Kwanzaa

This month I had the chance to write not one but two articles on Kwanzaa and it was quite a learning experience. I figured out why my dad was so against celebrating, as it was clearly due to the usavory past of the holidays creator.

I also realize that may people I know try to embody the principles everyday, which I think we can and should. For example, cooperative economics, the act of creating and supporting local business should be paramount to our daily lives. As should exercising our creativity and doing our best for the community.

Here's a link to both articles which are different and yet on the same subject. Find your principles and live them everyday for a happy healthier you!

http://kwanzaaculinarians.com/2011/12/29/lunas-kitchen-magic-celebrates-ujamaa/

This one comes with a lentil recipe!
http://foodzie.com/blog/2011/12/a-taste-of-kwanzaa/

Wordless Wednesday: Curry Favor

When Biggie said she needed to cook for people, Heather and I gladly volunteered to be those people.....

fish cakes w green beans & green onion

cucumber & red onion salad w peanuts. sooooooo good!

the best, best, best curry EVER!!!!

Coconut Milk cake w Mango IC and Pandan whip

Epicurious, 15 years and counting

"In some ways it's trying to be ahead of the curve a little bit and figure out what people want and don't have yet." Tanya Steel on what's next for Epicurious.

Long before I went to culinary school, I loved to cook and bake. Like many people I hunted around for the best recipes to test out my skills on. Epicurious has been a go to me for a long time for many reasons. It is convenient, easy to navigate and always has recipes that translate to 'yum!'

It was also a fantastic resource in school for when you needed something last minute and didn't have time to go through a ton of books to find what was needed.

When I heard that Tanya Steel was going to be in San Francisco and that Bay Area food bloggers were being offered the chance to sit down with her, I jumped at it. Who wouldn't want to sit down with the Editor in Chief of one of the most well recognized online recipe sites in the world?

Epicurious is 15 years old, and for the last five years has been led by Tanya Steel. They've won 62 awards and they are an amazing daily online publication for food and drinks. The growth they have shown since their inception shows that the passion for good food gets stronger everyday.

Tanya herself is warm, friendly and open, so it made me infinitely more comfortable to sit down with her and talk about what's new, what's good and what's next. Also, two days after I met her, I got to see her on Hell's Kitchen which was pretty awesome.

Oh and in case you don't know, Tanya wrote Real Food for Healthy Kids with Tracey Seaman and during our chat expressed a desire try and help tackle childhood obesity and food insecurity. Here are some kid friendly recipes from the book.

So now, what's new and good? Well how about Epicurious being the #1 lifestyle IPAD app? They were one of only 9 apps actually launched with the IPAD, which shows good sense on the part of Apple!

As for what's next, Tanya would love to see new growth with cooking for and with kids, healthy eating and entertaining becoming more a part of the Epicurious community, possibly even a spin off site or two. The great part of Epicurious is that they listen to what their readers want and try to be ahead of the curve in providing it.

Where else can you go global with around the world in 80 dishes, discover classic drinks, learn to make fudge, get seasonal recipes, and travel dining all in one site?!

Tanya would also love to provide more content where people can tackle more difficult and unusual dishes. She recognizes that the readers cooking level is growing and wants to be a part of the newest food revolutions. Having more complicated, technique driven dishes on the site is just one exciting idea we discussed.

I can't wait to see what Epicurious does next and I am glad I had the opportunity to tell the Editor in Chief how much I love the site and hear what excites her about working with Epicurious and helping people to learn more about cooking at home.

"The way for us to do that is to show how easy it is to pull these things together." Tanya Steel on making real food and cooking accessible to everyone.

Cooking....is like breathing

Cooking is, for me, like breathing.

Need a soup? All I need is tomatoes, rosemary, rice and some beans to make you a really nice homey soup. I know because I made one recently that had my co-workers each consuming two bowls.

When I am unhappy, frustrated, joyful or can’t think straight, I can always find solace in my kitchen.

I see all this fancy cooking on TV, yet I myself have always subscribed to a more simplistic style. Rustic, if you will. I feel that you can take very simple, earthy ingredients and make magic.

Do you know why your muffins fall? You over mixed them! As my friend Dara says ‘muffins like to be lumpy.’ This is true of many things. It is so easy to over salt, over mix, overdo.

I take comfort that I am not the only professionally trained individual who wants to make and eat the basics. If you can’t do a nice whole chicken, or a properly cooked steak, how on earth can I trust you to do Coq au Vin or Beef Wellington?

I love a cook that can make the perfect French fry (thin, crispy and dusted with garlic and herbs), and my other half makes a wonderful Chicken Marsala for a man who claims to be an ‘okay cook.’

To me the most important part of the food you make is the love you put into it. How you make something can say as much about you as what you choose to eat. When I make my food with love, even my mistakes are good, according to the critics. (Okay, really my little brother and other half. They can be fairly tough!)

I am very interested in the current trend to get closer to the fundamentals of food, the growing of, making of and learning more about what we eat. I hope that it is not a trend, and is instead a new way of life.

Food should be fulfilling and make you happy. It should bring people together in new and interesting ways. It should calm, soothe, energize and inspire. I hope that this week, you will find a food that does one or all of the above for you.

Even better if you made it yourself!

Witch in the Kitchen: Moroccan Chicken

for the Moroccan chicken I used the Seductive Spice Mix, two chicken legs, 1 lime and 1/4 cup of olive oil.

I rubbed oil on the chicken, then rubbed in the spice mix and squeezed the juice of the lime into the pan (I used my cast iron skillet). I then roasted the chicken @ 400 degrees until lovely and crispy. It was quite delicious with rice and vegetables.

The spice mix is quite good, but I wanted more zip, so I added an extra tablespoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon of ancho chili powder. I will do the chicken with the etxra zing and let you know how it tastes!

Feeling Sated

Sunday after I got homei went into a bit of a cooking/baking frenzy.

This came on top of making soup, bread and potato tacos over the holiday, so I was still in the mode for it I guess.

So I made a leek & apple tart and cupcakes.

Yesterday, I brought my friends at work each a chocolate cupcake with rosewater frosting.

For myself, my lunch consisted of a few pieces of crunchy bacon and a slice of leek tart with a few beets on the side.

My revelation was that I eat everyday at work, yet am never sated.

After I ate, I felt pleased. I made such a lovely crust, the leeks were so flavorful and the apple was still a bit crisp.

This then is what has been missing.

I just finished MFK Fisher's 'Gastromical Me' and I think that is part of it: the feelings produced by good, honest food.

In the wrong company, wonderful food can taste like sawdust.

The act of creating your own food is worthwhile and may be what finally leaves you feeling relaxed, happy & sated.