Fresh Approach Cooking

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It is 3 am as I type this. I seem to have insomnia. Ironic, since this morning they were talking about just that on the radio.

Sigh.

Do you listen to the radio? I do, quite a bit. (Yet, never in my car, since I do not seem to have a working radio any more. Long, tragic story.)

Not being much of a television watcher, I guess the radio sort of takes the same role in my world. Some of my friends seem to think this is a bit...geriatric of me, but what can I say...I dig it.

Since I was a girl, I have had programs I try not to miss (Check out This American Life or Watusi Rodeo...now that's good radio!) and personalities/DJ's that I love and am endlessly loyal to.

And then there is Good Food. Broadcast on local favorite 89.9 KCRW (and streaming/podcasting at KCRW.com) it of course, brings together everything I love. Quality radio programming, and food. Happy me. Excellent them.

If you have never heard the show, it is a food-centric dream. Host, Evan Kleiman has a great way of finding amazing topics and coaxing the most interesting information out of her guests (including lots of local food bloggers, I might add) that always gets me hooked. They talk about everything from recipes to the history of tea, where to buy an outdoor pizza oven, to what exactly lutefisk really is. And so, so much more. Foodie-radio heaven.

And every week, at the end of the broadcast they ask food bloggers to link to their site...something I sort of wonder about, but appreciate, since they are always taking the time to chat with bloggers and get their perspective on food, food trends, cookbooks and more. Gotta love that.

So here I am not only linking to them, but dedicating a whole-lotta-post-lovin' in their direction...

Good Food, this dukkah is for you...

Dukkah is a middle-eastern/Egyptian condiment. And waddaya know, a condiment is defined as something that "Enhances the flavor of food." This certainly does that, as Good Food enhances the flavor of my Saturday mornings. As good mixed with yogurt as a dip as it is as a coating for grilled chicken, once you try it you will be hooked. Keep it on hand as you would pepper or hot sauce...it is, indeed...Good Food...

Try it, and enjoy!

1/4 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tabelspoons sesame seeds
5 peppercorns
Coarse salt (at least 1 teaspoon)

Preheat your oven to 300F.

On a lined baking sheet, toast the hazelnuts, coriander and cumin for 5 minutes, or until just fragrant. Remove from the oven, and take off the baking sheet immediatly (they will continue to brown if left on the hot sheet)

Meanwhile, in a dry pan, brown the sesame seeds. This will take about 1 minute. Mix with the pepper corns, salt and toasted nuts/seeds.

Ideally you want to then mash everything in a mortar, but a spice grinder works perfectly too.

You want the mixture to be loose and crumbly, not a paste, so stop before that happens.

Keep in a jar on the table for up to a week.

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Do you take part in Paper Chef? If so, the 24th edition annoucement is up at Tomatilla.

Speaking of blog love...this week I am crazy for The Restaurant Widow, The Veg Box Diaries and am re-hooked on my old favorite Nosh

Looking for something food-centric to do in LA over the next few months? The Culinary Historians of Southern California sponsors free lectures in the areas of food in culture and society.

And speaking of the Library, did you know that the "Los Angeles Public Library has the largest collection in the world of cookbooks printed in California. It is the only library that owns all three of California’s first charitable books: How to Keep a Husband, or Culinary Tactics, The California Recipe Book and The Sacramento Ladies Kitchen Companion, all printed in 1872. There are more than 1000 books in this collection, including such important works as El Cocinero Espanol, the first Spanish language cookbook printed in California, and What Mrs. Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking, the first cookbook written by an African American." LAPL.org

Labels: Condiment, Gluten Free