sweet potatoes
It turns out I will be cooking for a smallish group this year [for Thanksgiving] and I am thrilled to have ‘permission’ to reinvent some old classics. For starters, I want to play with sweet potatoes. Though we have great affection for the classic candy-topped 9×13, this year the taters will get a makeover. The next few posts will include a number of sweet potato recipes. But before we pull out our forks, a quick primer on the beloved sweet potato:
When given a choice between sweet potatoes and their creamy russet cousin? You will… [more]
4 Comments - your turn to talk!Urban Farm Handbook. (giveaway)
I knew I wanted to get my hands on this book, just from the title: Urban Farm Handbook. I have carried it on the plane with me a few times recently, and am sure I get a few good looks what with goats, chickens and biochar pouring off the pages. No doubt someone saw me shaking my head and smiling when I realized that thanks to reading this book: I would end up buying a grain mill… and joining bulk-buy groups (think unprocessed grains, large orders of tomatoes).
But don’t be alarmed, just reading this book doesn’t mean… [more]
29 Comments - your turn to talk!will fly for oil: California Olive Ranch
California Olive Ranch has a new fan: me.
A few days ago I flew to Sacramento to check out their digs in northern California. They have 3 ranches; we visited the Artois ranch. You may know my deep affection for green gold—just pressed olive oil—due in large part to living in Italy for a year.
While in Italy, we tasted a lot of olive oil(s) from different regions, ranches and olives. This is how you get to know flavors, profiles, preferences and quality (or lack thereof)—whether we are talking olives, wine, chocolate or cheese. The more you taste a… [more]
3 Comments - your turn to talk!a week in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is deserving of more than one post, to be sure. But for now it will have to do!
You can peek at more pictures from my week in Amsterdam in this flickr album (browse ALL of Talk of Tomatoes’ FROLIC albums).
I was SO lucky that we had enough mileage for a free flight to Amsterdam. My husband had business in Holland which means there was room for me in an already-paid for hotel. Of COURSE I was going.
(We were in Amsterdam the week of Oct. 2-8); I had next to no internet… [more]
5 Comments - your turn to talk!Urban Foraging
I went on an urban foraging tour in the middle of September, and thought I would share with you some of my ‘field notes.’
My interest in foraging continues to grow, so when I noticed an informal tour/gathering for urban foraging in my neighborhood—I didn’t hesitate to sign up. It is true that some berries and leaves are poisonous… which means I aim to learn this with caution and care until it rolls into confidence. Which roughly translates to: a few weeds/berries at a time.
On this tour we identified rose hips and hazelnut trees, pineapple… [more]
5 Comments - your turn to talk!Jean Georges Steakhouse Las Vegas
I was the girl who matched my homemade plastic bangle earrings to my layered neon socks. I wasn’t sure what fashion bar I was or was not setting, but at a young age I appreciated attention to detail: color coordination, accessory adaptation, trending neon and customized jewelry. Call me silly.
In my adult years this attention to detail and appreciation for a thematic approach resonates on my plate (when serving up meals at the cooking school, for private events and small catering gigs), at parties (creating ambiance, themed table settings and well-orchestrated menus to the garnish) and… [more]
Leave a comment!Las Vegas (Day 3): Aria Resort & Casino
Day 3 of being spoiled. rotten. Thanks to Aria Resort & Casino.
I rolled out of bed (as this is the only way to get out of bed after late nights in Vegas—just try not to hit the floor on your way out). I ambled onto the elevator and shimmied (forgetting it was early morning and I was no longer at HAZE nightclub) to the ARIA Spa & Salon.
Now be nice: I know I am spoiled but my shoulders hurt from lifting rocks, chicken-tracked hay and large pots of boiling water—in no particular order. Having a massage… [more]
1 Comment - Join the Fun!Las Vegas (Day 2): Aria plus Food & Wine All-Star Event
I fell in love with Jean Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant in Las Vegas: Jean Georges Steakhouse. Since Jean Georges if famous and travels often, we met the man who runs the restaurant too: Chef Rob Moore. We were fortunate enough to see, shake hands with and spend breakfast-eating-steak with both Chefs. The best: learning about the concept behind Jean Georges (post coming soon), and his palpable passion for the best meat and ideal ambiance—all the meanwhile setting the transcontinental bar for ‘steakhouse.’
After eating steak off the bone, the best bone marrow of my life and creamed basil… [more]
Leave a comment!Las Vegas (Day 1): Aria, Sirio, Top Chefs and more!
What a whirlwind. And I love whirlwinds.
This is what you hope for in Vegas: to be scooped into the atmosphere, with its sparkling dresses and giant cigars, card shuffling, roulette wheels and slot-machines, shiny new cocktails, the best noshes of your life, world-class service and ideally—going home with big stories and a heavier wallet. (And in this case: a chance to rub shoulders with celeb chefs).
My wallet was a tad bit lighter, but my heart and stomach were happily full. Thanks to Aria Resort & Casino and MGM plus Food & Wine [who sponsored this… [more]
2 Comments - your turn to talk!FAIR TRADE. (and a GIVEAWAY)
I like the idea of buying goods that support good causes. I like good people who are trying to make a difference. And, I am a big believer in ‘voting’ with our consumer purchasing power. For example, I don’t buy food at fast food restaurants and choose to buy grass-fed beef from a local farmer. I buy produce from a CSA or small farmer and seeds from sources that I trust. It is all voting. I can buy mass-processed cheese or artisan cheese. You could buy organic milk or non-organic, food with or without high fructose corn syrup, eggs… [more]
11 Comments - your turn to talk!
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