About claudia

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So far claudia has created 181 blog entries.

DIRTY STRAWBERRIES

It's strawberry season! I know that nowadays you can get strawberries year round, BUT they don't taste like they do right now. I am not sure what the origin of this recipe is, but I was introduced to it for the first time when I lived in New Mexico in the late 80's. I was told it was a southern thing. If you know, please share. DIRTY STRAWBERRY I remember that the thought of strawberries dipped in sour cream and then brown sugar was not appealing. Boy was I wrong. This is short and sweet because I really [...]

By |2018-10-03T16:36:58-04:00June 3rd, 2010|
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GO GADGET GO!

If you are singing the theme song to this show, then you are probably my age. This post is not about clumsy French cartoon detectives, but about gadgets. Just like inspector gadget, cooks need gadgets to make cool things happen in the kitchen and sometimes what appears to be cool, turns out to be useless. Every once in a while I will be featuring a little gadget post where I tell you what tools I find indispensable. Enjoy. SILICONE SPOONULA Good Cook Silicone Spoonula Shown Here. I love to say Spoonula. Made of Silicone, that resists temps of [...]

By |2018-10-03T16:38:12-04:00May 20th, 2010|
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AGAVE NECTAR, not just for hippies.

Aw now c'mon my crunchy friends. Don't be offended. I did not grow up eating organic or free range. I had some friends whose parents made their own fruit leather and cranked the Joan Baez, but eating healthy in the late 70's and 80's meant eating somewhat boring food. Everything has changed of course. 'Organic' and 'green' are the big buzz words. I have never been more aware of what I put into my body, yet I no longer have to sacrifice flavor to eat healthy. Which brings me to one of my favorite products from Trader Joe's. I could [...]

By |2018-10-03T16:43:11-04:00March 22nd, 2010|
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TASTES LIKE CHICKEN

That there phrase could be a high compliment depending on the bird in question. I believe that the litmus test to a great restaurant or chef is how good their chicken is. Chicken can be a sublime experience if it is wrangled correctly and it usually isn't. I ordered the chicken at Chez Papa the other day and it was delicious, moist and perfectly seasoned. It rested on a bed of piperade, chorizo and potatoes and shined regardless of it's very tasty bedfellows. My lunch partner that day is a cook book editor for a very notable publisher. I mentioned [...]

By |2018-10-03T16:42:28-04:00March 15th, 2010|
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SMOKEY SPICY GOODNESS

I don't know what I ever did before discovering Spanish Smoked Paprika (Pimentón de la Vera). Not sure why I didn't discover it while living in Spain. God knows it was in or on everything from eggs to chorizo and ensaladilla Rusa. This lovely spice imparts a deep and smokey flavor to anything you add it to. I got my first taste at the Americano bar in the SOMA district of San Francisco. I ordered some fries that came dusted with pimenton and I am guessing some garlic and parsley. I am not a fry addict, like most, yet, I [...]

By |2018-10-03T16:45:44-04:00February 25th, 2010|
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