Well folks, the Christmas holiday is officially over. And I must have been awfully good this year based on the treasure trove of gifts I found waiting for me under the tree. I mean you have to be pretty high up on the “nice list” to get a six pack of black socks and…
Chickpea Cutlets with Gravy
I remember in fairly vivid detail most of my younger life. Not just the poignant, life-altering stuff, but I can still recall the mundane things such as my best friend Jimmy’s phone number. However, I can’t tell you when I tasted roasted turkey for the first time. Nor can I tell you when I ate…
Pasta Carbonara
In 1982, Rocky Balboa was at the pinnacle of his career. After securing the world heavy-weight boxing title from Apollo Creed, he was enjoying the lucrative endorsements that come with being a champ. Unfortunately, Rocky’s world came crashing down with the death of Mickey and the humiliating defeat by Clubber Lang. He lost everything in…
Baked Falafels
An Ode to a Favorite “Some call you the Egyptian Pea, Bengal gram, Chickpea, or Garbanzo, Whatever the name, you taste best when you are cooked slow. Two cups a day give you all the fiber you need, But they provide so much else, which is a plus indeed. From antioxidants like quercetin, kaempferol, and…
Lentil Tacos
In 1981, Christmas morning just could not arrive fast enough. I had worked hard all year behaving. There was no shot I was on the naughty list. And, I had written the perfect letter to Santa outlining in exquisite detail what I wanted for Christmas. So, I just sat there waiting to rush into the…
Fajita Rice Bowl
Growing up with a mother who knows her way around a kitchen has pluses and minuses. The pluses of course would be that you are well fed and develop a joy of cooking. The minuses would be that you hardly went out to eat because mom always believed she “could make it better than…
Curried Field Pea Stuffed Tomatoes
As a child, I spent my summers riding my Huffy dirt bike all over the neighborhood. My buddies and I would swim in the creek looking for crawdads and salamanders and the occasional snake. We built forts in the woods with plywood and nails liberated from the nearby construction sites. Almost every night we played…
Lentil Salad
I don’t always like to cook. While I spend a good bit of time in the kitchen, there are days when I would love to be anywhere else. You know what I mean? Maybe the boss has been riding your ass. Maybe the kids won’t stop bickering. Maybe your significant other changed their relationship status….
Lentil Dal
I didn’t eat a lot of ethnic food growing up as a child. I mean sure we had tacos and spaghetti. Mom one time even introduced us to Greek Shrimp complete with feta cheese. But overall, outside of these mainstream American dishes, my culinary pallet didn’t venture to many faraway lands. Enter my wife, or…
Bean Tostadas
Do you remember when Taco Bell introduced $.59 tacos and $.79 burritos? I do quite vividly. It was back in high school. For $5.00, you could take a girl out for an authentic south of the border meal (drink of her choice included, of course) and still have enough money to put a dollar’s worth…