The official blog for Taste This
This week’s episode of ‘I am not cooking!‘ is brought to you by my faithful blender.
I am a newly converted blending addict. There is no way around it. No matter how much I dream about a nice hot meal I keep on blending. Fortunately it is summer so it’s slightly less noticeable. >she tells herself in affirmation< Continue reading ‘Fudgiest Peanut Butter Smoothie’
This is not the recipe I thought I would post this week, but since today was National Ice Cream Day, I thought I should take the opportunity to share my fresh out of the blender Dark Chocolate Raspberry Nicecream ‘banana ice cream’ with a rich chocolate sauce. This is really some sort of incredible concoction Continue reading ‘Dark Chocolate Raspberry ‘Nana’ Nicecream (AKA Banana Ice Cream)’
There are times when life throws you curve balls and instead of taking a good cut at it, it hits you in the head. Okay, this is not a literal story but it is pretty darn close- figuratively and literally. But I’ll skip over those details. Let’s suffice to say that was my week in a nutshell and now I can’t seem to find time to cook. And despite how I crave to be creating meals in the kitchen I have had to redefine my efforts to match my ‘snacky’ healthy palate. This week, I returned to my new favorite food area of exploration – the world of raw, vegan. Continue reading ‘Raw Caramel Cookie Bars (vegan, gluten free)’
I’ve been a bit unplugged. Most days I am hunched over my laptop. Night comes and I wonder if I should squeeze in a little retail therapy and do some online shopping or sign the kids up for camps. After all, multitasking is considered so admirable in our society. >she acknowledges with a hint of sarcasm< Better yet, I could blog and spark up my creative juices. But then there are those times that I think in addition to healthy eating I should embrace the next sequence of my healthfulness with a digital detox. Continue reading ‘Raw Nut Fudge (gluten free, vegan) & How to Digitally Detox’
Valentine’s Day screams at the top of its lungs – GIVE ME CHOCOLATE! Despite the fact that I am sugar, gluten and dairy free for 30 days as I try to shed my holiday layer, I L-O-V-E my chocolate. I want to be romanced by all of its subtle complex flavors.
Aromas and flavors are certainly seductive. Tantalized by taste, we are drawn to certain foods and flavor combinations that please our senses. The sensual pleasure that we draw from the aroma and taste of food can have an aphrodisiac quality to it; not so different from pheromones.
There are five foods that are claimed to fall into the seductive category. These five foods Continue reading ‘Almond Orange Chocolate Sticks & Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Lime Macaroons (Gluten Free Valentine’s Day Treats)’
The holidays are officially upon us. The season brings with it a hustle and bustle that feels as if it culminates like a hurricane and moves me towards an unstoppable finish. While I certainly don’t consider myself a cynic, the holidays for me bring along a lot of emotional baggage intertwined with cheerful obligation. There is a lot of things I adore about this time of year; like spending time with family, festive occasions with those I hold near and dear, giving special gifts and enjoying the foods that conjure up memories of my childhood celebrations.
That said, it seems impossible for me to not feel overwhelmed with the commitments and Continue reading ‘Pomegranate Panna Cotta & Taste This! Holiday Sale’
I have a love of figs. There is something romantic about this biblical fruit; it is sensual. Maybe it is its the shape or perhaps it is the texture. Whatever it is that draws me in, it is simply an amazing and delicate fruit.
They were said to be Cleopatra’s favorite food, there is no denying that these buxom purple and greenish yellow fruits are sexy in both appearance and texture. For obvious reasons, Continue reading ‘Dark Mission Fig Streusel Bars’
Ripping off the band aid – My recent life has been a series of harsh, unpredictable moments of unanticipated physical and psychological struggles. Seven weeks ago I had an unimaginable avocado related stabbing that has spun my world upside down. I can’t quite remember a time that I felt so rutterless. There are a few constants that remain in tact in this dizzying reality – my family, my love of cooking and my desire to remain optimistic no matter how jolted I felt. Continue reading ‘Creamy Coconut Pudding’
I do not need to be cured, I have diagnosed myself with an acute case of everything is fine. That was really my attitude when this chapter of my life began which I’ve named “Gina was attacked by an avocado” the exact words written by a specialist I was seeing on the back of a piece of paper. While the choice of words is hilarious, the situation is much less funny. Yes, I tell myself the obligatory, “It could have been worse.” And it could have, but lets deal in the present – It under no uncertain terms is a pain in my $%&. I am not patient at all, I want to move at lightening speed, I want to cook, explore new recipe ideas, ground myself in the kitchen where new treats can be enjoyed. For me cooking and baking are one of the demonstrative ways I show my love. Continue reading ‘Blueberry Banana Buttermilk Oatmeal Bread with Coconut Butter Streusel’
The world splits into two camps on the definition of a perfect brownie: crumbly and cakey, and dense and fudgey. There is little love lost between them – the beauty of the recipe lies in the fact that the result IMHO resides in both camps; a deliciously rich crumbly and surprisingly dense brownie. Continue reading ‘Ewey Gooey Brownies – the brownie meshugaas’
