You could probably make this dish in the time it takes to read this recipe. It depends, of course, on good olives, which don’t come out of a jar or a can. Ideally, you use green olives stuffed with garlic; this saves you the work of pitting them (although it’s probably a good idea to [...]
Archive for the ‘Essential Ingredients’ Category
Green Olive-Almond Pesto
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan on March 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Maraschino Cherries
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Fruit, Vegan on August 4, 2010 | 1 Comment »
The trouble with being a pedant is that, one day, your pedantry will come back and bite you in the rear. After spending a semester in college studying in Italy (well, “studying” might not be the most accurate term), I returned with a little knowledge of Italian and a lot of self-righteousness about the way [...]
Tomato Sauce
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan on July 10, 2010 | 2 Comments »
A few years ago, my dad asked me if I had a good recipe for a tomato sauce to complement the pizza he was making. He seemed a little nonplussed when I said, “Saute some onions and garlic; stir in some canned tomatoes.” Apparently, he had been expecting something more elaborate. I’ve had several conversations [...]
Smoked Paprika Aioli (Allioli con Pimenton)
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Sauces and Condiments, Vegetarian on June 7, 2010 | 6 Comments »
If they called it “mayonnaise”, you would never eat it. But since it’s called “aioli”, you can’t get enough of it. It’s been so ubiquitous on restaurant menus over the past few years that I propose that the last decade be renamed the “Aioli Aughts”. Aioli (or, by the Catalan spelling, allioli) is simply mayonnaise [...]
Green Garlic Pesto
Posted in Appetizers, Essential Ingredients, Sauces and Condiments, Vegetarian on April 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Thank God it’s April. Granted, here in the Pacific Northwest, the weather has actually gotten worse since February. But at least the days are longer and the farmers’ markets finally have something besides turnips and potatoes. To celebrate all things green, here is this recipe—absolute heaven for garlic lovers. It’s inspired by the pesto that [...]
Romesco Sauce
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan on March 31, 2010 | 6 Comments »
Boy, is romesco sauce good. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Romesco sauce is further evidence that one should have almonds in the freezer at all times, ready to jump into the food processor at a moment’s notice. It is also further evidence that garlic is good, that red peppers should always be roasted, that a little sherry [...]
Bread Crumbs
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Vegan on March 28, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Free food. That’s how I feel about bread crumbs. Invariably, part of a baguette goes uneaten, and by the next day, it’s stale. It could go into the trash, or it could go into a bowl and wait for more of its baguette brethren to accumulate, until the day comes when the bowl is full [...]
Polenta with Broccoli Rabe
Posted in Breakfast and Brunch, Carnivorous, Entrees, Essential Ingredients, Grains, Meat, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian on March 26, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Polenta is one of those things that make me feel like I’m missing something. I’ll whip up some polenta in 30 minutes or less and really enjoy what I end up with, but to hear people talk about making polenta, you’d think that it was an alchemical problem on the magnitude of turning lead into [...]
Roasted Pepper Purée
Posted in Essential Ingredients, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan on March 19, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Once the peppers are roasted and peeled, it takes all of thirty seconds to create this delicious and versatile condiment. The basic ingredients are: 4 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, roasted and peeled 1 t (or more, to taste) vinegar, preferably sherry olive oil, as needed (about 2 T) The procedure couldn’t be simpler: Put [...]
Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche
Posted in Desserts, Essential Ingredients, Vegetarian on March 13, 2010 | 4 Comments »
I often remind my Lovely Vegetarian Wife that it is because of her that I am such a big steak lover. Although her response to this varies between “Whatever” and a mere roll of the eyes, it is indisputably true. Because meeting my Lovely Vegetarian Wife led me to meeting my in-laws, both of whom [...]
