Culinary News
Category: Ingredient Spotlight
Foraging Through The Berkeley Hills
We went Food Foraging today with the The Berkeley Path Wanderers Assoc. through the Berkeley Hills in Northern CA. Check out our Facebook Page for more pictures of the edibles that we foraged today. Here is a list of the edibles that we found with a brief description: Bermuda Buttercup- Citrus like flavor. Bristly Ox …
Selection Of Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
Chickpeas, or Garbanzo Beans, are a versatile ingredient that is a staple in Indian cuisine. Some options for using the beans are: purée for a Hummus and use for vegetables or pita bread or spread it on a Bruschetta. The whole pea can be used in a soup or stew, in a salad, or as …
Ingredient Spotlight- Beets
Beets are a versatile root vegetable and a mainstay on winter menus. Beets are most commonly roasted before being used but can also be julienned and used raw. Besides the root, the Beet Tops or greens can be sautéed, chopped for a salad, or puréed and used for a pesto. Also look for Bull’s Blood Greens …
Tip To Tail- Arugula
Arugula is a versatile leaf vegetable that has become a staple in the kitchen. Arugula was once considered a gourmet lettuce that could only be found on trendy restaurant menus. Now other unique greens have taken its place as the gourmet green du jour such as Fava Greens, Puntarelle, Purslane, and Little Gems. Arugula is …
Purple Season, Part 2
Last year we published a list of purple ingredients in our post, “It’s Purple Season”. Now we have an updated list of purple versions of familiar and well known produce. We have put together this list of purple ingredients for inspiration and ideas to play with in the kitchen. Most of the ingredients are similar to …
Salt Selection
A good chef will have a multitude of different salts in their arsenal. Kosher salt, common salt, or table salt is very important in cooking for balancing, fusing and bringing out flavors within a dish, but it doesn’t necessarily bring in a new flavoring element on its own. There are other salts that are used for adding flavor …
Night Of The Radishes
Night of The Radishes, or La Noche de Los Rabanos, is a celebration that falls every year on December 23rd. This annual event (Wikipedia) takes place in Oaxaca Mexico and has many events centered around all things radish. We’ll use any reason to celebrate food and drink so this is an opportunity to list all the radish items …
Citruses You Should Be Using Right Now
Citrus season is upon us and now is the time to find many unique citrus varieties out there. We have put together a list of hard to find varieties that are great for using as an aromatic. Adding lemon, lime, or orange juice and/or the zest is essential for balancing flavors in many dishes. A …
Dungeness Crab Season
Dungeness Crab season is here and off to a strong start. The boats have been lining up at the docks on the west coast and the fishermen are eager to unload their haul. This is one of the best starts to the dungeness crab season in recent memory so we should see crab around for …
Alternatives For Traditional Pasta
With so many people requesting gluten-free items, chefs are looking for creative alternatives for pasta. We have compiled some ideas for the times when regular pasta won’t work and you’ll need to find a substitute. A great substitution for egg noodles is Yuba (pictured on left), the skin that forms and rises to the top when …