Pasta May Have Come From The Middle East?! or The Myth of Marco Polo

Food for thought...

http://exp.lore.com/post/42879094091/today-pasta-con-sarde-or-pasta-with-sardines-is?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer:%2Bbrainpicker%2Bon%2Btwitter&buffer_share=fd601

Buttermilk Biscuits and Strawberry Jam

We had some strawberries in the fridge that were losing their luster, in perfect condition for a simple jam. Jam needs a medium and there is nothing better than buttermilk biscuits.  Bingo! Breakfast. 

My simple versions of both are loosely based on Epicurious recipes. Perfect for a spring weekend, thirty minutes is all you'll need. 

Buttermilk Biscuits 

yield: Makes 6 biscuits

Ingredients: 

or 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream for brushing biscuits

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. (I got a little help from Jada and Michele here.) 

Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. 

Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until a dough just forms (dough will be moist).

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently 6 times. Pat out dough on a floured surface with floured hands, reflouring surface if necessary.  

I went old school and used a simple tea cup to cut my biscuits. 

Transfer as many as you can make with your dough to a greased baking sheet, arranging them 2 inches apart, and brush tops with milk or cream. 

Bake until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature.

On to the strawberry jam. You can make this while the biscuits are baking. It takes about the same time. 

Strawberry Jam 
yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients: 

or

• 1 pound fresh (or frozen, thawed) hulled, quartered strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, coarsely grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine 1 cup hulled, quartered strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar in a large heavy skillet. 

Stir in 1 peeled, coarsely grated large Granny Smith apple. 

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring and breaking up strawberries, until sugar dissolves. 

Simmer until jam is thickened, 10-15 minutes. 

Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. 

Transfer to a bowl or jar; let cool. 

Malino's Sunset Serenade

Simple songs offered on the porch of The Baldwin House. Island nights...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Front St,Lahaina,United States

Sandcastles At Sunset, Kanaapali Beach

Here, sunset anchors the day. Early hours are spent preparing for the big show, putting the line of work and responsibilities behind you so that you are free to idle when the sun begins its drop.

Today, we drove up to Kanaapali for a new perspective. Built sandcastles. So simple. Satisfying. Grounded in the ebbs and flows of forces beyond our self-imposed tethers on time. Resigned and content when we finally turn our backs on the sea.

Sautéed Romaine, A Revelation

Wilted, warm lettuce? That's what I thought when Mike presented this side dish tonight. My instinct was to pass, but I try to give everything new at least one taste.

This was a revelation. Simply prepared with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper cooking the lettuce reveals a depth of flavor and a heartiness that I would never expect from my favorite salad green. So, I'm passing it on.

"Swimming Lessons"

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140th Anniversary of The Banyan Tree

This weekend, Lahaina celebrated the 140th Anniversary of its Banyan Tree. In many ways, it was a typical weekend here. Fairs under the tree are constant and spring up for almost any notable occasion. Vendors dot the ground beneath like colorful seeds, offering the best of themselves up to be carried away by passersby. Performers and dancers open up their arms and voices beneath its vast leaves. Here is a humble offering by a local, high school ukelele band.