the arugula files

Do Herb Savers Work? (And Are They Worth It?)

One of the easiest ways to improve the taste of a dish is to add fresh herbs.  My favorite herbs are basil, cilantro, thyme, and rosemary.  The problem is that herbs can be expensive.  At $2 or $3 bucks a bunch they can significantly increase your weekly grocery bill.  I'm okay with that, except for the fact that inevitably they end up going bad before I can use them.  Some people recommend freezing them, but, really, that defeats the purpose of fresh herbs, doesn't it?  Enter the herb saver.  Admittedly, I was skeptical.  But after trying one, I found that my herbs last about about 7 to 12 days longer when stored in an air tight herb saver.  I've used mine primarily for cilantro, so I'm not sure how it would do with basil or other types of herbs.  Here are a few herb savers from amazon.com.  Most hover around the $20 range; this one cost $29.99, which is way more than I spent on mine.  I found this one for $5.99 at Giant, but haven't been able to find it for the same price online.

Do herb savers work?  Yes.  Are they worth it?  Yes, but only if you spend less than $10 bucks on one.  Alternatively, you could pop your herbs in a glass and cover them with plastic, like this. 

Pizzaria Orso: Well Earned Praise

 
The buzz floating around Pizzaria Orso in Falls Church is well earned.  Why all the fuss?  Fresh salads, reasonably priced wine, and tasty pizzas that put Pizza Orso in the same class as 2 Amy's.  

On my first visit, I started with light, but flavorful salad of shaved fennel, olives, and oranges.  I enjoyed this dish immensely and would like to see more green options on Orso's menu---an antipasto perhaps? For dinner I had the Pizza Orso.  The eponymous pie came topped with ricotta, mozzarella, grana, fontina, pecorino, garlic, prosciutto.  You had me at five cheeses.  Add garlic and prosciutto and Pizza Orso has created an addictive pie.    Sharing is difficult.  Leftovers are unthinkable.

I washed it all down with a $5 glass of dry white wine (Grotta del Sole / Coda di Volpe 2009), a bargain by anyone's standards.

My dining companions, my husband Marcus and his brother Andre, enthusiastically reported that their calzones were among the best they've had in their LIFETIME. (Though they did note the minor flaw of doughy ends typical among even the best calzones).

No room for dessert, but I did spy a cannoli on the list, which means I'll have to set aside some space the next time I visit.

Grilled Corn and Peach Salad

If corn and peaches were at a cocktail party, I would walk up to them and say, "grilled corn, meet peaches, you guys go great together."  Then I would step back and let them come together magically.

I know.  You wouldn't think corn and peaches go together.  Both do so well on their own.  Corn is perfect on the grill, dripping with butter, salt, and lime.  It stands alone.  And peaches, well, you can eat them right off the tree, stuff them in pies, grill  them with a little balsamic and honey, or make  peach and bourbon  ice cream.  In other words: they get with everything.

Let's state the obvious: one is a fruit and one is a vegetable; would people talk if we put them together?  "They are so different," they would whisper.

But together, corn and peaches are a perfect match made in my kitchen.  Add some onion, lime, jalapeno, cilantro – which makes everything taste better – and corn and peaches come together deliciously.  

Blueberry Pie

If you make one pie this summer, this is the one.  Blueberry pie is simple and extraordinary at the same time.  The crust comes from Cook's Illustrated via Smitten Kitchen and the pie filling comes from Simply Recipes.  I made two crusts (for a top and bottom), but then thought better of using the top crust because I didn't want to hide the blueberries.  Instead, I used a cookie cutter to create these "fire works" on top of the pie.  Have a great weekend!

Honey Pig (Gooldaegee Korean Grill)

Honey Pig, a Korean BBQ located in Annandale, has been on my "must-try list" for a long time.  Too long really.  It is for this reason that a ten minute wait standing in the hot parking lot didn't seem that bad. Marcus and I found a ledge to lean on by the entry way, where, each time the door opened, Korean pop music would spill outside.  The music was loud, up tempo--the perfect prelude to what awaited us inside.

Peach and Cheddar Sandwich with Arugula, Actually Grilled ("Real Grilled Cheese"?)

I love me some grilled cheese.  So when Mark Bittman boasted to the rest of the internets that he was actually making real grilled cheese, I felt intrigued, goaded, and hypnotized at the same time.  Real grilled cheese?  Yes, I want some.  I will make some.  Today.  

Instead of using a frying pan or griddle, Bittman actually cooked his grilled cheese on a grill.  Sounds good, right?  Although I love grilled cheese, I don't eat it often, mostly because of the high fat content.  So, the idea that "it was not frying in a lot of grease," as Bittman points out in this video, was quite appealing. 

Working to turn convention totally up side down, I substituted peaches for tomatoes.  See you later, boring old tomatoes and cheese, I'm making peaches and cheese (and arugula).  For the bookends I used my favorite: olive bread from Atwater's.

Falls Church Farmers Market (+ Peaches!)

Today the farmers market in Falls Church was packed.  Waiting to pick out peaches was reminiscent of standing in the second row of the 9:30 club: it was crowded, people were acting crazy, and at times I didn't feel safe.  I suppose that's the price you have to pay for this lovely weather.

Thinkfood Cookbook: Receive Brain Healthy Recipes for 50 Weeks

Psst.  Before we all take off for the long weekend, I want to share something with you.  Posit Science  published a cookbook that features 50 brain healthy recipes.  I'm tickled to say that I  have a recipe featured in the book.  Even better, that you can sign up for each "brain fitness" recipe to be delivered straight to your email box.   It's that easy.  All you have to do is sign up here.  Thinkfood will send you one a week for the next 50 weeks. For free.

Can you guess the brain healthy ingredient I used in my recipe?  I'll give you a hint: I pick my own.