friday feast: it’s a wrap!

June 22, 2012September 20, 2017 ~ jama ~ 36 Comments

Imagine my surprise and delight when I checked my inbox a few days ago and found a totally cool and delicious poem written just for me!

It was from Father Goose himself, the one and only Charles Ghigna — award-winning poet, children’s author, nationally-syndicated writer, speaker, and of course, Poetry Friday regular.

Well, his poem got my toes a tappin’ and my spirits risin’ and my crazy thoughts all wrapped up in heads of crisp, garden fresh lettuce.

Who needs Ice Cube when you’ve got iceberg, Cee-Lo Green when you’ve got the Bibb?

Move over, Jay-Z, The Big FG is here!

*(click for Cashew Chicken Wraps recipe)*

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happy 70th birthday, paul!

June 18, 2012September 6, 2017 ~ jama ~ 47 Comments

*Paul with daughters Stella and Mary (photo © 2011 Mary McCartney)*

Back in the Dark Ages, when I was a dreamy 12-year-old listening to the radio in my bedroom with the pink curtains and wall-to-wall Beatles pictures, it was inconceivable that any of the Fab Four would ever age.

Well, it seems Sir Paul has decided to turn 70 today and I can’t think of any other classic rocker who’s managed to age quite so well. Still has his boyish good looks and charm, still writes, records, performs and tours, still the idol of millions all over the world. Whenever I see him, I still feel like that innocent middle schooler watching the Ed Sullivan Show, so lucky to have witnessed that watershed moment in history when popular music changed forever.

You probably know Paul is a longtime vegetarian, who, with his daughters Stella and Mary, launched the Meatfree Monday campaign in London back in 2009. Last fall they published The Meat Free Monday Cookbook (Kyle Books, 2011). I just purchased the American edition (released March 2012), and decided to make one of the recipes to celebrate Paul’s birthday.

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a healthy spin on morning glories

June 12, 2012August 28, 2017 ~ jama ~ 16 Comments

Good morning, Sleepy Head!

If you want a muffin, raise your paw!

*Furry kitchen helpers give this recipe a three paws up!*

Just for you, yes, just for wonderful you, we whipped up a batch of Quick Morning Glory Muffins from the Sweet Dash of Aloha cookbook. Remember when I reviewed it recently and promised to try some of the recipes?

Well, I’m always mad for muffins because they’re portable, freezable, and adorable. Morning Glories are a great way to start your day off right since they contain both fruit and veggies. Who can resist a cinnamon-y beauty chock full of apple, carrots, raisins, coconut, cranberries and dates?

The original Morning Glory Muffins were created back in 1981 by Chef Pam McKinstry, who owned the Morning Glory Café in Nantucket. It was published in Gourmet Magazine and in 1991 was chosen as one of twenty-five favorite recipes of the last 50 years. So it’s quite famous and beloved by muffin-lovers-in-the-know; you’ve likely eaten or even baked some yourself.

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farm market walkabout

June 6, 2012September 23, 2017 ~ jama ~ 39 Comments

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month!

Have you been to your local farmer’s market yet?

Here’s what we saw on a recent trip to Reston Farm Market:

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A Few Take-aways:

Flower vendors are kind and seem to smile more. Bunches of lavender = a dream of Provence.
Giant zucchini prove that bigger is not always better.
Clowns making balloon animals do not like to be photographed when they are coughing.
Eek, leeks!
My love is like a red, red raspberry.
100 Bowls of Soup! Ginger carrot is quite refreshing.
Squash multiply like rabbits. It is highly likely they will take over the world.
Hooray for samples: salsa, cherries, cucumber, strawberries, tomatoes!
I don’t care what you say. Cucumbers standing up are obscene.
Rubbery green beans. Boing!
Mmmm, whoopie pies! Pause to worship at the altar of baked goods.
Lettuce entertain you.

So what did we buy? Basil, rosemary and parsley plants. Ravishing raspberries. Cranberry orange scones, apricot linzer cookies, triple chocolate rockies. Vine ripened tomatoes, blushing with vibrant color and oozing summer flavor.

Brought home these babies and had a little Insalata Caprese for lunch. So easy to prepare, wholly satisfying, and quintessentially summer: sliced tomatoes at their peak ripeness, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves seasoned with Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top. Magnificent in its simplicity, laid back and luscious, with each unadorned flavor taking center stage without an ounce of competition. Ti amo! Ti desidero!

*kisses bunched fingertips*

What summer fruits and veggies are you most looking forward to eating?

Buon Appetito!

*swoons and dreams of tooling around Capri on a Vespa with Al Pacino.*

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This post is linked to Beth Fish Read’s Weekend Cooking, where all are invited to share food-related posts (fiction/nonfiction/cookbook/movie reviews, recipes, musings, photos). Put on your bibs and join the fun!

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chatting with cobi kim about veggietorials

May 30, 2012September 3, 2017 ~ jama ~ 43 Comments

I’m excited today to welcome my lovely niece, Cobi Kim, to the Alphabet Soup kitchen!

Cobi hosts the beautiful food blog, Veggietorials, where she shares her passion for all things plant-based. She features delicious recipes, product reviews for items she uses in her daily life, travel and cooking videos, and lots of photos and tips about what to order when eating out.

She prefers “plant-based” and “vegan-ish” when describing her lifestyle, choosing not to call herself a “vegan,” since she is uncomfortable with labels that tend to separate rather than unite us. She aligns herself with the principle of “Ahimsa,” doing no harm by leading a life of non-violence.

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