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Everyone needs a way to relax themselves at the end of a long day. Some choose television, some a bowl of ice cream, some a good book, and others a nice adult beverage. Before one lays his/her head to rest it is due time to reflect on the actions of the previous hours and ponder what one will do with those to come. Recently I've been spending lots of nights contemplating many aspects of my life, a
The month of February has long come and gone. (Can you believe it's May already?!?!) Along with it was my friend Anna's annual Oscar party. It is a yearly tradition among our group of friends where we drink, talk about all the movies we still haven't seen, critique celebrity outfits, and wonder why "How to Train Your Dragon" didn't win all the categories. After last year's lamb meatballs I knew th
It's hard to find motivation to prepare any food for yourself at home after you've spent 10+ hours on your feet in a hot kitchen cooking food for others. That's where the inspiration for this newest series of posts—Chef Meals—came from. The vast majority of the time I rely on whatever food joint is on my way home to provide sustenance, but I occasionally make something for myself at home after wor
Who doesn't love a good omelet? The eggs act as the perfect carrier for whatever ingredients you wish to stuff on the inside. This recipe features some leftover pulled pork, cheddar cheese, and barbecue sauce. Pork, cheese, eggs, and barbecue sauce? Sounds like a #winner to me. PLUS, now the great folks at OXO have made it even easier to make all the egg pockets you crave with their latest tool—th
I'm a HUGE fan of meat and potatoes. If I could afford it (in the wallet and the waistline), then it wouldn't be out of the question for me to have some combination of the the two food titans everyday of the week. Here I pair a London broil braised in red wine with blue cheese mashed potatoes. In reality, I'm not really a fan of blue cheese, or any moldy cheese for that matter. However, I can put
One of the many things I loved about high school and college was being steps away from many of my closest friends. I went to a boarding school for high school, so I spent a total of seven years living in a dorm and knowing all of the people in the rooms next to me. Needless to say, I went through a bit of an adjustment once I left campus and moved to New York City. For a while, the only other pers
Is it summer time yet? Spring is officially here, and I'm ready to fast forward through the cold, rainy days and onto the shorts, tank tops, flip flops, and sunglasses. Aren't you? If you look carefully at the title then you'll notice that it reads "sweet tea" and not "iced tea." In my mind, the two are synonymous and I get enraged anytime someone tries to serve me unsweetened iced tea—blasphemy!
In my opinion, the quesadilla is about as American as apple pie. It is the not so distant cousin of the traditional grilled cheese—and you know how much I love grilled cheese. The tortilla is the perfect vessel to transport any array of meat, vegetables, and cheese to your face, topped with copious amounts of sour cream (should your stomach desire).Check out my latest post on CurlyNikki.com for th
This represents the third recipe in a series of oatmeal variations. (Be sure to check out bananas and cocoa or chocolate and peanut butter with almonds.) Here it's all about the spices used, which is why I thought this would be the perfect post to pair with the Cooking Planit Spice Giveaway!Ingredients:1 3/4 cups waterpinch of salt1 cup quick cooking oats1 Tbsp. butter2 Tbsps. demerara sugar (any
Anyone that likes to cook—and especially those that do it professionally—always have friends casually throw into conversation how you should cook for them sometime. I have these two friends—Aaron and Anna—that aren't very subtle about their desires for my cooking. Their birthdays are only a few days apart, so last year they asked me make them a birthday cake to bring to their party. I was in the m
Every cook needs a good set of spices in their pantry to put together a wonderful array of meals. Lucky for you, that's where the lovely people of Cooking Planit have stepped in to offer the chance for you to win a set of 26 (yes, 26!) great spices shipped right to your door. Starting today for 25 days in a row, a total of 50 bloggers (including myself) will individually be running contests offeri
I was on a pretty big oatmeal kick during one week a little while ago. I played around with a bunch of different flavor combinations to see what I could come up with. The first was bananas and cocoa powder—now I bring you chocolate and peanut butter. (You're welcome.) My mom tells me that she ate a lot of oatmeal when she was pregnant with me, which is part of the reason why I think I love it so m
I was recently asked if I addressed healthy foods on my blog and it took me a minute to think about it. As it turns out, of course there are more than the fair share of recipes here loaded with cheese, butter, cream, or other less than figure flattering ingredients, but the more waistline friendly meals do make their appearances. Now it becomes my job to point them out to you to make sure they are
Quinoa? Yes. Now say it with me—"quinoa" (KEEN-WAH). It's not scary—I promise. What is it you ask? This ingredient is the seed of a plant that is closely related to beets and spinach. It has gained lots of fame over recent history. Even the UN has jumped on the bandwagon to become quinoa's biggest hypeman by declaring 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. The reason I think quinoa is special a
"Hey, it's Lamb Chop's Play-Along where kids come to play along, and fun things are all we ever do. Yeah, it's Lamb Chop's Play-Along. Come join the kids and play along. We've got a lot of good stuff for you." I don't know how a reference to the childhood classic Lamb Chop's Play-Along never made an appearance on the blog, but it was great. It introduced my generation to The Song that Never
Are you ready for some football?!?!?! Me? I'm not all that interested in this year's match-up. Although I enjoy watching the pig skin getting thrown around now and again, I'm not the biggest fan of the sport. But if there's one occasion every year for America to rally together and jointly participate in an activity, then it just might be the Super Bowl. Some people watching the big game are actual
Hi readers! I'm sure you've all noticed that there's been a bit of a lack of new posts recently. It seems that the holiday season coupled with a bout or two of whatever nasty cold has been going around made it a little difficult to satisfy your needs for mouthwatering photos, delicious recipes, and witty banter. Well here we go!This post is somewhat inspired by Pad Thai. However, I looked up what
It's Christmas Eve folks, and for the first time in my 24 (almost 25) years of life I won't be spending it with my family. The restaurant schedule (and more importantly plane ticket prices) didn't really allow for a trip home to Chicago this year. Thankfully I was able to make it back for Thanksgiving—albeit I was there for only 23 hours—and was able to see most of my family and friends back home.
Mmm...meat. You all know how much I love it. Yes, there's a million different ways to prepare it, but a simply cooked steak is superb. The complexity is taken up slightly by the reduced red wine. Depending on which grape you choose to use, the sauce can be smokey, spicy, fruity, bold, smooth, or whatever other flavor and characteristics the wine embodies. It's almost like a choose-your-own-adventu
It's cookie swap time! The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap has once again reared its sugary head as hundreds of batches of delicious treats were sent around the country (and world, if I'm not mistaken) to hungry foodies everywhere. PLUS we helped raise money to support Cookies for Kids' Cancer through each blogger's donation/purchase of OXO's "Good Cookie" Spatula.This year I wanted to send The Foo
A brief synopsis of a conversation I had with a friend a couple of years ago:Friend: "Hey, who wants to help me drive from D.C. to Houston to move my stuff for med school?"Me: "ROAD TRIP!"I'm pretty sure my friend thought she wasn't actually going to find anyone to go with her. Let's just say that it doesn't take a whole lot of convincing for me to jump at the chance to travel and spend time with
I finally made my first cooking video, and well, it was a pretty important one (watch and find out what it's for). Check out the recipe for my spicy, roasted cauliflower that I made to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear any constructive feedback regarding the video.Ingredients:1 head of cauliflower, cut into floretsvegetable oilsaltblack peppercayenne
One thing I never really thought about when deciding to work in the food service industry is that a good number of restaurants are open on the holidays. Northern Spy Food Co. (or "The Spy" for short) was no exception. I was one of the lucky few to not have to work on the actual day and was able to make a whirlwind, 23-hour trip to Chicago to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family. However, the maj
Brussels sprouts never made an appearance in my household growing up, so I was never one of those children stricken with fear at the mention of their name. I needn't find inventive ways to dispose of them from my plate (and thank goodness because I had no pet to force feed them to under the table). It wasn't until fairly recently that this vegetable and I became acquainted. The Brussels sprout res
It's the morning after Sandy. I was fortunate enough to make it through unscathed, but my thoughts and prayers are out there with everyone who wasn't as blessed. If you would like to help those in need, click here to make a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief effort.Whether you're safe at home with your loved ones or picking up the pieces after Sandy, a good breakfast will give yo
Like most everyone else on the east coast, I'm holed up in my apartment bracing for Hurricane Sandy. My roommate made an early morning trip to the grocery store this morning and is now in the kitchen whipping up a turkey chili. Chili seems to be a perfect meal for this less than ideal weather, so I want to share with you a delicious recipe for a spicy three meat version with beans (sorry to all th
Warning: This post has plenty of gratuitous food photography that is sure to whet your appetite. I hope you've already eaten.I've made a version of this sauce before and applied it to country-style ribs, but this time I switched it up a little bit for use as a delicious seasoning for chicken. It's so simple to prepare and it has so much delicious flavor to excite your taste buds. You'd be a fool n
Like most of you out there tonight, I too watched the presidential debate between Obama and Romney. Part way through, I grew tired of the back-and-forth and went back to baking port-soaked cherry brownies for Candice Kumai's latest cookbook launch party tomorrow night. (Yes, baking brownies was my job for the day, and yes, that was a plug for her book.) If you're looking for a little distraction f
Breakfast/brunch foods are by far some of my favorites. It's the time when seemingly anything is fair game when it comes to morning (or sometimes early afternoon) meals after a good night's rest—cereal, eggs, pancakes, bacon, pastries, rice, steak, juice, coffee, vodka (Bloody Mary) and even fried chicken. Pictured above and below is the birthday brunch I cooked for myself a few months ago—a veal
Salt and Pepper Seared Tuna Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted BroccoliI believe my fish allergy to be my one major impediment when it comes to food and my quest to become a Top Chef/Next Food Network Star/Iron Chef judge. And no, this isn’t one of those fake allergies that people claim to have (i.e. cilantro) when they really just don’t like it. My reaction can cause hives of face, mouth, and
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a "pork-inspired soiree" put on by the National Pork Board with Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan. I've lauded the beauties of pulled pork a couple of times before already (Exhibit A and Exhibit B) so this was naturally right up my alley. Pork shoulder (or butt depending on who you talk to) is an extremely budget-friendly cut of meat that is packed ful
It's amazing what one can come up with based purely on the ingredients already in their kitchen. On this particular occasion I had a jalapeño leftover from a chili extravaganza (recipe forthcoming), a couple cloves of garlic hanging around, and there's always some cheese and a can of beans somewhere in our apartment. This dish has multiple uses too! It can be a meatless main coarse served atop som
My favorite part about working (interning) for a food magazine is all the free food (and wine) we get to eat/take home. In June, people from the California Fig Association gave the Food Arts' office a visit and brought with them all nature of fresh and dried figs, along with a fig-focused lunch—yum! I don't think I had ever tasted a pure fig up until that point. Prior to that fateful encounter, I
I'm going to have to deprive you of the (sometimes) long-winded fanfare of an amusing introduction this post due to the lack of sleep I've experienced over the last three nights. But I won't leave you completely empty-handed! Check out the most recent piece I wrote about The Aviary's cocktail-infusion vessel published on FoodArts.com.Steak and Mushrooms:zest of 1 lemon2 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp.
I'm sure everyone is already well aware of this fact by now, but in case you've been living under a rock let me inform you that August is National Sandwich Month. I'm not sure if anyone really needs an excuse to celebrate the masterpiece that is the combination of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and whatever else you can think of encased in bread, but I won't object. Pictured is the honoree in one of
Happy National Tequila Day! While interning at a food magazine I have become aware of most (if not all) of the random food "holidays" that take place throughout the year. When I found out what today was then I knew immediately that I had to partake in the festivities. I had been planning to make this drink for the Marx Foods Fire on Ice Chile Recipe Contest anyway, so it seemed like today just had
Here's another entry of what I (at least in my mind) refer to as "Random Things Hutch Eats That May Or May Not Get Posted To The Blog," or "R.T.H.E.T.M.O.M.N.G.P.T.T.B." for short. Other such items have included my hot dog chili, as well as my clever idea of what to do with a Ramen noodle packet. Not necessarily anything restaurant quality, but still tasty and there when you need a quick meal in a
As important as the food is to one's brunch meal, the drinks are just as much a part of the experience (especially in NYC it seems)—some might even argue more so. (Can you say all-you-can-drink mimosas? Sometimes I can't by the end of it...) Whether you like to keep it calm by only having one or two Bellinis, or prefer to throw caution to the wind by making the server run a marathon in order to ke
Breakfast/brunch is one of my favorite meals of the day. Usually I don't wake up early enough to take full advantage of such a luxurious event and am relegated to a bowl of cereal at my desk, but MAN! is it great when I can indulge. Unfortunately, those times haven't really occurred recently due to my rather hectic schedule of interning and working the brunch shift at a restaurant—however, I wait
Mmmmm...lamb...my favorite specimen of the meat group (as I mentioned recently). I thought the ground protein would be a good canvas for me to play around with some of my more recently acquired spices. A little turmeric here, a little allspice there, and some feta cheese to add some tang. These aren't your standard meatballs for sure, but boy are they delicious. It's pictured with some leftovers f
In my last post I shared with you the recipe for my spicy roasted cauliflower, and here is the rest of the meal! The cauliflower was accompanied by my cornmeal fried chicken and potato gratin (there was probably also a glass of wine and some crappy reality television thrown in there somewhere too).I posted a looooong time ago my original take on a potato gratin—back before my days at The French Cu
If you've been following me for a while then you've already read about my love for roasted vegetables—especially broccoli—but this time I decided to play around with its less colorful cousin cauliflower. Since it's such a hearty vegetable, I felt like it could handle some extra seasoning to amp up the flavor. Here I included some paprika and cayenne pepper in addition to the standard salt and blac
I am the yin to tomato soup's yang.I am the holy grail of lunches at the elementary school cafeteria.I conjure fond memories of a time when one's main priority is remembering "hor d'oeuvres" for tomorrow's spelling test.I make the mouths of the masses water at the very mention of my being.I am grilled cheese, here me roar (or moo...or bahhh...or whatever else).I'm sure most have eaten a grilled ch
Once again this post shows just how...delayed...I can sometimes be in putting things up. Here is the meal I prepared shortly after the new year. Black-eyed peas (they're actually beans of course) and greens are two food items that are supposed to bring good fortune as the Earth makes another trip around the Sun. I served them with some fried pieces of pork (leftover from the day in class when we l
When I was in culinary school I wouldn't get home until 11:30 p.m. at the absolute earliest—and that was only if it was a slow night and I ran to the locker room as soon as we were released by the chef. I would speed walk to the Canal street stop after changing out of my chef whites, hoping and praying to catch the express train. "Come on Q train! Big money, big money, no whammy, no whammy, stop!"
My mom performs the annual ritual around late November/early December of asking what I want for Christmas. When I was a kid I would go through the encyclopedia of ads that got distributed with the Thanksgiving Day newspaper, cut out pictures of all of the things I wanted, and put together a scrapbook-esque version of the more traditional Christmas wish list. As I aged, and especially more recently
This recipe happened because I got a few new spices one day and wanted to take them for a spin. I'd never really worked with them before, but you only live once (#yolo—**cough** sarcasm **cough**). Turmeric is used widely in South Asian cuisine. One of its distinct features is the yellow color it gives to food (and your hands too, so consider yourself warned). I had also recently acquired a bottle
One of the things I'll miss most about culinary school is the free food I got to bring home. Not only all of the delicious meals we prepared in class, but the rare pieces of wonderful produce leftover were also excellent treats. One time towards the beginning of school when we were learning about braising, at the end of class there were extra packs of lamb shanks. I think a couple of people were m
Below is the farewell email I sent yesterday to my colleagues at work:As many of you are well aware, today is my last day at Merrill Lynch. "Why?" you ask. Well... it's not you, it's me. After three plus years in the financial services industry, I have decided to pursue my dream of becoming a food writer/editor and chef. Although I have definitely learned a lot throughout my time here and will lik
Duhn, duhn, duhn... The time is finally here - my last week in finance... YYYAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!Where was I? Oh yes.As people at work have been figuring out what I'll be doing instead of thinking about the impacts of the European financial crisis on the world's equity and debt markets, they naturally "joked" about when I would cook for them. I had long avoided the task due to sheer lack
