Things I Love Thursday: Mar. 31, 2011

Berries via Marco Reichert

Beyond EVOO - Meet Your 6 New Favorite Oils: I do love olive oil. Oh, you know I do. This article has a point though in that olive oil can't do everything, especially because of its low smoke point and honestly, some olive oils are so flavorful that you're missing the point if you're using them for anything other than finishing up dishes. Until this week I had never even heard of rice bran oil, but as a stir fry lover, I'm going to have to check it out.

Homemade Almond Milk: What I really love about this, aside from learning how to make almond milk, is the honest assessment of time and energy and money that goes into making something on your own. Yes, often times things at the store will be cheaper based on economies of scale and other factors and often times the stuff at home is just so awesome and why would you ever buy it again when you can make it, but sometimes that's just not true. I think this is all about personal preference and how much of your time you want to spend on something.

The Shelf Life of Jam: I am a fairly recent canner myself, so this was a very helpful article from my new favorite blog. And now I just realized I never blogged about the two jams I made last August. I'll have to get on that because they are delicious! If you're interested in canning, I highly recommend this blog. It's fun and informational and the photos are gorgeous.

Should I Add Cheese? via I Love Charts

(This is my life. Thanks Kirst!)

How to Make a Perfect Pie Crust: For some people (ahem...me), taste is not the issue, it's presentation. Though I have struggled with pie crusts in the past, I am getting better. Tutorials like this and the one in my recently purchased (and super cheap!) Bakers Illustrated may lead to some much more photogenic pies in the future. If not, well, they taste awesome, so close your eyes and eat it?

I Love My Squeeze Bottles: How long ago did I bookmark this? Anyway, aren't squeeze bottles amazing? They make everything look fancy and, as the post points out, Anthony Bourdain is a big fan. I should probably get some next time I'm trying to impress my friends. I should also invest in some pastry bags. Not the point. The point is that simple things can elevate the look of a dish, like not having a weird looking pie crust.

 (Best recipe name. Ever.)

Nutella, Banana, and Coconut Hot Pockets: It sounds like a crepe, but it's a much fancier and nicer looking home made hot pocket. And now I have Jim Gaffigan's bit stuck in my head.

Mark Bittman & Others Fasting to Preserve Budget for Food Assistance: I love Mark Bittman. Food and social justice and activism go hand in hand.

Italy in Chocolate: WHAT? This is amazing and beautiful and oh so delicious looking. I would love to see this in person. What a way to celebrate your country's history!

Walnuts are the Healthiest Nut: I love this for two reasons. One - walnut are delicious. This is a fact. Two - that headline cracks me up.

(this cracks me up. So. Awkward.)

I'm also loving: bánh mì (oh give me that spicy carrot-daikon mixture any day); FUBONN!(except for the duck heads. I could've done without those); ridiculously delicious stir fry by Aaron; bshorrhandmade - "Do girl scout cookies make for an acceptable dinner?"; lavender milk tea; the spiciest ginger candy I've ever had (I had one heck of a Asian superstore Sunday); awesome Aaron made scalloped potatoes after a disappointing run; lemon-lime soda after every run (it's what I crave!); my first trip to Penzeys Spices; free Tillamook Cheese cookbook plus magazines from Sue (some really good stuff in there!).

What are you loving this week?