blistered shisito peppers :: by radish*rose

blistered shisito peppers

Fear not – these are very friendly, not too spicy peppers! You can handle them even if you’re a bit wimpy about hot stuff like I am. They make a great healthy and guilt-free appetizer. Look for shisito peppers at your local Asian market (and many mainstream markets have them now too). They are bright green and longer and skinnier than a jalapeno, with a tendency to curl a bit. Sometimes they are labeled “sweet peppers” or “curly peppers”. Continue reading

all natural microwave popcorn :: by radish*rose

all natural microwave popcorn with olive oil and sea salt

Here is a mind-blowing fact: all popcorn is microwave popcorn.  They haven’t done anything magical to the popcorn to make it pop in the microwave.  IT’S THE BAG.  I know, right?!???  So you don’t need all that other stuff that’s in the pre-made kind. You can just get good old fashioned plain unpopped popcorn and microwave it yourself with whatever flavors you like. And then ask yourself, “Why was I buying microwave popcorn like a fool?”  That’s right.  A fool. Don’t feel bad, it happened to me too. Continue reading

fancy tuna pasta with lemon, capers and pine nuts :: by radish*rose

fancy tuna pasta with lemon, capers, and pine nuts

What’s fancy tuna?  Fancy tuna, at least in my head, is the kind from Spain packed in olive oil:

fancy tuna packed in olive oil :: by radish*rose
fancy tuna packed in olive oil :: by radish*rose

I always would see these pretty cans in gourmet shops like Grand Central Market or Eataly and think, “But it’s packed in olive oil. HOW DECADENT. What on earth do you do with that?”

I am happy to report that it is indeed decadent, but guess what.  It makes perfect sense in pasta sauce.  You would probably be adding some olive oil to your pasta sauce anyway, so why not start with the fancy tuna in olive oil and only need to add a little more? Continue reading