Before we visited Budapest, I can't say I tried much in the way of actual Hungarian cuisine. In the Midwest we had something called Goulash for dinner occasionally. Consisting of ground beef and whatever needed to be used up in the pantry, there was a tomato-y sauce, typically some sort [...]
This probably won't surprise anyone reading, but one of my favorite parts of hosting book club is deciding what's for dessert. Last week, we had a delightful discussion of the total bonkers novel Yesteryear. If you haven't read it already, you're in for a treat whether you like it, love it, [...]
Our last book club selection, Jillian Cantor's The May House was set in So-Cal, so I really feel like we needed a street taco situation. But I can never leave well enough alone, so I made chicken al pastor (normal!) and then decided to al pastor some chickpeas too (extra!). Can I [...]
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 [...]
