In the nearly three years I've been hosting book club, I've discovered you can never go wrong with a dip. To go with the mango-avocado salad and lettuce wraps al pastor, I spotted a recipe in the June/July issue of Food Network magazine for a Tex-Mex Corn-Onion dip that looked so good. [...]
Considering our recent book club selection—Jillian Cantor's The May House— was set in SoCal, I knew avocado needed to figure into the menu somewhere. But I didn't want to make guacamole. Cue this mango-avocado salad. Admittedly, the flavor combination sounded a little weird at first. After I found the perfect [...]
Ever looking for a crowd-pleaser that travels well? This pasta bake ticks both boxes. And it's super adaptable. If you have some roasted veggies left over from dinner the night before? Throw 'em in. A few ounces of bacon or crumbled sausage you want to use up? Perfect. If you [...]
While I'm a sucker for a gourmet cookie, sometimes something simple and nostalgic hits the spot. Especially if it reminds you of somewhere you really love. When we lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, Will and I regularly stopped by Bread and Chocolate for an M&M cookie and a cappuccino. Sweets [...]
When you love Italian food as much as I do, stumbling upon a new-to-you pasta shape is pretty exciting. I have Stanley Tucci—and his crazy good Pasta Fagioli to thank because it forced me to track down Ditalini. I sensed this wasn't a moment for substituting another noodle, so I [...]
From week one in September to the playoffs and Super Bowl in January and February respectively, I'm watching all the football I can. While the season probably feels inordinately long for anyone who doesn't love the NFL, 17 regular-season games + the playoffs whizzes by much too fast for my [...]
As I typed this post's title, I thought "Hey, that sounds like a Dr. Seuss book—and a pretty delicious one in fact." Similarities to Dr. Seuss aside, thwack is the exact sound the chocolate mousse makes when it hits your dessert plate at Le Bistrot Bar Sardine, my favorite little slice of [...]
My friend Helen and I have sort of a December tradition of taking a cooking class together at Sur La Table. We've made croissants from scratch, homemade marshmallows, chocolate bark, and fancy holiday cookies. But we mixed things up and opted for something savory. Korean BBQ. I love Korean flavors [...]
If you're like me and enjoy competition cooking shows, you've probably seen your fair share of contestants completely undone by risotto. It's usually undercooked because the chef started too late, and honestly, who wants to eat semi-crunchy—rather than perfectly al dente—rice? Not me. But before you decide that you couldn't [...]
One of my favorite parts of book club every month is planning the menu beforehand. And since we meet once a month, it's fun trying to conjure up something new, maybe even a little unexpected. Since many of the main dishes fall squarely into the comfort food genre, I try [...]
