BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches with Homemade Coleslaw

Ok, so I've strayed from my pattern a bit with this post. This is an honest post. This is a normal-food post. See those potato chips? They're not hand-cut or homemade. The BBQ sauce came from a bottle, and the bun came from a store. The coleslaw? It's not a secret family recipe, its just regular, old-school coleslaw. I'm calling this an honest post because this is the way we normally eat.  

Travel and a Recipe Edition 1: Nicaragua + the Nica Punch cocktail

I'm really excited to share the first of a new series that I'm starting here on the blog: travel and a recipe. A huge part of my cooking involves borrowed elements from other cultures, especially from friends of mine who are from somewhere else--from Bulgaria to Venezuela to Mexico. I've decided that I should incorporate this sort of "culinary exploration" into my travels, as well.The idea is to expand my horizons by trying something totally new and different wherever I go. My Nica Punch cocktail isn't particularly exotic, but it does incorporate some Nicaraguan staples: lime, ginger, jamaica, and rum (Flor de Caña, to be specific, which is part of the Nicaraguan fabric of life, and a top-notch rum, to boot). 

Pasta Carbonara with Sauteed Ramps and Garlicky Croutons

 

In my last post I shared my first experience cooking (and eating) sunchokes, a little delicacy that I was lucky to find in my CSA box. This week my CSA box exposed me to another new food: ramps. These guys have a much lovelier countenance than the sunchoke--dare I say I find them beautiful? Small, tender white bulbs with soft quirky roots; smooth, purple-hued stems; and clean, flat, emerald leaves. Yes, these are decisively more attractive than the sunchoke, and in my opinion, more versatile and tasty as well.