the best tortillas + chorizo seitan = great tacos

Since moving to Denver, I've been cooking a lot more Mexican food. For awhile, I wasn't sure why. Is it the abundant sunshine making me crave guacamole? Or the closer geographic proximity? While those are both good guesses, they're not the answer. The real reason is that shortly after moving here, I happened upon the best tortillas ever: La Tortilla Factory's "Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas."

The packaging tells consumers that they're made from "a unique blend of corn and wheat" and that they're "soft, flexible, & whole grain." They're not lying. They are super flexible. They don't break when you roll an enchilada. And they don't dry out over time (make sure to store them in the cupboard, though, not the fridge). They're relatively healthy. But most importantly, they're delicious. They come in two sizes, and four varieties: white corn, yellow corn, green chile, and chipotle. All good.

The other night I took these tortillas' goodness to an even higher level. I charred them over an open burner before serving them as soft tacos. I'd never done that before. It was exciting. It felt very adventurous on a Monday night; smoking tortillas over an open flame. If you haven't done it before, you should try it.

Combined with some fancy Upton's chorizo seitan I'd picked up at Whole Foods, these tacos were memorable. The main component (aside from the tortillas) was eggs, but I refuse to call them breakfast tacos. First of all, we ate them for dinner. Second of all, who says eggs have to be a breakfast item? That's just narrow-minded. So yes, these are egg tacos, but eat them anytime of day. They'd be great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or perhaps best as a midnight snack. Either way, make sure to use great tortillas and char them up!

Egg + Chorizo Seitan Tacos You can certainly use regular chorizo instead of chorizo seitan. I'm sure that would be equally (if not more?) delicious. But less healthy, let's be honest. Also, I did steps 4 + 5 simultaneously, but it was a bit touch and go at moments with the tortilla charring. If you'd prefer to play it safe, you might want focus your attention on each individual step. 

2-4 tortillas
5 eggs
4oz chorizo seitan, crumbled
4oz mushrooms, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 avocado, cut into bite-sized chunks
feta or goat cheese cilantro, roughly chopped
hot sauce
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees, for keeping ingredients warm until serving.

2. In a non-stick pan, sauté the mushrooms and onion in a dash of olive oil until softened. Place in heat proof bowl and keep warm in the oven.

3. In the same pan, sauté the chorizo until lightly browned. Place in bowl and keep in oven.

4. Prep tortillas: place each tortilla on a burner and char for 1-2 minutes per side. (I kept my burner at medium-low, and it worked pretty well. Meaning, I got charring but did not light anything on fire.) Wrap tortillas in a clean dishtowel to keep warm and soft.

5. Scramble eggs. Add some chopped cilantro when the eggs are nearly done. Move to bowl and keep warm in oven.

6. Take everything to the table and make your tacos! To the amazing tortillas, add egg, veggies, chorizo seitan, avocadocilantro, feta, and hot sauce.

// Serves 2.5

spicy summer sesame noodles

We've been eating a lot of Asian food lately. Chinese. Thai. Vietnamese. A mixture of all of the above. Summer has set in on Denver, and the hot days make way to comfortable evenings perfect for eating al fresco. We set up Willa's bumbo by the patio table, and eat our noodles or tofu or stir-fry as the sun lowers in the sky.

The increase in Asian food chez nous is largely a result of receiving Every Grain of Rice from Rachel when she was visiting. That book, let me tell you. So good! Every single recipe. (Ok that's a lie. There have been a couple duds. But still. Most of them.) The recipes are so easy but so delicious. It's the Chinese food that families make for dinner on weeknights. Not the Chinese food American businessmen are served at banquets when they go to China on business.

Because I've been making so much Chinese lately, my pantry is well-stocked with Asian cooking ingredients. For example, I have a jar of chili oil. Many recipes call for just a teaspoon or two, so I have no clue how I'm going to get through that jar. So, the other night when I had a hankering for some spicy noodles, I grabbed the jar of chili oil, threw a few tablespoons into a bowl, and went from there. The result wasn't half bad. In fact, it was pretty darn tasty. And Willa thought so too. She devoured noodles by the handful. I thought the spice would be too much for her, but she reemphasized the fact that babies can really eat anything. Spicy sesame noodles included.

Spicy Summer Sesame Noodles
2-3T chili oil (depending on desired spiciness)
2t black vinegar
2t sesame oil
1/4c tahini paste
3 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
8 ounces noodles (I used gluten-free rice fettuccine, but anything would work!)
1c frozen peas

1. In small saucepan, heat a dash of chili oil. When hot, add white scallions and cook until softened. Scoop cooked scallions into a large serving bowl and let cool.

2. Add water to saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook noodles to desired softness. (I overcook noodles a bit these days for Willa. Gasp!)

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce in the serving bowl. To the scallions, add the remaining chili oil, black vinegar, tahini, and sesame oil. Stir until combined.

4. Once the noodles are almost done, add the peas to the hot water, and then drain.

5. Mix noodles and peas with sauce. Garnish with scallion greens.

the best malaysian dish ever

In July 2011, we went on a monthlong trip around Southeast Asia. We started in Hong Kong, then went to Singapore before taking a train north through Malaysia, stopping to spend several days on Penang island. We then took an "international express" train (over 24 hours!) to Bangkok where we spent time on both ends of a week on Koh Chang island. Before the trip, I couldn't have told you much about food in Malaysia. I had heard, however, that it was a street food paradise, and travel magazines and websites were starting to call it things like "the next big foodie destination." Everywhere we went that trip, we ate delicious food. Dumplings and dim sum in Hong Kong...fresh salads in Thailand...condensed milk sweetened coffee everywhere. But amidst all the deliciousness, one dish made an impression like no other: char kuih kak. Stir-fried radish cake with bean sprouts, eggs, dark soy sauce, and a hearty amout of oil.

During our week on Penang island (Malaysia's "foodie capital"), our days were organized around eating. We'd splurged on a fantastic place to stay; a renovated two-story house on Armenian Street. Each day, we would venture out for some food, then return home to relax and digest, before heading out again. Using EatingAsia's fantastic blog as our guide, we sought out every food Penang had to offer. Indian. Chinese. Malay. And more.

Typically, I don't like to eat the same food over and over again. I like to try new things. But once we'd hit up Chowrasta market and eaten char kuih kak, we were hooked. We probably went back once a day for our remaining time there. Before catching our ferry back to the mainland, we got up extra early for a final meal. I practically cried as we ate the last bite. I wasn't sure if I would ever find the dish again. I hadn't seen it in Singapore. And we were off to Thailand where food would be equally delicious but much less greasy.

In the almost two years since we were in Penang, I've thought about char kuih kak at least weekly. It's the ultimate comfort food. Good for any meal of the day, at any time of the year. When I was 9 months pregnant, I insisted we figure out how to make it. I procured the ingredients from Uwajimaya, and we went to work. We followed a recipe that had been posted on EatingAsia, but it didn't produce the desired result. Too much soy? Who knows. It wasn't right. So we tried again. And again. Until the radish cake ran out. We finally got something tastey, but not perfect. A few weeks later, I had a baby. Char kuih kak was not forgotten, but finding radish cake wasn't at the top of my sleep-deprived to-do list.

Last week, when Rachel was in town, she motivated me to finally find an Asian market in Denver. We found a fantastic one, actually much better than Uwajimaya (gasp!). They had fresh radish cake! So char kuih kak was a must.

On Rachel and Rob's last night here, we heated up the stove, chopped up the radish cake, poured some microbrews, and went to work. The recipe I'd used previous was no longer online, but it was a blessing in disguise. Using my memory as a guide, we were able to recreate the Penang magic. As each batch came off the stove, all four of us dove into the steamy, greasy goodness with our chopsticks. The night only deepened my love for char kuih kak. As far as I'm concerned, it's not only the best Malaysian dish, it may very well be the world's best dish. Needless to say, you should try it.

Char Kuih Kak The Asian ingredients you find might be in different amounts. Use the proportions below as a guide, but really you can tweak the amounts to your liking. I like a bit extra egg in mine, while others might enjoy more radish cake or bean sprouts. It's up to you.

23oz radish cake
8oz bean sprouts
4 eggs, beaten
dark soy sauce
sambal oelek (or other chili paste)
Chinese chives (optional), chopped
oil for frying - preferably canola, sunflower, or peanut

1. Cut radish cake into 1/2" x 1/2" cubes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, non-stick pan. Once hot, add half of the radish cake cubes.

3. Stirfry cubes until most sides have browned. Stir or flip them only occasionally to get a good crunch on the sides.

4. Once the cubes are crisped in places, drizzle with 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, and 1-2 teaspoons sambal olek, depending on the desired spicyness. Toss to coat.

5. Move cubes to the side of pan. Adding a tad more oil if needed, pour in the two eggs and scramble them using a spatula or spoon.

6. Once the eggs are almost done, add approximately 4oz bean sprouts and toss until combined.

7. Mix egg and sprouts with the radish cake in pan, tossing until well incorporated. Add an additional 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce to coat the entire mixture.

8. Sprinkle with chives, if desired, and eat immediately!

Repeat with the remaining radish cake, eggs, and bean sprouts.

vietnamese sandwiches

Um, have you ever had a bánh mì sandwich made with sausage? Because I hadn't. Until this past weekend. And let me tell you, they're on to something. The first time I made bánh mì with pork meatballs I thought it was genius. But those meatballs have nothing on sausage. Homemade handmade housemade sausage. Let me back up a bit. Last Sunday, Dan and I headed out on our bikes for what I was calling "date day." We've been out on a handful of "date nights" in recent months, but we felt like getting out in the sunshine and enjoying the city just the two of us. I planned a little bike excursion for us since we haven't been able to bike together since W was born. We crusied along the bike trail alongside the Platte River, and our first stop was for some smoothies at Parsley. I'd heard they were the leaders in juicing in Denver, and some healthy drinks mid bike ride seemed like a good idea. Their smoothies were good, but they were nearly out of blueberries. So, they subbed in half raspberries for the "blueberry bliss" I ordered. It didn't work out well. You can't just mess up the integrity of your concoction, can you? I mean, I'm not in the juice business. But it seemed flawed.

Anyway. Post smoothies and a stop in the park to play some catch, we ended our ride at the new Über Sausage in Lohi. They'd just opend a few days prior (no alcohol yet), but the place was shiny and new and the staff was über friendly. Ordering "The Vietnam" was a no brainer, and we also got "The Club" (rosemary chicken sausage with swiss, bacon, avacado, and tarragon aïoli). They let you pick if you want your sausage on a baguette, pita, or salad. I like the choice, but it also seems like your choice could mess up the overall taste. I mean obviously "The Greek" should be on a pita, but why would you get "The Vietnam" on a pita? We got the "The Cobb" as well, and ponied up $1.25 extra to have siracha mayo on our tater tots (um, how on earth can a little mayo and siracha cost $1.25!?).

Both sausages were fantastic. The best part about The Vietnam was that the baguette was the perfect thickness and consistency. There's nothing worse than a baguette that overwhelms the rest of the sandwich.

Moral of this story: if you're in Denver, go to Über Sausage. If you don't, buy yourself some appropriately flavored sausages and make your own bánh mì. Stat. Oh and get out on your bike this spring. Biking is fun.

GOOD LOOKIN' VIETNAMESE SANDWICHES
Pork Meatball Bánh Mì
Saveur's Banh Mi
Master Banh Mi Sandwich
Banh Mi with Lemongrass Pork
Vegetarian Spicy Banh Mi

anchovies

Months ago, I was flipping through Jamie's Italy, and I came upon a recipe that called for "salt-packed anchovies." Oliver said these were what they used in Sicily, but I knew I hadn't seen them at Whole Foods. What were they exactly? Every anchovy I'd ever seen had come packed in a small tin immersed in oil. But then, a sigh later, my mind and mouth were transported back to July 2010 in Italy's Cinque Terre when I sat in an oceanside restaurant devouring bread topped with anchovies, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and capers, all washed down with a dessert sambuca. Whatever these "more authentic" anchovies were, I needed them.

With just a little Google-ing, I found them on Amazon, and also at DeLaurenti, a fantastic European food store in Pike Place Market.

In November, around my birthday, a few friends asked what I'd like as a gift, and my thoughtful husband responded, "salt-packed anchovies." Not surprisingly, no one got them for me. But then, at Christmas, "Italian Santa" brought me a giant can! I am a notoriously bad present-opener, but I couldn't contain my excitement for my newly acquired culinary ingredient.

Back in Seattle, I pulled out the anchovies and Oliver's recipe for pasta con acciuche e pomodoro. The recipe is full of approximations: "a big handful of raisins," "a large wineglass of red wine." Whose handful? A gigantic American red wine glass? And on top of that, I had to tackle the anchovies. They were kind of scary. Whole, headless, fish.

Once I got over my squeamishness, they weren't too hard to prepare. Chop off the tail, slice down the belly to open them up, and pull out the bones. (If you miss a few bones it's not the end of the world because they're so small that most will disintegrate when they're cooked.) The lack of specifics in the recipe, combined with my inexperience with salt-packed 'chovies, resulted in a dish that was not very good at all. The proportions were off. But the taste was there. Somewhere in there, through the intense saltyness that would have gotten me kicked off Top Chef immediately, there was a hint of an amazing dish.

A few attempts later, I think I've finally got it. The proportions are now quite different from Oliver's, but it's to my liking. And I hope to yours too.

Palermo Pasta with Anchovies, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's "pasta con acciughe e pomodoro"

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ raisins
3 Tablespoons tomato purée
2 ounces red wine
6 salt-packed anchovy fillets (or 8 from an oil tin)
½ pound dried pasta (in this case you really do want to splurge on a "fancier" pasta but the type is less important - margarita, bucatini, spaghetti, fettuccine all work well)
homemade breadcrumbs

Heat oil in large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Fry garlic slowly. Once garlic is golden brown, add raisins, pine nuts, and anchovies. Continue frying, stiring regularly, for 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and wine and stir well until combined.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Try to time it so the pasta is done at about the same time as the sauce. (Serious Italian cooks tell you that rinsing pasta in cold water ruins it, but I've been known to do it quite frequently. I'm working on my timing.) Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until incorporated. Serve garnished with breadcrumbs (they're missing in the picture below, but the crunch they add is really essential!).

Serves 2-3.

OTHER RECIPES WITH ANCHOVIES I WANT TO TRY
Capellini with a Sauce of Anchovies, Capers, and Fresh Tomatoes
Tonnato Deviled Eggs
Spaghetti with Fried Capers and Anchovies
Pesto di Prezzemolo (Parsley Pesto with Anchovies)

specialty items

Last month, I was at Pike Place Market with my dear friend Katie. It was her first visit to Seattle, and after showing her the flying fish, the first Starbucks, and all the amazing food vendors, I paused on the cobblestone street and said, "I just need to grab something from this Indian grocer." I quickly strode into The Souk and found what I was looking for: black mustard seeds. After paying a couple dollars, I reconvened with Katie outside the store, and she commented, "I don't think I'll ever cook anything that calls for a spice that's not available at a regular supermarket." Katie's comment got me thinking. Trips to multiple markets = delightful or aggravating? Certainly it depends on the person. But me? I've never met a market I didn't love. Just yesterday I went to three groceries before noon (no way am I buying romaine hearts at Fred Meyer for $2.99 when they're $1.99 at Trader Joe's!). And markets that carry specialty items are the best. Many agree with me, obviously. But several fall into the other camp, usually sticking to the standard spices and ingredients. And then there's actually a third camp, which I sometimes fall into. This is those of us who love using special ingredients, but often don't have what we need on hand and decide to make the recipe anyway, hoping it'll turn out okay. Sometimes it does, but often it doesn't. So from the me who went into The Souk that day to get the mustard seeds, here's my reccomendation:

Step 1: Find a recipe that calls for something you've never heard of. Step 2: Google the ingredient so you understand how it's sold in the U.S. and what you're looking for once you get to the store. (Be sure to check if it has any alternate names in English.) Step 3: Find a store. Step 4: Make the trip, even if it takes some effort. Step 5: Cook the recipe and be prepared to have your taste buds amazed.

For inspiration, here are a few of my favorite recipes that call for ingredients not available at most "regular" stores.

Cucumber Peanut Salad 101 Cookbooks This is the salad that calls for black mustard seeds. It's very easy to make, minus the chopping of the cukes, and the cheapness of the ingredients makes up for the effort you have to make to get the mustard seeds!

Pasta with Mustard Greens Pesto, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Smoked Mozzarella Bon Appétit This recipe is borderline. It's very possible to find all the ingredients in a standard grocery, and definitely at Whole Foods, but there are still some specialty ingredients that are necessary to make this recipe as written. And if you're not going to try it as written, you shouldn't bother. The smoked mozzarella and shiitake mushrooms are a must.

Palak Daal 101 Cookbooks The first few times I made this I couldn't find urad dal anywhere, so I substituted chana dal and brown lentils. And the dal was good. But when I finally found urad dal at an Indian grocer, I was delighted by how improved this dish was.

Laarb (Thai chicken "salad") Mark Bittman's "The Best Recipes in the World" Laarb (Laab, Larb) could very well be my favorite dish in the entire world. It's a Laotian dish made with meat, fresh herbs, fish sauce, and lime juice. It's usually served with cabbage and other fresh vegetables. Ground toasted rice is an important component of the dish. It's not too hard to make, but you do need to stock your pantry with some specific ingredients from Asian grocery stores.

Salmon in Bengali Mustard Sauce  Saveur Shout out to Rachel who told me I had to try this recipe. It fit well with a weekend trip to Pike Place, where we picked up salmon and mustard powder. I think it would work well with other fish besides salmon. Serve with some yummy basmati rice.

generic international lager

I feel like I've been hit by a truck. It could be the aftermath of many things: being in four countries in one 36-hour day, catching a cold from breathing the same air as all my travel companions for hours and hours, the 60 degree weather that Seattle has offered up since my return, not exercising in 3+ weeks...the choices are endless. Most likely, it's coming down from all the delicious, greasy and/or sugar-laden Southeast Asian foods I've eaten this month. Not to mention the beer. The generic, one-note, international lager that is usually amazingly refreshing but sometimes (particularly after 3 weeks of no other alcoholic beverages) devolves into terribly disgusting.

I first encountered the generic international lager in China. Harbin Beer, China's earliest beer (中国最早的啤酒) remains my favorite. How Tsingtao managed to corner the American market on Chinese beer is beyond me. Hapi is so much better. The green-bottle varieties in China are endless. And so cheap. I'm a you-get-what-you-pay-for kind of gal, so mediocre beer that cheaper than Sprite is fine with me.

My travels later took me to Greece, where I enjoyed Mythos. Yep, another lager. And who can ignore the ubiquitous Mexican variety: Corona Extra, La Cerveza Más Fina. Which is, interestingly enough, the only variety I enjoyed first in the U.S.

Point is, I've always thought quite fondly of these pale-lager friends around the world. I was not at all dreading drinking them during my recent Southeast Asian culinary adventure. In fact I was even looking forward to it. But once out there in the land of no ales, somewhere between the Carlsberg, Blue Girl, Tiger, Singha, Leo, & Chang, the lager lost it's luster. Could it be? Have I finally come to like hops? And flavor? Am I officially a microbrew-loving East Coaster/Seattleite? It was a proud revelation. But unfortunately it only made the generic international lager taste worse.

restaurants i wish i could fly to

Earlier this month, the New York Times ran an intriguing article: 10 Restaurants Worth a Plane Ride. I must admit, I haven't been to any of them, although one happens to not require a plane ride for me (just a ferry) and another is within affordable striking distance. Reading the article of course got these restaurants on my radar, but mostly it got me to thinking about what restaurants I wish I could fly to from time to time. I'm certain I'm omitting many delicious eating experiences I've had, but here are the places I can't seem to stop missing despite the innumerable delicious Seattle eating establishments:

THE MIDDLEBURY BAGEL DELI - Middlebury, VT I feel pretty strongly that you haven't truly experienced a breakfast sandwich until you've had a bagel-egger from the Bagel Deli: Best. Breakfast. Sandwich. Ever. My preferred order is a bagel egger on poppy seed with bacon and cheddar. Their self service coffee is delish and the donuts make a delightful breakfast appetizer.

BLACK SHEEP BISTRO - Vergennes, VT Clearly I'm partial to this place, since it was the site of our rehearsal dinner. The atmosphere of this Vermont restaurant is both cozy and classy. The food is comforting (fry wheel!) but elegant at the same time. They change their menu regularly and are one of those great places that has a list the options by course, all with the same price. I love that. I'm bad enough with decisions as it is, let alone when I have to decide if I want the duck $4 worth more than I want the pork loin.

PLAN B - Hartford, CT You don't know what you've got till it's gone. That pretty much sums up this place for me. We went all the time when we lived in Connecticut. Burgers, beer, and bourbon. Done right. Exceptional tap list and delicious burgers chuck ground in-house daily. They've expanded to three restaurants in the Hartford area, and according to their website they'll be in Boston, DC, Atlanta, and Chicago soon. So many flight options!

1844 HOUSE - Canton, NY Not a place you'd expect to find fine dining, but this place is a gem. Great service, top-notch food, and an outstanding wine list.

MIAN KU (NOODLE LOFT) - Beijing, China With two (or three?) locations in China's capital, this is a must stop right up there with Tiananmen and the Forbidden City. We first heard about it before our 2006 trip thanks to Anthony Bourdain, and had an adventure or two trying to find it (remember, Amber!?). But it was worth all the headache, the Shanxi noodles were like none I've ever had before. They're hand-tossed at the bar. Kind of like pizza is in New York. I haven't had them in five years (thus the hankering for the plane flight to taste some noodle goodness) but word on the street is they're still going strong. (Check out this recent blog post at the tiny urban kitchen.)

CHALET LA PRICAZ - Montmin, France High atop a mountain in the alps, in July 2010, I devoured the most delicious meal I have ever eaten in France. And from a girl who gain nearly 20 lbs. as an exchange student there before college, that's saying a lot. We celebrated Bastille Day with family following a cousin's wedding at this restaurant famous for it's tartiflette.  The owners have a herd of Tarine cows, who make reblochon cheese on location (farm to table anyone?). Tartiflette is a local specialtiy where the reblochon cheese is melted over potatoes and pancetta. Most of the men at the table ate only 3/4 of their individual cast iron skillets of goodness. The ladies consumed 1/2 max. I ate my entire dish, plus the 1/4 Dan left. I don't regret it one bit. I might never have that meal again. (We were led there by our French hosts, but turns out the restaurant was raved about in the New York Times in 2007.)

Where would you fly?

cabbage

[This post orginally appeared exactly one year ago (1/10/10) in one of my previous blogs. One of the ones that lacked focus. It was about anything and everything, but this pitch for cabbage fits here. I love cabbage. I'm actually craving some right now. Which is why I'm adding this post. And the one year thing is a nice added reason for posting today. Enjoy.] ~

My family likes to say that I’m a food snob. I suppose it’s true that I’m….well, particular. I have strong opinions about food, from what to buy to which restaurants are worth the money. More than anything I hate spending money on food that is a) not very good or b) I could have made myself. And don’t even get me started on bottled water. Such a waste of money. In China, I drank the boiled stuff from the machine on our hall. I put it in my nalgene and put it outside on my windowsill until it cooled off. It didn’t take very long. I was in Harbin after all.

When lovingly criticized by my family for being a food snob, I have one argument: greens. I love cheap greens. Iceberg lettuce and plain old green cabbage. YUM. Love the crunch. (I must admit, however, I do enjoy buying these organic when I can, because it makes me feel less guilty about not washing before eating.) Lettuce is my standby for lunches, and cabbage is my go-to veggie for dinners (I think Dan may be getting sick of it). but I can’t really put into words how happy it makes me to purchase a nice big head of cabbage for 49 cents a pound (39 when it’s on sale!) and store it in the fridge for as long as I like before pulling it out, and copping it into those clean, crisp ribbons. Depending on my recipe, I throw it in the electric wok or my le creuset and in no time I have a delicious, nutritious meal.

So, I’m thinking not everyone eats enough cabbage. And I think that if you’re one of those people, you’re missing out. So to make things easy for you, here are some of my favorite cabbage recipes:

Cabbage and Hot Sauce (Orangette) - Make sure you have it with a fried egg, so good! (Also, Orangette apparently has a similar affinity for cabbage, as she just replaced her photo of orangettes on her blog with a gorgeous shot of savoy cabbage. But therein lies the difference. Savoy is fancy. It’s more than 49 cents a pound. But then again, she is Orangette after all. And I’m…well, not.)

Stir-fried Cabbage (Bon Appétit) - Great with rice and tofu, or a fried egg!!

Red Lentils with Cabbage (Smitten Kitchen) - A much more involved recipe, but so delicious. And keeps with the cheap theme!

Try one. I promise you’ll like it. And if you don’t, you’ll only be out $2.

(Thanks JO, for prompting this post - I hope you’ve enjoyed some cabbage dishes recently!)