Beer and Food Matching: Ayinger Brau-Weisse with a salad of bitter greens, walnuts, pears and goat cheese

Wheat beers are sort of the beer equivalent of Sauvignon Blanc, fresh and clean with citrus notes and the ability to handle difficult foods such as salads (notoriously difficult for wines) and asparagus (ditto). Also look to wheat beers for delicate seafood such as shellfish, tempura (with or without vegetables), …

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Care for a fig?

When it comes to figs, Americans are of two minds. On one hand, one of America’s favorite cookies, the Fig Newton, is made with dried figs. On the other hand, comparatively few people have ever tasted fresh figs. Somehow the popularity of fresh figs in the Mediterranean didn’t make its …

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Grills and Thrills

If you’re only grilling hot dogs and hamburgers this summer, you’re missing out on a lot more food that can be cooked outside. Like what? Like cranberry-apple cake and peach crisp, both of which I’ve done on the grill and which prompted my guests to exclaim “You cooked that on …

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Fresh Mozzarella? fuggedaboudit

For most folks, mozzarella means pizza covered with a gooey melted mass of cheese appreciated more for elasticity than flavor. Like cheddar, mozzarella—second to cheddar as America’s most popular cheese—has been industrialized. Today the vast majority of mozzarella is lifeless and rubbery with a shelf life measured in presidential terms. …

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Kiwifruit Salad

This recipe is from my article All About Kiwifruit. Since kiwifruit is often described as having elements of citrus, strawberry and melon, we decided to put them all together for an intense kiwi experience. 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 tablespoon mild vinegar such as …

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Lamb Kebab with Kiwi Marinade

This recipe is from my article All About Kiwifruit. This dish uses kiwifruit in two ways, as a meat tenderizer and a salad ingredient. 1 pound lean lamb shoulder cut into 3/4-inch cubes 6 kiwifruit 
1 small to medium red onion 1 small to medium red bell pepper 
2 teaspoons walnut or …

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