watercress | The Spamwise Chronicles

Heirloom Bean Soup with Mussels and Winter Vegetables, and Watercress Pesto

February 19, 2014 by Stan Santos

(excerpted from the video above) Q: “We have schools across the country that are cutting gym, where they can’t afford books for the kids. Do you think it’s possible that what you’re doing, or what you’re trying to do, can really be spread all across the country — in these times?” A “In these times, it needs to be spread more than ever — that children would grow up, knowing how to cook. This is something that we don’t know […]

Categories: Alice Waters, American cuisine, food, food photography, recipe, winter • Tags: Alice Waters, American cuisine, food photography, mussels, recipe, soup, watercress, winter

Carrot Snapshots

February 12, 2014 by Stan Santos

Roasted Baby Carrots, Burrata, Watercress, Pistachio This combination is fantastic with beets or parsnips instead of or in addition to the carrots. I love the contrast of sweet (from the carrots) and sharp (from the watercress) against the creaminess of the burrata. A simple lemon vinaigrette (1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper) rounds things out.

Categories: American cuisine, food, food photography, vegetarian, winter • Tags: American cuisine, carrot, cheese, food photography, gluten-free, salad, vegetarian, watercress, winter

Minestra di Lattuga

July 5, 2013 by Stan Santos

Soup is one of the easiest things in the world to cook. I often wonder why more people don’t make it at home. Italian soups are particularly appealing as they are so varied, being made from common pantry ingredients, such as beans, vegetables, meat scraps or even bread. Brodi are clear broths in which soup pasta such as orzo, ravioli or tortellini may be cooked. Minestre are quite light, while minestroni or “big soups”, are hearty, filling soups with plenty […]

Categories: cooking, food, food photography, Italian food, recipe, summer • Tags: dinner, food photography, Italian food, lettuce, soup, summer, watercress

“Eggo” Snapshot

March 12, 2013 by Stan Santos

Categories: American cuisine, food, food photography, winter • Tags: American cuisine, appetizer, caviar, eggs, food photography, oysters, watercress, winter

Watercress Snapshot

March 8, 2013 by Stan Santos

Just a note — what’s pictured isn’t vegetarian, because of the presence of dried bonito flakes in the furikake. Those of you who “follow” this blog may appreciate that I am very careful about tagging posts, particularly when certain things are not applicable as is the case here. Edited to add — it’s not gluten-free either, because on reflection, soy sauce can sometimes contain the presence of wheat, depending on where it was processed. Google

Categories: food, food photography, winter • Tags: food photography, Japanese food, watercress, winter

Winter Greens with Garlic and Lemon, and Homemade Tagliatelle

February 15, 2013 by Stan Santos

When I’m asked what kind of food I cook, I usually answer, “Italian/Mediterranean with a heavy dose of seasonality”. I don’t mean “Italian-American”, but “Italian” as in from the motherland. You’d think that I’d have mastered the art of making fresh pasta a long time ago. You’d be wrong. There are a few reasons why. For example, my kitchen is roughly the size of most bathrooms. When you live in a studio apartment in Manhattan, you have to learn to […]

Categories: cooking, food, food photography, Italian food, recipe, vegetarian, winter • Tags: chard, dinner, food photography, fresh pasta, Italian food, recipe, vegetarian, watercress, winter

Chickpeas with Winter Greens and Almonds

February 4, 2013 by Stan Santos

There is a world of difference between chickpeas prepared from scratch, and canned versions. With the latter, what you save in terms of convenience sacrifices taste and beauty as the difference is immeasurable. An added bonus is the chickpea cooking broth, which is jam-packed with flavor. I often use it as a substitute for water when making soup, pasta or rice, or any dish where stock would normally be called for, such as risotto. Below is a vegan version of […]

Categories: Alice Waters, cooking, food, food photography, Gluten-Free, vegan, vegetarian, winter • Tags: appetizer, Chez Panisse, chickpeas, David Tanis, food photography, gluten-free, Spanish food, vegan, watercress, winter

Weekend Snapshots

May 13, 2012 by Stan Santos

Artichokes, with garlic, mint, parsley and chiles

Categories: food, food photography, Gluten-Free, spring, vegan, vegetarian • Tags: appetizer, artichokes, chickweed, food photography, gluten-free, vegetarian, watercress

Spaghetti with Mussels, Garlic and Winter Greens

February 29, 2012 by Stan Santos

Score another one for minimalist pasta sauces: an sauce that combines mussels harvested from Long Island Sound, then steamed with a little white wine and shelled; then combined with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, mussel juices and watercress. It’s a sauce that’s redolent of winter and of the sea. Untouched by tomatoes, it has a purity that teaches you what seafood should taste like. You can’t ask for much else than that. Spaghetti with mussels, garlic and winter greens

Categories: food, food photography, general, Italian food, Presto Pasta Nights, winter • Tags: dinner, food photography, mussels, spaghetti, watercress

The Spamwise Chronicles

A blog devoted to the beauty of food.

Tag: watercress