Lately I have been having fun surfing the bulk food section at my local market, where they’ve got a nice variety of alternative grains, raw and roasted nuts, dried fruits, and spices. In my experience the bulk food section usually offers great deals, especially for items on sale, and a quick scan for deals can send you home with something new to cook - which, in my case, was a bag of bulgur.

My previous experience with bulgur has been limited to  a spoonful of tabbouleh scooped up at a salad bar, so I had to do a bit of research to figure out what to do with my new acquisition. My go-to source to handle basic ingredient questions and find accessible recipes is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything and the title is no joke; just about every ingredient, cooking method, and basic recipe is listed and clearly explained. Here’s a snippet from Bittman’s bulgur entry: [click to continue…]

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When I was at the market this morning I saw the first sign that spring is near: a big bunch of California asparagus. After a few months of nothing but root vegetables and hardy greens, the pleasant snap of asparagus had real appeal and they were almost tossed into my basket. However, I have this thing for waiting it out for local asparagus, and anything else seems a bit like cheating. Oh, and the $9 price tag on the bunch was also a helpful deterrent.

So, I trudged home in the ice and snow asparagus-less, feeling a bit down about the weather and hoping for warmer days. If there was a perfect pick-me-up to brighten my mood, this bstilla bil djaj, or chicken and onion pie, was it. It combines the classic cold-weather comfort of a chicken pot-pie with the enticing and bright flavors and aromas of Middle Eastern cooking. Where a chicken-pot pie will wrap you up tightly in a cozy wool blanket in front of a crackling fire, bstilla cranks the heat on high, turns the music up, and ignites a party. [click to continue…]

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As soon as I put this soup together on the stove the aroma immediately brought me back to Egypt. During my trip I had become quite familiar of the scent of cumin, coriander, and lentils mingling together, since lentil soup was served at almost every lunch and dinner. Far from being monotonous, I enjoyed my new relationship with lentils, a legume I routinely overlook in my own cooking.

Lentils have a very long history in Egypt; they are depicted in hieroglyphics and have been found in archeological remains dating way back to 6000 B.C.E. Obviously, the Egyptians have been on to something. Lentils are a quick-cooking, high-protein vegetable that can stand on their own or be integrated into salads and soups. High in fiber, lentils help control insulin and blood sugar, and they also contain anti-cancer properties.

With all of these nutritional highlights in mind, I am planning on integrating more lentils into my diet, and this soup was a delicious start. [click to continue…]

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For the first time in a long time I won’t be watching the Super Bowl. Instead I’ll be aboard a transatlantic flight en route to Egypt - woohoo! Although I’m a bit bummed that I won’t be able to see the Steelers and Cardinals battle it out, I’m extremely excited to escape the ice and snow and head to someplace warm and totally fascinating.

I’m planning on entering a couple dispatches from the road and I’m looking forward to exploring and sharing the sites, scenes, culture, and, of course, food that I encounter - so please stay tuned!

In the meantime I thought I would compile some gameday favorites to help you plan your Super Bowl menu. [click to continue…]

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Last year I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weekends in Portland, Oregon, where I developed a bit of a city crush. With a great food scene, an even better coffee scene, and an offbeat, artsy vibe, it reminded me a lot of Burlington, Vermont, only super-sized.

I’ve enthusiastically enjoyed every dining experience I’ve had in Portland, but by far the most memorable dish I enjoyed was Ike’s Wings at Pok Pok. Sticky, salty, and sweet, they were unlike any wing I’d had before (loaded with flavor instead of the typical blow-the-roof-of-your-mouth- off heat). And I’m not the only one who became enchanted by Ike’s Wings; Food and Wine named the dish one of the Best Restaurant Dishes of 2007. [click to continue…]

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I recently found myself in somewhat of a roasting rut. It seems that lately, when I run across a sack of potatoes, I immediately throw them into the oven with a dash of olive oil and a sprig of rosemary - it’s a good, solid side dish, but it can get a bit boring. In a quest to do more, I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks for a bit of inspiration.

Molly Stevens’ All About Braising is one of the most dog-eared cookbooks on my shelf. It’s loaded with warming, comfortable recipes that fill will your entire house with enticing aromas. The recipes are easy to follow, but also encourage improvisation, making it a perfect choice for those who like structure and those who always colored outside the lines.

I wanted to keep this recipe as simple and straightforward as Molly’s, but I did improvise a little bit. I added a couple of baked potatoes best friends: bacon and sour cream. And to boost the flavor up a bit, I added a heavy dose of onions and a whole bunch of garlic. The results were potatoes that easily fell apart with the touch of a fork, smothered in a creamy sauce that was loaded with flavor. [click to continue…]

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It’s been brutally cold here in northern Vermont, with temps hanging around zero and a wicked wind zipping off the lake. I usually enjoy getting outside in January for a snowshoe or winter hike, but for the last couple of weeks its has been way too cold and I’ve been feeling a bit cooped up in the house. To confront my cabin fever I’ve been focusing on keeping busy in the kitchen and creating warm, cozy, comfort foods that take the chill out of the winter air.

I don’t think it gets any more comforting than a homemade crispy egg roll. They are absolutely my top choice for fried food, and I’ve been known to whip them up in the morning for a breakfast indulgence. The nice thing about egg rolls is that you get a solid dose of winter veggies for a fried food, and it was a great way to use up the cabbage that arrived in my last Pete’s Greens CSA share.

If you are hesitant about putting together egg rolls at home, don’t worry; it’s really quite easy (it’s the same technique for rolling a burrito or wrap) and I’ve got a little photo tutorial below. [click to continue…]

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I’ve been absolutely loving this brussels sprouts recipe from 101 Cookbooks this winter, and really, with less than five ingredients and a total of fifteen minutes prep and cook time, what’s not to love?

Well, I can imagine a lot of people saying that the answer to that question is easy: brussels sprouts are what not to love. I think if there was a category of extreme vegetable dislike,  brussels sprouts and beets would be neck and neck for first place. I can only hope that the tender, delicious, buttery brussels sprouts in this recipe will help change some minds. [click to continue…]

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Even though I haven’t been there in years, I have to admit that T.G.I. Friday holds a warm place in my heart. This might sound surprising, especially from someone who advocates for whole, seasonal, and local foods diet (none of which are usually found at a giant chain). But when Friday’s first started out, the atmosphere was lively, the fast-casual food was a fun/new concept, and even the “flair” was a bit entertaining (remember this classic Office Space clip?)

So back in the day, my mom, sister, and I would to meet-up at Friday’s for a “girls’ night out” where we would get a little bit crazy and order a mess of appetizers for dinner (I like to think that we were early pioneers of the small plates craze). It was a lot of fun and we always shared a lot of laughs. While we weren’t regulars enough to always order the same thing, I do remember that their loaded potato skins usually ended up at our table. [click to continue…]

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