Thursday, November 11, 2010

mediterranean chicken marinade

Ingredients
10 lb Chicken breast, large, 1” pieces
¼ cup Capers, chopped fine
¼ cup Garlic, minced
¼ cup Shallots, minced
1 bunch Basil, minced
1 bunch Parsley, minced
¾ cup Olive oil
1 cup White wine
3 whole lemons, squeezed
2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients to thoroughly
coat chicken. Use 5 oz chicken per
skewer and marinate in refrigerator.


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

honey-walnut shrimp stir fry with pineapple rice

Ingredients
2 lb Shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 cup Corn Starch
1 cup Egg Whites
1/4 lb Candied Walnuts
2 tbls Vegetable Oil
1 cup Yellow Onion, diced
1 cup Red Bell Peppers, diced
1 cup Yellow Bell Pepper, diced

Sauce:
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Honey
2 tbls Condensed Milk
2 tbls Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Vegetable Oil
1/2 tbls Garlic, minced
1/2 Eggs, whipped
3/4 cup Fresh Pineapple, small dice
2 quarts Jasmine Rice, cooked
1/4 tsp White Pepper, ground
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tbls Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Green Onions, chopped

Directions
1. In a large pan heat oil, add garlic and eggs,
cook for one minute until eggs are fully cooked,
add the pineapple and cook for one more minute
then add jasmine rice. Season with white pepper,
salt and soy sauce. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Finish with Toasted sesame oil and
garnish with green onions. Set aside for service.

2. Mix Corn starch and egg whites to form a thick,
sticky texture and mix well with shrimp. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, honey,
condensed milk and lemon juice until smooth.

4. Deep Fry Shrimp until golden brown.
Place on paper towels to absorb access oil.

5. In a large pan heat vegetable oil add the
onions and bell peppers and stir fry until al dente
about one minute. Turn heat of add prawns,
walnuts and sauce. Toss until everything
is well coasted. Serve with Pineapple fried rice.

Monday, November 8, 2010

hot spiced spiked cider

ingredients
8 tbls brown sugar
4 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp allspice, whole
20 ea cloves, whole
4 ea lemon rinds
4 ea cinnamon stick
1 gallon apple cider
1 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum

directions
1. Combine brown sugar, ginger, allspice,
cloves, lemon rind and cinnamon stick. Add cider and rum.
2. Heat on medium flame, until sugar dissolves and liquid
begins to boil, Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes.
3. Strain.

Yield: approximately 1 gallon

sausage and fennel cornbread gravy

Ingredients

1 lb Sweet Italian sausage
¼ cup Butter, unsalted
2 Yellow onion, chopped fine
1 ½ lb Fennel bulb, stalks trimmed off, bulbs chopped fine
2 tsp Fennel seeds, chopped fine
¼ cup Pernod
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried tarragon
5 cup cornbread, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1.Sauté the onion in bacon fat until tender.
2. Sauté sausage until rendered and cooked through. Remove from pan and reserve
3. Add butter to fat and sauté onions, fennel and fennel seeds until fennel is softened. Add pernod, thyme and tarragon and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add back sausage and cornbread. Toss to combine well. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake in 350F degree conventional oven in water bath until set and brown on top, approximately 30-40 minutes.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Cinnamon Hazelnut and Pumpkin Seed Granola

Ingredients
1.50 cup Seeds, flax
8.00 cup Cereal, hot, oatmeal, plain, quick, dry
4.00 cup Rye, flakes, non-gmo
2.00 cup Seeds, pumpkin, raw
2.00 cup Nuts, hazelnuts, chpd
1/4 cup Spice, cinnamon, ground
3.50 cup Syrup, hazelnut
1.00 cup Oil, canola
2.00 tsp Flavor, vanilla extract
2.00 cup Cranberries, dried
2.00 cup Raisins, golden, seedless

Method:
1. Grind the flax seeds in a spice grinder or blender until they are ground finely. This makes the flax digestible.
2. In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together.
3. Combine the syrup, oil and flavoring together and add them to the dry ingredients.
4. Spread the granola onto sheet pans, in very thin layers (approximately 1/4" thick).
5. Bake at 300 degrees with convection oven on low fan, for 25-30 minutes. Stir every ten minutes to promote an even brown
color. If granola is browning too quickly lower oven temperature.
6. Remove from oven and top with dried fruit.
7. Allow to cool at room temperature before placing in container.


Saturday, October 23, 2010

my pepper harvest


serranos and jalapeños

Sunday, September 26, 2010

mi pueblo supermarket

excellent produce at this place in San Jose

Sunday, September 12, 2010

chocolate caramels


Heat generous 1 cup granulated sugar, 7 tablespoons heavy cream, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/2 cup cocoa in heavy saucepan. Stir continuously until temperature reaches 280 degrees F. Oil a marble or other heat resistance surface and place a frame to hold liquid caramel in place. Pour caramel into middle of frame and leave to harden. Before it cools completely remove the frame and slide metal spatula under caramel to remove from the surface. Cut into bite-size squares.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

crockpot jambalaya

Ingredients:
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Bell Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Parsley
  • Oregano
  • Thyme
  • Chopped Tomato
  • Olive Oil
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Dash Red Wine or Beer
  • Chicken Broth
  • Andouille Sausage

Place ingredients into Crockpot and cook on medium for two hours. If sausage is already fully cooked, wait and throw in with some chopped tomatoes after two hours. Also, only add a little chicken broth at first and add more as needed.

Cook one more hour.

Cook rice separately about 90% of the way though, and put into Crockpot for the last 5-10 minutes to absorb some flavor. Serve with crusty bread and bold red wine.

sense-ologist

If you ask me my dream job, I would be a sense-ologist.
What exactly does a sense-ologist do? They fully explore and enjoy the capacities of all the senses. Analogous to a human potential-oligist, a sense-ologist lives on the cutting edge, continuously pushing the boundaries of the possible and the pleasurable. Could this meal possibly taste any more incredible? Could this sunset look more magnificent? Could this music sound any cleaner? Could this love feel any deeper? Could my aromatics smell more delectable?
A sense-oligist is an explorer in the kaleidoscope of potential sense combinations, researching the optimum chemistry to a brilliant life.
Idealistic, indulgent, and perhaps even dangerous...yes. It’s probably not natural to want to “sense” that much— wear your heart on your sleeve like that— but I wouldn’t want to live life any other way.
[kalid.bmp]

north carolina pulled pork

Dry rub
  • paprika
  • salt
  • pepper
  • brown sugar
  • onion powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • dry mustard
  • red pepper flakes
Directions
  • Coat pork butt or shoulder lightly with cider vinegar and mix in bowl with dry rub.
  • Seal pork and refrigerate for at least two hours.
  • In meantime, chop red onion, garlic and serrano pepper.
  • Place in Crockpot with olive oil and turn heat to medium.
  • Add pork, cider vinegar, Worcestershire and bbq sauce to crockpot.
  • Turn to low and cook 8-10 hours, or until pork is falling apart.



Monday, July 5, 2010

pineapple-celery agua fresca

  • 1 ripe pineapple, peeled and chunked
  • 3 large celery sticks, chunked
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley
  1. blend ingredients with 3 cups water
  2. pour through fine strainer
  3. serve over ice or as a mixed drink

the celery cuts the sweetness and creates a sublime flavor

Sunday, July 4, 2010

watermelon-mint agua fresca


  • blend watermelon (no rind) and mint leaves (no stems)
  • add water and sugar to desired concentration and sweetness
  • pour over ice and enjoy on a hot summer day

bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños

Monday, May 17, 2010

avgolemono soup

A simple Greek recipe made from egg yolk & lemon juice.
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 6 egg yolks, beaten
  • 2 quarts stock
  • 1/2 cup rice
  • 1/4 cup premium butter
  • fresh chopped parsley
  • 3/4 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 lemon rind, zested
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. stir milk and cornstarch. beat in egg yolk.
  2. set aside.
  3. bring stock to boil and add rice
  4. cook covered about 25 minutes, or until rice is tender
  5. remove stock from heat. add milk and egg mixture
  6. continue to cook until soup thickens
  7. remove from heat again, add butter, parsley, lemon juice and zest

Sunday, May 16, 2010

peach sorbet

  • Boil 4 oz. water with 1 1/3 cups of granulated sugar. Allow to cool.
  • Peel 2 lb. peaches, cut into quarters and puree in food processor.
  • Combine juice from one lemon, puree and simple syrup.
  • Pour into ice cream maker and set in operation for one hour.
  • When sorbet has frozen, place in freezer with sorbet glasses.
  • Place two balls of sorbet in each glass with chilled champagne.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

seafood sauté & mango-avocado salsa

recipe serves 6

salsa
  • 1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Make up to 2 hours ahead.
Mix ingredients in large bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

seafood marinade
  • 2 medium shallots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup tequila
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
Whisk ingredients with 1/3 cup olive oil,
season with salt & pepper.
  • 1.5 lbs uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled
  • 1 lb sea scallops, side muscles removed
  • 12 green onions, white and pale green parts only
Refrigerate seafood in separate gallon size bags, evenly distributing marinate between them for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain marinade into saucepan and bring to boil, set aside. Pat scallops dry and heat 2 tbls oil in large skillet, medium high heat. Add scallops and sauté 1.5 minutes per side, or until slightly brown. Transfer to large bowl. Add 2 more tbls oil, shrimp and green onions. Stir often for about 3 minutes, shrimp should be almost opaque in center. Return scallops with any accumulated juices to skillet along with boiling marinade and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to finish cooking the seafood.

Serve seafood sauté with salsa, corn tortillas and lime wedges.
Mexican beer pairs nicely.


cuban torta

ingredients
  • 4 oz. black beans, mashed
  • 1 bolillo roll
  • 4 oz. pulled marinated pork
  • 1/8 oz. minced red onion
  • 1/4 avocado, sliced
  • 1/4 lime
  • 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped or whole
directions
  • Spread black beans on bottom of roll
  • Place pulled pork, onion, avocado, cilantro and juice from lime on top of beans
  • Grill in panini press for 4 minutes

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

the best beans

This ranking is based on the aggregate percentage for fiber, folic acid, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and protein for each bean.
  1. Soybeans
  2. Pinto beans
  3. Chickpeas
  4. Lentils
  5. Cranberry beans
  6. Black-eyed peas
  7. Pink beans
  8. Navy beans
  9. Black beans
  10. White beans
  11. Lima beans
  12. Kidney beans
  13. Adzuki beans
  14. Great northern beans
  15. Mung beans
  16. Fava beans
  17. Green peas
  18. Tofu

the healthiest vegetables

Based on the aggregate of each vegetables percentage for:
-The Dietary Reference Intake for 6 nutrients
-The Daily Value of fiber
-The daily recommended value of lutein and carotenoids
  1. Kale
  2. Spinach
  3. Collared Greens
  4. Turnip Greens
  5. Pumpkin
  6. Mustard Greens
  7. Sweet Potato
  8. Radicchio
  9. Broccoli
  10. Carrots
  11. Romaine Lettuce
  12. Broccoli Rabe
  13. Red Bell Pepper
  14. Endive
  15. Parsely
  16. Green Leaf Lettuce
  17. Sun-dried Tomato
  18. Bibb Lettuce
  19. Brussels Sprouts
  20. Tomato
  21. Red Leaf Lettuce
  22. Butternut Squash
  23. Green Bell Pepper
  24. Peas
  25. Bok Choy
  26. Arugula
  27. Snow Peas
  28. Savory Cabbage
  29. Asparagus
  30. Red Cabbage
  31. Zucchini
  32. Cauliflower
  33. Artichoke
  34. Scallions
  35. Iceberg Lettuce
  36. Okra
  37. Celery
  38. Green Beans
  39. Leeks
  40. Wax Beans
  41. Avocado
  42. Kohlrabi
  43. Lima Beans
  44. Green Chile Pepper
  45. Potato
  46. Parsnips
  47. Corn
  48. Jicama
  49. Rutabega
  50. Beets

Monday, May 3, 2010

marinara & meatballs

Marinara
  • 1 clove chopped garlic
  • 1/2 chopped bell pepper
  • 1/2 chopped red onion or shallot
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
heat oil and sauté ingredients
  • 1 12oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 12oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1/4 bottle red wine
  • fresh chopped oregano
  • red pepper flakes
  • whole fresh basil leaves

Meatballs
  • 1lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 cup stale bread crumbs
  • one egg
  • fresh chopped parsley
  • salt
  • pepper
  • parmigiano reggiano


tamarind-basil pork loin

  • generous ¼ cup of tamarind
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • inch of ginger root
  • tablespoon of soy sauce
  • tablespoon brown sugar
  • tablespoon olive oil
  • whole branch fresh basil
  • pinch cayenne
  • splash orange juice
blend ingredients in food processor
marinate overnight

pairs nicely with grilled pineapple, balsamic Maui Onions and green beans

Sunday, May 2, 2010

the healthiest fruits

This list is a ranking based on the Daily Value for six nutrients plus carotenoids including: calories, vitamin C, folate, potassium & fiber.
1. Guava
2. Watermelon
3. Grapefruit, pink or red
4. Kiwifruit
5. Papaya
6. Cantaloupe
7. Apricots, dried
8. Orange
9. Strawberry
10. Apricot
11. Peach, dried
12. Blackberry
13. Grapefruit, white
14. Raspberry
15. Tangerine
16. Persimmon
17. Mango
18. Honeydew Melon
19. Star Fruit
20. Apricots, canned
21. Lemon
22. Blueberry
23. Plum
24. Banana
25. Cherry
26. Lime
27. Peach
28. Grape
29. Rhubarb
30. Avocado
31. Pear
32. Pineapple
33. Apple
34. Fig
35. Nectarine
36. Pomegranate
37. Prune
38. Currant, dried
39. Pineapple, canned
40. Prunes, dried
41. Peach, canned
42. Dates, dried
43. Raisin

Sunday, April 11, 2010

from the vine

Sterling Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Mendocino Organic Wine

toffee
espresso
currant
plum
I found this wine very enjoyable-- smooth, subtle and complex.
9 of 10 corks

Saturday, April 3, 2010

the yin & yang of food

The color wheel. according to Taoism, indicates whether food is yin or yang. Reds and oranges are mostly yang while yin foods are purples and blues. Balance is what you are looking for.
Ying Food
Beans/Seeds
Vegetables
Nuts/Fruits
Alcohol/Stimulants
Spices/Sugar
Soft Cheese
Milk/Yogurt/Cream
Cereals/Grains

Yang Foods
Red Meat
Hard Cheese
Poultry
Fish

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

from the vine

Cameron Hughs 2007
Cabernet Sauvignon

Smooth, sound, enjoyable

Flavors that resonated:
Bing Cherry
Raspberry
Roasted Herb
Anise
Mint
Cherry
Cocao
Coffee

Review:
8 of 10 corks

sorghum

http://www.agjournalonline.com/topstories/x1820922230/Sorghum-industry-looks-ahead-to-promising-year

look out high fructose corn syrup...

Monday, March 1, 2010

herbs & radiant health

A great article

what does sustainable mean?

essential energy of food

COLD

Banana
Watermelon
Bok Choi
Turnip
Celery
Califlower
Crab
Bean Sprouts
Asparagus
Eggplant
Cucumber
Grapefruit
Pineapple
Tangerine
Zucchini
Seaweed
Tofu

COOL

Pear
Peppermint
Green Tea
Oolong Tea
Bitter Gourd
Cooked Lettuce
Green Apple
Snow Pea
White Corn
Oranges
Cabbage
Soybean Sprouts
Apples
Cooked Onion
Strawberries
Cheese
Cherries
Mushrooms
Miso

WARM

Rice
Noodles
Bread
Pork
Chicken
Turkey
Broccoli
Green Pepper
Green Beans
Egg Whites
Yellow Corn
Egg Yolk
Fish
Pepper
Ginger
Garlic
Cooked Tomato
Spinach
Black Tea
Nectarines
Milk

HOT

Nuts
Grilled Foods
Avocado
Lichee
Turtle
Chocolate
Cocoa
Raw Onions
Coffee
Lamb
Duck
Eggplant
Red Pepper
Venison
Deep Fried Foods


source: qi-journal.com

chicken & bell peppers

  1. 8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
  2. 3-4 red, orange or yellow bell peppers
  3. 2 cloves diced garlic
  4. 16 small new potatoes*
  5. olive oil

  • Important to use bone-in chicken as it adds flavor to the broth.
  • Heat small amount olive oil in Dutch oven
  • Brown chicken and set aside
  • Quickly sear peppers, then potatoes adding more oil as needed – avoid cooking the peppers. Set aside.
  • Gently sauté garlic.

  1. ½ bottle sauvignon blanc
  2. 2 cans chicken broth
  3. 2 tbl. of tomato paste
  4. splash of balsamic vinegar
  5. kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
  6. pinch of red pepper flakes
  7. red wine will give richer color/ taste

Clarify the bottom of the Dutch oven with white wine. Add remainder of above ingredients and gently boil to reduce liquid by one third. Adjust stock to taste. Add a drizzle of olive oil, fresh or dried oregano, and fresh parsley and when stock is reduced, return chicken, potatoes and pepper to Dutch oven. Liquid should just cover ingredients.

  • Cover tightly at in 375o oven for about one hour fifteen minutes.
  • Serve with a crusty loaf of bread to sop up juices
  • Cabernet Sauvignon pairs beautifully

* You can omit potatoes, reduce chicken broth to 1 ½ cans and add an additional drizzle of oil into stock. Serve over cooked linguini.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

stuffed peppers



















Bell peppers cut in half vertically
Green will not be as sweet

Meat Mixture
¾ lb. ground sirloin
2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
1 cup cooked rice
2 oz fresh grated
parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 oz tomato sauce, divided
generous grind of pepper
salt to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
8 oz chopped tomato with juice
pinch of sugar
dash balsamic vinegar or red wine
3 slices of provolone cheese

Directions
1. Microwave cored, halved peppers for 2 minutes; plunge in ice bath to halt cooking.
2.
Sauté onion in a little olive oil for two minutes; add garlic in last 30 seconds.
3. Add ground meat to pan and brown. Drain off fat and return to pan.
4. Add cooked rice, 8 oz of tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, pepper flakes,
Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
5. Cook for five minutes, stirring frequently, or until thickened.
6. In the meantime, in separate pot, combine 8 oz of tomato sauce, 8 oz chopped tomatoes, pinch of sugar, dash of vinegar or red wine and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Put peppers in glass dish that’s been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
8. Distribute meat mixture evenly among peppers.
9. Pour sauce over peppers.
10. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (This recipe is much more delicious if you allow the flavors to ripen.)

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until meat mixture is hot. Turn oven to 450 and place ½ slice of provolone cheese on each pepper half and bake until cheese is melted. Let stand for five minutes and serve.

Or you could just cook on intuition, which is what I prefer...

grilled pizza

Get to know your local pizzaria
and score some dough for cheap.
Knead and roll dough thin with flour.
Brush thin coat olive oil on both sides.

Heat grill.
Have all toppings prepared.
After the first side is crispy,
flip, sauce and top pizza.
Cover until done.

Pizza should be light, crispy and delicious.

One of my favorites:

Infuse Garlic into Extra Virgin Oil
Feta, Spinach, Grilled Tomato,
Artichoke, and Black Olive,
Manchego Cheese is nice addition

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

ceviche

sashimi grade white fish, red onion
jalapeno, serrano, cilantro, garlic
cube fish and tomato
toss in lemon-lime citrus mi
xture w/ kosher salt & white pepper.

black beans add color and taste contrast.
coconut milk will smooth it out.
sashimi will take less than an hour
in the fridge, spooning juice over the top a few times. serve with some tortilla or pita chips. a lighter white wine like Sauvignon Blanc pairs nicely.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

from the vine

colores del sol
malbec 2009
mendoza, argentina




  • blackberry
  • currant
  • oak
  • smoke






score:
6 of 10 corks

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

gumbo jumbo

Cozy window-side tables, big couches and a colorful bar make an easy restaurant-lounge. Located at 80 South Market St. in downtown San Jose, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner with live music on Friday and Saturday night. The food is on point. Gumbos, jambalayas and etouffees, all true to the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun cooking, are heady on flavor and pack some heat if you request spicy. The Asian fusion weaves flawlessly in San Jose’s culturally diverse population. The decor is vibrant yet relaxing. Morocco's Restaurant and Shisha Hooka Lounge make up the other two buildings in this downtown strip. It is nice to see an establishment that places high priority on the right things: food, music & atmosphere.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

dungeness crab salad

Boil live dungeness crab 8-10 min. Let cool, remove meat from shell.

Chop:avocado, cliantro, jalapeno, red onion, tomato*

Squeeze one half lemon and one half lime into salted bowl. Add crab meat and diced ingredients and gently toss. Pour into desired size container to form salad before placing upside down onto plate.
Garnish with paprika and cilantro.

*I have replaced the tomato sucessfully with ripe mango

white russians & bananas foster

Fire, Booze & Dessert

I was making bananas fosters and it occured to me that the drink and the dessert share essential ingredients. I tried using a scoop of ice cream in place of milk-- a white russian float--tasted spot on, albeit a little richer.

"The Dude abides."

Monday, February 1, 2010

edible education

Berkeley restaurateur Alice Waters planted the seeds long ago. This year's seedlings in edible education initiatives will likely reap bountiful harvest in our current socio-economic predicament. Our culture has deviated from traditional food values and become a culture of convenience. Waters’ Chez Panisse Foundation is an antidote for this cultural expedience, hailing programs like the Edible Schoolyard and School Lunch Reform. Created in 1996, her foundation is a powerful tool to educate and empower kids about food, and is currently effective in the entire Berkeley public school system. Water’s ideas are big, yet elegantly basic. Kids learn at school. They learn what’s cool, what’s important and what they like. The Chez Panisse Foundation has instituted food as a curriculum. And along the way students learn about sustainability, science, culture, language— about themselves. I bet very few kids know the feeling of satisfaction from nurturing a seed to a meal. I was fortunate to be raised in a family where food was a centerpiece for togetherness. However, overloaded schedules, fast food and a general disregard for this essential family ritual—for our own wellbeing— have all diluted our culture’s relationship with food. That’s why I love this primordial food education concept. It forces kids to look a food differently, is a legitimate learning tool and might just inspire families to break bread more often. Berkeley has always been a forward thinking place. So I find it especially refreshing that a program is already underway at the small high school I attended in Greensboro, NC. Food for Thought, Imagine that!

breaking down the senses

taste
sweet: builds body mass/lubricating effect
sour: mass/chemical & physical heat
salty: lubricating/ heat
pungent: heat/ dryness
bitter: drying/ depleting
astringent: compacting/ densifying

ayurveda & food

elemental composition of taste
sweet::earth & water
sour::earth & fire
salty::water & fire
pungent::fire & air
bitter::air & space
astringent::air & earth

vata
+pungent -sweet
+bitter -salty
+astringent -sour

pitta
+pungent -sweet
+sour -bitter
+salty -astringent

kapha
+sweet -pungent
+sour -bitter
+salty -astringent

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

larousse gastronomique aphrodisiac entry

turtle soup with ambergris
sole a la normande
reindeer filet in cream sauce
samis of teal
roasted young pigeon
watercress salad
asparagus in hollandaise
bone-marrow pudding

port
bordeaux
coffee
cocao

...anise & cucumber
candles, flower petals, etc...

rockfish

lime juice

mango

jalapeno

cilantro

red onion

coconut milk

from the vine




Mantra 2004 Caberbet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
7.75 of 10 corks

Norton Reserva 2006 Malbec Mendoza Argentina
9.50 of 10 corks