Entertaining

March 30, 2010

Hi Ho Hummus

As we continue our journey through Moroccan cuisine, there is one Mediterranean staple that cannot be left off the menu: hummus and pita bread. Lucky for my blogger friends and I, the ladies from Farm & A Frying Pan whipped up a mean batch of both. Now, if you are anything like me, you have tried to make hummus many times. Whether you decide to eat it as dip or slather on a sandwich, hummus is the perfect quick fix for a lunch or pot luck party. And with five simple ingredients – chickpeas, lemon, tahini, garlic, and parsley – […]

March 23, 2010

Risotto Cakes

I am sucker for texture. As a low sodium cook, it is essential to trick the senses with an unusual spice or unexpected crisp. When someone is overcome by food that is exciting, they do not have the time to miss the salt. It’s like a magician distracting the audience from noticing the cards already tucked up his or her sleeve. When it comes to noodles and rice, I also love to have a bit of broiled crunch on the top. Whether it is mac and cheese or in this case, risotto, the oven-fried pieces make the traditional “mushiness” all […]

March 19, 2010

The Grand Finale

Today, our Hawaiian journey comes to an end. Time to pack up your bags and head back home to oven cooked risotto cupcakes and Moroccan lamb. What? That’s not what you’re planning to make next week? Cause I am. But before we close out this chapter of our low sodium Hawaiian adventure, I have one last recipe that will really set your tongues wagging and heart racing. Low sodium, Char Sui Spare Ribs. This is that illustrious, unnaturally colored Chinese pork meat that always sends a pang of jealousy my way. Whenever Boy and I take a shopping excursion to […]

March 16, 2010

Kalua Pork – An Interpretation

I am a big fan of a luau and one of the most well-known dishes served at these celebrations is the famed Kalua pork. You just can’t have a luau without one – it’s almost as important as hula dancing. Almost. The word kalua literally means “cooked in an underground oven” and this is how the pork is traditionally prepared. Hot lava rocks lined with large banana leaves are used to form the underground oven, called an “imu.” Then, a salted pig is placed inside, covered with more banana leaves, a burlap sack, and dirt, and left to steam all […]

March 9, 2010

The Art of Raw Fish

Let’s take a moment to really appreciate fish in its most untainted state. Ceviche, sashimi, and other forms of thinly sliced sea food are a perfect, low sodium dining option. If you stay away from the saltier schools, like mackarel, squid, and shellfish, and leave off the usual soy-based or salt-infused sauces, these light appetizers will generally rank low on the salt scale, hovering around 50 mg of sodium per serving (my best estimation). As I had mentioned yesterday, I substituted a Peruvian-inspired seafood ceviche for the Puerto Rican octopus salad. Although the recipe, and result, was different from the […]

March 1, 2010

Gimme A Beet

It is the end of February and that means San Francisco has had a few days of faux-spring weather, causing me to swap the soup ladle for the grill. While I love a good beef patty, there is something about the taste of a nutty veggie burger. But the pre-made brands are skyrocketing with sodium and, although I have tried creating a chickpea patty of my own, the addition of breadcrumbs made it taste more like a falafel than a hamburger. This isn’t a bad thing, just not the result I was looking for. So I wondered, what vegetable is […]

February 22, 2010

Dough Re Mi

It may seem quite odd that I would begin this week with a post about something made of flour and water after openly admitting to my inability to bake, rattle, and roll. But I assure you, when it comes to a round ball of dough, I think have a bit more skill, or at least confidence. And in conquering this basic yeast bread, I was able to open the door to a sodium free version of something that I dearly missed: soft-baked pretzels. I am a city girl. I love the rush of busy streets and the buzz of passing […]

February 10, 2010

Custard’s Last Stand

Although this may be a shock, there are some people in this world who do not like chocolate. No, no. I don’t mean myself. Trust me, I’m on a steady diet of the dark stuff for breakfast every morning. It’s good for your health, right? But there are people out there (hey Dad) who, for some reason, do not taste the bitter sweet, buttery flavors that we find so decadent. So for those folk, I wanted to offer up a Valentine’s Day treat that is not dipped, coated, or sprinkled with any form of cacao: A Simple Vanilla Custard. This […]

February 9, 2010

Cooking with Kaz – The Novel

I’m sure none of you could sleep well last night, awaiting today’s big reveal of Kaz’s five-course, Shojin feast. I think I’m personally working on about four hours of sleep. So let’s jump right in and get to the good stuff. I just can’t wait any longer. Last Friday, I invited three friends over to share in my low sodium, Japanese cooking project and our evening with Kaz couldn’t have been more special. He is one of the warmest people I have ever met and Kaz immediately made himself at home. He regaled us with stories from Japan, LA, and […]

February 1, 2010

Once You Pop, You Can't Stop

Sometimes, it’s nice to take tradition and flip it on its head. The oyster po’ boy sandwich is an old favorite – a seaside comfort food that stirs up memories of overcast Half Moon Bay weather, a cold brew, and a bonfire. There is something clunky and majestic about this treat that calls for it to be eaten from a paper boat plate, away from the rugs and white couches of one’s home. So to make it a home-cook, classic, I needed to repackage the recipe and turn it into a one-bite wonder. I took all of the sandwich’s magical […]

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