July 2010

Southern Fried Goodness

The South is known for its cooking. Fried chicken, grits, collard greens and black eyed peas, sweet tea…and of course, fried green tomatoes and fried okra. I’ve been living in Georgia since 2002 and only had fried green tomatoes once. I decided it was high time I tried creating this Southern classic on my own,Continue reading “Southern Fried Goodness”

Fermentation Gone Wild: Ketchup and Salsa

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s so-called salsa in a jar in the grocery store. GROSS. The useless sodium-laden, soggy, sugary mess inside is enough to make me run away screaming. I haven’t consumed the stuff in years for that very reason. For me, it’s homemade, restaurant-made, or nothing. And to be honest, IContinue reading “Fermentation Gone Wild: Ketchup and Salsa”

Chillin’ of the Corn

I had no idea what I was in for after I walked away from the sweet corn stand at the farmer’s market with fourteen ears of corn. Fourteen ears of terror later, I am here to tell my story. I thought freezing corn was going to be a breeze with my new Oxo corn stripperContinue reading “Chillin’ of the Corn”

Lard Butt and Proud of It

Rendering lard is not an activity you often see in an American kitchen these days. Even my mom, the farm wife, does not render lard. If she cooked with lard I didn’t know about it. So when it came to rendering the lard from the 3+ pounds of fat back in my freezer, I turnedContinue reading “Lard Butt and Proud of It”

Unusual Ingredients

In my CSA box last week I got a branch with leaves and sort of prickly pods on it. I’m thinking..what the…and check the label on the box. It lists only one thing that I am unfamiliar with: Lychee. What the heck is a lychee? I immediately googled this strange food. Apparently lychee is a tropicalContinue reading “Unusual Ingredients”

Global Inspiration

I was back home in Iowa for a few days earlier this month for my neice’s wedding (the one I’ve been whining about fitting into the dress for). Being back home always means a lot, but one thing is constant: Mom’s kitchen. Anything could come out of Mom’s kitchen. You just never know. And MomContinue reading “Global Inspiration”

Under Pressure

Before I forget – announcements! I participated in a blog hop this week! Check us out here: http://spaininiowa.blogspot.com/2010/07/simple-lives-thursday-first-edition.html Also, I’m on Facebook! Like me – I’m nice! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kitchen-Kung-Fu/117815484922486 Now for our regularly scheduled blog: A few months back I bought a pressure canner. I know a lot of traditional foodies are down on pressure canning,Continue reading “Under Pressure”

Fermenting for fun and nutrition

I’ve been getting into fermentations lately, but after reading Wild Fermentation I am a nut about it! That book is full of great information and written in a very engaging manner. Fermented foods are highly nutritious and allow you to preserve food without cooking it. While I have several projects in the works, here areContinue reading “Fermenting for fun and nutrition”