Necessity is the mother of invention.
For the past couple of months, I’ve been a staunch vegetarian. I’ve never really eaten much meat, so I naively thought that switching from eating a little meat to eating zero meat would be a cinch.
Well…I was wrong. (And I don’t admit that often. Just ask my boyfriend.)
Friends, I think I may have just fallen in love this year on Valentine’s Day. That’s right, I’m in love. I have fallen in love with the beautiful craft of baking. Especially cookies.
About a year ago, Leili gave me a cookie mix created by the amazing Ashley Rodriguez and from there I baked my first batch of perfect cookies. For months, I kept the empty container so I could read the ingredients and set out on my own to create my perfect cookies. I’ve concocted several recipes since that time and have had wonderful feedback, but I’m still chasing after more perfect cookies. Who doesn’t love a good cookie to sweeten up their day? (more…)
I might be late to the game on ramps, but better late than never with these beautiful, delicate plants. This is my first spring using them, and I am delightfully in love, but more on that later.
Let’s also talk about my love with chicken. Chicken. Chicken. Chicken. You can never go wrong with my first poultry love. I grew up in the city and have no access to a grill – this recipe is the next best thing. I wanted an almost burnt chicken packed with lots of flavor. Here, I used the sear-and-roast technique. Not quite the same, but definitely delicious and full of umami. (more…)
As the days are getting shorter, I’m kind of in a panic mode to get my summer bucket list out of the way. But that’s totally normal, right? Even as I’m writing this, I know I’ll never even out my tan lines in time for fall.
Fun fact: I go to the farmer’s market in Boston every week and each week they have something new and funky looking. Shishito peppers aren’t a new variety by any means, but I don’t cook them often because I only see them for so long. These small green peppers are fun to make since they can be prepared separately and consumed as a snack.
Another fun fact: These peppers are generally not spicy, but one out of ten peppers will surprise you and have you reaching for your closest glass of icy water. (That was also a warning for your taste buds.)
Open sesame! (more…)