Cooking Recipes

Photo from the Grown & Gathered website.

Back in August, on our family trip to Sydney we stopped and had lunch at Some Cafe in Collector.

As we were waiting for our table I picked up a copy of the only cookbook they were selling.

It was ‘Grown & Gathered – Traditional Living Made Modern‘ by Matt & Lentil.

I couldn’t put it down.

Even though I had plenty of holiday reading already in the car, I just had to buy it.

And spent the whole holiday devouring it cover to cover.

Matt and Lentil are people after my own heart.

They love veggies, cooking things from scratch, and growing their own food.

And given they’ve supplied Melbourne restaurants with flower and vegetables, they’re much much better gardeners than me!

Speaking of gardening, if you’re interested in growing your own food, Matt & Lentil’s second book ‘The Village – Good food, gardening and nourishing traditions to feed your village‘ is a must!

Photo from the Grown & Gathered website.

It’s packed with inspirational food growing projects.

But the part I’ve found incredibly helpful are the Seasonal Planting Guides which detail what you could be planting each season. And whether to sew seeds directly into the garden, plant seedlings in the garden or start seedlings in the greenhouse.

It’s completely revolutionized my approach to planting.

Both books contain a whole host of beautiful whole foods recipes.

If you’re struggling to decide which one to get, I’ve cooked more from Grown & Gathered but have used The Village more as a gardening reference.

Both are worthy of a place in your cookbook collection. And as a minimalist I don’t say these things lightly.

Anyway I reached out to the lovely Lentil to answer a few questions…

1. What’s the story behind ‘The Village’? Why did you decide to write it now?

The Village – in essence, it’s about sharing. It’s about abundance. After writing the first book, we felt this was the next piece of the puzzle – living with the seasons, growing, gathering, cooking, eating – together. That is where the joy lives.

2. What’s one of your favourite simple weeknight dinners when it’s been a long day?

So many favourites from The Village, but mine would have to be the “So good salad”, it’s super adaptable, use what you have and good year round!

3. What are the 6 ingredients you would never be without?

This one is hard, as we very much move with the seasons, so as long as I have 6 seasonal ingredients I am sure I could make a meal!

But, some foundations of our cooking, that I feel I would be sad without are: really good olive oil, unrefined salt, and our passata!

If Stonesoup readers want to find out more about you, where’s the best place(s) to go?

Our books! Our story, philosophy, farming/preservation/food theory, recipes… It’s all in there!

_____

Have fun in the kitchen (and the garden!)

With love
Jules x

Tags: books, cookbooks, grown & gathered, the village

January 9, 2019

It’s been so dark and dreary here in the Seattle area, which I guess should be no surprise because hello, Seattle + winter. I’ve finally hit the point where I’m wavering on my wholehearted embrace of fireplaces, fuzzy throws, hot tea, and a good book.

One thing is for sure, I am officially DONE with Hallmark movies for the season (and maybe forever) – turns out you can hit a saturation point, and last month I made it happen.

And so now, I dream of vacation somewhere sunny. But meanwhile, I’m living the dark and dreary winter life. Thankfully, this brothy noodle soup supports that in a serious way.

I first happened across the inspiration recipe about a week ago when I settled into the kitchen to make one of my favorite lentil soups. But then I stopped and thought, you know what actually sounds good? Something brothy. With noodles. And an Asian vibe.

So I found this amazing recipe from Once Upon a Chef, and, having very few of the ingredients on hand, attempted my own version with what I had in the pantry – completely different ingredients. My version … well, it tanked. We could barely choke it down, to be honest.

But I was determined to make this soup happen. So a couple days later, I bought the groceries that the recipe actually called for, with a few variations to make it a vegan version. And then I nabbed a rotisserie chicken for my guy’s situation. And made it.

WE LOVED IT. Capital-letter-worthy.

I can tell this Thai Green Curry Noodle soup will land on our instant-classics list – it hits all the marks for an easy weeknight dinner. 1) Delicious, 2) Fast, 3) Easy, 4) Flexible for our mixed-diet house, and 5) Delicious. (The delicious part is worth saying twice).

This Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup is made a bit differently. First, you whip up the broth. While that cooks, prep the toppings/stir-ins: Shredded rotisserie chicken or diced tofu, sliced scallions, cilantro. Set those aside and prep the noodles. You make those separately too – most rice noodles simply need a quick soak to soften up to the right consistency.

Note I have tried to just throw the uncooked noodles in with the broth for efficiency. It works alright, but it’s hard to control how much they cook when you make them that way (they can overcook and get mushy pretty easily). You’re better off prepping the noodles separately, rinsing in cold water to stop any cooking, and then separating them between bowls before adding broth, cilantro, scallions, sriracha, and protein of choice. 

In our house it’s tofu for me …

… and chicken for my guy.

This tasty, easy soup is enough to add sunshine to any day. Okay, okay … not really. But it does make a gray day better.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

A fast, easy, and comforting soup with Thai flavors, rice noodles, and your protein of choice – tofu for the plant-based folk, chicken for the meat-eaters.

Ingredients:

Broth:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (from 1-2 medium shallots)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (from about 1 thumb-sized piece)
• 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand which is vegan)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional; I just like it for color)
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from approx. 1 medium lime)

For the soup:

• 6 ounces thin rice noodles, prepped according to package instructions*
• 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken (I use chicken from a grocery-store rotisserie chicken) PER BOWL
  -or-
• 1/2 cup diced baked tofu or extra-firm tofu (I use savory seasoned baked tofu) PER BOWL
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Sriracha sauce, to taste

Directions:

1. Set a medium pot over low heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the shallots and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the green curry paste and turmeric (if using). Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
3. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, Tamari or soy sauce, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
4. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop/shred your toppings and prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions.
6. Right before serving, stir lime juice into broth. Taste and add more salt if you like.
7. To serve, divide the noodles between four bowls. Add protein – chicken or tofu – to each bowl. Ladle the broth over the top. Scatter cilantro and scallions over the top and serve with additional lime wedges and sriracha.

* I’ve been liking Royal Blossom rice stick noodles. However, the package does not include English instructions! Most rice noodles call for being placed in a bowl and covered with hot water until soft. So that’s how I prepare these and it works well.

Kare

Kare is a vegetarian home cook living among carnivores. She loves creating irresistible and flexible recipes that help multi-vore families like hers keep the peace - deliciously.

Source: https://www.kitchentreaty.com/thai-green-curry-noodle-soup/

When you think of the continent of Africa, it’s easy to think of the old standby countries like South Africa, Kenya or Ethiopia – all countries that either have made a splash in the news in the past or are already well established tourist hot spots. It’s unlikely you’d rush to mention some of the other up and comers such as Zambia, Botswana, or Uganda, but you should! With so much to see and do they’re fast becoming huge hot spots with backpackers, flashpackers and luxury travellers alike. But which should you check out? Here are a couple of reasons why Uganda is currently Africa’s number one hot spot.

The Cities

There’s only one official city in Uganda – the capital, Kampala. Kampala is your typical bustling African capital featuring maze-like streets, curious tin roof markets such as the Kampala market and a whole host of bars and restaurants that range from local holes in the wall all the way up to posh five star luxury eateries. A huge number of NGO’s operate out of Kampala, giving the city a huge expat base and an international vibe. There are a great number of outdoor based things to do in Kampala as well, including river rafting and boating safaris along the shorelines nearby.

The Countryside and Towns

The countryside of Uganda is lush and dotted with subsistence farms, villages and larger towns. Some of the larger towns are well worth a visit, such as Jinja at the base of the Nile River. An absolute must see in Jinja is the Jinja market – a crowded network of colourful shacks that offer up every manner of item that you can imagine. Quite honestly when it comes to Jinja market, you can find it all. The town is a hotspot with backpackers and adventure travellers who come for the rapids and other outdoor sports. It’s also located right on the East African Highway, so if you’re going by road to neighbouring countries, this is a great stop off for a day or six to experience the more rural side of Uganda.

The Safaris

Options for going on safari in Uganda are, hands down, some of the best in Africa. With numerous national parks to choose from such as Ajai, Kidepo, Bwindi, Mgahinga, and Murchison Falls the options for locations to see truly stunning wildlife are nigh on endless. Gorilla tracking is popular in Uganda, and permits to see these magnificent creatures in the wild can be obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority prior to arrival. In fact, they must be obtained prior to arrival as they sell out extremely quickly due to not just the popularity of the trek, but the significantly limited numbers of permits given out to help in conservation efforts.

So if you’re looking for an African country that has it all, consider Uganda. Touted as one of the safest countries in eastern Africa it’s no wonder it’s becoming the next big thing in terms of tourism. While the infrastructure still needs a sprucing up, there are enough higher rated hotels, guesthouses and restaurants for discerning travellers to whet their African appetites in this up and comer. Don’t miss out!

Want to Change the Way You Bake? We do. And no, we’re not talking about adopting eight sourdough starters or making cakes with a sous vide machine. We’re talking about smart, savvy, and totally simple tricks that change everything. Or, you know, at least your next batch of baked goods.

Chocolate chip cookies are already perfect, so how do you make them even better? Bakers have been answering this question with new recipes for over a century. (Toll House boasts that Ruth Wakefield debuted her now-famous cookies 81 years ago, but head to Stella Parks’ award-winning cookbook BraveTart for the untold history of chocolate chip cookies, which actually dates back to the late 1800s.)

Search “Chocolate Chip Cookies” on our site and you’ll find—let’s see—a lot of results. All smartypants in their own right! For example:

But! My favorite chocolate chip cookie hack right now is none of these. It’s even simpler and, dare I say, even more obvious: Use different types of chocolate.

The chocolate chip cookie recipe that all other chocolate chip cookies shall be measured against—hi, hello Toll House—uses semi-sweet morsels. But what is semi-sweet chocolate? And what is a morsel? And why should this variety get to have all the fun, huh?

Well, semi-sweet chocolate and bittersweet (which sometimes goes by “dark”) chocolate are not, technically speaking, all that different. According to the FDA, the only requirement for both is that they contain at least 35 percent cacao, so it really depends on the manufacturer what you're going to get. Which means that you could buy a “dark” chocolate expecting a deeply bitter flavor, but get something just as sweet as semisweet. Which is to say: Read the labels and see if you can figure out the percentages yourself; this number will communicate just how sweet or bitter your chocolate will be.

Now, about those morsels. I like to think of this shape, now iconic to the Toll House chocolate chip cookie, as a teeny-tiny, itty-bitty Hershey’s kiss. Because it’s a factory-made product, each one is exactly the same.

The irony is: It’s called a chocolate chip cookie, not a chocolate morsel cookie. When you chop a larger block of chocolate into literal chips, they’re inevitably irregular, yielding a cookie with big pockets of chocolate, wispy streaks, and everything in between.

Despite being raised on the Toll House version (very happily, too—thanks Mom!), I ditched semi-sweet morsels years ago for one reason: I wanted more control. (To know me is to not be surprised by this.) I wanted more control of the chocolate intensity (60 percent cacao or more became my go-to). And I wanted more control of the shape, too (any knife and cutting board does the trick).

But I never thought to mix and match chocolates until I met Julia and Thomas Blaine.

Head with me to North Carolina for a minute. You’re in the countryside, driving along tree-lined roads that roll up, down, up, down, like a roller coaster, until you reach a ranch house. It’s the humble headquarters of Strong Arm Baking.

Bakers are a tight-knit crew in this section of the south and, after I started working as one myself, it didn’t take long for me to meet Julia and Thomas and spend time in their kitchen, where they churn out some of the best-tasting baked goods I’ve ever had. Like, ever. That’s where I learned their chocolate chip cookie secret: equal parts dark and milk chocolate, by weight.

“We wanted dark for richness, and milk for candy flavor and creamy qualities,” Julia told me. “The dark chocolate has to be super high quality, and pack a punch without adding much sweetness. But the milk is all about tempering the richness. It calms the chocolate level down a bit and adds new flavor.”

Their brand of choice is Callebaut for both, but the shape and percentages couldn’t be more different. For the dark, they use 60 percent morsels. For the milk, a 30 percent bar that they chop by hand.

Just because? Of course not.

Products You'll Love

The morsels are “for consistency,” to keep the sharp, bitterness of the dark chocolate in check. Meanwhile, chopping the milk chocolate “gives us widely varying sizes.” The tiny shavings, Julia explained, “add a caramelized quality to the dough,” while larger pieces “create big, beautiful pools of chocolate.”

My favorite part? You can apply this trick to literally any chocolate chip cookie recipe. Just take the weight of chocolate recommended and swap in equal parts of dark and milk. Or heck, swap in whatever ratio of whatever chocolates you want.

In BraveTart, Stella Parks also uses this blended-chocolate technique, calling for “mixed dark, milk, and/or white chocolate,” leaving the specifics up to you.

I reached out to Stella and asked when she started using this technique:

"For most of my professional career," she told me, "since restaurants and bakeries often stock all sorts of chocolate percentages and styles for various applications, in blocks or discs or batons." And in professional kitchens, nothing goes to waste. "All that sort of stuff needs to get used up, and chocolate chip cookies are a pretty reliable/low stakes home for all that chocolate."

Like Julia and Thomas, Stella loves the way combining chocolates yields a standout taste: "It creates such an interesting depth of flavor and complexity."

Of course, she pointed out, not mixing chocolate isn't a deal-breaker: "It's not that cookies can't be great with one type of chocolate, but in that case it better be great because every bite is exactly the same."

In other words? Mixing varieties takes the pressure off the chocolate to be super-duper high quality. (Your wallet can thank you later.) Because instead of focusing on Whoa, this is the best chocolate ever! you're being wow-ed by the dynamic, contrasting flavors:

Unlike Julia and Thomas, Stella "almost never" sticks to the same ratio of chocolates. "It really is a 'let's clean out the pantry' sort of affair where I'm just chucking stuff on the scale til I have enough. For me, that's part of the fun."

So the quality of the chocolate you use is important, and whether you buy morsels, chunks, or chop it yourself is also important. But what might be the most important is how you mix those varieties. The only question is: What combination will be just right for you?

There’s only one way to find out.

What makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie, to you? Tell, tell in the comments!

Today, I want to share a delicious Korean snack recipe that brings back my childhood memories of school. It’s skewered sweet and spicy rice cakes called TteokGgochi in Korean. You can make this authentic Korean street food right in your kitchen by following this video. Let’s get started.

Yield: 8-10 Skewers

Short Korean Lesson

• Bbahng (빵) = Bread
• Tteok (떡) = Sticky Rice Cake

Video Instructions

Main Ingredients

• 20 Sticky Rice Cakes
• 8-10 Bamboo Skewers
• Some Oil for Frying

Sauce Ingredients

Directions

First, let’s prepare some of the ingredients before we start to cook. We need to get 20 rice cake pieces (about 6-inches long) for tteokbooki. It is nice to have straight-cut ends on the rice cakes for today’s recipe.

If you use frozen rice cakes, cook the frozen rice cakes in boiling water for a minute, or until soft.

Grate 1 Tbsp worth of an onion. This onion will give nice flavor to the sauce later.

Chop 1 Tbsp worth of unsalted peanuts. I like to crush them in a small snack bag with the butt of my knife.

After that, drain water and let them cool little bit so that you can pull them apart.

Cut the rice cakes in half. Now you will have 40 pieces.

Put 4 or 5 rice cakes on a skewer. You will get about 8-10 skewers.

Place the rice cakes in a heated pan with a little oil on medium high. Fry the rice cakes for about 4 minutes on each side, or until both sides become nicely browned.

While you are frying the rice cakes, you can make the delicious sauce. Add 3 Tbsp Ketchup, 2 Tbsp hot pepper paste, 1 Tbsp water, 1Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp honey or corn syrup, 1 Tbsp onion juice, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp of minced garlic, ⅛ tsp black pepper, and 1 Tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts in a pan.

Heat the sauce on medium until it boils, stirring occasionally. After 1 minute, the sauce will be ready for the rice cakes.

The rice cakes are ready for the sauce now.

Coat the fried rice cakes with the sauce. You can use a brush or spoon.

My mouth is watering just looking at these again.

 

This is one recipe that is highly recommended by me.  Try it someday.

These Raspberry Oatmeal Bars are a combination fresh raspberries with raspberry jam over a shortbread type base and topped with an oats and pecan streusel.

Raspberry oatmeal bars are the perfect way to celebrate berry season but don’t wait for berry season to enjoy these bars.  They are too good to wait for berry season and we are lucky enough to be able to find fresh raspberries in the grocery store year round.

I first made these oatmeal bars for my daughters 19th birthday.  I wanted to send some treats to work with  her and these were the perfect choice.  I’ve made them many times since and each time I think to myself, why don’t I make them more! Although I chose to make the oatmeal Bars with raspberries they would be yummy with just about any berry – especially blackberries or blueberries. I don’t think you could go wrong.

What is Streusel?

Streusel is typically used to top baked goods such as muffins, cakes and pies and bar cookies.  A streusel topping creates a sweet and crumbly topping for your baked good.  It is a simple combination of flour, sugar, butter and sometimes oats and nuts as in this recipe.  I love the flavor and texture that the streusel adds to the raspberry oatmeal bars.

How to Make Raspberry Oatmeal Bars?

To make these raspberry oatmeal bars I used a combination of fruit jam and fresh fruit. Lucky for me I had some homemade raspberry jam in the freezer I used along with my fresh raspberries but store bought jam and berries will work just fine.  I think you could also use frozen berries with this recipe, just be sure to drain them well.

I  like to line my 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper to make the bars easier to remove. Spray the parchment paper with baking spray.

These Raspberry oatmeal Bars totally fits my criteria of pretty and delicious!

Check out more of my favorite cookie bar recipes:

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Originally posted July 18, 2012

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Surprisingly easy to make at home, this chicken dumpling soup (loaded with veggies!) is hearty, wholesome and so incredibly delicious!

I don’t know why, but for many years of my life, the thought of plopping homemade dumplings into a from-scratch chicken/veggie soup was always super intimidating. Like, why even go there when you have chicken noodle soup and chicken pot pie and chicken noodle stew and other chickeny, vegetabley favorites? Know what I mean? 

It wasn’t until I tried my Aunt Marilyn’s amazing chicken dumpling soup (loaded with veggies) that I kind of got it. A) it was actually embarrassingly easy to make emphasizing all the lost years of my life I had lived in intimidation and B) it’s pretty much one of the best soups ever. 

My family can attest to that. They go crazy over this soup. It’s easily one of their favorite meals of all time, and I’m sitting over here thrilled that I can fulfill all of their wildest winter soup dreams with minimal effort.

This recipe has lived on my site for nearly eight years, and I figured it was high time to do a little refresh action and catapult it back into the spotlight (plus, I added a few necessary recipe notes). Many of you have made this soup over the years and have declared it a favorite, too. 

Here’s a quick comment from the thread below: I just wanted to let you know that…my family of 5 all loved it, including my picky 8-year-old who claims to not like any soup that doesn’t come out of a can! I was nervous about the dumplings, I’ve never made anything like that before, but they came out great! Thanks for once again saving dinner in my house!

So basically this chicken dumpling soup is saving picky eaters (or rather, their parents) one bite at a time. �

I’m including a few tips to help you if you’ve also been in the intimidated-by-homemade-dumplings camp. 

The dumplings are made from a soft one-bowl batter. Similar to muffins, you don’t want to overmix the batter or the dumplings might be kind of dense and heavy. The recipe has always used 1 cup flour for the dumplings, but I’ve added a note below that if you want sturdier dumplings (vs super-de-duper soft), add another 1/4 cup flour to the dumpling dough. 

I use my small cookie scoop aff. link to drop the dumplings into the hot soup. The best piece of advice I can give for chicken dumpling soup is to LET GO OF PERFECTION. The dumplings are going to be rustic looking. Not uniform in size or shape. And quite honestly, just a little bit homely in appearance. 

That’s the comfort and joy of dumpling soup. It’s meant to be a down home comfort food that pleases the soul and the tummy without giving a flip about what an Iron Chef would say about it.

As the dumplings are dropped into the simmering soup, they’ll immediately start puffing up and expanding. That’s ok! Just work as fast as you can; all will be well in the end. 

The biggest key to success in this recipe is to put a lid on the soup while the dumplings cook, and let the dumplings cook for the full amount of time. Try to summon all your self control and don’t lift the lid while the dumplings cook!

I’m kind of against soggy foods in general, but when the dumplings in this soup are fully cooked, they are incredibly yummy. Soft on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Undercooking (or underflouring) the dumplings will result in soggy dumplings, though. So dumpling ploppers everywhere beware.

Using a wider pot vs. a tall, narrow pot will increase the surface area for the dumplings, so keep that in mind, too. 

You’ll notice from the recipe that you can cook raw chicken in the first steps of the recipe OR use already cooked chicken, adding it later. Having made this soup dozens and dozens of times over the years, my preference is to use already cooked chicken. Maybe it’s just me, but I find I always end up overcooking the chicken if I simmer it with the veggies (probably a personal problem). 

I usually have rotisserie chicken meat hanging out in recycled sour cream containers in my freezer, and often, I’ll plop the whole frozen lump of chopped up, cooked chicken in this soup and let the heat of the soup thaw the tender, flavorful chicken. 

If this soup has been a long standing favorite of yours, I haven’t changed anything fundamental in the recipe below – just added a few recipe notes. But if you haven’t made this soup yet, what better time than mid-January for us northern hemispherers, huh? Chicken dumpling soup was meant to be winter’s soup. 

One Year Ago: Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken
Two Years Ago: Super Moist Fudge Bundt Cake

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Mel

Knowing how to cut melon is a valuable skill to help you make the most of in-season produce and to facilitate a healthy diet. Here’s how to do it.

You see a great deal on cantaloupe and watermelon. You want to take advantage of it, but what in the world do you do with it when you get home. Sure, you can buy those plastic packs of pre-cut fruit, but let’s be real. Rarely does that fruit taste ripe and delicious.

And here in front of you is a fragrant melon just begging to be carted home.

Don’t fear the melon.

You can do this. Knowing how to cut melon, whether it’s a cantaloupe, honeydew, or watermelon, is a valuable skill to help you make the most of in-season produce and to facilitate a healthy diet. Melon is full of fiber and vitamins and can be a great way to hydrate, but it won’t do you any good if the fruit sits on the counter uneaten.

Never fear. This is easy.

Years ago I worked for my university’s catering company in their prep kitchen. I learned how to put together deli trays and fruit platters. And among other skills that I learned, they taught me how to cut a melon.

How to Cut a Melon the Quick & Easy Way

Perhaps you have a method that you like and are happy with. Great! If not, you might want to give this one a try.

But first, you’ll need the following kitchen tools:

1. Rinse the melon with water and vinegar.

Even though you aren’t going to eat the rind, you are going to cut through it, thereby possibly exposing the inner flesh to bacteria and other germs. I like to use white vinegar, a cheap cleaning agent, to kill surface bacteria.

I also like to cut a melon on a cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet. In this way, the juices are collected in the tray and don’t stray all over the counter. This makes clean quick and easy.

2. Cut off the two ends and stand the melon on one end.

You want the melon to be stationary while you’re cutting, no wobbling about.

3. Remove the outer rind.

With a chef’s knife, cut away the rind, curving your cuts between the rind and flesh along the rounded shape of the melon.

Proceed around the sides of the melon until all the rind is removed. Don’t worry if the melon is no longer perfectly round. You won’t notice it later.

Sometimes little green bits of rind escape your larger cuts. Go around the melon, turning it upside down if needed, to slice off these green sections.

4. Slice the melon through the center lengthwise.

Once you’ve got all the rind removed, cut through the center lengthwise, from flat end to flat end.

5. Gently scoop out the seeds and inner membranes.

No one I know eats melon seeds and its pulpy inner membranes, so remove this with a spoon. This is where the rimmed tray again comes in handy, to contain all the juicy stuff you’ll be discarding.

Clean out the inner well smoothly, removing any stray seeds.

6. Cut the melon into slices or cubes.

Place each half, cut-side down on the cutting board and slice into thin, even slices crosswise. You can fan these slices out on a platter with other fruit if you prefer.

You can also cut the melon into wedges, like this:

And you can cut the wedges into cubes, like this:

You can cut other melons this way, such as the watermelon. In that case, there won’t be any insides to scoop out. Just trim off the rind and cut the melon flesh into slices or cubes.

Knowing how to cut melon is a simple, easy task that can pay off big dividends. Not only can you take advantage of great in-season specials, but you can also serve all kinds of melon in pretty presentations.

Do you know how to cut melon?

April 10, 2018

They definitely know how to make a good, tasty Acai bowl. They also know how to make a great egg Benedict. I had to write it as an introduction, so you have a clear vision of this place. The breakfast food served over here till almost closing is delicious.

The other, very important focus is the interior. Wow! This is one pretty cafe. I love the blue velvet couches, wooden tables and chairs and some metal plus glass additions. Betty’n Caty 26 has so many sweet places to sit, that you may be confused for a moment, as it’s not easy to choose one.

I spend a lovely morning over there, drinking coffee, chatting and enjoying a nice vibe of the place. I’ll be definitely back to taste the rest of the menu, take more pictures and maybe sit in a sun outside, when I finally check out all the cute and cozy tables inside.

Betty’n Caty 26, Knaackstraße 26, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

Mo-Fr 8am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm

Source: http://whatshouldieatforbreakfasttoday.com/post/172797634060/eat-berlin-bettyn-caty-26-prenzlauer-berg