For some, the plantain might be the exotic part of this dish. But to me, the milpero were the little nuggets of exotic, tangy perfection that inspired this concoction. If you're debating whether to read on, let me just say that my trusty taste-tester Mike threw his hat on the floor and cried out "this might be [...]
Category: Main Dishes
Kohlrabi Lettuce Wraps
Hippies and foodies seem to rave about kohlrabi but, outside of this circle, this veggie still seems to be quite exotic. Maybe even unheard of. Unless you're a Fraggle Rock aficionado and remember that in episode 506, one of the fraggles uses kohlrabi juice to poison the knobblies. Don't let kohlrabi's five minutes of TV infamy make [...]
Falafel Waffles with Armenian Cucumber Slaw
A few years ago, my sister Catherine surprised me with her invention of an amazing culinary treat: "fawafel." No, that's not a typo or a speech impediment. It's falafel waffle. She wanted the delectable taste of falafel without the extra mess and calories from frying, so she threw some falafel mix into waffle batter and [...]
Ramped-up Mushrooms
This post on ramps was brought to you by my husband's journal. Let me explain. He writes a daily entry in a journal that is meant to be written in a little each day for five straight years (he hasn't missed a day). This book, containing nuggets from our daily lives--- from quotidian to momentous--- [...]
Seared Pepino Melon With Glass Noodle Salad
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of attending a Thai cooking class with my aunt at Hipcooks during a visit to Portland. As someone who has been on the demonstrator side of the cooking demo cart countless times at work, it was really fun being on the other side of the cart for the first time [...]
Pea Shoot Pizza with Chive Ricotta and Egg
This weekend marks the twelfth year my husband and I have been together, so to celebrate I decided to cook us up one of our favorite things in the world: pizza. But being a nutritionist means that I can't serve up some meaty, cheesy bread with little more nutrition than a Lunchable without self-destructing. So [...]
Green Garlic Soup with Lemon Cardamom Yogurt
This week's vegetable is "exotic" simply because it's only available a few weeks out of the year, and because we don't recognize it in its immature form. Green garlic is actually just young, spring garlic pulled up early before it divides into the multi-clove bulbs we are used to seeing in grocery stores. Farmers pull it up early to [...]
Tortilla Thailandesa Featuring Taro and Cassava
I probably shouldn't admit how much I love Tortilla Española -- a "good nutritionist" wouldn't advocate a dish made up of simply potato, oil, egg and salt. But my philosophy has always been "everything in moderation," so when I get my hands on a slice of fresh tortilla made by my a master like my mom or [...]
Kicking it off with the Black Spanish Radish
Maybe it's the fact that I just returned from a year-long sabbatical in Spain, or the fact that I love radishes in winter, but after deciding to do my Berkeley Bowl Challenge my legs walked me straight over to the Black Spanish Radish. This little black bugger has been staring me down for years. At first I [...]