Who knew that fried sage and fried green tomatoes would balance each other so well? The combination of flavors is a great idea. An earlier attempt of frying sage leaves wasn’t successful. The leaves burned away. This time, as the last of the green tomato slices were frying, sage that was freshly picked the night before was added to the skillet. The second attempt of frying sage leaves was successful. The first time the sage leaves were fried, they weren’t completely dried. Oil and water doesn’t mix. It’s a basic cooking chemistry rule. Experimentation is part of the creative process of learning and relearning new ideas. Read more →
What smell reminds you of your mom? I have memories of spicy perfumes that linger in rooms long after mom has left for work. My love of floral scents comes from memories of her rose garden. The scent of sweet roses would drift into my childhood bedroom on a breezy, spring morning. Lastly, the smell of corn tortillas frying in oil is one of the few food memories associated with mom. Mexican dishes, especially tacos and enchiladas, are one of my comfort cuisines. When my mother moved with my father to the east coast to raise a family, they would discover Mexican food was only served at a fast food restaurant chain. Although, my father did most of the cooking in our house, he stepped away from his kitchen for mom to make her famous enchiladas. Back then; her version was stuffed with ground beef, cheddar cheese, onions, canned black olives and sour cream. The enchilada sauce would start with an envelope package of a Mexican spice mix.
If you’re familiar with My Life Runs On Food, the recipes posted are mostly from scratch. I’m familiar with both the artificial flavoring of fast food and the slow cook from scratch methods of cooking. Most people grew up with fast food, in which we now know about their unhealthy side effects. My love of cooking inspires a curiosity about authentic ingredients to avoid using artificial flavorings, pre-made spice mixes and bottled sauces. Making the Spicy Enchiladas with Corn and Amaranth Greens is a recreation of Mom’s version. They’re closer to being authentically Mexican, too. The process of making enchiladas from scratch, especially making the sauce, is a labor of love. Read more →
Spicy Saffron Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Clams and Shrimp over Spaghetti
There was a “to do” list written for a productive, busy day. There’s a design proposal that needs to be delivered to a client. The food blog needs a new post. Pictures need to be downloaded. Work beckons my creative-thinking skills. All I want to do is lie down and sleep. I admire all my coworkers and friends who were able to leave out of town for at least a week this summer for a real vacation. New York City has been my vacation hot spot for years.
Despite being stressed from all of life’s beauties and fiascoes, the boyfriend casually announced he was going to the beach. He coyly smiled, “You can come, too.” He knew there was a slight chance, a break or a second option of me saying yes. Beating the odds, I said, “I’m getting my swimsuit.” I needed a break. Some rest. Splashy fun. This was my only chance of escaping from this summer’s excessive heat for a few salty airs of change. Read more →
Corn, Green Bell Pepper and Potatoes Frittata Slice with Tomato Salsa
Quite a few years ago, a friend in my undergraduate printmaking class made a simple observation. She mentioned I have fewer problems with difficult printing techniques, but the easy techniques cause me the most trouble. She found the insight about my simple printmaking problems amusing.
Once again, making an omelet is fairly simple for most people, but it causes me problems. My version sticks to the pan and tears easy. The chopped vegetables spill out of the folded egg. With an aversion to runny eggs, a gorgeous, fluffy omelet ends up turning into a rubberize brown. Hope is lost and the omelet gets scrapped into a scramble. It’s tasty, but the elegance is lost. I do trust my skills in making omelets are improving. Until that day in the near future arrives, the frittata will continue to be an easy adaption to my shortcoming of making an omelet. Read more →
While my mother is visiting relatives in California, I tried calling her cell phone, but she didn’t answer. The second attempt was successful by calling my grandmother’s house directly. It was my aunt who picked up the phone. She’s made for hilarious conversations. She brought dinner from a Chinese restaurant, in which my mother claimed she wasn’t going to eat. I know that type of response, because I’m her daughter. We both don’t crave Chinese take-out meals. However, eventual hunger wins as we scoop whatever fried, high-fructose corn derivative and artificial flavoring concoction that is only served outside of Asia, onto our plates.
Mom asked what I was making for dinner, in which I told her coleslaw and seared scallops. Like most mothers who know their daughters, curiously she questioned my dislike for coleslaw. It’s true, I don’t like it. Neither does the boyfriend. When I served it for dinner, he hesitated for a millimeter of a second. That quick moment of hesitation is a rare occurrence, because instant memories of eating coleslaw from a popular fast-food, fried chicken business serving their gooey, bland version flashed in his head. My coleslaw memory was of my father’s traditional mayonnaise-based version. It’s tasty, but I didn’t crave it. Our memories of coleslaw are of bad taste. Read more →
