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Gastro Friday: Trip to Turkey and Food Travel Tips with Claire!

Gastro Friday: Trip to Turkey and Food Travel Tips with Claire!
Claire in Turkey, surrounded by food, just as she should be.

Last Christmas, a lackadaisical Jew (Dan) and a lapsed Catholic (myself) spent 13 days eating their way through 6 cities of a secular Muslim country (Turkey). After we got home, Leena so very kindly offered up the use of her blog for me to poop on. I mean, post on. Sorry. I found out the hard way that a diet of nothing but Turkish food really tests the sturdiest of GI tracts.

We started and ended our trip in Istanbul ? the geographical and cultural bridge between Europe and Asia. Therefore, I?ll discuss two food-related highlights of our trip ? one at the beginning and one at the end.

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February 26th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Gastro Fridays, Leena Cooks, Leena Travels, The Gastronomical Leena | View Comments

Acquiring Taste, a Perspective on Food & Advertising from Chris Montwill

Acquiring Taste, a Perspective on Food & Advertising from Chris Montwill

Hey guys. Today’s guest poster is my long-time friend and advertising guru, Chris Montwill. He has studied advertising at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and Chicago Portfolio School (where he now teaches art direction), worked at several large ad agencies including BBDO & Hoffman York, and currently owns his own creative boutique agency based out of Chicago, Moniker Creative. If you dig his writing like I do, check out his advertising-based blog here.

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How many times have sipped cold Pabst Blue Ribbon and claimed it was the best tasting thing on earth? Probably a few. All this despite its gym shoe like scent and hangover inducing recipe. Don’t get me wrong, I drink the stuff, but…why? PBR falls into the same category as olives, caviar, scotch, coffee and wine. It’s an acquired taste- things we don’t consume because we like them, but things we learn to like in order to create a social bond or sense of exclusivity (Just look at the group of hipsters who made this beer all the rage). Read the rest of this entry »

February 25th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Gastro Fridays, Leena Cooks, The Gastronomical Leena | View Comments

Leena Cooks ( n Cans): Gajar ki Chutney with caramelized shallot (carrot chutney) for Tigress’ Can Jam

Leena Cooks ( n Cans): Gajar ki Chutney with caramelized shallot (carrot chutney) for Tigress Can Jam

My kick-ass gajar ki chutney with caramelized shallots.

Wow. This month’s ingredient for Tigress’ Can Jam, carrots, was around 1,000 times more difficult to work with than I had anticipated. For one, carrots need a ton of acid to preserve them without creating that lovely little bacteria botulism, so this month’s recipe had to be a derivative of a PUBLISHED carrot canning recipe. Guess how many published carrot canning recipes there are in the world? Oh, about six. And I could only find two.

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February 24th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Canning, Condiments, Leena Cooks | View Comments

Adam Bakes, Leena Eats: Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake

Adam Bakes, Leena Eats: Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake

Hazelnut brown butter cake, made by Adam.

Hey guys. Leena Eats is going under another makeover, which we hope to have live by March 1st. In the mean time, you get to enjoy several guest posts while Leena works hard at her new website. And lucky for you, Leena has some interesting friends to keep you busy, including a husband, the owner of a creative ad agency, and a scholar who just happens to love food enough to travel for it.

And can I just say how appropriate is it that Adam’s guest post about making my birthday cake is appearing on his birthday, when I will be making his birthday cake?! Enjoy. This was truly a delicious cake!
~LTG!
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Hi everyone. My name is Adam, the amazing partner of one LeenaEats. If you’re a regular reader here you likely already know how awesome I am… which is lots. Lots awesome.

If you’re new, then welcome! Please take a moment to let it soak in.

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February 22nd, 2010
Posted in Cakes, Family, Leena Bakes, Leena Lives Life | View Comments

Gastro Friday Photo: Screw you, Rain.

Gastro Friday Photo: Screw you, Rain.
Can’t use an electric smoker in the rain MY ASS!

~LTG!

February 19th, 2010
Posted in Leena Cooks | View Comments

Leena Bakes: Brioche Bread and a Damn Good Grilled Cheese

Leena Bakes: Brioche Bread and a Damn Good Grilled Cheese

My homemade brioche and kick-ass grilled cheese sandwich.

Hi. If you remember from Monday’s post, this week is dedicated to a solid soup and sandwich combo: tomato soup and grilled cheese. Monday’s recipe featured my version of Cook’s Illustrated’s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup. Today’s recipe? Homemade brioche bread from one of my favorite food bloggers, La Tartine Gourmande, to be made into a most kick-ass grilled cheese sandwich.

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February 17th, 2010
Posted in Breads, Leena Bakes | View Comments

Leena cooks: C.I.’s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Leena cooks: C.I.s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

You know how Campbell’s tomato soup comes out of the can in one fell slump sort of like cranberry sauce? This soup isn’t NEARLY as fun, but about 712 million times more delicious.

My first Californian winter has been a lot like my first South Australian winter: a bit rainy, leaves changing colors and falling, and slightly chilly weather. And by slightly, I mean 47 F at the lowest :) Which is awesome. But I’m such a weather wimp, that is actually a bit nippy for me.

But as the rest of the country goes through Snowmaggedon and subzero weather (I’m looking at you, Chicago), I thought you might appreciate a nice soup and sandwich recipe to warm you up. So this week, I’m making creamy creamless tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich made from homemade brioche.

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February 15th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | View Comments

Leena Cooks: Dark Chocolate Pudding with Candied Pistachios

Leena Cooks: Dark Chocolate Pudding with Candied Pistachios
My dark chocolate pudding with candied pistachios. Make someone love you by making them this for Valentine’s Day!

Chocolate pudding does NOT photograph well. I had two different set ups, a layered pudding dish with the pistachios and the spoon you see above, and took around 100 photos, only to have two come out not looking like dog doo on a spoon, to put a finer point on it. But I suffer for you, dear reader. Because I know whether you have a special someone in your life or you’re rocking the single life, you want, nay, NEED you some chocolate.

And not just a stupid little box of chocolates in the shape of a heart, but a rich, thick, hearty chocolate dish that doesn’t just fill your tummy–it damn near gives you a hug.

So let’s hug it out with my Dark Chocolate Pudding and Candied Pistachios.

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February 12th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Mains | View Comments

Leena Eats: Pizza in the Hospital Waiting Room

Leena Eats: Pizza in the Hospital Waiting Room
This WAS going to be a delicious healthy dinner made of butternut squash and parmesan pasta sauce topped with bacon and chives. WAS.

In this episode of Leena Eats, I tell you exactly how to have a pretty bad kitchen accident.

Step one: Work really hard on a new recipe and delicious dinner for your family.

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February 10th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Leena Eats | View Comments

Leena Bakes: Pistachio Cookies

Leena Bakes: Pistachio Cookies

Let me introduce to you the best darn cookie I have baked in a year. A YEAR! The pistachio cookie.

My latest food obsession is a flavor I never really frequented as a kid: pistachio. It’s the flavor the kid world loves to ignore, because it doesn’t look nearly as exciting as a giant candy bar or a bag full of sugar. Makes sense. Pistachio is like the quiet kid in school–dull on the surface, but if you take the time to get to know him, he turns out to be this awesome, funny, really unique kid who makes a mean plate of nachos and throws raging keggars when his parents are gone. The sort of kid you would WANT to be friends with in school.

Did I mention the nachos?

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February 8th, 2010
Posted in Cookies, Leena Bakes | View Comments
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