November 2010

Pho: Vietnamese Noodle Soup

legacy/pho.jpg

I love Pho. I grew up eating this oh-so-yummy Vietnamese noodle soup. Pho is great to eat for lunch or dinner. And the nice thing about Pho…it is so cheap and good! You can visit any local Pho restaurant and experience a wonderful hot bowl of the Vietnamese styled noodle soup. Vietnamese styled cuisine food and Pho is very popular in the Seattle area. Pho is great to dine with your friends during lunch to chat and gossip. For a yummy large size bowl of Pho is about $5. Since the economy is at a difficult period, it is always smart to spend money on great food that’s not too expensive. Why not a hot bowl of Pho?

TV Food Pr0n, or Anyone Can Cook

legacy/roast_chicken.jpg

When you have a small kitchen and you're only cooking for two but you are passionate about good food and cooking, there are times when it's a great deal of vicarious fun to watch other people cook, and other people eat. Yes, I'm talking about food pr0n—the Food Network, and all those cooking shows (and later, I'll even talk about food blogs) where people who know what they're doing make great food look simple, and good cooking a matter of following the steps that they make look so effortless.

The Disgruntled Food Critic: Hannukah Food Overhaul

legacy/latke.jpg

 

 

Listen up, my fellow Hebrews and Shebrews, we've got a serious problem and it's high time we start fixing it. Every damn year our winter holiday gets overshadowed by the twin culinary terrors that are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sure, we could just blame Hanukkah's lack of adventurous cuisine on having to compete with America's favorite national holiday and the hulking behemoth that is Christianity, ya know, if we wanted to be pansies about it. Consider this the intervention and the call to action. Hanukkah food isn't impressive enough and that has to end now and forever.

Holiday 2010: CLIF Bar Releases Seasonal Flavors

Ever bite into an energy bar while out hiking? Ever reach for a CLIF bar in particular? These delicious natural yummy energy bars were the stake hold of founder, Gary. Evidentially, sometime in the early 90’s Gary was out on a 175 mile bike ride one day and bit into “another” energy bar and thought “I could make a better bar than this.”

Th

legacy/CLIF bar.jpg

is moment is what Gary now refers to as “the epiphany”. The illusive CLIF bar originated after two years of dinking around in his mother’s kitchen with all sorts of ingredients. The name of the bar comes from his Dad, Clifford (not the big red dog). Clifford and Gary apparently trumped around in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when Gary was a youth. Gary also refers to his father, Clifford as his childhood hero.

Why is an Arm of the FDA Working with Domino's?

legacy/dairy-cow.jpg

The US has the dubious distinction of being ranked number one in the entire world in terms of our size. (The leanest nations are consistently South Korea and Japan.) While some consider any ranking for the US as a victory, I’m not so sure I agree. That’s why it’s more than a little surprising to see company’s continually pushing unhealthy, fatty products that they somehow manage to label as food.  The NYT has a story today about a “great” (please note the irony quotes) new company called Dairy Management.

 

The Disgruntled Food Critic: Advice for Fast Food Restaurants

legacy/fast-food_0.jpg

Sometimes food criticism benefits from a steady, effete voice. Other times it's all about the fun of unpretentious eats on the road. But on a few, rare occasions, somebody just needs to be a jerk about it. Enter The Disgruntled Food Critic. Today, let's talk about fast food purveyors and some ways they could stop sucking and start doing their job right. It's not about making that junk healthier or even higher quality. That's not the point and everyone knows it. I expect dogs to bark, rain to be wet and fast food to allow my inner child to smother my outer adult with all the flavors he only craves because he lacks experience or insight. So, I'm not here to complain about how greasy, salty or just plain heartburn-inducing fast food is. With that caveat out of the way, let's dive in.

Mmmm, Pumpkin Tarts!

legacy/pumpkin_0.jpg

Last year’s pumpkin shortage is thankfully gone this year, meaning that those of us who love pumpkin in everything from shakes to pies can now revel in this seasonal treat! If you love pumpkin pie but want to retain a little bit of portion control during this year’s holiday season, you might want to try your hand at making pumpkin tarts. These little pastries are just as delicious and can be whipped up to create some unique and memorable single-serving desserts for your next feast.

One of the best things about pumpkin tarts is that they are so simple to make. In fact, baking isn’t even required—though the baked recipes often yield yummier, warm treats. To make your pumpkin tarts the no-bake way, you’ll need:

45 mini pastry puffs or shells (about three packages)