- In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: 150 Recipes and Stories About the Food You Loveby Melissa Clark
SusanL voted for:and commented on:Raw Tuscan Kale SaladI tried this with some fresh market kale last week, and would definitely make it again. The only thing I would change is the amount of lemon juice - as a lemon lover, I actually found it overpowering, so I would probably cut it in half. Otherwise, this was a great seasonal dish. We had it with fresh wild salmon and it was a great match.
1 like Can’t Like Unlike Like 1 like 
1 vote Can’t Vote Unvote Vote up 1 vote
June/JulyAdd this cookbookHi all - How about Diana Henry for June / July? I extended Melissa throught the end of this month. And I like Sisi's idea of trying a theme at some point (maybe later in year?)....
- No votes Can’t Vote Unvote Vote up No votesJocelynNewmarch, I used a "laptop" bento box for my lunch. In spite of it's small size it holds a variety of foods. I could bring leftovers without smushing them all in one container. I would get a different bento box (or a tiffin tin) if I did so again b/c this wasn't leak proof and I couldn't bring anything liquidy. Now I pack remains from last night's dinner in glass containers.
JocelynNewmarch commented on an answer to “Authentic regional Italian cooking”
Wed 16 May 2012 10:09:08 GMT
Great idea! Keep meaning to try the version from Made In Sicily :-)No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes- No votes Can’t Vote Unvote Vote up No votesAnswer summaryAdd this cookbook
You guys all sound so creative! Personally, I have a very boring lunches. I often work from home and my office is close enough to go home for lunch, so I usually have toast with bovril, egg, or cottage cheese. I've started taking fruit (banana, apple, pear) as a snack, or yoghurt. I often have peanut butter and honey or syrup sandwiches because it's really quick in the morning and is not as soggy as jam. Read an interview a while ago with a sports scientist and long distance runner, and that's what she had for lunch / snack. The sugar is good for an instant boost, then the peanut butter provides protein to fuel you for a few hours.
Also, I'm thinking cautiously about doing the bento box thing for lunch.
- No problem - I also don't check in that often - particularly in busy periods.
Those cookbooks sound great - I'm not familiar with them, but I think they would accurately portray everyday dishes in SA.
I also wanted to point you to this article in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-oily-charms-of-west-african-cuisine/2012/02/21/gIQAhBx4fR_story.html
As a commenter makes clear, the article is in fact about Ghanaian / Nigerian food, rather than a broader West African cuisine.
I also noticed your post about going vegan and wanted to say that much African food is rather meat-centric, so it might be hard to reconcile the two. I'm sure if you are creative you'll be fine. :-)
Happy eating!No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes - The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Makingby Alana Chernila
Thanks for the tips - these are great. I like the pesto ice cube idea! I have to say, things kind of get lost in my freezer so I don't use it that much. I was thinking of sticking a list to the door listing recent contents. I haven't quite worked myself up to making home made pasta again, but I will - I want to try ravioli and gnocchi.
And yes, definitely going to make an effort to do more baking.
We've sometimes made our own vegetable stock, which is very easy with minimal hands-on time. I find soups will be fine with bought stock powder, but for risotto it is really worth having good stock.
My problem really is that I work too much - six days a week at the moment - but hoping to change this in the next few months.
I guess it's a question of being organised and planning ahead, more than anything else, so that when a window of free time opens I can take advantage of it.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes - Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchenby Heidi Swanson
spinach chopI loaded this into a pita, and then proceeded to eat way too much, because it tasted so fresh and good! Almost like a super fancy egg salad sandwich. I have a feeling that I broke some sort of code by not actually buying the harissa, but since we're on a bit of a budget, I just mixed up some paprika, coriander, cayenne and olive oil. It was delicious, but I'm sure would be that much better with the real thing. Looking forward to trying it again! - Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchenby Heidi SwansonBran MuffinsI made these last night and I too overfilled the muffin tins and ended up with some weird tops- but they were delicious! The part that spilled over the tins became almost oatmeal cookie like. I also added about 1/2 tsp of almond extract and about 1/2 cup walnuts to the batter. I can recommend both additions.
- Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebratingby Dreena Burton
Potato SquashersA very tasty side dish of potatoes -- like a baked potato squashed flat and baked further in the oven with olive oil and salt. Just remember to start early or you'll be eating them at 9:30 p.m. like I did! It's a healthier version of a dish I used to make on the stovetop that had a lot more oil involved.
4 likes Can’t Like Unlike Like 4 likes
Vegan RibzThese were really good. Basically a baked seitan scored to kind of resemble ribs, lathered in BBQ sauce and then grilled. I used good quality store bought sauce. The seitan came together easily and had a really good flavor even on its own, lightly smokey. I couldn't stop eating these off the grill! We had leftovers as a BBQ wrap with lettuce, steamed potatoes, cheddar and plain full fat yogurt (sorry not actually vegan...). They were amazing in the wrap. I will def. make again! 1 like Can’t Like Unlike Like 1 like- How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Foodby Mark Bittman
Sharp Cheddar Fondue with Red Winefondue in May? there was a cold spell. we needed to warm up! luckily had everything on hand. red wine was a nice twist with these changes: increase garlic +3 cloves, reduce red wine to 1 1/2 c, used extra sharp cheddar + parmesan. 
- Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Patrick O'Brian)by Anne Chotzinoff Grossman, Lisa Grossman Thomas
What a great list! I came here looking for something totally different and I'm so glad I got sidetracked...bookmarked for future reference.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes- The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Makingby Alana ChernilaMy strategy is to preserve whatever I can... I make pesto once or twice and freeze it in ice cube trays to use for the rest of the year. One batch of muffins takes barely any time to make and lasts in the freezer for a minimum of 12 days. I try to choose projects with the greatest return.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes
The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Makingby Alana ChernilaI just got this book today, so not much to say about it yet, but I did flip through and it looks like this book covers many of the basic staples you would expect to find. I am especially interested in making my own ricotta and yogurt. Some of these things, such as pesto and tomato sauce, I have been making from scratch for quite some time and need no encouragement, but if you are just getting started trying to make things from scratch they are useful suggestions. I also like that there are a few suggestions for using your...
- The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Makingby Alana Chernilajoycelyn, my strategy - if you could call it one - is very simple: either I am struck by a sudden flash of consciousness foodwise and have to make use of all that healthy stuff I have bought at the grocers. Or there are enough rainy or dull weekends providing the opportunity to really browse through my cookbooks or cooking blogs. Then the kitchen table is emptied and my daughter and I make home-made pasta, pesto and aioli, bake bread and muffins and the like. Of course the time needed to eat it is nothing compared to the time required to prepare it. It is rewarding nevertheless, though. You see, there is no discipline applied or rule followed. Maybe I should?No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes
- No votes Can’t Vote Unvote Vote up No votes
Hi jenig - I'm jealous! My mint plant died a month or so ago, and it is winter here, so doesn't make sense to get a new one right now.
Mint with fresh salads or fruit? I love mint with strawberries and kiwi-fruit. Giorgio Locatelli, in Made in Sicily, suggests adding mint to tomato sauces, as the Sicilians do. A glass of water with a slice of lemon and some mint is a fine drink on a spring afternoon. Mint chutney, perhaps?
For March & April (& May!) we're focusing on Brooklyn-based Melissa Clark. She is the much-acclaimed author of Cook This Now and In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite. She's a celebrated New York Times columnist, and her recipes are known for being approachable, delicious, and more often than not - weeknight friendly. Feel free to Join us!
Past featured cookbooks include: Moro East, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery, & The Essential New York Times Cookbook.
Lobscouse and Spotted Dog
Masala Farm
Super Natural Cooking
Super Natural Every Day
Pretty Delicious
If It Makes You Healthy
Cooking Up the Good Life
As for the quiche - so simple to put together, and so incredibly delicious! Sweet from the onions, a touch of bitterness from the radicchio, and just a little tart from the balsamic vinegar - this was a winner. Also, Clark does not use tons of cheese (as you might find in a more classic vegetable quiche.) I thought I'd take issue with it as I'm a cheese lover, but the hint of sharpness from the Gruyere was more than enough to satisfy, and overall, the combination of ingredients is just perfect. I usually double the recipe when I make a quiche, since one pie will only serve so many people, but didn't because it was an experiment. Well, lesson learned! People were fighting over the last piece! I will definitely look forward to making this again, and can't wait to explore the book further.