Eating the Alphabet: B

For our second installation of this series, Lorien and I sifted through a long list of our favorite foods beginning with the letter ‘B’. This series is really fun to work on (reminiscent of sesame street). The ingredients are overwhelming….think of all the amazing foods beginning with ‘B’. It wasn’t an easy choice, but we each chose a pair of ingredients and recipes we’d like to try.

Joanna says: What would like be like without beets?? I don’t really want to know, but it wouldn’t be nearly as sweet. I can eat a beet in just about any form, picked, roasted, mashed, baked….I’m a big fan. Aside from staining my cutting board, beets have never left a bad impression on me. I’ve attempted so many varieties of beet recipes, almost always resulting in delicious dish. One beet recipe I’ve been meaning to try out, but haven’t tried on my own is Borscht. This traditional and refreshing Ukrainian soup can be served hot or cold, but being summer, I think I’ll try out a cold version. I found this recipe for Cold Summer Borscht straight from Alan Ginsberg. Can’t wait to try it out.

As much as I love a good beet…I have to say, basil is absolutely a staple in my summer diet. One of my fave crops from the garden, basil can be used in a cocktail, in a pasta dish, endless salads, and the list goes on and on….I’ve tried my hand with so many basil recipes. I think they’ve all been fantastic, and it must be due to the basil. This herb is quintessential summer. I had to dig deep to find a recipe I hadn’t tried, but I think I’ve found the perfect one on Bon Appetite. Lemongrass-Basil Sherbert. I’m already dusting off my ice cream maker. Yum!
Lorien says:When we did ‘Eating the Alpahbet: B’ I had a heard time choosing which foods and recipes I wanted to share, with ‘B’ I knew immediately that I wanted to share this Garlic and Herb Stuffed Brussels Sprouts recipe. Although b sprouts are not really in season, I’ve been drying to try this recipe… it just has to be good. My usual go-to recipe for cooking brussels sprouts is to coat in salt, pepper, garlic powder. Cook until crispy, almost chip like in a 350/400 degree oven. Squeeze lemon on before serving. It’s my favorite way and the easiest way to cook them, it even converted a brussels sprout hater into a brussels sprout lover.
Choosing brownies was also a no brainer for me. Brownies are efinitely not the most chefy food, but I’m a sucker for a good, simple and delicious brownie. If there is a brownie in front of me, just like pizza or fries, I can not resist. If it’s a brownie icecream sundae, oh forget it…. While I’m exploring recipes for gluten free brownies, sometimes you just need the real thing and Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies can do you no wrong.






















