Leena Eats, Gourmet Communication ... Food, Travel, Gastronomy

LeenaEats
LeenaEats

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 26th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Gastro Fridays, Leena Cooks, Leena Travels, The Gastronomical Leena | 1 Comment »

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.

************************************************************************************************

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 | 6 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 24th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Canning, Condiments, Leena Cooks | 17 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!
****************************************************************************************
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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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

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 | 6 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 17th, 2010
Posted in Breads, Leena Bakes | 5 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 Leena cooks: C.I.s Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 15th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Soup/Salad | 3 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 10th, 2010
Posted in Appetizers, Leena Cooks, Leena Eats | 8 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?

Read the rest of this entry »

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

Gastro Friday: Leena’s Care Package from Oz

Gastro Friday: Leenas Care Package from Oz
A care package from Oz that is almost entirely edible. My friends know me too well!

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that I had the pleasure of living in Australia for a year and a half while earning my Masters in gastronomy. I made a few mates while living down under, and every now and then, they spoil me with bits of Australia.

Case in point: the package sent by Andrew and Mel, some of our favorite people living in Australia. Come peep my Aussie food porn and learn a bit about Australian cuisine!

Read the rest of this entry »

February 5th, 2010
Posted in Gastro Fridays, Improv, Leena Lives Life, Leena Travels, The Gastronomical Leena | 2 Comments »

Leena Eats: Berkeley Farmers Market Food Porn

Leena Eats: Berkeley Farmers Market Food Porn

Welcome to Berkeley’s Farmers Market, where locally grown produce and banjo-playing former hippies abound.

You can’t live near Berkeley, love food, and NOT visit their farmers market. It’s not quite illegal (yet), but I’ve heard a band of local yippies will bombard your house with useless pamphlets about water conservation (don’t flush the toilet after each use? YEAH, THAT IS NOT GROSS AT ALL) at all hours of the day.

Consequently, the homeless will also ring your doorbell, minus the water conservation pamphlets and add a little “Need Money” sign. But unless you are planning on feeding them, the homeless don’t give a shit if you go to Berkeley’s Farmers Market.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 3rd, 2010
Posted in Berkeley, Food Porn, Leena Eats | 2 Comments »
« Older Entries

About | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact | 2010 LeenaEats.com

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.