Feed Us Back: Comments of the Week

– Matthew weighs in on the surprisingly difficult debate about how to make kale chips:

As a private chef, I’ve been cooking for some vegan yogis lately, and they freak over kale. 350 degrees, SINGLE LAYER in the pan, 10-11 min. Totally dry leaves before you start, just a little bit of oil, salt & pepper and you should be good to go. That is, if you ever want to try it again.

-While VeggieBoss is kind enough to share some secrets of dal:

The asafetida (AKA hing) needs to be slightly sauteed in oil. The smell is incredibly pronounced while it is raw. As soon as it cooks it mellows into something that provides a wealth of depth. I actually keep my hing locked up in a small jar. As some others have suggested to really bring out the taste of these ingredients the flavors need to be developed by cooking the spices in oil before combining with dal. Indeed, this is common practice in Indian cooking. The dal is cooked pretty plain, maybe salt and other very limited spices. It is then topped with a blend of spices that have been previously cooked in oil.

Wow, I had no idea you all had this asafetida thing locked up in your secret kitchen jars. Will have to get on that.

– Finally, thanks to everyone who has fed us back with even more yummy tomato recipes. We’ve added a few to the list, and I’m personally partial to ray‘s suggestion:

My favorite tomato treat is to put tomatoes with some chopped sweet onion, a little balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender and whip. Pour the mix in a styraphome cup and cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Take out of freezer about an hour before eating. Can be eaten out of cup or cut in half and served over a leaf lettuce base for an entertaining salad.

(Photo: Simple Bites)