Apologies to the Euythmics, but ever since I conceived the idea for this post, I could not get their song out of my head. When I made my batch of homemade olives, I researched the various techniques involved, including the use of lye. I suddenly seemed to encounter all matter of food made with...
Growing up, I was one of those kids who loved olives, and like this little fella here, there was no better way to eat them then sucking them off the tip of each finger. Mind you, we’re talking those bland, black olives, the predominate requirement was their ability to attach to the tips of...
Hands down, one of my favorite herbs is basil, there is just something about it that adds a bit of zing or flavor that I never get tired of, and I am a firm believer that just about anything you add basil to is better as a result. Having only married into a family...
The custom of eating pork on New Year’s is based on the notion that pigs symbolize progress or prosperity for many cultures – not a connection that may immediately come to mind. The animal pushes forward, rooting in the ground before moving, symbolizing progress. In Italy, the fatty meat also symbolizes the fattening of...
Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin called cheese “milk’s leap toward immortality” and I couldn’t agree more. If cheese is something you like sandwiched between two sheets of plastic, than you will not appreciate this post. But if you’ve had the real live thing – you are passionate about what cheese is and can appreciate its diversity and...
Mahlab was another one of those purchases I made because I was very intrigued yet knew nothing little about when I purchased a bag of this spice. However, after my first experience with mahlab, I was determined to learn more about this wonderful new addition to my spice repitoire. I love being pleasantly...
I learned my lesson about being hesitant about trying sheep cheese, and eagerly jumped in with both feet to try goat cheese. I was ready to be impressed, and was not disappointed. Goat cheese, with the fresh kind also known as chevre, is made from goat milk. Goat cheese comes in a wide variety of...
When I attended a Yucatan cooking class in Mexico, the chef informed us that oregano was a foundation spice in many of the dishes we were to prepare, he further admonished us that we needed to use only Mexican oregano and not the Mediterranean Greek variety. Huh? Where I grew up, oregano is oregano is oregano. But...
