Isaac and I have established that a burger isn’t a burger without pickles. We both agreed that our pulled pork sandwiches (last night's dinner) was no exception to the pickle rule. I love pretty much anything pickled. I have been a pickle lover ever since I could remember.
Growing up, my elementary school, Erwin Street Elementary had a fall festival each year. Some classrooms had a different game theme, one classroom housed all the prizes where one could “buy” stuff with the winning tickets.
Yet, my most favorite classroom of all had a huge barrel filled with the fattest pickles I had ever seen. The classroom with the barrel of pickles was the place I searched out first. I could still remember what they tasted like. And I can still remember the feeling I got with that first bite of that sour, tart pickle!
Each summer I end up pickling some sort of veggies. This past week I choose English cucumbers, radishes, and purple onions. I also threw in a shallot, sliced thin! The pulled pork could stand on it’s own, but adding these veggies made it that much better.
I’ve toured enough strawberry fields and interviewed enough growers in my lifetime to realize this: sometimes strawberries blow your mind and sometimes strawberries leave you with that “meh” feeling. And the difference isn’t something you spot visually – sometimes even the most anemic-looking berries can pack a flavor punch while large beautiful red ones can leave you wanting more.
Better than punch, tea, and even lemonade, aguas frescas are drinks made of fresh fruit puree. In Mexico they are typically made with tropical fruits, melons, and even grains—which include the rice drink horchata. Street vendors popularized the drink but nowadays you can even find agua fresca made in top restaurants. The Mexican soft drink company Jarritos is based on traditional aguas frescas recipes, but replaces water with soda.
As far back as I can remember, every June my family would make our
annual pilgrimage to Jones' Farm to pick bright red juicy strawberries.
If we didn't leave with a heaping boxful then we didn't do our jobs.
But as a kid I would always end up picking more for myself than for the
box, eating every other berry and leaving with the tell-tale signs on
my hands and face. I was just as guilty as the next kid, so actually I
didn't feel that bad. Now as an adult I typically taste only one and
try to keep myself from eating any more. I'm really just saving up for
gorging on them in the privacy of my own home.
Insalata di Caprese is one of those classic Italian recipes that shouldn't be reinvented. It's so simple and delicious just as it is—sliced mozzarella layered with sliced tomatoes and basil leaves and drizzled with olive oil. But there is room for reinterpretation, especially when you take those familiar flavors and ingredients and turn them into a whole new kind of salad.