Berries

Berries
Originally uploaded by patacancha.

Pike Place Market
Seattle, Washington (USA)

Uploaded by patacancha on 12 Aug 06, 4.37AM PDT.

Berries

Berries
Originally uploaded by patacancha.

Cameron Adams rules!

IMG_4169
Originally uploaded by Cameron Adams.

PepsiCo to disclose water supplier: tap - Los Angeles Times

PepsiCo to disclose water supplier: tap - Los Angeles Times: "
From the tap
click to enlargeNEW YORK — PepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry.

According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, the world's No. 2 beverage company will include the words 'public water source' on Aquafina labels.

'If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do,' said Michelle Naughton, a Pepsi-Cola North America spokeswoman.

Pepsi's Aquafina and Coca-Cola Co.'s Dasani are both made from purified water from public reservoirs, as opposed to Groupe Danone's Evian or Nestle's Poland Spring, so-called spring waters shipped from specific locations that the firms say have notably clean water. "

It's the perfect season for ‘Ratatouille’

It's the perfect season for ‘Ratatouille’

CLASSIC RATATOUILLE

Serves 8. There are endless variations on ratatouille in cookbooks. But our favorite is this one, adapted from Julia Child's original book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," written by Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle.



1/2 pound eggplant

1/2 pound zucchini

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

6 to 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 to 2 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Freshly ground pepper

2 large, firm ripe tomatoes

3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

PEEL the eggplant, cut off the stem and cut lengthwise into 3-by-1-by-3/8-inch slices. Trim off zucchini ends. Cut into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place vegetable slices in a large non-aluminum bowl (glass or plastic are fine). Toss with 1 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Drain and pat slices dry on paper towels.


HEAT 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook eggplant and zucchini slices in batches until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side, adding more olive oil as needed. Set vegetables aside.


COOK onions and bell peppers in the same skillet in 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.


PEEL tomatoes while the onions and pepper cook by dipping in boiling water, then in ice water to loosen the skins. (Or use a serrated-edge peeler.) Cut out tomato stems, cut tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds and excess juice. Slice tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay tomato strips over the onion and peppers in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper.


COVER skillet; cook over medium-low heat until tomatoes begin to render juice, about 5 minutes. Uncover and baste tomatoes with cooking juices. Increase heat; boil until juice has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.


PLACE 1/3 of the tomato/onion mixture in a heavy Dutch oven or heavy casserole. Sprinkle with 1tablespoon parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top. Top with the half of the remaining tomato mixture and parsley. Top with the remaining eggplant and zucchini slices. Fish with remaining tomato mixture and parsley.


COVER and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with rendered juices. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Raise heat slightly. Cook, uncovered, until juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir often to keep vegetables from scorching on the bottom. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Sesame opens doors to a world of flavor

Sesame opens doors to a world of flavor
SESAME CHICKEN FINGERS

These crunchy nibbles are inspired by a Peruvian-Chinese "chifa" appetizer made with duck. Their texture and color remind me of Mexican alegrias, sweets made with amaranth seeds and honey, hence the name. Make a simple dipping sauce of ginger, scallion and soy sauce or a thicker, sweeter one of hoisin, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and hot pepper. Serve with a fresh Bodega Lurton Pinot Gris from Mendoza, Argentina.


THE SEASONING AND POULTRY


• 6 garlic cloves, mashed to a pulp

• 2 scallions (only the white part), finely chopped

• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely julienned

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon pisco (preferably the aromatic Pisco Italia)

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pound boneless chicken or duck breast, skin removed and meat cut into -1/2 x 3 inch-strips


THE COATING


• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 cup unhulled sesame seeds


TO FRY

• 3 cups corn oil


Seasoning: In a medium-size bowl, mix the garlic, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, pisco, vinegar, cumin, cayenne and pepper. Add the chicken, toss well and allow to marinate for 1 hour.


Coating: Drain the excess marinade. Place the flour in a medium bowl. Dip the chicken strips into the flour; shake to remove the excess. Dip into the beaten eggs, coating well. Finally, roll strips in the sesame seeds and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper; set aside. (May be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days.)


Frying: Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a heavy-bottomed, medium-size saucepan or a deep skillet. Working in two or three batches, add the coated strips to the hot oil and deep-fry until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Makes 4 servings.


Per serving (without frying oil): 430 calories (49 percent from fat), 23.6 g fat (4.1 g saturated, 8.9 g monounsaturated), 171.5 mg cholesterol, 38.1 g protein, 23.7 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 578.1 mg sodium.

Pita topped with artichoke hummus and lamb

Pita topped with artichoke hummus and lamb
Originally uploaded by Sashertootie.

Preparation:
Marinade the lamb with lemon thyme, garlic, grated lemon peel, olive oil, salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes.

Cook marinated lamb and thinly sliced onions on a very hot griddle for 2-3 minutes, turning to brown the meat quickly and carmelize the onions. Remove and keep warm.

Next, place the pita on the flatplate and warm on both sides. Spread pita generously with artichoke hummus, top with thinly sliced cucumbers, lamb and garnish with lemon thyme and grape tomatoes.

Enjoy! Uploaded by Sashertootie on 18 Apr 07, 8.35PM PDT.

Jerry Lewis sings "Send a salami to your boy in the Army"

Spices for brisket

IMG_9331_12222006
Originally uploaded by Patrick Austin.

But we knew this already...

To a Man's Heart With a Magical Pan
Originally uploaded by Charm and Poise.

My second home.

City Dock Coffee Shop on Maryland Avenue in Annapolis
Originally uploaded by Cameron Adams.

City Dock Coffee Shop on Maryland Avenue in Annapolis
Uploaded by Cameron Adams on 10 Jun 07, 3.04PM PDT.

Kosher Chile Adovado

\
Some friends brought back this little kit from their trip to New Mexico. I didn't try the sopillas with it because I think there might be milk products in it - but I made the Chile Adovado with beef cut "fajita style" from Mr. Kosher in Encino.

The recipe is really simple - take 1 1/2 lbs of "cubed" beef. Put it into an oven proof pan. Combine the little packet in the blender with 3 1/2 cups of water. Pour it over the meat. Marinate for 12 hours. I did this last night. This morning, I put it into the oven at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. It came out really really good - but it is caliente!

They sell the carne adovada mix alone - without the sopilla mix. I think we can just use corn tortillas. They also sell several types of ground chile.

Kalinka Restaurant - Montreal

Kalinka Restaurant - Montreal
Originally uploaded by appaIoosa.

Small but cozy Russian restaurant on rue St. Marc - above St. Catherine St.
My favorite Russian restaurant; for absolutely the BEST borscht in town - perfect for a chill November or wintery day! And if the borscht doesn`t warm you up, try a shot of stolichnaya!

Na zdorove, baby!

LOCATION: 1409 St Marc
PH: 932-3403

Uploaded by appaIoosa on 17 Dec 05, 6.12PM

Raspail organic market (1)

Raspail organic market (1)
Originally uploaded by cathou_cathare.

Making No-Knead Bread

Challah loaves

Challah loaves
Originally uploaded by Ruth and Dave.

Dave went on a two-evening course at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA). He learned to make artisanal loaves. This is challah, a Jewish bread that tastes buttery like croissants but has a more bready texture.

Uploaded by Ruth and Dave on 30 Jun 07, 8.28AM PDT.

Yahoo! Answers - Have you ever experienced a "brain freeze", if so, can you explain it to me?

Brain freeze, or its given scientific name Spheno Palatine Gangleoneuralgia is a term used to describe a form of cranial pain or headache which people are known to sometimes experience after consuming cold beverages or foods such as ice cream, slurpees, or margaritas, particularly when consumed quickly.
In laymans terms, it is the result of the constriction of blood vessels in the stomach when put in contact with cold fluids. The (pain) that you feel in your head is actually not occuring in your head at all but is diverted from your stomach to a nerve in your head which usually recieves this particular pain. It's a process is similar to that of someone having pain in their left arm after having a heart attack."

Take one small ferret, two scoops of ice cream...

GAME CAKES

Hat tip to counterfeitgirlscoutcookies.com for this




Cake town

we were not the first...

Another kugel contest! Not in Pasadena...

mmmgoatcheese

mmmgoatcheese
Originally uploaded by jewishjournal.

Vienna. Coffee

DSC06229.JPG
Originally uploaded by Votre Dame de Menlo Park.

Giovanni Sollima - Sogno ad Occhi Aperti (Daydream) PART 1

spices in seoul

spices in seoul
Originally uploaded by rooren-sensei.

Cheesecake

Say-a-blessing key chain

The Say-A-Blessing electronic keychain plays ten common Jewish prayers and blessings in Hebrew and English. It also contains a bonus LED flashlight. Unlikely that it would be kosher to use this on the Sabbath. It's $15 from the Jewish Learning Group.Buy it here.

3 days left...

Samson and Delilah (1949) - Trailer

Chronicle Wine Cellar, California & Lake, Pasadena

Chronicle Wine Cellar: "Chronicle Wine Cellar"

After having received Wine Spectator awards’ for "Best Wine List" every year since 1980, many people may have wondered where they would go in search of their favorite wines following the transformation of The Chronicle restaurant in Pasadena, Ca. in 1996 to the Pinot Restaurant.

However, owners Michael Osborn, Gus Martin and Lud Renick knew how important their wine operation meant to their dedicated customers, so they decided to keep the wine cellar portion of the restaurant open for business and therefore creating the Chronicle Wine Cellar operation. Today, they continue to carry the tradition that brought it so much fame within wine circles. Their philosophy is to make available quality wines at the best prices. They offer approximately 650 different types of wine from top producers to obscure wineries from around the world for customers to choose from. They selectively buy wines of high quality and at the best prices which makes their operation very competitive.