This has very little to do with actual cooking or snacking, but since the conversation did happen in the kitchen, while I was teaching a kids summer cooking camp, I thought it's only fair and appropriate that I share it with you.
On the second day of camp, when the kids felt already quite feisty and comfortable with me, the following convestaion took place between me and a 10-year-old boy. Let's call him Peter.
Peter: do you have a kid?
Me: no
Peter: are you married?
Me: no
Peter: are you engaged?
Me: no
Peter: do you have a boyfriend?
Me: no
Peter: wow, you say "no" a lot!
Me: well, you're asking, I'm answering.
Peter: do you have a crush on someone?
Me: sure!
Peter: is that like being in love? are you going to marry him?
Me: let's go cook something!
June 29, 2011
June 27, 2011
Guest Blogger Post: Beet & Cherry Salad with Goat Cheese & Champagne Vinegar
I wanted to share new culinary perspectives with you and thought that one way to do so was to host a guest blogger. Alex of Yumsandloves replied and here we are! Hope you enjoy her post - I love beets and am always looking for a new recipe for this sweet, earthy root vegetable! If you want to be the next guest blogger here at Snacking in the Kitchen, please let me know!
June 23, 2011
Trying to find Love Second Time Around at Uneedaburger
June 21, 2011
Celebrating the End of Passover with Bagels at Eltana in Seattle
Regardless, giving up bread, pasta, and baked goods wasn't as hard as I thought it would. I might've also lost a pound or two, which was definitely a bonus. And I also discovered the beauty of matzo sandwiches.
When it was time to return to bread, what could be a better option than bagels? Enter Josh Furman, the man behind fabulous events hosted by Jconnect. On April 26th (I'm slightly behind in my recap), JConnect boys and girls, and bagel lovers united at Eltana to nosh, mingle, and learn about the bagel making process.
June 13, 2011
Brunch for One - Poached Egg Over Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta
On my day off, I found myself back in the kitchen testing yet another recipe for Robyn Webb. This time I was roasting brussels sprouts with sauteed onions and pancetta. Other than setting off my fire alarm for 5 long, painful minutes, the recipe came out well. I love when the house smells like pancetta or bacon.
Not wanting to waste a hot oven, I wrapped beets in foil to get roasted and combined chicken thighs, carrots, and onion to be baked. At the end I was hungry. Having a bowl of brussels sprouts on their own didn't seem appropriate enough.
That's when I reached for the last egg in the refrigerator, got it poached, and served on top of brussels sprouts with a shaving of Parmesan. Satisfying, delicious, easy, and quite beautiful!
What's the last meal you cooked just for yourself?
Back to the blog
Not wanting to waste a hot oven, I wrapped beets in foil to get roasted and combined chicken thighs, carrots, and onion to be baked. At the end I was hungry. Having a bowl of brussels sprouts on their own didn't seem appropriate enough.
That's when I reached for the last egg in the refrigerator, got it poached, and served on top of brussels sprouts with a shaving of Parmesan. Satisfying, delicious, easy, and quite beautiful!
What's the last meal you cooked just for yourself?
Back to the blog
June 12, 2011
Frozen in the Kitchen - Bertolli Steak, Rigatoni & Portobello Mushrooms for Dinner
There isn't much in my freezer. Sure, I have a few trays of ice, and some individually frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts. There's also a bag with celery sticks (to be used for mashed potatoes) and some frozen bananas (that are more likely to be thrown away than being put to use in a banana bread). I also keep nuts in the freezer, so there are a few bags of almonds and pecans - the pecans are from one of my students whose father has a pecan tree in his yard in Texas.
What you would never find in my freezer is a frozen entree meal. Afterall, I cook, I eat, I microwave only to reheat. But, when I received a coupon for a free Bertolli frozen meal, I decided to give it a try. And this brings us to an evening when I was too tired to cook, and too hungry to wait for Thai take out. So instead, I reached inside of my freezer and grabbed a bag of Bertolli's Mediterranean Steak, Rigatoni & Portobello Mushrooms.
What you would never find in my freezer is a frozen entree meal. Afterall, I cook, I eat, I microwave only to reheat. But, when I received a coupon for a free Bertolli frozen meal, I decided to give it a try. And this brings us to an evening when I was too tired to cook, and too hungry to wait for Thai take out. So instead, I reached inside of my freezer and grabbed a bag of Bertolli's Mediterranean Steak, Rigatoni & Portobello Mushrooms.
June 11, 2011
Hands-On Cooking Classes in Seattle for June 2011
June's picking up and I have more hands-on cooking classes coming up that I'll be teaching at Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA. As always, please sign up in advance to reserve a spot. See a class you'd like to attend but have a time conflict? Not to worry! Email me to set up a private class.
Soup at the Carnation Farmers Market
Tuesday, June 14th, 3-7pm
Join us at the Carnation Farmers Market for Stone Soup Kitchen. We will demonstrate how to make soup from fresh stock and produce at the market. Soup will be available for sale along with fresh baked bread from a bread vendor with local butter from Golden Glen Creamery.
Bee My Honey
Wednesday, June 15th, 6-8pm $20
This month we're celebrating bees! When I think of bees, I think of honey. While honey is great in your cup of tea, it's also excellent as a cooking ingredient. Let's get cooking.
* Goat Cheese Spread with Lavender and Honey
* Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Honey Citrus Dressing
* Chilled Peach Soup
* Walnut Baklava with Honey Syrup
Cooking with the Season
Tuesday, June 21st, 6-8pm $20
Let's celebrate seasonal cooking and all it has to offer! Once a month, we'll gather in the kitchen and cook with seasonal produce. June in the Northwest puts a spotlight on beets, peas, rainbow Swiss chard, and strawberries.
* Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Parmesan Cream
* Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Avocado
* Rainbow Swiss Chard Quiche
* Strawberry & Basil Shortcake
Cookbook Club - Northwest Vegetarian Cuisine
Thursday, June 23rd, 6-8pm $20
Have you seen the great cookbooks we carry in our Whole Body section? Today, we'll make a handful of recipes from The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Daniels-Zeller.
* Fire-Roasted Tomato Bread Pudding
* Smoky Corn Chowder
* Black Bean Fiesta Pizza
* White Chocolate Raspberry Silk Pie
Knife Skills 101
Saturday, June 25th, 12-2pm $15
A great class for a new or a seasoned cook! Learn proper cutting technique that will save you time in the kitchen. We'll also save you some tears and cuts while teaching you how to slice, dice, chiffonade and julienne. Guest Eric Rose of AAA Sharper Edge will talk about taking care of your knives and keeping them sharp.
Kids Summer Camp
June 27th- July 1st, 12-2pm, ages 8-10
July 25th – 29th, 12-2pm, ages 10-12
August 22nd – 26th, 12-2pm, ages 12-15
$30/each or $125 for 5 classes
Each day we will focus on cuisine of a country. We will cover: France, Japan, Italy, Greece and India.
Hope to see you in the kitchen!
Back to the blog
Soup at the Carnation Farmers Market
Tuesday, June 14th, 3-7pm
Join us at the Carnation Farmers Market for Stone Soup Kitchen. We will demonstrate how to make soup from fresh stock and produce at the market. Soup will be available for sale along with fresh baked bread from a bread vendor with local butter from Golden Glen Creamery.
Bee My Honey
Wednesday, June 15th, 6-8pm $20
This month we're celebrating bees! When I think of bees, I think of honey. While honey is great in your cup of tea, it's also excellent as a cooking ingredient. Let's get cooking.
* Goat Cheese Spread with Lavender and Honey
* Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Honey Citrus Dressing
* Chilled Peach Soup
* Walnut Baklava with Honey Syrup
Cooking with the Season
Tuesday, June 21st, 6-8pm $20
Let's celebrate seasonal cooking and all it has to offer! Once a month, we'll gather in the kitchen and cook with seasonal produce. June in the Northwest puts a spotlight on beets, peas, rainbow Swiss chard, and strawberries.
* Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Parmesan Cream
* Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Avocado
* Rainbow Swiss Chard Quiche
* Strawberry & Basil Shortcake
Cookbook Club - Northwest Vegetarian Cuisine
Thursday, June 23rd, 6-8pm $20
Have you seen the great cookbooks we carry in our Whole Body section? Today, we'll make a handful of recipes from The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Daniels-Zeller.
* Fire-Roasted Tomato Bread Pudding
* Smoky Corn Chowder
* Black Bean Fiesta Pizza
* White Chocolate Raspberry Silk Pie
Knife Skills 101
Saturday, June 25th, 12-2pm $15
A great class for a new or a seasoned cook! Learn proper cutting technique that will save you time in the kitchen. We'll also save you some tears and cuts while teaching you how to slice, dice, chiffonade and julienne. Guest Eric Rose of AAA Sharper Edge will talk about taking care of your knives and keeping them sharp.
Kids Summer Camp
June 27th- July 1st, 12-2pm, ages 8-10
July 25th – 29th, 12-2pm, ages 10-12
August 22nd – 26th, 12-2pm, ages 12-15
$30/each or $125 for 5 classes
Each day we will focus on cuisine of a country. We will cover: France, Japan, Italy, Greece and India.
Hope to see you in the kitchen!
Back to the blog
June 5, 2011
Gift Giving 101 - Mother's Birthday Mexican Fiesta
Do you love gifts? Would you rather give or receive? Gift giving and receiving has changed for me over the years. I remember being so excited about opening a box, unwrapping the gift paper, shaking a package to find out what is inside. But lately, the gifts that I appreciate the most have been the moments spent with those that I love, usually over food. (But I still do love the boxes, bows, gift paper, and what's inside the package).
Similar with gift giving. I cook. I feed. I gift the food. And so, as my mom's birthday rolled around this year, I cooked a family dinner - Mexican Fiesta. I will skip the deliberation, discussion, compromising, contemplation and back-and-forth that went into making this dinner. At the end, we came together, enjoyed the meal and the company. And now I finish up washing the dishes and putting back my kitchen together, while thinking about what I will be cooking for Father's Day this weekend.
Mother's Birthday Mexican Fiesta Menu (I thank my brother and his girlfriend Anja for helping me with putting together this meal)
Guacamole - avocados, tomatoes, garlic, white onion, lime juice, jalapeno, salt & pepper.
Salsa #1 - tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, lime juice, salt & pepper, seasoning blend.
Salsa #2 - Salsa #1 plus mango and cilantro.
Spanish Rice - poblano peppers, onion, garlic, tomato paste, rice, lime juice, salt & pepper.
Chipotle braised chicken - chicken, onions, garlic, chicken broth, seasoning blend, lime juice.
Ground beef - onions, garlic, beef, seasoning blend, lime juice.
Chopped cilantro (apparently my Dad still doesn't appreciate cilantro, so it needs to be on its own, not to contaminate anything else).
Sauteed bell peppers.
Black beans - beans, onion, lime juice, seasoning blend.
Crema - sour cream, lime juice, seasoning blend, salt & pepper.
Flour tortillas warmed on cast iron skillet.
Juanita's tortilla chips.
Chilled Moscato D'asti (ok, there might have been a bit of Diet Coke with Lime as well)
Watermelon
Cake
It's quite possible that I've used every single bowl, plate, glass, pot and pan I have in my kitchen. But it was definitely, all well worth it!
When's the last time you cooked for someone? What was the occasion? What did you prepare?
Back to the blog
Similar with gift giving. I cook. I feed. I gift the food. And so, as my mom's birthday rolled around this year, I cooked a family dinner - Mexican Fiesta. I will skip the deliberation, discussion, compromising, contemplation and back-and-forth that went into making this dinner. At the end, we came together, enjoyed the meal and the company. And now I finish up washing the dishes and putting back my kitchen together, while thinking about what I will be cooking for Father's Day this weekend.
Mother's Birthday Mexican Fiesta Menu (I thank my brother and his girlfriend Anja for helping me with putting together this meal)
Guacamole - avocados, tomatoes, garlic, white onion, lime juice, jalapeno, salt & pepper.
Salsa #1 - tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, lime juice, salt & pepper, seasoning blend.
Salsa #2 - Salsa #1 plus mango and cilantro.
Spanish Rice - poblano peppers, onion, garlic, tomato paste, rice, lime juice, salt & pepper.
Chipotle braised chicken - chicken, onions, garlic, chicken broth, seasoning blend, lime juice.
Ground beef - onions, garlic, beef, seasoning blend, lime juice.
Chopped cilantro (apparently my Dad still doesn't appreciate cilantro, so it needs to be on its own, not to contaminate anything else).
Sauteed bell peppers.
Black beans - beans, onion, lime juice, seasoning blend.
Crema - sour cream, lime juice, seasoning blend, salt & pepper.
Flour tortillas warmed on cast iron skillet.
Juanita's tortilla chips.
Chilled Moscato D'asti (ok, there might have been a bit of Diet Coke with Lime as well)
Watermelon
Cake
It's quite possible that I've used every single bowl, plate, glass, pot and pan I have in my kitchen. But it was definitely, all well worth it!
When's the last time you cooked for someone? What was the occasion? What did you prepare?
Back to the blog
June 1, 2011
Sharpen Your Knife Skills - Hands on Class June 26th
We all have at least one in our kitchen and use it on daily basis. It might be straight, curved, or serrated. Some are shorter than others, but just as useful. Others are white (ceramic) or stainless steel. I'm talking about a knife, of course. The most useful tool in the kitchen, if used correctly.
I have been teaching knife skills classes for years, and it's my favorite class to teach. I always feel like a first grade teacher who teaches the young students how to use a pen - hold it correctly, don't lift it off the paper, etc.
Many of you have asked for a private group class, and now it is going to happen! Bring your cutting board and a knife to learn how to slice, dice, roll, fillet, and chiffonade. I will provide onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers and basil. At the end of the class, I will demonstrate techniques for cutting a mango, avocado, segment an orange and mince ginger.
My friend, Myra Kohn of Seattle Bon Vivant will graciously host us on Sunday, June 26th for a hands-on Essential Knife Skills class. We will get started at 12pm. Plan for a 1.5-2-hour class.
I will be happy to talk about knife care, sharpening, give you tips about purchasing a knife and answer any of your questions to my best ability. Please email me directly if you would like to attend.
Back to the blog
I have been teaching knife skills classes for years, and it's my favorite class to teach. I always feel like a first grade teacher who teaches the young students how to use a pen - hold it correctly, don't lift it off the paper, etc.
Many of you have asked for a private group class, and now it is going to happen! Bring your cutting board and a knife to learn how to slice, dice, roll, fillet, and chiffonade. I will provide onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers and basil. At the end of the class, I will demonstrate techniques for cutting a mango, avocado, segment an orange and mince ginger.
My friend, Myra Kohn of Seattle Bon Vivant will graciously host us on Sunday, June 26th for a hands-on Essential Knife Skills class. We will get started at 12pm. Plan for a 1.5-2-hour class.
I will be happy to talk about knife care, sharpening, give you tips about purchasing a knife and answer any of your questions to my best ability. Please email me directly if you would like to attend.
Back to the blog
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