The Common Culinarian

The Common Culinarian is taking a brief hiatus this week to undergo some much needed computer upgrading. Hopefully I’ll get the computer back tomorrow. Maybe not. Who knows. In the meantime, some of my favorite links from the last two weeks:

• Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, on Baking Bites

I LOVE Nutella, so I was pumped that someone posted a recipe for a homemade version. Yum, yum, yum!

• Fish Baked with Green Chutney, on Tigers and Strawberries

This fits in with my quest to provide you with easy and inexpensive ways to prepare seafood this Lenten season. This preparation is interesting, too, and chock full of flavor.

• Whole wheat penne with sweet potatoes and leeks, on One Food Guy

Anytime you combine sweet potatoes with… anything! I’m in.

• The Mini-Mac, on WellFed/Kid Cuisine

Homemade, easy version of a popular sandwich that you can make with your kids!

• The Economics of Obesity, on Freakonomics

I’m a numbers guy at heart. This seemed terribly interesting, and perhaps this book could change the way that we consume. Perhaps. Old habits die hard, I suppose.

• The Meal of Love Part 2: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, on The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

This is all I have to say about this recipe:

Now, to make the texture just right, we need to add a little Half & Half. Hey, I COULD have used heavy cream. But this is a low-fat dish, people. I have to make healthy choices.

• Minimalist Meals: Fantastic Food in Ten Minutes or Less, on Get Rich Slowly

Sometimes, it takes less effort than you think.

• Chocolate Sparklers, on Just Baking

These just looked SO good. Turbinado sugar is a wonderful thing (when I first discovered this, as “Sugar in the Raw,” I would consume packets of this stuff by itself–it’s just that good).

• Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup - Pho Bo, on Steamy Kitchen

You gotta admit, Jaden’s got some awesome food-pron going on. This looked super tasty, and was timely with the Chinese New Year (okay, so the Vietnamese are not Chinese–this coming from a guy who asked his Indian officemate if he celebrated the Chinese New Year ).