Readers of this week’s A Fresh Approach column by Jan Roberts-Dominguez no doubt recognized Cobb Salad, and most probably didn’t need a recipe to replicate this classic. But I think most of us could appreciate Jan’s research on the topic of salads and the little-known recipe for Celery Victor. Detailed directions for creating that piquant, hot [...]
Salting food is such a subjective action, totally dependent on the cook’s preference. Proof is in every recipe that lists salt among the ingredients in a quantity “to taste.” American taste apparently skews past the edge of reasonable, given that most of us consume nearly twice the government’s dietary guideline for sodium, according to a [...]
Maybe I can blame Anthony Bourdain and his penchant for pigging out on pork no matter the exotic setting of his travel show “No Reservations.” Why the search for a scapegoat? Because it’s so unlike me to crave pork products of any kind. But prosciutto has become something of an obsession lately, one for which [...]
Foodie culture has virtually exploded over the past few years, characterized by more and more consumers turning to locally produced, organic, artisanal and “ethical” foods. Maybe it only follows that the cost of food has increased exponentially during this same period. However, that’s not just boutique food. We’re talking about everything from cereal to margarine. [...]
News of the second beef recall in just six months should prod Americans toward substituting another meat. Bison, perhaps? American bison meat has gained popularity in recent years thanks to several attractive selling points. It’s grass-fed and grain-finished, yielding a meat that’s leaner than mainstream beef and even some chicken and pork. The meat is [...]
Medford succeeded in holding its first Junior American Culinary Federation competition this weekend, a coup considering that the event has most often been held in Portland over its 10-year history in Oregon. One has to assume its just another sign of Southern Oregon’s coming of age as a center for fine food. I had to [...]
Anything wrapped in a pastry shell is hard to resist. Asian versions like potstickers, wontons, egg rolls or spring rolls have a siren call that always snares me when dining out. I don’t care that they’re fried and fatty — that’s what I came for. In reality, these appetizers hardly seem worth their restaurant price [...]
Amid the day’s chocolates, conversation candies and other sweets, a little health reminder can’t hurt. Since February is American Heart Month, many of us already have had a hearty helping of information about cardiovascular health funneled through the medical and nonprofit sectors, as well as the media. Ashland Food Co-op also is jumping on the [...]
Once red wine became “healthy,” it seems people not only started grabbing a bottle with their weekly grocery purchases but wanted to become experts on enjoying it. Similarly, since dark chocolate gained status as an antioxidant, chocolate-lovers are pursuing the finer points of how to taste high-end candy bars. Exposure to several of the world’s [...]
I’ve always been one to enjoy a good stir-fry, just not my own. It’s not for lack of trying. For years, I dutifully chopped, diced, minced, whisked up gingery, garlicky marinades and added bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. I tossed everything together in a carbon-steel wok. But although these labors produced a dish that [...]
