Norwitz Notions

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Homemade Marinara Tomato Sauce for the Freezer

November 7th, 2008 · 1 Comment

At the Petaluma farmer’s market in September, I found a stand with a big box of organic paste tomatoes (romas) which was on sale because they were overripe.  I picked out some good ones then thought, wait a minute, and turned to the farmer and asked to buy the whole box.  “I was hoping some […]

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Categories: Dressings & Sauces · Food · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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Chimichurri Sauce with Black Bean Cucumber Tomato Salad and Lentil Salad

October 28th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Chimichurri is a popular sauce from Argentina made with fresh green herbs (usually parsley, cilantro, and/or mint), garlic, acid (red wine vinegar, lemon, etc), and olive oil.  Some recipes have other ingredients.  It’s usually served on meat but I love it on fish, tofu, beans, salad, and all sorts of things.  Since I’m not a […]

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Categories: Dressings & Sauces · Food · Main Dishes · Recipes
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Cornbread Challah (vegan & gluten-free)

October 18th, 2008 · 3 Comments

We hosted a potluck for Sukkot this year and told everyone we would provide the challah.  The last shabbus potluck we went to had regular challah and Miriam ended up with some symptoms due to cross-contamination from the eggs (part of the ritual is breaking the bread with your hands; while we don’t do that […]

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Categories: Food · Grains · Judaism · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Shabbus
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Kalga Kafe (Portland, Oregon)

October 2nd, 2008 · 1 Comment

At the end of our day-long trek into Portland, we met up with a friend and her son at Kalga Kafe, a vegetarian restaurant in the southeast part of the city.  Dinner hours are 5pm-midnight (it serves lunch weekdays) and it hosts live bands some evenings.  Since this was a Saturday night, we thought we […]

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Categories: Food · Oregon Restaurant · Restaurant Reviews
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Chili & Cornbread Casserole

September 17th, 2008 · 1 Comment

This dish takes a fair bit of time to make, but it’s one of my favorites for a hearty meal to serve to company.  I’ve been making it for a while but it wasn’t until recently when I made it for friends in Canada that I took pictures. I’ve adapted this recipe from: Chili and […]

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Categories: Book Reviews · Cookbooks · Food · Food Books · Main Dishes · Recipes
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Homemade Applesauce

September 10th, 2008 · No Comments

On a recent trip to Vancouver, Canada, I admired my hosts’ towering apple tree, as well as the superior taste of the apples.  When I found out they simply composted them, I vowed to turn them into something useful. First, I collected 24 hours worth of fallen apples. Next, I cut away the bad parts […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Recipes · Snacks · Spreads & Dips
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Chi Cake (vegan, gluten-free cheesecake)

August 29th, 2008 · 3 Comments

I’m visiting friends in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) and they introduced me to a local treat. Chi Cake http://www.chicake.com/ Vegan, gluten-free, organic cheesecake Vegan Choice Foods, Inc., Contact: Alan Munro Unit 14 – 7621 Vantage Way Delta, BC V4G 1A6 Canada Phone:  778-88VEGAN (778-888-3426) E-Mail:  questions@chicake.com The good news is, it’s delicious.  The bad news…it’s only available […]

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Categories: Food · Food Product Reviews · Sweets
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Pupusas

August 3rd, 2008 · 8 Comments

Pupusas are a lovely Salvadorian food with two thick tortillas, stuffed with goodies, crimped at the edges to hold it all in. You can put anything you want in there (beans and cheese being a common vegetarian choice) and you’ve got a meal, a snack, or traveling food. I won’t purport to have an authentic […]

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Categories: Food · Grains · Main Dishes · Recipes · Snacks
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Amaizing Masa, Primavera Style

August 2nd, 2008 · 5 Comments

“Using masa harina [masa flour] is like making mashed potatoes from a box.” So says Karen Waikiki, owner of Primavera, the Sonoma company that makes masa, tortillas, and tamales from organic stoneground corn. And she has a point. Though the tortillas I made from masa harina were way better than the store-bought tortillas I’ve had […]

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Categories: Breads & Savory Cakes · Food · Food Product Reviews · Grains · Main Dishes · Recipes · Snacks
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The Next Food Network Star: 7/22/08

July 24th, 2008 · No Comments

Episode seven of the Next Food Network Star still takes place in Las Vegas and we’re down to 3 contestants: Aaron, Lisa, and Adam. Challenge #1: Prepare a 30 second promo for what could be their new show. Unlike in previous versions of this, each promo was carefully scripted (including wardrobe) by the Food Network […]

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Categories: Desserts · Dressings & Sauces · Food · Food Commentary · Food Television · Main Dishes · Meals & Events · Recipes · Soups · Vegetable Dishes
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The Next Food Network Star: 7/6/08

July 8th, 2008 · 3 Comments

Episode five of the Next Food Network Star is fun and is the first one really suited to figuring out if the contestant is someone who ought to have their own show. There was just a single challenge, but it was a long one.  Each contestant was paired with a Brownie (a girl about 8 […]

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Categories: Food · Food Commentary · Food Television · Recipes
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Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

July 6th, 2008 · 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking about making pesto stuffed mushrooms for a while now, at least since considering the dish as worthy of a Food Network competition.  Then I was at the store and saw the beautiful criminis.  Usually they have the smaller ones, but sometimes they have ones almost big enough to be called portabellas.  If […]

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Categories: Food · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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Peach Cobbler

June 27th, 2008 · No Comments

My favorite seller was at the Petaluma Farmer’s Market the other week, Chris the peach guy.  Chemical-free, great prices, and amazing flavor.  He had a “rejects” box he was selling at $1/lb (half the usual price)–mostly ones with small blemishes that most people wouldn’t even notice.  I was picking through it when he said, oh […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Recipes
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The Next Food Network Star: 6/15/08

June 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Episode three of the Next Food Network Star focused on presentation. Challenge #1: Feature one special ingredient (the potato) in a single dish (45 minutes to make it…if I remember correctly).  Full use of the pantry for other ingredients.  Then hold the dish, face the camera, and speak about it for exactly one minute, telling […]

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Categories: Dressings & Sauces · Food · Food Commentary · Food Television · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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Homemade Popsicles

June 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Popsicles are an easy summer treat that feels like dessert but can be very healthy if made with the right ingredients.  I always use whole fruit, never juice.  And I don’t sweeten them either.  But you can make them any way you wish. The basic recipe is: Pureed fruit Liquid to make them pourable For […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Recipes · Snacks
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