The post Wordless Wednesday: Macro Munchies appeared first on BitterSweet ..read more

Food is simply more fun when you can set it on fire. Don’t believe me? Clearly, you need more saganaki in your life. What Is Saganaki? Although most people associate the word saganaki with gooey cheese that’s pan fried and served hot, the word itself actually refers to the cast iron pan itself. A wide variety of appetizers, or Greek tapas, if you will, fall under the category. Given the popularity of molten cheese though, 9.5 times out of 10, this is the version most people think of. Fire isn’t a mandatory or even traditional ingredient. It was first presented with this theatrical flare at th ..read more

Hot & Sour Soup Coffee Walnut Bun Sweet Rice Tamale with Meatless Chicken, AKA Zongzi Dim Sum Big Lantern 3170 16th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 The post Wordless Wednesday: Did Someone Say Dim Sum? appeared first on BitterSweet ..read more

In January it’s so nice While slipping on the sliding ice To slurp hot chicken with long rice Slurping once, slurping twice Slurping chicken with long rice Perhaps that’s not quite how the original children’s book begins, but it’s close enough. Closely linked in my mind to the earliest days of childhood, sitting in my Papa Sam’s lap as he read to me from the colorful pages, the lilting cadence of those simple prose instantly bring me back. Memories of pillow forts and story time, footie pajamas and a bed full of stuffed animals bubble up like a pot simmering on the back burner. It’s fitting th ..read more

Happy Belated Birthday To Me! What does it say that I’m late to my own party? The law of diminishing returns would suggest that I’ve passed peak celebratory years, jaded to the passage of time. While there’s a good dose of truth in that statement, it’s far from the full picture. Let’s turn the concept on its head for a moment. What if, instead of reserving the festivities for a single calendar date, we lived every day a little bit more like a celebration? Instead of saving the best bite for last, we dug right in and savored it along with the rest? Instead of keeping prized collectables prist ..read more

Black Mustard Seeds Black & White Sesame Seeds Celery Seeds Chia Seeds Dill Seeds Fennel Seeds Flax Seeds Hemp Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds Wattleseeds The post Wordless Wednesday: Seedy Business appeared first on BitterSweet ..read more

Fresh herbs wait for no one, which is a pressing issue when you’re prone to over-purchasing. Some can be preserved beautifully through drying or freezing, but others perish through the process. There’s a reason why dried basil and dill taste nothing like their original glory, aromatic and herbaceous, reduced down to straw-like hay at best. That’s why a treasure like Thai basil must be cherished immediately, given the opportunity. What is Thai holy basil? Distinct from Italian basil, Thai holy basil is more pungent and peppery, sharp and bright, unlike anything else on the market. Despite the ..read more

I do not like radicchio. Full stop. Maybe that’s not the most enticing way to start a post about a radicchio recipe, but I’m nothing if not honest here. Radicchio, miniature heads of tender red leaf lettuce, have a delicate, feathery appearance. They seem ethereal, soft as if they could float away, yet eye-catching for their molted mulberry hue. Bitterness is not a bad thing in itself; it’s essential for contrast and balance in a dish, to full appreciate sweetness when it rings true. The bitterness in radicchio, however, is something else. It’s bitter like a freezing rain whipping in a cold wi ..read more

Almonds Cashews Hazelnuts Macadamia Nuts Peanuts Pecans Pine Nuts Pistachios Walnuts The post Wordless Wednesday: Just Nuts appeared first on BitterSweet ..read more

New Year’s Day is the perfect opportunity to clean up your act and get a fresh start. Diet culture be damned, there’s more to this concept than just what goes into our bodies. Fresh aloe is my secret weapon for happier, healthier skin and a glow that outshines the gloomiest winter days. While lasting change starts from within, I strongly believe that aloe should be a topical ingredient only. There are proven benefits to drinking small amounts of pure aloe juice, but quite frankly, it tastes like straight poison to me. There is no amount of compelling research out there that would convince me I ..read more