If there was such a term as a "cheese whore," I think I'd qualify. I have a friend who loves her cheese as well (she'll enjoy my ode to cheese in this blog).
What's not to like about cheese? Yes, it's fattening but it's loaded with calcium and there are low fat alternatives (and even soy alternatives for vegans).
I had my first cheese-tastic experience when I had the privilege of visiting the Cabot cheese tasting room in Vermont a few years ago. How could anyone not love horseradish jack or tomato and basil flavored cheeses? Vermont cheese boasts a sharp, yummy taste and I haven't found a cheese to outshine it (yet)!
I also am hooked on goat cheeses (both hard and soft) and I've been a lifelong fan of the fattening French brie. Brie and french bread--the most sinful of cheese/carb combinations.
I love cheese and crackers, cheese on its own, and hunks and chunks and blocks of cheese. Yes, I can hear your arteries hardening as I write. I love it melted, gooey and straight from the refrigerator.
I'm a huge fan of the buffalo mozzarella and fresh mozzarella. A caprese salad (basically fresh soft mozzarella, fresh basil and sliced tomatoes mixed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil) is my favorite summer salad.
Please feel free to comment and share your cheese recipes or "cheesey" experiences! Anyone for some dill havarti? Thanks. I'll take mine straight up.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Healthy Eats for the Spring!
Sorry for my long absence. I've been away from the foodie scene but I'm back with a culinary vengeance. I wish I could say that Emeril or Rachael Ray invited me to make a guest appearance on their shows, but alas I wasn't that lucky.
With the spring temperatures warming the air, it's time to share some of my favorite, healthy recipes. With my background in public health and my own personal eating habits (I'm a former pesco-vegetarian (translation: I ate mostly vegetarian and some fish), healthy eating is a part of my life. Don't get me wrong--I have a sweet tooth for chocolate and I love my wine (all in moderation, of course).
Speaking of fish, fish is a protein that more people need to add to their diets. I found this great recipe that combines two of my favorite foods/ingredients: salmon and pasta. This is a great "fat-fighting" recipe and also a very light, refreshing dish for the warmer season. This recipe incorporates fresh ingredients like fresh basil and tomatoes and whole wheat penne.
Whole wheat pastas can be more filling and are packed with fiber as opposed to white flour based pastas. For people who have gluten issues, try tasty rice pastas for an alternative to traditional pastas.
Happy Eats! :)
http://buzz.prevention.com/salmon-and-herb-penne/
With the spring temperatures warming the air, it's time to share some of my favorite, healthy recipes. With my background in public health and my own personal eating habits (I'm a former pesco-vegetarian (translation: I ate mostly vegetarian and some fish), healthy eating is a part of my life. Don't get me wrong--I have a sweet tooth for chocolate and I love my wine (all in moderation, of course).
Speaking of fish, fish is a protein that more people need to add to their diets. I found this great recipe that combines two of my favorite foods/ingredients: salmon and pasta. This is a great "fat-fighting" recipe and also a very light, refreshing dish for the warmer season. This recipe incorporates fresh ingredients like fresh basil and tomatoes and whole wheat penne.
Whole wheat pastas can be more filling and are packed with fiber as opposed to white flour based pastas. For people who have gluten issues, try tasty rice pastas for an alternative to traditional pastas.
Happy Eats! :)
http://buzz.prevention.com/salmon-and-herb-penne/
Saturday, October 27, 2007
The Scoop on Soup
Yes, it's finally soup weather. Although, it doesn't really feel like soup weather in northern California the past few days but we can pretend it's a chilly Fall evening.
I love homemade soup. Clam chowder is one of my all time favorite soups and I also love tomato soup. I'm a friend to all soups (however, I pass on all soups containing kernel corn. I have a strong aversion towards corn).
I usually like to eat other people's soup as soup making is a long process, especially cream-based soups. I attemped to make cream of broccoli soup last year and it was palatable. I had better luck with butternut squash soup (with splashes of nutmege and cinnamon) and I also made Whole Foods' black bean soup (you won't ever find a comparable black bean soup anywhere else). My version actually came out very close. This soup is great for vegetarians as well.
When I was younger, my mom would make a big pot of potato soup with chunks of bacon. She would make batches of homemade rolls and we'd warm our stomachs with steaming hot potato soup and rolls. It was an economical way to feed six kids and to fill our stomachs on a cold evening.
The one soup that I cannot stand eating anymore is lentil soup. Don't get me wrong, lentils are good for you but I ate so much lentil soup as a kid that I just don't like it anymore (that's right up there with my aversion to liver and canned corn).
The best soup I had last year was in Virginia. I was visting my brother in D.C. and we took a side trip to Alexandria. Between the crab cakes and the crab bisque, I was in nirvana. I had the most fabulous crab bisque soup. The flavors were amazing--hunks of real crab (not imitation), creamy rich tomato base with hints of sherry. Delicious!
Of course since I live in northern California and am not far from San Francisco, clam chowder is my most favorite soup. I love it served it a crusty sourdough bread bowl. That's what it's all about with chowder--the sourdough bread!
I love cream-based soups and one of my favorite soups is Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato soup. It's actually very healthy (low fat) and it tastes homemade: a thick, creamy tomato soup.
I live off this soup during the winter months. I love dipping my grilled cheese sandwich in it or dipping garlic bread. It's fairly inexpensive as well.
I also stumbled upon a dry soup mix (just add water). It's a creamy potato soup mix and it tastes delicious served in a sourdough bread bowl. This is another great soup for vegetarians.
So that's my scoop on soup. I'm always on a mission to find a new "Foodie Fabulous" soup. If you have any recipes to share, please feel free to let me know!
Happy Slurping...actually, that's bad manners. It's better to sip daintily!
I love homemade soup. Clam chowder is one of my all time favorite soups and I also love tomato soup. I'm a friend to all soups (however, I pass on all soups containing kernel corn. I have a strong aversion towards corn).
I usually like to eat other people's soup as soup making is a long process, especially cream-based soups. I attemped to make cream of broccoli soup last year and it was palatable. I had better luck with butternut squash soup (with splashes of nutmege and cinnamon) and I also made Whole Foods' black bean soup (you won't ever find a comparable black bean soup anywhere else). My version actually came out very close. This soup is great for vegetarians as well.
When I was younger, my mom would make a big pot of potato soup with chunks of bacon. She would make batches of homemade rolls and we'd warm our stomachs with steaming hot potato soup and rolls. It was an economical way to feed six kids and to fill our stomachs on a cold evening.
The one soup that I cannot stand eating anymore is lentil soup. Don't get me wrong, lentils are good for you but I ate so much lentil soup as a kid that I just don't like it anymore (that's right up there with my aversion to liver and canned corn).
The best soup I had last year was in Virginia. I was visting my brother in D.C. and we took a side trip to Alexandria. Between the crab cakes and the crab bisque, I was in nirvana. I had the most fabulous crab bisque soup. The flavors were amazing--hunks of real crab (not imitation), creamy rich tomato base with hints of sherry. Delicious!
Of course since I live in northern California and am not far from San Francisco, clam chowder is my most favorite soup. I love it served it a crusty sourdough bread bowl. That's what it's all about with chowder--the sourdough bread!
I love cream-based soups and one of my favorite soups is Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato soup. It's actually very healthy (low fat) and it tastes homemade: a thick, creamy tomato soup.
I live off this soup during the winter months. I love dipping my grilled cheese sandwich in it or dipping garlic bread. It's fairly inexpensive as well.
I also stumbled upon a dry soup mix (just add water). It's a creamy potato soup mix and it tastes delicious served in a sourdough bread bowl. This is another great soup for vegetarians.
So that's my scoop on soup. I'm always on a mission to find a new "Foodie Fabulous" soup. If you have any recipes to share, please feel free to let me know!
Happy Slurping...actually, that's bad manners. It's better to sip daintily!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
My Obsession with All Pumpkin Culinary Delights--Happy Halloween
The leaves are crunching under my feet and the wafting smell of pumpkin pie hits my nose and I am succumbed once again by this member of the squash family. I love the Fall season because the Fall means that it's PUMPKIN time and Halloween. Yes, pumpkin--you know that orange thing we carve and scoop out its gooey guts.
I love any and all treats pumpkin. I inhale pumpkin scones (I will give the 'Bucks credit for their yummy moist pumpkin scone). I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and my famous pumpkin pie cake that I recently made because I was craving my pumpkin fix. Pumpkin pie cake is the best pumpkin dessert I've made over the years and I'm not what you would call a baker. I'm one of those fake Rachael Ray bakers. Even non-baking me can whip out this cake and everyone thinks it took me hours to make.
It's basically a pumpkin pie base (with canned pumpkin, spices, evaporated milk, etc) and then you sprinkle a dry yellow cake on top and drizzle with melted butter. Voila, after you bake for about an hour you get a rich buttery crispy top crust! You can top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (I love it warm).
My sister loves this dessert and every time I make it I think of her. She's also a foodie fabulous connoisseur and a pumpkin lover. If I could bake her one and Fed Ex it to her at the hospital (she lives in a different state) I know she would get on her knees and kiss the ground and weep with joy. She would probably hide away in a closet and eat it all in one seating and would shoot daggers at anyone who even tried to catch a crumb. Yes, it's that fabulous.
Now I know there are a lot of anti-pumpkin eaters out there in Foodie Land. For all those who are against this orange squash, please don't hate the pumpkin. It brings much pleasure to my tastebuds. Give it a second chance. How can you say no to a gooey pumpkin scone or melt in your mouth cinnamon-infused pumpkin pie?
Pumpkin is definitely FOODIE fabulous. I even love salted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin soup. So there!
I love any and all treats pumpkin. I inhale pumpkin scones (I will give the 'Bucks credit for their yummy moist pumpkin scone). I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and my famous pumpkin pie cake that I recently made because I was craving my pumpkin fix. Pumpkin pie cake is the best pumpkin dessert I've made over the years and I'm not what you would call a baker. I'm one of those fake Rachael Ray bakers. Even non-baking me can whip out this cake and everyone thinks it took me hours to make.
It's basically a pumpkin pie base (with canned pumpkin, spices, evaporated milk, etc) and then you sprinkle a dry yellow cake on top and drizzle with melted butter. Voila, after you bake for about an hour you get a rich buttery crispy top crust! You can top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (I love it warm).
My sister loves this dessert and every time I make it I think of her. She's also a foodie fabulous connoisseur and a pumpkin lover. If I could bake her one and Fed Ex it to her at the hospital (she lives in a different state) I know she would get on her knees and kiss the ground and weep with joy. She would probably hide away in a closet and eat it all in one seating and would shoot daggers at anyone who even tried to catch a crumb. Yes, it's that fabulous.
Now I know there are a lot of anti-pumpkin eaters out there in Foodie Land. For all those who are against this orange squash, please don't hate the pumpkin. It brings much pleasure to my tastebuds. Give it a second chance. How can you say no to a gooey pumpkin scone or melt in your mouth cinnamon-infused pumpkin pie?
Pumpkin is definitely FOODIE fabulous. I even love salted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin soup. So there!
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