08 Sunday Mar 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Herbs, Sauces
Tags
cream, eggs, herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, Mushrooms, pasta, Shallots, tarragon
Thomas Jefferson (or “Tee-Jay”, his lesser known rapper name), from his travels in Europe, brought the Colonies the lovely flavor of tarragon. He was a Francophile in the largest sense; if it was French, it was good…and tarragon is very good, indeed.
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07 Saturday Mar 2015
Posted in Brunch, Eggs, Gluten Free, Main Course, Quickies (It's not what you think!)
First of all, isn’t this just fun to say? This is a popular North African and Middle Eastern concoction with huge flavor. Not surprisingly, people unfamiliar with this, still love it. It’s versatile, quick to prepare, soul-warming and delicious. Continue reading
06 Friday Mar 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Tags
beef, capers, Carrots, dates, Garlic, herbs, lemon zest, olives, Onions, orange zest, raisins, Spices, Tomatoes
Sicilians cook a bit differently than mainland Italians do. Their cuisine is primarily a combination of Roman, Greek, Arab and Spanish settlement, with a smidge of French and German thrown in for fun. At some point, they all held sway over Sicily. We’re going to focus primarily on the Moors, who ruled Sicily for over 240 years; their influence on the language and cuisine, was and is profound. One of their major influences remains today, the cultivation and use of oranges and lemons. The Moors also brought the cultivation of eggplants, dates, rice and sugar cane. While the Romans brought wheat to Sicily, it was the Moors who promoted the production through superior irrigation. This lead to the creation of portable dried pasta. The Moors brought cinnamon, pistachios, almonds and desserts with honey. This Stufato or stew, owes its flavors primarily to the Moors and with a smidge of the other conquering people tossed into the pot! Continue reading
04 Wednesday Mar 2015
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I haven’t made the creamy-type of polenta in years…and I do mean years. I had forgotten just how good it is and that it’s a nice alternative to mashed potatoes. It also behaves as a backdrop for other flavors; herbs, spices, garlic, scapes or ramps, and in this case, cheese! Beautiful, creamy cheese!! Continue reading
02 Monday Mar 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Quickies (It's not what you think!), Soup, Vegetarian
Tags
balsamic vinegar, bell peppers, Eggplant, Garlic, herbs, Onions, panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, tomato juice
I love eggplant parm. I was peeling an eggplant to make it when I realized, that I really should have another one, but it’s cold and I didn’t want to go out to get another eggplant, so then The Goddess improvises. In the way my mind works, or doesn’t, I thought SOUP! Anyway, you may have heard that lately soup has been on my mind, so in the words of the late Mr. Spock, “It is perfectly logical”. I thought eggplant parmesan in soup-form might work. I think it did. Continue reading
01 Sunday Mar 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Herbs, Sauces, Vegetarian
Rosemary, ahh, I do love this herb. It has spiky, rather substantial leaves, a heady, strong, complex aroma and flavor. It’s great on lamb, pork, fish and game, rubbed into chicken or your Thanksgiving turkey or sprinkled over potatoes (or other root vegetables), that are then roasted to crispy perfection. There’s something wintry about this herb, though I use it all year-long and prime rib, wouldn’t be as good as it can be, without rosemary. Continue reading
28 Saturday Feb 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Latin Food, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Tags
Chicken, chicken broth, gluten free, herbs, Lime, Rice, smoked paprika, Spices, Tomatoes
Arroz con Pollo is part of The Latin Lover’s childhood. He likes this version, because it has tons of flavor, with just a bit of smoky heat. This is a fix-it-and-forget-it meal, thanks to the slow cooker; dinner will be ready when you come home and the aroma…baby, life is good! Continue reading
27 Friday Feb 2015
Acid can and does spark the flavors of foods, as much as, and at times even more than herbs and spices. Citrus is the perfect way to make flavors sparkle…you know The Goddess loves her orange, lemon and lime. But, acid is more than just citrus; vinegar is a wonder and balsamic, with its sweetness, adds untold complexity to foods. It’s all about how our taste buds work…. Continue reading
25 Wednesday Feb 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Slow Cooker, Soup
To further our flavor adventure, this week we’re going to focus on spices. Life should be spicy and full-flavored, don’t you think? Spices can, well spice things up. They can take us to other worlds, on a flavor adventure, so to speak. These are a few of my favorite things…! Continue reading
23 Monday Feb 2015
The Unbound Reader, who married The Middle Son last year, wondered if I would talk about flavorings, flavor combinations that work together and what flavors work with which foods…confused? Yeah, I have a tendency to do that sometimes, but let’s sort this out a bit.
Clearly, in order to experience the best flavors of anything, you need to start with a great cut of meat or perfectly ripe fruits or vegetables. No amount of herbs or spices will fix any food past its prime. But, on very good days, when the planets are all in alignment and you find the perfect, oh, let’s just say, the perfect winter squash, you will want that squash to sing when it hits the table, right? What do you choose to enhance the sweetness, the texture, the flavor of our perfect squash? All foods can be enhanced, their flavor boosted, by teasing out the very best parts of their flavors with salt and pepper, herbs and spices. The key is understanding what works, how much and when to just use salt and pepper and nothing else.
Goddess Cooks 