Archive for the 'unfamiliar food' Category
Pasta Romanesco
October 17th, 2011by Caroline Of all the new vegetables we’ve met via our CSA — the cardoons, the agretti — I think my favorite might be romanesco broccoli, the fractal vegetable. It’s firmer than standard broccoli but sweeter than cauliflower, and it tasted great the other night in an easy pasta with lemon zest, sliced almonds, and [...]
Saying Goodbye to the Kid’s Menu
August 15th, 2011by Caroline When Lisa told me about her family’s road trip plans, I was envious (the sun! the stars! the Missions! the meals!) and then, instantly, dubious on the one point she was nervous about herself: the meals. Two weeks of restaurant meals. Forty-two restaurant meals. With two kids. At (among other places) several theme [...]
Learning to Eat: Kohlrabi
August 25th, 2010by Caroline Every summer, we visit my parents so we can glory in East Coast summer weather, grandparental (and parental) affection, and the abundance of my father’s garden. Depending on when we arrive, we might be gorging on berries or potatoes, and this year my dad promised both, but he also offered kohlrabi, a crop [...]
Baccala!
July 29th, 2010by Caroline Our stay in Portugal was planned as a respite, a no-agenda, unscheduled interlude without a lot of sight-seeing. It’s not that Lisbon and Sintra don’t offer a lot to see, but we know that with kids you can only be a tourist for so long before rebellion sets in and you risk finding [...]
Why We Travel
July 17th, 2010by Caroline I love the mix of familiar and unfamiliar when we travel. We bring food from home, but we shop in new markets. We rent an apartment so we can cook most of our own meals, but we also eat out and learn how to translate menus written in different languages. Our first night [...]
Social Shopping
March 5th, 2010by Caroline I love peeking in other people’s shopping bags and baskets. The other day a fellow Trader Joe’s shopper snagged my cart by accident and as I wheeled hers up and down the aisles, I marveled at what different groceries she found — it was as if we were shopping in different stores — [...]
Learning to Eat Quinces
December 3rd, 2009by Caroline Winter fruit in California is maybe not quite so varied as summer fruit, but with satsumas, pomegranates, and pears, I’m not complaining. This winter, I’m also optimistically awaiting a new addition to our winter fruit menu: the quince! After years of beautiful flowers from the raggedy little tree in the far corner of [...]
Betsabe’s Carne Asada
October 28th, 2009by Lisa Not long ago, Finn and I were walking through Trader Joe’s, when he made his usual pit stop at the samples counter. The offering was pork carne asada, on top of a bed of tortilla chips, sprinkled with cheese. The pork had been microwaved and wasn’t very good, but I could sense that [...]
Salmon Backs
September 8th, 2009by Lisa Looking for a fast, economical, and really delicious fish dinner? One that’s appropriate for a school night, guests, or a weekend brunch? The answer is Salmon Backs. Pietro introduced me to them, and they’re basically a “throw away” part of the fish, and they do look like scraps and bones. But they cook [...]
Agretti Spaghetti!
May 6th, 2009by Caroline Ever since we found a bunch of agretti in our mystery box, I have been wanting, naturally, to make agretti spaghetti. But somehow the stars aligned toward an Asian treatment first: steamed rice, caramelized golden tofu, and blanched agretti tossed with sesame oil and sesame seeds. The saltiness of the agretti complemented the [...]