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October 2008 |
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Cooking Little is a kitchen shopping and tips blog for urban dwellers and anyone who cooks in a small kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, we feature diversions such as culinary travel spots, classes and tasting events. |
 IN (the Kitchen)
 The Spice Merchant's Daughter Cookbook The sense of smell and memory are profoundly linked. In Christina Arokiasamy's memoir cookbook, the opening words "It was the aroma" begins the vivid storytelling which blends her memories and the reader's senses. The recipes are simplified and geared to the American kitchen, but are distinctly Southeast Asian. More... $23.96 AT BARNES & NOBLE Books
READ MORE ON "It Was The Aroma".
 Both of these coffee gadgets seemed, well, too much like gadgets. Shockingly each delivered exceptional cups of espresso from an unplugged micro-format. The choice boils down to how hard you want to work and how much you want to spend. Read on for the details… $25.99 AT THINK GEEK Eco
READ MORE ON Micro-Brew Tools.
 Chocolate snobbery almost caused us to miss these intriquing spiced chocolates from Fredericksburg Virginia. Each hand-made batch (less than 1.5 lbs.) mixes 54% cacao dark chocolate with spices and herbs. Flavors include grapefruit-lavender, apple-coriander, lemon-basil, celtic sea salt and black pepper. Vegetarian and vegan friendly. More... $24.99 AT AMAZON.COM Food Gifts
READ MORE ON Chocolate En Fuego.
 Way faster than a mortar & pestle. Keep one stocked with flax seed for quick adds to oatmeal and pancakes. Keep another free to mix and grind custom herb & spice blends. Fenegreek, black mustard seed, and caraway all ground to order. More on why this item is a must... $14.95 AT CYBERCUCINA DIY
READ MORE ON DIY Spice Blends.
 Heat water for tea or French press coffee in a two-note, harmonic kettle. To appease a kitchen full of tea & coffee drinkers try the Eva Kettle, a reissue of an Eva Zeisel design that holds 1.8 quarts. For smaller needs the Chantal 3-c. Personal Teakettle
$40.95 and up AT COOKING.COM Ingenious
READ MORE ON Sounds Like Tea.
 Merken is native to Chile and while families have their own recipes, it is typically the Cacho de Cabra chile, coriander, cumin and salt, The Mapuche cuisine is heavy on quinoa, vegetables and potatoes, so veggie dishes are a good place to start with this spice blend. For a fast Tilapia dish generously sprinkle the fish with Merken Spice and pan saute in olive oil along with lemon slices. $7.25 AT LA TIENDA Ingenious
 Let's face it, most restaurants favor coffee drinkers. Ask for a cup of tea and you might get a tea bag throw hastily in a cup along with an inexplicable dirty look. So make proper tea at home using the Zarafina Tea Maker. It's compact and a seductive mix of tea tradition and modern convenience. Slide three levers to get tea to your taste and the tea's brewing time and temperature. $164.95 AT WRAPABLES Pro
 Have your pals over for a cuppa to drown your Starbuck sorrows. Get industrial under-the-counter chic and keep the counter clear. Sure, this is a coffee investment, but it comes in well under a $3 a day habit and you'll have it for years. $499.99 AT TARGET Pro
 The Whole Foods A Better Bag carries Sheryl Crow's words in support of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s new Simple Steps program. The bag is the perfect eco way to wrap up goodies for a dinner party or a thank you treat for the host. READ MORE... $.79 & $.99 AT WHOLE FOODS Eco
READ MORE ON Good Cause Goodie Bag.
 Food pantry inventories and funding are both down which will mean a rise in the number of food drives in the coming months. Yet stocking up on donations can be unrealistic if you have a small apartment. Shop, Drop and Roll is one way to donate city style. Read on to learn how. Submit Your Own Food Drive Tip Here Next Meal
READ MORE ON Shop Drop, and Roll.
 Together they make your daily coffee habit less routine. Independently, they can serve up snacks, sweets or nuts. Switch out the trio to hold salad dressing and all the tasty bits that go on the side. Available in clear or multi-colored, the best prices are currently at Finnishgifts.com, but the iittala trio is also available at Amazon. $68.00 AT FINNISH GIFTS Versatile
 Made with 100% ginger root, you can break open a tea bag and use the contents as a substitute for fresh ginger in recipes. A strong brewed batch of Triple Leaf Ginger Tea is a quick soup broth starter, particularly for carrot soup. Combine the tea with other flavors such as garlic, onion then with miso, chicken or veggie stock. Attempts to do the same with other ginger tea have been disastrous. For drinking, it’s a year-round drink hot or cold and as a natural ginger ale with soda water and honey or agave nectar syrup. $3.23 AT AMAZON Versatile
 Inspired by her father’s BBQ sauce recipe, the Sauce Goddess makes a line of rubs and grilling glazes for people who like their food sticky. Our tasters were more partial to the rubs than the glazes, but the Sweet & Spicy glaze has received some award attention. The Moroccan Twist and the Latin Heat Rubrubs are terrific small-batch blends to use in cooking or as intended as a meat or vegetable rub. $6.00 AT SAUCE GODDESS Versatile
 Lose the Spices It seems ruthless, but tossing your spice rack in October is the best thing you can do for your holiday cooking. Spare your friends and family anemic dishes seasoned with stale herbs and spices. Too drastic? Then go jar by jar taking in the aroma. If it’s not pleasant and potent; toss it. If a more cerebral approach is desired, consult The Spice Bible by Jane Lawson for spice-by-spice handling notes. |
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