Growing up, my grandmother hosted a very formal Thanksgiving. So my mother (her daughter-in-law) hosted a very casual community leftover party at our house the following evening. My mother would make multiple batches of sweet and sour red cabbage with onions and apples to bring to my grandmothers because she...
1 small head of garlic roasted½ shallot, minced1 bunch of arugula, finely chopped1 ½ -2 Tbs red wine vinegar½ c olive oilSalt and pepper To roast garlic: Cut garlic in half along its equator, sprinkle the cut garlic with olive oil and salt, wrap in foil and stick in a...
For something sweet and different I’ve been making Vietnamese style avocado smoothies. It requires sweetened condensed milk, which I happened to find at the back of my pantry. To make 2 shakes, blend 3 avocados, 1 cup sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups of ice, then adjust to your desired...
If I don't succumb to my children's request for broiled salmon with a soy-ginger-rice vinegar sauce, I either grill my salmon or slather it with an herb paste and slow roast it in a low oven with a pan of water added for moisture. At AOC, we used to prepare...
“Chicken under a brick” is a standard meal in our house because my children love crispy chicken skin, and to be entirely honest... we like our chicken cooked slowly and thoroughly, maybe even well done and then served smothered in some sort of sauce, which was a green garlic pan...
Steeping hibiscus flowers in water makes a refreshing tart tea with a deep red tint. Here’s how to make it, and some ideas for how to make it more interesting. ½-1 cup flowers4 cups water¼ cup raw honey Rinse ½-1 c hibiscus in cold water Combine the hibiscus and 1...
chimi verde: ½ bunch cilantro (what you get in your farm box) ¼ bunch parsley (½ of what you get in your farm box) ½ tsp toasted and ground cumin ¼ tsp pimento or paprika ½ shallot macerated in lime juice with a pinch of salt olive oil to balance...
Start by rinsing the squash in cold water to remove any surface dirt. Next, slice the squash in half lengthwise. Take a spoon and scrape out the seeds. (You can rinse the seeds and dry them and then plant them.) To cut the squash into smaller pieces, place the squash...
Store buns in the freezer unless you’re having them for breakfast tomorrow. (Store cream cheese frosting in the fridge.) Transfer frozen buns from freezer to fridge to thaw the night before. A couple hours before baking, take the frosting and buns out of the fridge and bring the buns into...
I keep making potatoes and chorizo to stuff into the corn tortillas or top with fried eggs. And this is where I realize how intuitive my cooking is… I'm struggling to figure out how to tell you to make it. My chorizo and potatoes are different every time, depending on...
Mel’s international house of spatchcockery! You can simply roast or grill this chicken. Because of the way it’s butterflied, it will cook quicker and more evenly than an unbutchered bird. (The Korean chicken is particularly good on the grill. Be careful if the marinade has sugar in it, as it...
