Refreshing Carrot Salad

This is the perfect salad to make when you need a refreshing side dish but have a very sparse pantry. I was making crêpes complète (buckwheat crêpes filled with ham, gruyère, and a runny egg) and knew I would need a bright side salad, something with lemon, to cut through the richness. But I had no salad greens, and the only supermarkets within walking distance of my new home are grossly expensive. I always keep a package of carrots in … Continue reading

Thai Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad

This salad is awesome. It is refreshing but filling and features complex Thai flavors that balance sweet, sour, savory, and spicy. Even better are the many different components that keep each bite of salad varied and interesting. This salad is more commonly made with pomelo and crab, but I prefer shrimp because it provides a more substantial texture. I ate this salad as a main course, but a smaller portion would also make a nice appetizer. It’s a really delicious … Continue reading

Mint-Infused Water

When I lived in Paris, there was this wonderful Indian restaurant down the street that always put long sprigs of mint inside their carafes d’eau. I loved it because the subtle minty flavor was a nice palate cleanser between bites of their spicy curries. I started growing mint in my Aerogarden, and it’s really taking off. I have a few other plans for the mint, but this water infusion is definitely the easiest. Just fill up a water jug, clip … Continue reading