Following the footsteps of Celia (Fig Jam and Lime Cordial) who started this party now hosted by our friend Maureen (The Orgasmic Chef), I invite you for a small virtual tour of our kitchen. Maureen is taking a small break to recover from surgery, I know everyone is looking forward to having her back to the blogosphere next month. A warm hug going her way….
In our kitchen…
Well, this was in our kitchen a while ago, it’s gone. When we were in Hawaii we grabbed a bag and were hopelessly hooked. It is basically impossible to eat just eight. I am not too surprised that amazon has several kinds for sale, although it’s hard to justify the price they ask for it. Take a look with a click here.
In our kitchen…
The first tomato produced in our garden! Can you see how juicy it was? We enjoyed it in full mindful eating mode, as it deserved…
In our kitchen…
You might remember I used another type of Not Ketchup in my last post, the Cherry Chipotle. This one, Tangerine Hatch Chile is my favorite. Love it, love it, love it! I used it in turkey miniloaves, I smeared it on top of hamburgers, grilled pork tenderloin, it’s a fantastic product. Very low in carbs, just the right amount of spice. Go visit Erika’s blog to see all the different types she came up with.
In our kitchen….
We got this tip from our friend Virginia. Instead of buying tortillas from the grocery store, she goes to a Mexican restaurant in town to grab bags of this brand. The difference in quality is amazing indeed! If you happen to find this brand where you live, give it a try. Intense corn flavor, perfect texture. Unless you are going to make them from scratch, you cannot find a better option. We buy two or three bags at a time, they also freeze pretty well.
In our kitchen….
A new pair of scissors. I finally got tired of struggling with scissors that refuse to cut through plastic bags, or are too flimsy. These work great and look pretty good too. I’m a happy camper!
In our kitchen….
A new bowl… I got mesmerized by its color and shape. It was on sale at Marshalls, and I could not resist bringing it home.
In our kitchen….
A new ingredient to play with. I’ve flirted with Verjus for years, but finally reading a post by my friend Elaine over at foodbod, I caved in and got some. Stay tuned for my adventures with it… Buck seems quite intrigued… Is that something I would like?
In our kitchen…
Roasted beets, made in our toaster oven early on a Saturday morning… since Phil doesn’t care for beets that much, they were mine, all mine… This batch lasted for several days, and I enjoyed over salads, mixed with a stir-fry of ground chicken, they add a tone of sweetness with their earthy flavor. Love them!
In our kitchen….
Dan, my sourdough starter, got over-enthusiastic and wanted to take over the countertop! I guess warmer temperatures will do that. I put it to good use, there will be a post very soon about a certain sourdough bread… Stay tuned.
In our kitchen…
A work in progress… Eggplant cooked sous-vide and then finished with a miso-sesame glaze. I need to perfect the recipe, it has potential, but my first two attempts ended with eggplant a bit too mushy for my taste. However, the sous-vide definitely gets rid of any bitter taste without the need to salt the eggplant.
In our kitchen….
Different types of yogurt from Fage called Crossovers. They join unexpected flavors and are quite delicious. My favorite is the carrot-ginger with roasted pistachios. I think these ingredients would go very well together in a salad… Or once the weather cools… a warming soup. But, it goes without saying I am in no hurry to make soup. No hurry at all.
In our kitchen…
A bottle of Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin. The bartender at the golf club in our town made a Dry Martini for us using it and it is surprisingly floral. Totally different from any gin we’ve ever tried. Phil likes it more than I do, but if you are into mixed drinks, give it a try.
In our kitchen…
I blame it on our friend Gary, who “twisted my arm” to get this book. He said I needed it. Well, it is pretty fantastic, although each recipe, to be made exactly like the master does it, would need ingredients to be special ordered. Just to give you one example, the simplest Vanilla macaron shell requires not one, not two, but three different vanilla beans… Oh, the humanity! Still, it’s a masterpiece of a book, and I’m glad I did not resist.
In our kitchen…
Something that happens more times than I care to admit….
Reprinted with permission from Abby Has Issues… she does such great work! I follow her blog and Facebook page, and was thrilled when she gave me permission to share one of her cartoons. The story of my life, honest!
And because life is not just about cooking, I shall talk lipstick! I don’t usually wear make-up, but I do love a little lipstick. The Cover Girl’s Oh Sugar line is amazing: shiny, smooth, feels great on the lips, and on top of it, they are very affordable. Our grocery store carries every single color available. After grabbing some avocados, tomatoes, I stopped by Cover Girl and grabbed Jelly and Punch. Is that cool or what?
I hope you enjoyed this little tour around our kitchen… The pups are quite anxious to say hi to all of you, but first I want to share some bits of our past.
Chief’s Stories
Phil is a pretty good dog trainer. Back in Oklahoma when we had the sweetest dalmatian ever, Pits, he trained him to balance a treat on the nose. Pits would be static, waiting for the command “OK,” when he would flip the treat high up in the air and grab it. Chief never had the patience for it, he could maybe hold it for one second but that was it. Anyway, one day Phil is making Pits do his balancing trick, he placed the treat, held his hand up and kept saying… wait…. wait….. wait…. Just as he was going to give the OK command, Chief dashed running like a maniac, jumped up, grabbed the treat off of Pits nose, and ran away with it! It was THE funniest thing ever, and I’ve always regretted we could not catch it on video. It would have gone viral, I know that for a fact… Chief was really one of a kind…. We miss him.
Hello! My name is Buck, and I believe this sofa is the best spot in the house, although you will not find me here when Dad is around… He starts waving his hands and acting all steamed up. Borderline irrational, if you ask me.
Truth is, my poise and class are evident no matter where I am resting my handsome body.
Hello! My name is Oscar and evidently I know how to make the best spot in the house even better.
With my long legs, I am the only one who can see all the goodies Mom and Dad are enjoying for dinner.
But, of course, we all know Oscar has his idiosyncrasies…
I thought I made it clear I do not care for rice crackers!
Buck has his issues too. His favorite time to play in mud is right after getting a bath. Frustrating, to say the least. One of the reasons why his Mom’s hair gets more gray with each passing week can be seen in the short video below.
Well, that all for now, folks…
We hope you are enjoying this beautiful season!
See you next time…
ONE YEAR AGO: Ka’Kat, a Middle Easter Snack Bread
TWO YEARS AGO: Spinach and Chickpea Curry
THREE YEARS AGO: Sautéed Zucchini with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
FOUR YEARS AGO: Orzo with Heirloom Tomato Relish
FIVE YEARS AGO: Headed to Brazil!
SIX YEARS AGO: The Rhubarb Brouhaha: Revelation Compote
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Love me tender…
Bewitching Kitchen 