Life Hack : : Peeled Garlic Supply in a Snap

Cook faster. Eating sooner.

Peeled garlic is a kitchen essential. Discovering a Life Hack that's a time saving, seamless addition is sweet. 

Enjoy,
Willis 

@CookingLoungeNY

Beefsteak Brunetta Salsa Fresca

Salsa Fresca 

with Beefsteak and Brunetta Tomato

photo:wbj

Quick and easy salsa with a twist, for Cinco de Mayo and the whole summer

photo:wbj

The Brunetta tomato (aka Kumato, brown tomato) adds a sweet, earthy flavor to this mildly spicy and refreshing salsa. 

Turn down the heat with 1/2 a medium sized jalapeno (finely chopped) along with usual ingredients - cilantro, fresh lime, onion, splash of white vinegar, sea salt and pepper.

photo:wbj

I made approximately 3 cups using 2 Beefsteak and 3 small Brunetta. 

Have fun; add garlic; use chives, other fresh herbs; switch up the citrus with orange or lemon. 

Try Beefsteak Brunetta Salsa Fresca on simply prepared fish or chicken, for a light and healthy entree, bursting with bright, sunny flavors. So glad Yummm!

Tell us how you use salsa fresca?

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

After a break to recharge and experiment with new ideas, back with exciting food, lifestyle and music tips for you. 

For more fresh content we like, follow us on Twitter @cookingloungeNY

Thanks for visiting. 
Willis

Guava Chutney, a Condiment Rich in Vitamin C

FOOD:
In New York City, despite the onslaught of gentrification, one stumbles upon all kinds of unexpected ingredients used in ethnic cuisines. Culinary discover should be in the Top 10 list for best things about pedestrian friendly NYC.

As spring pushed aside winter, I noticed fresh guava popping up on produce shelfs and fruit stands, especially in Brooklyn.

source wikipedia

source wikipedia

With no clue how to use the tropical fruit and widely varying answers from a couple of people in the market, goggled for some recipe ideas using vitamin C loaded guava. 

Cooking Lounge created a simple Guava Chutney. Here's a recipe guide. Have some fun and play with ingredients you have on hand.

8-10 oz of guava, peeled and sliced/diced
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, white vinegar, or vinegar of choice
3 tablespoons of turbinado sugar
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, chopped 
cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, mustard seeds, kosher salt - grind in food processor until a coarse spice mix; adjust spice proportions to your preference. 

On low heat, warm vinegar with onions. Add sugar and increase heat a little. When slightly thickened, add spices. Season to taste. Stir in guava and parsley. Cover for a couple of minutes to heat throughout. Stir again to evenly disperse flavors and ingredients. Add a little water if needed. Done. Let chutney cool to room temperature. This is a quick pickling method.

Serving Suggestion
photo: kbeall

The Guava Chutney keeps well, refrigerated in a mason jar. It is an excellent condiment with eggs to meat or a savory-sweet spread on crackers with cheese. 


We tried the Guava Chutney on Roasted Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Feta Cheese topped with bread crumbs...ahhh sooo amazing together.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Juice it up! :: Juicing Fruits and Vegetables

Resolutions have been made to do better with the New Year. Exercise. Eat healthier. Have adventures. Save more. The possible lists go on and on and on.

cucumber, celery, carrot, orange, ginger

Juicing is big on a lot of personal lists. Juicing and Juice Cleanses are the new buzzed about favorites for improving health and losing weight.

Juicing has been around for ages. Think Jack LaLanne, "The Godfather of Fitness", who extolled the versions of juicing for decades. Jack might have been on to something; he lived a long and vibrant life.

Guessing (not a nutritionist or health expert) that spending a weekend or so doing a cleanse is probably helpful and healthful - intaking low calorie, nutrient rich liquids to clean out the digestive system and maybe lose some pounds.

The waning days of winter, mean warm weather and less clothes soon...finally, so time to tone up and shed that winter layer. Snow is on the ground but spring is in the air. Can hear birds chirping.

Juicing can be an integral part of everyday eating. A nutritious juice can replace a meal or be an energy boosting healthy snack. 

Breville Juice Fountain Plus

After a bit of research, purchased the Breville Juice Fountain Plus because of great reviews and its easy clean up. Tips: Save plastic shopping bags and line expeller bin for even quicker clean up. Scrub fruits and vegetables or wash well so you can use skin when appropriate.

Ginger makes it awesome

A favorite combo is cucumber, celery, carrot, orange and ginger. In general, cucumber and celery make a really good base that blends well with almost any mix of fruits and veggies. Also, like to add ginger often to a range of juice mixtures.

Gotta get those leafy greens into the mix too.

Sweet Greens

Tips: Roll up a few leaves and scrunch into a ball. A little squeeze of lemon brightens the juice.
                              

Kale or Collards  
Pineapple
Celery
Cucumber
Ginger
Lemon

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge
photos:wbj

Nigella Lawson :: "...Comfort food is comfort food..." Roast Chicken

"...Comfort food is comfort food wherever you are and it always comes down to roast chicken and mashed potatoes in the end." Nigella Lawson

Here's a Cooking Lounge post from February 2013 featuring Nigella Lawson (click link)

Roast Chicken
Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sauteed Green Beans

During the lull of days between Christmas and New Years, comfort foods and seasonal favorites that are simple to prepare, hold well and serve guests and visitors with ease are ideal Holidays Recipes (see more ideas >>> GOOD FOOD).

H A P P Y    H O L I D A Y S

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Whew...New Cooking Lounge Posts on the way

Wow! New York City had a beautiful summer. Yes, sweltering, skin melting, cook an egg on the sidewalk, heat for a few days here and there in July, with August coasting into fall as if scripted. 

Now, in the days of indian summer, late harvest are in farmers' markets like tomatoes; and, fall favorites - local apples, pears and pumpkins - are in abundance almost everywhere, often at a great price. Pick-up that seasonal bargain then thumb through a cookbook or google recipes on an iPad, and of course search Cooking Lounge.

And fast becoming a near national holiday, of sorts, Halloween is just around the corner. Halloween is that riotous mark in the sand for the Holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years - 
...food... parties...cocktails...more food.

Cooking Lounge has fresh new posts on the way after a little downtime to recharge, write and cook.

Now, while you are here, click around; check-out Good Food for original recipe ideas.

Visit soon for all new posts from Cooking Lounge.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

photo: wbj

HIGHLY Suspect

MUSIC:

Rocking Hard, Fresh Out of Brooklyn

HIGHLY 

Suspect

And, there is more from this new band, with a fast start out of the gate. Listen to this.

http://www.highlysuspect.net

HIGHLY Suspect is unsigned, but probably not for long.

ROCK ON!

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Cinco de Mayo : Black Bean + Corn Salad

FOOD:

Black Bean Salad is a perennial Cooking Lounge favorite.

Mixed up a batch of this quick and easy recipe, then realized the serendipity of the Black Bean + Corn Salad, a perfect dish for Cinco de Mayo with the Mexican and Southwestern flavors of this colorful, easy recipe.

Here's a link to a preparation guide:
Cooking Lounge's Black Bean Salad + Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

photo:wbj

Quick Breads

FOOD:

Quick Breads- photo: wbj

Tested some new Cooking Lounge recipes for an assortment of Quick Breads.

Banana Walnut Bread and Banana Bread with mix of whole wheat and unbleached flour and a mix of coconut oil, olive oil and butter

Flax Corn Muffins with flax seeds, flax seed meal and olive oil

Orange Zest Cranberry Bread with mix of whole wheat and unbleached flour and a mix of coconut oil, olive oil and butter

Rosemary Cornbread with creamed corn and olive oil

The consensus was all were pretty tasty with the Banana Walnut Bread getting raves but the Flax Corn Muffins were a bit dry. 

Note: Flax seeds absorb moisture. So, next test will increase the wet ingredients...the joys of testing.

Experiment. Play with ingredients in the kitchen.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Erin Go Bragh! - Sheperds Pie for St. Patrick's Day

FOOD:

Shepherds Pie is a perfect St. Patrick's Day meal. A hearty and filling crowd pleaser to fuel more shenanigans. For the Cooking Lounge preparation guide and more photos, click here.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Roast Chicken and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

FOOD:

A Whole Roast Chicken is a good food benchmark for many people around the world. 

The crisp, slightly salty skin, the slick chicken fat, juicy meat, herbs and spices add gravy and mashed potatoes, for so many a sigh inducing combination (familiar, satisfying). 

The Daily Mail ran a huge airy, winding piece on Nigella Lawson, breaking into the U.S. market and promoting her new book, "Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration." The DM article is an entertaining read for a lazy Sunday morning, with the right mix of food, drama, and plain old common sense. It is understandable why, posh, wealthy and yet relatable, Nigella is revered as a goddess in the U.K. As her parting comment, sexy Nigella served up some knowledge with no-nonsense advice about the lusciousness of a classic simple meal. 

"...‘Comfort food is comfort food wherever you are and it always comes down to roast chicken and mashed potatoes in the end." Nigella Lawson

There are infinite tasty ways to roast chicken and prepare potatoes. Once you have the basics mastered, experiment with flavors, tailor recipes to your taste or even a theme.

Inspired by Nigella Lawson, Cooking Lounge pulled together an impromptu dinner party: Roast Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Sauteed Green Beans.

Called friends. Popped into the butcher. Picked up veges at the produce stand.  Gathered in Brooklyn, at a Dumbo loft near the East River. It all seemed to fall into place effortlessly, the perfect meal to wind down the weekend, with the potluck additions of red wine and craft beer, cheese, cupcakes, Italian chocolate, and a Latin mother's holiday concoction - rum, coconut milk and condensed milk - shared with good friends. A sumptuous dinner party pulled together without much fuss or expense. 
Whole Roast Chicken was the very first Cooking Lounge post. 
Click here for a Cooking Lounge guide for the classic comfort food dish in our launch post.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge
photos:wbj

Capri Salsa Fresca with Culantro - Super Bowl Recipes

FOOD:

Chips and Salsa are a nationwide Super Bowl tradition. 

Tortilla Chips have been mass produced since the 40's, first for the West Coast Mexican food market, and then, the national food market, starting in the 70's. Chips and Salsa are standard fare from Mexican restaurants to Sports bars. Doritos are probably the best known tortilla chip although many more varieties are available. Epicurious rated Bachman Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips #1. Check-out the list. Try one of Epicurious' recommended tortilla chips with Cooking Lounge's Capri Salsa Fresca with Culantro.

Cooking Lounge came across Capri Tomatoes that were priced to move. Ripe and sweet, the Capri Tomatoes were better suited for sauce over slicing. Also, on hand in the kitchen was culantro, a variation of cilantro, used extensively in Dominican and Latino cooking. Culantro is also known as recao, long-leafed herb, spiritweed, wild or Mexican coriander, saw leaf herb and a host of other names around the world.  Culantro has a robust, distinct cilantro flavor. Remember, be inventive; use what you have on hand. Usual, everyday dishes can become new stars of your culinary repertoire. 

Salsa Fresca is quick and easy. With chips, it is ideal for a Super Bowl party or a fresh healthful snack for family and friends. Salsa Fresca with Culantro is excellent on grilled chicken, fish or eggs, too. So, save some salsa to make an ordinary dish a little extraordinary.

Cooking Lounge gives guides more than exact recipes. Play with ingredients. Try colorful heirloom tomatoes as an extra special treat, for example.

Capri Salsa Fresca with Culantro
2lb ripe Capri Tomatoes, diced (make quarters then slice in half)
2 tbs fresh Culantro, finely chopped
2 Jalapenos, finely chopped
3 Scallion, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp Lime Zest
1tbs Lemon juice
1tbs Lime juice 
Salt and Pepper to taste

Ripe Tomatoes have high liquid content so pour off some of the tomato juice before adding the citrus juices and reserve (throw into a stock or a sauce; no need to waste).












Mix well. Ready to serve but better flavor if Salsa Fresca with Culantro sits in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

photos: wbj

New Destination in the Bowieverse: "Where Are We Now?"

MUSIC:

Could not resist posting about music legend and cultural icon David Bowie's recent release, "Where Are We Now?." New Bowie after nearly a decade! More Bowie to add to the soundtrack of your next dinner party (try Cooking Lounge Good Food ideas).

David Bowie did more in the 70's and 80's than any other successful artist to encourage freaks, geeks and outcasts to love and embrace their uniqueness with performances and near anthems of individuality, decadence and darkness wrapped in trademark chameleon personas. Every album was a seductive invitation to a new destination in the Bowie Universe (Bowieverse). Even Wall Street took notice in the 90's and started trading on the power of Bowie's genius, as asset-backed securities with Bowie Bonds.

Bowie's voice is haunting in "Where Are We Now?", hallowed and graveled with a dark resilient joy (a pulsating light) permeating every lyric uttered - 

...joy of survival...joy of  living... joy of remembrance in hedonistic days-gone-by...

The lyrics and accompanying music video are drenched in symbolism and open to all kinds of interpretation. The seemingly lo fi video - mise en scene desktop set, grainy slow motion black and white frames, and puppets with supper imposed heads (is this a comment on individuality?) - does what David Bowie does with deft, pull you into the Bowieverse to share his current revelry. 

Not the best singer but a master vocalist, "Where Are We Now?" is distinctively Bowie, memorable and melodic, with the ever present Bowie melancholy shocked with rays of light.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Happy Holidays. Cheers!

Happy Holidays
photo: wbj

Health, Happiness, Prosperity and a Wonder-filled New Year

Cook More. Share a Meal. Spread Love.

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

Bacalao Salad - Holidays Recipe

FOOD:

The Cooking Lounge Bacalao Salad is a latin and caribbean take on a traditional whitefish salad made from salted cod. 

From Puerto Rico in the Caribbean to Italy, through Portugal on into Norway in Europe, there is recipe upon recipe for a whitefish salad made with dried, salted codfish. Triangular trade routes paved the way for cod to become a traditional staple across continents.

A friend from Puerto Rico and a friend's Mom from Panama dipped into memories of mothers' kitchens, sharing their favorite version of this traditional cod dish. Cooking Lounge's fresh take has big, bright flavors, that go well with almost any buffet spread, make a light yet filling lunch salad on a bed of greens, and complement meat as a side (see serving suggestion).

Bacalao Salad (capers, olives, chive flowers, fresh herbs)

Requires some planning to make but is relatively inexpensive. The salted cod soaks in cold water in the fridge for 24 hours; and, the water needs to be changed at least 3 times to desalinate the cod. Blanch rehydrated codfish with juice 1/2 lime. Drain. Toss with herbs, spices, capers, olives, onion, lemon, lime, extra virgin olive oil, etc. Chill to marry and enhance flavors.

So worth the effort because Bacalao Salad holds well, serves a group, and has fresh, bright flavors that satisfy. 

Bacalao Salad w/ Chorizo Bacon Fritata and Salsa Fresca
serving suggestion

Try this Cooking Lounge Holidays Recipe for Bacalao Salad.

Soaked Desalinated Codfish

Blanched, Drained Codfish

Bacalao Salad Preparation

Cooking Lounge Bacalao Salad

• 2 lbs boneless Bacalao (salted cod)
• 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Capers
• 3/4 cup Goya Olives
• 1/2 chopped Chive Flowers (was lucky at market; chives work.)
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Lime
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 Serrano peper (deseeded, diced)
• 1 cup Fresh Parsley
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
• Salt, Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper

Cooking Lounge is a guide. Make this recipe you own: play with measurements, use what you have, experiment. Have fun cooking.

• Blanch the rehydrated cod in hot water for 2-3 minutes. Cooking Lounge added the juice of 1/2 lime to the water. 
• Let fish cool. Break up fish and remove any stray bones or skin.
• Mix in capers, olives, chive flowers, red onion, fresh parsley
• Make Citrus Marinade with juice of 1 lemon, teaspoon lemon zest, juice of 1/2 lime, fresh oregano leaves, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper for extra spicy, optional. 
• Toss with marinade and chill for several hours for best flavor.

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

photos:wbj

Vote - November 6, 2012

LIFESTYLE:

NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Herbs and Spices Add More Than Flavor

FOOD + LIFESTYLE:

Adding herbs and spices to a dish can transport a meal to far away lands. Think about it. Galanga, cilantro and chilies are signature ingredients for Thai food. Oregano, basil and garlic are the triumvirate of Italian cuisine. Herbs and spices can make ho hum, everyday dishes vibrant and exotic.

Beyond adding enticing flavors, herbs and spices do wonders imparting healthful benefits too. 

Click links to read more:
A Beginner's Guide to Herbs and Spices
Spice of Life

International Grocery 543 9th Ave NYC 10018
photo: wbj

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

From a Brooklyn Garden

LIFESTYLE + FOOD:

arugula, basil, yellow grape tomatoes, Tuscan kale, poona keera, cucumber, sage

As August rolls into September, summer starts to fade while backyard gardens burst with homegrown pride. After a visit to a friend's garden in Clinton Hill, I left with Tuscan kale, arugula, sage, basil, yellow grape tomatoes, and an odd cucumber (poona keera...thought it was an eggplant at first). The sun kissed warmth of the fragrant herbs and just picked vegetables almost radiated from the crowded canvas sack. 

chili pepper

Headed to the nearest grocery store. Decided to cook beef sauteed with the fresh sage, onions, garlic and Union Square Farmers' Market chili peppers. In the check-out line, a woman inhaled deeply and exclaimed in a bright, melodic Caribbean lilt the basil's aroma was "wonderful." Without hesitation, I shared the basil and even some of the sage. The check-out girl smiled in disbelief. I texted my friend, the gardener. Her reply..."See gardens r for sharing."

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

photos:wbj

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2012

SUMMER IN FULL SWING

4th of July

photo: wbj

Fireworks, BBQ, Burgers, Hot Dogs and Icy Beers

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

Unstuff Your Fridge: Eat Better, Faster

LIFESTYLE:

photo: cooking lounge

Andrew Mellen is a professional organizer, speaker and the best-selling author of Unstuff Your Life!, with numerous appearances on national TV. 

Cooking Lounge invited Andrew to write a post centered on the kitchen, after seeing pictures on his website of a super organized kitchen. 

Sure if you cook a lot this sort of order may be hard to maintain but it's a definite benchmark that can be adapted to suit your lifestyle. The refrigerator is the heart of the kitchen. An organized fridge will help you cook faster and quite possibly eat better.

 

FREE Give-Away:

 Cooking Lounge will give-away 2 copies of Unstuff Your Life! to the 50th and 100th person In the continental United States to re-pin on Pinterest the Unstuff Your Life! book cover from this Cooking Lounge post or from our Pinterest page. The winners will get a shout out on Cooking Lounge.  

Like Cooking Lounge on Facebook and follow on Twitter so we can offer more goodies more often.

(a disclaimer below).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

by Andrew Mellen 

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, maybe the path to organization for a man is through his refrigerator?

Either way, it’s clear that a cluttered fridge is a reflection of a cluttered life.
 
You may argue that, like Vegas, what happens in your fridge stays in your fridge, but to keep piling on the metaphors, that dog won’t hunt.

As a professional organizer for over 16 years, I can assure you that your fridge is a microcosm of your life. Chances are, it contains many fresh, healthy ingredients that are easily accessible. But like life, without regular investigation, you’re also likely to be holding onto moldy, unprocessed and hidden—but not quite forgotten—things that never tasted good in the first place.

Just like taking a personal inventory helps keep you at the top of your game, so does rooting around in the fridge to eliminate anything that stinks—figuratively and literally.

And fortunately, the best way to maintain order in your fridge is the same way to maintain order in your life: use my Organizational Triangle^®.

The beauty of the triangle is the simplicity of its three legs: One Home For Everything; Like With Like; and Something In, Something Out. There’s nothing else to remember.

One Home For Everything means just that—everything has one home and only one home.

That means, the condiments have a home. So do the veggies, the meat, the soft drinks, the alcohol, even the leftovers.

In this worldview, indeed, the cheese does stand alone. Almost.

The second leg of the triangle, Like With Like, means that ALL of the cheese stands alone, not just the blue cheese.

By grouping all the condiments together, all the dairy, all the veggies, etc. you’ll be able to find one of your fourteen different mustards just by looking in one place.

Create a dedicated area just for the leftovers and when it’s time for a snack, there’s no wasting time moving the pudding or the pickles out of the way.

Something In, Something Out is all about reaching stuff equilibrium. Once you have enough of everything that serves you, and in this case, that is nutritious and that you like to eat, you’re not in the market shopping for more just because it’s on sale. You want to use up what’s already there before you pick up more. It doesn’t matter how cheap it is, it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.

Note that all food that is good for you has an expiration date. The best food typically doesn’t have one printed on it—in those cases, the date is determined by Mother Nature and the efficiency of your refrigerator.  

And if you want to impress your friends, lovers, partners and spouses?

Clean the fridge and wait for their expression the next time you send them into it to retrieve something. You’ll experience a new level of respect and admiration that you didn’t think possible.

So here’s my simple technique for cleaning and organizing your fridge in less time than it takes to do a load of laundry.

First remove everything from the fridge. If you have a cooler, store the food it in temporarily. If you don’t have a cooler, work fast.

Wipe down all the shelves and inside any bins or drawers. Wipe around the seal, removing any stains, mold, mildew or spilled food.

Now, just like in real estate, think location, location, location. What do you typically eat? What do you reach for most often? Those should be the easiest things to get to.

If you love cheese, corral it all together in the cheese drawer or find a container that is large enough to hold it all and place that in a prominent place.

Ditto, if you’re a big sandwich person, you could create a fixins station front and center.

The fridge is an appliance that is all about convenience. Use it to get the most out of it instead of letting randomness overtake you.

Gather all your mustards, ketchup, mayo, pickles, relish and the like and find one area large enough for all of these things to be near each other. Then within that area, group all mustards together, all mayos, all other sauces—anytime you’re looking to dress up a dish, any condiment will be easily found.

Use your vegetable drawer to keep all your fresh veggies together; likewise the fruit drawer.

Once you have created ‘homes’ within the fridge for each type of food you eat, it’s time to load the fridge back up.

If you find that you’ve under- or overestimated how much room some kinds of food take to store, try swapping the drawer to one large enough to accommodate all the versions of whatever the type of food you’re making room for.

And while the above will set up the process for you, the real secret is in maintaining the process.

Fortunately, this isn’t rocket science. Take something out, put it back where it came from. It doesn’t take any more time to put the tomatoes back in the veggie drawer than it does to just plop them on the first open space you see when you open the door.

Here are a couple of pictures of organized fridges to hopefully motivate you rather than shame you!

Flickr_Deanna Piercy_The Well-Groomed Hippie

Flickr_bitchcakesny

Good luck and happy Father’s Day!

Disclaimer: Must be 18 or older to participate. Prizes may not be exchanged or substituted. Winners may not sell or transfer the right to receive the prize. Prizes unclaimed by 30 days after announcement will be given away to next on the list for re-pins. All participants agree to the use of their entry and/or name without any compensation.By accepting a prize, the winners agree to release and hold harmless Cooking Lounge (the founder/editor/producer) from any injuries, losses or damages or any related in any way of sustained in connection with the acceptance, use or misuse of any prize awarded. In the event of a dispute, all decisions made by Cooking Lounge are final and binding.Contest rules are subject to change at any time during the duration of the contest.Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.By entering the contestant agrees to be bound by these rules.