Bean Cuisine II: Saag Masoor Dal

Masoor dal: picked over and washed, ready to be cooked. Unfortunately, the salmon-coral color does not survive the cooking process. The lentils dull down to a faded yellow color which is easily perked up by the addition of turmeric or other food-based coloring agents. Or in English, Red Lentils with Greens. Last night, we had […]

Once Upon a Time in China and America

“Stinky Ox Among Lilies.” Or, to be blunt, bison and ramp stir-fry. The bison is amazingly tender and flavorful and the ramps mellow considerably in the high heat of the wok. It is a nice switch on a beef and garlic flavor profile. This is a story. About a wok, a hunk of buffalo meat […]

Bean Cuisine I: Country French Flageolet Stew

This is the first foray into inventing new ways to eat beans: flageolet beans with a country French flavor utilizing what was in my pantry. So, I vowed as I was packing my pantry to create a new bean dish a week once I was settled, in order to pare down the collection of legumes […]

Eating Bitter, Part Two: The Bitter Melon and Me

A poetic name for a lovely dish: Phoenix and Jade with Blossoms. The very first time I tasted a bitter melon was at the home of the couple who were my very first personal chef clients. He was from Bangledesh, and she was from Pakistan, and they both loved bitter melon. One evening, they had […]

Eating Bitter, Part One: An Introduction to the Bitter Melon

Still life with bitter melon, Thai chiles and a branch of redbud. Bitter melon( Momordica charantia) is an extremely popular vegetable in all parts of Asia. Though it is eaten with great delight in India, China, Thailand and Japan, it looks rather like a diseased cucumber with its warty, gnarled skin. Indeed, it is a […]

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