real recipes. made up people, places, and things
The subtle spice of cardamon and clove play nice with a kick of brandy, and a not too sweet chocolate chaser. Best of all, on a hot summer evening- frozen. Chai Brandy Alexander cocktails are the dessert drink I can’t wait to share with a crowd. The brandy alexander is a lesson in moderation. When […]
There is something immensely satisfying about baking something that is both beautiful and tasty, add two notches of oh yeah for using up some garden fresh tomatoes. With just a whisper of sweet, this mostly savory skillet cornbread does double duty as a summer tomato upside down cake. Whether you call it cornbread or corn […]
Luscious, rich caramel ice cream softened with spice and the subtle bitterness of black coffee. The kind of dessert that you feel compelled to tell every one who tries that you made that, that ice cream is you. Take said coffee caramel ice cream and sandwich it between two layers of soft, rich chocolate cookie, you […]
There is nothing quite as perfect as a salsa fresca made with summertime ripe and bountiful tomatoes, fresh tomatoes bursting with flavor and variety, no uniformly red hot house fruit but the variety and zip that only something fresh and local has to offer. Now is the time for this summertime chilaquiles recipe made with […]
Nothing cools on a sultry summer night like this easy to assemble coconut panna cotta- dairy free and not too sweet it’s the more sophisticated and relaxed grown up version of jello you’ve been waiting for. A dessert with the tang of fresh lime, tropical back notes of banana and coconut milk, and just the […]
These coconut curry noodles with grilled pickled vegetables are a quick and simple spicy noodle dish- inspired by bahn mi and thai coconut curry, and delicious hot or cold. If it wasn’t for those charred pickled vegetables this would fall into the weekday food in my mouth right now catagory. But those veggies are worth […]
Feel like spring in a glass? plus gin. Because. Well. Gin. Whip up a batch of Garden Gimlets: gin gimlet w/fresh cucumber, lime, & basil. When spring arrives each week at the farmers market (or in your garden, if you are so lucky) brings new revelations. Berries, basil, cucumbers of all varieties. The first week of […]
Topped with fresh berries and brightened up with just a hint of lime zest- this could be breakfast or brunch or a delightful summertime dessert. All of the tender eggy goodness of a swedish pancake but baked in one go on a sheet pan. So no hot stove just bake and go! I was once […]
A little bit kofta, a little bit gyro- these ground beef kebabs with yogurt dipping sauce have all the fresh herbs you want in a summer time grill with just a hint of the warm spices you traditionally find in kofta. Addictively good, on the grill or on a grill pan, with a healthy heap […]
This quick and easy mushroom salt is the umami addition to all your favorite savory treats that you wonder why you haven’t tried yet. So quick and easy you can whip up a batch in under five minutes and start spreading it with flair. Go ahead, be the mushroom salt bae. This mushroom salt can […]
Crispy potato wedges breaded with a flavorful mixture of mushroom salt and garbanzo flour then baked to crispy goodness. These Jo-Jos are flavorful enough to eat on their own but oh so addictive when served with ranch dressing (I’ve included my favorite quick and easy off the cuff Ranch dip in the recipe below) Jo-Jos […]
This is the grownup slushy that I’m willing to wash the blender for. Refreshing, red, laced with a hint of orange blossom, and just a little bit boozy so, as long as you can manage to sip slowly, it’s the perfect hot afternoon yard beverage. Campari Orange Slushy with triple sec and orange blossom water […]
Most days tortillas are one of the few items I give myself permission to buy pre-made, but some days call for homemade, for the flavor and slight imperfections of made from scratch. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a perfectly round tortilla lacks the flavor found in a tortilla just slightly off center. Sure, […]
A rhubarb jam where rhubarb is the star. With half the sugar of the recipe that inspired it this not too sweet rhubarb refrigerator jam is addictive on toast or waffles and is the perfect filling for pop tarts or a slab pie. You would think by now I would learn to always write things […]
Jam packed with fruit and flavor- I was delighted to “have” to test this recipe more than once. The first batch was just the right amount of tender and perfectly balanced between rhubarb, pastry, and sweet cardamom glaze, in short, amazing, once I finally got it together, but handling the dough, measuring out rectangles, […]
Bring on the sunny days and brightly colored drinks. Refresh yourself with this easy/fancy sipper made with homemade hibiscus infused vodka. Mostly a sidecar but perhaps more like the sort of sidecar you might find in the tropics- bright pink, strong enough for the bumpy roads. Maybe like this vintage vespa 150 from Bali ? […]
Five ingredients, twenty minutes, tender, flavorful. These pickle brine biscuits, lined with a green layer of pesto, just happen to be vegan. I’ve been happy to test and re-test this recipe over the last few days. These make an amazing lid for egg salad (or its faux egg alternative if vegan is your thing). My […]
Egg rolls so packed with flavor you don’t need a dipping sauce- making them the perfect party snack. Fried or baked, these crispy egg rolls are jam-packed with green vegetables and, wait for it, here’s the genius part, a secret cream cheese layer that adds flavor and structure. Plus a prosciutto bonus round. Your guests […]
Tajin Chile Lime Seasoning and Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread: whew that’s a mouthful. I’m addicted to this not too sweet combination of dark chocolate swirled with a subtly spiced banana batter, the result is tender and flavorful without veering too far into dessert territory. Even the Mr. who, maddeningly, can take or leave most desserts […]
An easy creamy stove top macaroni and cheese studded with a healthy serving of spring greens that comes together in less than 15 minutes. Bowl optional. For a lighter slightly more grown up, but equally quick, take on peas and pasta you might want to try my summer peas and angel hair pasta This is not […]
New England style hot dog or lobster rolls made without a specialty hot dog bun pan: a little bit classic buttery top loading New England style bun, a little bit deliciously soft yet structured Japanese milk bread. Stuff it with lobster, shrimp salad, or a dog. want something equally soft and squishy but a little […]
Guinness Irish Stout and Mushroom Gravy Another recipe that is not really a recipe. More of a guideline, a picture map that encourages substitution and experimentation. It is just gravy after all. Initially the Guinness was the only liquid but when I re-heated it this morning for biscuits and gravy I added some milk because […]
Mizuna Citrus Salad w/ avocado and jicama A simple refreshing salad, lightly dressed, and studded with tropical flavors and textures. Do you remember when there were only three brands of tequila and three kinds of greens? Now I can barely keep up. Yes kids ,there was a time when Patron and Arugula were considered fancy/exotic/unusual. […]
Mango Colada with banana and grapefruit It’s not even that warm today but just seeing temperatures above sixty in the forecast has me in a mad scramble for drinks laden with rum and blended with tropical fruit. Bring on the mango, the banana. I’m ready for sun naps and warm toes. Even without the […]
Not too sweet and loaded with ‘wild’ blueberries these muffins, if I’m honest, are really just my favorite cornmeal pancakes made into easily storable/snackable muffin form. random aside: After watching the bit about NRATV on Last Night Tonight with John Oliver, every time I write the word muffin I think of this. The muffin part […]
A simple side, delicious with coconut curry seafood chowder or with any asian inspired main course. This asparagus came from Mexico because by February buying local kale and collards has become repetitive, boring, blah. I’m ready for spring, for asparagus, strawberries, tulips. For a few days it seemed spring was just around the corner, short […]
A bright coconut curry seafood stew with the added comforts of a hearty new england clam chowder. I plan our meals around what’s on sale at the supermarket this week, read the fliers and plot things out. This week- rockfish, asparagus (I try to buy local but right around now I reach maximum tolerance for […]
not your momma’s meyer lemon amaretto sour Amaretto sours are one of those drinks with “origin unknown” stamped across their back side. I’ve never been able to decide whether this is because it’s a basic variation of a classic or if the inventor is ashamed and unwilling to take credit. Given that the amaretto sour […]
Bright citrus notes, bold hibiscus color and zest. These soft and sticky buns are made smaller so there’s more of them to share. A warm tropic treat for dark winter days. Citrus Sticky Buns with Hibiscus Cream Cheese Glaze just barely adapted from the Sticky Lemon Rolls recipe on the Kitchn you will need one […]
In an effort to stay relevant I made the most instagrammed cookie of the past year into a heart shape- the week before valentine’s day! In other breaking news, this morning we had avocado toast (I know avocado on toast, crazy right?) with an egg on it. The part of me that saw Nirvana in […]
Just in case you are feeling snack food deprived and/or all this Super Bowl hype has left you with an unquenchable craving for all things Buffalo then these are the sliders that you’re looking for. They are saucy but, surprisingly, not sloppy and easily adaptable to personal preference: less blue cheese, more hot sauce, whole […]
Warm up with a bowl of chili, earthy yet clean, rich but not heavy. Just the right spice and delicious with cornbread. Welcome to the shortest/longest month where winter lingers and spring teases (at least here in the pacific northwest). Before I baked February was almost unbearable but now I take comfort in slow […]
Cast Iron Savory Baked Oats- the bacon edition If the original was the healthy weekday edition this is the decadent weekend edition: creamy, bacon laden, and topped with a generous layer of sharp cheddar cheese. I retained all my favorite aspects of the first savory cast iron oatmeal- one pan! a bright pop of pickled […]
Have you seen the headlines that the world will be without chocolate by 2050? This is worrisome but I won’t panic until they make the same dire prediction about vanilla. Vanilla gives me comfort, its my hug after a hard day, my kitten video, my memory palace. It takes an ordinary grapefruit and soda and […]
Savory Cast Iron Oatmeal with pickled egg, avocado and kale I had this idea to make a super bowl smoothie bowl: beautifully arranged berries (raspberry, blueberries) battling it out against an artful splash of rich green kale. I’ve never made a smoothie bowl, I’ve made a smoothie, I’ve topped plain yogurt with things, but these […]
