‘The Daily Bite’ Archives
Would you Please Pass the Pesto?
"Pllllease pass the pesto." Heard that before? Probably not. Never even heard of pesto? That's OK! You've come to the right place! Come on in and take a seat - I'll tell ya all about it. Hell, I'll even be nice enough to SHOW you how to make it. But, first things first - I need to address the number one question: What is pesto? If you crack [...]
Get ye’ hatch peppers while they’re hot!
The hatch chile is the green chile that made the town of Hatch, New Mexico famous. So it's a chile...what's the big deal? No no no, this is not your normal chile - it's actually said to be the best tasting pepper in the world - almost like a mild but magnificant jalapeño and be substituted for an Anaheim. But according to one of Hatch's many [...]
Dealer, Dill me in that DILL-icious Flavor!
You really haven't experienced the true smell and flavor of dill until you buy it (or grow it) fresh. The aroma is amazing - it's as fragrant as garlic, sweet as an onion, and lightens up the entire kitchen. This week was the first time I have picked up fresh dill, directly from a local grocer. Before, I had only experienced dill in a sour cream [...]
Beat and Scramble Your Eggs Silly
I am not a morning person. People should not be forced to wake up before the crack of dawn. Riiiiight, nice thought but odds are that I’m not going to change Corporate America’s bright idea of starting at 7 or 8 am. Each morning, I’ll continue to wake up furiously feisty and force coffee down my throat just before I plaster on a sweet smile [...]
Stop Staring and Cut Your Peaches!
Peaches are perfect this month and are pleading for you to pop a few...or a whole bag...into your basket. But there's just one problem - you have no clue how to cut one up. How can you eat a peach if you don't even know how to cut one up? Yes, I realize you can just wash it and just dive right in (which I totally suggest doing)...but you can't [...]
Sink Your Fangs into Some Blood Sausage
My boyfriend is right now jumping up and down now that I am putting an article over one of his favorites, blood sausage. I never grew up with blood sausage or "black pudding" as some may call it. To be honest, anything with the word "blood" attached makes me instantly turn sheet white, want to gag, and fall flat out upon passing out. I don't [...]
Hi Ho! It’s Time for Cherries, Oh!
During the summer months, I can't help but stop and gawk at the cute rosy cherries. Perfectly plucked from the tree, bunches are bagged up and just beg me to take them home. It's like they know I have a weakness for cherries or something. My daily drink of amaretto on the rocks is always occompanied by 2 bright red and juicy maraschino [...]
Watch Out! She’s Corn Crazy!
One of the few fond memories of my Grandmother in Nebraska is the time when she served us freshly harvested corn. Words really can't express the light and sweet flavors that burst into my mouth after I taking that first bite. Actually, I've got one - HEAVENLY. I never knew corn could taste that good! My version of corn came straight from a can [...]
HELP! I’m roasting out here! Pepper Style!
Wow! It is hot hot hot! I might as well be roasting under a scorching flame - the summer is sizzling! I may not be too tasty after a heat wave, but peppers sure are! Don't have a grill? You don't need one! All you need is a good working oven and some of your favorite spicy selection to heat up the kitchen as well as your taste buds. Now that [...]
Quick Quiz: What is Quinoa?
While watching the beautifully bosomed chef, Giada De Laurentiis, cook up another elegant Italian dish, I caught an ingredient that I had never before heard of...quinoa. What? My ears perked up as Giada stated that quinoa was a new favorite since it was gluten-free. Since I often dip into the gluten-free world of food (I'm never giving up my [...]
WAKE UP! and Taste the Tomatoes
It's tomato time! Even though these round reds are available all year long, tomatoes are at their tastiest during the sizzling summer months. You better pay attention because prices drop it like it's hot during August and September - which means NOW! What are you waiting for?! Go load up on all the beefsteak, cherry, paste, and slicing [...]
Tart like a Tomatillo
What is a tomatillo? A tomatillo is a small green tomato-looking fruit that is the size of a cherry tomato and produce of none other than the tomatillo plant. The scientists really got creative with the plant's name, but I guess they were sticking to the whole "tomato plant" theme. Unlike a tomato, a tomatillo is covered in a thin paper-type husk [...]
Slicin’ Up Some Sweet & Spicy Basil
Baffled by basil? That's not very hard to imagine when you are staring at this green, leafy, and weed-like thing thinking, "what the $#@% do I do with that?!" Fortunately in this case, preparing this plant to become something edible and delicious requires no great skill or talent at all. You don't even need a magic wand - just a cutting [...]
Ward Off Vampires By Mincing Garlic
Are you being stalked by blood-thirsty and, in recent years, quite handsome walkers of the night? Terrified of not knowing how to chop garlic for your mom's special marinara recipe? Have no fear! You can learn how to easily peel and finely chop ("mince") garlic to throw at those pesky vampires (although it wouldn't hurt to go Buffy style and have [...]
Just Falling to Pieces! Pulled Chicken, The Easy Way
For the longest time, I did not know what else to do with a chicken besides stick my fork in and eat it. There's nothing wrong with that at all...except if you're trying to make homemade chicken soup, chicken pot pie, or chicken salad. So, let's do this. Roll up those sleeves - there's a chicken to pick! 1. Bake chicken breasts, skin on and [...]
Slice and Dice ‘Em Up: Mushrooms
I definitely had a mushroom phase. Totally obsessed with their rich and meat-like flavor, I ate sauteed mushrooms every day for lunch for 2 months. Shockingly, my little fungus friends still hold a special place in my heart ...and in my stomach. I mean, come on - who can resist those cute little round portobellos? Perfectly packaged and [...]
Fried Green Plantains: How to Make Tostones
There were 2 wonderful things I discovered last year: my boyfriend and how great fried green plantains can be. My boyfriend, being Puerto Rican, taught me that by slicing, frying, mashing, and then again frying a super green plantain, it makes something magical - tostones! Before the revelation of my new favorite snack, I refused to eat a banana [...]
Peel Off Those Layers Baby…Onion Style!
The vegetable we all love to tears! Well, except for me. For some reason I never cry whenever I cut through the crisp and fragrant layers. My theory is that my contacts must shield me from the strong vapors or that I was given some rare gift as a child. Who knows?! We still have to cut an onion to eat it, tears or no tears, so let's get right to [...]
How To Chop Celery
I always thought celery grew magically into perfect little pieces inside a plastic container filled with water. Not so. Look a little deeper into the produce isle for a "stalk" of celery. Now learn how to chop it up for soups, salads, and snacks! #1 Wash the Celery (Stalk) #2 Cut off about 1 inch of the bottom of the celery [...]
The Sweetest Potato of Them All
For the last couple months I have fallen head-over-heels in love with .... a vegetable. My mother is somewhere shaking her head, but nevertheless i cannot hide my true feelings. To justify my love and for poor mom’s sake, this is not just your typical green veggie - NO! It’s naturally sweet, soft, and oh sooo delicious! Yep, I’m in love with [...]
