Homemade spicy sriracha, fresh chilies sauces and pretty much anything spicy has been on our eating repertoire as  of late. Since making our last batch of spicy garlic knots, cravings for more heat keeps our stomachs rumbling for daily spice. Just the other day, we were making our latest batch of homemade kim chi and went triple the spicy level! Fingers crossed we don’t regret adding all that heat.

In a few weeks, we’ll be hosting a fun event at our studio with KitchenAid  and menu planning for this luncheon is always creative and inspiring. Spring is nearing so plenty of fresh vegetables, fresh citrus and homemade baked goods will fill the studio. Also on the menu are homemade crackers with parmesan, flax seed and possibly fresh rosemary? Not sure yet, but when we finally figure it out, we’ll be sharing it with you all.

To accompany the homemade crackers we wanted to simple, yet flavorful dip and fresh white bean dip seems to satisfy any hungry crowd. Since we still have spicy on the mind, it seems to appropriate to add a bit of fresh heat to this earthy and white bean dip.

The wonderful part of this dip is that is truly is so simple and fresh, yet so flavorful with Asian inspired flavors and heat. Touches of sesame oil, fresh live, zesty garlic and your choice of chili sauce gives this creamy dip so many layers of flavor.

Our spring plum blossoms 

On the gardening front, we’re finally catching up to some much needed digging. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been working slowly on adding 4 new citrus trees to our collection. Oro blanco, a second bearss lime, meyer lemon and kishu mandarin have made home in their new planters. We’re super excited about all the new sprigs of growth on these baby citrus because that’s the first sign of Spring.

Even our flowering plums were showered with blossoms last week and their endless explosion of pink petals from branch to branch!

Hope your weather is warming up slowly for all our friends outside of Southern California!

hugs,

diane

Here a collection of our Hot Sauce and Sriracha Recipes, including our version of homemade sriracha hot sauce.

Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
Spicy Asian White Bean Dip
Ingredients
  • 1 15oz can of white beans (rinsed)  , I prefer the creamy cannellini beans
  • 1 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce ( or to taste)
  • 2 Tablespoons sriracha hot sauce or any spicy chili sauce, or one fresh thai chili
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 cup of water (addition water needed if you need to make the dip smoother)
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • crackers or fried crispy bread

Directions:
1. In blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth.
2. Serve with your favorite crackers or toasted, fried bread.

{ 29 comments }

Spicy Sriracha White Bean Dip & Signs of Spring!

February 19, 2012
spicy white bean dip

Homemade spicy sriracha, fresh chilies sauces and pretty much anything spicy has been on our eating repertoire as  of late. Since making our last batch of spicy garlic knots, cravings for more heat keeps our stomachs rumbling for daily spice. Just the other day, we were making our latest batch of homemade kim chi and went triple the spicy level! Fingers crossed we don’t regret adding all that heat.

In a few weeks, we’ll be hosting a fun event at our studio with KitchenAid  and menu planning for this luncheon is always creative and inspiring. Spring is nearing so plenty »

29 comments Read the full story →

Refreshing Pomegrante Spritzer for Fall

September 25, 2011
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It feels so wonderful to be back in the kitchen after being on the road, teaching workshops and shooting on location lately. When we were in the kitchen the other night preparing dinner, we both looked at one another with the same hungry, yet satisfied eyes. It feel so good to be back here in our home kitchen feeding our family and friends. Unfortunately we didn’t take the time to photograph any of it to share with you on the blog!

The garden always look different in the time that we’re away. When we return, one of the first things »

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In Transition Meal: Tomatoes, Figs & Salute to Summer

September 4, 2011
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I’m not going to allow September to leave me so quickly. August slipped through my hands like a silent kiss in the night and before I knew it, everyone was bidding Summer adieu.

Admist our hectic August calendar and new studio build out, my wandering brain didn’t fully register that we touched into September. Waking up over the last few mornings I sensed a change at dawn’s rising. The air greeted me with a slightly cooler breath. I grabbed a sweater. The stone garden pathways were chilly against my toes. I slipped on my garden sneakers.

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Life patience, enjoying the process & growing cipolla onions

July 29, 2011
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Gardening is often a test of patience in both playing in the dirt and navigating life. Weeding, sowing seeds, trimming, clipping, pulling, building plots, aching backs and harvesting a little bit everyday is like a life metaphor. It seems as if each garden task tests tests our patience and endurance for everything outside the walls of our home farm.

Take for instance, these cipolla onions we sowed last year in November 2010. These gorgeous Southern Italian long red onions would be new to our garden and before the seeds were sowed, we were already planning recipes. But maybe we were »

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Seasonally simple garden Heirloom tomatoes. Celebrating Summer’s arrival.

June 19, 2011
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This consistently cool weather had us apprehensive, particularly as heirloom tomato gardeners. With almost 20 heirloom tomatoes plants that we’ve been nurturing over the last few months, all we were hoping for was some hot sun to get these plants to bolt out with tomatoes. Unfortunately there hasn’t been much of the sun!

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Savoring Every Moment of Life – Last of our Sugar snaps

May 8, 2011
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Even as Spring rolls into Summer, and most of nature is just beginning to take life and flourish, there are those whose lifespan is spent. In seemingly moments ago, they were thriving and full of life and beauty, bringing us joy everyday. Now we have to let go of them, hoping to have their void in our daily lives filled by another. Forever grateful for the sweetness they shared with us.»

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Stuffed Tomatoes w/ Quinoa, Soft Tofu inspired by 101 Cookbooks “Super Natural Every Day”

April 3, 2011
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The sun has been very kind to us over the last week. We had two fabulously warm days to dry out all the dampness that late Winter left behind. Indeed, we’re very lucky to be living in warm Southern California weather where our garden basil is looking fantastic and we are getting some early season tomatoes at the market.  And somehow, we got our hands on Heidi Swanson’s new Super Natural Everyday cookbook.

Honestly, today’s post isn’t meant to make anyone envious. We just kinda won the weather, produce & cookbook lottery!

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My post after the browser crash, appropriately for Japan.

March 11, 2011
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I was almost finished with writing this garden blog post last night. Then the swirling, Mac beach-ball-of-death aka “eternity ball”, appeared. I immediately knew this post was doomed.»

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Baked Sweet Pea Pot Stickers w/ Ginger Soy Dip

February 27, 2011
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Truth be told, we have killed many garden plants, none of which were intentional. Since the Sunset Magazine articles about us and our garden were published, everyone thinks we’re master gardeners. Folks! There’s a long list of garden failures that we’ve yet to publish. Maybe we’ll share some of our garden disaster stories so you can see how much of our initial gardening career was (and still is) by trial and error. But what we love so much about gardening is that it’s a continuous learning experience.

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Hate ‘em or Love ‘em- Beets?

February 25, 2011
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In food conversations, some dishes get normally unanimous approval and applause. Ice cream, cookies, chocolate, pork belly, brisket and rib eye steak normally spike up excitement in food talk. Sweets and quality meats always seem to be at the top of the list. But there are those select ingredients that can quickly divide the room in half and cause a few brows to frown. Beets are a good example.

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