A few things about authenticity I learned at Food Blog Forum

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Lesley

This past weekend, I had the pleasure (privilege, really) of attending the latest Food Blog Forum in Orlando at Disney’s Grand Floridian Convention Center. First, wow, what an amazing place to have a conference! Much like everything else, Disney, these folks do everything right. No need goes unmet. I mean, a chef even saved an attendee’s life (you MUST read this post).

Anyway, I didn’t mention much about it before going because of some privacy concerns. You know, “hey, I’m going on vacation for x days, please burglarize my house!” But I realized during the session on community building (with the bloggers behind Love & Olive Oil, The Little Kitchen, Leite’s Culinaria, and Tampa’s The Stew) that leaving out a lot of the details from my personal life (and, particularly, my daughter’s life as a not-by-choice vegetarian) isn’t helping me build a community. And my style of writing (“here’s a picture, here’s the recipe”) isn’t helping, either. I write differently–a little edgier because of the audience–over on the Bites blog and though I don’t want to have the same “voice” for both, I do need to have a little more authenticity here. I’m not as tidy and polite in person (and certainly not very polished), but I’d like to be.

I am, however, proud of the food that I make (particularly the recipes I create on my own) and of my family. And I also definitely speak in parenthetical phrases. That’s very me. Ha!

Jaden and Scott Hair of Steamy Kitchen said, “always start with the emotion you’re trying to achieve,” and that’s great advice. So, look for a few changes around here. Some more stories behind the food and even completely unrelated to food. Or skip them and go right to the recipes, if you want.

That said, here are my two favorite pictures from Food Blog Forum 2013. Unedited because I just got home at midnight last night. :D

castle

My daughter waiting for Disney’s Electric Light Parade while sporting her brand new ears. She had a fantastic visit. Her first (but definitely not last) trip to Disney World.

Me, Charles (Local Forkful), and Lindsay (Love & Olive Oil). Nashville represent!

Me, Charles (Local Forkful), and Lindsay (Love & Olive Oil). Nashville represent!

 

Posted in Events | 14 Comments

Spring Salad with Asparagus, Radish and Lemon Vinaigrette

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Lesley

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The time that the wild asparagus, French breakfast radishes and all my other spring favorites show up at the farmers’ markets. I usually buy up every bunch of asparagus and radishes I see and, of course, after a while I get a little burned out on sauteed asparagus and radish toast. So, necessity being the mother of invention, I came up with this salad and I loved it. I ate it three days in a row and didn’t get tired of it.

With the radish and the arugula, this salad’s got a lot of peppery taste going on. The asparagus and pine nuts balance it out, though and the lemon vinaigrette pulls it all together. Adding a little feta or crumbled goat cheese makes it even better. We ate this salad as a main course (with some Twin Forks Farm Expedition bread) and there was plenty left over for two more salads.

spring_salad_asparagus

Spring Salad with Asparagus, Radish and Lemon Vinaigrette
serves 4-6

1 bunch asparagus
½ cup pine nuts
2-3 French breakfast radishes
1 bag fresh arugula, cleaned

Lemon vinaigrette
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon dijon or spicy Chinese mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Wash and pat dry the asparagus and remove woody ends. Cut into 2 inch pieces and roast at 400F for about 3-5 minutes until slightly tender. Toast pine nuts for 1-2 minutes in the same oven and watch carefully, ensuring that they don’t burn (cook until fragrant). Thinly slice the cleaned radishes and set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, put all ingredients in an airtight container and shake vigorously.

Combine arugula, asparagus, and radish slices into a bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Top with pine nuts. Add feta or goat cheese if desired.

Posted in Entrees, Salads | 2 Comments

Southwestern Quinoa & Black Bean Salad + Corazonas Tortilla Chips Product Review

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Lesley

Last summer, I made a really tasty quinoa salad with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. I wanted that salad recently, but seein’ as how it’s not tomato and cucumber season, I opted for something a little heartier that used up some of my freezer and pantry items (frozen corn, canned black beans, Ro*Tel [diced tomatoes]…). I’m also currently struggling to reduce my wheat intake, so this hearty but gluten-free salad hits the spot and tastes great scooped up with a tortilla chip.

Southwestern_quinoa_and_bean_salad

Speaking of tortilla chips, the nice folks over at Corazonas sent me samples of their chips to try out. They have three flavors: Lightly Salted (plain), Hint of Lime, and Black Bean and Cheese. The deal is, they’re made with plant sterols that help lower blood cholesterol levels (LDL) by reducing the absorption of cholesterol. Even better, the chips are light and crisp and taste great. I will say that I preferred the Hint of Lime over the others for just straight eating (no salsa). And in the plain version, it was easier to discern that something was different about the chip than in the other flavors. As in, after a handful of chips, I could sort of feel a bit of oil in my mouth. But it wasn’t an issue and, frankly, it helped me control my portion better than I would have otherwise. I can knock out a bag of tortilla chips pretty quickly.

But don’t be alarmed; plant sterols exist naturally in plant-based food (fruits, vegetables, grains), but the plant sterol levels has been boosted in these chips in order to have enough to block the cholesterol absorption. Additionally, they don’t work like or have the same effect on your body as the fake fats that many of us remember from the late 90s. Plant sterols—even when you eat nearly an entire bag of these chips  in one sitting (trust me; I know)—do not cause, um, “intestinal distress.” Anyway, point being, these are great and tasty chips if you or a family member has issues with cholesterol. The Black Bean and Cheese flavor (pictured!) was very good with this quinoa salad.

Southwestern Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
serves: 6 – 8

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup rinsed quinoa
1-2/3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen kernel corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 ounces) Ro*Tel diced tomatoes, drained
optional: a splash of lime juice
Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add quinoa and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth and turn the heat up to high to bring to a boil. Cover the pan tightly with a lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Transfer cooked quinoa to a medium/large bowl and set aside.

Spread corn out onto a baking sheet and cook at 400F for about 15-20 minutes (until roasted).

Combine the corn, beans, and Ro*Tel in the bowl of quinoa and stir to mix well. Add a splash or two of lime juice. Serve room temperature or chilled (and with chips!).

Posted in Entrees, Recipes, Side Dishes | 4 Comments