Lavender Apple Bread

Lavender Apple Bread

Inspiration for recipes not only comes from staring at the pantry, for scents are part of the culinary experience. Lavender Apple is one of my favorite shower gels at a small chain of bath shops located in New York City. It’s not a teenage bubble gum, sugary scent. The fragrance is mildly sweet and calm. The taste of this bread recipe is slightly similar to the smell of the shower gel because of the lavender flowers. However, this bread has an earthy taste.

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Peach Salsa Spaghetti and Seared Scallops

Peach Salsa Spaghetti with Seared Scallops

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending time with a few kids. They proudly bragged how they’re served exactly four servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Are meals supposed to be a mathematical equation? These days the government is promoting their new food plate of recommended proportions, dieters shout caloric numbers, and grams of sugar consumed are closely monitored. With today’s cuisines being precise and instant, we’ve lost touch with joyful eating. Read more

FrugivoreMag.com: Baked Eggs in Enchilada Sauce

Baked Eggs in Enchilada Sauce

Cooking eggs in thick tomato-based sauces is a canvas to a creative mind’s imagination of flavors. Add diced vegetables, such as mushrooms and blanched potatoes, with the onions. Wilt baby greens over the saucy eggs. For a Spanish-inspired version, use enchilada sauce and garnish it with sliced scallions, chopped pimento-stuffed green olives, fresh cilantro, and queso blanco—or manchego–cheese. Garnish a basic Italian-inspired sauce with black kalamata olives, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and basil leaves. If you’re not a vegetarian, finish this dish with chopped pork, duck or turkey bacon for a salty and crispy flavor. Read more

Mediterranean-Inspired Open-Faced Sandwiches

Mediterranean-Inspired Open-Faced Sandwiches
At this time of year, the energy switches from laid-back, long days of summer into tightly packed schedules for the fall. For the kids (and adults), it’s back to school time. Maybe, it’s back to work after returning from a relaxing vacation. It’s about organizing and preparing for the future, including packing healthy lunches. Read more

Heart this Cantaloupe Aqua Fresca with Green Tea

Cantaloupe Aqua Fresca with Green Tea

My sister and I watched Dad turn and fertilize the soil of his garden. Plant seedling plants for the tomatoes, string beans, black-eyed peas, squash, zucchini, and cantaloupe. We mostly watched the cantaloupe grow into long vines. Among the leaves, small buds gradually grew to burst into yellow blossoms. Then the beginning of the cantaloupe would appear. When it was at full size, my sister and I started a non-verbal game of who can get to the melon first. Picking a melon too early resulted in a bland taste, but if it stayed too long on the vine, it would rot on the ground. A melon is ready when the bottom has an overripe, sweet smell. My sister had the advantage of watching the melons, because her bedroom window over looked the garden. Often, I would come home to find her finishing a whole melon. When I found a just ripe melon, I would eat it in less than 20 minutes. One year, Dad complained he never ate a melon from the garden, because my sister and I found them first.

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