Dear foodie followers/friends,
How is everyone? I thought I would try something different by writing a post in letter format. Letter writing is such a sacred yet dissipating art and it’s a sad shame. There is a strange paradox that even in this ever-expanding blogosphere and social media realm where you can plug in anytime, anywhere with anyone, that authentic relationships and soul-hugging conversation seem more precious and difficult to come by….
I never know how to begin a blog post with a post date that marks an embarrassingly long absence since my last one. Should I make excuses? (Not my thing…) Apologize? (Life happens.) Make amends with a ridiculously simple, delicious and more importantly energizing recipe? Ah, now that I can always do….
Feliz February, friends! With Valentine’s day right around the corner, I thought I would share a super simple dessert that is as healthy as it is nutritious (well, sans the ice cream..but really, who’s guna leave that out?). These dark chocolate balsamic roasted pears truly hit all corners of the palate. The rich, tangy dark chocolate balsamic vinegar* infuses the fruit with a sumptuous depth of flavor. When spooned over your favorite ice cream (I am a sucker for Lick’s Caramel Salt Lick flavor) and topped with salty pepitas, this dessert is some serious melt-in-your mouth perfection. You won’t even miss all the fat and calories. Enjoy!…
You can already taste the excitement in the air for one (now two) of Austin’s most beloved weekends, ACL fest. It’s a sweet time of year when the weather starts to cool if we’re lucky, and when renowned and latent musical talent reverberates throughout the city on a gargantuan scale, whether you like it or not. As an Austin native, ACL certainly holds a special place in my heart. However, my concert-culture has “shifted” over the years, to put it nicely. Nowadays, as opposed to my 17 or 18 year-old, dare I say impetuous self, I like to think I’m a little more practical when it comes to, well, most things, especially food things….
Happy Labor Day! To honor all of the hard-working men and women out there, I thought I would share my simple and scrumptious recipe for chipotle black bean and mushroom burgers. These burgers are easy to make, chock-full of nutrients, and something the whole family can enjoy. I like to make some extra to freeze for school/work lunches. It’s one less thing to worry about during the week so you can stay focused on everything else that’s important to you! Buen provecho!…
Guess what, foodie friends? It’s Gouramanda’s 2 year blogiversiary! (Ok, actually it was yesterday, but who’s counting??) I was thinking of celebrating with an over-the-top, homemade, triple layer yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles, but you know, I just felt like making muffins instead. And I’m so glad I wasn’t in the overacheiving mood today, because these muffins in particular are freakin’ delicious, unbelievably easy to make, AND they’re vegan/super healthy. What what. Yeah, I’m not sure I’d be able to veganize the aforementioned cake (though I bet it’s too much work totally feasible.) Also, I have an unjustifiable fear of cake-baking (they put it in a box for a reason, people!) and don’t feel in the mood to conquer that particular fear today. It’s just one of those days, y’all!…
Right now, as I await my connecting flight back to Texas in the frigid, stale airport air, I can’t help but reminisce on warm memories of the fun-filled, long weekend I just spent with my best friend in sunny Florida. The past five days were a little slice of heaven to my soul. We took long walks down the powder-white sand beaches, swam in the cool azure waters, tasted our way through some fantastic restaurants and just enjoyed one another’s company….
Can you believe it’s July already?! With the holiday weekend right around the corner, I’ve been dreaming up some healthy twists on classic summer dishes that evoke all things America. This “Paprika Potato Salad” is a lightened up version that features Spanish-smoked paprika (aka pimentón) as the star ingredient. It’s the perfect complement to almost any grilled meat, bbq, sandwich, salad, ok- just about anything! However, being more of a potato salad purist, I tend to prefer it all by itself, right out of the container, and I’m not the only one……
Happy summer everybody! I don’t think the season change even dawned on me until I stowed away the last of my teaching materials and turned in my keys for the summer. First year of teaching in the bag. Shwew! I survived. While my homepage was looking particularly sad and static for weeks on end, I believe every type of energy imaginable (kinetic, creative, frenetic, potential, etc.) was seeping into and out of room B3. (Now, if only we could find a way to store the energy that runs amok in elementary schools, I think we could really be onto something…)
Anyhow, I haven’t forgotten about you, though it may appear that way. I’ve still been cooking up a storm; however, I was in the market for a new camera lens, hence the hiatus (I would consider it sheer torture to read a food blog post without any accompanying pictures, wouldn’t you?) But alas, the search is over and I am ready to capture some gorgeous, delicious art! …
Is it really already August?! This is a special month, folks, as it marks Gouramanda’s 1-year anniversary! I can’t believe it’s already been a year. So much has happened! A year ago, Gouramanda was just a seed of an idea. I wasn’t quite sure what my end goal was (which is often still the case), but I realized if you do what you love and constantly seek growth with an open mind (watering and nourishing the seed) you will end up surprising yourself. As Julia Child put it, “You never know everything about anything, especially something you love.”…