nothing beats the joy of savoring them in their natural form. So, I made a salad with this seasonal fruit and paired it with baby spinach.

Another ingredient that gives this salad a little zing is the peach balsamic vinegar. My culinary find that is absolutely delicious. Drizzle a little on salads, grilled vegetables, toasted baguette, or ciabatta, with or without olive oil. It stands out on its own. Its peachy flavor is the star that shines through.

A few other ingredients that complete this salad are ginger, honey, almonds, raw sesame seeds, and roasted sunflower seeds. Ginger and honey, a classic combination goes well with peaches. Raw sesame seeds and roasted sunflower seeds add earthiness and texture. Finishing with a grind of good sea salt (I used pink salt) and pinch of red pepper flakes complements the sweet peaches and honey. All together it makes it a sweet, salty, and spicy experience.

Recipe

Dressing
 
2 tablespoons peach balsamic or white balsamic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon juice of ginger
1 teaspoon honey or agave
Sea salt to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Salad
2 medium yellow peaches, sliced or diced, your choice
2 handfuls of baby spinach

Garnish

Sliced raw almonds
Raw sesame seeds
Roasted sunflower seeds

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a mason jar. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, gently toss spinach with light dressing.
  3. Place spinach on a serving dish.
  4. Drizzle some dressing on peaches and mix. Serve spinach carefully.
  5. To finish the salad, drizzle a little more dressing and sprinkle sea salt and pepper flakes on top, if needed. Garnish with almonds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
  6. Serve immediately.

Note: Use dressing to your taste, but be careful not to drench the spinach with too much of it.

    1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a mason jar. Set aside.
    2. In a bowl, gently toss spinach with light dressing.
    3. Place spinach on a serving dish.
    4. Drizzle some dressing on peaches and mix. Serve spinach carefully.
    5. To finish the salad, drizzle a little more dressing and sprinkle sea salt and pepper flakes on top, if needed. Garnish with almonds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
    6. Serve immediately.

    Note: Use dressing to your taste, but be careful not to drench the spinach with too much of it.

    • Simple Sustenance: Summer in a Bowl – Honey-Ginger Papaya Salad

      1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a mason jar. Set aside.
      2. In a bowl, gently toss spinach with light dressing.
      3. Place spinach on a serving dish.
      4. Drizzle some dressing on peaches and mix. Serve spinach carefully.
      5. To finish the salad, drizzle a little more dressing and sprinkle sea salt and pepper flakes on top, if needed. Garnish with almonds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
      6. Serve immediately.

      Note: Use dressing to your taste, but be careful not to drench the spinach with too much of it.

      Never miss a post
      Name: 
      Your email address:*
      Please enter all required fields
      Correct invalid entries

Simon Says: Daily Food Quote, September 4, 2012

Published by Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Permalink 0

by Simón de Swaan

“Shape is a good part of the fig’s delight.”–Jane Grigson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane Grigson was an English food writer. Grigson’s growing interest in food and cooking led to the writing of her first book, Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery (1967), which was translated into French, unusual for an English food writer. Elizabeth David read the book and was impressed by it, and recommended Grigson as a food columnist for The Observer, for which she wrote a column from 1968 until her death in 1990.

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries

MarketDay: Swiss Farmers Market, Late August

Published by Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Permalink 0

Take a walk through the late August farmers market in Switzerland with Jonell Galloway.

Never miss a post
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries