try it ... just try it

get cocoa nibs ... the little roasted bits of cocoa beans. grind them coarsely with some cinnamon.

now, toss them with peach slices. maybe a little TEENY bit of maple syrup, or agave, if you absolutely must (you won't need it if your peaches are really ripe).

let it sit in it's juices for awhile. Then dine. There IS a God.

danger danger!

avoid mayo made with olive oil! I thought I would like it ... olive oil is good in my universe, and mayo is good, too (although I generally prefer to buy organic).

this stuff was DULL. I will refrain from naming the brand name.

If you *must* try it, come and get rest of the jar from me.

before I forget!

mango salsa!

1 pound mango (fresh or frozen) - pulse in cuisinart, or chop

separately, pulse together:
1 jalepeno pepper (de-seeded)
1 clove raw garlic
juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 4 tablespoons cilantro
1 tablespoon mint (I used chocolate mint from my garden)

pulse and push down a few times.

add to pulsed mango, and mix thoroughly.

this salsa ROCKS. we had it on salmon, but it would work with anything regular tomato salsa would work with. it's a bit sweeter.

Michael Pollan

If you've never read one of his books, I strongly suggest that you do! He's written In Defense of Food: an Eater's Manifesto, and The Omnivore's Dilemma. I'm sure you can find either one at your local library. He suggests that you should mostly eat things that have ingredients that you can pronounce (which virtually eliminates junk foods - check the label sometime).

Anyway, he's got a documentary out, "Food, Inc." I intend to track it down for my viewing pleasure sometime soon - if you live near me, let me know, we can have a viewing party! Anyway, here's an online review:

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/popvox/archive/2009/06/11/author-michael-pollan-on-food-inc-and-how-to-eat-well.aspx

Parsly pesto

Milder than pesto made with basil -- I used 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, 1 clove raw garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (could use lemon juice), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few crushed peppercorns. Put it all in the cuisinart and pulsed it tell fully blended.

Can be used in a variety of ways - on toast, instead of garlic butter on garlic bread, tossed with cooked spaghetti, as the sauce on pizza, etc. I'm going to stir some in with my morning eggs. Had some last night on roasted potatos -- cut up little red potatos, tossed with a generous spoonful of this pesto, wrapped in foil and put it on the BBQ for 20 minutes or so. Delicious!

Things to barbeque

Peppers -- cut out the seeds and stem, cut them up into largish chunks, and put them skin side down to grill, till the skins are bubbly and blackened. Take them off, cool, and rub off the blackened skins. You can use the peppers on sandwiches, in gazpacho, pureed with goat cheese to make a spread, or use your imagination. You can grill jalepenos like this too - just one in a batch of gazpacho gives it a nice kick.

Ever grill slices of pineapple? you can baste it with maple syrup while it cooks. messy, but it makes a great dessert topper for ice cream. you might want to cut it up into chunks after grilling.

Go hence, and grill!

A new gadget

Garlic Zoom (brand name: Chef'n) - it's a little plastic device that you load chunks of garlic or herbs into, then you close it up, and roll it on a flat surface to spin a set of little blades inside to mince the garlic or herbs. It works pretty well for mincing a small amount of herbs (about a tablespoon at a time), although next time I do something with a tough stem (like mint), I'm liable to remove the stems and just chop the leaves. It opens and closes easily , and the blades remove pretty easily for washing. Goes through the dishwasher with no problem, although the blades are small and I have to put them in the silverware caddy. About five dollars at my local market.

Is it worth it? Well, real foodies are gonna insist on nothing but a good sharp knife used with a rocking motion, especially if they want more than a tablespoon at once. However, this is fast, easy, and fun to use. I plan to use it.