December Food Holidays: Joys of the Season
In December many of the food holidays reflect holiday celebrations like Christmas & New Year's. Pumpkin Pie, Egg Nog & Champagne are some of the observances.
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Author: Kitchen Shaman
Pomegranates: Food of the Gods and Mere Mortals
November is National Pomegranate month, so before the month ends, I wanted to write a little about the history and uses of this many-seeded, delectable fruit.
Growing up in Arizona, pomegranates were one of the joys of winter season. They were prolific here in the Southwest. My dad was a gardener and worked where there were many pomegranates. He would bring them home during season for us to eat. I loved cracking them open and just picking out the seeds one by one. Some people like to pop them out into a bowl. Not me. The challenge was how to get the seed out of the pocket with the juice intact.
Ancho Chili Enchiladas
This is the time of year when the tamale cookers come out and you can find street vendors in parking lots selling homemade tamales and food trucks loaded with both sweet and savory tamales. But for me, living here in the Southwest, it is as much about the enchiladas as the tamales.
End of the Week Soup: Cabbage and Potatoes
Soup is a relatively easy process for me. I’ve been making it since I could reach the stove top. As a chef I’ve learned the nuance of spices, what to blend to make something savory, sumptuous, and loaded with good stuff. My instincts usually guide me to the right places.
Last weekend as I looked through what was left in the fridge, I noticed I hadn’t used up the cabbage and I had some potatoes that needed cooking. Then, there’s carrots, always carrots. I went to work slicing and dicing in order to produce a soup.
November Food Observances
November is upon us, with the deep onset of winter. This is the time my thoughts of cooking turn to stews and hearty potato dishes. Available produce includes hard winter squash, potatoes, onions, leeks, parsnips, and carrots. All these foods can be turned into bone-warming, spirit-lifting dishes for family and friends....
Oddly enough food observances for the month do not really reflect the available foodstuffs. But then, produce growers aren’t the ones who create these holidays.
October Food Observances
We are heading into October, which means colder weather and Halloween. Surprisingly, food observances for the month do not reflect the spooky aspects of October, with the exception of a National Candy Corn Day. Luckily you can celebrate things like Caramel Day and Dessert Day with a spooky theme, if you want. Of more important note to many of my readers (and the Spouse!) October is National Vegetarian Month and October 1st is National Vegetarian Day. And don't forget we are still celebrating the Apple.
Vegan Eats: Austin
August hailed our yearly trek half way across the country. This year the Spouse and I opted for a different route than usual. This meant finding new vegan eating opportunities. I had recently learned about The Northloop House and Yard in Austin, Texas and had to try the vegan BBQ. Vegan BBQ in Texas, who couldn’t pass that up? I also have a dear friend who lives in Austin, so we chose to drive the 16 plus hours from Phoenix to Austin on Interstate I-10. Quite a ride, but worth the food. You can’t go wrong in a town that boasts a high number of James Beard Award nominees and just plain good food. Fortunately, the place we stayed at was literally walking distance from my friend’s bar. Serendipity definitely worked for me on this trip.
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steak
Nothing reminds me of Fall more than mushrooms: Wood Ears, Chanterelles, Criminis, Enoki, Hedgehog, Oyster, Maitaki, or Hen of the Woods. All of these, and the more wild varieties, can make me salivate. Mushrooms, when cooked properly, evoke an earthy sense, a delectable reminder of the forest, and being told as a child not to eat "those."
Living in the desert we don't have many mushrooms, but when the fall crops arrive I love to go to the market and pick out the large fan-shaped Portobello mushrooms.
September Food Observances
Brush up on those mushroom recipes because September celebrates this awesome edible fungi. There are many varieties to choose from, but remember, some mushrooms are poisonous. If you go out to harvest, take a field guide or someone who knows their fungi.
Please share your favorite recipes and photos of mushrooms with us on Facebook or Instagram. And I'll be posting up some of my special mushroom creations to share as well.
Quinoa Waffles to Inspire Your Brunch
Quinoa is a super food that has been consumed by the Incan, Mayan and Aztec populations for thousands of years. There are over 150 varieties, but only a few that are fit for human consumption. Originally grown in the Andes, quinoa has made its way up into the US, where I have happily discovered many of its uses. My job at the big resort taught me at least 100 different ways to prepare this nutty, earthy ingredient. What they didn’t teach me about is quinoa flour.
This flour has quickly become a staple in our house. Of course I had to find a suitable waffle recipe.
Books by Chef Johnna
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