While I've never met a pumpkin pie I didn't love—even the Costco pumpkin pie makes me happy—I know there are contrarians who don't find it quite as delightful as I do. So let me suggest a real contender for the pie of your dreams this Thanksgiving: cannoli pie. I made [...]
If you've ever watched any competition cooking shows (Chopped, MasterChef, Top Chef), you probably know that risotto has been the proverbial Achilles heel for so many contestants. But I promise it's not because risotto is difficult to make. It's just not a dish best suited to a pressure cooker environment. [...]
No doubt about it, the cupcakes at NYC's Magnolia Bakery are scrumptious. But I've always had a major soft spot for their banana pudding. More of a mousse-like texture with plenty of real bananas, whipped cream, and the quintessential vanilla wafers, it's outrageously good. Light and rich. But since I'm [...]
I've seen olive oil cake featured on a number of restaurant menus. I've enjoyed extra virgin olive oil drizzled on a crazy good ice cream sundae at one of my favorite Italian spots in Dallas. But I was never quite sure about baking a cake that didn't have (gasp!) butter, [...]
Considering you can take a high-speed train from Germany to Italy, I shouldn't have been surprised to find such scrumptious Italian food in Berlin. I was so focused on döner, schnitzel, sausage, and spaetzle that I almost forgot all about my old friends bruschetta and pasta. But when Will and I [...]
What is it about a breaded cutlet that's so irresistible? Especially with a squeeze of lemon and, say, some truffle fries? During our recent adventure in Germany, I ordered schnitzel like it was my job. Compared and contrasted the various approaches (Viennese, German Hunter's schnitzel, Munich-style) and settled on a [...]
Ever meet one of those people who "forgets to eat breakfast?" I am not one of those people generally. Unless I'm really feeling unwell. Let's just say I am wildly enthusiastic about breakfast, which they refer to as frühstück in Germany. Beginning in Berlin, I tried to pick up a [...]
Traveling to a new city always comes with its peculiarities, but never have I had the pleasure of enjoying a scoop of Speculoos ice cream beside a nearly full ashtray nestled in the middle of the table. I mean if I really needed a puff between bites, that is convenient. But since [...]
Our first night in Berlin Will was on the lookout for a Döner, a German street food specialty. We had a tip from one of his clients on a great Lebanese spot, Grill Maaroush and assumed we'd find one there. But as soon as we approached the door, a gentleman [...]
It totally made my day when a few of you DMed me for the recipe (!!!) for the pasta I whipped up on Saturday. Mostly because it wasn't so much a recipe as a strategy to use up a few things from the fridge. Since "leftovers" rarely leads to thunderous [...]
