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< 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

< all recipes Cucumber Avocado Soup This is possibly the easiest recipe I have ever made and one of my summer favorites. We are in the midst of California’s avocado season so get ‘em while they're hot!! Cucumber Avocado Soup Serves: 4-6 servings Ingredients 2 cucumbers, peeled and roughly cut 1 avocado 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup greek yogurt + 1/2 cup water) 2 large handfuls baby spinach (about 3 cups) 1 jalapeños, stem and seeds removed 1 lemon, juiced 2-3 tsp kosher salt 1-2 tsp pepper Print Preparation Combine all of the ingredients in a blender (or food processor if that is all you have, although it will not be as smooth as you might like). Blend until smooth and chill in the fridge before serving. 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 Potato Pizza I love the snackiness of this pizza. It feels elevated without being fussy and with steps that can all be done in advance it can come together easily within your schedule. Potato Pizza Serves: 1 13"x17" pizza Ingredients pizza dough: 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose or bread flour 1 1/4 teaspoons (5 grams) instant or active dry yeast 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar 2/3 cups (150 grams) room temperature water 4 teaspoons fine sea or table salt 6 to 8 (1 kilo) small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil About 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves Print Preparation pizza dough: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until well blended, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Continue on with making pizza or put dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 quart lukewarm water with salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Use a mandoline or your best sharpest knife to slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick), and put the sliced directly into the salted water, which prevents oxidation and also helps soften them so they cook up nicely. Lahey says to let them soak for 1 1/2 hours or up to 12 in the fridge overnight, but I was quite happy with my results after a 25 to 30 minute soak. Heat your oven to 500°F with a rack in the center. Brush either 1 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan or 2 9×13-inch quarter-sheet pans (shown) with olive oil. Divide your risen dough in half and use your fingertips, oiled or dusted with flour, to pull, stretch, nudge and press the dough across the bottom of the pan. The dough will be thin and imperfect. If holes form, just pinch them together. It’s all going to work out, promise. Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry on paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the potato slices with the onion, pepper, and olive oil. Spread this potato mixture over your dough, going all the way to the edges so that there’s no uncovered edge; put a bit more topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quickly. Sprinkle evenly with rosemary. Usually the salt the potatoes were soaked in is enough, but you can sprinkle more on if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is nicely bronzed underneath. Serve pizza hot 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