Chinese Red Noodle Bean Curry
We were taking inventory of our freezer over the weekend to see what we had left from out fall harvest last year. We discovered that we still had two bags of Chinese Red Noodle Beans. We were given these seeds as a gift from my brother two years ago from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and now they [...]
Dark Corner beer — a magical collaboration
Michigan has a surprisingly high number of excellent breweries producing exceptional beer. Michigan’s total of more than 80 beer-makers ranks fifth nationally. Two of our very favorites are Arbor Brewing Company out of Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti and Dark Horse Brewing Co. out of Marshall and, when we heard they were working on brewing another beer together, well, we [...]
Black Bean Chili
In honor of these last few brisk March days, how about a hardy bowl of black bean chili? Black Bean Chili Ingredients 1 pound dried black turtle beans (~2 cups) (or 5 cups canned) 3 quarts water (or as needed for soaking beans) 2-3 Bay leaves 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 [...]
Mindo Chocolate Makers
When I was invited by Mindo Chocolate Makers to come see their production of chocolate, I was thrilled. Like so many others, I adore chocolate. However, you will rarely see me eat milk chocolate or any chocolate with less than 60% cocoa. I have spoiled my palate with wonderful dark chocolates and, now, after my [...]
I ♡ Kale
I am so ready for spring. I am craving greens to eat and I want to see green. I want to lose the gloves and hat and sit on my deck and feel the warm spring sun on my face. We are not quite there yet, but we are close. Here in southeast Michigan there [...]
Fresh Baked Tortilla Chips
Making your own chips from fresh corn tortillas is a great way to take your Mexican dinner to another level. They would go great with, say, butternut squash enchiladas! If you can find a local tortilla maker, even better. Here are two examples in the Southeast Michigan area. Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory La Jalisciense Tortilla [...]
Butternut Squash Enchiladas – hot, sweet, and creamy
Several years ago, we had dinner at Seva Restaurant in Ann Arbor. Seva is a fantastic vegetarian venue but their food is so good, vegetarians are far from their only patrons. While we were there, I had their butternut squash enchiladas. Creamy. Sweet. Spicy Hot. This dish was amazing! I knew I had to learn [...]
Paczki, a first
I figured, since I’ve lived in Michigan for 8 years now, it was about time I tried a paczki and, after being open for 18 years, Zingerman’s Bakehouse figured it was time for them to start making them. That’s what I call a match made in heaven! Paczki (pronounced POONCH-key) are a traditional Polish treat eaten [...]
Falafels!
In honor of the recent events in Egypt, we decided to have a Valentine’s Day falafel feast. My favorite recipe is one that I found in the New York Times a number of years ago. Being unsure if falafels were really a favorite in Egypt, I looked up falafels in Wikipedia and was pleased to [...]