In keeping with our week of Asian-inspired recipes, here’s a quick and easy hors d’oeuvre (hors d’oeuvres – officially the hardest word to spell correctly that I know). This is a five-ingredient recipe that takes less than 15 minutes to make, but will satisfy the nibbles before an Asian-themed meal and whet appetites for what’s to come. I found this recipe in Gourmet’s summer edition and thought it was terrific, though I used more sugar to offset the saltiness of […]
If you haven’t had fattoush yet, here’s a good gateway recipe. This variation on the Middle Eastern classic is made with sumac, cilantro, crisped pita chips, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, and feta. It’s a wonderful combination of Mediterranean flavors, and a substantial salad that has become a fixture on our weekly summer menus. I love it because it’s a different way to enjoy the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes of the season; the sumac and pomegranate dressing give them unique flavor, and the […]
My grandmother grew up in Georgia, and her meals were always redolent with the flavors of the South. I never tasted okra until she cooked it, and her version was so different from any other okra recipes I’ve seen that I want to share it with you. Okra can be stringy, slimy, and tough – or you can make it like this and get something very different. She used to chop okra into coins, roll it in cornmeal, and flash […]
It’s Tex-Mex Thursday! Doesn’t a sweet-hot-cool-light summer soup sound like the ideal antidote to a steamy summer day? This recipe from Matthew Wendel, former chef to President and Mrs. George W. Bush, manages to be both cooling and spicy at the same time. And so pretty! Here’s what Matt says about it: For a hot summer day at the Crawford ranch, this soup was the perfect way to spice up the day and cool down at the same time. Chilled […]
This is a “where have you been all my life?” recipe. I’d never thought of putting two acidic fruits, such as tomatoes and strawberries together (yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit,) and my first reaction was “Eww.” It sounded like one of those recipes that we food bloggers do when we’re trying to create something original, and it doesn’t quite work. Well, this works. When you add raspberry vinaigrette mixed with sugar as the dressing, and some fresh mint to […]
