Color Me Hungry

photo

Almost a decade ago my family and I traveled to Durango, Colorado for my cousin’s wedding. I’d never been out West before and I remember thinking how insanely different everything looked and felt. I decided, while staring out of the hotel window at a mountain range, that I’m a city person. I’d rather look at buildings. I’d rather be surrounded by tall steel and crowded streets than lonely nature.

In those ten years I’ve seen plenty of cities and gorgeous buildings and cramped sidewalks. But now, my deep appreciation for food forces me to better acknowledge the brilliance of nature.

Like, seriously, how the fuck did the Grand Canyon come about? I’m still confused. That thing is enormous. And scary. Totally insane. I think about my few hours in its presence and I’m shocked, humbled, amazed.

Nature also impresses me in the every day with its color coding abilities: similarly hued vegetables contain similar nutrients, vitamins and healing properties. I knew orange colored veggies could help with cancer prevention but I hadn’t mastered the rest of the colors. Enter Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Read More

Top Chef All-Stars Exit Interview: Episode 1

top-chef-all-stars-contestants

It’s like a family reunion: lots of familiar faces, lots of hugs, lots of passive-aggressive energy and lots of full frontal hatred. I think this season promises to be a fun one, with heightened emotions and high-level challenges. I never usually enjoy the first 5 episodes or so of Top Chef because there’s just too much going on with having to learn names and personalities and concentrate on 18 different dishes. At least for this season, we already know the chef’testants, know who we like and know who we want humiliated.

Unfortunately, this also means chefs that we love must leave. Sometimes too soon. Here’s the first chef’testant to pack up his/her knives. Find out who is PISSED and calls Tom Colicchio’s rise to stardom sad and heartbreaking.

Read More

Hanukkah: A Celebration of Oil

DSC_0175-332-x-500

Growing up I hated it when Hanukkah and Christmas didn’t overlap. It reminded me how different I was in such a Christian country. Sure, I received presents first, but by the time my Jesus-following friends ripped open their gifts of My Little Pony and bikes and, lets be honest, socks, I forgot about my equally as lame cool gear.

But as my brother and sister and I moved out of the house, and as we all maintained different schedules, it no longer mattered when Hanukkah (its date determined by the Hebrew calendar) landed. We knew we’d all be home over Christmas, so that is when we exchanged gifts. In fact, it became our ritual to exchange on Christmas night — we knew all of our friends would be busy with their families.

Last night was the first night of Hanukkah. And I’d never been so happy to have the Festival of Lights occur this far from Christmas and this close to Thanksgiving.

Cue the mashed potatoes.

Read More

Cream Cheese Saves the Day

cream_cheese_bagel

I’m not sure if I ever told you this before, but I used to hate cream cheese. And then one day, when I decided to keep my mouth shut, I tried it for the first time.

I was leaving my then-boyfriend’s mom’s house, heading back to Jersey at 10 in the morning. I never thought she liked me, as any girl thinks about her boyfriend’s mother. On that particular morning, as I stuffed my sleepover clothes into a backpack, she climbed the stairs and brought me a bagel for the road. The bagel was smeared with cream cheese.

On any other morning, leaving from any other household, I would offer my thanks, and ask for a knife and butter to remedy the situation. I hated cream cheese that much. I wouldn’t even fake it.

But on that particular morning, with that particular boyfriend’s mother, I shut up the cream cheese hater inside me and graciously tucked the bagel into my backpack.

Read More

Last Chance for Turkey Leftovers

2010-11-25_17-49-01_514

While it may not smell bad or display visible signs of deterioration, cooked turkey, according to US Department of Agriculture, should not be eaten after four days. And if you’re not eating the bird within that time frame, it should already be in the freezer for future usage.

Before you mentally calculate all of the different Tupperware containers stuffed with turkey that must be finished tonight, check out these ideas on how to devour your leftovers deliciously.

10 Low Fat Ways to Use Leftover Turkey [About.com]

6 Great Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas [The Orange County Register]

10 Tasty Ideas for Leftover Turkey [Wise Bread]

12 Recipes for Leftover Turkey [Delish]

10 Ideas for Leftover Turkey [Real Simple]

101 Ways to Use Leftover Turkey [Food.Fitness.Fun] (although it’s a lie – only 25 here)

Photo: Turkey Butter by Jack‘s Mom

Calling All Procrastinators: Last Minute Thanksgiving Ideas

turkeybaby

Guides

A Procrastinator’s Thanksgiving

A Meat Lover’s Thanksgiving

An Elitist’s Thanksgiving

A Candy Fiend’s Thanksgiving

Lists

Five Ways to Drink Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Top 10 Most Creative Stuffing Recipes

100 Ways to Cook a Pumpkin

Recipes

Julienne Root Vegetable Salad

Butternut Cranberry Spring Rolls

Turkey Carcass Concoction

Curried Parsley Sauce with Brussel Sprouts and Potato

Squash with Portobellas, Walnuts and Feta

Hot and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Read More
« Previous
Next »