Chocolate Budino With Espresso Cream

October 22, 2012
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Budino.
It’s like pudding, only better.

Why? Because it’s richer, denser and well, Italian, which automatically makes it better, right?

This is no ordinary pudding. There is no comparison with anything J-E-L-L-O. The stuff that comes out of those little boxes is like comparing salmon eggs to Beluga caviar, like chopped liver to foie gras, like cubic zirconia to diamonds. This is the real deal.

See those pretty glasses with the silver rim? They’re tea glasses I bought in Turkey, and while I’ve yet to drink tea out of them, I thought they’d also be great for this dessert because frankly, no one should eat more than what’s in that glass of sinful richness. Trust me.

I like this recipe because it only has three ingredients, yet it can be a show stopper for a dinner party or simple comfort dessert to eat alone (you know what …

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Wheat Berry Salad with Corn, Asparagus, Tomatoes and Pesto Vinaigrette

September 23, 2012
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Here in Southern California, summer is not quite over. We’ve been pushing temperatures in the 90′s for the last two weeks and it certainly doesn’t inspire any cooking which requires slaving over a hot stove or even turning on the oven. That’s why I’m so enamored lately by cold salads which can do double duty. They can serve as a side dish or the main course later in the week (assuming you have leftovers!).

What is a wheat berry?

This is wheat in its whole grain form. According to Grain Mains wheat berries are one of the most common whole grains and appear in many forms; hard red wheat berries (hearty and firm in texture and flavor), soft white what berries (often used to grind into flour), whole grain farro, spelt berries, kamut, and whole grain bulgar (not the processed kind which removes the bran).

The book recommends pre-soaking the …

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Quinoa and Black Bean Burger and a “Grain Mains” Book Giveaway

September 10, 2012
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The media is awash in the benefits of “whole grains” these days. So much that the big food companies have jumped on board touting “whole grains” in everything from cookies to crackers to Cheerios. While my guess is that those products might be slightly better for you than their more processed counterparts, I can’t help but feel this is a bit akin to greenwashing.

This is why I find myself trying to cook with whole grains in their original form more and more. The benefits are clear; whole grains are good for the body. They fill you up with soluble and non-soluble fiber which encourages you to eat less and aids in digestion. They are a heart healthy food, scouring the body of cholesterol and can help cut the risk of diabetes. In addition, not only do they taste good, but they are easy on the wallet, especially when bought when bought …

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Garden 2012 update

September 1, 2012
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This year’s garden was a massive failure and disappointment. I’m not saying this to whine about it. Really, it’s more along the lines of  ”What the $#@!??” and my ever growing frustration. I’ve had big gardens and small ones. I’ve had very successful ones and this one, not so much. It started well, but while a bunch of big green plants might be pretty, if they don’t provide the vegetables you plant them for, is it worth it?

Tomatoes are the primary reason I plant a garden. It’s true “there’s nothing like a homegrown tomato”, and the photo above notwithstanding (that was the garden’s best day, photo taken with my cell phone, sorry), my tomato yield this year was paltry. You might have seen the giant tomato I picked and posted on Facebook. I got about ten that size, but out of nine tomato plants I don’t …

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Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Olives, Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Preserved Lemon

August 21, 2012
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It’s been hot here in Southern California. Really hot. Hot, as in the lawn has turned crispy, hot. Hot, as in run the A/C all night long, hot. Hot, as in melt your ipad case in the car, hot. Yep. That last one happened to my husband. He’s lucky the ipad still works.

When the weather is as unrelenting as it has been, I only want to eat cold food, and salads like this one serve double duty. I make one each weekend, usually with some sort of whole grain, rice, or pasta and lots of vegetables mixed in. We eat them first with a piece of  easily grilled protein (chicken or fish grilled outside to keep the house cool). Then I’ll serve the rest of the salad later in the week as a quick veggie lunch or with something like leftover chicken tossed in. These Simple Sunday Salads will serve …

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Markets in Istanbul; Kadikoy Food Market and Galata Bridge Fish Market

August 15, 2012
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If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you’ll know that besides food, my biggest passion is travel. When the two intersect, I’m in heaven. So it’s natural that when I travel, I search out recommendations for the best food I can find, be it street food, restaurants, or markets. Likewise, I thought I’d share some of my favorite experiences here in case any of you should find yourselves traveling to some of the same places. Even if you have no plans for a visit, it’s always interesting to see how people eat in other cultures.

In April, my husband and I went to Turkey for 8 days, spending the bulk of our time in Istanbul and also visiting the Roman ruins of Ephesus.  There are fantastic fresh markets all over Istanbul; these are photos from but two of them. If you are interested in markets other than those for …

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