Ah, spring in Albuquerque. Daffodils, irises, wild temperature shifts, sand blowing in your eyes… it’s not all perfect, for sure, but the lengthening days and the tiny seedlings poking their heads up from the garden soil make my heart light. Very little local produce is available yet, but we do have some beautiful local radishes…
Exciting Changes in the ABQ Food Truck Scene
It’s a really exciting time for food-truck fans in the Duke City. New trucks join the fleet on what seems a weekly basis. One I’ve been desperate to try is The Scottish Pie Shop. Exactly what it sounds like, this pie shop on wheels sells a variety of meat pies, plus a few related items:…
Sous Vide Shrimp in the Kitchen Sink
Arguably the most coveted object of 2012 for the true cooking geek was Nathan Myhrvold’s mini-opus, Modernist Cuisine at Home. For most cookbook authors, a two-volume (one hardcover with gorgeous photos, one spiral-bound recipe book with special spillproof paper), 11-pound, $100 cookbook would be an opus. But not for Microsoft geek and multi-multi-millionaire Myhrvold; Modernist…
Springtime Lemon Risotto with Asparagus
It is now officially spring. How do I know? There’s asparagus everywhere. Not just off-season, $9 a pound asparagus with dried-up ends, but the beautifully fresh stuff: short, chubby spears at Whole Foods, long skinny spears at Smith’s, medium ones at the Co-op, and yummy ones in my CSA box. (If you’ve heard that skinny…
Cuts of Beef Infographic
Cuts of Beef infographic by visually. I enjoyed this little infographic and thought I’d share it with you. I could have used it the other day when Arne asked me where the tri-tip came from. I thought it was a sirloin – and I was right! The cooking methods icons seem like a particularly helpful…
Loafing in La Paz, part 2
One of the many quiet delights of the CostaBaja resort in La Paz is strolling around its little marina, which we did every night we were there. There were some gorgeous and expensive boats there – in fact, we saw Steve Jobs’s yacht, Venus, anchored offshore. (Expensive Venus definitely is; “gorgeous” is very much up…
Loafing in La Paz, part 1
A few weeks ago, Arne and I fulfilled a long-standing dream of visiting a tropical paradise. After some time poring over guidebooks and websites, we had chosen to visit La Paz, Mexico. A few hours by shuttle from Los Cabos on the Baja peninsula, La Paz sits on the coast of the Sea of Cortez….
Warm Kale Salad with Farro and Feta
I know, I promised you pictures and stories about my trip to La Paz. And you will get them. But first (and while I’m getting that image-heavy post ready), I want to share a delicious salad for when you’ve over-indulged. Maybe you’ve eaten too many cheeseburgers lately, or had a crazy night out on the…
Spring Break!
Hello readers! The Unfussy Epicure will be on a short hiatus while I head to Mexico for Spring Break. I look forward to lazing on the sand, snorkeling with sea lions, kayaking in the Sea of Cortez, and, of course, eating pounds of ceviche and other fresh seafood prepared Mexican style. I’ll bring pictures and…
Roast Chicken Thighs with Grapes and Olives
It’s fun to roast a whole chicken. There’s something elemental about it; like baking your own bread from scratch, it provides a sense of accomplishment that outstrips its actual difficulty. But roasting a whole chicken has pitfalls. For one thing, it needs to be in the oven for almost an hour. Also, it can be tricky…