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< all recipes Harissa Harissa is a North African chile sauce that can vary from region to region, even family to family. I like the addition of tomato paste to mellow out the chiles and to make it more of a sauce than a paste. It is so versatile - use it to marinate chicken, beef, or shrimp, add it to canned crushed tomatoes to make a delicious pasta sauce, or add some plain greek yogurt to make a creamy dip or sandwich spread. I could continue but I will spare you for now. Harissa Serves: about 1 cup Ingredients 5 dried chiles* 1 tsp coriander seeds ½ tsp fennel seeds ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp allspice 1 tsp kosher salt ¼ - ½ cup lemon juice 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ½ cup tomato paste ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil *chiles are tricky in that you can never be sure of their heat until you take a bite – that being said, there are general guidelines that can help. For milder heat, use pasilla or ancho chiles. For extra heat, use chiles de arbol or chipotle chiles (chipotles are smoke-dried jalapeños and therefore add great depth of flavor along with a kick in the mouth). Print Preparation Bring a small pot of water to a boil (4-5 cups). Remove stems and seeds from chiles, place in a bowl along with boiled water, cover and let sit for 1 hour. Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in a dry sauté pan until fragrant (1-2 minutes, keep a close eye on the spices as they can burn very easily). Using a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or whatever you have on hand, grind up the coriander and fennel – it does not have to be finely ground, about the consistency of coarse black pepper. Combine everything except olive oil in a food processor (fitted with blade attachment) and blend about 30 seconds, until everything is incorporated, then drizzle in the olive oil, continuing to blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Fresh Mint Meringues At the risk of jinxing the decent weather we have been having this week, I am officially putting away the winter coat and snow boots. More importantly though, I am making Fresh Mint Meringues for a crowd! (or for a few as these little morsels are dangerously pop-into-your-mouth-able). I must admit I was getting a little caught up in my culinary spring delight, having way too much fun dolloping and swirling, not to mention covering myself in lime green sugar. Oh and treating the neighbors to my very own rendition of the entire Pitch Perfect sound track. I blame the sugar. Its always good at times like this to have those people who will bring you back to reality, telling you you probably won’t be the next Whitney Houston, and who will ask the tough questions like “cauliflower again? really?”. But lets just say I was less than thrilled when Chris’ reaction to my adorable little meringues was “that’s it? where’s the rest of the dessert?”. Ugh. Ok so I may or may not have forgotten the rest. While I think these would be perfect with some chocolate ice cream, or whipped cream and fresh fruit, I had actually envisioned them as cake decoration! I just hadn’t gotten around to making the cake. Minor oversight. My point in all this rambling is that these meringues are delicious and versatile and totally deserving of their own post. And that I am making the accompanying Mint Chocolate Chip Cake as we speak so stay tuned!!! Fresh Mint Meringues Serves: 50-60 hershey-kiss sized meringues Ingredients 4 eggs whites 1½ cups sugar 1 bunch fresh mint green food coloring (optional - gel color is best) Print Preparation Preheat oven to 225˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and set over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl it not touching the water). Add the fresh mint - keep mint as a bunch so it is easier to fish out later. Heat whites and sugar, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch - 2-3mins - or until it reaches 150˚F on a candy thermometer. Remove mint. Beat in mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed until you have stiff glossy peaks (about 3min). Stir in color if using. Fill piping bag and dollop away! Bake for 1-1½ hours, until dry to the touch. Meringues will keep in an airtight container at room temp for a week. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Belgian Waffles with Caramelized Apples & Maple Yogurt Ok so I know I said I am not that into Valentine’s Day but seeing as my valentine has been requesting waffles about once a week since we met, I thought making them required a special occasion. My reason for holding off so long was the simple fact that we do not own a waffle maker – and I refused to buy one because where the heck do we fit it in our tiny apartment. The struggle for kitchen cabinet space is real. But I happened to find an old one in my parents’ basement and figured it was a sign. These belgian waffles are ridiculously good – they are fluffy and light with an outer crust that actually stays crunchy long after being soaked in maple syrup. The apples were added because well, thats what I had around and I don’t consider breakfast complete without fruit, or yogurt for that matter. So feel free to mix up the toppings to suit your own weird breakfast requirements or whatever is in season. I am pretending like I didn’t lick the plate clean but we all know that happened 30sec after the photo below was taken. Belgian Waffles with Caramelized Apples & Maple Yogurt Serves: 6-8 waffles Ingredients 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour ½ cup (105g) brown sugar 3 tsp (12g) baking powder 1 tsp (6g) baking soda ½ tsp (4g) kosher salt 1 cup (240g) buttermilk ½ cup (60g) cream 8oz (227g) unsalted butter, melted 2 egg yolks (30g) 3 egg whites (105g) for the toppings: 2 apples (I like honeycrisp) ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tsp cinnamon 8oz plain greek yogurt maple syrup (for the table) Print Preparation Make the Caramelized Apples first: Slice apples into roughly ¼ inch slices and set in a pot over low/medium heat with the maple syrup and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender - how tender is a matter of preference, personally I like the apples to still have a bit of crunch. Mix the juice at the bottom of the apple pot into the yogurt, adding more maple syrup if it is not sweet enough for your liking. Make the Waffle batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, cream, melted butter, and yolks. Pour this into the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (but still a little lumpy). Using a stand or hand-held mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the rest of the batter. Let this sit 10-15 minutes while you heat up the waffle maker. Cook waffles (according to your waffle-maker instructions) until golden brown. Serve with apples and a dollop of yogurt and warm maple syrup. *freeze the cooked waffles for a tasty breakfast any time! defrost in the toaster for single servings or in a 350 oven for a crowd (about 10 minutes). Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Zesty Lime & Pecan Shortbread Cookies I had a few limes left over from last week’s Horchata ‘Ritas and with Cinco de Mayo still on the mind I thought of Mexican Wedding Cookies and then these Zesty Lime Shortbread Cookies just sorta happened (the train of thought made more sense in my head). Thats really all I have to say this week. Finishing up my thesis project and my brain is rebelling against having to do any extra sentence formation. I think it is time for another cookie study break anyway. Zesty Lime & Pecan Shortbread Cookies Serves: 24 Cookies Ingredients 2 cups pecans, lightly toasted ½ cup sugar 2 cups flour ½ tsp kosher salt 2 limes 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cubed 1 cup confectioners sugar Print Preparation Combine pecans, sugar, flour and salt in a food processor. Add the zest of both limes (keep the limes for their juice later). Pulse ingredients until pecans are finely and evenly chopped. Add the butter and pulse again until the dough resembles wet sand and holds together when pinched. Pinch off golf ball-sized pieces of dough, roll into balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet two inches apart. Put sheets in the fridge for 15-20 minutes (or overnight). Preheat oven to 350˚F and bake cookies 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the bottom edges start to brown. Cool completely on a rack. Put one cup of confectioners sugar in a bowl and squeeze in the juice of those two limes. Whisk together and if you need more liquid (you probably will) add a tsp of water at a time until the sugar is drizzling consistency. Top cookies with a very light sprinkling of lime zest. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Cider-Braised Shallots This recipe is from Nigel Slater's Tender cookbook - an incredibly detailed and extensive guide to all things vegetable. A perfect pairing for pretty much anything, a roast chicken seems particularly suited - full disclosure, this is purely speculation. I made them on a night I was home alone and therefore thought it was totally appropriate to just have onions for dinner. Straight from the roasting pan. So I can verify that Cider-Braised Shallots are also perfectly delicious on their own. Cider-Braised Shallots Serves: serves 4 as a side Ingredients 16oz shallots 3 cloves garlic ½ cup golden raisins lots of fresh thyme 2 tbl butter, melted ½ cup apple cider ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar) 2 tbl dark brown sugar salt and pepper Print Preparation Preheat your oven to 400˚F and have a 9x13 casserole dish at the ready. Cut shallots in halves or quarters, depending on size – it does not really matter as long as you cut them all into roughly the same size. Place them in your casserole dish. Slice the garlic thinly and add to shallots along with the raisins and thyme (on or off the stem is up to you, on the stem is a bit more rustic but requires less work!). Pour melted butter, cider, vinegar, and brown sugar over everything and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook for 45-60 minutes, until very tender. Serve warm or at room temperature. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Blueberry Muffins Lazy Sunday mornings are a completely foreign concept around here – if you haven’t participated in a triathlon, spin class or 18 holes of golf by 9am you better have a solid excuse or get your ass moving. I can sometimes finagle a pass but only if something warm is coming out of the oven by the time everyone appears sweaty and starving in the kitchen. It is usually scones but this past Sunday a request was submitted for blueberry muffins. Curve ball! Blueberry Muffins Serves: 16-20 muffins Ingredients 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temp 1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup dark brown sugar 4 eggs 2 cups (16oz) crème fraîche 1 lemon, zest and juice 3 cups flour ½ cup cornmeal 1 tbl baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 3 cups blueberries sugar in the raw or extra granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top Print Preparation Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease muffin tins or use cupcake liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one and a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next and scraping the sides once or twice. Mix lemon zest and juice with the crème fraîche and add this to the butter and eggs. Beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add to the rest with the mixer on slow speed. Mix just until combined. Stir in the blueberries by hand so you don't crush them. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and sprinkle tops with sugar in the raw. Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until the tops are golden and the centers feel set. Notes This batter will last 1-2 days in the fridge so make it ahead and have for a perfect breakfast in bed or crowd pleasing brunch item! Use fresh blueberries when in season but these are just as delicious with frozen blueberries, but make sure to mix them in just before baking as they tend to bleed and turn the batter purple!Sugar in the raw is worth getting for sprinkling on top of pretty much any baked good - it adds a bit more crunch than regular sugar for a more perfect muffin top. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Grilled Potato Salad w/ Charred Lemon Dressing Last weekend I found myself with a rare moment of quiet solitude out in the country – or complete abandonment depending on how you look at it. It was like musical chairs except by the time I noticed I had all the chairs to myself! I mean I was tooootally fine not doing something awesome like hiking in Colorado, reliving college glory days of beer pong in dive bars and questionable mexican food for a late night snack, oh yeah or galavanting around Europe before heading to the coast of Portugal for a wedding… Ok so I was a little jealous. But I am also a big enough nerd that I was kind of excited to have the house to myself. My schedule looked something like this: exercise class in the morning, grab ingredients from the farmstand on the way home, cook allllllll day, go for a romantic evening beach walk with myself and cook some more before passing out at about 8pm. As for the recipe, I was already in grill mode with the ricotta and greens pizza and wanted to do a good grilled side dish for all of the meats that will be happening this weekend. I have never been a fan of potato salad, mostly because I don’t like mayonnaise (which makes my Mom question whether I am really her child) and I think a potato cannot reach its full potential if you don’t get that crispy outside to creamy inside thing happening. Yes, these are the things I think about regularly. I used zucchini because thats what the farmstand had, picked that morning, but as the summer progresses or if you live somewhere else (or you just don’t like zucchini) feel free to add and subtract vegetables at will. Grilled Potato Salad w/ Charred Lemon Dressing Serves: 4-6 side servings Ingredients 2-3 tbl olive oil 1 lb baby potatoes* 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise 1 red onion, cut into slices (don't separate rings) 1 lemon, cut in half 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 sprigs fresh sage 1 cup greek yogurt 1 tbl honey lots of salt and pepper Print Preparation Preheat grill to hottest setting. Coat potatoes, zucchini and onion in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place veggies on the grill, close the lid and let cook 2-3 minutes. Check for good char marks before flipping the zucchini and onion - the potatoes you can kind of just roll around a bit. Place the lemon, cut side down onto the grill. Cook the vegetables until tender (use a knife to test some of the larger potatoes). Cook the lemon until nicely charred and juicy looking. Give the herbs a quick toss in oil and place on the grill, gently pressing them down. Cook for about 30 seconds and flip - you want them to just start charring but not to burn. Cut the zucchini into pieces the size of the potatoes, cut the onion slices into quarters and toss together in a serving bowl with additional salt and pepper. Chop the herbs finely and whisk into the yogurt along with the charred lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can either add the dressing to the vegetables or serve on the side. *if your grill has wide grate use a larger potato and either slice in half or cook over high heat and move to a cooler area of the grill if they start to char too much Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Brussels Sprout Stir-Fry This is such a simple and fast recipe that really goes with any protein. I also just love the look of the whole stalk (although it can yield quite a bit more than 2 pints!). I went into this recipe assuming I had the grating/slicing attachment for my food processor but was already fully committed when I realized I would have to do it the old fashion way. It turned out to be pretty painless and was a great way to work on sharpening my knife skills (sorry, pun intended). Brussels Sprout Stir-Fry Serves: 4 side servings Ingredients 2 pints (32oz) Brussels sprouts 3-4 tbl toasted sesame oil 3-4 tbl soy sauce salt & pepper Sriracha (optional) Print Preparation Rinse the Brussels sprouts and remove any excess or brown stem. Slice thinly: using your basic knife, a mandolin, or food processor if you have the proper attachment. Heat the sesame oil in a large sauté pan until almost smoking, then toss in the Brussels sprouts and about a 1 tsp of salt. Allow the sprouts to char a bit but stir often so they don’t burn, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the ponzu, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom, and continue to cook until all the liquid is gone, about 3-5 minutes. Serve with Sriracha if you like some kick! Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Spicy Caesar Dressing Okay so this isn't really caesar dressing in any way but it is inspired by what seems to be the hottest new brunch item in NYC, spicy kale caesar salad. It was a particularly delicious one my sister and I had at The Butcher's Daughter in Nolita, that inspired me to make it myself. I wanted to be able to have this tasty item at home any day of the week (perhaps even for dinner!). As usual i challenged myself to make this dressing super healthy without compromising too much on taste. My toughest critic, president of the peanut gallery, and lovingly honest husband gave this his highest rating...a request to make it again. I love how flavorful and creamy it is - it can make simple lettuce a little more exciting but it also works with so many toppings - some of my favorites being avocado, sweet potato, pickled red onion, toasted walnuts, mushrooms, I could go on all day. Spicy Caesar Dressing Serves: 1 cup dressing Ingredients ½ cup full fat plain greek yogurt, sour cream or mayo ⅓ cup harissa juice of 1 lemon salt and pepper Print Preparation Combine yogurt, harissa, and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Warm Winter Salad w/ Tahini & Za’atar I decided to make this winter salad on a whim yesterday, mostly because I needed to get up from my computer before I threw it out the window. Some of you might have noticed an issue with the site earlier this week – and by issue I mean complete meltdown implosion disaster. Caused by yours truly! Its amazing how easy it is to wreak havoc (like innocently trying to add a snazzy font) and how not easy it is to fix things (oh only 6 hours). And that was just the first shutdown. Yeah it happened again about 12 hours later. And lets be clear on what my skill set is here…NOT coding or anything computer related thats for sure. I just like to cook. So I am sorry for any errors you have found – I am still working on getting the “kitchen guides” section organized so stand by on that. Please feel free to let me know if some problem keeps coming and I will try my best not to kill the site again. Deal? Ok cool. Glad we had this chat, I needed to vent a little. Happy Weekend!! Warm Winter Salad w/ Tahini & Za’atar Serves: 4-6 servings Ingredients 2-3 lb sweet potatoes (or use a mixture of potatoes for contrast) 2-3 tbl olive oil ¼ cup tahini paste juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp za'atar* a few handfuls of salad greens (I like arugula and mustard greens for their peppery kick) salt and pepper Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces, toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out onto a sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. While he potatoes cook, whisk tahini paste, lemon juice, minced garlic and za'atar together - if it seems too thick you can add a dash of water. Season generously with salt and pepper. When potatoes are done toss with greens and just enough dressing to lightly coat everything. Serve immediately with an extra drizzle of dressing on top. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Crackling Cornbread Many Ways My Mom has been making this cornbread for at least 25 years – one of the many staples from the Silver Palate Cookbook (aka my childhood in 186 recipes). From Thanksgiving to Easter she makes Chili and Cornbread probably 20 times and the recipe serves 40 so, im not sure what the math is but i think we can safely say its a lot. With the “season” fast approaching we decided to get some practice rounds in and drown our election sorrows in buttery bliss. Nothing like a good ugly cry while scarfing down some delicious cornbread to make you feel better. I highly recommend it. And for best results might I suggest turning off all news delivery devices and cranking up the dance tunes because why the heck not. Crackling Cornbread Many Ways Serves: 1 9" square Ingredients 1 cup yellow cornmeal (I like using both a coarse-ground and regular fine-ground) 1 cup all-purpose flour ⅓ cup sugar 1 tbl baking powder ½ tsp kosher salt 1 cup buttermilk 8 tbl (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 egg, lightly beaten Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg mixing just until combined. Mix in variation additions if using - folding gently being careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. The corn bread is done when the edges are lightly browned and the center feels firm. Variations: Jalapeño Cheddar - 2 jalapeños, diced and 1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar Maple Bacon - about 4oz (1/2 a normal pack) bacon, diced and cooked until crispy and ⅓ cup maple syrup Goat Cheese Corn - 4oz goat cheese, crumbled and 1 cup fresh or frozen corn Pumpkin Brown Sugar - substitute the brown sugar for granulated and add 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Mexican Corn Salad Corn might be the only food I eat only at the peak of its season – once you’ve had it there really is no going back and if that makes me a corn snob, I can live with it. But that means I have to really pack it in right now. I try to keep things interesting and change up how I shovel it into my mouth so here is my latest version. I love the presentation of this recipe on the cob but as I tend to get the creamy topping all over my face, I usually eat is as a salad. And that way you can mix in some tomatoes, peppers, or whatever else you have lying around. Not that you need more reasons to make this, but it is equally delicious cold or room temp as well as with grilled or raw corn. Happy Corn Season Y’al Mexican Corn Salad Serves: 8-10 servings Ingredients 2-3 tbl mayo 2-3 tbl plain greek yogurt ¾ cup grated parmesan (best if freshly grated by you or by the store) juice of 2 limes ½ tsp smoked paprika ¼ tsp cayenne ¼ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp black pepper cilantro for garnish 8-10 ears of corn, shucked optional additions: tomatoes peppers (like poblanos or anaheims...aka not too spicy) avocado Print Preparation Combine all of the ingredients, except the corn, in a bowl. Let sit 20-30 minutes at room temp or put in the fridge for up to a day. If making the corn to eat on the cob, grill or boil corn until done and top each with some of the dressing and chopped cilantro. If making a salad, grill corn or leave it raw and cut all of the kernels off the cob. Put in a bowl along with any of the additional ingredients mentioned above and toss with dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast