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Archive for the ‘Food + Recipes’ Category

Budapest, the City of Coffee, Fröccs and Paprikash

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“Normally they have rooster testicles, but I think they’re out of them today.”

Right.

We were staring at the wide array of meats behind the glass, busily snapping photos of everything from beef lungs to goose liver, knowing perfectly well that meat photos aren’t necessarily the most appetizing of food porn. With several floors of fresh produce and more meat than you can handle, the Great Market Hall, the largest indoor market in Budapest, has plenty of it, and Carolyn Banfalvi, owner of Taste Hungary, a Budapest-based company that offers food, wine and market tours, was taking us on a quick run through to make sure we knew all about fried fat and the importance of duck meat.

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Written by Anna Brones

July 24, 2012 at 10:22

The Real Impact of Your Cup of Specialty Coffee

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Dukunde Kawa or Kilenso?

I was at Coava Coffee Roasters for an afternoon meeting and having to choose what beans I wanted my iced Americano to be made from. Here, roasting is taken seriously, and on any give day you have your pick between the two blends of the day, always sourced from specific cooperatives on the other side of the world. I went with the Rwandan one, liking the taste, but also, for a variety of reasons – including once having a roommate from Rwanda – because the cooperative was on my radar.

Coava is of course different from the majority of coffee shops. Most times we stand in line, decide whether or not we should go for the soy latte today because we’ve been feeling a little dairy intolerant lately, opt for the extra shot and go on our way. But our coffee choices aren’t insignificant. Far from it, in fact.

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Written by Anna Brones

July 21, 2012 at 06:00

How to Make Your Own Cold Brew Coffee

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For coffee lovers, cold brew is summer’s nectar. You can of course buy cold brew systems, or end up with an expensive coffee shop addiction, but really all you need for delicious cold brew is a good coffee roast and a French press.

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Written by Anna Brones

July 18, 2012 at 19:25

What Food Are You Traveling With?

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Five minutes before I needed to be out the door I was running around like a madwoman. Leaving is always like this, even if it’s just for a short trip. Trash taken out? Check. Wallet? Check. Computer? Check. Computer charger? Check. Anything else? Shit. The hazelnuts and raspberries. Grab bulk bag of hazelnuts from freezer, not taking time to measure out how many I actually needed, and pulling the glass jar of raspberries from the fridge and stuffing it in right next to my computer case.

Completely normal.

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Written by Anna Brones

July 11, 2012 at 07:15

Recipe: Raspberry Rhubarb Quinoa Muffins with Raspberry Fig Jam

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On a cool Sunday morning I was in the middle of rows upon rows of raspberries. Summer means u-pick season, and there’s something about standing in a field of berries that inevitably leads to overdose. Pick one, eat one, repeat. An hour and a half later I was on a sugar high and had my arms full of two cardboard flats with 13 pounds of raspberries.

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Written by Anna Brones

July 10, 2012 at 06:41

Plate & Pitchfork: Changing Perspectives on Food with Local Farm Dinners

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Originally published here.

An organic dinner of farm raised ingredients. A table full of jovial guests and local wine. A summer night to appreciate good food and where it comes from. There’s a lot of talk about farm-to-table, and most of us living in high paced atmospheres have a tendency to romanticize pastoral images of happy cows and organic tomato plants. “If only I could be a farmer,” we think, forgetting the hardships that go into devoting a life to agricultural production. But part of having a better appreciation for what we eat, means having a better connection to where it comes from, and at the simplest level, that means eating there.

That’s the idea behind Plate & Pitchfork, an Oregon based business that helps people have a better of understanding of food and where it comes from, by serving it to them in the same place that it’s sourced. Hosting farm dinners, Plate & Pitchfork founder Erika Polmar puts consumers and purveyors together, in the ultimate farm-to-table experience.

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The Ultimate Food Guide To Summer: 100 Things to Do With Your Vacation

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Even if you’re not on an academic schedule, the longer days of the season mean that you have way more time on your hands than usual. Which indicates that it’s high time to stop drooling over blogs about backyard homesteading and actually do something. Welcome to the official Foodie Underground Guide to Summer, with a list of everything you ever wanted to do when it comes to food, and a few things you never thought of.

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Written by Anna Brones

July 7, 2012 at 08:00

Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Sea Salt

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Sometimes you need a decadent recipe that you can make in less than twenty minutes. This one is it.

As we all know, there is no better combination than dark chocolate and sea salt. Made with avocados, the mousse is also vegan, but serve it to your non vegan friends and they’ll be so sold on the creamy chocolatey goodness that they’ll never notice the difference. You’ll get points for a posh dessert and no one will ever know that you made it in the frazzled half an hour that you had between your last work meeting and your dinner party.

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Written by Anna Brones

June 25, 2012 at 10:50

Swedish Midsommar 101

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It’s summer solstice this week, which means it’s high time for Swedish midsommar, the best of holidays. Why? Because it’s a classic Swedish tradition that celebrates the longest day of the year, with food and drink at the center. In other words, an event to celebrate the sun. Put good food, a few glasses of aquavit and a table of friends together and you have yourself a party. Read the rest of this entry »

Recipe: Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad with Basil and Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette

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The arrival of summer means the arrival of bags of mixed salad greens at farmers market, or of course, your own from your garden. Instead of basing salad recipes off of them though, I like to throw them in as an extra addition to whatever I am making, a complement to the rest of the dish. That’s exactly what they are in this quinoa salad recipe.

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Written by Anna Brones

June 20, 2012 at 17:46