CantaloupeAlone

Different vegetables have different cooking times. Take butternut squash. The brilliant firm skin takes longer to roast then sweet thin onions. Oh how wonderful and warming they taste with buttery smooth beans in a winter salad. The trick to roasting them in harmony on one tray is to stagger their cooking times and temperatures. The technique allows longer cooking ingredients to roast along side others. Finish with fresh herbs, sage, rosemary, thyme or mint for color and freshness. Butternut Squash & White Bean Salad 1 lb of butternut squash, skin removed and cubed 3/4" 1 tsp white wine (optional) 1 tsp water 2 tsp olive oil pinch of red pepper flakes 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 tsp salt 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped 2 cans of cannelloni beans 1 tblsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp fresh chopped herbs (sage, rosemary, mint or thyme) salt and oil to taste Preheat oven to 350. Toss the first 8 ingredients on ...

My cutting board 30 year old, hand-shaped and paraffin dipped by my grandfather, needs help Once upon a time your wooden cutting board was alive, in a forest, a growing tree or bamboo plant. Its a natural material that maintains some of its living characteristics. Wood changes, and mostly degrades as it gets older. You can help it look its best and last longer by condition your wood cutting board with oil. The oil rub down prevents bacteria growth and resist lacerations in the wood. The oil spreads to the dry areas on its own Pour 1/4 cup walnut oil or common pharmaceutical mineral oil (cheaper) on your board and rub with a cloth over all sides, top, and bottom. My father's pours the oil on the board and lets it sit over night allowing the board to absorb the oil where it needs it naturally. Let sit for 6-8 hours. Wash if residual oil lingers on top. Revived The oil treated wood deepens in color, and fills in parched cracks to look alive. The absorbed oil leaves a satisfying sli...

In my family we all crave a sweet ending, but whine about belt tightening desserts. Velvety roasted pears taste decedent without the guilt factor. They score high compliments from the crowd without a lot of work. The warm pears can be made perfect with a little vanilla ice cream right on top. No elastic-waisted pants required to enjoy. This version is my spin on Smitten Kitten's Vanilla Roasted Pears. Roasted Pears 2 lbs of under ripe pears (I used anjou and bosc ) 1/2 cup sugar half of a vanilla bean pod pinch of salt zest from half of 1 orange, finely minced juice of 1 orange, about 1/3 cup 1 tsp rum (optional) 2 tblsp butter, cubed Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pears in half. Remove the cores with a melon baller, grapefruit spoon, or whatever pointy object you can manage. Arrange in a large roasting pan. Mix sugar, salt, and zest in a bowl. Slice vanilla pod down the center. Scrape inside of bean with the back of your knife to remove seeds, adding to the sugar. Sprinkle van...

Meat balls stuffed with meat. Kibbeh is definitely a recipe that kicks around the Middle East going by a more than one name. Kibbe, kebeh, quibe, kubbeh, or even torpedo and fried footballs (as they are called in my grandmother's cookbook) are all common tags for the dish. The Arabic translation (kubbah) means ball, so there you have a Middle Eastern meatball. Prepared with ground lamb or beef, seasoned with onions, allspice, mint, and pine nuts, and made fluffy with bulgur wheat, and stuffed with more meat. Other common preparations include a layered baked "pie" or a steak tartare raw version called kibbeh nayye. Anyway you make it or say it kibbeh leaves a permanent flavor imprint on your senses. Kibbeh Meatballs Kibbeh Balls 1/2 cup bulgur wheat #1* 1 large onion, quartered 4 sprigs of mint, stems removed 2 lb ground lamb or beef 1/8 tsp red pepper 1 tsp ground allspice salt to taste Meat Stuffing 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 tsp olive oil 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 lb gr...

This site is still my hobby, but someday I may be a professional eater. Find my recipes on the modern food site Food2.com .

I happily greet twenty ten with open arms, empty fridge, and the hollow sounds of coins in my pockets. My food budget is on hold. I am on a no sweets or booze diet with only leftovers (which happen to be eggs, apples, carrots, fig jam, and 3 lbs of frozen lamb) on the menu. I contemplated loading a how to make miso soup post, but I think more highly of my readers. Looking forward to some easy on the budget food ideas after my holidays on the road in Ohio and the Adirondacks. Note: If you desire a fancy encore meal I am always for hire catering small affairs.