When I get asked what those tiny black seeds jarred in my cupboards are, I answer by saying Chia, which is usually followed by one of two response: a blank stare followed by a “huh?!” or a reply referencing ch-ch-ch-chia Pets. Chia Pets, if you recall, were figurines made in the shape of animals (or Britney Spears) with chia seed sprouts simulating hair. Well, turns out that chia seeds deserve a lot more fame and should be known for more than furry pseudo animal hair. Continue Reading →
Avocados (aka Alligator Pears – because of its green rough skin and shape) are in season and at this time of year, they are ripe and cheap! During my grocery shopping trip, they were piled up so nicely and looked so fresh that I couldn’t resist and impulsed-bought a bunch, definitely more than I needed. So this week, I gorged on avocados and ate them in a variety of ways. However, in light of the recent contamination reports of guacamole served at restaurants (big batch productions and improperly refrigerated), it seemed like an inopportune time for a guacamole recipe. So instead, I present you with my all time favorite un-sinfully sweet treat…Avo-Choco-Pudding! Continue Reading →
Hummus is something that I cannot survive without. I find it especially soothing during stressful times (emotional eater here), bouts of depression, hermitting phases (battling through the last week of classes), and when the munchies kick in full throttle. Hummus is creamy, thick, velvety, and rich in flavour, it’s comfort food at its best…being both nutritious (protein, fibre, B vitamins, minerals etc!) and appetizing. No wonder so many, myself included, are enamoured with it…causing even a war!
After being addicted to and finishing 25 episodes of the Korean romantic-comedy-drama series Boys Before Flowers in 6 days (thanks unni and oppa – see their blog here), I am having a rather difficult time adjusting back to reality and have been going through severe withdrawal symptoms. To infuse some much needed Korean-ness back into my life (also since South Korea is out of the running for World Cup) and through inspiration from the show, I decided to make me some Kimchi (see Episode 9 – 4:41min, look how much fun they are having!).
Kimchi is a traditional spicy and pungent dish that is essential in Korean cuisine. It is served as a banchan (side dish) or used as a staple ingredient in other dishes such as kimchi chigae (kimchi stew) or kimchi bokum bap (kimchi fried rice). Kimchi is most commonly made using napa cabbage, red chilli flakes (gochugaru), garlic, onions, and salt (although there exist 200 known varieties of kimchi). The vegetables are chopped, seasonings are mixed and all the ingredients are allowed to ferment. Continue Reading →
After a long day of class, I was tired, cranky, and really craved something that would satisfy my sweet tooth. I ventured into Kale on my way home, a macrobiotic/organic/vegan restaurant located north of Yonge/Eglinton, since they always have delicious baked goods and desserts like blueberry-tofu-spelt muffins (can’t taste the tofu!), coconut cookies, and carob-almond pudding. After taking a long look at my options (everything was calling out to me!), I finally settled on getting their banana-carob-coconut ball. They were ah-mazing, but at $1.50 per timbit sized piece, I decided to forgo buying them again and vowed to make them myself. And make them I did! Before I get into the recipe, let’s explore the origins and uses of the caramel-y and chocolate-y tasting pod called carob…
Over the weekend I ventured to Kensington Market, Toronto’s legendary and vibrant market, to buy some ingredients for my long overdue and much anticipated experimentation with home-made Tom Khaa, a spicy Thai soup with coconut milk (recipe here). This recipe was highly recommended and was given accolades by members of my work family, so I was excited to give it a try.
I was so surprised by how simple and quick the recipe was to put together, yet it was so flavourful, satisfying, and authentic…..and quite honestly tasted as good if not better than restaurant Tom Khaa! With just a handful of mundane ingredients (with a few tweaks to the recipe) – tomatoes, mushrooms, rice noodles, red peppers, vegetable stock, garlic – how could this recipe taste so…Thai?!
“The End of Food” – is titled so appropriately in Thomas F. Pawlick’s 2006 expose of the state of our food supply (morbid but true). Enter – BGHs, GMOs, pesticides, synthetic chemicals, food additives, artificial colour, antibiotics, nitrates/nitrites, sulfites, refined, heavily processed, high fructose corn syrup-ed “food” (and the list goes on and on and on….) – is anything we are eating today truly “edible”?
Well on top of an already ridiculous amount of yummy chemicals and bio-engineered selections…let’s add animal clones to the mix!
Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah…or Keen-WAH! for those very enthusiastic about it) made its debut in my life in Spring of 2009. It was love at first bite and we have been inseparable since. For those of you who’ve never been introduced, it is with great pleasure that I would like you to meet Quinoa…
Although quinoa is cooked and eaten as a grain, it is technically a seed that is closely related to spinach, chard and beets. Quinoa’s slight nutty taste, fluffy and crunchy texture, is completely unique from any other grain you’ve tried. This versatile “grain” can be eaten many ways – warm (e.g. porridge, stews, substitute for rice) or cold (e.g. salad, cereal) and can even be ground and used in baking – often seen in gluten-free treats.
Eating Balls – Cooking with Testicles?
A Facination with Chinatowns: Good Food (a la Ling Nam) and Nougats
Ch-Ch-Ch Chia: Much More than Just a Pet
Krazy about Kale: How to eat the whole bunch in one sitting
Oyster Love
Try Something Different: Sour Vegetable Fish Pot – a Huiyang Chinese Dish
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Food Trotter is dedicated to discovering the cultural wealth of the world through global food exploration. We aim to promote cultural diversity and understanding, bringing the world closer together and affecting positive change one dish at a time.
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