May 29, 2009
[Edible Idiom] Ne pas mélanger les torchons et les serviettes
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Browse the list of idioms featured so far.
This week's idiom is, "Ne pas mélanger les torchons et les serviettes."
Literally translated as, "not mixing dishtowels with napkins," it means treating things or people differently according to their perceived value or class, but also, more generally, not mixing things of different kinds, with the implication that some of ...
"[Edible Idiom] Ne pas mélanger les torchons et les serviettes" continues »
May 26, 2009
Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust
As much as I love a good short crust pastry and as simple as it is to make (really, it is, try it sometime), I have recently become enamored with another way to make savory tart crusts, one that relies on whole wheat flour and olive oil.
This dough is even easier to live with: it comes together by hand in minutes, calls for pantry ingredients I always have available, and lets itself be rolled out amenably, thanks to its flexible yet cohesive c...
"Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust" continues »
May 19, 2009
Sticky Chocolate Cake
Last time I was in London, my primary objective may have been to snuggle up with my nephew, but I still brought a list of food places I wanted to check out, for, you know, research purposes. One of them was Ottolenghi, a deli that offers a daily selection of colorful dishes -- with an emphasis on fresh produce -- and dazzling pastries.
I had received a review copy of their seductive cookbook a couple of months before, and had quickly stopped t...
"Sticky Chocolate Cake" continues »
May 15, 2009
[Edible Idiom] La fin des haricots
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Browse the list of idioms featured so far.
This week's idiom is, "La fin des haricots."
Literally translated as, "the end of the beans," it means that the situation is disastrous, that it's all over, and that all hope is gone.
Sounds depressing? Wait! It is in fact a colloquial expression that is most often used humorously, with a measure of irony. It may refer to...
"[Edible Idiom] La fin des haricots" continues »
May 12, 2009
Radish Leaf Pesto
Radish season is in full swing, and I have been buying a bunch a week since they first appeared a month ago. I very much like radis roses, the pink, elongated ones with a white bottom that look like so many pink mice, but I don't turn my nose at the red globes, and certainly not at the multicolored bouquets.
In fact, it is not so much the color or shape of the bulbs I pay attention to when I shop, but the color and vigor of their leaves*: firs...
"Radish Leaf Pesto" continues »
May 8, 2009
[Edible Idiom] Ça ne mange pas de pain
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Browse the list of idioms featured so far.
This week's idiom is, "Ça ne mange pas de pain."
Literally translated as, "It doesn't eat bread," it is used to say that a thing or an action can't hurt: it may never amount to much or be of much use, but if it costs nothing and entails no risk, why not?
It is a colloquial expression that is usually delivered with a...
"[Edible Idiom] Ça ne mange pas de pain" continues »
May 5, 2009
Homemade Lärabars
I have never been particularly drawn to energy bars and their spooky ingredients lists, but then I discovered the hugely popular Lärabars while in New York, and they won me over quickly.
If you've yet to make their acquaintance, here's what you need to know: Lärabars (I just ignore the umlaut and say "larabar") are compact but tender energy bars made of ground dates mixed with nuts and other flavorings -- spices, dried fruits, coconut, cocoa p...
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May 1, 2009
May 2009 Desktop Calendar
At the beginning of every month in 2009, I am offering C&Z readers a new desktop calendar, i.e. a wallpaper to apply on the desktop of your computer, with a food-related picture and a calendar of the current month.
Our desktop calendar for May is a picture of what I am eagerly waiting for: fresh, locally grown petits pois. They should be here any minute now, and I can't wait to start popping pods (see green pea shelling instructions).
Instruc...
"May 2009 Desktop Calendar" continues »