Tropical Ice – Conjuring up a Taste Memory

The other day, I was idly looking at papayas sitting in the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter when they triggered a taste memory:  the intense flavor of papaya transformed into something smooth, creamy and icy. 

Funny thing is, I could remember the taste and texture, but it took me awhile to conjure up the recipe in my head.  It niggled at me until I let the memory play out...the kids were little, we lived in a condo on Cathedral Hill in San Francisco and I used to make this ice for company all the time.

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How to Roast a Chicken

By David Hu

In the time that it takes you to watch this video, you could have prepped a chicken and popped it into the oven, where it would roast unattended until dinner. Sure it’s easy to buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, but there’s nothing like the flavor of a plump, juicy, homemade roast bird.  Bonus: your whole house will smell so inviting, making everyone ravenous.

Be sure to crank up your oven before you start, since it will take 10 or 15 minutes to get the heat up to 400 degrees.  The length of time required to roast your chicken depends on the size of the bird. Allow 15 to 18 minutes per pound.  Altogether, you’ll need about 1 to 1 ½ hours of total roasting time.

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Mardi Gras, Yeah Baby!

By Marilyn Hunter

Our family eats pancakes for dinner on Shrove Tuesday. You may know it as ’“Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras.” “Gras” is French for fat and “Mardi” is French for Tuesday. However you say it, it’s a time to indulge because it’s the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, the season of fasting and abstinence. Pancakes are the traditional food of Shrove because they use up all the foods that are forbidden during Lent…fat, butter, sugar and eggs.

This year we’ll celebrate Shrove New Orleans-style with Bananas Foster Pancakes. For the pancake recipe, I always defer to the granddaddy of them all, James Beard. For the Bananas Foster topping, I’ve created a quick and easy version of the classic.

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Pasta – My Mood-Altering Meal

By Lori Powell

Oscar night! So excited, especially since I have been without a TV for weeks now. Soooo thought I would splurge and buy a new one. Big mistake.

After listening to the techie guys for about 1 ½ hours I thought I had made a wise choice…no go! The picture was horrible, no matter what I tried to do to correct the color, tint and sharpness. It had all of the latest stuff of what makes a great picture nowadays, or so I was told.

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Getting to the Heart of Artichokes

By Katie Barreira

They’re here! Seasonal artichokes have begun to arrive in markets. Don’t let these ornery thistles intimidate you. Choose artichokes with tight leaves that feel heavy for their size. Light scaring and discoloration on the outer leaves is okay; it’s their job to protect the tender inner leaves.

Depending on the preparation, artichokes can be a most carnal vegetarian repast or a refined culinary delicacy. Take your pick, they’re all delicious.

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