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Tag: basil

Fatta In Casa–Italian From Scratch

This little Italian girl always loved lasagna. Even though lasagna uses the same basic ingredients as other Italian dishes (noodle, sauce, cheeses), it’s the structure of lasagna I love.  It is organized.  And I am a big fan of things being organized.  I always was. As a child I remember Read more…


Summer Dinners

Lazy summer days–besides a ton of chopping vegetables. Who wants to cook in the summer? Fresh, chilled dinners are best in the heat. Like this salad of jicama, cucumber, tomato, and red pepper. And raw kale with some black beans for protein. I massage ’em with ginger oil, toasted sesame Read more…


Purging Drafts

Did you ever see someone’s inbox and realize that maybe you’re a bit neurotic about clearing your inbox? I don’t like when I have drafts just sitting around. So here, a blog post that has no theme or elaboration that fizzles out text-wise but still captures some of the yumminess Read more…


The American Wilderness

Are you ready for it?… The United States of America is gorgeous. From shore to shore, the spectrum and range of natural beauty is astounding. This many say (or sing), but such things are more effective when felt, sharp-like, when one is inside (or atop) it, gazing and love-filled that there is Read more…


Grape Stomp / Lagusta’s Luscious / New World Home Cooking
{Upstate Adventures}

Robibero Family Vinyards in New Paltz, New York had its annual grape-stomping festival this weekend, the first weekend of autumn. It was the perfect excuse to run north for the day with CP. After managed expectations, I was delighted by the peaceful, bucolic property and the opportunity to check another item off my bucket Read more…


See Beautiful Glaciers, Relax, Eat (repeat) / Vegan on Holland America Cruise, Day 3

Mezze Plate: Baba ghanoush, chickpea hummus, stuffed grape leaves and tabbouleh salad, served with warm Pita bread. Pasta Fagioli: Flavorful tomato broth cooked with beans and vegetables and whole wheat pasta, seasoned with Italian herbs. Grilled Vegetable and Tofu Kebob: Served over brown pilaf rice with almonds, drizzled with tomato-basil Read more…


The Gorge and Vegan Cheese Boards

Besides being beautiful, New York’s Finger Lakes Region has some spectacular vegan options. Like Veraisons, the restaurant located on Glenora Winery in Dundee. Honestly, this place was our main reason for this trip. After discovering the vegan options on its seasonal menus, I have been watching them change. With an exciting summer Read more…


Saying Goodbye to Summer in Brooklyn

Teacher shoes. Ice cream treat on the Gowanus. [Ample Hills Creamery] Pretzel cone. Dairy-free fudge & Brooklyn. Fried pickles. Summer beer. [Pickle Shack] Herbs and cashew cheese on rustic bread. Avocado green. Vanilla ice cream, macerated strawberry on cookie crumb and basil cream.


The V-train to Queens & Brooklyn [pictorial]

Thirsty Koala‘s vegan tacos in Astoria, Queens… and their vegan Moussaka. Sweet Jane’s, a new ice cream shop with soy, coconut, and almond-based vegan ice cream. Also in Astoria, Queens. Did I mention vegan fudgesicles? My favorite sample was the mango basil. We sampled most of their yummy flavors! And settle Read more…


School Lunches

This week’s lunch–lasagna with spinach, tofu ricotta, and roasted eggplant and tomato right out of my garden. Sauce is Paesana, thee best jar sauce. Looking forward to lunch this week. I loved this past week’s beet cake so much that I tried another beet cake recipe for this week. This Read more…


Summer in Paris, Lovely Lagusta’s Savory Dinner Series

It seems like eons ago that Ms. CP sent me a link to chocolatier Lagusta’s (of Lagusta’s Luscious fame) savory dinner series. Since then I have been occasionally pouring over the menu highlights of our reserved Summer in Paris dinner. What can be better than being served 8-12 (!!) high-end, all-vegan Read more…


Horseradish.

I was so excited to see that Fairway finally had horseradish! I had never even seen the flavorful root before–just glass containers of Gold’s white and purple varieties. The real deal… and rung up mistakenly as the cheaper celeriac. After gazing at it now and again as the week progressed, Read more…


Eat Your Yard!

The Electrician made me a garden! I planted transplants because I’m not cool enough to sow seeds (yet). In the ground: arugula, red bell pepper, plum tomatoes, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and basil. My grandmother’s garden gnome is finally back on duty. In other plant news: Addy loving the cat Read more…


The Last of the Mozzarella

Gorgeous heirlooms and the backyard basil is the best for the last of the buffalo mozzarella. A little puddle of good olive oil goes far…


End of Summer Rolls {and much more}

ith summer on the outs, and a stock of Asian noodles to utilize, I wrapped up some end-of-summer rolls. Fresh, vibrant and with a variety crunchy textures, these see-through beauties have all the elements of a delicious summer snack. Inside: vermicelli, basil and mint from the backyard, cilantro, sliced English cucumber Read more…


Summer Color, final installment

[office green] Fresh basil from the backyard. [floral white] My guys. [fern green] Pesto sauce from the delicious backyard basil. [sunglow] Those pesky, beautiful weeds. [light yellow] Avocado in lemon. [lavender pink] Feasting bee. [prussian blue] All hail the fig. [seal brown] Frozen chocolate-covered banana. [mint] Mint. [light pink] Exploded Read more…


Vegan Day on Long Island

I have to give props to Vegguide‘s community members. This guide is so robust with locations offering options for vegetarians and vegans. Whether it’s a completely vegan restaurant or an omnivorous place with a single veg-friendly dish, the community covers the entire world (yes, all 7 continents!) and it is Read more…


Heat Wave, Day 2: Summer Bruschetta

I kind of fell in love with this vibrant compilation of summer recipes. It got me thinking more creatively about what would be an tasty snack during these high temps. Easy, fresh, and colorful were musts. I diced some mango and basil and doused with fresh lime juice, the first Read more…


Summer Cake, Simple Lunch

Sacrificing virgin coconut oil. With my apartment’s thin windows chilling the kitchen, my coconut oil was in the solid phase. To utilize it for a summer-inspired Bahama cake, I let her toast ‘er bottom on my stovetop, very briefly. Anyone who’s ever had a bowl of pyrex [or multiple glass Read more…


Dumpling Soup

This week’s lunch needs to be simple and hearty. It needs all my servings of vegetables; it needs carbohydrates. Most of all it needs taste. With Herbs de Provence, a vegetable bouillon, rosemary, fresh parsley and more basil, the thick soup packs a flavor punch that will get better everyday… Read more…


The Earth Births the Vegetables

I often sing the praises of fruits and vegetables. It isn’t because I’m a vegan… I’d be a vegan no matter what it tasted like really. Separately and as passionately, I love food. I’d love a roasted onion over a new pair of shoes, prefer a perfectly ripened tomato over Read more…


Momma Mia, Here I Go Again

In yet another flour-heavy recipe, CandyPenny & I embarked upon mastering her Italian grandmother’s recipe for homemade raviolis. From scratch, us two stallionesses created a delectable pasta filled with bright green pesto. May we soon pass the recipe on to our respective cat and weasel. The high-end culinary tool, the Read more…


To the Farm…

Cooking a four-course Thai meal with ingredients picked from the local market and from the grounds of an organic farm, I brought my appetite and anticipation from the night before. The full day class, offered by the Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School, gave me yet another escape from the Read more…