orangettes

the idea of candying an orange peel had always intimidated me.  i thought it would take too long or that i would need a candy thermometer – which i for some reason have neglected to buy all these years.  or at worst it would be a huge disaster involving burnt peels and hard candy stuck to the inside of my pans.  but the process was surprisingly easy! it’s a great way to use those large, bulky oranges which are usually reserved for... Read More

natural blood orange soda

i used to be a big soda fiend when i was a kid.  when i got older and learned how terrible the stuff is for you, i tried to just give it up all together.  occasionally i would have a root beer or coke made with cane sugar, but it become a treat for me. then a few months ago my boyfriend and i started drinking sparkling mineral water.  it gives the same fizzy sensation that we all love so much, but without any added sugar.  sometimes we add a... Read More

roasted fennel over couscous

fennel is an interesting vegetable.  when eaten raw i find it to have a celery-like texture with a hint of licorice – which is not my favorite flavor.  but like most vegetables, when roasted the flavors mellow out and gain a toasty and buttery quality.  i don’t roast the stems because i find them quite stringy, but i do save some of the fuzzy greens to chop up and season the bulbs with while they cook.  afterward, they’re dressed... Read More

grapefruit and mandarin oranges in chamomile jelly

  i saw the inspiration for this post on foodgawker a while back and the idea has since stuck in my head.  i wanted to make the dish with my own twist so i chose chamomile tea instead of white, agar agar as a vegan alternative to gelatin, and a mix of seedless mandarin oranges with sweet oroblanco grapefruits, which are hardly tart at all. if you struggle as i do with sweet cravings, this is a lovely little snack that helps satisfy.  the flavors... Read More

marmalade cookies for my valentine

it’s probably too late for anyone to actually make these for valentine’s day but i thought i would share what i made for my valentine. a few weeks past i exclaimed that it is the peak of orange season. i also mentioned that i used many of the seedless mandarin oranges i got from the farmer’s market to make orange spice and red wine marmalade for chirstmas – which is rich with flavor from a dash of red wine and spicy from ground... Read More

in season: oranges!

for some reason i always thought that oranges were a summer fruit, but much to my surprise they are at the peak of their season right now!  i haven’t gone this bonkers over a harvest since july when the juicy white donut peaches were like nothing i had ever tasted.  like the peaches, i have been toting home upwards of ten pounds of these seedless mandarin oranges every week.  mostly i enjoy squeezing them into a tall glass of the best orange... Read More

orange ginger tofu – and a few words on soy

there’s an email that has been sitting in my inbox for a few weeks now, and i think it’s time i finally address it.  new reader, paula, appreciated my story and how i gradually found that healthier choices in my diet improved my quality of life.  because of this she felt she had to share with me a little information on the dangers of soy. it’s true, in the past year or so it has become overwhelmingly apparent that soy,  which... Read More