CantaloupeAlone

Before I put the blog in summer grilling gear I still have a little spring to get through. Spring is tricky. Fresh vegetables are going in the ground, and ramps, leeks, pea shoots, and few other new items turn up at the farmer's market, but its still a wintry landscape. Cheese, meat, eggs, honey, and root vegetables are abundant. Its also still chilly here, well sometimes its 40 degrees and sometimes its 75. You know, normal global climate change stuff. Lamb is always my favorite. Its not gamy. I swear you should revisit it if you have not already. A lot of cuts of lamb (shank, leg etc.) are large and suited for a large meal. Then lamb shoulder chop is a dinner size cut. Its also a pretty good value. Lamb can be moist and flavorful or tough and awful. Braise, braise, braise. This is not quite a weeknight meal, but do as I do, cook on the Sunday for the week ahead. Braised Lamb Shoulder with Root Vegetables 4 lamb shoulder chops salt and pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed ...

This happens each time I go on a trip. I take a TON of photos. Easily a thousand and then it takes over a month to get them up here. Meanwhile I slack on writing recipes. The last time I was in Taiwan I slapped my wrist for not getting a photo of my top food experiences. Ice Tea is the jam in Asia. Everything from unsweetened to super sweetened, caffinated to un, green, white, oolong, grain, rice and more I don't know about. Delicious and reliably easy to find at every take out 7-11, Family, or OK Mart. I was actually told not to take this photo, but ha ha I did. What's the harm?   Jie Tui! Jie Tui! Oh this Jie Tui was fantastic comfort food, even though my hosts Faith and Brett told me it was a little better before ownership changed a few months ago. I worked really hard on this trip, so most of my meals were on the go. Neighborhood joints like this are life savers. This little store front restaurant is sort of a "Shanghai style Lunchbox place", but wit...

Springy leeks and pea greens Its April. It warm. Like leave the house without a jacket warm, but get home before dark otherwise you will need jacket. I sort of thought this month's CSA would be booming after the unseasonably warm weather. I wasn't expecting fruited vegetable (cucumber, tomato, pepper) but I thought, you know salad greens. This month's CSA is okay. Its lighter on the daikon. There is one bunch of herbs. Pea greens are here, a sure sign of spring. Can't say no to 3 dozen eggs. Kensington Windsor Terrace Winter CSA Month 5 - April 3 dozen eggs 5 lb potatoes 3 medium turnips 2 leeks 2 diakons 1 bunch collards 1 bunch parsley 1 bag braising greens 1 bag purple kale 1 big bag pea greens I'm excited for the 3 dozen eggs there is a great article in Bon Appetite this month about eggs . I will definitely try making some souffles to write about. Last time I got this many eggs I made the Thomas Keller quiche and it was such a miserable f...

Fried pork chop, miso with cockels, brown rice, pickles, shave cabbage salad, and seseame sauce not to mention unlimited tea.  I didn't have as many opportunities to eat real meals on my last trip to Taiwan. There was a ton of cold breakfasts followed by days and nights of tasting food I was prepping. After an afternoon of treading between Taipei markets, grocers, and our kitchen with my 2 friends Faith and Catherine we needed a full on meal. It was late afternoon and we were near Taipei 101. Faith recognizing the value of the opportunity steering us to Anzu the very popular Japanese restaurant. Japan occupied Taiwan from the 30's to the 60's and its influence lingers. Japanese food is very highly regarded as it should be! Its more than just food its an experience of beauty and balance.  Anzu is in the basement of several fancy department stores in Taipei. I can't read the locations because they are listed in Chinese but go for it on their site: www...

Dirt Talk Three: Post-OWS Grass Roots Organizing with Sustainable Flatbush (Anne Pope + Kady Ferguson) and Compost for Brooklyn (Louise Bruce + Rachel Schragis) Advice from experienced Brooklyn leaders on founding, motivating, and evaluating for grass roots organizations. Tuesday April 17st, 2012 8 - 9:30 pm Downstairs @ Sycamore Bar and Flowershop, 21+ 1118 Cortelyou RD, BK (Q train to Cortelyou) Free Hosted by Meera Bhat Event on Facebook. About Sustainable Flatbush brings neighbors together to mobilize, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in their Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond and is founded by Anne Pope 
 www. sustainableflatbush.org/ Compost for Brooklyn In March 2010, the corner lot on Newkirk Avenue and East 8th Street was vacant, unused, and full of trash. With no funding and a single shovel, neighbors and friends came together to tackle the project of transforming the space into a community composting project. In 2011, Compost for Brooklyn compo...

This invitation to my brunch at Fooshion Food Studio in Taipei says I am a beautiful girl cook, and Italian, even though I am not Italian   You say green lemon I say lime. Its the best example of the complications surrounding my latest work cooking 3 tasting parties for 12-20 in Taipei over the last 2 weeks of March. I asked my friend to make a batch of pickled lemons in advance of my arrival, so I could seamlessly use them in a recipe. I found a jar of pickled lime on arrival. The word of lime in Mandarin Chinese translates as green lemon. Green unripened lemons are indeed sold in the same bin as limes. Its just the way it is, and as I learned how things were going to be on my trip. I love to eat like its my job while I travel. Cooking was my job on my latest trip. During the last 2 weeks of March 2012 I flew to Taipei, Taiwan and cooked 3 tasting parties for 20, 15, and 10 people. I do this kind of thing, and much more, in America all the time. Everything was a cha...