tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81103463768898843052012-01-23T17:18:35.293-06:00Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.comBlogger501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-72962209381587526302010-04-16T10:31:00.003-05:002010-08-16T22:49:24.263-05:00

In Chicago I don't declare it Springtime until I can see full-fledged leaves unfurling on the occasional tree. That being said, I think we've finally arrived to that time here.  I thought it might be a good opportunity, then, to do a little four-part series on flowers in food.  This is mostly just an excuse for me to buy roses for myself, perhaps, and to take pictures loaded with petal colors. 

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-76317549083642119742010-04-10T15:15:00.001-05:002010-04-11T10:26:17.942-05:00

Ok, I know this is a sort of ridiculous thing to be posting, but I don't really care.  The idea popped into my head and it just wouldn't go away... Cupcakes. Made to look like moss balls.  "You know, those moss balls you see sold at home decor places."  I said, explaining the idea to Jason.  "What?  Like, the kind you put in your closet?" he replied.  He was driving in his car and on a headset,

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-26970093279118709722010-03-26T13:04:00.000-05:002010-03-26T13:04:48.723-05:00

I'd like to say it seems to be the season for food blog contests right now, but I think it's more of a matter of contests that have piqued my interest enough to go thru all the effort I inflict on myself in making my entries.  The creative pondering, flustered experimenting and the occasional mini-inferno I run into while submitting posts means it's gotta be good for me to do it.  When I saw

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-33697754059263309772010-03-16T13:30:00.000-05:002010-03-16T13:30:22.692-05:00

If you've never checked out Feasting On Art, you should do so immediately.  It really is one of the most inspired food blogs you'll find.  So when it's creator, Megan Fizell, posted a recipe contest, I was SO there.  The challenge?  To create a recipe inspired by Renoir's still life titled, very appropriately, Strawberries.  Creating recipes like this is the theme of Megan's blog and what makes

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-24638248189183706192010-03-12T13:41:00.001-06:002010-03-12T13:43:00.021-06:00

I've rewritten this post thirty times, nearly literally, and have realized the best way to say it, is just to say it.  I've been away from Peas Love Carrots because my father passed away, suddenly, early this month.  I rushed off to Enid, Oklahoma where he and some of my family live and have just recently returned from there.  I thought about not mentioning it on the blog, but well, it felt sort

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-73378074327983632032010-02-28T10:39:00.002-06:002010-02-28T10:42:29.428-06:00

Having spent so much of the last few weeks in front of a computer, I am just itching to get back to the kitchen.  What odd is, where I formerly would focus mainly on cooking, I recently have had a pull towards baking.  I think I have this blog to thank for that.  My sweet tooth is a little under-active,  so I've never really had too much cause to bake before (unless it's savory).  Being able to

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-32008445085931484822010-02-24T21:54:00.001-06:002010-02-24T21:56:00.831-06:00

Have you missed me?  You might've noticed, or maybe not (even worse!) that it's been slim pickins' for posts from me this month... and just a month after I promised more frequent posting.  Tsk tsk on me.  [Warning: excuse follows] It's a very busy time at the company I work for, which just so happens to coincide with an uptick in the myriad of things due for classes this semester.  My hands

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-83616309696348904532010-02-18T19:24:00.002-06:002011-06-08T14:51:54.420-05:00

  Every summer I think about the previous winter and its shivering and bundled layers and it seems like an odd novelty. Boots?  Hats and mittens?  Silliness.  And that's because I forget just how cold 20 degrees Fahrenheit can be... or 10... or zero.  From inside a sundress, it seems impossible to think of 2 pairs of socks.  But nonetheless here we are, peeking our heads out of our wool and

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-90957715821124254122010-02-09T16:10:00.011-06:002010-02-09T21:12:07.831-06:00

Have I mentioned before how much I love rummaging, Truffle Pig style, thru the bins at the resale and antique stores that dot my neighborhood?  Every now and then I scout (er, snout?) out a dusty pair of Italian riding boots or an old printer drawer richly patina'd from a hundred inky hands.  Now that I am a food blogger (hurrah!) I'm more apt to linger in the housewares areas, too.  This is

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-65195364606914860932010-02-05T14:46:00.002-06:002010-02-17T15:09:27.210-06:00

Ok, so I'm posting a midweek meal on a Friday, bu it's been quite a busy week with school and the like and I wasn't able to post photos until today... sure, I could've posted the recipe on Wednesday, but without photos, lima beans are boring in most people's opinions (though I hope you will be forever changed on that after this) and just imagine what they'd be like without the pictures?  I would

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-86651845997891229312010-02-02T15:24:00.000-06:002010-02-02T15:24:51.632-06:00

Did you hear? Foodbuzz is sending two very happy Featured Publishers to The S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition!  One oh-so-lucky Publisher will throw on an Elvis jumpsuit and head out to Viva! Las Vegas for the regional competition, while the other will dust off their best Chardonnay glass in time to be whisked off to Napa for the finals!  Personally, I'd be happy with either a Napa

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-83738998709188786952010-01-31T21:27:00.002-06:002010-02-06T08:30:51.080-06:00

Recently there was  a cooking challenge over at the Chickenless Kitchen: Cook your hobby!  By that, she she meant that everyone should in some way cook something that represented in some way one of their other non-cooking hobbies.  I thought it was a great idea, and immediately thought of several options: cooking (wait, no, that didn't count)... reading!  Yes, that works!  Ah, but what then? 

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-34186632395250244322010-01-27T16:16:00.004-06:002010-01-28T15:23:59.034-06:00

Vegetables are amazing.  In looking up nutritional content for the ingredients for a midweek meal, I learned some very nifty things about what I was eating... Eggplant - Is a fabulous "diet" veggie.  It's low in fat and calories, high in thyroid-supporting manganese and a good source of fiber.  Another interesting thing about eggplant?  It has more nicotine than any other edible plant!  Though

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-55434543781914176742010-01-25T15:20:00.000-06:002010-01-25T15:20:00.702-06:00

The other day the talented artist and all-around-terrific food person Carol Egbert invited me to write a guest post for her.  I couldn't be more thrilled - her illustrations and recipes are such that my post blushes to rub shoulders with them.  You really must take a moment to check out her beautiful site, and while you're there, you can visit my un-recipe post on making the famous rainbow

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-4552405239113493522010-01-23T14:40:00.003-06:002010-01-23T15:41:26.040-06:00

So, I've decided to start baking more.  I've hesitant to bake much for years, limiting myself to just flipping thru baking and decorating books and vicariously making alterations and imagining the perfect, awe-inspring results.  The reality, I felt, would be much different.  Exploding muffin tins, caved cheesecakes and gravity-oppressed souffles haunt my dreams. I'm not exactly sure why I

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-715986646104812792010-01-20T22:37:00.012-06:002010-01-21T18:38:52.016-06:00

This is the last in the series of 4 hors d'oeuvres put together for the new decade.  This one may not have eyes, but I think it still qualifies as whimsical.  The colors are oh-so-pretty, and these are fairly simple to make ahead and reheat for guests just before spooning on the fresh onion salsa! What you need... For the filling 1 can pumpkin puree 1 cup coconut milk 1 tablespoon fresh

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-56044298092335884712010-01-18T13:12:00.007-06:002010-01-21T18:37:59.235-06:00

Everyone with a TV, a radio, or an internet connection is aware by now of the earthquake and aftershocks devastating the nation of Haiti.  In order to raise awareness and much needed funds to assist the children of Haiti, I've decided to start playing with my food... even more so than usual.  A while back actress/cookbook writer/all around hilarious person Amy Sedaris held a contest asking

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-69578189192384056192010-01-16T16:26:00.003-06:002010-01-21T18:39:51.669-06:00

Here's the 3rd in my January series of whimsical hors d'oeuvres: the mini pancakes and eggs!  The idea came from the cartons of quail eggs I continually pass in the Vietnamese markets near my house.  They're one of those things you just need the right excuse to buy... and here it is! In Chicago, Chinatown and Little Vietnam are great places to find fresh quail eggs.  You can also sometimes

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-12621466937046244702010-01-15T12:37:00.005-06:002010-01-21T18:41:27.494-06:00

Finally after much smoke and messy chocolate, the LAMBingtons photos & recipe is here! Introducing... Mortimer - the Traditionalist: Clementine - The Sweet One: Hubert - The... One That Got a Little Too Close to the Photo Lights and Got Melty: As I mentioned yesterday, I had a little fire while taking pictures of these little guys, so I had to delay my REAL post until now.  So here

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-26935709783094787912010-01-13T20:55:00.003-06:002010-01-21T18:42:24.164-06:00

Yeah... this is Part I for a reason that was not in my plan when I started putting this little guy together tonight.  But a lot of things weren't in my plan when I started this tonight... First things first, though.  Mr. P of the venerable Delicious Delicious Delicious is holding a Lamington competition this month.  A very cool idea that I immediately had an entry in mind for.  While that entry

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-35270889264443849562010-01-09T15:09:00.001-06:002010-01-21T18:39:51.671-06:00

As promised, here's the second set of hors d'oeuvres in my series of 4 celebrating the first month of the new decade: a spicy tomato bisque with mini grilled cheese to make you go AWWWWW... Note: I used sake cups for my "bowls" (a housewarming gift from my friend Ivon - thanks, Ivon!) but you can use anything little like shot glasses or demitasse cups... Recipe: Tomato Bisque Shots with Mini

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-82751524053733237172010-01-05T21:23:00.006-06:002010-01-21T18:37:59.245-06:00

Martha Stewart said "crack" on national television.  I heard it with my own ears.  You can, too, if you go to this Eat Me Daily post.  Anyone familiar with the Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar in Manhattan knows that if you're talking crack, it's in reference to the crack pie David Chang whips up there.  Martha visited the now famous chef's concept bakery when it first opened, and she and only she

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-26939391678694791212009-12-30T23:37:00.007-06:002010-01-30T08:38:03.868-06:00

So I've been thinking about this blog a lot... though you probably wouldn't realize it since I haven't really been posting as much as I should (bad, bad Mae!).  I promise I haven't forgotten about you all, quite the contrary - with a fresh year/decade coming up, I've been busy thinking about how to make a *New and Improved!* version of the site.  I'm happy to say I think I've come up with

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-35355113906714307652009-12-23T13:14:00.004-06:002010-01-20T14:27:55.278-06:00

I recently thought I'd see what it took to make some truly bright-red pasta out of your standard box of semolina shells.  Having some fresh beets on hand, I thought I'd boil them (scrubbed very well) and save the juice to cook my pasta in.  Since I'd recently seen Rachael Ray make spaghettini cooked in red wine on Iron Chef, I thought I'd supplement the beet juice with a cup of Cabernet.

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-31546786966048174152009-12-16T19:29:00.002-06:002010-01-20T14:28:18.778-06:00

I think maybe the title for this post sounds like a sentence out of a Gertrude Stein manuscript, but I promise it all makes sense.  The idea for this post came from my recently renewed fascination with homemade jams - which I'm sure is part of a larger infatuation with all things "throwback" or "vintage".   For me, the leading preservationist in the jam craft are celebrities nearly as much as

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-28607462341381464122009-12-06T14:45:00.002-06:002010-01-20T14:28:48.635-06:00

The other day I set out to make a celeriac puree soup.  Nothing mind-blowing or inventive, just the standard accompaniments of potatoes and leeks, some cream and good stock.  Jason and I had found some nice celeriac at the only real year-round farmers market in Chicago, Green City, and having never worked with this nobbly root before, I thought I'd play it safe for once.  It was not to be,

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-49205332456583063122009-12-03T14:02:00.008-06:002010-01-20T14:29:12.447-06:00

In edible chemistry news this week, the Tomato Federation sent a delegate to the people of Caramel on Tuesday.  The aim of this mission was to help these two cultures better understand one other thru an exchange of good will - therefore ending a centuries-long feud between their nations.  The good citizens of Onion and Rosemary were kind enough to mediate this meeting, and reported this

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-45624994252689790482009-11-28T14:46:00.007-06:002010-01-20T14:30:43.977-06:00

Vietnamese food is all about the five senses: the visual explosion of colors in green basil and red chilies, the crunching sound of fresh carrots and bean sprouts, aromatic mint and fish sauces, the variety of textures for mouthfeel, and... oh yeah, taste is pretty important, too.  In fact, Vietnamese dishes rarely leave out any part of the tongue with spicy/sweet/tangy mixed with bitter herbs

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-86807215722023576562009-11-23T12:00:00.018-06:002010-01-30T08:29:42.219-06:00

I wanted to take a little time to say "thank you" for acknowledgments from around the Web! Foodbuzz Top 9#1 for Healthy Midweek Mediterranean Saute #1 for Thai Sweet Potato Cups #1 for The Lamington Challenge LAMBingtons #3 for Accidental Celeriac Salad - December 8th, 2009 #1 for Vietnamese Moo Shu Pancakes and Turkey - November 30th, 2009 #5 for Duck Breakfast - November 21st, 2009 #5 for

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-918849767503393582009-11-21T19:22:00.003-06:002010-01-20T14:31:04.082-06:00

3 Ingredient recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Bacon I've read that a lot of the elaborate sauces invented by the French, and Roman sauces like garum , were concocted to mask the flavor of spoiled meats.  I thought about this as I worked thru the 10 days of this challenge.  Normally happy to be cooking with a spectrum of spices, I was now forced to focus on the details of my paltry

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-67583476540230311002009-11-20T20:14:00.004-06:002010-01-20T14:31:24.489-06:00

3 Ingredient Recipe: Persimmon Cheesecake Cups Ok, so I'm really excited about this one.  I wanted to do a dessert for one of the days in this challenge, but I just couldn't think of anything that didn't require lots of baking (too many ingredients) or was just fruit or gelatin or something (too easy).  One thing that makes it more difficult is that I am dessert-challenged.  While I can riff my

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-55033678566923948422009-11-19T13:12:00.006-06:002010-01-20T14:31:58.997-06:00

My favorite breakfast is a simple fried egg with hash browns.  I thought for this day in the challenge I'd make a breakfast, but in order to give it some richness, I decided to use duck eggs.  Having never fried a duck egg before, I wasn't sure what to expect - either from the cooking or the eating process.  I've been reading up on the web about cooking and eating duck eggs by themselves and

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-45138376319290168502009-11-18T22:30:00.006-06:002010-01-20T14:32:20.935-06:00

Today Jason told me something I've never heard anyone say to me before: Eat your vegetables.  This has never been said to me because there has never been a need.  As a kid, I was always opting for something green over normal kid stuff.  I was the only grandchild on both sides of my family and therefore was never in short supply of sweets to test this theory, either. The biggest contributor

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-49107562036720224912009-11-17T21:29:00.006-06:002010-01-20T14:33:05.247-06:00

Well, I'm over the hump on the 10 day challenge and I find myself contemplating a spaghetti squash.  It's been sitting in my kitchen for a good week, waiting to be made into something tasty.  I halved and baked the squash and then contemplated one of the halves.  I had been thinking of baking and then deep-frying the ribbony flesh into crisp golden tendrils, so I heated up some oil and set to

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-84841148310755689352009-11-16T20:09:00.008-06:002010-01-20T14:33:41.374-06:00

3 Ingredient Recipe: Scallion and Ginger Potato Salad I love potato salad.  It's something I've made many times to bring to potlucks and I always found myself making the recipe more and more elaborate: ham and capers and artichokes.  Yes, they were tasty but at some point you can barely see the potatoes at all drowning under layers of smoked gouda and bacon.   Here's a simple version of

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-47533594502937414672009-11-15T19:00:00.010-06:002010-01-20T14:34:09.685-06:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-11301987-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {} 3 Ingredient Recipe: 3-Way Chicken, Leek and Sweet Potato Soup (no

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-50711447703215717612009-11-14T22:27:00.006-06:002010-01-20T14:34:53.707-06:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-11301987-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {} 3 Ingredient Recipe: Curry Shrimp w/Oyster Mushrooms There are

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-69228655574355264312009-11-13T21:25:00.011-06:002010-01-20T14:35:19.086-06:00

3 Ingredient Recipe: Roast Cauliflower Pasta w/Goat Cheese Day two of my challenge got some help from a post from TheKitchn.com .  I subscribe to the site's newsletter and yesterday as I hashed over ideas for getting more flavor out of 3 ingredients, I received their email with piece called How To Roast Any Vegetable .  As I was planning on making a dish today that I knew would have cauliflower

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-41902365390131858332009-11-12T20:03:00.006-06:002010-01-20T14:35:46.015-06:00

3 Ingredient Recipe: Chicken with Roasted Peppers and Acorn Squash One of the challenges of 3 ingredients is getting a rich, full flavor and texture with limited options.  With this dish I tried to create a rich sauce out of 2 ingredients.  The result was buttery and rich, and with the addition of a good amount of cracked pepper, it had a kick, too! For a refresher on the rules of my 10 day

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-90210364630779922722009-11-12T09:41:00.010-06:002010-01-20T14:36:46.640-06:00

My fellow food blogger over at the Chickenless Kitchen posted a challenge a few days ago: Create a recipe inspired by the show 30 Rock.  Well I can't resist a challenge that is TV related (food and TV pair so well together), and definitely can't resist a chance to post about 30 Rock. Tvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-54643960607309926232009-11-11T13:33:00.208-06:002010-01-20T14:37:16.756-06:00

Why...? It has a lot to do with 2 meals and 2 burnt hands. Not making sense?  I'll explain. Not too long ago Jason gave me the gift of Brussels sprouts.  A friend and I stopped by his apartment and we planned to grab a quick bite when he paused at the door with "I've got something for you... it's nothing big, but the moment I saw it I thought of you."  Over to his undersized fridge where he

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-48795701152663481892009-11-10T12:53:00.008-06:002010-01-20T14:37:41.014-06:00

When I was nine my family moved from Chicago to a farmhouse in Elizabethtown, PA for one year. I remember this time as some of the most fun I had growing up.  Being city raised, everything was novel to me at first and I ran around pretending to be a hardened New Yorker proclaiming everything I saw "quaint". Once the novelty wore off, however, I realized I had a genuine love for this kind of

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-58293429325196233912009-11-03T18:30:00.008-06:002010-01-20T14:38:25.313-06:00

So I have a bad habit of buying weird fruit at the asian markets near my house. One week I'm enamored with the spiky rambutan bins, another it's a bag of mangosteen that end up costing me $22. This week: dragon fruit. I was obviously attracted this time because of the inherent "shiny" gene we all have as children. I wanted this fruit not because of any nutritional value or deliciousness... I

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-30098711599364679062009-10-30T12:18:00.086-05:002010-01-30T08:39:58.103-06:00

Index of Yummy Things "V" indicates vegetarian dish "VG" indicates vegan {WakeUps + PassArounds}Fig, Jalapeno, and Goat Cheese Biscuits VQuail Egg and Olive Oil Blinis (mini pancakes and eggs) V Duck Eggs and Duck Fat Hash Browns Penguin Olives and Mozzarella Snowmen VMini Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque Shots  V {BigDishes} Lamb Tagine Kabobs Midweek Healthy Quick Mediterranean Saute VG

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-69143474053792355542009-10-29T17:37:00.016-05:002010-01-20T14:38:56.605-06:00

Fresh fig season is coming to a close here in Chicago.  Yes, it might seem a little silly to refer to Chicago as having a "fig season", or anything season really.  We don't have orchards, vineyards or even cornfields really until you're miles out of the city center.  And yet, here are figs for a limited time only, shipped in from somewhere where they have such things. This recipe is a great

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-20261264723894290212009-10-25T15:34:00.004-05:002009-11-19T15:28:12.468-06:00

My dear friend Tifanie sent me a great story about her recent adventures making composed warm salads. I was so happy to think of her humming around her new Manhattan kitchen with arms full of blue potatoes and heirloom this or that tossing it with abandon into effortlessly chic (just the same as she does everything) and delicious piles of goodness. It got me thinking about the composed

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-1377770150785122192009-10-23T16:52:00.003-05:002009-11-19T15:26:38.221-06:00

It's not often that I get to grill dates and olives...ok, I'd never grilled dates or olives before this.  And while I know that technically the grilling season is over, this dish is very much fall-themed.  A "tagine" dish typically refers to the conical lidded dish used throughout Northern Africa.  The food slow cooks in the tagine with spices, olives and often dates (and preserved lemon but I

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-90922350626430250782009-10-21T12:00:00.004-05:002009-11-19T15:27:19.382-06:00

I came out of the movie The Last Samurai embarrassingly choked up at yet another lame major studio production (stupid Ken Watanabe and his cherry blossoms!), but also with a serious craving for some fresh sashimi.  Reading Cold Mountain left me hankerin' for some good corn pone and beans (and I didn't really even know exactly what 'pone' was at the time, I just knew it sounded kind of delicious

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-56917956916959230982009-10-11T20:03:00.004-05:002009-10-31T16:02:48.271-05:00

I always remembered that line in Forrest Gump.  It stuck in my head without a place to use it from 1994 until recently.  Now I use it when referring to my boyfriend Jason and me (cause we do go together awfully well).  And that, naturally, led me to me to name a blog in honor of us and our corresponding love of food.  It's named this, too, not just because of the quote, but because of Good

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110346376889884305.post-13221563408392837152009-10-07T13:28:00.004-05:002009-11-17T12:34:45.055-06:00

About Peas Love Carrots Author Mathea Tanner Culinary pursuits were ever-present in the house that Mathea grew up in.  Born to a Greek-American mother and French-Irish father with roots in the American South, there was always an assortment of dishes from Apple pie to Tsaziki being made. She is a Chicago-based freelance writer/photographer balancing her passions with her 9-to-5 as an

Maehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11900110516725552031noreply@blogger.com11