Big Eye Tuna, Watermelon, and Cucumber Tartare

Our hostess had a fabulous kitchen complete with Mesquite butcher block countertops and a Viking range with a wok burner that would make the entire county of China envious. All of this with maestro Michael Cerza on the Steinway belting out some incredible tunes. ...continue reading about Big Eye Tuna, Watermelon, and Cucumber Tartare...

Butternut Squash Chips

It’s 9:30 p.m. and I want some junk food. Good, healthy, vegan junk food. I searched through every nook in the kitchen and other than tofu and some brussel sprouts that have started to compost in my crisper drawer, the only thing giving me the eye like that stupid stack of money with googly eyes in the Geico commercial is a butternut squash. Not what I was hoping for. ...continue reading about Butternut Squash Chips...

Mushroom Pot Stickers

Here is another quick recipe (yes, it’s vegetarian) I made the other night. Pot stickers are a misnomer because they don’t stick, at least not for me. I thwarted that attack by using a non-stick pan. So, in theory at least, these aren’t pot stickers. I’m not sure what I’d call them. I guess this is how the jumbo shrimp and military intelligence discussions got started and Scott Adams comes up with Dilbert content with ease. Without a doubt, the process is still the same and can use fresh ingredients or leftovers with ease. ...continue reading about Mushroom Pot Stickers...

Quick Summer Appetizers

Some dear friends had a 60′s themed birthday party this weekend and we had a blast. There was music, good wine, good friends, and good food. The only problem with a 60′s themed party is that most food in the 60′s consisted of devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon and then broiled until crisp), rumaki (water chestnut and chicken liver wrapped in bacon, marinated in soy and then broiled until crisp), cocktail wieners, either plain or wrapped in puff pastry (pigs in blankets), pimento cheese spread with Ritz crackers, and your favorite and mine…jello salad. The sixties was a culinary expedition that ended up shipwrecked on a desert island. ...continue reading about Quick Summer Appetizers...

Italian Tofu Pesto Recipe

This is something like a four wheel drive armored car that banks use to transport cash that would make any boy from Texas want one for Christmas. Patrick was, of course, riding on top because sticking your noggin out of the top of one of these things is the coolest ever and I’m guessing he had a 50 caliber machine gun up there. (I was wrong, he was unloading gear. I’ve since talked to him and he is modifying his story to match the cooler way I’m writing it.) ...continue reading about Italian Tofu Pesto Recipe...

Daikon Radish, Sunflower Butter, and Broccoli Appetizer

I have to admit, this may look like an odd appetizer. At the least you might think, how in the heck do those flavors go together. I’m gonna take a shot at answering both and tell you how to make both a great vegan and raw appetizer. In case you’ve lived under a rock, or your are a post grad student, eating raw means exactly that; eating all your meals from raw ingredients. If you think that’s tough, try being a raw chef. I am not. The play now unfolds…You’ve carefully and thoughtfully cold smoked a brisket for 19 hours, the sausage was made right in your very kitchen, and the baked beans contain the best applewood smoked bacon money can buy and pigs can make. Your significant other announces, “oh, by the way, Mike’s new girlfriend is a vegan”. (Yep, one of those) But, you proclaim, that’s not possible. We don’t have interplanetary travel and you know for a fact life doesn’t exist on Venus. ...continue reading about Daikon Radish, Sunflower Butter, and Broccoli Appetizer...

Something for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is coming up (in case you haven’t heard the fifty million radio and TV ads) and this would be a nice recipe to leave out on the counter Saturday morning sometime. It is a pretty simple and beautiful dish your significant other can make without subjecting you to toaster waffles or something worse. It’s also nice to make enough for the kids as well so they don’t feel at all left out of the day. ...continue reading about Something for Mother's Day...

Roasted Fennel with Pancetta and Rosemary

I was in Italian mood this week and had to harvest a fennel bulb from the garden. I say “had to” because this fennel bulb and its assorted delicate green fronds were the size of a VW bug. Honestly, I’ve never seen a fennel bulb this big before. This one measured nine inches across and about four inches thick. I was actually getting worried that much like a huge catfish it would become too tough to eat if I left it any longer so it was time for picking. ...continue reading about Roasted Fennel with Pancetta and Rosemary...

Spinach Feta Pasta

I came back to Austin and my garden is exploding! I have a fennel plant with a bulb about half the size of a soccer ball, broccoli starting to show signs of, well, broccoli, five foot tall sunflowers, and an abundance of spinach. Organic spinach fresh from a garden is very different from what I’ve bought in the store. It almost has a slightly sweet flavor I’ve not noticed before. ...continue reading about Spinach Feta Pasta...

Spring Whole Wheat Pasta

The weather has been gorgeous and everyone seems to be out exploring all the places I want to go. The Wildflower center was packed and the Austin Botanical Garden didn’t have a parking place available. I opted instead to go to our local gardening shop. You see, I have a aphid problem. ...continue reading about Spring Whole Wheat Pasta...

Spaghetti Squash “Pasta” Dish

I wanted to create another Italian dish that was super-quick to make yet one that used a lot of fresh ingredients and was healthier than one with enriched white pasta. I decided to do a makeover of a pasta dish my mom made and substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta. This recipe is one the kids almost might eat and is worthy of letting them give it a try. ...continue reading about Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" Dish...

Mango Fruit Salad

This mango fruit salad is quick, refreshing, and has the right amount of sweetness for warming temperatures. ...continue reading about Mango Fruit Salad...

Easy Spring Salad

This salad is quick and simple to make with easy to obtain ingredients. It’s also a vegan treat that your meat eaters will love. ...continue reading about Easy Spring Salad...