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Showing posts from February, 2011

Garlic Goodies

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I love roasted garlic. Sweeter, smooth, spreadable easier-going version of garlic. The acme of savory garlic flavor without bite. Set garlic on foil square, drench in oil, wrap foil into a present and bake. That's what I did for years until I finally realized that I could be making a second product at the same time. Garlic perfumed oil isn't just a by product of roasted garlic, its an equal garlic treat to dab on vegetables, use to dunk bread, blend into sauces, dips, sprinkle on fried food, pizzas, salads and everywhere else you use plain oil. Roasted Garlic and Oil 3 cups vegetable oil 2 heads of garlic cracked pepper a few fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, mint, sage etc) red pepper flakes Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove the excess loose papery skin around the garlic. Its fine to leave most of the skin, but you don't want the excess floating around in the oil you plan to eat. Cut the top of the garlic heads, and place in a oven-proof pot with oil and seasonings. Cover

Brooklyn Dirt: Monthly Talks on Urban Farming and Gardening

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The first Brooklyn Dirt talk is Wednesday at Sycamore. I organized this event with Sustainable Flatbush, and I'm looking forward to "digging deep." Prospect Farm and Sustainable Flatbush are proud to present Brooklyn Dirt : Monthly Talks on Urban Farming and Gardening . Talk One: Dirt and Soil With Speakers Jay Smith and Chris Kreussling (AKA Flatbush Gardener) Sycamore Bar and Flowershop Wednesday February 16th, 2011 7 - 9:30 pm 1118 Cortelyou RD, BK Q train to Cortelyou 21+ $5 suggested donation proceeds benefit Prospect Farm and the Urban Gardens and Farms Initiative of Sustainable Flatbush Event on Facebook: http://www.facebook. com/event.php?eid= 188915917798918 ------- Jay Smith is a lifelong environmentalist, member of several environmental organizations, member of the Park Slope Food Coop, completing a Certificate of Horticulture from BBG, deeply interested in Urban Agriculture and re-localization of food production in anticipation of food issue

Baked Bone Stock

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Crispy baked bones I've already written a recipe for vegetable broth and explained chicken stock this is a baked bone recipe. Baking meat bones gives depth to the meat flavor steeped out for a rich stocky umami flavors. Beef and lamb bones are brilliant for this recipe. If you have a dog then she'll appreciate an extra hunk of bone too. The difference between what's in the soup can/box and in your soup pot starts with good broth or stock. Inspired by Brooklyn Boullion and Andrea Beaman I've been trying to incorporate stock into more of my meals. Being winter, those meals are usually soup. I try to make stock in advance, freezing it in different sized containers for different uses. I even do that crazy thing they suggest on every cooking show ever and freeze cubes in my ice tray then pop them out to be stored in bags. 3 cubes of stock can really improve your mashed potatoes/pasta/sauteed vegetables/sauce/soup/rice/braised meat etc. Its a secret weapon you keep in y

Three Pizzas

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Potato, bacon, cheddar, roasted garlic and sage better than a baked potato pizza Yams, onions, potatoes, winter squash, kale, chard, beets, and mushrooms are all excellent winter veggies. Its even possible to get some of these winter garden foods at the farmer's markets around New York City. I know, because I've been eating them all winter. I needed a break from winter and with my favorite mid-winter holiday upon us, the Super Bowl, I decided I would make pizzas. Even if the fresh stuff isn't around cheese, olives, artichokes, garlic, meat, canned tomato sauce are all excellent toppings which can be locally sourced. Baking pizza in a hot oven is appealing in winter, and gruesome in the summer. I used the crust recipe from Serious Eats because they suggest techniques I've tried , but in different proportions. I think the Serious Eats is a keeper. Mine has too much yeast, and theirs has more flavor with sugar and salt. The recipe makes 3 medium pizzas that would happily

Lost and Found Oatmeal Cookies

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Oats, butter, dried fruit, nuts, booze, coconut, this cookie has it all I have 10 or so systems for keeping track of recipes I plan to cook. Tearing out pages from magazines and newspapers was my favorite before print died. Favorite- ing on Photograzing , Tastespotting , and from Flickr Groups are the easiest way to forget a recipe. Epicurious has a pretty good recipe box that I've successfully been using while browsing food ideas for years. Emailing myself recipes and making simple text documents saved to my computer are the only way I can search for old recipes. If I can remember 1 or 2 ingredients in the missing recipe, technology will do the rest. And so with a little determination and digging in every possible spot this oatmeal cookie recipe, lost for 3 years, has come back to me! It was on my Mac as part of cocktail party menu, copied from an online version of the Gourmet 2001 recipe. I substitute dried fruit for chocolate. The proportions of this cookie are great, and

The Cheese Speaks

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Non-conventional cheese labe l "When at first you don't think that it will matter, remember life is not a bunch of stairs its a very high ladder." said the Italian Fontal . I stopped buying cheese a while ago buy to my lac-tardy- ness . Super bowl approaches and it seems impossible to plan a menu without cheese. Went to my favorite cheese spot, the West Side Market and discovered more then just cheeses. Someone, or maybe "The Doctor" has entered clever but cryptic messages onto the cheese labels. There was more, some advice with the an heir of fortune cookie sobriety, and some thoughts on cheese. Does anyone recognize the passage above? I am guessing its original, since Google didn't have any coherent search results for it. Who is this doctor? Is he only at this location?