Grenada, part of the Grenadine islands, has long been called the Isle of Spice or the Spice Island, however, its biggest business today is really tourism with a nod to its heritage as a spice & herb producing & processing island. Historically, Grenada has been the second largest producer of nutmeg in the world (after Indonesia). The nutmeg pod is at the 8-9 o’clock position in the basket, while the cinnamon sticks in the center of the basket are actually approximately 10″ long. Cacao pods and bay leaves are at the 12 o’clock and 1-2-3 o’clock positions.
Category: Recipe
Zucchini-Broccoli Soup
You’ll enjoy the fresh taste of this classic soup. You can adjust the amount of extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice to taste and don’t hesitate to add more broth if need be to reach a desired consistency (the water content of zucchini can vary quite a bit). I really do prefer freshly ground white pepper in this recipe.
Whole Food Focus Thanksgiving Preparations
Many people are considering the merits of a Whole Food focus basis for planning their upcoming Thanksgiving meal. Of course, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving is truly the opportunity give thanks for the blessings in our lives and to share that sentiment while being able to spend time with family and friends, so any food choices should enhance that overall experience. Memories of Thanksgivings past are connected to our emotional perceptions of those times, so there are sounds, sights, smells/aromas, tastes, textures that all contributed to the sensory perceptions we have locked in our memory banks of those special
Green Beans with Almonds and Rosemary
Sometimes called Green Beans Almondine, this is a classic vegetable side dish that has increased herb pungency and added punch to it with the inclusion of some fresh or dried rosemary sprigs. (Image of 1# of steamed green beans/haricots verts courtesy of webmaster ©2011).
Thanksgiving Menu Ideas
Our neighbors to the North in Canada already had their Thanksgiving celebration around the time of Columbus Day activities here in the USA. In the states, we’re now looking forward to celebrating our Thanksgiving time with family and friends this November. I don’t think it’s too soon to start planning ahead for that celebration. Read on for some suggestions if you want to get a head start on your planning for this year.
Yummy Apple Chutney
As apple harvesting season continues in “Upstate” NY, the fragrant and enticing smell of apples seems to be everywhere, including at area Farmers Markets. Years ago, having found a recipe for an “apple chutney” in the then local print newspaper, we modified it ever so slightly and it turned out to be an easy to prepare and delightful accompaniment to many a dinner meal on cooler evenings. The original of the Harvest Apple Chutney recipe turns out to be found on the Kikkoman website and makes closer to 4 & 1/2 cups of cooked product. (Apple orchard image courtesy of gabriel77 at
Back to School and Back to Basics: Homemade Wheat Based Rolls
A pulled pork sandwich on a homemade roll is a favorite of the webmaster’s husband and a great alternative to outdoor BBQing. (Photo of BBQ’d Pulled Pork on a Homemade Bun courtesy of & © 2012 GH (Webmaster)/Sensory Nutrition/US12). Since around the country it is some stage of “back to school” time and folks are extra busy, we thought we would mention it as the pork is cooked in a slow cooker at the same time that the dough is rising for the rolls, all while you can be busy doing something else. I went to visit the webmaster last
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The Skinny on Tomatoes, Including the Tomato Genome
Tomatoes qualify as a very popular non-starchy “vegetable” (even if they are botanically a “fruit” per se) based on per capita consumption in the USA, second only to potatoes. Year 2005 data from USDA noted tomato consumption from various sources, including primarily canned & frozen, as well as some fresh, to be close to 100# of farm weight/per person/per year. The next closest non-starchy vegetable category item, carrots, was noted to have consumption levels at just above 10# of farm weight/per person/per yr. (Different Tomatoes 2 graphic courtesy of salsachica at rgbstock.com) What contributes to the wild popularity of tomato
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Holiday Baking – Does Your Choice of Flour Really Matter?
In the culinary arts, there are “formulas” or “ratios” for preparing baked goods that are the basis for any category of product. To create different varieties of cookies, for example, the basic formula of ingredients is tweaked. This series on holiday baking will focus on some of those ingredients and how they affect your sensory perception of the finished baked good product, starting with cookies. Today’s blog post will look at one key ingredient: flour. With so many flour options on the market, you may wonder if your choice of flour really might matter when it comes to baked goods in
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Memories of Dining at Sea
Having returned from a holiday at sea, we thought you might enjoy a little “behind the scenes” look into some of what it takes to feed some 2,000 or more guests on board a luxury Five Star cruise ship at sea. Original color photo was a gift courtesy of Celebrity Cruise Lines (decreased in size, antiqued, and blur edged vignette effects adjusted for this blog posting; I’m in the back row on the right as you look at the photo).