Browsing Category Inspiration

What started out as a harmlessness preoccupation, has turned into a ritual! Juicing is my new love – I do mean the healthy juicing. Once I saw the photo Kate Hough posted on Facebook a few weeks ago I knew I had to try it too. Here’s Kate’s recipe for  green juice is inspiring

1 head romaine lettuce with the heart of the lettuce cut off
3 – 4 kale leaves with the thick stalks cut off
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 apple
1 cucumber 
4 – 5 celery stalks
1/2 lemon, peeled

The cilantro adds the kick, cucumber, apple, and celery mellow out the grassy flavors of the kale.

Dash Juicer

But, I could do this with just a blender no way – I got a Dash. It’s smooth, easy to use and in seconds I can produce a delicious refreshing healthy tonic that my body just loves! What do I love best about juicing – besides the healthy goodness for my body – I just like the putting fruits, veggies and herbs into the juicer – it’ just pain fun to experiment!

I did find a couple of other things from the local grown farmers and made in AZ to add to my juices:

• From Rhiba Farms I got wheatgrass
• Seize the Fork I got {mega} powderBlend 

Both additives ad extra healthiness.

Just when you didn’t get enough experimentation here are some juicy pins I added to the Daily Eats’ Pinterest board. Don’t forget composting is a great way to give back to the environment!

Martha Payne joined Nick Nairn at his cookery school for lunch today

Martha Payne understands what a healthy meal is, she decided to take a deep hard look at her school lunches. Martha’s findings will astound us but not surprise us. She blogs the results of her lunch research in her food blog “NeverSeconds“.

Martha is smart and clever – she created a rating scale called food-o-meter in which she reviews:

• Mouthfuls
• Courses
• Health Rating
• Price
• Pieces of hair
• Ease of eating with wrist in stookie
• Wristband

This is brilliant! She using critical thinking! She should be applauded by the school for being smart, and her school should consider her findings.

Martha, I see a Pulitzer in your future. Keep up the good work! I think you are going to really love statistics!

Though I am relieved to see that Martha is allowed to continue her research, Argyll and Bute Council should consider that Martha is demonstrating her education. Her representation of what she is learning is evident in how she is observing and examining the problem, articulating the problem and discussing her research. Martha also has also combined the use of science with the use of art as shown in her well composed photographs. Hopefully Argyll and Bute Council will realize and be proud that Martha is a prize student who is using her skills in a positive way. Let’s make sure Martha continues to grow her skills and get her on the road for that Pulitzer!

Happy New Year! I have good feeling about 2012! Despite reports of doom/gloom. I think 2012 is going to set the steps for our future. Let’s kick this off by celebrating what we learned from the past by something new and exciting to clang our glasses too.

These deliciously looking cocktails are created and inspired by Julien Pieras [The Twinkle] at Le Caprice and master mixologist Isaac Elbhar [Silver Fireworks] at Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar.

Try them out:
The Twinkle

1 Part Kanon Organic Vodka
1/2 Part Elderflower Liquor
Champagne

Add vodka and liquor to a champagne flute, top with champagne.
Created by Julien Pieras at Le Caprice.

Silver Fireworks

2 oz of Absolut Vanilla
1 oz of Midori
1 oz of Pineapple
1 fresh squeeze of Lemon
Sambucca Dash

Shake all ingredients except Sambucca, then strain into martini glass. Flame the Sambucca into a dfferent glass and pour it over the concoction and garnish with silver flake.

My brother, Tom gave Anita Chu’s “A Field Guide to Candy” a try. For Thanksgiving, Tom made the Chocolate Peanut Butter candies. Tom’s candies have a familiar taste almost similar to a childhood favorite: Reese’s peanut butter cup.

But there is a freshness to Tom’s candies and choices that can be made with chocolate and peanut butter. I could image swapping out milk chocolate for dark chocolate and peanut butter for cashew butter. Tom is going to try other candies from Anita Chu’s book for December’s holidays.

Meet Blake the Cat who is an unusual white and black tabby with one blue eye and one green eye. Blake also likes to talk. Blake wants to eat when he wants to eat.

Blake has a special diet he eats canned food in the morning. I try to buy him organic cat canned food. At night Blake dines on Nature’s Variety raw food. His favorite is venison. He likes it a little cooked. During the day he gets EVO ancestral diet cat hard cat food. Only a 1/4 of cup.

Greenport, Long Island - Daily Eats was invited to celebrate Labor Day with Tim & Larry on Greenport, LI. Larry cooked the entire brunch. Everything was either fresh picked from his garden or bought locally from the farmers. There is nothing more satisfying then growing your own fruits and vegetables, as well as harvesting and eating from your garden. If there was something he did not grow and needed he would go to the local farmers and buy direct.

Larry has an amazing green thumb. In addition to fruits and vegetables Larry grew he also had the most beautiful assortment of flowers. Whatever he was using to fertilize his garden certainly grew his plants to incredible sizes.

Larry and Tim served this wonderful Sunday brunch to 17 friends outside. The day was stellar perfect for outdoor dining. Larry’s Provencal Tomato Tart was so yummy, the tomatoes were incredibly sweet. I’ll have more on Larry’s tomatoes and what I did to them in another Daily Eats post. Larry’s Watermelon Gazpacho was so refreshing and perfectly balanced between watermelon, tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers and a few other secret ingredients. His blueberry buttermilk muffins were to die for. Tim’s mom, Mary Anthia, made traditional devil eggs which were devilish.

It was truly a delicious, delightful and peaceful end to summer.

tags: provencal tomato tart , daily eats, Greenport Long Island, home garden, farm bought

New York, New York - In another effort to make peeling easier, in the past I talked about peeling mango, I learned this trick over the weekend from my friend, Larry. He was making his amazing Watermelon Gazpacho which called for tomatoes.

First, he made sure he washed his home grown tomatoes clean. Then he put the whole sweet tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for a minute. After the minute the tomato skin is soft enough to pull off.

BE VERY CAREFUL the tomatoes will be hot! Watch your fingers!

If the tomato isn’t naturally scored from the heat I suggest gently scoring the skin before placing the whole tomato into the pot of boiling water.

tags: peeling tomato, daily eats

Caryn Rose and I explored Koreatown and found this awesome Korean Bakery. I had no idea that Korean Baked goods could be so delicious!

We both agree Koryodang is a great place for Korean sweets!

tags: koryodang, Koreatown, mochi, daily eats

I love the taste of mango. It has a sweet perfume taste. How the heck do you slice mango? Having one sitting in front of me I looked at it logically and thought I should score two circular patterns. Then I decided to see if somewhere on the internet someone can tell me how to slice this slippery fruit.

About.com’s Ronda Parkinson gives a easy step by step lesson on how to peel and slice a mango. I tried her suggestion and it works!

Now I can easily enjoy eating mango without worry about my fingers being sliced.

Where did the time go? I can hardly believe it’s Saint Patrick’s Day! It’s all about corn beef today. My mother has been preparing for this day. She’s been bragging about a recipe for corn beef that will make your mouth water with joy. I’ll have the taste and tell on corn beef tonight.

I am behind in Daily Eats. I’ve been traveling, interviewing in LA, and taking a class in financial decision making. With so much going, on it’s a miracle I have time to eat, but if there’s one thing I make time for it is eating!

The coming Daily Eats will include:
Tips on rolling meatloaf
Sunday Egg’s my Father’s way
LA dining, cultural events including RedCat and MOCA, and food
What Women Really Desire
and
Testing those Energy Drinks for taste and results.