Soul Food Picnic – Giardiniera Pickles with Cauliflower, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts and Red Pepper

December 28, 2015 Leave a Comment

Fall Giardiniera - Quick Pickles | Runaway Apricot

Do you know what's in your fridge? Beyond leftovers from last night's dinner, what's been sitting on your bottom shelf since last week? Reducing food waste begins with this attention to resources. I was recently invited to be the chef for a salon dinner created to shed light on what can be done with produce to avoid throwing it away. Throughout the menu I used many methods to use the whole animal or vegetable, purchase only as much as needed, and preserve remaining ingredients for days and weeks ...

Cooking Kosher: A Summer Meal with Friends

August 30, 2015 Leave a Comment

This was my first Kosher meal! Going to college in New York I became friends with a lot of people who culturally or religiously identify as Jewish. Together we've cooked and shared many meals, but I've never been able to feed a few who strictly conform to the regulations of kashrut, Jewish dietary law. As an outsider, the rules can be an obstacle to understanding the culture. (That's somewhat intentional - Judaism is not an evangelical religion as they do not seek to convert.) Now, after ...

Mango Margarita Sorbet

June 24, 2015 2 Comments

When I brought home my ice cream maker last year I could barely wait for the bowl to freeze before getting started with my first churn. I sprung for organic milk and cream, picked up a fresh bag of pecans and set about making the most delicious bourbon butter pecan soft serve. As I continued to devour it day by day one small detail I'd overlooked kept punishing me - I'm lactose intolerant. I started to give up the hope that my fun new tool would earn its keep in my kitchen just as I was ...

Rhubarb-Ginger Jam

June 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

Spicy-sweet Rhubarb-Ginger Jam makes a fine start to summer.Cheers to the first day of Summer! And farewell to a productive and delicious Spring full of seasonal eating at its best. Runaway Apricot kicked off the season with Rhubarb Upside-Down Cornbread and the vegetable comes full-circle now with this spiced jam, also adapted from Saveur. While the cornbread is best enjoyed right away, you can hold onto the sweetly spiced flavor of rhubarb for weeks with this quick preserve. Putting up ...

Ramp Butter: Preserve Spring Freshness

May 3, 2014 Leave a Comment

Limited time only. These spring weeds are far more delicious than their name suggests!If Runaway Apricot isn't the only food blog you follow, I'm sure you are knee-deep in the frenzy over ramps right now. These delicate greens inspire praise for being among the first vibrant color you can find after months of dull winter produce and their taste is the freshness of spring. But only spring, as their season is as short-lived as it is anticipated. Here's how to preserve ramps for a little while ...

Super Bowl Ready: Pizza with Garlic-Herb Crust and Shaved Brussels Sprouts

January 26, 2014 1 Comment

I'm proud to say that in my 7 years of living in NYC I've not once had pizza delivered. Why? Because this recipe is so much better!The Super Bowl is coming up which means that unhealthy eating is about to be celebrated all across America. Bars and living rooms around the country will serve deep fried, fatty, and nutrient poor foods to the masses. Meanwhile, Doritos, Pepsi, and Taco Bell will battle it out for the best commercial and try to draw you into the corner store after the game. There's ...

Brunch at Home: Master Fluffy Buttermillk Pancakes

December 31, 2013 2 Comments

Treat yo' self to some pancakes!You should know how to make pancakes from scratch. People moan about their favorite boxed mixes, but you are basically paying for someone to mix 5 dry pantry staples together and throw it in a box. You're getting unhealthy bleached flour for no good reason. And those "Complete," just add water, versions have awkwardly long ingredient lists and never taste right.You should know how to make pancakes because it's amazing to wake up and treat yo' self. Just ten ...

Sweet Corn Chowder with Poblanos and Shrimp

August 21, 2013 Leave a Comment

A delicious summer chowder to make from scratch.I've been getting into a few lively arguments about food systems recently and they always end up on a conversation about corn. Corn touches so many problems. There are the corn GMOs which are eating away at our biodiversity. There are American subsidies which make the import of corn into Mexico cheaper than growing it locally. We turn around and the subsidies make it so cheap for farmers to grow corn that they find new ways of tucking corn into ...

Make Your Own Packaged Food: Pickles

July 21, 2013 6 Comments

"They say that Dianah Darden would attack all that had to be done with the energy of a whirlwind. And there were so many things that had to be done for a family the size of hers - curing the meat in a smokehouse, making the soap, boiling clothes for laundry, and baking. But canning and preserving were the things that gave her the most satisfaction. She felt that the the whole process just seemed to pull her into the rhythm of the universe. She'd plant her seeds in the spring, pick and prepare ...