Blog Love – Stephfood CLONE

Blog Love – November 2010

Time for another bunch of things that other people did that made me drool! TMI? Yeah, probably…

Let’s Start with Some Wild & Weird Stuff!

A really innovative way to design a blog — like a magazine! Check out Bron Marshall‘s seasonal releases – but those of you on my side of the world, don’t get too confused by the opposite seasons! Located in New Zealand, Bron’s current release is for Spring 2010.

Ever wanted to know what food looks like on the inside? Inside insides has MRIs of all sorts of food, including pumpkin and pomegranate!

How to take pictures of ugly food. ‘Nuff Said.

… and some Deliciousness to add to my list of things to do

Kalyn’s Kitchen shows us Five Favorite Bean Soups or Stews for Autumn, including one that really piqued my interest- Garbanzo Bean Soup with Garlic, Sumac, Olive Oil, and Lemon. (You know how I love sumac)

Kitchen Butterfly shows how to make finishing salts. I’m a little crazy with the salts lately, so this looks like fun!

Speaking of beautiful photos… don’t you want to go on a picnic with Asha, from Fork Spoon Knife, after reading this? I totally do.

I didn’t know that Lemon Brulée existed, but now I think I need it.

… and now for my favourite thing this week…

a video showing how they make Le Gruyere. I friggin’ love things aged in caves! Makes me feel like a caveman.

Beer & Butter Tarts? Heck Yes!

Hey folks! My blog is now a part of the all-Canadian, all-food aggregator “Beer & Butter Tarts“! Seriously – with a name like that, as if I wouldn’t want to be a part of it!

Anyone who enjoys food blogs, and is looking for more from Canuckleheads like me, head on over to Beer & Butter Tarts.

Steph Out.

Blog Love – October 2010

I haven’t made an official “Blog Love” post in a while now, but I have certainly shown some love for the blogs I frequent by participating in Blog Bites. Now to show the intended format of Blog Love, here are some fantastic posts on other blogs that have inspired me to try making something new!

I scan through quite a few blogs these days. Most of the posts are lovely, but some just jump out at you and make you click through so you can read the whole thing.

Here are some posts that did just that…

—

Kitchenbutterfly talks about things to do with vanilla, and even another post where we learn how to make vanilla powder.

Speaking of powders you can make to make a great ingredient out of something that might have been wasted, Chocolate and Zucchini shows how to make Roasted Lemon Zest Powder. Yay! Now I know what to do with all of the rind I had dried… better than throwing chunks of it in stuff.

Kalyn’s Kitchen has a recipe for roasted butternut squash with gorgonzola that has some similar elements to the sweet potato dish I made this week, but a little more structured.

To continue with my obsession with Turkey, Forkspoonknife is making Turkish Pide, featuring Na’Na, Caramelised Onion and Olive

… and last, but not least, there seem to be people trying to crazy up pizza!! Evidenced by Grilled Poutine Pizza and Pizzas Benedict and Deep Dish Pizza Cupfakes that popped up in my Livejournal list today. I think this is part of some competition or challenge group. Better inspect further, as hilarity is ensuing.

Anchovy Goddess – BB7

“That stench… that heavenly stench!”

Yes, today I am the Goddess of Anchovies! As a part of One Hot Stove’s Blog Bites 7 : The Iron Chef Edition, I put on the crown and try using anchovies in two different dishes. Again, I’m tying together the Blog Bites entry with my ongoing love of referring to other blogs, as seen in my earlier “Blog Love” posts.

It all started when I found a blog post with a recipe for Orecchiette with Broccoli and Mushrooms on What You Having for Your Tea, a blog I subscribed to recently. We weren’t eating much pasta at the time, and this dish looked really good and fast. There was just one wee bony ingredient that I was both unsure of and intrigued by – the anchovy.

I didn’t change the recipe much – I just tossed in a few halved grape tomatoes and garlic scapes. It was incredible, and the anchovy was subtle and really interesting. It’s one of those ingredients that seems a little weird, and you figure you can make the recipe without it… which you probably could, but you’d be missing out.

I made this dish twice, and really hoped that I could use it for an upcoming Blog Bites, since the whole point is to highlight recipes from other blogs.

As it happens, this blog bites requires that we choose an ingredient and use it in two different recipes. I added to my personal challenge by requiring that I find recipes on different blogs. In fact, I’m highlighting THREE blogs today, because I took inspiration from one blog and part of the recipe from another blog.

Let me explain.

In the last few weeks, I came across this blog post on Kalyn’s Kitchen, showing a stack of green zebra tomatoes and fresh mozzarella drizzled in Green Goddess dressing. At the time, I was more drawn to the zebra tomatoes, because I love them and hadn’t seen ANY this year (still haven’t).

Jump ahead about a week, and I decide to use anchovy as my BB7 ingredient. I do a quick search of some of the blogs I frequent, and I come across another, totally unrelated blog post highlighting Green Goddess dip, on Morsels & Musings.

Taking the Green Goddess dip recipe and combining it with the inspiration to stack stuff and top it with the goodness of the Goddess, you have my second dish. I stacked grilled yellow and green zucchini, sliced tomatoes and a bit of bocconcini cheese and poured some Green Goddess sauce over the top.

So good!

The moral of the story is that anchovies aren’t only Fry’s favourite extinct pizza topping, they’re also a way to add a special zip to a sauce or a simple pasta dish. Weird, but nice!

My adaptation of the Green Goddess sauce after the jump.

Continue reading Anchovy Goddess – BB7

Almond Pista Kulfi (a Bite of Blog Love)

This post is part of a “Blog Bites” challenge issued by Nupur, of the blog One Hot Stove. This month, we’re asked to pick ANY recipe from the blog of our choice, make it, take pics and blog about it. The spirit of the “Blog Bites” challenge series is to get us checking out other food blogs and posting about our experiences, while giving due credit to the original poster. This also fits with the ‘Blog Love’ series I started back in June…

I had already found the perfect recipe when I saw the challenge. Sweet! (Literally)

I have always wanted to try making ice cream, but I don’t have an ice cream maker (and try not to buy unitasking gadgets). Summer brings a slew of amazing sounding ice cream recipes which, for the most part, just depress me into trying to justify making an ice cream maker (can I make dinner ice cream?).

Then I came across a recipe for Almond Pista Kulfi, posted by indosungod on Daily Musings.

Kulfi is an Indian frozen dessert that is made with milk, instead of cream, so doesn’t require an ice cream maker. They often come in flavours like mango, almond, pistachio – and can contain ground nuts. This recipe is a combination of almond and pistachio.

Vanilla Beans with Ground Almonds and Pistachios.

I first had to roast my almonds and pistachios, and then grind them coarsely in the food processor. Since I had some on hand – and totally love them – I decided to add vanilla bean, as well as a few drops of almond extract.

You start by cooking down some whole milk and condensed milk on the stove, adding in a few ingredients and cooking it down a little more.

Making kulfi. It may be too thick already…

Here is where I ran into some trouble. Never having made kulfi before, I wasn’t sure how thick it should be. Initially, I followed the instructions, cooking the milk down for a certain amount of time. After adding in some ingredients and letting it thicken, you’re supposed to cook it down a little bit further. I did take it off earlier than it called for, thinking it was thick enough… but it was actually too thick. It was actually too sticky to freeze all the way through!

The next day, I decided I would try to fix things. I warmed up a little more of the whole milk and stirred it into the “semifreddo” concoction, crossed my fingers and stuck it back in the freezer. It worked!!

Writing instructions for these kinds of things can be tricky, because different stoves and cookware can cook things differently. Trial and error are definitely required! I now have a better idea of the consistency it should be when done. I know this sounds gross when talking about dessert, but it had the consistency of clam chowder (sans lumps) before freezing. Thick, coats the spoon, but not too sticky.

Back off! This bowl is MINE!

Sooo delicious! Once I’m done killing this batch, I’m going to make a cardamom coffee one!!! Can’t wait!!

Recipe after the jump!

Continue reading Almond Pista Kulfi (a Bite of Blog Love)

Blog Love Pt. 2 – 101 Cookbooks

This is the second in a series of posts that give props to blogs that inspire me.

Right now, I’m in Turkey on vacation, so instead of scheduling posts of my own cooking that I can’t respond to, I thought I’d show some of the blogs that keep me interested every week. The things I really like in a food blog include great recipe ideas, stylish photos, a sense of the personality of a blogger (I don’t want it to read like an instruction manual!) and a focus on fresh ingredients.

I watch a few blogs regularly, but there are a few that stand out as being at the top of the heap.

Today, I’d like to highlight a blog called 101 Cookbooks.

When I first started reading this blog, I found myself making recipes from it very regularly. I’ve even posted the results of some of my attempts. Heidi, who writes for 101 Cookbooks, focuses on natural, whole foods and the recipes definitely reflect that goal. The photos are lovely, with almost a cottage kitchen quality to them.

101 Cookbooks - Palak Daal — Palak Daal - from www.101cookbooks.com

Palak Daal Recipe

This recipe made me believe that, after a bunch of failed attempts, I could actually cook Indian food. Obviously, I had been using the wrong recipes before.

This recipe was easy to follow, and resulted in an incredible dish that inspired me to look for more good Indian recipes.

I think this was the first recipe I made from 101 Cookbooks. It definitely was not the last.

101 Cookbooks - Broccoli Pesto Quinoa — Broccoli Pesto Quinoa - from www.101cookbooks.com

Double Broccoli Quinoa Recipe

This is one of MANY quinoa recipes! Yaaaay! I love quinoa, and I was looking for a fun new recipe, and found lots of options. This dish makes a pesto out of broccoli, almonds and parmesan cheese – and lots of garlic.

This dish is super healthy and super tasty. As you can see from the pic, it’s a very fresh and green dish.

This is a perfect summer dish, full of yummy crunchy broccoli!

Blog Love Pt. 1 – The Naked Beet

This is the first in a series of posts that give props to blogs that inspire me.

I watch a few blogs regularly, but there are a few that stand out as being at the top of the heap.

The first I’d like to highlight is called The Naked Beet.

This blog meets all of my criteria, and I’m always excited to see the latest posts. The photography is beautiful and enticing, the writing warm and friendly and the recipes are interesting and sophisticated, yet don’t seem to be aimed at seasoned chefs. Here are some recent examples of posts that piqued my interest.

Enjoy The Naked Beet! I’ll highlight another great blog next week!

The Naked Beet - Za'atar Mountain — Za'atar Mountain - from thenakedbeet.com

The spice must flow (…or why Za’atar will be in your local market soon)

This entry was posted a couple of weeks ago now, but I still haven’t cleared it from my Google Reader. I look at it almost every day.

Insanity? Probably. But just LOOK at it! … and then read it.

If you are a fan of herbs and spices, as I am, this post will definitely incite some deliciousness.

This post talks about Za’atar, a blend of herbs and spices used primarily in the Middle East, but making it’s way into foodies’ cupboards everywhere.

There’s some socio-political intrigue involved as well, which makes you think about how important food is to history and culture.

Also, do you see the freaking pyramid of spices? Seriously!

The Naked Beet - Shrimp in Coconut Fusion Broth — Shrimp in Coconut Fusion Broth - from thenakedbeet.com

Spicy Shrimp in Thai Fusion Broth

This post has also been in my saved list for a while… I keep trying to find the right time to make this recipe!

This dish is a mix of Mexican flavours (Ancho and Chipotle chiles) and Thai flavours (lemon grass, coconut milk). I knew this would be right up J’s alley, so it’s on my “do it up” list. Soon. I promise.

Until then, I’ll just look at the pretty picture and drool.