Ra-ta-tat-touille

One of the most nostalgic food scents for me is onion frying in olive oil. I think the reason why it’s so nostalgic is because it’s the base for most, if not all of my favorite things to eat. There are very few dishes I make that doesn’t include sautéed onion as its base ingredient. I believe a truly great dish begins with onion and goes on to reveal endless layers of fragrance and flavors. Adding the first burst of aromatic, woodsy herbs and garlic to the onion gets a flavor party set in motion that really won’t stop until it hits your palate. In the end, the onion gets to be the thing that holds the entire dish together. If you’re a fan of onion and layers of stewed vegetables and herbs, try today’s recipe. This is Ratatouille and Parsley Pesto Crusted Mahi Mahi.

The Best Way to Peel Red Pepper for Soup

I’m a little obsessed with my site summaries. I love to see where my readers originate and I’m always interested in the things people search for when they stumble upon my blog. Today’s tiny post will be  a sort of “Ask Meeganism” section where I’d like to help resolve some of those queries. This is the Best Way to Peel Red Pepper for Soup.

A Dish of Seduction for All Your Hump Day Needs

Gluten-Free Pasta Aglio e Olio (Recipe by Roy Choi)

Looking for an elegant supper to make for you and your sweetie? Cooking dinner for a date tonight and not sure what to make? Forget all the innuendos, this is Chef Roy Choi’s Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil from Jon Favreau’s latest film, Chef.

Positively Pot Stickers

I love to cook but there are many times when I cringe at the thought of turning on the stove or making a huge mess prepping ingredients. Sometimes the effort of cooking doesn’t seem to be worth the resulting dish–which even I’ll admit doesn’t always taste as good as it looks. Yesterday I had one of those moments. In fact, I almost considered grabbing some Chinese food just so I didn’t have to cook. Naturally the guilt of ordering take-out kicked in and I decided to fight my lethargy and make something anyway. I love any food that’s both fun to make and eat so if I was going to make the effort to cook,  it had to be something interesting. Cue to the cute little pot sticker wrappers sitting on the grocery shelf just begging to be taken home. 

Summer Eating From the Roots Up

I grew up in a country where every meal features ingredients directly sourced from a home garden, so it’s no surprise I get absolutely giddy during farmers market season. But it’s not just the freshness that I enjoy–it’s the entire process. Snapping sprigs of fresh thyme from a sturdy branch, plucking little round peppers away from leaves, the smell of tomatoes fresh off the vine. While all the snapping and plucking is already done for greenmarket patrons, I relish the times I can get into a garden and retrieve the ingredients on my own.

Best Temperature to Bake Salmon

 

Salmon, like any other seafood, can easily be overcooked. At what temperature do you cook salmon without over or undercooking it? Everyone has their own degree which is natural since everyone has their unique palate. This is my preferred, tried and trusted, temperature to cook salmon.

A Little Game of Pretense and A Good Use For Cod

Let’s pretend I’ve been here all along. Let’s just skip the casualties and move right along to what’s really important…Portuguese cod, potato, Mediterranean olives, grape tomatoes, wine, lemon, fragrant thyme, garlic–perhaps that’s a good cue to cut. This is my go-to recipe for a quick, delicious and unsuspecting dinner. This is Portuguese-style Cod and Potato.

The Global Animal Partnership and a Good Dog

I made a promise not too long ago that I wasn’t going to eat any meat unless I was sure that it was from a farm that took better care of their animals. I’ve done loads of research and came up with farms in California and Georgia that had exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, I’m not willing to travel from New York City just for a little protein. Through my research, I found out about the Global Animal Partnership and the tremendous work they are doing to “improve the welfare of animals in agriculture.” Adding to my victory, I also learned that my local Whole Foods Market features meats that were raised under this program. Now, getting Stage-5 chicken and beef is as easy as making a quick trip to Whole Foods.

Today I bring to you an alteration to the classic hot dog using sausage that was prepared with meat from GAP’s 5-Step program. This is one good dog made with andouille sausage, whole-grain mustard and local sauerkraut.

My favorite coffee shop is on the verge of change…

I never gave much thought to scones. At least not until I discovered Inwood’s Darling Coffee and their incredible line-up of pastries and local brew. Now I’m hitting withdrawal if it’s been a few days sans scones, I’m head-over-mouth in love with them! They’re soft, and sweet and covered with magic pixie dust–or coarse pieces of brown sugar, whatever.

Sushi Roll of Seduction

“Bonjour, mon beau! You had me at wakame.” This gal is a charmer, and with no rice she’s a waistline pleaser! This is raw sushi with zucchini, cucumber, green leaf lettuce, tomato, and avocado.