Something I never, ever buy anymore is salad dressing. It is way too easy to make a million (better) varieties on the fly at home. All you need is a few pantry ingredients on hand, and little mason jars for optimal ease and convenience, and these dressings are simple to whip up ahead of time for weekday lunches or dinners.
Read MoreFor a minute there, I was convinced that winter was behind us and spring was here. And the way my brain works, it may as well be summer...
Read MoreOne of the more admittedly alien things about me is that I do not care about chocolate. I was raised on Christmas stockings full of Sour Patch Kids and Lemon Heads, 'pig-out parties' with my Grandma devouring Twizzlers and Starburst, and meandering trips down the bulk candy aisle before long car rides...
Read MoreCoconut milk and red curry is, hands down, one of the most divine combinations on all of planet earth. Absolute no-brainer. And although it's unbeatable from an authentic Thai place, it's such a tasty thing to make at home for dinner or in advance for weekday lunches with whatever vegetables/proteins you have in your fridge. I especially love it because once you have purchased a couple of the pantry staples, the rest can really be improvised.
Read MoreOn Friday night, I threw a Mexican themed birthday party for Ellie. Although there are many more pictures to come in a later post, I thought I'd kick off the week with one of my favorite recipes from the night. It sort of doubles as a salad and a salsa—it's as good eaten with a spoon as it is on chips. But really what's not good on a chip doe?
Read MoreAlthough deemed "naked" by today's cake-naming guidelines, this cake still has plenty of cream cheese frosting among its layers, enough to make up for all that's been lost. It therefore feels wrong and deceiving to call it naked, hence its new, more fitting name.
Read MorePopovers are some kind of miracle. They’re what you might get if you crossed a pancake with a crescent roll, as strange as that sounds, but a better version of either, with crispy edges and a chewier texture. They’re an unfair version of “bread” with your meal because you won’t want to eat anything else on the table. And because of their otherworldly hybrid characteristics, they work just as well savory as they do sweet. I’ve made a gruyere version and I’ve made them with Parmesan and herbs, but I couldn’t help thinking how delicious these would be at brunch (Easter?!) with strawberry butter for sweeter vibes.
Read MoreThis is a simple, easy lunch that comes together very quickly with only a few ingredients. It's nothing fancy or complex, but with the right spice blend, it becomes a great lunch standby. I almost always have everything on hand, which is probably how this dish (and a few variations on it) came into being. All it takes is canned tomatoes and chickpeas as a base, with add-ins such as garlic, spices, spinach, kale, sharp cheese, parsley or other herbs, or topped with a fried or poached egg. It's always delicious, but also healthy and filling.
Read MorePlease don't be scared away by the strange name that immediately goes to the same vault in my brain as "split pea soup" and "shepherd's pie" for some reason (even though none are anything alike—there's just so much in a name that has held a certain connotation for everyone since childhood). This soup is rich, decadent, and just delightful—you might never want regular old chicken soup ever again...
Read MoreSometimes, you have to just let a picture speak its thousand words without adding your own thousand words below it. I think that's how I feel here. This sandwich is so, so right. Just look at it.
Read MoreIn my tiny corner of the world, there’s not much better than a great Bloody Mary. And don’t get me wrong, I love the taste of one, but even more so, I love the Bloody Mary environment and culture, if you will (does that statement make me sound uncultured?).
The hours-long brunch with nothing else to do and nowhere else to be. The long pause and “hmmmmm” and “sure, why not” to the waitress when she sees that your glass is getting low. There’s just nothing else like it—a boozy brunch with friends or lovers or, hell, strangers even.
Read MoreDo you have anxiety about your appetizer being chosen last from a table of options? I feel you. I really do...
Read MoreI’ve been back at it with make-ahead lunches after a few weeks (months?) of buying lunch on the go most days...
Read MoreWhen you love food and you love to travel, you get all kinds of inspired when the two are combined; and if you're doing it right, the two come hand in hand. You can't possibly visit a new place or new culture without indulging in the food there, especially if the place is known for something. Enter Mexico: land of the best tacos, pico de gallo, limes, fresh fish, and ceviche, just to name the first few things that come to mind.
Read MoreThings I always (weirdly) have in my cupboard: chickpeas, 14 different kinds of rice, sweetened condensed milk, and lentils. This is a result of those grocery shopping trips in which I wander down each and every aisle and robotically throw things in my cart. My thought process is something like, "Think about those times you've wanted to bake something without leaving your house and the one thing you need is sweetened condensed milk." (Has that ever even happened??) And then there are all the recipes I've made that have called for various kinds of rice—jasmine, long-grain, arborio, the list goes on. And since it seems like 1 grain of rice uncooked magically turns into 35 grains when it's cooked….my supplies are never ever depleted. My digression is leading me to a discussion of lentils.
Read MoreMushrooms are a somewhat nostalgic flavor and memory-inducing thing for me...
Read MoreThis is one of those weekday lunches for which noon cannot come fast enough.
*Checks clock.* *Checks clock again.* *Checks clock and IT'S STILL ONLY 10:30.*
The worst.
Read MoreRemember the no-calorie game that I talked about here? There are days when meatball subs would make it on my list. Because there’s no substitute, and when they’re good, they’re unapologetically good. Just the other night, eating at a local favorite called Rocco (restaurant review to come, someday), we had meatballs as an appetizer (meatballs are a suitable appetizer when you are an actual bottomless pit like we are), and they’re my favorite meatballs ever. Perfect sauce, perfect meat wads, and they’re served on top of a thick piece of charred bread that’s covered in sauce. It’s actually heaven. And in the heat of the moment, I went so far as to say they might be my death row meal. Are you familiar?—my last meal on earth, should I ever be on death row and get to choose the very last meal I’d ever eat. This spurred an ongoing craving for meatballs/meatball subs/spaghetti and meatballs that hasn’t left me yet. This, combined with my love of appetizers and bite-sized morsels and finger foods, and the upcoming Super Bowl where these types of foods are expected, and these meatball sub-inspired crostini came to be.
Read MoreAs I've said before, Sundays are my favorite day to cook, but I really prefer the recipes to be of the low-and-slow-comfort-food variety, so that cooking feels leisurely and low key, especially in the winter. I made this dish on a freezing cold Sunday at about noon, and it had my apartment smelling like absolute heaven by 2:00. There is nothing on earth that smells like a red wine braise, especially with garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Oh my goodness.
Read MoreKale is at it again. The dark leafy green has taken over my salads and my dinner sides. I’ve been tossing it raw in olive oil, I’ve been sauteeing it, and I’ve been making a gratin out of it—which just means baking it with a breadcrumb and parmesan cheese topping. Here’s why I love it: it retains texture even after it’s been cooked, unlike spinach which tends to become soft and mushy (a characteristic that works in some dishes when you don’t want to detect its texture, but not for greens and beans). For garlicy, oniony greens and beans, I want the stems to have a little crunch and the leaves to still be whole and leafy.
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