This week’s guest post on how to make mint tea is by the infamous Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic. Besides being a dear friend of mine, Garrett is also one of the most creative cooks I’ve ever met. I’ve seen him pull some amazing recipes out of thin air, then whip then into reality in a matter of minutes. His approach to cooking is an inspiration.

Sometimes, though, life just sucks — and when that happens, you probably don’t have the energy to cook. When the four letter words hit the fan, you need something simple to take your worries away. At times like this, it pays to know how to make mint tea. And that’s exactly what Garrett is sharing with you today.

Know what’s stressful? Walking into your apartment and listening to the squish-squash-sqloosh of your feet as you cross the carpeted floor. Even more stressful? Entering your 105F bathroom that radiates heat from the floor like a dry sauna. Even more stressful than that? In order to assert dominance over the smelliest parts of the carpet where the mold is beginning to grow roots, your cats decide to suddenly start peeing on the floors. Something they’ve never done before.
 
So yes. I am stressed. ... Read the rest of How to Make Mint Tea on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Beverages, Nutrition, People on Aug/Mon/2011
Post tags: beverages, drink recipes, garrett mccord, herb, herbal tea, mint, tea, vanilla garlic
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Storing celery for peak freshness is something that most folks don’t think about until that moment when they go to grab a few stalks from the refrigerator to spread with fresh peanut butter. Once they peer into their crisper and find a wimpy, flacid lump where their crisp celery stalks should be, they think, “Drat! Why does this always happen?”

No one likes wimpy vegetables. Ew. I mean, who wants to eat celery that’s about as crispy as an old shoelace? Not I, said the Little Red Hen. Eating celery raw, when it’s crunchy and firm, is my favorite way to enjoy this light veggie, so learning how to store celery so that it retains its crunch was of the utmost importance around here!

If you don’t know how, storing celery is very easy. You don’t need pricey bio-bags involved, and you won’t have to to buy any weird humidifying devices for your refrigerator. In fact you only need three things — one of which, incidentally, is celery itself. ... Read the rest of Storing Celery on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Nutrition on Jan/Tue/2011
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Storing carrots so they stay fresh is something that, despite being simple, many folks don’t seem to know about. How many times have you gone to the store and bought a bunch of carrots, then they sat in your fridge for a few days? And then, half a week later you go to use them, and they’re so weak and bendy you can almost tie them in a knot? That’s most certainly not good eats.

Sure, wimpy carrots can still be used and will probably taste ok, but they’re not at their peak texture and eating them raw is pretty much out of the question. Learning how to store carrots so that they retain their crunch will make for a much better finished product, regardless of what you’re making.

If you don’t know how, storing carrots is very easy. There’s no expensive bio-bags involved, and you don’t need to buy any strange-looking humidifying devices for your refrigerator. In fact you only need three things — one of which, incidentally, is carrots. ... Read the rest of Keeping Carrots on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Nutrition on Jan/Tue/2011
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Last week I talked about how I completely fell off the wagon in regard to my diet, and since I hate to just complain and leave it at that, I’m going to provide some solutions to the problem. This is both for myself as well as anyone else who finds themselves at a crossroads in the decisions-making process. Please leave your much-appreciated comments and ideas at the end of this post! ... Read the rest of Skimming the Surface, Making Decisions on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Nutrition on Jul/Wed/2010
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.

I’ve been struggling with my health lately. Why? The short of it is this: I made a bunch of bad dietary decisions that sparked some pretty serious fallout. I’m writing this post because I know I’m not the only one out there who is confronted daily with decision that could make or break your life for months. I know that everyone out there struggles with something. Or many things.

The first half of the year saw me traveling quite a bit, to a series of conferences and to a handful of other countries. As most of us know, traveling is as stressful as much as it is fun. It’s exciting to see new places, but at the same time, it can be confusing, uncomfortable, and bewildering. Indeed, these are the part of the reasons we travel to begin with: to be removed from our comfort zone and sense of familiarity. ... Read the rest of Surfacing on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Nutrition on Jul/Tue/2010
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.

Today’s guest post on healthy eating is compliments of my good friend Kristopher Ide. Kris is a special person in my life for many reasons, only one of which is the fact that he was instrumental in my learning that I have a gluten intolerance. Besides being an all-around lovely foodie, Kris is also super-duper writerly academic: think fiction, social theory and screenwriting. I’m excited to share his boundless talent with you.

I must admit, sometimes reading about all the wonderful food items covered in this blog actually pains me. As an insanely busy student who goes to class in the mornings, works part-time in the afternoons, and splits time between clubs and theatre rehearsals nights and weekends, procuring good food, slow-cooked with care and love, can be an infrequent luxury. Throw any number of dietary intolerances or allergies on top of that, and healthy eating is next to impossible.
... Read the rest of Healthy Eating for the Weak and Weary: Eating Well for Students on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Nutrition on Mar/Fri/2010
Post tags: eat, eat healthy, eating, food, food and drink, gluten intolerance, health, healthy, healthy diet, healthy eating, kristopher ide, Nutrition, personal life
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2010.