One thing about the stark landscape of deserts, is that locals are more prone to celebrate color when it does present itself. They are 100% present when a fiery sunset lights up the desert floor in a hue so ruddy, it's like you're standing on Mars. Or cactus blooms in canary yellow and hot pink, stark against the blue skies. This same reverence takes place when you are handed a plate of fresh, delicious food. You appreciate the work it took to get there.
For companies in the desert that wish to be sustainable, it's difficult to get cocktail garnishes beyond citrus (local) and jarred maraschino cherries (ubiquitous). Desert establishments that take their cocktails seriously use dried herbs and fruit, which still offer flavor and visual intrigue. In fact, the dried nature of these garnishes compliment the arid landscape.
In the desert, there's a lot of fresh mezcal and teuquila being poured, and patrons know the difference. Though both drinks derive from the agave plant, only tequila comes from the blue Weber agave. My cocktail featured dried lavender and blood organge slices, and was a delight.
Who says that roadtrippers need to subsist on gas station coffee? Yes, some gas stations have come a long way, but the International Coffee creamers make every brew taste the same. For a richer, espresso-based drink, do a little research. The Internet has proven there are more options than inethical chains such as Starbucks.
I found a gem in El Centro called Hope Cafe, draped in rainbow Slinkees and neon wall art. There was a whole room dedicated to superhero comics. Also? Delicious iced lattes in a variety of flavors. I opted for toasted marshmallow.
No road trip is authentic unless you taste local flavors. Those with true wanderlust avoid highway exits featuring the same fast food chains we see around the world. While these exits are life-savers if an adventurer needs gas or air in their tires, those in the know opt for taco stands and diners.
When that gets old, there are a few meccas for fine dining. For us, that meant an upscale Italian dinner in Palm Springs. We dressed to the nines and ate at Il Corso, and enjoyed beef carpaccio with capers, pictured above.
Is any road trip through the Southwest complete without sampling delicious Mexican food? If you want to feel like a native, eat like a native. I devoured a breakfast crepe featuring fired poblano peppers and a cojita cheese sauce.
The family-owned restaurant took pride in the playful twists on their menu. It expanded upon the Mexican classics they grew up with.
Below are lamb meatballs from Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel, my favorite stop on an unforgettable vacation. This road trip through the California desert made me realize I've only scratched the surface of what the desert has to offer. What may appear to be barren is bursting with life...and flavor.
]]>On this feast-for-a-martyred-saint-turned-Hallmark-holiday, we stay low key, but still celebrate one another. We loop in our only child as well. The three of us do the same thing every year: Put on our PJs, pick out a movie, and feast on take-out. My son picked the Barbie movie, my husband chose Thai, and I trotted out the homemade rum poundcake for dessert.
With crumbs still on my chin, I scribbled the recipe down on an index card where it sat for well over a decade. It's a family recipe, albeit not my own family. And no one said I couldn't share! The pudding mix makes the cake dense and moist, while the buttered rum topping makes it ..spirited! Best of all, there are no tricks. It's pretty easy to make. Here's a photo of me setting a romantic tone for movie night, with a vintage hand mixer on my hip.
My only advice is to use a nicer rum for this - if you use the cheapest rum in the store, the finish will be a little harsh.
Cake ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
Instructions
This is great to enjoy warmed up, or with a scoop of ice cream. My son was worried it would make him "drunk" and only ate half a slice. I did make the mistake of adding too much rum to the sauce, and now realize sublety is key. Regardless, my husband snatched his plate and finished off his slice too. It was that good.
]]>I first came across the term "mukbang" about five years ago. My friend Xenia loved watching mukbang videos out of Korea, the country of origin. By definition, mukbang is "a video, especially one that is live-streamed, that features a person eating a large quantity of food and addressing the audience."
Xenia stared at her phone, watching tiny women slurp mouthfuls of oily noodles and tear through pyramids of hot wings. Once, when we were out for Korean hot dogs, there was an epic cheese pull happening, and we both agreed that it was undeniably great content.
Xenia began posting mukbang videos herself. Naturally, I became curious about who would want to watch, and the motivations behind why people watch. Even Xenia had a hard time explaining her penchant for it. I read that since eating in Korea is a social tradition, those who live alone could have the feeling of community while they eat. Though there's a tinge of sadness to that, it's an uplifting service. At least, that was the original intention of mukbang videos. It's changed a lot. More on that in a moment.
The practice proliferated on social media, and other Asian countries, such as China, began to pick up on it. I've seen women in the countryside, standing in cultivated fields with cattle surrounding them, frying and eating giant balls of fried dough. They drag the dough, still dripping with oil, through spicy peppers in a bowl, and try to take a bite while piping hot. They pant through the pain, sucking in cold air and eating as quickly as they can.
In many videos, the filters make the women almost alien-like, with a triangle head and cartoonishly large eyes. Chins come to a point and there's just a slit for a mouth. Wearing bunny ears and Peter Pan collars to further infantilize themselves (the filters already eliminate every pore), they take hulking bites out of chimichangas, bear claw doughnuts, and curried stir fry.
Some Americans have jumped onto the trend, but it's dominated by big men coming home with a haul of fast food. They'd unwrap the items from every drive-thru they visited, then proceed to smash large quantities into their mouths so that they could barely chew.
Though mukbang's origins may have been intended for people to enjoy home meals more, the proliferation and variation of these videos opened this up to newer audiences. And they don't have the same motivation. According to the NIH, "Mukbang offers digital commensality, entertainment, a para-social effect, escapism from real-life issues, and the opportunity for sexual use. On the other hand, excessive use of mukbang has been linked to a wide variety of health problems, including obesity and eating disorders."
I know some of you out there were wondering if people watched these videos to get their kicks. While it is a bit of a fetish, the motivations are varied. Some people who are dieting and fantasizing about food watch these videos to live vicariously through the eater. There are myriad reasons people are tuning into these videos, and the NIH provides a pretty thorough breakdown in The Spectrum of Motivations Behind Watching Mukbang Videos and Its Health Effects on Its Viewers.
Though I'm no fan of the copious wet sounds, and do think the filtering is aggressive, I love seeing what foods they eat. There are chewy, glutinous noodles and slippery dumplings the size of a softball, filled with things I can only imagine. This isn't the stuff you can find at a Chinese or Korean restaurant, no matter how authentic. Maybe they create these over-the-top dishes for the purpose of making mukbang videos. Maybe there's a whole world of flavor we're still missing from the wild, wild East.
Aside from wondering what heavenly dishes they are consuming, I guess there is a part of me that feels wonder at watching someone eat mouthful after mouthful of pure carbs with reckless abandon. Sigh.
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]]>In the winter, sweaters feel cozy against the blustery air. And they provide amazing cover as we indulge in comfort food. Cold weather means soup season, a warm hearth from baking bread, and finishing off all the sweets piled upon you throughout the holidays. In my home, it's Harry & David's Milk Chocolate Cherries and Terry's Milk Chocolate Oranges. You should be writing this down.
The drizzly, gray days dare us not to hibernate. To crawl under weighted blankets and watch romantic comedies. In the spirit of hygge, let's celebrate the hearty meals that make us feel warm and fuzzy.
Here are a few of mine:
Some moms crank open a can of chicken noodle soup when their kids fall ill, but mine would trot me out to a dimly-lit Vietnamese restaurant. We'd sit in a quiet corner and slurp bowls of pho. The silky beef broth is boiled for hours, providing a beautifying dose of collagen. The fresh basil and cilantro make it feel like an herbal concoction. As I got older, I'd drop in chili crunch to clear my sinuses.
Over the years, my pho consumption was for different remedies. In college, my girlfriends and I would get pho to cure hangovers. Pair it with Vietnamese drip coffee, and it's the perfect remedy. Now it not only helps when I have a cold, but it's a pure bowl of comfort on a cold, dreary day. It fortifies you against the elements.
My childhood home always emanated the scent of garlic, and I mean that in a good way. We'd enter the front door to the heavenly smell of roasted lamb, buttery rice, and fava beans simmering in lemon juice and garlic. My mother used fresh parsley from her flower pots on the deck to make tabbouleh salad. She kicked the whole thing up a notch by adding cilantro and Thai basil from her garden- not commonly used in Palestinian cuisine. It was the tangiest, zestiest salad you ever did have.
Unfortunately, my favorite Palestinian foods are a labor of love; vegetables stuffed with lamb and rice. Specifically, rolled cabbage leaves and cored mini eggplants. I'll still take stuffed squash and rolled grape leaves - but there's a hierarchy. Since preparing these dishes is often an all-day, communal family event, I go for the easy classics. A bowl of hummus with extra garlic, or if I'm feeling spritely like my mother, I'll blend in cilantro and Thai basil. This twist gives it that fresh, herbal flavor and green color. I'll warm up the pita bread before dragging it through the bowl. I'll pull out extra virgin olive oil, dip my bread in it, then dip that into a bowl of zaatar. Classic childhood memories.
On our honeymoon, Robert and I roamed the streets of Florence looking for a restaurant that served fettuccine Alfredo. I knew it was an American iteration of an Italian dish, but I had no idea it was so far removed from Italian life that they didn't even serve it to tourists as a ploy. We may not have found a place, but we did realize we were walking behind actor Jeffrey Tambor enjoying a gelato.
You can't deny that a bowl of Alfredo is pure comfort. But it's more of my husband's preference, as I sometimes liken it to adult mac and cheese. I prefer a good spaghetti bolognese with too much garlic (kidding - no such thing) and red peppers to give it that arrabbiata heat.
Whatever gives you comfort and sticks to your ribs, indulge in it now and then. It's one of the perks of wearing those big cozy sweaters. And this perk will be over before you know it; once we hit Valentine's Day, we're halfway to spring.
]]>Now, I am not going to provide a strict recipe because you don’t need one. Just keep the shrooms in your fridge, and when it’s time to make stuffed mushrooms, there are a few simple things to remember. And it's not ingredients or measurements.
You didn't think I was going to leave you hanging, did you? No sir. I am all about flavor and I love a good theme. Below I've listed some tasty filling combinations, and gave them a name. Because why not?
Remember, no need to worry about measurements. You can taste as you go, until you think the filling is delicious. If you are adding meat, cook it first. It won't dry out in the creamy base.
The Positano: Chopped mushrooms, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, finely-chopped garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, dried basil (and if you'd like to kick it up a notch, marjoram and thyme) and a splash (or many) of marinara or other tomato-based pasta sauce.
The Omaha: Chopped mushrooms, Colby or American cheese, caramelized onions, a dash of ketchup, a dash of A-1 or Worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper, a little sour cream, chopped garlic (or garlic powder).
The Shanghhai: Chopped mushrooms, cream cheese, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, soy sauce, white pepper (black if you need to), oyster sauce, chopped garlic, crushed peanuts, and crushed sichuan peppercorn (it temporarily makes your mouth tingly - but it's fun, and a unique flavor)
La Cuernavaca: Chopped mushrooms, Mexican blend cheese (or cream cheese-works in all dishes), diced onions, cumin, chili powder, chopped cilantro, chopped pickled jalapeno, and lime juice
I say this a lot, but have fun with it. I never make sure I have certain ingredients lined up before I endeavor cooking stuffed mushrooms. I relish the challenge of making it delicious using whatever is left in the fridge. Most of the time it's cream cheese, cilantro, chopped onions and a sprinkle of Panko.
There are so many iterations. Have fun with it. As long the filling is tasty, it's a sure thing.
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We've come a long way since karaoke machines, which were quite limited. Now, YouTube has every song in every language for karaoke, complete with the lyrics. My husband got a mic, an LED-lined speaker, and we streamed YouTube through our TV. Along with dimmed lights and a disco ball, it was a pretty sweet set-up!
But what's a party without good food and drink? Though Sarah wasn't the hostess, it's damn near impossible to take the hostess out of her. She came with a glass bottle filled with a pre-made bourbon cocktail, and homemade candy bacon. It was crisp and addictive with its coating of brown sugar and maple syrup. She's such a Southern belle at heart. I also discovered that her bourbon cocktail and bacon went together like peanut butter and chocolate.
With all that Sarah does for others, she deserved that same level of hospitality.
Most people take fruity Jell-O packets and mix them with vodka, plain and simple. No complaints there. But if you are interested in a WOW factor, things that make Jell-O shots gourmet include:
I made three different types of gourmet Jell-O shots. These included:
A Cosmopolitan Jell-O shot
I accented the top with zested lemon. A lime would have been better, due to the color contrast and authenticity. But knowing how to improvise in the kitchen is vital for cooking and hosting! Recipe
A White Russian Jell-O shot
I wanted to go for a more sophisticated clear-gel-like layer, and maybe one day I can perfect it on my own, but all the recipes I found online used vanilla pudding. It was still delicious, and strong. Perhaps the strongness was due to the fact that I used less Cool Whip, and it's not a complaint. It was already quite dessert-like! I topped this with crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans. Had I enough beans for every shot, I would have served them whole. Recipe
A Spiked Cherry Lime Rickey Jell-O shot
This one took a total of six hours, because it was layered! In between each layer, you have to wait two hours, so that it may cool and set in the fridge. Otherwise, when you pour over the next warm layer, it's becomes a swirled mess. Now, the secret to a vibrant shot is to have a white layer in between - it makes the colors pop! I used a layer in the middle of sweetened condensed milk mixed with gelatin. I don't have an exact recipe because I winged this with cherry and lime Jell-O, but this recipe is nearly a replica. Recipe
We slurped down shots, sang our favorite songs and nibbled on the spread throughout the night. Though I estimate that 50% of our friends didn't show up, (everyone is sick right now), it was a great time.
Happy birthday, Sarah!
]]>My husband is a dedicated cookbook guy. He’ll see a sack of potatoes in the pantry and pull a couple of cookbooks out, perusing with a cup of coffee like he’s about to embark on a culinary journey. Which he actually does. He makes the best homemade kimchi I’ve ever had, and I grew up in D.C.’s Koreatown. He follows recipes, substituting as needed. There are mostly hits, a few misses. The pages with the hits are doggy-eared and speckled with tomato sauce and olive oil.
Come to think of it, maybe he wasn’t really trying to bring me back to the cookbook side, like I was pre-internet. He may have been buying them for himself the whole time. He does that sometimes. But I can’t complain – this week he made a knockout potato dish with preserved lemon, onions, and capers – Mediterranean heaven.
All this to say, I used to refer to cookbooks all the time. Then Instagram came along, with those fast-paced cooking videos and seductive cheese pulls. My husband would call it the low hanging fruit – but I was all in. Some recipes don’t require cooking. In fact, I have a PSA: Hot Cheetos and pickles are divine. I saw a video of a woman slicing giant pickles into discs, and dropping them into a bag of Hot Cheetos that she had crushed into a powder. You could see the flavor explosion in her reaction, and my son and I couldn’t wait to try it. We cannot get enough.
I saw another trend picking up. Pureeing roasted red peppers into a sauce, then pouring over pasta. I've always liked roasted red peppers, thanks to Trader Joe's products from the early aughts (they put them in everything). I tried the trend. It was pretty good. But through experimentation, I realized the recipe I tried was a little plain, so I added garlic and saffron. Now it's a must-try! The dish is so simple, that you may only need to see this recipe once. You’ll just get it.
It’s a comfort food that feels healthy. You’re eating vegetables, but not for the sake of eating vegetables. It’s fresh, with a depth of flavor. And a steaming bowl on a cold winter’s day really hits the spot.
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According to Civil War historians, hungry Union soldiers raided the pantries of confederate families. They left behind the the peas and salt pork because it wasn't for human consumption. Those peas and the salt pork fed the confederate families, keeping them alive. This is how black eyed peas developed the reputation for good luck.
Instead of a humble dish on New Year's Day, you can incorporate black eyed peas into your New Year's Eve spread. Try making a dip with them, with plenty of garlic and cheese. I found this recipe, which almost seems like a Mexican queso dip rendition, with green chiles and onions.
In ancient Greece, hanging a bag of onions on your door was meant to symbolize growth and rebirth. Greeks realized that onions would sprout even when they were left alone. It was the ultimate sign for luck and fertility, and now in modern times, onions are consumed for good luck. Why not celebrate this traditon with air fryer onion rings?
With a color that resembles a vibrant heart which symbolizes life and fertility, and plentiful seeds representing prosperity, pomegranates are highly regarded as a good luck food. The tradition for New Year's Eve is to throw pomegranates on the ground, and the more they pop open, the more abundance your home will have. Personally, I think it's a waste of food and can create vicious stains. I say just eat them. They are my favorite topping on frozen yogurt. And they are heaven in the traditional Palestinian dip muhammara.
Dumplings are considered lucky in Chinese tradition becaue they resemble pouches filled with money and coins. Dumplings symbolize both prosperity and longevity, and they are the perfect cozy treat for chilly January weather. If you lay out a spread of dumplings, create a dipping sauce that is equal parts soy sauce and sesame, and if you're feeling adventurous, a dollop of chili crunch. For aesthetics, circle the dumplings in a round dish with the dipping sauce at the center of the plate, and dust the plate with sesame seeds.
In Spain and parts of Latin America, twelve green grapes are eaten at the stroke of midnight. The tradition is meant to ward off bad luck. Newspaper articles suggest that the tradition started in the 1880s, when Madrid's bourgeoisie copied the French tradition of eating grapes and drinking Champagne on the last day of the year. Whether you eat your grapes directly, or sip them in the form of Champagne, it sounds like a deliciously decadent way to ring in 2024.
Here's to a new year filled with health and happiness!
]]>Maximalist Christmases can manifest themselves in different ways. TV stations will marathon holiday movies. One station in particular plays A Christmas Story on a loop! But the most obvious examples are homes that go overboard with holiday lights. You just have to stop and admire it, and endure listening to dads chuckle about the electric bills. They have to say something about the electric bill. It's a dad thing.
For me, it's baking. My friend Kristy and I start out with a couple of favorites on baking day. I always lean on my classic pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and she loves a buttery fudge. But since the oven is warm and the kitchen is dusted in flour, we figure, why stop there?
We go off the rails until my banquet-sized dining table is covered with sweets. We marathon Christmas movies and rummage through our pantries for coconut flakes, peanut butter, popcorn - anything. I always have marshmallows and cereal on hand, so there's an annual Rice Krispies Treat-adjacent dessert - nearly any cereal will do.
Other maximalists decorate their Christmas trees to the point where you can't see any greenery. Ladles and Linens owner Sarah Nicholas has multiple Christmas trees in her home - all with a different theme. And in a strictly Richmond tradition, folks love to "Picasso" a tree - picking out one tree in the yard and draping it in a ridiculous mish mash of different lights. The end result? Merry and bright.
When I entertain for the holidays, the maximalist tends to come out. Why have one type of ketchup for the tots when you can have three - spicy, curry and regular? Why simply serve sugar cookies, when you can have a cookie decorating station with all the fixings? Why let guests leave empty-handed when you can send each of them home with a hot toddie (pictured top)?
My friend Kim knows her home will be completley trashed when the party is over, so why not lean into it? Everyone is allowed to bring their pets! She glides around all night with a freshly-popped bottle of Champagne (or "Champers" as she likes to call it), topping everyone off. She's been known to do this regardless of what the guests are drinking. Anyone can crash at her place if they overindulge, and overindulging may have something to do with these poor quality photos! By 3 a.m. friends can be found snuggling with their dogs on a chaise or couch, and the floor is sticky with Champagne.
While I do love an elegant Christmas, and a pared-down Swedish look, Christmas is just plain crazy. The floor is strewn with pine needles and errant pieces of wrapping paper, and the kids are running around on too much sugar. Try to embrace it. And happy holidays!
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Just last week I posted about creating nooks in your home for partygoers - inviting little spaces where guests can enter for quiet time, or to participate in an activity. At Sarah's Tipsy & Toasty party, she did this... times 100. There were Christmas trees in every room, all with a different theme. There was a fully-stocked bar in every room, complete with cocktail set-ups, mixers and ice, placed ahead of time for guests to create their own drinks. Holiday music was piped in throughout the home. Trays of home-baked goods were everywhere.
Partygoers drank from golden goblets, and the delicious spread sat on trays lined in gold. Stacks of full-sized candy bars on the table gave the feeling of decadence. Leaning the holiday theme, Sarah converted a wheel of brie into the face of Jolly old Saint Nick. She molded soft cheese and cured olives into little Christmas trees.
But I'll let the pictures do the talking. See for yourself what an impeccable hostess she is, and how happy everyone was to be there.
Happy holidays!
]]>Unlike Clark Griswold, I'll never be able to host Christmas at my house. My husband and I live far from our families, and we have no relatives in Richmond. Alas, we are relegated to long distance drives on 95, fueled by coffee at Wawa. Only one time we were able to enjoy the holidays at home - but it's because we contracted COVID-19. We made the most of it - especially since none of us lost our sense of taste. We ordered in mountains of Thai and sushi, and binge watched holiday movies in our pajamas. It was nice. But it would have been better if we could have shared this memory with our families.
Even Christmas parties can be touch and go. There's only a handful of weekends before Christmas, and when we hosted our Christmas party, were competing with multiple parties every weekend. In fact, my friends and I would coordinate when we were hosting parties, so not to miss out and divide mututal friends. At the end of the day though, many couldn't make it, and a lot of the people who did stop by had to make a cameo before they were off to the next one.
All this to say, I really wish I could host Christmas at our home in Richmond. But as a seasoned hostess and serial house guest to both my family and my in-laws during the holidays, I have some insider/outsider tips on how to host the best holiday gathering at your home.
It doesn't just cut down on your heating bill - it creates a magical space for people gather. If it's wood-burning, have kids go outside and hunt for pine cones, where they glow like orange grenades. You can even have a little s'mores station set up on the side. But if pets are around, be sure to secure the goods under a cake dish.
One thing I love about visiting my in-laws, is that their house is set up for introverts who may need to hide away for a bit. But rather than coming across as anti-social, there are plenty of nooks and rooms that are lit up to make people feel welcome. There's a music room with a piano and instruments, a library, a greenhouse with koi and a garden - even an observatory.
Opening up different parts of your home to guests allows them to take a breather when discussions get heated, or when they need to check work emails. Put out a puzzle, have a hot cocoa station in the kitchen, stack a display of board games in the den, start a bonfire out back. Sometimes the crush of all being together in one room is a lot.
What could be more comforting than snuggling on the couch in your PJs, watching Kevin McAllister give robbers a run for their money? In our home, when we have movie night, everyone must put on their PJs. You should institute the same rules for your houseguests. They won't regret it! Especially when you bring out hot buttered popcorn and weighted blankets. Light a few candles and dim the lights. If guests are coming to visit on movie night but aren't sleeping over, at least give them the option to come in PJs. You'd be surprised by how many people will take you up on it!
Another ground rule: classics only. A lot of bad holiday movies get churned out every year, and they do have their place, but for movie night - classics only. I'm talking National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story - you get the idea.
Nothing smells more inviting than warm sugar, so kill two birds with one stone by baking something. It's an extra snack for guests that makes your home smell like heaven. Also? People love activities, or the option of participating in an activity when staying at someone's home. If you bake chocolate chip cookies, there will always be a kid or two that wants to help, and sneak in some cookie dough. You'll always get adults who are content to sit on the couch and wait to sample the goods. But whether you are baking chocolate chip cookies, or building a gingerbread house, it's a great way to give people something to do, and something to eat.
These are but a few tips and tricks on how you can make your home magical for the holidays. Think about the times you have been a guest in another person's home, and the things you wish were available to you. Then do those things for others. For all of you hosting out there who may be stressed about it, know that there are people like me out there who are jealous of you!
Happy holidays.
]]>When people are out at parties, they tend to be more adventurous. Maybe it’s the wine or the festive setting, but guests don’t treat it like they’re grocery shopping. And while the idea of mini beef Wellingtons sounds incredible, (because it is), not everyone has the time to craft them while simultaneously doing the other 50 things that haven’t been done yet. I would know. I made one big beef Wellington and that alone was an ordeal.
You want something that makes guests feel special, but it needs to be easy. Cream cheese logs, though thay sound like a campy 1960s appetizer, are a crowd-pleaser. Also they might have been campy 1960s appetizers. And they could not be any easier to make.
The prep is beyond easy – the only thing that changes between recipes are the mix-ins.
Here's the basic prep:
But have fun with it! Check your fridge to see what will go well together. I love the challenge of using what I have - it forces me to be creative. There are so many variations, like:
It's not that turkey tastes bad. To me, it's just missing that special something. There are all kinds of tricks to getting the most flavor out of this slightly gamier bird. My husband likes to soak it in brine, to make sure the salt penetrates the flesh. It brings out flavor in parts of the bird that normally taste bland without skin attached to it. My father-in-law likes to deep fry it to seal in the juice. Maybe it's just my penchant for zestier flavors, but I do think turkey could use a little oomph.
Who's to say we need to stick to the pilgrim recipe year after year? I saw an episode of Modern Family where Claire served an Indian-themed take on Thanksgiving dinner. I thought it sounded brilliant. Imagine a tandoori turkey with aloo gobi potato stuffing and mint chutney in place of gravy. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Tandoori turkey
This recipe has a high rating with 56 reviews, so it's safe to say it's a crowd-pleaser. Aloo gobi is an easy-to make potato curry, which would be great for the stuffing. It's used quite a bit in samosas, though samosas have a variety of different stuffings. A little mint chutney, some basmati rice, and curried veggies, and you've got a Thanksgiving packed with flavor!
With gualillo peppers to give it a deep flavor, and lemon to give it tang, it's no surprise that this recipe has a five star review.
Guajillo peppers are commonly found in Latinx markets and in the ethnic section of regular grocery stores. They are dried and placed in clear bags, and are a nice deep red. Rather than just offering heat, they provide a depth of flavor simiar to tomato paste. My husband buys guajillo peppers and makes the paste in bulk. It makes a uncommonly tasty marinade for chicken and roasts. If you're a fan of homemade popcorn like I am, a teaspoon of this with coconut oil and butter in a pot will spice up the whole batch!
With some Spanish rice, grilled bell peppers, torillas and refried beans, this feast will feel beyond festive. I'd serve this meal along with my son's favorite Mexican drink, horchata. You can even spike this creamy, cinnamony drink with rum, for the adults at the table!
With a 5-star rating and nearly 50 reviews, you can't go wrong with this Southern twist on turkey. With a little heat and a lot of Southern comfort, you can round out this dish with a cornbread stuffing, smoky collard greens with fresh ham, and fried okra.
If you want to go with a down-home Louisiana theme, play some Zydeco and serve it with sweet potatoe pie, pecan pie, or in a perfect world - both!
Traditionalists may never deviate from the classic recipes, but should they feel a little adventurous, they can always experiement after Thanksgiving. And if there are post-holiday sales on turkeys, that just may be the nudge they need.
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
]]>Except now I'm a parent, and though I know how protective these kids are about their collection, I know this: They will live. And in most cases, not even notice. That being said, I buy extra candy every year so that I never worry about running out, and .....juuuust in case I have some left over, it's the good stuff. And since I live in a neighborhood where children come in by the busload from other parts of the city, it's a lot of candy.
I make sure the top of my bag is filled with the stuff I like the least, and the bottom layer holds my favorites, so should we not give away all we bought, we are left with the good stuff. But this year? We ran out of candy - every little piece.
Lucky for me, I know of an amazing treat that won't have me running to my son's stash whenever I crave something sweet. It's sweet, healthy, and only 6 ingredients. Let's call them...chocolate chia fruit bites? Ugh...I'll workshop that name. But in the meantime, they are delicious and packed with protein from chia, so they they're satusfying. Take that, Snickers!
These tangy, chocolaty treats are now going to be a staple in my freezer. I am going to play around with other types of berries (next stop: blueberries), and I even saw online that you can mix yogurt in with the strawberry-chia mix to switch up the flavor profile.
Enjoy, and hope you had a wonderful Halloween!
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But of course, we welcome it. Wealthy children in the Victorian era would be given an orange at Christmas – an expensive treat from an exotic land. And all that Vitamin C comes in handy through flu season. It is a pendulum that swings. When chillier weather comes, we put aside the fruit salads and herbal cocktails from summer. We pull out the slow cooker. We eat roasts and soup with crusty bread. And this goes on for a bit...until citrus hits its peak in early winter. Then the pendulum swings again and we start looking for a little tang. It’s probably instinctual - humans craving tang to fight off scurvy.
There’s a delicious go-to that I whip up whenever I need a little zest in cold weather. It’s not dependent upon seasonal summer fruits, like peaches or watermelon. Pineapple is delicious in the winter, and is the base of this recipe – I’m not sure if we categorize it as a salad or salsa. It’s sweet, herbal, spicy, fruity – and has that tang.
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Instructions
As with any recipe, you can make tweaks, depending on what’s in the fridge. Or how adventurous you’re feeling. Jicama is a great replacement for radishes. A squeeze of sriracha can replace jalapeno in a pinch. And you can switch the cilantro for mint or basil, which will really change the flavor profile.
As we descend into chillier weather, I still plan on indulging in garlic mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables. But when I crave a little tang, a few fresh ingredients can go a long way. No cooking required.
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But Martha Stewart I’m not, so I don’t bake as often as I’d like. And since I hate to waste food, I have to get crafty with that second half of the pumpkin puree. Turns out, it’s incredibly useful to have in the kitchen.
For better or for worse, pumpkin is really bland in flavor. The thing that makes pumpkin spice is in the name: spice. Without it, it’s a pretty bland gourd. But it’s thick and creamy, and can be a great addition to so many dishes. Like chicken, it’s mild flavor can take on whatever seasonings it’s cooked with.
The other night, I was sauteing portobella mushrooms with garlic and onions. A pretty classic combination, and I was hoping to toss in the gnocchi I had just made. But the mix seemed dry and choppy, even with added butter, cream and olive oil. I needed to cook the mushrooms down, but didn’t have any broth or white wine. Adding more oil or butter would have made it too greasy. On a whim, I reached for the half-filled can of pumpkin puree, and just wow.
The dish instantly thickened and became creamy. The puree took on the flavors of the garlic and onion, and the mushrooms had a hearty coating to cook in. This opened my mind to endless possibilities, and I have listed them below.
Curry: Use pumpkin puree to thicken up a tomato or cashew-based curry sauce. If you’re entertaining, it’s a great base to stretch the dish out for more helpings.
Thicken up stew, soup, or chili: Like I had mentioned, the puree will take on any flavor.
Replacement for oil: In a recipe, you can switch pumpkin puree for oil, in equal parts. So if the recipe calls for a cup of oil, you can use a cup of puree in it’s place.
Replacement for butter: Like oil, puree can substitute for butter. Only in this case, the measurement is ¾ to one cup. If a recipe calls for a cup of butter, use ¾ cup of puree in its place.
Poppin’ topper: Mix leftover pumpkin puree with a dash of maple syrup and pumpkin spice mix (or a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger….and the teeeeeniest pinch of clove) and stir. Dollop this on top of your yogurt, and add some chopped walnuts for crunch.
Homemade PSL: Take the same mix from above, add in some cream (or half & half – I’m a purist myself) and pour it into your coffee for a homemade pumpkin spice pick-me-up.
Smoothies: Add some to a smoothie for extra calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Mac & cheese: Make your mac & cheese that much creamier, not to mention the nutrients you are adding.
Oatmeal: With a dash of cinammon, pumpkin puree would liven up your bowl of oats.
Crock pot: Sometimes you need more juice or broth in the slow cooker, or something to thicken things up. This puree works in a pinch!
For the doggo: If you happen to buy a bag of dog food that your pup is not impressed with, a dollop of leftover pumpkin puree will at least make the texture more interesting - not the same old same old. And who knows? With their sensitive sense of smell, they may be able to pick up subtle flavors we cannot.
And when in doubt, freeze! It keeps up to a year if well-sealed.
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This long-awaited season can very well have a little fizz and tang, but there's something about autumn that drives us toward comfort. Warm cinnamon, smoky bourbon, sweet maple - even a warm cocktail to combat the nip in the air.
Unlike other years where fall just sneaks up on you, this year the season feels long-awaited. The heat has dragged on for so long, that it didn't feel right piling pumpkins onto porches in September - not when temps were in the nineties. We had to hold out for that first rainy spell. The one that brings a chill in the morning, telling us summer's beginning to give up her fight.
Now here we are, our pumpkins runneth over. We're breaking out the cableknit sweaters and sipping on PSLs. Let's ring in autumn with some seasonal cocktails.
This recipe's ingredients consist of all things we already have at home, save for pear brandy, which you can buy, and pear nectar. But seeing as how stores are overflowing with ripe, sweet pears this time of year, just juice it.
Ingredients
Instructions
Ingredients
Instructions
I loved being served a meal where the colors of the rainbow were on full display. An instinct kicks in, telling me that I am getting my nutrients. But it was the mix of fresh flavors, how every ingredient fired up a different set of taste buds, that made the meal so delectable.
Pictured up top, the nachos were dusted with sumac for tang, the heat of the chili crisp and peppers were tempered with a cool cucumber yogurt. The feta cheese was whipped for spreadbility. The greens were local. The hummus was homemade. It was very clear that the chefs took pride in this dish.
When nachos are shared, it becomes a board game of sorts. It wouldn’t be this way were the nachos served in a more democratic way, such as flat on a tray so that each chip gets equal billing (pictured above). Usually they are piled high on a plate, with the top chips getting drenched and the bottom chips a boneyard. Hence the board game aspect. When the plate is brought to the table, everyone eyes the cheesiest grabs and optimum toppings. I’m a sucker for pickled jalapenos. Then there’s the nacho etiquette. Don’t grab a prime chip if it’s on the other side. If you peel off a cheesy piece that’s positively loaded, and everyone else’s options are joyless, you pretend that you couldn’t possibly eat all of that on your own, as if your mouth shrunk, and let some drip off into the Sahara.
I say we move toward serving nachos flat, even if it takes up more table space. Make sure every chip gets some love. I also say we should switch things up a bit. Like those glorious Persian nachos at Lemon Press, who’s to say we shouldn’t further branch out from the traditional Mexican dish? Side note: It’s not the most traditional Mexican food – Anthony Bourdain visited Mexico and got the back story for one of his shows.
Italian nachos: Mozzarella, crumbled Italian sausage, chopped pepperoni, green peppers, onions and tomato sauce, dusted with oregano and basil
Korean nachos: Chopped bulgogi, spring onions, kimchi, pickled daikon, crumbled seaweed strips, drizzle of sesame, dash of soy sauce, and dusted with toasted sesame seeds
Indian nachos: Vindaloo sauce, seared paneer cheese cubes, chick peas, onions and mint chutney
Greek nachos: Taziki, crumbled feta, black olives, onions, shaved lamb, diced tomato, cucumber
Japanese nachos: Chopped sashimi, spring onions, crispy seaweed strips, seaweed salad strands, wasabi cream sauce, soy sauce, and dusted with toasted sesame seeds
A few of you may scoff at some of these options. But I’d snatch up every single one of these dishes if I saw them on the menu. Everyone loves nachos – why not branch out? And if you ever find yourself in Nantucket, don’t miss the Persian Nachos at Lemon Press.
]]>My bread-less quarantine was not for a lack of trying; at grocery stores the flour shelves lay almost bare. To some, it was doomsday prepping. To others, a TikTok trend to piggyback on. With so many stores and restaurants closed, I suspected that some crafty people put together a side hustle. But rather than shop around, I just shrugged and grabbed a baguette.
I was a little intimidated by the yeast situation anyway. The mixing and the waiting for it to rise. It seemed bizarre. Sure, it’s got a hint of science experiment to it, but why should I assume it’s too difficult for me? Baking is a very delicate balance of science and art, but maybe I was too worried about optics. Even a baking mistake, texture or height-wise, will likely not take away the deliciousness of the outcome.
Lately I have been thinking about foccacia. Specifically, a foccacia bun on a fast food burger on the West Coast. I know what you’re thinking. Fast food foccacia? Readers, trust me. There was something about this limited edition menu item that opened me up to this type of bread. The chewy texture, the fluffy air pockets – it was sublime. Since then, I’ve been better able to appreciate this Italian bread. I like the way it glistens with high-quality olive oil, and it tasted a lot like holy bread. Holy bread is delicious, and not just because it was the only morsel of food we got all morning after sitting through a long sermon.
Normally I share a recipe, and while I did bake and enjoy the focaccia for this story, I’m still on my journey to find the best one. When I’m blown away, you’ll know about it.
Like me, you should join the hunt for the perfect recipe and explore with the endless toppings. Though I lean toward a more savory bread, many Italians bake fruit into their focaccia! I’m not just talking about the usual suspects; they use grapes. Grapes! Whatever toppings tickle your fancy, be sure to find a recipe that sees your focaccia filled with airy bubbles, a chewy texture, and always use a high-quality olive oil.
And if you’ve found the perfect focaccia recipe, sharing is caring!
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Back then, not many strayed from PBJs or bologna and cheese sandwiches. Heathy sides were almost universally apples or carrot sticks, and the "cool" parents would throw in a package of Little Debbie something. It was very Americana, very predictable.
But times have changed. I've watched Instagram videos where doting mothers create amazing bento box lunches with dumplings and dipping sauce. Parents (and their kids) are getting pretty sophisticated! Here are a few tips to put a little love in the lunch box.
There's something so satisfying about the little, tidy compartments. Contents don't smash together, the flavors stay pure, and it really shows off the variety of foods you packed, giving the feeling of abundance. Kids love choices. A bento box is definitely worth the hype.
You can surprise your kids with a bit of whimsy by using cookie cutters to stamp out, say, little sandwiches, or slices of watermelon. You can use star shapes, little circles - whatever your kid is into. Don't worry about food waste, everyone knows that parents graze while preparing food, and we can nibble the little edges that get cut off!
If your kid is a picky eater, lunch is a good time to force your hand. This may sound cruel, but it works to help tease your child out of habits, such as refusing to try new food. I don't suggest filling the entire lunch bag with oddities, because they may choose hunger over eating. And no one wins in that scenario. But if they have a nice lunch with familiar foods, but you've introduced a new, enticing item that would make them feel more full, they just may take the plunge. In a cafeteria, they can't rely on a stocked kitchen where a parent waits on them hand and foot. And if they are picky, they are likely surrounded by more adventurous eaters in the lunchroom, who would normalize and encourage them to eat, say, asparagus spears or guacamole.
Our favorite foods and guilty pleasures seem to come in the same shades of tan and brown. Bread, pasta, cookies, etc. A color check is a good indicator that you need a variety of nutrients in your lunch. Some blueberries for reduced inflammation, sugar snap peas for vitamin K, orange slices for vitamin C, and so on.
This is pretty self-explanatory. But every so often, slip in a note of encouragement, specific to their insecurities or anxieties, should any exist. Otherwise, let them know how amazing they are.
Here's to a great school year!
]]>Pardon my tantrum, but it's not fair. It's hot outside, the pool is open and the peaches on my tree are so heavy, the branches stretch to the ground. Back-to-school can wait until next week, because these peaches are bringing real joy into our household and I want to savor it. We're all sticky chins and fingers - that's how sweet this year's crop was. But everyone that grows food knows there's a small window where the yield can be so high, you just can't keep up.
It's a blessing really. Some prefer canning, others like to pickle. But in the late summer, what could be more delicious than peach cobbler, fresh from the yard? It's quite literally the fruit of my labor, no thanks to those pesky but gorgeously iridescent Japanese beetles. I have the ooziest, bubbliest, most delicious recipe - one where even the breading competes with the fruit because of its buttery, chewy edges.
I got the recipe from Daphne Oz, who got it from a popular recipe online - origin unknown. But it's pretty simple!
Filling
Crust
Just look at those browned edges. chewy like the corner of a brownie, buttery like toffee. Enjoy these last, sweet days of summer. You deserve it.
]]>These nuggets of wisdom are so random, it's a joke trying categorize them. I mean "garbage disposal wisdom" - did I actually write that? Let the randomness commence...
There’s more, but perhaps this should be a series. Do you have a hack you’d like me to know about? Please share, and I’ll mention you by name in the post when I share tips. Unless you don't want your name associated with...garbage disposal wisdom.
]]>I'll workshop that later. The point is, I was blown away. I walked into a wonderland of dishes cooked to perfection and laid out beautifully. I was encouraged to sample to my heart's desire. I told myself I would try something from each table. I would sample one tiny thing, and keep it moving. I barely got through half.
The room was filled with top-notch caterers known in Richmond, such as Mosaic; those classy purveyors of pimiento cheese that may or may not come from actual heaven. But restaurants that offer catering participated too. From down-home BBQ establishments like Deep Run Roadhouse to a family-run Salvadorean restaurant, the choices were endless.
I thought I was attending solely to enjoy a feast, but I walked away with a few lessons. And if you like to entertain, pretty valuable lessons at that.
You can make plain food look extravagant with just a few tweaks. I'll pick something plain, something we use as filler. Like baked beans. All you would need to do to make the tray of beans look more special is to add a splash of color or texture in the middle. Say, a small pile of finely-chopped cilantro, with a hand-sized fried chicharron sticking out up top. It would be a dramatic display, but a tray of beans nonetheless.
Perhaps it's because I'm a mother to a nine-year-old, but a lot of our guests are picky eaters. Some are so rigid, they bring their own food. We all know people who go to Japanese restaurants but only eat the California rolls and Teriyaki, but most diners want us to color outside the lines. They aren't in their own kitchen, and are looking for a new experience.
They are "catered" to with fun iterations of classic dishes. Like tacos filled with pork belly, rather than the usual ground beef (for Tex-Mex) or carne asada (for real Mexican) flavor. Or the taco shell would be a Vietnamese bun, rather than a corn tortilla.
People have gotten pampered, and now they expect a certain level of ease when approaching a food spread. Must they pick up a plate and use large serving utensils to dole out portions? Worse, they have to carry a cumbersome plate and a fork? How can they hold their drinks?
The drama of it all! This party had ceviche served in large spoons (pictured above), so the whole dish can slide down the hatch. Your other hand is free for cocktails. The tacos were laid out on serving trays that made them stand up. You could pick up a ready-made snack and keep walking. It's all about ease.
I saw cups filled with what I thought was pimento cheese and crackers (pictured above). But I found the unexpected: sugar cookies sitting upright in a cup of sweet dip made of Butterfinger candy. But whether or not you would find this disappointing, the takeaway is how easy it was made for grazers: All portioned in one clear cup, ready to go.
Unless I am hosting a sit-down dinner, I will take these nuggets of wisdom and put them into consideration. These guys are on the front lines every day, doing the research for low-key hosts like me.
Just kidding about the low-key part. I said EXTRAVAGANZAH! for goodness' sake.
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Sure, in the states, we'll squeeze some on our salad or fish, but why stop there? The Greeks use a squeeze to give zing to kabobs, rice, and potatoes. In fact, parsley, lemon and olive oil are a trifecta of goodness with potatoes - and you can enjoy it cold or hot.
I love a good charcuterie board, but sometimes cheese is a lot more interesting when it gets some heat. Saganaki is a dish of flaming cheese, doused with brandy and set on fire. Once the brandy burns up, you have an oozing, bubbling, cauldron of cheese, ready to be scooped up with pita.
But no need to stop there. There are high-moisture, rubbery cheeses that hold their own then flipped on a buttery pan. Much like quesa fresca and the squeaky white cheeses that sit in brine, these cheeses form a thin crust on the fried sides, with the middle perfectly oozing, and salty.
Greece also serves battered and fried halloumi cheese, and it ran circles around the mozzarella sticks you get in the freezer section of your grocery store. Think beyond mozzarella. Any squeaky cheese will hold it's own when battered and fried.
If it helps, it tastes better on a cone, outside in the fresh night air. Eat it while taking a walk, just as you would on the boardwalk or any summer vacation. Time will stop for a bit, and you can be in the moment to enjoy the simpler things in life. Cream, sugar, fireflies and a big fat moon.
It doesn't take much to make a regular meal feel special. I'm not talking about trotting out dessert, which may be expected. When we dined out, some restaurants ended the meal with a special surprise, on the house. It made the meal feel memorable, and as customers, we felt valued. I imagine guests in our home would feel the same way.
Sometimes, after we paid the check, the server would bring a small tray with shots of mastiha, a sweet liquer that traditionally follows their meals. Other times it was a bowl of tart cherries in syrup, or a scoop of chocolate ice cream with chopped fruit. Perhaps the most memorable treat was a hand-sewn sachet filled with locally-grown lavender. They hand-wrote the name of the restaurant on it, and it made my suitcase smell like a dream.
Sick of trying to get kids to eat their vegetables? What if the vegetables completely enveloped the food they were really going after? The carbs. In this case, seasoned rice and meat were stuffed any which way into vegetables, which absorbed the flavor and made it a complete meal.
Obviously the stuffed grape leaves (dolmades) were everywhere, glistening with olive oil and zesty with chopped mint, parsley, and dill. But the stuffed veggies were everywhere - stuffed eggplant, stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers - you name it. The latter foods were filled with a rice/meat combo, simmered with tomatoes and topped with - you guessed it - a squeeze of lemon.
]]>The majority of us, however, will think upon it but then give in to base desires. Spring fever is real and we ache for sunshine and poolside grilling.
Stop me if you've heard this before, but I need a vacation. Memorial Day Weekend is the gateway drug to pool parties and sandcastles. I do not go to car dealerships that the men in those commercials screamed at me about. I don't go for the wide screen TV for half off at Best Buy. I'm in summer mode.
This means fleeing town and being close to the water. Any kind of water. I want to soak up the sun's rays I've missed while hovering over my laptop. I want to taste summer. That means crackled, seared ribs on the grill, watermelon, and buttery ears of corn. But I'm always looking for new, inventive ways to get the most delicious version of summer.
I recently attended a party at the governor's executive mansion. I put all politics aside because I wanted a peek. After all, my tax money paid for this soiree, and I fully intended to take advantage!
As you might expect, it was gorgeous. But I'm here to talk about the spread. It was a celebration of summer. The trays were bursting with color and seasonal fruits.
Deviled eggs are a summer staple, especially in the American South. But this party featured pickled deviled eggs, bright magenta from the pickled beet juice. It was beautiful. And instead of heavier, bread-based canapes you may be served in the winter, the hosts used sliced cucumber. It was refreshing, and topped with a dollop of smoked salmon spread.
It's already strawberry season, so in addition to a spread of fresh strawberries, they laid out a tray of mini pancakes topped with a strawberry compote. And instead of being warm and soft, asparagus spears were bright green with a snap to them, served alongside a cool dip. So were sliced mini potatoes. They could be eaten alone or with the cold dip, like a deconstructed potato salad.
Cubed cheese sat in a pretty silver bowl, but it was alongside a tower of fruit, which included a carved melon. Seasonal and juicy, people enjoyed the fruit and cheese together - a little sweet, a little salty.
This Memorial Day Weekend, I will be upgrading my deviled eggs to pickled deviled eggs from a vibrant beet juice. I'll research strawberry recipes. My fruit won't come pre-sliced from one of those round-bento-like containers from the grocery store. I'll carve them and use toothpicks to stack the pieces into a sculptural rainbow of goodness. I can at least try. Or think of trying. Or write about it in this post.
We go big on Memorial Day Weekend because we romanticize summer all year long. We forget about the humidity and dog days because the weather is gorgeous and beach vacations are just around the corner. Use that momentum to create seasonal, summery dishes. Peaches, corn, and watermelon won't ever taste better than they do at this time of year. May you have a delicious Memorial Day Weekend - you deserve it!
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When we wrapped up "Rudolph," one of the boys stumbled out of the trashed rowhouse, promising one of my sisters a huge bouquet of roses for Christmas. "No," she countered, "Get a potted plant." Many laughed at how un-romantic it sounded, but she wasn't looking for instant gratification. She wanted a gift that kept on giving. She wanted atmosphere. Ever since that day, I've asked for potted plants over flowers as well.
In fact, I've leaned way in to my practical ways. Ladles and Linens is filled with gadgets and gifts that may seem decorative or as if they would take up too much space. But in fact, they make my life a whole lot easier. Here are a few must-haves:
When I lived in California, I needed a high-powered juicer for what seemed like the most prolific lemon tree in existence. At peak times, the tree dropped two paper grocery bags full of lemons a day. But now that I'm in Virginia, I grumble over the price of lemons like everyone else. I don't want to break out the juicer for the scant amount that I buy, so I bought this handy citrus squeezer to keep seeds at bay.
What's more, is you can push the juiced lemon halves down the sink when you are finished washing dishes. Warm water and a lemon peel down the garbage disposal cleans and disinfects, and the fresh lemon scent is divine. If you don't have a garbage disposal, you can compost the leftover fruit.
I was so enamored of these food huggers, that I bought a pack for everyone in my immediate family. When I visit their homes, I snoop to check if they slid a food hugger on the end of a sliced cucumber or tomato. At my sister's home, she left out a cup of coffee so I pooped on a lid and stuck it back in the fridge. I will force these people to understand its glory.
Food huggers seal off opened foods, such as cans of tomato paste or a summer sausage. Not only does it save your wallet from having to buy all the plastic wrap, plastic bags, and foil, but it's less garbage in the landfill at the end of the day.
I'm just going to say it: My mother was bad at salads. Iceberg lettuce, squeeze bottles of cheap ranch and giant chunks of carrots. The latter which you could never stab with a fork.
Not with this spiralizer. It can twist hard veggies into juicy, paper thin spirals, making them extra stabby for your salads. And this of course opens up your options. You can spiralize cucumber, zucchini, carrots and jicama, to name a few. Suddenly your salad is popping with new colors, flavors and textures. Not to mention ...it's highly photogenic.
Much like the food huggers, you can save money and waste by covering your cups and bowls with these adorable, nature-inspired silicone covers. With bubbly berry-shaped knobs, it adds whimsy to your kitchen.
The small ones are great for drinks outside - keeping them bug-free in the warm months. The larger ones cover popcorn bowls, uneaten leftovers - the whole gamut. And a fun trick? You can pull up the entire bowl by just picking up the fruit-shaped knobs, so long as it's an air-tight seal. It's a fun party trick.
Look, a bouquet roses is a romantic (albeit fleeting) gesture. But if I had a choice between that and something that will stamp my ravioli better, I'm going to opt for the thing that saves me time. Because at the end of the day, isn't that the one thing we just don't have enough of?
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Is there room for improvement? Sure. In my opinion, pita bread pales in comparison to a baguette or croissant, and it's a bummer that Arabs haven't truly embraced chocolate. But a slow-roasted lamb and spinach hand pies? More than makes up for it.
Recently, I went to a dinner in support of SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) and the reception was followed by intimate dinners, broken out into small groups. My friends and I dined in a private home, and the chef was Ari Augenbaum from JewFro - the downtown restaurant where he combines his Jewish background with African cuisine, inspired by co-owner William "Trey" Owens.
I had dined at JewFro previously, and it did not disappoint. Jewish cuisine can go many ways, since in essence, Judaism is a religion and believers stretch across the globe. There's the Eastern European influence, with matzo ball soup and gifelte fish. The Jewish deli culture is strong, with lox bagels, mile-high Reuben sandwiches and black & white cookies. Luckily, the influence at JewFro was Middle Eastern - my favorite iteration.
Ari Augenbaum served us at the SCAN dinner, delivering plate after plate of familiar yet visionary dishes. With each course, he described what we were being served. Earthy fava bean dishes sprinkled with a tangy pop of pomegranate. A tartare version of kifteh with raw venison, and topped with a cured quail egg, which is, by the way, a superfood. Splashes of microgreens gave each dish a fresh-tasting heat. The meal was extraordinary.
It all reminded me that giving back can be delicious. We should support the restaurants and chefs that devote their time and talent for important causes. If you live in the Richmond area, you can visit the restaurants of these talented chefs. It's a good excuse for a date night. After all, you're just trying to make the world a better place, right?
]]>Granted, some of my neighbors were excited about this version of a diner, which was newer, cleaner and trained servers to be perky. I prefer grey-haired, straight-shooting servers full of sass. They’ve been through it and will not hesitate to raise an eyebrow if you dare ask for quinoa at a greasy spoon. And really, should the words “new” and “diner” ever be in the same sentence?
A diner is supposed to have a little grit. It’s open 24 hours and has seen some things. They sober up the crowds that fill the booths when the bars close, with endless coffee and burgers. In the morning they tend to the hung over, with greasy breakfasts and even more coffee. And in between these shifts are the truckers, night owls and recluses working graveyard shifts. The bathrooms are outdated and the coffee isn’t great, but the comfort food will send you off ready for a restorative nap.
I recently took a trip to New York to see a live taping of Saturday Night Live (!), and came across an old school diner that checked all the boxes. It was old, authentic, and smelled of fried food. There were Formica counter tops, spinning chrome stools and booths lined in turquoise vinyl.
The menu was large – page after page of American classics. They say a large menu means a lot of the food is frozen. But who goes into a diner expecting an organic farm-to-table experience? What made this menu special however, was the presence of Latinx-inspired food. Huevos rancheros, chilaquiles and the item I ordered – gallo pinto. One might wonder why an all-American diner would feature such options. And could these dishes even be authentic?
I’ll tell you something that everyone in the service industry already knows – something even Anthony Bourdain spoke of often. Many restaurant kitchens across America employ people from Spanish-speaking countries. Latinx people are making the garlic confit in your local French restaurant, the sushi rolls in Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants, and most certainly in American diners. In this mixing bowl of a country, it was only a matter of time before these cooks and chefs became skilled enough to convince the owners to feature breakfast specialties from their homeland. In some diners, they started as line cooks and moved their way up until they were running the restaurant. Some even bought out the owners. We benefit from their creative input.
I had never heard of gallo pinto. Though I was eyeing the corned beef hash, when would I have this opportunity again? I had two fried eggs laid atop a bed of black beans and rice, seasoned with onions, peppers and a generous helping of fresh-chopped cilantro. It was topped with sour cream and had a side of plantains. I never knew vegetables in a diner could have so much zest. Veggies in a diner usually consist of a steamed broccoli and cauliflower mix, featuring those wavy-cut carrot slices. Gutless, but responsible.
But not my gallo pinto. It packed a lot of flavor. Besides, it doesn’t it feel sacrilige to order scrambled eggs and toast, when we could so easily make it at home? The American diner may be a place to grab a sturdy breakfast or a chocolate malt, but I love that the menus are evolving to reflect the communities we live in. Years ago, we may have scoffed to see pasta on a diner menu. Nowadays, Italian options don't even cause us to blink. Immigrants have opportunities to get a taste of their homeland, and the rest of us get introduced to new flavors. What could be more American?
Do yourself a favor and pay a visit to a local diner. And if it’s brand new, in a strip mall, or has servers that don't give you the stink eye, it does not count.
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Whereas in my twenties I was more concerned with what greasy breakfast would cure my hangover, I've moved on to loftier pursuits, like getting in my omega-3s. If that sounds like a foreign language, please note that I'm not above suffering the occasional hangover. Sadly, I'm drinking half of what I used to and yet feeling worse than I did. I blame middle age. And for the record, while a nice breakfast of French toast and sausage will help a hangover, nothing works like a bowl of pho and Vietnamese coffee. You'll thank me later.
I decided it would be great to put together a list of what to eat for organ health, grouped by organ. Some of you may want to eat more heart-healthy, while others are going for more luminous skin. Me? I want all of the things. And I've got you covered.
Suggestion: Make a nice parfait with yogurt, rolled oats, and candied ginger.
Suggestion: Whip up a spinach salad tossed with avocado, sunflower seeds, and blueberry vinaigrette.
Suggestion: Stuff a batch of raw, mini sweet peppers with guacamole, using avocado and tomato.
Suggestion: Toss a kale salad with walnuts and strawberries, and top with salmon seared in sesame oil.
Suggestion: Curried butternut squash soup, topped with crushed cashews
Suggestion: Egg frittata, with spinach and cubed sweet potatoes, topped with avocado slices
]]>I took her to brunch to enjoy flaky biscuits with sausage gravy, crabcakes and grits mixed with fresh Grayson cheese, made in Virginia. When I ordered scrapple, which this restaurant was famous for, she crinkled her nose. "What even is in scrapple? I'm afraid to know." Since it's a less-common breakfast protein of an unusual texture, people tend to assume the worst. "The same stuff that's in your breakfast sausage or a hot dog," I explained. Pork and spices. "But what parts of the pork?" she countered. "The same parts that are in your breakfast sausage or a hot dog," I replied.
"In fact," I continued, "It's more heart-healthy because the pork is mixed with cornmeal and onions, making it lighter." I was determined to have her try the scrapple. Alas, she would not. Clearly I haven't forgiven her. Here's the thing: When in Rome. To get the feel of a new place, you have to get the flavor of a place. Food is an important part of absorbing culture, and variety is the spice of life.
Case in point: I'm not a huge pizza person. But when I eat it, I prefer a crispy thin crust. Readers, I am currently in a hotel in Chicago - the land of deep dish pizza. I could cross my arms and insist that real pizza is New York style, but I'd be missing out. Before you complain about something you've never had, give it a chance and see what the hype is about. Plus, it gives you license to complain until you're blue in the face, if that's your thing.
Giordano's is famous for their deep dish pizzas, and is the place to go when in the Windy City. We ordered the "Chicago Classic" with pepperoni, peppers, high-quality mozzarella cheese, and topped with tomato sauce. It creates a killer cheese pull and is best eaten with a fork and knife. It's not the same as traditional pizza, so I didn't feel the need to compare it. The crust was built like the Great Wall of China to hold the melty, oozing deliciousness together.
Another Chicago staple is the "Italian Beef" - which is much like a Philly Cheesesteak in that it's a beef and cheese sandwich. But the comparison stops there. It's served on a French roll, so it's a little shorter. The beef is seriously packed in, and it's topped with melted mozzarella (it was an altogether mozzarella-heavy meal). It's served with softened green peppers, and a chunky hot pepper relish that even has cubed carrots in it. Lastly, it's dipped in the Italian meat marinade au jus.
The server asked me if I'd like him to baptize the sandwich. I asked what it meant, and he said that before they grill the bread, they dip the entire roll au jus for more flavor. How could I say no to more flavor by baptism? And this my friends, is the kind of experience you'd miss out on if you didn't try eating like a local.
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