At first smell, the Black Trumpet Mushrooms smell like coffee ice cream; the Maitake Mushrooms have a light, floral and fresh aroma; the Porcini Mushrooms have a stronger, musky-sweet smell; the Matsutake Mushrooms smell of a wooded forest in spring, and as the name suggests the Lobster Mushrooms smell of the sea, somewhat fishy but not overly so.
At first look: each sample comes already pre-prepared, sliced nicely, and ready to rehydrate for any recipe.
At first taste: Porcini mushrooms are rustic and woody, rubbery but easy to bite. These would be good on a pizza, i'm thinking a quick Boboli crust or pita bread round, a good sauce with olive oil and a high quality mozzerella, with fresh basil.
Monday, May 10, 2010
"Raclette" by Babylon System and Nibe
Edgy, distorted and deeply futuristic, comes the recent release of "Raclette" by electronica wizards, Babylon System and Nibe.
Check them out @ Terminal Dusk Records DOT com.
Check them out @ Terminal Dusk Records DOT com.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
LA's Newest Lunch Trend - Mobile Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Rolling into your neighborhood, the Grilled Cheese Truck-- it's all the rage!
Here the bright-orange-block-on-wheels in Eagle Rock, California's dishin' up the all kinds of creations like today's special, Smoked Pork Chili Verde w/ onions, Cotija Cheese on Jalepeno Cheese Bread.
.. And we're not just talkin' the grilled cheese you grew up with, folks. These grilled cheese sandwiches all grown-up. Check out the grilled cheese with Butternut Squash, carmelized onions and Balsamic syrup. HOLY COW!
image source: heshecooks.net
Nothing but the best in quality cheeses and ingredients are making this the most sought-after ride in town.
Follow them on Twitter here.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Getting Cheesy With Raclette Grills In North America by Les Finley
Yes, the fondue pot of the 70's was pretty cheesy, but in this century, nothing is more cheesy than raclette. In recent years fondue pots have experienced a resurgence in popularity, and with them has come the raclette grill. Though not traditionally well known in the US and Canada, raclette is suddenly experiencing a boom in popularity.
Raclette is a semi-soft, relatively mild, easily melted cheese from Switzerland. The term also refers to the cooking method of melting cheese at a tabletop grill and serving with a variety of accompaniments.
Legend has it that the original method for melting the raclette cheese began when Swiss herdsmen settled down for the night in their camps. They placed a hunk of cheese near their campfire and as it melted, scraped it off onto a slice of bread.
Today, this same meal is mimicked but with much greater variety of foods, and with electric raclette grills that are much more convenient. Though the melting method has changed over the years, this simple and entertaining meal has remained just as enjoyable for entertaining evenings with friends and family.
There are several kinds of raclette grills that you can choose from. Traditional raclette grills hold a half- or quarter-round of raclette cheese on an angle, with a heating element melting the surface of the cheese, which drips onto a plate of dried meats and other accompaniments.
Today, the most common raclette sets include a cheese-melting element with a grill for cooking meats at the table. They provide up to 8 people with individual cheese pans and feature non-stick, dishwasher safe surfaces for convenience and easy cleanup. Perfect for entertaining!
Portable raclette using fondue-type burners are also available for camping and picnicking.
A raclette grill can provide not only a delicious, hot-off-the-grill meal, but also provide a lot of fun for family and friends. For optimum enjoyment, serve traditional raclette with a Fendant or other light-bodied dry white wine. If you are grilling meats, serve a wine appropriate for the meats.
A traditional Swiss raclette meal uses raclette cheese with the following accompaniments:
- baguette bread
- small cooked potatoes
- small gherkins
- pickled onions
- charcuterie meats such as salami or proscuitto
You can also get very creative with a raclette meal. A departure from tradition - but an adventure in taste - could include:
Raw meat for grilling and dipping into sauces:
- Italian sausage cut into 1/4" slices
- Chicken tenderloins cut into 1" pieces
- Beef tenderloin cut into 1/2" cubes
- Shrimp and Scallops
Thinly sliced cheeses:
- Brie
- Camembert
- Oka
- Cheddar
- Cambezola
Vegetables, blanched to al-dente, such as:
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
Here are two excellent recipes for dipping sauces for your meats and vegetables:
Pimento Sauce
3/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/2 cup canned pimentos or 1 red bell pepper, roasted with skin removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Season to taste. Serve chilled.
Cucumber Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives or green onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
fresh ground pepper
Mix well all ingredients. Serve chilled.
Find tips about aristocrat pear and alligator pear at the Types Of Pears website.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Getting-Cheesy-With-Raclette-Grills-In-North-America/1510921
Raclette is a semi-soft, relatively mild, easily melted cheese from Switzerland. The term also refers to the cooking method of melting cheese at a tabletop grill and serving with a variety of accompaniments.
Legend has it that the original method for melting the raclette cheese began when Swiss herdsmen settled down for the night in their camps. They placed a hunk of cheese near their campfire and as it melted, scraped it off onto a slice of bread.
Today, this same meal is mimicked but with much greater variety of foods, and with electric raclette grills that are much more convenient. Though the melting method has changed over the years, this simple and entertaining meal has remained just as enjoyable for entertaining evenings with friends and family.
There are several kinds of raclette grills that you can choose from. Traditional raclette grills hold a half- or quarter-round of raclette cheese on an angle, with a heating element melting the surface of the cheese, which drips onto a plate of dried meats and other accompaniments.
Today, the most common raclette sets include a cheese-melting element with a grill for cooking meats at the table. They provide up to 8 people with individual cheese pans and feature non-stick, dishwasher safe surfaces for convenience and easy cleanup. Perfect for entertaining!
Portable raclette using fondue-type burners are also available for camping and picnicking.
A raclette grill can provide not only a delicious, hot-off-the-grill meal, but also provide a lot of fun for family and friends. For optimum enjoyment, serve traditional raclette with a Fendant or other light-bodied dry white wine. If you are grilling meats, serve a wine appropriate for the meats.
A traditional Swiss raclette meal uses raclette cheese with the following accompaniments:
- baguette bread
- small cooked potatoes
- small gherkins
- pickled onions
- charcuterie meats such as salami or proscuitto
You can also get very creative with a raclette meal. A departure from tradition - but an adventure in taste - could include:
Raw meat for grilling and dipping into sauces:
- Italian sausage cut into 1/4" slices
- Chicken tenderloins cut into 1" pieces
- Beef tenderloin cut into 1/2" cubes
- Shrimp and Scallops
Thinly sliced cheeses:
- Brie
- Camembert
- Oka
- Cheddar
- Cambezola
Vegetables, blanched to al-dente, such as:
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
Here are two excellent recipes for dipping sauces for your meats and vegetables:
Pimento Sauce
3/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/2 cup canned pimentos or 1 red bell pepper, roasted with skin removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Season to taste. Serve chilled.
Cucumber Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives or green onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
fresh ground pepper
Mix well all ingredients. Serve chilled.
Find tips about aristocrat pear and alligator pear at the Types Of Pears website.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Getting-Cheesy-With-Raclette-Grills-In-North-America/1510921
Let the "I" in "I Love You, Mom" Mean "Impact" This Year
The internet has ushered in an age of connectivity and sharing beyond what we could do only ten, fifteen years ago. Our world today is, and can be, much bigger than before. Right at our fingertips we can get a little closer, a little faster to the mundane routines of life, and yet at the same time, push further and farther beyond what we might normally entertain.
This year, however, I'm going beyond that even. With a little extra thought I can make Mothers Day even more meaningful by sending an e-card that celebrates mothers who are less fortunate than I am. This e-card isn't free like the ones I've used in the past, but at the same time, this one may have a much more significant impact.
An eCard from The World Food Programme demonstrates that "I" remember the mothers who struggle to feed their children from day to day. It shows that "I" will do what I can to alleviate some of the suffering of mothers with AIDS. This eCard helps me to recognize that "I" am not here on this planet alone, and that with our excesses in wealth we can end hunger on a global scale.
Won't you join me in sending the perfect e-card for Mother's Day expression of love to those very special women both near and far.
For example take Mother's Day. For several years now, I've been in the habit of sending e-cards, electronic cards via the internet, to my mother living in another country but not only to her, to my mother-in-law, my step-mother-in-law, and a few other not-related "mother"-like figures in my life. Five years ago though, I'd have to set aside more time to find the perfect cards, write something meaningful and get them posted and sent on time-- but only for the relatives.
This year, however, I'm going beyond that even. With a little extra thought I can make Mothers Day even more meaningful by sending an e-card that celebrates mothers who are less fortunate than I am. This e-card isn't free like the ones I've used in the past, but at the same time, this one may have a much more significant impact.
An eCard from The World Food Programme demonstrates that "I" remember the mothers who struggle to feed their children from day to day. It shows that "I" will do what I can to alleviate some of the suffering of mothers with AIDS. This eCard helps me to recognize that "I" am not here on this planet alone, and that with our excesses in wealth we can end hunger on a global scale.
Won't you join me in sending the perfect e-card for Mother's Day expression of love to those very special women both near and far.
Let the "I" in "I Love You, Mom" Mean "Impact" This Year
The internet has ushered in an age of connectivity and sharing beyond what we could do only ten, fifteen years ago. Our world today is, and can be, much bigger than before. Right at our fingertips we can get a little closer, a little faster to the mundane routines of life, and yet at the same time, push further and farther beyond what we might normally entertain.
This year, however, I'm going beyond that even. With a little extra thought I can make Mothers Day even more meaningful by sending an e-card that celebrates mothers who are less fortunate than I am. This e-card isn't free like the ones I've used in the past, but at the same time, this one may have a much more significant impact.
An eCard from The World Food Programme demonstrates that "I" remember the mothers who struggle to feed their children from day to day. It shows that "I" will do what I can to alleviate some of the suffering of mothers with AIDS. This eCard helps me to recognize that "I" am not here on this planet alone, and that with our excesses in wealth we can end hunger on a global scale.
Won't you join me in sending the perfect e-card for Mother's Day expression of love to those very special women both near and far.
For example take Mother's Day. For several years now, I've been in the habit of sending e-cards, electronic cards via the internet, to my mother living in another country but not only to her, to my mother-in-law, my step-mother-in-law, and a few other not-related "mother"-like figures in my life. Five years ago though, I'd have to set aside more time to find the perfect cards, write something meaningful and get them posted and sent on time-- but only for the relatives.
This year, however, I'm going beyond that even. With a little extra thought I can make Mothers Day even more meaningful by sending an e-card that celebrates mothers who are less fortunate than I am. This e-card isn't free like the ones I've used in the past, but at the same time, this one may have a much more significant impact.
An eCard from The World Food Programme demonstrates that "I" remember the mothers who struggle to feed their children from day to day. It shows that "I" will do what I can to alleviate some of the suffering of mothers with AIDS. This eCard helps me to recognize that "I" am not here on this planet alone, and that with our excesses in wealth we can end hunger on a global scale.
Won't you join me in sending the perfect e-card for Mother's Day expression of love to those very special women both near and far.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Cheese: Part of the Magic Equation for Longevity
Could eating cheese extend your life? According to New York Times best-selling author, Dan Buettner, the answer is yes.
Avid traveler and health-nut, Buettner has discovered through his bicycling adventures that certain cultures have a higher population of centenarians. In his book, "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest"
, he found that Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy, was one of those longer-lived people groups.
Their diet consisting primarily of whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables, nuts, red wine, and cheese may be factors extending the lifespan of Sardinians by six years, according to Buettner.
Contrary to western culture, meat is rather once-in-a-week celebration than an essential component to the daily diet. Instead protein sources come from nuts, fava beans and cheese, more specifically, a grass-fed sheep's milk Pecorino Sardo, which is said to be high in heart-favorable Omega-3 fatty acids.
A very dark red wine, replete with neutralizing polyphenols, also accompanies meals which has the dual purpose of cleaning out the arteries.
This combination of fermented foods and fresh, natural, un-handled food seems to work as the magic formula making Sardinia one of the longest-lived communities in the world.
This, of course, is not a new discovery. Saint Benedict started eating this way as far back as 530 AD. Highly educated, and perhaps enlightened, Benedict escaped the tyranny of a privileged life in search of a more simple, meaningful way of living and thus, started what is known today as western monasticism.
I love this painting I stumbled upon at Gherkins and Tomatoes.
Simple foods with occasional glitz; a basic diet with high quality cheese and other foods near their source, these are the makings of a healthy long life.
Avid traveler and health-nut, Buettner has discovered through his bicycling adventures that certain cultures have a higher population of centenarians. In his book, "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest"
, he found that Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy, was one of those longer-lived people groups.Their diet consisting primarily of whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables, nuts, red wine, and cheese may be factors extending the lifespan of Sardinians by six years, according to Buettner.
Contrary to western culture, meat is rather once-in-a-week celebration than an essential component to the daily diet. Instead protein sources come from nuts, fava beans and cheese, more specifically, a grass-fed sheep's milk Pecorino Sardo, which is said to be high in heart-favorable Omega-3 fatty acids.
A very dark red wine, replete with neutralizing polyphenols, also accompanies meals which has the dual purpose of cleaning out the arteries.
This combination of fermented foods and fresh, natural, un-handled food seems to work as the magic formula making Sardinia one of the longest-lived communities in the world.
This, of course, is not a new discovery. Saint Benedict started eating this way as far back as 530 AD. Highly educated, and perhaps enlightened, Benedict escaped the tyranny of a privileged life in search of a more simple, meaningful way of living and thus, started what is known today as western monasticism.
St. Benedict and his monks sharing a meal
I love this painting I stumbled upon at Gherkins and Tomatoes.
Simple foods with occasional glitz; a basic diet with high quality cheese and other foods near their source, these are the makings of a healthy long life.
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