I have hesitated for some time in putting this “recipe” on the blog, because it goes kind of like this: Follow the instructions on the box. But I finally decided to do it for three reasons: 1) Not many Americans know it exists; 2) It’s really delicious; and 3) It’s close to my heart. In…
Archives for August 2012
Eating ABQ: Mean Bao
UPDATE: Mean Bao is now closed. One balmy evening a few weeks ago, Arne and I were walking down Central in Nob Hill when a curious sight met our eyes. In the window of the recently vacated Ecco Gelato space was a sign with a cartoonishly irritated white blob – maybe a marshmallow? a…
Homemade Sriracha Sauce
It’s a ubiquitous sight in Asian restaurants around the country, that green-lidded squeeze bottle with the rooster on the front. The New York Times and NPR have run stories about it; Bon Appetit declared it “the new king of condiments” and suggested 25 ways to use it. (I think I need to try those shrimp soon.)…
The Farm Cafe’s Eggplant Burgers
Last year, before we went to Portland, I got some great food suggestions from a friend. We followed up on a lot of them – notably Voodoo Doughnut and Beast – but didn’t make it to The Farm Cafe. In my pre-visit research, however, I noticed that the cafe had received much praise for its…
Eating ABQ: Rebel Donut
A couple of weeks ago, my mom came up from Belen to hang out for the day. We were lounging around, chatting about nothing much, when she uttered eight fateful words: “Did you hear about the new doughnut place?” Then she topped them with three more: “maple-bacon bar.” Five minutes later – long enough to…
Middle Eastern Mezze from the Grill, featuring Smoky Baba Ganoush
I love meals that consist of a variety of nibbles: bento boxes with their little jewel-box compartments of rice and veggies and pickles; rich and exciting dim sum served in little bamboo steamers from rolling carts; kaleidoscopic tapas spreads full of surprising flavors; and mezze, the rather less well-known Middle Eastern style of shared small-plate…
How the Garden Grows
Until this summer, my vegetable garden was behind the house. Consisting of three raised beds, each three feet square, it was tucked in between the house and the shed in an area of the yard we never use. Besides the admirable use of otherwise useless space, this spot had nothing to recommend it. It was…