My buddy Tamas needed help making some bread. He’s a genius in many ways, but utterly hopeless in the kitchen. We looked at a few recipes and then adapted a few to come up with this one. It was so easy to make and so delicious. So hard to not eat it all in one sitting.
]]> SoftwareAn old friend invited me to his place for a salsa party last weekend and I was inspired to take a new twist on a mango salsa. I wanted this salsa to be both sweet and smoky. The habañero was much hotter than I had anticipated so I added some avocados of the same firmness as the mango before serving. It was a crowd pleaser at the party and one I’ll surely make again.
]]> HardwareMany people enjoy sushi but few have made it at home. I’ve hosted sushi parties for years, they’re always fun… especially with plenty of sake. Save some money by preparing sushi at home; use that money to buy some higher quality ingredients. If the rice and fillings are prepared before hand, everyone can participate in the preparation and build an appetite.
]]> Some hardware you may want to have handy:I estimate 1/2 cup uncooked rice per roll and 1.5 rolls per person, so 4 1/2 cups uncooked rice for 6 people or a whole 10lb bag (about 10 cups) for 20 people. Adjust the recipe below for your party.
1t salt
Rinse rice until water runs clear (starch powder will make rice gummy).
The range of possible fillings for sushi rolls is enormous. By mixing and matching various ingredients you can create many different popular varieties and invent some new ones. A peanut butter and strawberry jam roll can be surprisingly tasty.
Nori can be found in various amounts from 10 to 100 sheets in a pack. Some has salt, some is toasted, I really have no preference. Nori usually comes in two sizes: full sheets which are about 12 inch squares and half-sheets that are… half a full sheet. =)
Open a bottle of saki (unfiltered is fun) and just start rolling!
Nigiri is quite simple, take a slice of sashimi, small spread of wasabi, laid over a lightly formed ball of rice. The hardest part is forming the rice; if you ever watch a sushi chef you’ll notice a very fast-handed technique used to form the rice ball.
Another variation of Nigiri is to top the rice with various softer fillings which require a small strip of nori wrapped around the toppings and rice to hold it together.
Serve in warm corn tortillas.
]]>Good with home fries and a glass of apple juice. =)
]]> Serves 2-4, depending upon hunger.Note: recipes on this site without photos typically turned out so tasty that they were eaten before the thought of a photo popped into my head.
His salsa is the most common snack at my parents house and my mom swears that it’s her favorite medicine. Growing up, if you were the one to finish off a batch (usually stored in large reused yogurt containers) then you’re responsible for making the next batch.
Because he uses canned tomatoes (which are typically very ripe upon canning), this salsa can be made year round.
Please be careful, it’s super easy to make and it’s very addictive.
]]> HardwareWhipped this one up for myself this mornin. I had some left over egg whites from a Coco-Choco experiment and some tomatoes that were on the verge of expiring… this is what happened.
]]> Serves 1-2. Adjust as necessary, I would have added some garlic and cilantro if I had any, but then I would have just been giving in to a habit.These are really not as spicy as you might think, rather the savory flavor of the jalapeño chile comes out when baked and paired with chocolate. The sharp spicy flavor common in salsa fresca is replaced with a sweet and mild warmth in the back of the mouth. The habanero adds a little more warmth and tames the herbal flavor of the jalapeño. The cranberries add a bit of texture and their natural sweetness is a true compliment to the sweetness of the chiles.
If you’re a fan of spicy food you’ll love the familiar flavor but miss a little of the spiciness you might expect. If you’re not such a fan of “spicy,” you’ll be surprised to discover the flavor of jalapeño normally hidden behind the fiery spiciness you might expect.
I prefer my classic brownies stale, but these treats are best served right out of the oven, cut into bite-sized chunks. The heat-hotness and the chocolaty vapors of the fresh-out-of-the-oven-brownies will make for the best possible experience!
Mmmmmm! I can’t wait to make this again.
]]> (This recipe was made with a brownie box mix, but I’m gonna create a recipe from scratch using Sharffenberger chocolate in the next few days. If you’ve got a great (from scratch) recipe you can recommend, please share as a comment or link below!)Threw a few items from the pantry and fridge together and it was mighty tasty. It’s great on a taco salad, or just as a dip.
The recipe, by popular demand…
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
Directions
Wanting to make a nice and fruity sangria like they serve at Cha Cha Cha in SF, I looked around for a few recipes and finally settled on adapting Jay’s Secret Sangria Recipe. Here’s what I just got at the store, calculated to fit perfectly into a 5 gallon Rubbermaid water jug…
Mmmmm… I can’t wait to start this tomorrow morning…. I’m even more excited to get my croquet on while sipping sangria.
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