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"Vegetarian"
A few years ago, my friend and I took a Mexican cooking class in Cuernavaca, Mexico (about an hour outside of Mexico City). It was a fabulous experience – full of road trips, site-seeing, and visits to farmers markets. We had the opportunity to fully appreciate authentic central Mexican cuisine and culture, since all of [...]
All right, so it’s not exactly Stanley Kubrick. But I cooked my first artichoke this past weekend (grown in my mother in-law’s garden), and let me tell you, all the fear surrounding these hard, alien-like vegetable has dissipated. While I’ll probably still resort to those oily marinated hearts in glass jars when pressed for time, I [...]
I got the idea for this quick weeknight meal from this month’s issue of Sunset magazine. Simply pan-fry your favorite vegetarian burger (I like Morning Star’s Griller’s Prime). Then assemble a Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozarella (the kind that’s still soaking in water), basil, and sea salt. Top each burger with one of the tomato/mozarella [...]
Even though I’m a few thousand miles from “home,” I subscribe to Pacific Business News. I get the issues about a month later than Hawaii residents, but it still makes me feel like I’m a part of the pulse of the islands. One of my favorite sections of the newspaper is their regular profile of [...]
Some foods appeal to us right away – chocolate, for example, or hamburgers (assuming you are not a vegetarian). These foods don’t require an “acquired taste” or any sort of particular palate; most of us just like them regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. Other foods seem to take a while before they grow on us. [...]
I tend to overestimate my level of cooking energy while grocery shopping. I will see what’s fresh or on sale, and develop delusions of grandeur about what I will be cooking up in the coming week. When confronted by the inevitable demands of the work week, though, I will often times turn to what’s convenient which [...]
Let me count the ways: You are full of vitamins A and C, as well as potassium. You are high in fiber, and have been to known to aid in digestion. You can be baked in a warm, gooey crisp, pickled in li hing mui (salty dried plum sauce), or chopped up and simmered in a marinade. Trader Joe’s has [...]
A few months ago, I did a double take in the produce aisle of my local Andronico’s. Before my eyes, right next to their more traditional white counterparts, lay bunches of purple cauliflower. I wondered how the purple cauliflower would look on a platter, prepared my favorite way, steamed and slathered in a rich cheddar cheese sauce. I [...]
About
I like Zip mins, spam musubi, and the butterfish misoyaki at The Cal. I've never been a fan of the loco moco but, now that I'm 3000 miles from my hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, nearly everything from the islands makes me salivate. I currently live (and cook) in the San Francisco bay area, and have inevitably fallen in with "buying local" and organically-grown foods. I enjoy recreating the foods I grew up with - recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation in my family. And, as a working home cook, I try to prepare a lot of fast and healthful meals. Part recipe book, part cultural memoire, and travel journal, here is where I document all of my gastronomical experiences. I think of my kitchen as a blend of past and present, and I believe that where we call home is what we serve on our plates. Questions or comments about anything here? Feel free to post your comments directly, or email me at sherry@50thplate.com.
