Candy For Your Ears

On another note...Do you know what a meme is? It has a lot of definitions, coming from the word memory. In modern parlance it's a "self-replicating unit of information" kind of like a cross between memory and gene. On the internet meme's are kind of like chain-letters. Even though this is a music meme, it is being passed around the community of food bloggers. Don't ask me why! Since Viv asked me and since it does not involve sending anyone socks, and since I'll try almost anything once, here goes... Music in my Kitchen What is the total number of music files on your computer? 233 CDs (or 12.24 GB) The CD you last bought? Not sure but it was either Medulla by Bjork or from a basement on a hill by Elliott Smith. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message? Home by Zero 7 Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart--Wilco There She Goes--The La's Big T......

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Figgie Goodness

I've always loved figs. I grew up with a fig tree that was an imposing presence in front of our house and a favorite for climbing. Back then I only ate figs out of hand. As I've gotten older I have grown to appreciate the many other ways there are to eat figs. Adding them to salads, grilling them, serving them with ricotta, drizzling them with balsamic vinegar, making fig tapenade, baking with them--you name it. So you can imagine how happy I was to see and taste so many fantastic fig products at the Fancy Food Show . This year it seemed there were more products than ever using figs as an ingredient. Figs were combined with nuts, honey and other fruits in jams, pastes, sauces and conserves and a whole host of other products. No question about it, figs are really gaining in popularity. Two of my favorite fig discoveries at the show were Maggie Beer's Burnt Fig Jam and the girl and the fig's Apricot Fig Chutney. Both products were developed by wonderful restaurant......

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Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce:Recipe

I can barely believe it, but my bottle of pomegranate molasses is almost empty! To think I bought it just a little over six months ago . I have gotten a lot of mileage out of it--stews, marinades, salad dressing, kebabs and now, barbecue sauce. It occurred to me just a few weeks ago that its distinctive tangy flavor would be perfect for ribs or meaty vegetables like mushrooms or eggplant. So I began experimenting with it until I came up with a recipe I liked. Fresh pomegranate is a labor intensive ingredient, but pomegranate molasses adds a rich taste to sauces, soups and stews with a minimum of effort. My theory is that it is used in Middle Eastern cooking much like wine is used in Western cooking. It adds fruitiness, acidity and depth of flavor, though unlike wine, it is already "reduced" to a thick syrupy consistency. It also adds a beautiful dark ruby color to glazed meats or vegetables. I particularly like the Cortas brand which you can find in Middle Eastern market......

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This is a menu created by a handful of food and wine bloggers who all wanted to do something for the victims of the tsunami. So we did what we do best perhaps, we contributed our recipes. It's been said before--we are all connected. We are all connected to this region in some way, even if just through our appreciation for the food. Hopefully we are also connected in our concern and our generosity. By clicking on the menu items you can visit other blogs and see other recipes. But when you are through exploring, please consider making a donation to those in need. Perhaps you will be providing them a meal too. Samosas Makes 16, but you can make 1/2 this recipe if you prefer 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 4 Tbsp oil 6 Tbsp water, more if necessary Filling: 1 onion, finely chopped 2 T oil 4 large potatoes, cooked and cubed 1 cup green peas 1 t cumin 1 t garam masala 1/2 T fresh grated ginger 1 T lemon juice 4 T water 1 t salt pinch cayen......

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