Dr. Jonathan Vrban worked and lived in San Francisco providing medical care to his patients. Outside of his work, Dr. Vrban spends time growing herbs in his garden and putting them to use in his recipes. Jon Vrban has traveled the world learning about the different cultures from the places he visits, and their unique food produce and cuisine.
Growing herbs alongside flowers and vegetables in the garden can be fun and eye-catching, but gardeners should make sure to take full advantage of the benefits their herbs can provide in the kitchen. Rosemary, for example, can be included in a variety of dishes, either dried or freshly cut. Rosemary’s piney scent makes it a holiday favorite, though it can be a year-round treat on homemade pizza. Thyme can also be used as a cooking accompaniment any time of year, fitting in equally well with warming, wintertime stews and summery marinade recipes perfect for the grill. Lastly, the growth of sage should be monitored by gardeners via a container and regular trimmings. Properly maintained sage can be added to an array of dishes simply by introducing the leaves to the cooking water. Additional sage can be added to the food itself for heightened flavor.
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After living and working in San Francisco, Dr. Jonathan Vrban looks forward to the next chapter in his life. Outside of work, Dr. Jon Vrban spends time managing his tropical herb gardens and compiling his recipes into a cookbook. He studies classic recipes before he writes his own recipes. He is a home chef and a self-professed perfectionist. Jon will retest a recipe countless times, writing all of his changes to the recipes before giving it his stamp of approval.
First-time gardeners interested in introducing a few herbs to their garden have a number of options to choose from. Basil is one of the simplest to grow and comes in dozens of styles, making it an easy pick for amateur gardeners. Basil benefits from being planted in full sun, and once grown can be used in foods as diverse as pesto and cinnamon. Chives are just as easy to handle as basil, if not more, as they can thrive in small container gardens. Sunny, well-drained soil will result in chives that can provide dishes with a light onion flavor. Lastly, gardeners seeking the tangy flavor of dill should begin planting straight away. Dill, like many easy-to-grow herbs, benefits from full sunlight. Should the gardener allow a few seeds to ripen on the plant, dill will self-seed for the following season. Dr. Jonathan Vrban, who spends much of his time in the kitchen, enjoys gardening and growing edible plants that he can integrate into his home-cooked meals. Wishing to share his joy for food, Dr. Jonathan Vrban is currently writing a cookbook filled with personal recipes.
There are several things to consider when writing and sharing a recipe. The following lists essential recipe writing components that can ease the development process and make a finished piece user-friendly. 1. Help users recreate the recipe at home easily by listing the ingredients in order of use. 2. Separate different components of a recipe when listing ingredients. For example, a pie possesses a filling and crust. Group the ingredients for the filling under one heading and the items used for the crust under another. 3. Provide descriptive hints, like “cook until golden brown,” for preparation to reinforce what the food should look like when fully cooked. 4. Ask another person to review a recipe to ensure the finished piece is clear and succinct. 5. Only use imperial or metric measurements. Providing conversions as an alternative is fine, so long as the main recipe utilizes one form of measurement. 6. Write clear descriptions of how ingredients should be prepared. For instance, chopped and finely chopped illustrate two different sizes. Dr. Jonathan Vrban balances his demanding schedule with a variety of hobbies and activities at home. An avid cook and experienced gardener, Dr. Jonathan Vrban also enjoys working on home improvement projects.
A little home improvement can go a long way in sprucing up living spaces and increasing property value. Where possible, doing a home improvement job yourself can go a long way in providing self-fulfillment and confidence. Consider these three priorities when mulling over your own home improvement goals. 1. Internal systems. Especially if you want to sell your home, repairing and/or updating the home’s major systems (plumbing, heating, and electrical) can go far. Homebuyers usually want to know that these systems are in working order; upgrading can help meet that assurance. 2. Kitchen areas. As the heart of the home, kitchens are where all the action happens. New homebuyers especially look over the kitchen thoroughly before making a decision. Upgrade its appliances, fixtures and appearance, and make your home’s heart more functional and attractive. 3. Bathrooms. Bathrooms come second to kitchens as the most important rooms in the house. Upgrade their appearance with new paint, fixtures, and flooring, and give them some fresh appeal. Jonathan Vrban, a resident of Hawaii, frequently travels from Hawaii to other parts of the world. When he is not travelling Jonathan Vrban likes to cook and bake. He is especially proud of his chocolate chip cookie recipe, which demands more than 24 hours of prep time and uses the finest ingredients.
While individual bakers all have their own ideas as to what particular elements result in the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, they all tend to agree about the importance of using high-quality chocolate chips. The best way to determine whether a brand of chocolate chips should be included in a cookie recipe is to check its inclusion of high cocoa solids. Chips that contain less than 60 percent will provide only the faintest real chocolate taste, while those with more than 70 percent high cocoa-solids content will provide a rich, complex chocolate flavor upon which the rest of the recipe can be built. Another factor to note is whether a brand contains cocoa butter; the use of this ingredient, rather than cheaper and less flavorful vegetable oil alternatives, greatly enhances the flavor and texture of chocolate chips. Jonathan Vrban, D.N.P., began his career in health care in 1985, when he completed training in radiological technology in Springfield, Missouri. In the years following, he earned several nursing degrees, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice, which he received in 2008 from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. When he is not attending to his professional obligations, Jonathan Vrban enjoys numerous activities, including travel, botany, gardening, and cooking.
Many cookbooks emphasize the advantages of using fresh spices and herbs in recipes, and many cooks honor that advice by maintaining gardens of the herbs they use most often. Many herbs can be grown quite easily in a home garden, containers on a patio or deck, or even in pots indoors, and it’s not unusual to see an herb garden of a dozen or so varieties. Oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage are popular in many Mediterranean dishes and can be planted together in a single large container so the cook can easily snip sprigs of all four. These four herbs will sprawl in their container and produce a visually appealing presentation, and frequent snipping of sprigs will ensure their lively growth. Another favorite herb is basil, which pairs well with tomato-based dishes and salads. The leaves can be used whole, especially when cooking tomato sauces, but some cooks recommend chopping larger leaves. Chives, a member of the onion family, are generally chopped coarsely and used as garnishes on hot foods and soups and in salads; the purple flowertops are also edible. Other popular herbs that can easily be grown in a home garden are dill, tarragon, and cilantro. Hawaii-based former nurse practitioner, who bacame a doctor, Jonathan Vrban enjoys world travel and cooking. Having visited Turkey, Spain, Italy, Israel, and Greece, among others, Jonathan Vrban combines these passions through home-cooked versions of world cuisine, particularly from the Mediterranean region.
With a mild climate and lots of sun, the Mediterranean region produces a lot of healthy ingredients, including artichokes, cucumbers, eggplant, legumes, and a host of other vegetables. Figuring prominently in the cuisine, many of these vegetables are served fresh, baked, grilled, roasted, or sauteed. Similarly, many dishes feature fresh olives, as olive trees are plentiful in the region and account for one of its major exports—namely, olive oil. Mediterranean cuisine relies less heavily on meat than cuisines from many other parts of the world. Smaller domesticated animals like goats, sheep, and chicken are utilized from time to time, while seafood, for obvious reasons, is a more widely used source of protein. Herbs used to season dishes are very prominent, since the region is naturally herbaceous. Plants like marjoram, parsley, basil, thyme, and tarragon, as well as numerous others, are common to the region’s culinary fare. |
AuthorBased in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jonathan Vrban maintains involvement in a vast array of professional and personal projects, honing his talents as a writer, chef, and gardener. Archives
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