Life, Love, and Food: The Kitchen Protocols

The Tandem Posting Project

2010-03-23T19:00:00.008-05:00

The Tandem Posting Project is a series of posts in which my lovely friend Ammie and I are writing thematically-linked essays. The topics are wide and varied, and we are having a lot of fun writing together. The following is a list of the topics and links to our respective posts.

* Cooking Without a Recipe
~where credit is due {Ammie}
~Like Butterflies {Rose-Anne}

* Long-Distance Friendship
~everything with wings is restless {Ammie}
~We Can Give It Away {Rose-Anne}

* Gender
~clap your hands if you believe {Ammie}
~One Piece of the Puzzle {Rose-Anne}

* Science
~consort with things eternal {Ammie}
~Where the Stories Are {Rose-Anne}

* A Sense of Place
~to take what we love inside {Ammie}
~Whatever Happens {Rose-Anne}

* Dirt
~dust to dust {Ammie}
~A Sign of the Earth {Rose-Anne}

* Recipes that Remind Us of People
~the past, via split peas {Ammie}
~Pumpkin Soup, with a Side of Melancholy {Rose-Anne}

About Life, Love, and Food

2008-07-16T14:17:00.004-05:00

I seek the high road. At its heart, Life, Love, and Food is about writing. I need a place to write; I like to think of my blog as food for thought and a bite to eat. I write about food because it is essential to life, a medium through which we are all connected. Food is the lens through which I examine life in all its simplicities and complexities.

I find the middle ground. I believe in eating whole foods. I believe that when food is minimally processed and close to its natural state, it is food that is maximally nutritious—good for us and good for the earth. That being said, I realize that life isn’t perfect. Sometimes we just have to do the best we can with what we have. Not all of my meals would make a nutritionist smile, but eating well is a daily goal. I focus on eating plenty of whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. I eat moderate amounts of dairy and eggs, preferring to use them as “accessory” ingredients to amp up the flavor, taste, and texture of my food.

I am 99.8% vegetarian. I love being a vegetarian! I was a vegetarian before I became a more serious home cook, so vegetarianism is my home turf. It’s rare that I miss meat, but I’m sympathetic to non-vegetarians who are trying to eat healthfully without giving up meat. I’m not an evangelist for vegetarianism—I don’t know that it’s the best choice for everyone. For some folks, not eating meat may always be too radical a change and therefore not a sustainable lifestyle. But I love it and I’m happy to discuss it with you if you are curious about my choices.

Although I am not a vegan, I do have a strong interest in vegan cooking beause I like the new textures and flavors that emerge in vegan cooking. Many of my recipes are vegan, and I have big plans to organize a vegan recipe index for Life, Love, and Food.

I take the low trail. My cooking is simple, homey, and good. I don’t have much interest in fancy food. I like to create dishes in which the flavors sing clearly and harmonize beautifully. Because my style is homey, I think my recipes tend to be accessible to people who are not experts in the kitchen—something that I think is very important in today’s America, a place where home and home-cooking seem to have lost their place in our hearts—or maybe just our schedules. In my mind, there is nothing better than coming home to my own kitchen. Preferably without a sink full of dirty dishes.

And finally, something soulful. I am simultaneously exhilarated and terrified by love. As in heart-pounding, swoony, soulful, romantic love. These days, by some odd twist of fate, I am both dating and in a serious relationship. I think romantic relationships are very interesting, so I write about love often. I like to think that my writing isn’t too sappy, but I am probably not the best judge of that! If you have a strong gag reflex, consider yourself warned!

Won’t you join me at my kitchen table for a cup of tea and some food gossip? It would be my pleasure.

Introducing the Recipes as Themselves

2007-10-30T17:23:00.064-05:00

*** THIS POST IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION! ***
January 28, 2012. I am terribly behind on updating my recipe index, but I am trying to catch up with the recipes posted on Life, Love, and Food during 2011. As I catch omissions from 2007-2010, I am adding them to the list below. Please bear with me while I hunt down links and add all sorts of delicious things to the index.

Warmly,
Rose-Anne

***

Sometimes you want to read, and sometimes you just want to cook NOW, dammit! That's where a recipe index comes in handy. Listed here are all the of recipes that have been published on Life, Love, and Food. They are organized into general categories, so you can peruse the index for a new dish of a specific type, or you can quickly scroll down to the recipe you want.

The Kitchen Protocols are updated regularly so that is easy and fun for you and me to use the recipe collection. Happy browsing, and happy cooking!

APPETIZERS AND PALATE-CLEANSERS
Matt's Melon with Lime and Mint
Toasted Walnuts with Raw Milk Jack Cheese

BASICS AND EXTRAS
Better
Cream Cheese Frosting (for a 9-inch round cake)
Fresh Strawberry Jam
Homemade Ginger Syrup
Homemade Herbes de Provence
Pizza Dough for Calzones and Other Good Things
Smokehouse Almonds

BEANS, LENTILS, AND OTHER DELICIOUS LEGUMES
Mujadara
Roasted Chickpeas with Smoked Paprika
Summery White Bean Salad
Tahini-Free Hummus

BEVERAGES
Banana-Buttermilk Smoothie
Greek Iced Coffee
Mexican Coffee
Nigella's Go Get 'Em Smoothie
Peanut Butter Malt
Rose-Anne's Perfect Chai Latte
Rose-Anne's Swamp Monster Smoothie
Strawberry-Banana Ricotta Milkshake

GRIDDLE FOODS AND THEIR OVEN-BAKED COUSINS
Baked Falafel Patties with Italian Herbs
Chickpea Patties
Multigrain Pancakes for Two with Warm Maple-Apple Saute
Rose-Anne's Favorite French Toast with a Pumpkin-Maple Syrup Topping

DIPS, DRESSINGS, SPREADS, AND SAUCES
Amanda's Fresh Tomato Salsa
Basil Green Goddess Dressing
Black Bean Dip
Blueberry Cheesecake Sauce
Classic Italian Vinaigrette
Easy Artichoke Sauce
Honey Walnut-Pecan Butter
Itty-Bitty-Batch Basil Pesto
Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese Dip
Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce
Roasted Garlic and Pea Dip
Shawn Marie's Asian Splash
Shawn Marie's Salsa for Sausage Eaters
Tahini Sauce
The Chicago Diner's Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

SOUPS AND STEWS
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup with Rice
Butternut Squash and Pasta Soup
Ful Edamame
Garlic, Chickpea, and Kale Soup
Garlic, Chickpea, and Kale Soup in Butternut Squash Broth
Greek Avgolemono Soup
Green Bean and Fennel Ragout
Homemade Tomato Soup for Winter Days
Kiki's Mint Pea Soup (via Anne)
Lunar Gazpacho
Lydia's Stew (or Chickpea and Rice Stew)
Matt's Chickpea and Artichoke Heart Stew
Moosewood Chili
Moroccan Carrot and Tomato Soup
Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Carrots and Raisins
Potato-Yogurt Soup
Quick Italian-ish Red Lentil Soup
Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup
Rustic Lemony White Bean Stew
Saturday Lunch Soup with Orzo Pasta
Smoky Pumpkin Soup
Split Pea Soup with Green Peas and Fresh Mint
Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes (variation: with Kale)
The Lazy Cook's Tomatillo, Hominy, and Pumpkin Stew
The Perfect Carrot Soup
Tomato Vegetable Soup with White Beans
White Bean Minestrone
White Bean Soup Provencal

SANDWICHES, WRAPS, SCRAMBLES, AND SAVORY EGG DISHES
Cheese on Cheese Bread: Asiago Cheese Toasts with Melted Cheddar and Green Apple Slices
Egg and Cheese Muffins
Egg Burrito for One
Faux Tuna Sandwich Spread
Frittata for Two with Roasted Broccoli and Caramelized Onions
Greek Sammiches
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Spinach and Dijon Mustard
Heavenly Eggs
Nigella's Avocado Bruschetta
Open-Faced White Bean, Cheese, and Slow-Roasted Tomato Sandwiches
Seasoned Black Beans
Simple Baked Egg for One
Southwestern Tofu Scramble
Theresa's Egg Scramble with Vegetables and Cottage Cheese
"The Robin," or Vegetarian Tuna Fish Sandwich with Pesto and AvocadoTofu Burrito Filling, Stewart Family Recipe

PASTA AND RICE DISHES
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Spicy Caramelized Onions, and Fresh Mozzarella
Penne Pasta with Ricotta-Pesto Sauce
Penne Pasta with Chickpeas in Ricotta-Pesto Sauce
Slightly Modified Ricotta Pasta with Tomatoes al Forno
Vegetable and Brown Rice Medley with Scrambled Eggs
Vegetarian Pasta Carbonara

CASSEROLES, CALZONES, ENCHILADAS, PIZZAS, AND TOSTADAS
Almond Crust Pizza with Shaved Onions and Zucchini
Black Bean Tostadas
(Daphna's) Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Matt's Calzones
Spinach and Zucchini Calzones
Spinach Enchiladas with Cupboard Enchilada Sauce
Theresa's Spinach Artichoke Calzones

VEGETABLES AND SALADS
A Nigella-Inspired Salad: Romaine Lettuce with Toasted Walnuts and Vintage Cheddar or Green Apples
Apple, Fennel, and Parmesan Salad
Avocado Corn Salad
Black Bean Salad
Broccoli Slaw
Cabbage Salad with Green Apples and Citrus
Celery and Sweet Potato Salad
Crunchy Celery, Apple, and Cheddar Salad
Daine's Mom's Slow-Cooked Green Beans
Green Lentil Salad with Lemon-Garlic Dressing
Herbed Roasted Potatoes
Main Dish Salad with Romaine Lettuce, Fennel, and Green Apple
Matt's Spinach and Orange Salad
Molly's Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Coriander
Nicole's Mexican Coleslaw
Nigel Slater's Roasted Red Peppers with Tomatoes and Basil Oil
Oil-and-Vinegar Oven Fries
Roasted Broccoli and Tofu
Roasted Eggplant with Basil Green Goddess Dressing
Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
Rose-Anne's Chicago Salad (or Main-Dish Salad with Homemade Croutons, Toasted Walnuts, and Shredded Cheese)
Salad with Crisp Greens, Strawberries, and Honey-Balsamic Dressing
Sauteed Spinach with Shallots and White Wine
Southwestern Brown Rice and Pinto Bean Salad
Steamed Broccoli with Vegan Caesar Dressing
Steamed Kale Salad with Almonds, Onions, and Feta
Steamed Vegetable Salad with Scallions
Summertime Wheat Berry Salad
(Nicole's) Tabbouleh with Grilled Vegetables
Thai-Inspired Salad with Radishes and Roasted Potatoes
Tomato Bread Salad
Ugly Chili Fries

GRANOLAS AND OTHER OATY THINGS
Addictive Peanut Butter Granola
Banana Oatmeal with Pecans and Coconut
Cherry Almond Granola
Crunchy Breakfast Granola
Crunchy Brown Sugar Granola
Daphna's Banana Oatmeal
Deluxe Granola
Maple Nut Granola
Maple Oatmeal Porridge
Overnight Oatmeal
Peanut Butter-Glazed Granola
White Chocolate and Dried Cranberry Granola

BAKED GOODS AND SNACKS FOR BREAKFAST OR ANY TIME
Amanda's Amazing Peanut Butter Bars
A Northerner's Butter-Crusted Cornbread
Apple Muffins
Baked Oatmeal Brulee with Banana, Cardamom, and Cinnamon
Breakfast Crostini
Classic Hippie No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Daphna's Garlic Bread
Half-Marathon Biscotti
Health-Foodie Nutty Buddy
Mocha Ricotta Muffins
Nutty Energy Bars
Peanut Butter-Peach Breakfast Parfait

DESSERTS
Almond Blondies
Apple Crumble, Hold the Oatmeal
Banana Bread Pudding or Baked Banana French Toast
Basic Vegan Sugar Cookies
Bastardized Basic Vegan Sugar Cookies (Variations)
Blueberry Crumble
Blueberry Yogurt Cake
Chocolate-Cherry Dessert Soup with Homemade Granola Topping
Cookie Dough Truffles
Dairy-Free Peach Sorbet
Daphna's Baked Apple French Toast
Excellent Brownies
Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies
Graham Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Espresso
Ian's Thumbprint Cookies
Lemon Butter Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Lemon Butter Cookies
Lemon Shortbread Bars with Chocolate Chips
Orange Pudding Cake
Pistachio Crescents
Raspberry Cookie Pudding
Risotto Rice Pudding with Rum Custard Sauce
Small-Batch Peanut Butter Cookies
Toasty Oatmeal Cookies
Texas Fudge
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Walnut Wafers
Whole-Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whole Wheat Less-Is-More Cookies or Whole Wheat Cookies with Walnuts and Milk Chocolate Chips