Sometimes dinner comes around, and let's be honest, you don't really have a plan. You look in the fridge, scour the freezer, tear through the cupboards and wonder how in the world these random items might taste together. It's like Chopped, you know minus Ted Allen, the $10,000 prize and, [...]
It's no secret that I love pasta, but sometimes it feels a little too, um, heavy for a Texas summer. But rather than going an entire four-plus months — sometimes longer — without it, I discovered a way to lighten the experience up in a thoroughly satisfying way. Cue Ina [...]
During that looooong five-to-six-month stretch where there's no Packers/Cowboys football, deciding what to make for Sunday lunch is a little less clear cut. But when I noticed how beautiful the asparagus was at Sprouts, makes sense since it's Spring and all, I knew exactly what I'd make — a simple [...]
People have been raving about overnight oats for a while now, and I desperately wanted to love them. But whenever I tried the recipe, the one that was supposed to convert me from a plain ol’ oatmeal enthusiast to a lover of this surprisingly low-maintenance variety that I could (gasp!) [...]
A pasta dish that originated in Puglia, really the most difficult thing about Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli was learning to spell Orecchiette (I always wanted it to have one more "r" and one less "c."). Even now, the spell check doesn't seem to like it, but I know I've [...]
Once upon a time, Ina Garten made this completely drool-worthy Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake on Barefoot Contessa (it was one of those moments where I wished I could reach into the television and grab a slice), and she used this impossibly thin chocolate cookies to ensure it set perfectly. I'd [...]
When we need a quick, relatively healthy meal when the pantry and freezer are empty, our go-to is usually a burrito bowl or tacos from Chipotle. It doesn't hurt that the nearest one is roughly five minutes from home, making it insanely convenient. But one day when I found myself [...]
Ask any writer about his/her favorite way to procrastinate when he/she is supposed to be, ahem, lovingly crafting memorable, must-read prose, and you’d probably get a gazillion different answers. For me, there’s always been something oddly therapeutic about making homemade soup. So when the temperature ventures into even slightly chilly [...]
One of the best things about writing a novel where Italian food plays a starring role is all the delicious research of course. Like a method actor getting “into character,” I was more than happy to sip and savor all that Italian cuisine has to offer. And one of the [...]
Of all the dishes in my regular repertoire, I probably make chicken lettuce wraps the most. They're fast, super delicious, totally customizable, and after ordering them at P.F. Chang's approximately 4,345 times, I still can't get over how much easier (and cheaper) they are to make at home. After trying [...]
