Watermelon on a stick !

Summer always equals watermelon.
Whether you are taking watermelon to a park or picnic or any function for that matter...
a fun way to eat your watermelon is to simply stick a popsicle stick in it.

Wash your watermelon, slice it, jab it with a stick and throw them into a large container-
or an aluminum pan like the one in the picture.

Enjoy watermelon sticks with your friends and family this summer!

Zestfully, Let's Cultivate Food

Scallions

Scallions are in the onion family and are often called ---

green onions, spring onions, salad onions, table onions, green shallots, 

onion sticks, long onions, yard onions and baby onions.

The name is often referred to what region or area you live in.

Scallions have their fair share of giving us vitamin A & vitamin C.

Scallions are used in so many cultures, styles of foods, in soups,

in stir-fries, as a garnish, as a marinating ingredient and so much more.

When eating Korean side dishes and especially in eating Korean BBQ

we shred scallions and give a quick toss in sauce to use as a garnish like

condiment to accompany the lettuce wraps or with just a chopstick full with 

the deliciously-sizzling bbq meats.

A scallion shredder looks like this....

and you simply run the blades through and it shreds the scallions. Once you shred the scallions

you definitely want to rinse them because there is often the sticky middle of some scallions.

It will liven the scallions as well and give that even fresher- curling on the ends.

You know the blue rubber bands that the scallions always come in? I usually keep the rubber band

on them and cut about an inch off the bottom and place them in a small cup or glass and they will

re-grow and sprout. DIY scallions! 

You can use the whole scallion, including the white-- and even the root part actually but I like to 

"cultivate" them and grow my own as well.  If you don't want to cultivate scallions--

you can also rinse the root part well and store them in a zip-lock bag and throw them into your 

soup broth to give your broth an easy, two-thumbs up type of  better flavor without much effort!

When cultivating scallions-- a little jar will work as well. It can sit right on your kitchen counter. 

It doesn't need to be near a window. It's pretty cool seeing them re-sprout and

being able to use something that you grew... well, sort of grew. 

Zestfully, Let's Cultivate Food

Grilling Pizza On Your Grill

Make your own home made pizza on the grill.
Simply purchase already made pizza dough.
Roll it out a little to get a flat shape.
I purposely don't make the shape of the dough round...
to get that true homemade feel and look to it.
This would be a good time to use the tip titled "lemons on the grill"
Place the dough right on your grates. (assuming they are clean)
and let the dough cook for a few minutes.... maybe 5-7 minutes.

Once you've flipped the dough over- you can add your tomato sauce
and toppings or if you enjoy a margherita pizza- you can simply top
your dough with slices of fresh mozzarella, tomato slices and fresh
basil leaves whole or chopped up. Once the cheese has started to melt-
you can sprinkle a little salt and pepper.

Did you know pizza on the grill could be so easy?!


In Home Cooking Classes Philadelphia        Birthday gift present activity cooking class

Double Duty Melon Ballers and Veggie Peelers

Vegetable peelers and melon ballers are good for
all vegetables and fruits.
Rather than using a paring knife to peel an apple...
it can be easier to use a vegetable peeler for peeling the
skins of an apple or pear for instance. Taking the seeds
and core out of an apple or pear can also be easier
with a melon baller rather than a paring knife.

Bird's Nest

The bird's nest.

It's made from potatoes and it was the base of salads back during the restaurant days.

Wow, the restaurant days seem like so long ago. Almost another life time ago. Literally.

What's great about the bird's nest is that it's fun, crunchy, visually interesting and best of all-

it's SO yummy!  It's great to put a salad or even rice into. You can simply use it as an edible bowl.

                        

All you need is one large potato, corn starch, a small metal strainer with a handle that

will fit into a sauce pan or deep fryer of oil and one egg.

Take your potato, peel it, wash it and shred it. (you can use a mandoline or box shredder)

After you shred it- you have to wash it to get all the starch out. 

(You should rinse it at least 3-5 times) You'll see a little bit of light brown water come out.

Once you wash it, shake your strainer a little to get the excess water out.

Next, lightly coat your potatoes with cornstarch- enough that they coated.

Lastly, take your egg and either brush it onto the potatoes or mix the potato in the egg.

(The egg will basically help keep the potato together in your little metal strainer to fry in)

Take the potatoes and shape them into the little strainer like a bird's nest.

Once your oil it hot... you can deep fry them. 

When they are a golden brown they are ready.  Place your salad or any side dish in there!

Zestfully, Let's Cultivate Food

Cilantro Lime Rice

It's been a while since I have had a new post...
cooking classes have been quite busy but I always enjoy sharing food.

Today it's cilantro lime rice.... so easy, so delicious,
so easy to eat and enjoy!

It's always great to season your food with fresh
or dry herbs or seasonings.

One of many ways to flavor your fluffy rice or pasta
is to add the juice of half a lime, a handful of cilantro
chopped up and I also
like to add a TBSP of butter.

The aroma of the lime and cilantro is delightful and makes
your rice even healthier and more flavorful.
You can have cilantro lime rice as a side dish, on your tacos, burritos,
on a salad, with a burger or simply by itself.

This simple rice is simply rice---lime---cilantro---butter (optional)

Zestfully, Let's Cultivate Food

Thai Tea --- DIY

Thai Tea..... Yuh-Uhm.

Thai tea is traditionally made from brewing red tea leaves. 

Unfortunately red tea leaves are not the easiest to come across.... 

so the next best thing is to use black tea.

You will notice most Thai or Vietnamese restaurants' Thai tea has a reddish hue--

for they import red tea in from Asia.

You can very easily brew some Thai tea at home though!

recipe and procedure:  

Boil a pot of water (kettle) and about 8-10 black tea bags.

I know you are in a hurry to boil some BUT... make sure you take the paper off the tea bags.

You can use any brand of black tea as well.

Add a handful of star anise. (maybe about 8-10 stars).

Star anise looks like this if you've never seen it before.

Once the black tea bags and star anise have an awesome par-tay boiling and bubbling away--

let it sit and chill for a little while.

The only other thing to add is the 5 or so heaping TBSP of sweet condensed milk

and my secret (not so much a secret anymore)  is to add a splash of hazelnut coffee creamer.

(a splash is about 3 TBSP in this case of making a whole kettle/pot full)

This Thai tea is really rich and awesome in taste!  The star anise gives it that licorice like taste.

(It's similar to a Chai tea but different at the same time)   Chai tea has more goodies in it.

As the warmer weather is upon us--- chilling this tea is best.

A tip for icing this tea without making it too diluted is to make some black tea ice cubes.

(prior to adding the sweet condensed milk and creamer... add some black tea/star anise blend

in ice cube trays.  

If your ice isn't ready... use plain ice and you will have tea ice cubes for your next batch!

Zestfully, Let's Cultivate Food