Finds of the Week

Websites: Recipe Finds

While crafting my way to a home-made birthday present this month (Happy 3rd Birthday, Zoe!), I came across this recipe for Carrot Almond Salad on a blog. Being a huge fan of edamame beans, I thought it sounded fab and wanted to share it. You can replace the almond butter with cashew butter (a favourite around here) or any other nut or seed butter that is in your fridge. Make sure it is at room temperature before you try mixing it in with the vegetables, or even heat the dressing up and let it cool before serving. Some other great recipe blogs that I have stumbled across include
101 Cookbooks (their Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa recipe is killer; I make it with vanilla rice milk and eat way too much at a time)
Lolly Chops (she also has sewing patterns for toys to download; I have already made the bird and the owl)
Vegan Yum Yum (an unfortunate name, I know, but she has beautiful photography and tries crazy stuff like Japanese soft, sweet mochi called Daifuku)

As for living, moving cooking information and instruction, I came home with Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie from the library last week. It took a couple of episodes for me to accept and not notice the editing and music of the show. I expected that a show produced by Gourmet Magazine's would aim for a some-what sophisticated audience, not MTV watchers. The short shots with quick zoom and techno music did not fit with the haute cuisine (for the most part) restaurants they visited. I have not had cable for over 10 years, so it may be that I am just really out of touch with the current trends in television and this is the way shows are now.

Once I did get over that initial reaction, I did really get into the show. I stayed up too late some nights, watching to see what the theme would be for the next episode. While big-name chefs were always featured, you also visited a local village or two and were happy to go into people's homes to find out how the locals really eat. Your host for each segment is a local foodie, and often writer, who knows the language and customs of the country. Sometimes they know the individual they are talking to, and sometimes they don't even know the style of food they are watching be prepared.

They include some recipes on the show, based on the theme, and have those all listed on their website where you can even watch full episodes.

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