Mulberry Dessert (Fruit Dessert Cup Recipe)

The summer weather in the San Francisco Bay Area has been pretty dreadful for the fruits and vegetables in our garden, with one major exception. We were able to pick a basketful of the ripest mulberries from the tree in our garden. We’re all happy to just graze from the tree every afternoon, but for fun today I made mulberry mousse. I piped it into edible cups made from lavash flat bread.

Just like beets, there's one downside to cooking with mulberries: this fruit stains. So make sure you wear dark-colored clothes and do not place them on a marble baking slab!

Vegetarian Agar Panna Cotta Recipe

Panna cotta is probably the easiest vegetarian appetizer to prepare once you've figured out how to deal with agar agar. It’s all about the liquid to powder ratio. In case you don’t know, agar agar is a seaweed substitute for gelatin. I've created several savory and sweet panna cottas in the past using it.

Like other gelatin-based products, panna cotta can be be formed in any shape you want. I shaped the ones I made today in verrine glasses. I layered this panna cotta with red hummus, broccoli florets, baby spinach leaves, morel mushrooms and sugar plum tomatoes. Assembling them is very simple and they can be prepared in advance. Serve this panna cotta with a large salad and a baguette and you’ve got yourself a delicious, light meal.

Toor Dal with Drumstick Vegetables (Indian Lentil Recipe)

If you're not familiar with drumsticks, they are long, thin, green pods commonly used in Indian cuisine. They are often used in sambar soup but they can also be a substitute for spinach or green beans in dal dishes.

I prepared toor dal, which is the most common lentil paired with drumsticks, although I've seen this dish prepared with mung beans and chana dal (garbanzo) as well. To guarantee optimum tenderness, I choose immature drumsticks at the market; otherwise they become a little too fibrous. When the lentils are soft and gravy-like, drumsticks are added. The drumsticks are chewed until all the artichoke-like texture is eaten, then the outer skin is discarded. If you can get your hands on some, give them a try. They're definitely out of the ordinary.

Israeli Couscous Risotto with Roasted Bell Peppers

Risotto is a traditional dish made with rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. Usually, I add rice-shaped pasta (such as orzo or melon-seed pasta) which add more creaminess to the risotto. The problem was that today I unfortunately had no Arborio or Carnaroli rice in my pantry. I experimented with the only starchy ingredient I found in the kitchen; Israeli couscous. Israeli couscous is a small-grained toasted pasta.

I flavored it with roasted bell peppers. It's not very traditional but I found the starchiness of the couscous worked well. Surprisingly, the new version of risotto was very popular among the children in my house. I'm definitely going to make this dish again, maybe with other flavorings.

National Cheesecake Day (Cheesecake Ideas)

If you're looking for an excuse to eat more cheesecake, you'll be happy to know that Sunday is National Cheesecake Day. You could just go to your local Cheesecake Factory (half-off sale on any cheesecake slice for dine-in guests), but if you're feeling a bit more adventuresome, you can make one yourself.

I've listed below all the cheesecake recipes I've posted in the past for your viewing pleasure. A basic cheesecake recipe is like ice cream: it serves as an excellent palette for other flavors. Get creative!