Natural Gourmet

Almost as Good as Bacon (but Healthier)

by Elizabeth October 2, 2013

I’ve wanted to post this one for awhile – it’s one of the coolest and easiest recipes I learned at Natural Gourmet: Shiitake Bacon. I’m not going to lie and say it’s 100% the same because (at least in my opinion) does anything beat the taste of real bacon? But it’s a very good alternative. […]

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Vegan Umami

by Elizabeth February 21, 2013

Asian Summer Rolls I made with my class at Natural Gourmet last spring Between meatless Mondays becoming part of the vernacular and national meat consumption down 12% there is a growing interest in finding vegan and vegetarian substitutes.  Besides learning new recipes, a common goal is satisfying a certain flavor profile, often described as “meatyness,” […]

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Wedding Mushrooms

by Elizabeth January 17, 2013

Here’s a quick week night side dish recipe of sauteed mushrooms in white wine and herbs that we make at least once a week.  It takes only minutes to prepare but you would never know it from the complex umami flavor and the heavenly aroma that fills the kitchen during cooking.  We started calling these “wedding mushrooms” […]

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Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

by Elizabeth November 15, 2012

“If the only prayer you ever said in your life was thank you, that would suffice.” -Meister Eckhart It’s been a bit busy over here with the move and the storm/aftermath so I didn’t get around to sending out the post I wrote last week…but I decided to save it for later because A. it’s […]

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A Few of my Favorite Kitchen Tips

by Elizabeth October 19, 2012

Here are a few of my favorite kitchen tips gathered over the years…some were passed down through family recipes, others I learned in culinary school, and the rest came from my favorite cookbooks and magazines as noted. Image via Onceuponachef.com 1. Getting rid of a harsh oniony taste. If you (or your breath) are not […]

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Need an energy boost?

by Elizabeth September 19, 2012

I’m a fan of coffee (although “true” coffee lovers have challenged me on this since I take mine in about a 1:1 ratio of coffee to milk).  I’m not an addict, but I do love my one cup in the morning. Still, I get a lot of questions about non-caffeinated alternatives to boost energy in […]

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August Flu

by Elizabeth August 24, 2012

Elderberry Plant (Image via drlisawatson.com) It feels a little weird to write about the flu in August but it turns out there has been a weird summer outbreak in our area.  Unfortunately, I learned this firsthand when poor Julian came down with it on Monday.  His doctor said that she had been seeing a ton […]

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Vegan Gingerbread Muffins

by Elizabeth March 30, 2012
image via www.Chickensintheroad.com

Vegan Gingerbread Muffins image via www.Chickensintheroad.com   We got to be mad scientists in the NGI kitchen this week. On Wednesday we took a recipe for a classic baked good and made it several times using multiple variations of the ingredients. The goal was to make a healthier but still delicious version of a classic […]

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A Hangover Remedy

by Elizabeth February 22, 2012

Image from the New Yorker via Condenaststore.com We recently learned how to use kuzu (aka kudzu) to make a homemade remedy for, among other things, a hangover.  Kuzu is a sturdy, fibrous vine native to parts of Asia.  In the cooking world, kuzu is used as a thickening agent. It has no perceptible taste and dissolves […]

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All Things Bean

by Elizabeth February 16, 2012

This was the week of the bean. Pretty funny that Valentines Day landed on bean week, although we weren’t tasting any that day. This was fortunate, because although the recipes were delicious, none of us felt our sexiest after four hours of legume-eating (I chose this particular Mr. Bean shot because his expression pretty closely […]

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