An Herb of Many Kitchens… A Bit of History: Cilantro is truly a global herb. It is an integral part of cuisine ranging from Mexico, Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. Cilantro seeds or coriander have been found in caves in Israel dating back 8,500 to over 10,000 years ago and some of the…
Good Mood Food…Part 1 The Main Dish A Bit of History Beets originated in the Mediterranean region and ancient peoples prized beets for their leafy greens. Despite only growing well during the fall and spring, the Greeks and Romans enjoyed beet leaves so much they invented cultivation methods to grow them year round. People either…
Good Mood Food…Part 2: The Sides About the Recipe: Easy Vegan Tzatziki Sauce Growing up, my dad loved to grill food outside on our deck, especially burgers. In my mind, you cannot serve a burger without the appropriate sides, which for me typically include some kind of sauce, potato, and vegetables. I love the combination…
A Twist on a Summertime Classic A Bit of History: I have to admit that I did not actually know what kind of pepper I was buying while purchasing a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for my Peach Chipotle Espresso BBQ Sauce. Therefore, the time was ripe to do a little research for…
A Recipe for Honey Nut Ice Cream with a Quick Dry Chocolate Sauce My family calls me the memory bank because I typically can quickly recall random details from the past. Today’s recipe is inspired by two special childhood memories involving food. The first is cereal. As a kid, I loved to eat cereal for…
Recipes for Fava Bean Hummus & Cilantro Mint Sauce Mezze simply refers to appetizers or small plates of food that are meant to be shared. It is very common to see mezze listed on Greek and Middle Eastern menus. Sometimes, we even make a meal of mezze at my house. I love setting out a…
Recipes for Roasted Vegetables with Za’tar and Spring Vegetables with Fresh Herbs A mezze platter would not be complete without breads, dipping sauces or spreads, and small dishes of either vegetables, meats, or cheeses. My family prefers some small plates of different vegetables and olives to accompany our mezze platter. Last week we had an…
The Fruit of Immortality… A Bit of History: Six thousand years is a long time to wait! According to Chinese mythology, the immortals gathered once every 6000 years to partake of the Feast of Peaches. They consumed peaches from a sacred tree that blossomed only once every 1,000 years and took 3,000 years to ripen….
A Recipe for Peach, Plum, & Blueberry Sangria Sangria, from the Spanish and Portuguese, literally means bloodletting. It refers to the beautiful, ruby, red color of what has become a favorite summertime beverage in the US. Once again, we have those marching Roman legionaires to thank for spreading the tradition of drinking wine. As the…
A Recipe for Blueberry Anise Seed Jam served with Oats, Peaches, Blueberries, & Almond Milk Blueberries are one of the few foods that are truly, naturally occurring blue in color. The flavonoid, anthocyanin, gives blueberries their beautiful color, but more importantly provides antioxidant effects in the human body. Antioxidants fight molecules known as free radicals…