It’s tiny. But it’s oh-so-big on decadence.
The Coconut Collaborative’s Chocolate Dessert Pot is thick and fudgy, and tastes like velvety dark chocolate ganache. Close your eyes, and you can easily imagine enjoying it out of a crystal goblet at a fine restaurant, not out of a plastic cup in your own kitchen.
What’s more, it’s dairy-free.
That’s because it’s made with coconut cream.
Read more
These udon noodles may look much like ones tinged with matcha, but their deep moss hue actually comes from green algae.
Chlorella Udon Noodles by Sun Chlorella contain the freshwater algae known as chlorella that’s billed as one of the newest superfoods that’s rich in minerals and vitamins like D and B12.
I had a chance to try samples of the dried noodles, which cook up in all of 5 minutes. Drain, then rinse in cold water, and they’re ready to use in soups, stir-fries or salads.
Read more
San Francisco’s Stanford Court Hotel is buzzing — in more ways than one.
Last year, the Nob Hill hotel added an apiary to its rooftop terrace just outside its Seven Stills restaurant. Now, it’s reaping the sweet rewards of those bee hives — from honey that’s accenting fun offerings on the menu.
I had a chance to try a few recently, when I was invited as an overnight guest of the hotel.
Take a seat at the bar or one of the tables in the restaurant that’s open to the lobby to order one of the specialty cocktails ($15 each) that are all named for movies that were filmed in San Francisco.
Read more
Milky sweet burrata is the crowning touch on this smoked barley-charred tomato salad.
If you’re a pyromaniac when it comes to cooking, this new cookbook is surely going to stoke your desire to light things up.
“Thank You for Smoking: Fun and Fearless Recipes Cooked with a Whiff of Wood Fire on Your Grill or Smoker”
The book, of which I received a review copy, is by Austin-based Paula Disbrowe, a grilling expert and veteran cookbook writer.
There are 100 recipes included. What’s really fun is that most go way beyond the norm of just throwing a steak or piece of chicken on a grill or in a smoker. Instead, Disbrowe really opens your eyes to possibilities you may never have even considered.
Just get a load of recipes such as “Smoked Arbol Honey,” “Dirty Martini with Smoked Castelvetrano Olives,” “Smoked Onion and Cheddar Tart,” Beef Tenderloin with Smoked Garlic Aioli,” and “Burnt Marshmallow Krispies.”
With its luxurious cream center that spills out of a ball of mozzarella, burrata is one of my favorite cheeses. So I just had to take a go at “Smoked Barley with Blistered Tomatoes & Burrata.”
Is it really worth it to set up a smoker and spend about 35 minutes to smoke barley grains?
The two F’s: figs and freekeh.
WTF.
As in what the freekeh?
If you don’t know this ancient grain, summer is the perfect time to give it a try.
It’s a lot like bulgur, except that freekeh is roasted young green whole wheat kernels, while the former is cracked, hulled parboiled whole wheat kernels. As such, bulgur cooks in a flash, while freekeh takes about 20 minutes or so. The tiny grains of both are packed with fiber and protein, and cook up with with a slight chewy texture. I think freekeh tastes just a little toastier.
Grains like these, which are staples of Middle Eastern cuisines, make incredible summer salads or side dishes. You’re probably already familiar with bulgar in tabbouleh salads. Freekeh can be used in the same way.
Enjoy it in this tasty, texture-tantalizing “Fig, Walnut & Freekeh Salad.”
The recipe is from the new cookbook, “Saffron in the Souks: Vibrant recipes from the heart of Lebanon”