Tag Archives: gluten-free

Slow Cooker Tempeh Jambalaya (That’s JambAllaya to my friends): Shenanigans with my New Toy

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The slow cooker is cooking. Slowly.

Perhaps one of the most frustrating things about this pregnancy is that I feel perfectly fine, most of the time. The issue I’m running into is that, despite my feeling fine, I’m not able to stand up for any great length of time; something very frustrating for somebody who doesn’t stay still much during the day. Thank goodness for large picture windows.

This is one of the main reasons I’m not able to get up and cook much these days, and that’s why there hasn’t been much along the lines of posting lately on the blog (the I Speak Food Facebook page, however, is still full of interesting stuff, so head on over and ‘like’ it for your entertainment). So, I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach and see just how much cooking I could do from bed. Admittedly, the results weren’t so impressive, so I enlisted the help of a slow cooker I found on Amazon. Continue reading →

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Fast and Furious Friday Post: A Luscious Latte

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Mmmm! A luscious, 2-minute latte that costs pennies, requires no special equipment, and can be enjoyed in your bath robe!

Did you know that we, as Americans, spend anywhere from $15 to $25 a week on coffee shop coffee, on average? I like to treat myself to a good latte like everyone else, but this weekly habit can cost you up to $100 a month! For a treat that should cost about three cents a cup to make, that’s a pretty big hit to your wallet.

The good news is that a coffee shop style latte doesn’t have to set you back that much, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. This Friday’s post is all about making that luscious latte at home, and all you need is a teaspoon and a mug. Continue reading →

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Fast and Furious Friday Post: Microwave Kettle Corn

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Not exactly the perfect solution, but a good solution none the less: Kettle Corn from your microwave!

We’ve all been there. Walking around a state or school fair, minding our own business, when all of a sudden, we walk into a cloud of sweet, corny goodness. That would be kettle corn you smell, the crunchy, slightly sweet-salty yumminess that beckons you forth like a diva siren on a rocky shore. Maybe you were even lucky enough to find it kosher and try a taste.

Corn, incidentally, is also a very popular snack in Thailand. Of course, we usually rost or boil it, rather than pop it, but it’s not unusual to see a person walking down the street noshing on a cob of the stuff. Steamed sweet potatoes, too. Yeah, we’re pretty hard up for snacks. Japan, however, seems to be at the root of this kettle corn craze. It’s not like what we find in the United States, exactly, but a popular way to eat popcorn is to sprinkle it with sugar and salt. Continue reading →

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Quick and Easy Mapo Tofu

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This popular dish from Szechuan is spicy and full of flavor.

In just about any culture, there’s food you go out for, and there’s food you go home for. Going out for pot roast in the United States would probably be about as disappointing as making bao or Peking duck at home in Asia. Not to say that it can’t be done, but some things simply aren’t worth the trouble of making at home, while other things are too simple to justify paying a tab and gratuity for.

Mapo Tofu falls into the latter category. Simply put, it’s a prime example of Chinese home cooking: Hot, quick, easy, really tasty and cheap. Mapo tofu, literally translated as “Pockmarked Old Woman Tofu” (let’s not go there now), is a Szechuan dish known for its firey hot sauce. Sound a little different from what you remembered? That’s entirely possible, since there are about as many variations of Mapo Tofu as there are countries in the world. Continue reading →

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Tom Kha Gai, A Spicy and Kosher-Friendly Soup

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Growing up with Thai food, it’s sometimes difficult for me to acclimate my taste buds to more subtle flavors. Although Thai food, ironically, is not my favorite cuisine, I absolutely LOVE Thai soup. I love the blend of herbal, spicy, sour, and savory flavors, and the contrast of hearty textures within the thin broth.

Of course, as discussed previously, there are sometimes problems with Thai food in a Kosher kitchen due to the presence of treif ingredients, namely shrimp. Although shrimp products are quite prevalent in Thai cooking, they generally don’t play a role in soups like this one, since most of the flavor comes from aromatic herbs like lemongrass and kafir lime leaves (readily available online, if your local grocer does not carry them). Continue reading →

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Tom Yum Potatoes, Latkes The Thai Way

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These latkes sing with lemongrass, chilis, and kefir lime leaves.

After Rosh Hashanah, when we shoe-horned close to 20 people into our apartment (maybe more), my husband sat me down and had a talk with me. “You know, you’re pregnant…there’s no reason for you to have to work this hard. It’s fine to have a small party. Nobody will think any less of you for it.”

While it’s true I love having people over for the holidays, I need to set the record straight. I was NOT intending on having 20 people over for Rosh Hashanah. I mean, we have a 450 square foot studio apartment. What business do I have cramming 20 people inside? The problem was that, in that particular case, the rule of no shows didn’t apply. Continue reading →

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Ugly Latkes: Chanukah Plantain Fritters

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Plantain latkes are a delicious fusion of Thai, Caribbean, and Jewish traditions.

The market place in Saint Philip usually buzzed with activity. The warm, temperate mornings flooded the streets, cueing the market vendors to open like colorful, blossoming flowers. There’s not a lot I remember about Barbados, aside from isolated incidents, sounds and flavors. I remember the chewy penny candy, which actually looked like pennies; the smell of salt water, cooking fuel, and the flame it fed. My mother delighted in the produce, fruits much more similar to Thailand than anything we found in Connecticut. Coconuts, mangoes, papaya, pineapples, and gluy lek, miniature bananas, virtually unknown on the east coast until fairly recently. Continue reading →

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When It Rains, Make Chicken Adobo

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Philippino chicken adobo combines sweet, sour and salty flavors into an irresistable crowd pleaser.

When I lived in Southern California, people reacted to rain like medieval peoples reacted to comets. The Wicked Witch of the West? A native Southern Californian, it turns out. Here in New York City, rain is met more or less with indifference, albeit, with heightened awareness of potholes (you never quite know how deep they are until you step in one filled with water). In Southeast Asia, it’s met with utter joy. Continue reading →

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Stormy’s New Take on Tortilla Soup

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This non-traditional version of tortilla soup is thickened with lentils and vegetables and flavored with a corn tortilla.

I’m pregnant. Very pregnant. And like many other pregnant women in the world, I’ve simply accepted the fact that my body has effectively been hijacked, and my will is not entirely my own. Although not possible 100% of the time, I’ve decided to at least try and form a cooperative relationship (I am, after all, the Mommy here). Don’t get me wrong, I’m under no illusion; this kid (working title: “Stormageddon, dark lord of all,” or “Stormy” for short) usually calls the shots. I merely impose physical limitations. For instance, I explained to Stormy one day that it simply was not possible for mommy to eat a full pound of carrots in one sitting, and that ranch dressing was not a beverage. He begrudgingly acquiesced. Continue reading →

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A Twist on Scrambles: Chinese Tomato Eggs

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This quick and easy dish features a sweet and sour sauce that works equally well with eggs or chicken.

Humans have been consuming eggs since the dawn of time, and theres no wonder; eggs are an easily attainable source of protein and nutrients that cook quickly and easily. In China, much like here in the United States, a child’s first meal he or she learns to prepare is generally an egg dish. Yes, we do fry, hard boil and poach our eggs similarly to how the rest of the world does, we just eat them a little differently. Continue reading →

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