Yellow Rice with Corn (Arroz Amarillo con Maiz)

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I'm on a rice-cooking roll and decided to try another rice recipe, this time from Latina T.V. Chef Daisy Martinez.

I loved this Latin recipe. Everything turned out perfectly. The ingredients include the special sauce sofrito, which gave the rice lots of flavor. Some time ago, I learned to make this sauce. Now, I make a batch and put it in the freezer to use when needed.

This Yellow Rice with Corn recipe is so good, that in addition to my Jollof rice entry, I'm also entering it in the For My Rasoi (FMR) event. For those interested, the deadline to send your recipe is Friday, June 30. Check here for more FMR details!

Paz

Yellow Rice with Corn (Arroz Amarillo con Maiz)

1/2 cup Achiote Oil

1/2 cup Sofrito

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup alcaparrado or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

2 to 3 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 bay leaves 3 cups long grain white rice

Homemade or canned chicken broth as needed (about 4 cups)

1. Heat the achiote oil in a heavy 4- to 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Stir in the sofrito and cook until most of the water is evaporated. Add the alcaparrado or olives, salt, cumin, pepper, and bay leaves, stirring to combine. When the mixture is bubbling, add the rice, stirring to coat and to fix the color to the rice. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Bring to a boil and boil until the broth reaches the level of the rice.

2. Stir the rice once, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, without opening the pot or stirring. Gently fluff the rice up by scooping the rice from the bottom to the top. Serve hot.

*The instructions omit when to include the corn. I added them in step one.

REMINDER: From My Rasoi #6: For the Love of Rice

Theme: For the Love of Rice

Venue: The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz

Deadline: June 30, 2006

On the menu: Any rice recipe you'd love to show off! You can concentrate on Indian or non-Indian flavors.

Come on, join us! See here for the rules.

Paz

Jollof Rice

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Jollof rice is a common rice dish eaten in West Africa. The main ingredients consist of rice, vegetables, stewed tomatoes, beef or chicken, and seasoning.

Many add their own preferred ingredients to make their dish extra special. Some add chile pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, ginger, cinnamon, curry powder. Others use beef or chicken stock/broth or Maggie cubes, tomato paste. An assortment of vegetables like bell pepper, string beans or green beans, green peas,carrots or cabbage are used. A few add prawns or shrimp (fresh or dried). Cooks can garnish the rice with fresh parsley, cilantro, lettuce, or a hard boiled egg.

I grew up eating a lot of jollof rice. I'd eat it at home, a friend or relative's home. I eat it for lunch, dinner, or at a party on celebretory occasions. My aunt Toshie used to make the best jollof rice I've ever remembered tasting. She was an excellent cook and baker . If you ask anyone in my family about her, they always mention her food, including her jollof rice.

Despite my lifetime-jollof-rice-eating experiences, I've never prepared it before. You see, I'm a jollof rice-making newbie. Now that I'm into cooking, I would have loved to learn my aunt's secret to making the best jollof rice. Unfortunately, she's no longer around.

I found a number of recipes on the internet and finally chose one from epicurean.com. I adapted the ingredients to the ones commonly used in my household (and other Ghanaian households). For example, the epicurean ingredients called for using cooked smoked ham. However, we've never used ham in the jollof rice we eat. Instead, we use corned beef. It's either some kind of meat or corned beef. No one I know (or no Ghanaian I know) prepares jollof rice with ham. It's rarely eaten and definitely not made with jollof rice.

In place of cabbage and green beans as the epicurean recipe calls for, I used frozen mixed vegetables. I know a lady who only uses green peas in her jollof rice.

Lastly, this recipe calls for using cinnamon. I've never heard of using that in jollof rice. But I used it and it worked. It didn't take away from the authentic taste of the food. Later, I asked my mother about the use of cinnamon and she gave me a look as if I was crazy and where did I get that idea? I didn't tell her I'd added the cinnamon.

My jollof rice-making adventure went well. I encountered a slight problem when I used more water than the recipe instructions. This caused my rice to come out softer than I would have liked. However, my rice still tasted very good. Next time, I will use one cup of water instead of two. And I will put the chicken aside while the rice cooks and add it back to rice later.

While I cooked, the rice set off a wonderful aroma in the kitchen that prompted me to do my happy-cooking-kitchen dance (also known as the Snoopy dance.) Yes, the rice turned out well indeed. Not bad for a newbie!

I plan on making more jollof rice from now on and experimenting with the recipe till I get it just right!

This post is my contribution to the 6th From My Rasoi Food Event. The food theme is rice and the deadline falls on June 30. If you're interested in participating, there's still time. You can read more about it here.

Paz


Jollof Rice

Ingredients:
2 cup Water I would use 1 cup instead or 1 -1/2C
3 lb chicken -- cut into 8 Pieces
2 16oz cans stewed tomatoes
2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
3/4 cup Cooked smoked ham -- cubed I used a can of corned beef, instead
1 cup Uncooked rice
1 large Onion -- sliced
3 cup Cabbage -- shredded I used frozed mixed vegetables, instead
1/2 lb Fresh green beans -- Quartered And stems removed OR 10oz pack frozen beans
1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon (unheard of ingredient in jollof rice but it worked for me)
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

Directions:
Pour water into a large pot. Add the chicken, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the ham, rice, onion, cabbage, green beans, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender and the rice is cooked, 25-30 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings

Note: I would remove the chicken before adding the rice and cooking it. I think the chicken added more water to the dish and made the rice too soft. I would return the chicken to the rice when it's almost cooked.

New York Monday #30 - Horse and carriage on the go!

Around Lincoln Center on the West side of Manhattan, it's early morning and life is busy. Everyone is moving fast. There are places to go, people to see, and things to do. Some are walking. Others are waiting for the bus, while a few take time to stop and read the billboards advertising the latest entertainment. Cars, taxis, buses race to their destination. Even a horse and buggy has some place to go.

Have a good week!

Paz

*Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage,
Go together like a horse an carriage..." ~ Frank Sinatra

The photo of the horse and carriage above, inspired humming the tune Love and Marriage. Thanks, Mari for putting that song in my head! LOL!

Bacon Bites - Dog Biscuits

We celebrated the birthday of one of my dogs, yesterday, Saturday. I made dog biscuits called Bacon bites for her and her mom. They gobbled them right up!

The recipe is taken From the Dog's Mouth.

Paz


Bacon Bites

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup bacon grease or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 slices bacon - crumbled
1/2 cup cold water

Mix ingredients together thoroughly.
Roll out on a floured surface to 1/2 - 1/4" thickness.
Cut little bone shapes out of it and bake for 35-40 minutes in a 325° oven.

Check out the Garlic and Cheddar Dog Biscuits I made previously if you're interested in another recipe.

Hot Cauliflower with Tomatoes - Weekend Herb Blogging #38 (Parsley)

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I should make a list all the foods I never liked to eat until I started cooking. I've mentioned some of those foods in earlier posts. Well, I guess I should add cauliflower to the list. Lately, as I find different ways to prepare cauliflower, the more I like it.

I enjoyed this Hot Cauliflower with Tomatoes (Cavolfiore Piccante) recipe from Ilva's Lucullian Delights. By now, you know that I like simple recipes and this one falls under that category. Easy. And good!

Cavolfiore Piccante contains all the ingredients I like -- cauliflower, tomatoes, garlic, chili pepper, oregano and parsley. Parsley? Ahh, I can submit this dish for weekend herb blogging! Oh, good! I love how flat leaf parsley can be used in many different dishes and as a garnish.

Did you know that parsley provides nutritional supplements such as calcium, iron, carotenes, ascorbic acid and vitamin A? Also, tea made from parsley seeds (or "fruits") has been used as an old fashioned remedy for colic, indigestion and intestinal gas.

I used more chili pepper than the recipe called for because I like hot and spicy foods, but of course, you can make it as hot or mild as you want. I'm sure that if you elect not to use chili pepper at all, that will be fine, too. It's good to have that option.

Look at the recipe and see for yourself how quick and easy it is to make. Better yet, make it and experience how good it tastes! Thanks, Ilva, for this recipe.

Paz

Hot Cauliflower with Tomatoes (Cavolfiore Piccante)

1 head of cauliflower, any colour will do, divided into florets

4 ripe tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

1 dried chili pepper

1 pinch of oregano

1 generous tbls of chopped parsley

Salt

Olive oil

- Crumble the dried chili pepper and put it in a frying pan together with the garlic clove that you have divided in two. Fry gently for a minute or two.

- Add the cauliflower and the chopped tomatoes. If the tomatoes are insipid or acid you add some sugar. Add the oregano and salt.

- Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, it is ready when the tomatoes has ‘disintegrated’ and have become a sauce and the cauliflower is cooked but not mushy. Sprinkle the parsley over it when it is almost ready.

- It is ready to be served, as it is or as a pasta sauce.

*One can blog about herbs, plants, vegetables, or flowers for Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB). To see the list of other interesting WHB posts, visit guest host Virginie's blog, Absolutely Green, Sunday evening.

REMINDER: From My Rasoi #6 - For the Love of Rice

Theme: For the Love of Rice

Venue: The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz

Deadline: June 30, 2006

On the Menu: Any rice recipe you'd love to show off! You can concentrate on Indian or non-Indian flavors. See here for details. This is fun! Come on, join us!

Paz

Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango, Radish, and Lime Salsa

Making Southwest Spice Mix

Things do not always go according to the plan during my cooking adventures. Making this Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango was one of those times where my cooking adventure took a wrong turn. Even my photo didn't turn out right.

I've mentioned several times that I love mangoes -- preferably green mangoes. When I saw celebrity chef' 911 Tyler Florence's recipe involving mangoes, I jumped at the opportunity to prepare it. I eagerly ran out and bought all the ingredients that included more of my favorites -- salmon, red onion, cilantro.

The menu was relatively easy to put together. I had fun making the Southwest Spice Mix. The ingredients for the spice involved ancho chili peppers (which, I'd never heard of before), cumin, corriander, cinnamon and paprika.

Everything turned out well, till I tasted my salsa. It was horrible! I think the problem was that I'd used unripe, green mango, which spoiled the taste of the salsa and made it taste almost bitter.

No one ate the salsa, which they pushed to the side of their plate. Later, it went into the garbage can. :-(

Overall, I liked the recipe. The Spice Mix tasted really good on the salmon. So, I'd like to try it again. Next time, I'll make sure to use ripe mangoes for the salsa and perhaps, I may leave out the lime. I think the lime made the salsa too sour.

Any salsa makers out there: What do you think? Any suggestions? Thanks!

Paz



Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango, Radish, and Lime Salsa
Tyler Florence - Food 911


Salsa:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
6 red radishes, chopped, plus 1 sliced for garnish
2 limes, peeled and cut into segments
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Southwest Spice Mix, recipe follows


1 (2 to 3 pound) salmon fillet
Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


For the Salsa, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; set aside.


Heat the grill to medium high.

Drizzle some olive oil over the salmon and season it with salt and pepper. Gently rub 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix into the salmon. Pour some olive oil onto a paper towel and rub the grill with it - this will help to prevent the fish from sticking. Grill the salmon flesh side down for about 12 to 15 minutes.


To serve, spread most of the Salsa onto a platter and place the salmon, skin side down, on top. Garnish with more Salsa, radish slices, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.


Southwest Spice Mix:
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons whole cumin
2 tablespoons whole coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon sweet paprika

Put the ancho chiles, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, and paprika into a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, and toast the spices just until they begin to smell, about 1 minute. Empty into a spice mill and grind to a powder.

Making the salsa -- the ingredients in the food processer




A really bad photo of the Spicy Grilled Salmon with Mango

New York Monday #29 - A Tree Grows in Manhattan

Here are some photos of a growing Maidenhair Tree that I've been photographing for the past couple of months. You can click on each photo for a larger image.

Have a great week!

Paz

Confessions in Groups of 5 Meme

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Michele of Chef Michele’s Adventures and Pam of Posie's Place have tagged me for this Confessions in Groups of 5 meme. So let’s get started!

5 items in the freezer
1. Frozen vegetables – cut okra, chopped spinach, green peas
2. Häagen Daz – Butter Pecan
3. Sofrito
4. Pine nuts
5. Ground beef

5 items in my closet
1. clothes
2. books
3. shoes
4. books
5. clothes

5 items in my (our) car (van)
Don’t’ drive. Don’t have a car.

5 items in my purse
1. Mace/Pepper Spray – NO just joking! Keys
2. Library card
3. face powder, which I rarely use
4. lip balm, which I always use
5. Non Drivers License I.D.

5 Bloggers I tag for this meme
1. Anyone
2. Who
3. Wants
4. To
5. Participate!

Thanks, Chef Michele and Pam!

I'd like to remind you all about two upcoming events:
1- From My Rasoi event - See here. Deadline is June 30.
2- BlogDay 2006 - See here. Takes place August 31.

Come along and join in the fun!

Paz

Lemon Roasted Potatoes - Weekend Herb Blogging #37 (Oregano)

Are you tired of making your potatoes the same ole' way? Ready for something different?

Think 'Lemon Roasted Potatoes.'

Just the name alone enticed me to try them. I found this recipe on the delectable Cream Puffs in Venice blog. I was happy I tried this recipe. The ingredients of potatoes, lemons, dried oregano, were readily available. The preparation was easy, and the end product, absolutely appetizing! I loved the taste of the lemons in the potatoes. They did not overpower the meal but instead tasted as if they were a match made in heaven. The herbs and roasting of the potatoes sealed the marriage of the potatoes and lemons.

What more could a gal, who's looking for a good potato recipe, ask for?

Thanks, Ivonne! This is a keeper recipe.

*Since this recipe includes the herb oregano, it's a good excuse for me to enter it in Weekend Herb Blogging. Botanically known as Origanum vulgare, oregano means "joy of the mountains" in the Greek language. High in antioxidant activity, a process that preserves health, oregano is used a lot in Greek and Italian food. However, it's important in Spanish and French cooking as well.

Paz

Lemon Roasted Potatoes
Adapted from Cook This by Amy Rosen

8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
the juice of 3 lemons (1/2 cup to 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 45o degrees F.

In a large ovenproof dish, combine all the ingredient, except the water.

Once everything is well-combined, pour the water over the potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes to an hour. Turn the potatoes every once and awhile.

The potatoes are done when they're golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside (you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork).

Enjoy!

Note: This recipe serves 8, however, it can easily be halved to serve 4. Don't use small potatoes as they may fall apart.

Preparing the lemons for the roasted potatoes



In bloom, oregano has pink or purple flowers that are edible



*One can blog about herbs, plants, vegetables, or flowers for Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB). To see the list of other interesting WHB posts, go to Kalyn's Kitchen, Sunday afternoon.

BlogDay 2006 is coming soon!

I first heard about BlogDay, last year, when someone actually picked my blog to highlight. I had just started my blog and it was a nice way to introduce me to the other foodbloggers.

BlogDay for 2006 --August 31 -- is fast approaching, and I'm excited to be able to participate in it this year. There are many new blogs and this is a great opportunity to finding out about them.

Here's a little info about the BlogDay concept:

About BlogDay:

BlogDay was initiated with the belief that bloggers should have one day which will be dedicated to know other bloggers, from other countries or areas of interests. In that day Bloggers will recommend about them to their Blog visitors.

What Will Happen on BlogDay:

In one long moment on August 31, bloggers from all over the world will post a recommendation of 5 new Blogs -- preferably, Blogs different from their own culture, point of view and attitude. On this day, blog surfers will find themselves leaping and discovering new, unknown Blogs, celebrating the discovery of new people and new bloggers.

BlogDay posting instructions:
1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting.
2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending on them on BlogDay 2006
3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a a link to the recommended Blogs
4. Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31) and
5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link: http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2006 and a link to BlogDay web site at http://www.blogday.org

Fellow Bloggers, circle the date August 31, 2006 on your calendar. Then, come join me celebrate BlogDay!

Paz

Ed. Note: A few have asked the definition of "new blogs." Basically it means blogs that you've recently discovered or blogs, which are new to you.

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Three Bean Salad

I love salads and always look for the opportunity to make a good and different one. I came across this Three Bean Salad from Elise's Simply Recipes.

I loved the combination of the cannelli, garbanzo, and red kidney beans. Very filling.

I loved the little bit of a crunch that the celery and red onions provided.

I loved how the dressing combination of apple cider vinegar, sugar, and olive oil added to the enhancement of the salad's taste. Elise mentioned that she tried to prepare this salad without the sugar in the dressing, but it just didn't work. With that in mind, I wholeheartedly included the sugar.

After leaving the salad in the fridge for some time to marinate in the dressing, I served it for dinner. Delicious! Everyone loved it. No one had a complaint. That's the way I like it!

Try it! I think you'll like it. If you serve it to others, I don't think you'll get any complaints, either.

Paz

Ed. Note: For those concerned about using sugar in this menu, Kim notes in the comments section that instead of the granulated sugar, she used organic apple juice. It worked out very well in the meal. Thanks for the tip, Kim!



Three Bean Salad

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 cup fresh, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp fresh finely chopped rosemary
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


1- In a large bowl, mix the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary.

2- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

3- Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to soak up the flavor of the dressing.


Serves 4 to 8.

New York Monday #28 - The Unusual

The big bird suspicious of me
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Everyday, New Yorkers see unusual sightings around the city that they hardly bat an eyelid.

However, as I headed home one early morning, after exercising in the park, an unusual sight caused me to stop in my tracks and blink twice.

A large bird, larger than the normal pigeons and sparrow-like birds that I normally saw in the park pecked at the ground. It clearly didn’t belong in the park.

Amazed at the sight, I was also scared to walk past it because I didn’t know how it would react towards me. Would it charge towards me and attack like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds?

It turned out that this big beautiful brown-feathered bird was as scared of me, as I was of it. The big bird kept raising it head to watch me.

I guess I wasn’t too nervous of the big bird to pull my camera out and try to take a photo or two of it. I clicked away at it from a safe distance.

I later found out, with Pat’s help, that the big bird was a male turkey. How did it end up in the park, I wondered?

A few days later, I saw the turkey again. This time there were people around me, but no one seemed to notice the big bird. They were in their own world. I was the only one who stopped and stared at the turkey. About to point out the bird to a woman, who’d stopped exercising near me, I stopped when she looked like she didn’t want to be bothered by me or anyone else. I shrugged my shoulders and returned my attention to the big bird.

I decided to take more photos. Still cautious, I tried to get closer for a better shot. Each time I tried to move closer, the faster and further away the turkey moved.

I also learned from Pat that turkeys are timid and not very intelligent. Unlike some other birds, the turkey wouldn’t recognize that I meant no harm. At one point, I thought it would run into the street and get run over by a car, so I stopped approaching it. The turkey turned the other way and disappeared deeper into the park brushes.

So, that was my unusual sighting in the city the past week. I wonder what I’ll see this new week.

Paz

Ed. Note: Check out Pat's experience here with a turkey mom and her babies in her backyard. Beautiful pictures, too!

The big bird eating

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Walking away from me

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The normal type of birds seen in the park
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The big bird running away from me. Again!

REMINDER: From My Rasoi #6 - For the Love of Rice

Theme: For the Love of Rice

Venue: The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz

Deadline: June 30, 2006

On the Menu: Any 'rice' recipe you'd love to show off!

* * * * *

Meena of Hooked on Heat has decided to have her fellow food bloggers share the hosting duties of her monthly From My Rasoi (FMR) event. So, this month of June, I have the pleasure of hosting.

‘Rasoi’ means ‘Kitchen’ in Hindi. A place where most of us spend a great deal of time making things that would feed and comfort our loved ones and ourselves. The Indian kitchen never closes down, there is always something cooking up (literally)!

Meena’s rules:

1. You can concentrate on Indian or non-Indian flavors. Food should be enjoyed in any form. So take your pick and cook up anything! Anything you want! No barriers, no conditions, no limits!!!

2. All you have to do, is come up with a recipe to share based on the announced theme. It can be anything and in any form, shape or size, sweet, savory or even drinks! Special points shall be given to those who share a story with their recipe. Is there a childhood memory attached, a family tradition, or just something you associate with, whatever it is, we want to hear about it!

3. E-mail me (pazcooks AT yahoo.com) the link to your post by the last Friday of the month (June 30, 2006), and I will post a write-up of all the entries.

Paz

What's Your Favorite Healthy Breakfast?

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Hi Folks:

I'm looking for healthy breakfast recipes -- something filling, quick, and easy to prepare.

What foods do you like to eat to start out your day? I'd love to know. Share with us!

Thanks,

Paz

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Plantain, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways #2 - Simple Fried Plantains

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Have I mentioned that I LOVE plantain? Oh, yes, I think I have. Many times, as a matter of fact.

I mentioned it in my childhood food memories meme, top ten favorite foods, and when I tried an Indian style recipe to prepare the plantain. It's one of my favorite food, my number one comfort food.

There are many different ways to prepare plantains. Every once in a while, I'll try those recipes and post them here.

My favorite way to prepare plantain is very simple. Take a ripe plantain, cut it, sprinkle it with salt, and fry until it's golden brown in color. That's it!

In Ghana, West Africa, the fried plantain is known as kelewele (KAY-LAY-WAY-LAY). In addition to salt, grated ginger is added, giving it another flavor altogether.

Normally, you'll see three different kinds of plantains -- green (unripe), which has a starchy taste; yellow (ripe), which has a sweet taste; and black (really ripe!), which has a super sweet taste.

To prepare plantain the way I like, it is best to use a ripe, yellow plantain. Save the overripe, black skinned plantains for another recipe.

A yellow (ripe) plantain turning black

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Green (unripe) plantain

After you peel and cut the plantain, there are different shapes in which you can cut it. Here, I've cut them in a round shape. I think it's easiest. Next, deep fry the plantain in hot oil, till it takes on a golden color -- I'd say about 2-3 minutes. Watch the plantain to make sure that it doesn't burn. Place the fried plantains on paper towel to soak up excess oil. Remove and serve.

And that's it, folks. Enjoy!

Paz

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Kelewele (here, plantain is cut in square shape)

New York Monday #27 - Street Fair

Over the weekend, there are usually many different activities happening all over the city. Here is one -- a street fair. Vendors served foods, clothing, jewelry, accessories, plants and knick knacks.

There were lots of entertainment -- singers, musicians, dancers. Everyone -- young, old, babies, children, teenagers, dogs -- had a good time.

Happy Monday! Have a good week!

Paz

From My Rasoi #6 - For the Love of Rice

Meena of Hooked on Heat has decided to have her fellow food bloggers share the hosting duties of her monthly From My Rasoi (FMR) event.

‘Rasoi’ means ‘Kitchen’ in Hindi. A place where most of us spend a great deal of time making things that would feed and comfort our loved ones and ourselves. The Indian kitchen never closes down, there is always something cooking up (literally)!

The hosting duties include coming up with a theme for the event. With that in mind, my subject matter for this month’s FMR event is: RICE.

Rice is global and versatile. Almost everyone eats it – vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters; even those suffering from celiac disease (gluten intolerant). One can also use rice flour as well as the grains.

So, let’s see what you come up with for this rice theme.

Paz


Meena’s rules:
1. You can concentrate on Indian or non-Indian flavors. Food should be enjoyed in any form. So take your pick and cook up anything! Anything you want! No barriers, no conditions, no limits!!!

2. All you have to do, is come up with a recipe to share based on the announced theme. It can be anything and in any form, shape or size, sweet, savory or even drinks! Special points shall be given to those who share a story with their recipe. Is there a childhood memory attached, a family tradition, or just something you associate with, whatever it is, we want to hear about it!

3. E-mail me (pazcooks AT yahoo.com) the link to your post by the last Friday of the month (June 30, 2006), and I will post a write-up of all the entries.