tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290690112009-11-28T08:57:37.704-05:00Reviews and tips for the discriminating cook.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.comBlogger542125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-51461614891093556812009-11-21T00:11:00.002-05:002009-11-21T00:11:54.612-05:00

The LA public library website has vintage menus available for viewing. Very fun.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-79745432995095895942009-11-16T08:58:00.000-05:002009-11-16T08:58:25.718-05:00

I bought this spoon rest that is shaped like a pillow and it is great! Easy to clean and the spoons don't slip off. Our old spoon rest was bigger but ceramic and one day Matt dropped it or bumped it off the rack and because of the odd shape, it fell on an angle and it broke. Since they do need to be cleaned rather frequently, it made sense to get one that if dropped, wouldn't break. This one

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-3013017510601058912009-11-11T16:16:00.000-05:002009-11-11T16:16:44.427-05:00

My entry into the NaMooSte Giveaway is my delicious herb potato salad. Oikos yogurt is a favorite of mine and works well in so many recipes. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb red skin potatoes, cubed 1 1/2 lb purple potatoes, cubed 2 stalks celery, diced 1 bunch scallions, greens and white parts, diced for the dressing: 150 g (5.3 oz) Greek yogurt 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/3 cup chives, cut into 1/4

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-92042869326672367012009-11-09T13:03:00.000-05:002009-11-09T13:03:42.238-05:00

When I first lifted this travel mug out of the box I couldn't quite see what made it special. Then I looked carefully and realized that it is designed to allow you to pull the tea bag through a hole in the lid after the tea is done seeping, squeezing it and keeping it out of the tea you're drinking. No more too strong tea or having to wait for your tea to seep before you pour it into a mug to go

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-33746795298961086622009-10-17T21:45:00.003-04:002009-10-17T21:46:51.285-04:00

You can now subscribe to Coconut & Lime on your Kindle. Just click here.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-24639232315243708482009-10-03T11:14:00.003-04:002009-10-03T11:19:49.589-04:00

I finally tried Greg's Bagels today. I had heard great things so I hoped for the best. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. The "colossal" bagel (their version of the "everything" bagel) tasted solely of cumin. Cumin has no place on a bagel. The texture was off as well. In retrospect, I should have know it wouldn't be very good; what kind of bagel shop has chocolate chip bagels on their menu

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-91102455008501750732009-09-15T14:48:00.001-04:002009-09-15T14:49:48.822-04:00

Excuse my absence, we've been in Belgium for most of September. We had lots of fun and even had a cooking workshop with a chef! Pictures are here if you are interested.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-78809485993470936552009-09-04T14:38:00.003-04:002009-09-25T17:53:16.155-04:00

I had the opportunity to dine at the new B & O Brasserie downtown recently and let me tell you, it was an experience to remember. While it is in a hotel, the restaurant doesn't have that generic hotel restaurant vibe, it was simply yet stylishly decorated and had great, comfortable seating that felt intimate despite the size of the space. The best part was the food and drinks. The drink menu was

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-17547198828280122242009-08-24T12:51:00.001-04:002009-08-24T12:53:16.846-04:00

I have been a little salad crazed this summer. Part of it is that I have been working on a huge recipe development project that not only takes up a lot of time but leaves me with a lot of main courses to eat. The other part is that the weather here in Baltimore has been so humid and so changeable, I swear it has ruined my appetite for anything other than cold salads.What are you craving this

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-56330756534089129022009-08-12T17:31:00.003-04:002009-08-12T17:56:57.224-04:00

I recently acquired a Dolce Gusto single serve coffee maker. So far, we love it! It has been a little warm for hot beverages (they have an iced cappuccino flavor I am looking forward to trying) but the mocha, cappuccino, latte macchiato (frothy milk with a shot of coffee) and the chococino (hot chocolate) are all very good. The milk is actually frothy and tastes like fresh milk. They don't have

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-59243301839393603132009-08-05T22:54:00.003-04:002009-08-05T22:58:31.279-04:00

It is times like this I wish I was a person who liked beverages more. It is just so hot and humid, I feel like drinking something cool but end up feeling waterlogged from club soda overload. I don't want summer to be over but I wouldn't mind less humidity. It really hasn't been terribly hot but the humidity has been pretty bad every day. Cooking has become excruciating.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-75378853346749388332009-07-31T11:36:00.003-04:002009-07-31T12:01:05.369-04:00

I read Novella Carpenter's book Farm City yesterday. It was a fascinating look at a woman's quest to create an urban farm in Oakland, CA. She went from just fruits and vegetables to adding poultry, bees and then eventually rabbits and pigs. I like how it was realistic without being graphic although I have to admit the dumpster diving for food to give the various animals made me a little queasy. I

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-4271436131834727912009-07-15T14:15:00.002-04:002009-07-15T14:16:13.179-04:00

I had an excuse to get one of these fancy, detailed gelatin molds made.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-68740043644649367512009-07-13T15:05:00.002-04:002009-07-13T15:19:07.219-04:00

I have to admit that I was first attracted to the book not because I have been to the Big Sur Bakery but because the name "Big Sur" always stuck in my mind from references to it in books particularly Helter Skelter which describes Manson driving around Big Sur. But I digress. The cookbook, although murder and cult free, is well written, focusing on the workers and producers of the food they sell

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-44111788427530318282009-07-06T13:16:00.002-04:002009-07-06T13:44:24.212-04:00

MojaMix is a custom, build-your-own cereal. You pick a base then other ingredients like dried fruit, nuts and seeds to mix in. It is a lot of fun and while it is more expensive than say buying a box of cereal at the grocery store it is super fresh and of course, since you picked everything out yourself, you are bound to like it! I do think that if you were to source all of your ingredients

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-15163443773018517502009-06-30T12:51:00.004-04:002009-06-30T12:55:29.452-04:00

This is really a fun book. While the recipes that are included are pretty basic, there are a ton of great decorating tips and descriptions that could transform even the plainest cupcakes into something special. Even if you don't follow the directions exactly, there are a lot of ideas that can be adapted in different ways to make the perfect cupcake.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-49299487286213959592009-05-14T16:30:00.002-04:002009-05-14T16:40:52.607-04:00

I have never canned but have accumulated quite a number of books about canning. Maybe this will be the year? This particular book is interesting because it is a combination of canning directions/recipes and recipes that use the items after they were canned. Now I just need to get some equipment and the nerve to can.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-52413798880461716882009-05-10T16:45:00.003-04:002009-05-10T16:50:20.774-04:00

If you are my friend on GoodReads, you will recognize this review, I am posting it here in case you missed it! Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and a Pinch of Salt by Leslie F. MillerI wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The concept was certainly compelling (a book celebrating cakes rather than simply being about making them) and

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-68769881209439838242009-05-05T16:00:00.000-04:002009-05-05T16:01:59.932-04:00

I complied over 70 of my favorite songs about food here. Do you have any to add?

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-44944276304398071532009-05-01T15:31:00.003-04:002009-05-01T15:41:24.178-04:00

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects is the type of book I wish I had written. It is sort of a cross between a DIY book and a traditional cookbook; full of recipes for homemade versions of pickles, marshmallows, jam and cured things like salmon that most people just buy at the store. The instructions are all very clear and the pictures are lovely.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-43115900729694964492009-04-23T14:19:00.002-04:002009-04-23T14:19:56.620-04:00

I have a 4 qt Rival that I love but I was wondering if anyone has any experiences with larger or smaller slow cookers. Any recommendations?

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-73880126640148159702009-04-08T18:31:00.002-04:002009-04-08T18:32:46.823-04:00

I was cleaning out the cabinet the other day and thought I'd snap a picture of what (most of) my spice collection looks like. What does yours look like?

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-76150058450502945812009-04-06T13:22:00.000-04:002009-04-06T13:23:21.430-04:00

"Sweet Dreams" from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-77847901797194333572009-04-03T17:26:00.003-04:002009-04-03T17:32:00.664-04:00

I've been toting this book around as my "purse" book-something easy to pick up and read when unexpectedly trapped somewhere with nothing to do- but I've been tempted to take it out and read it ahead of the dozens of library books I have out right now. It is a really interesting mix of essays about food and eating by some of my favorite authors. Totally worth picking up.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29069011.post-8662657312881756552009-03-23T14:31:00.001-04:002009-03-23T14:31:48.468-04:00

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10188103984666876013coconutlimeblog@gmail.com0