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Then comes a Dutch Baby in a cast iron skillet with berries on top. Mm!Yes, The Fiancé is no longer The Fiancé, he is The Husband... The big H... T-Hubs. The words "husband and wife" are certainly going to take some getting used to. We tied the knot early last week at a nearby park, on the anniversary of our first date. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day, or a more relaxed and laid-ba
It feels like a thousand years ago that The Fiancé and I first met... in reality it was only three or four, but for all I care we could've known each other for an eternity before that. We aren't exactly your typical pair, he and I, but despite the odds we fit together perfectly.When I first started this blog, he was The Boyfriend. Now, he's The Fiancé... and in a few days, I'll have to get used to
I cannot count the number of times people have said this to me: Risotto is too hard! You have to, like, stir it, and then your arm hurts... it's just like going to the gym!...What?Clearly you've never kneaded a loaf of bread, made pasta dough by hand, beaten a meringue with a whisk, or made buckets of Swiss Meringue Buttercream without a stand-mixer. Of all the kitchen tasks that require stre
Making your own stock from scratch really is as simple as bringing a pot of water to a boil. In fact, I hear it can be done just as well in a slow-cooker, so I guess it's even easier than that. It's also cheap - I mean, dirt cheap - because you can basically use up whatever scraps you have lying around. Once you make your own, you'll start to wonder why you ever bothered paying four-bucks a carton
It's April. The grass is finally green, the trees are beginning to bud, the flowers have started to bloom, and my tired winter eyes have at last adjusted to the bright, glorious sunlight. Days like these - the perfect kind - are few and far between here, so I do my best to soak them up while they last.I gather that for most people, chicken salad is more of a summertime meal, meant for sun-scorched
Hungarian Beef Goulash (Gulyás Leves)If you asked me a couple weeks ago what my favorite spices were, paprika would not have made the list. Not by a long shot. In fact, I hardly thought of paprika as anything more than a dash of color atop deviled eggs. Besides it's bright hue, what was it even good for?Now I stand completely and utterly corrected. Paprika, a spice made from dried and ground peppe
Creepy Crawly Cuisine, The Gourmet Guide to Edible InsectsWhat is "normal", anyway?When it comes to food, normal could be loosely defined as what you grew up with. Here in America, we might think of processed cheese slices, hot dogs, or twinkies as "normal". In other parts of the world, a plate full of grubs might be considered comfort food, fish eyes might be a pantry staple, or snake stew could
Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping SauceI think of myself as a good listener. I like being that person who can really take in what another person is saying, and make them feel heard. As it turns out, I'm only a good listener some of the time... the rest of the time I'm on a one-way street in my own head, and pretty clueless. Sure, I hear what you're saying, and I think I get it... but I'm
Healthy Never Tasted So GoodI have a confession to make. I have never successfully made crispy sweet potato fries. Until now.Every once and a while I come across a simple culinary task that renders me completely inept. I know plenty of people who turn out perfectly crisp sweet potato fries every time, with no fuss. Somehow, that's not the case for me. Instead they turn out limp, soggy, or a l
"In this life we cannot always do great things, but we can do small things with great love."-Mother TeresaAt the beginning of the month, I set out to complete 30 Random Acts of Kindness in 30 Days. I'd been seeing a lot of 30-Day challenges, and kept thinking to myself "that's something I should do some day!". At last I decided there was no better time than the present.I should probably start
How To Cook Pasta Like An ItalianPasta is probably one of the easiest things to learn how to cook. All you need to know is how to boil water, right? Well, sort of. There's little more to it than that, if you want to get technical about things. One of the most common questions about cooking pasta is, whether or not to salt the water? We've all heard it said that pasta should be cooked in water that
Om nom nom!I've got a bit of a sweet tooth. I know, I know, it's hard to believe... but it's true. To be completely honest, sometimes I don't even get past the dough portion of making cookies. It's an understatement to say I like them under-baked. Then again, there's really no pleasure to be had from dunking raw dough into milk, so there is that.Yes, I'm a bit of a Cookie Monster. I am of the beli
Steak with Chimichurri Sauce - recipe in postWhen I first set out to write informative blog posts, my hope was to tackle some of the things I don't know a whole lot about and learn something new myself. Well, this week I accomplished just that.I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but I don't cook meat very often, especially steak. Don't get me wrong, I love me some steak! But I'm a firm believer in modera
How To Roast GarlicGarlic is kind of like the bad-boy of the vegetable world. Known for its stink, its pungent bite, its ferocious ability to ward off vampires and demons... and yet despite it's bad reputation, Garlic is every foodie's secret crush. The unassuming bulb, so innocent in appearance, has even earned itself the name of "stinking rose".And yet... what is in a name? That which we ca
Enchilagna: noun, a cross between an enchilada and a lasagna.Have you ever made enchiladas and thought, wow, this would be so much easier if I didn't have to fill all of these tortillas...? Well, problem solved! As it turns out, enchiladas work pretty well as a lasagna, with the filling, cheese, and tortillas layered in the pan. This is my contribution to society - from laziness comes ingenuity, o
Chewy Ginger Granola Bites - recipe in postThis month is a very special month! I've set a goal for myself to do 30 Random Acts of Kindness in 30 Days - today is Day 6, and so far, so good! As the name suggests, Random Acts of Kindness are any little thing you do for someone else, while expecting nothing in return. It can be as small as offering to help someone carry in their groceries, or somethin
Uses For An Ice Cube TrayHave you ever stopped to appreciate how much modern technology has become a part of our every-day lives? It's amazing how much we rely on, and take for granted, the electronic world that surrounds us. I've had plenty of time to be thankful for the simple things in life since a snowstorm blew in earlier this week left us without power for a couple of days. Let me tell you,
PB&J Sandwich Cookies - recipe in postLet's get something straight - no matter how "grown up" I get (really, what does that even mean?) I will always hold a fondness for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Forget fancy and sophisticated, sometimes there's nothing I want more than this childhood classic. These sandwich cookies began, as things of this nature often do, in my head. Pean
Oh butter - pure, golden, full of flavor... the word itself is used to describe such desirable qualities as tender, melting, sweet, and unctuous. Buttery. Whether you eat it or not (due to dietary reasons or otherwise), it's hard to deny its glory. We even strive to mimic its unique flavor with artificial substitutes (though I have to say, I can and do believe it is not butter). And as if it
Yours truly...I think we've all been there... you stir together a batch of cupcakes, or banana bread, or cookies, and bite into them only to find they are tough, dense, or dry. I've even had this happen to recipes I've made dozens of times before with no problems - so what gives?There are two main reasons this might happen:1. Too Much Flour: If you measure your flour straight from the bag with a m
Bite MeAh, Valentine's Day. Chocolate in boxes, roses in bouquets, and love in the air. How sweet it is! At least, that's how it's supposed to be... I'm just going to come right out and say it, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong, I love the sentiment! Taking a moment to say "I love you" to those nearest and dearest is definitely something I can get on board with... but l
Old-Fashioned Rolled OatsOats are a cereal grain, which, like many now prevalent crops, began as a weed. Early Greeks and Romans used oats primarily as feed for cattle, and looked down upon the grain in terms of human consumption. Meanwhile, other countries began to discover their culinary potential, and started chopping their oats with steel blades and cooked them into dense little cake
New Orleans Style Beignets - recipe in postTo say The Fiancé has a sweet tooth is an understatement. He's not your average dessert-loving, chocoholic candy fiend... the man's got taste, and not just any sweet treat will do. He's a self-proclaimed snob when it comes to confections... and since I get to indulge in all kinds of incredible foods as a result, I have to say I'm okay with it.Weekend morn
Salmon Cakes - recipe in postDuring the week, when I'm not cooking for the blog (as in, measuring everything really precisely), I like to surprise The Fiancé by throwing together something tasty, ready for him when he walks through the door. Something new and exciting, that I know he'll love. Some nights it's butter-basted sea scallops with a white wine pan sauce (one of his favorites), somet
Once you know how to make a meringue, you might as well have a super powerAngel Food Cake and I, we have a bit of a history. Honestly, we got off to a rocky start. My first attempts were high on flavor, but they quite literally fell flat. They were heavy, and dense, and not really very angelic... I made cake after cake - dozens of them! - trying to make one worthy of its heavenly title.I became ob
Banana Nut Bread - recipe in post"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." -Charles DickensThere's something powerful about the word "home". We strive to define it as something bigger, something more than simple shelter and a place to kick off one's shoes. It is a place we create for ourselv
Bubbles!Leaven (lev-en): 1. a substance (as yeast) used to produce fermentation in dough or liquid. Or, a material (as baking powder) used to produce a gas that lightens dough or batter. Something that modifies or lightens. From the Latin, levare, meaning: to rise.In the kitchen, leavening means one thing: bubbles. Bubbles of gas which add lightness, and when exposed to heat expand
Everything You Need To Know To Make Sushi At Home!If I could choose one food to eat for the rest of my life... sushi might just be that food. On any given day, at any given moment, if you ask me what I'm in the mood for, I will say sushi. Always.The Brother and I are the only ones in our family who like sushi, and whenever we're together we try to make a little time to go out to eat, just the two
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, and Homemade Pancake Mix - recipes in postPancakes are like happiness. They're warm, and fluffy, and melting, and sweet... they're like pillows of flavor, clouds of yumminess, and make weekend mornings say *sunshine*, even if they're really cloudy and grey. I mean, come on... they've got the word 'cake' in them!That's why I wanted to make pancakes this weekend. He
How to Cook Rice Perfectly, without a rice cooker - instructions in postIt's 2013, and I don't know about you but I'm excited! I'll be making a few changes to The Blog, and with the start of the new year I'm finally ready to share those changes and bring them into fruition.Looking around, I've noticed a trend of 2012 recaps, and reflections on the past year... but while everyone else is looking ba
Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito - recipe in postI love Mexican food. I love Mexican food for breakfast. I love breakfast. Breakfast is why I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I'm so excited about what I'm going to have for breakfast, I can hardly sleep at night. Sad, but true."Huevos Rancheros" (in Spanish: Rancher's Eggs) is kind of the Mexican equivalent of a farmer's omelet...
Fish Taco Salad (aka, deconstructed fish tacos) with Avocado Chipotle Dressing - recipe in postI don't know about you, but after the holidays I start craving salads. Partly because I love salads, and partly because I feel a little guilty about all the crap wonderful stuff I've been eating. That's all fine and dandy, but the problem comes right at the end of the year, when I go: alright, body,
Food Photography For Bloggers - reviewHo-ho-home sweet home! After traveling to celebrate with both sides of The Family, it's nice to be settling back into things. Unpacking the car, catching up on sleep, and finally getting a chance to enjoy some of our wonderful gifts. I thought I would share a few of my food-related goodies, but honestly I hardly know where to begin... I'm not used to
Eggnog Gingersnap Tiramisu - recipe in postShow of hands - who watches cooking competition shows? It's one of my big-time guilty pleasures. I sit under a pile of blankets, with a big bowl (who am I kidding, entire tub) of ice cream, and I talk at the TV the whole time. Plate your food, you're running out of time! I hate to admit it. Especially that last part, because talking at the television
Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String...T'was the week before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... except me, of course! Stirring great vats of sugary, bubbling goo... making candy, and baked goods, and sweets to share with you!I've always loved making homemade gifts and goodies around the holidays. It's rare that I find that 'perfect gift' for someone, that thin
Hot Cocoa Mix with Peppermint Marshmallows - recipes in postThere's nothing like coming in from the snow to wrap your mitton'd hands around a warm mug of hot cocoa. Just one sip can transform an unpleasant chill into the most wonderful feeling of renewal, melting away the cold, melting away the world.It's hard not to romanticize it with memories of my childhood... except, when I was a kid, ho
Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits - recipe in postEver since I was little, I've always had pets. From hamsters, frogs, and lizards (growing up in small house on a busy street) to cats, dogs, horses, and goats (when I moved to the country). Now, when I'm not in the kitchen, I'm a dog-walker / pet-sitter by trade... so I know just how special our four-legged family members can
Mixed-Nut Brittle with Sea Salt - recipe in postHere's a question for you - do you prefer to say "Brittle" or "Brickle? I've always said brittle, myself, but this is one point where The Fiancé and I differ. He says brickle, I say brittle... let's call the whole thing off!Whatever you call it, brickle brittle has got to be my single favorite candy. First, I love nuts... then I also love carame
Holiday Spiced Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies, easily made vegan - recipe in postIs there anything better than a homemade gift? I mean, really... what are the holidays all about? Family, love, togetherness, smiles... and if you ask me, that doesn't have to be expensive, or difficult, or full of gifting-guesswork.Even as a kid, I would get so excited about the things I was making for people it wa
Eggnog Cupcakes with Light-As-Air Eggnog Buttercream - recipe in postEvery year around the holidays I try to make a donation of some kind to Food Gatherer's, my local hunger-fighting food organization. They're run almost entirely on volunteers, giving them low overhead costs and making them extremely efficient, which means most of the money they receive goes directly into helping those in need.Thi
Tripe Ginger Cookies - easily made vegan - recipe in postGinger and I, we go way back... we used to talk about forever, sitting under the stars like it was just the two of us, like nothing else mattered, like we could live together under the blanket of sky and never wake up... But Ginger, see, she couldn't live like that. She had this fire inside her, this heat. This spice for life that
Creamy Chestnut Soup with Rosemary Garlic Croutons - gluten-free, vegan - recipe in postI think it's safe to say I'm not alone in feeling a little stressed about the upcoming holidays... it seems like there's hardly any time to recover from the indulgences of Thanksgiving before all of a sudden, it's Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, etc.). Where does the time go? It's dark w
Candied Chestnut Cake - recipe in postLast night, for the first time in a long time, The Fiancé and I had friends over for dinner. With the new floors installed, and the walls (mostly) painted, the house is finally acceptable for hosting. Finally! It's been a long time coming, and I was so excited to prepare a meal for our guests.When cooking for other people, I generally choose something tried an
Chestnuts - how to roast, boil, and shell them, and what to do with them afterGrowing up, I always thought of chestnuts as a bit of a luxury. Every year my step dad would take on the job of roasting and peeling them to add to the Thanksgiving stuffing, and every year I would fill my plate at least ninety percent full of said stuffing, and eat all the chestnuts out of it I could find. They were a s
Curry Chicken Soup with Rice - recipe in post"In January it's so nice, while slipping on the sliding ice,to sip hot chicken soup with rice. Sipping once,sipping twice, sipping chicken soup with rice."- Maurice SendakThis Chicken Soup doesn't really have anything to do with your traditional chicken soup with rice... but in the colder weather, I just can't help gravitating towards spices - hol
links to recipes in postWho doesn't love pumpkin? According to my page-views, you guys are game for just about anything with the word 'pumpkin' in it. That is to say, you're my kind of people!The past couple months have been full of pumpkin, but with Turkey Day upon us I foresee a need to move on... to new recipes, new tasty adventures. Not that it will be the end of pumpkin till next year, but ce
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, 3 ways - recipes in postIt's the week of Thanksgiving, and despite all the pumpkin packed foods I'm still all revved up! I thought I would share with you one last pumpkin recipe before the holidays, and what has been my breakfast for many of the chilly mornings this month.Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!Granted, stirring pumpkin puree and spices into your morning oats is no new thing... s
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping - recipe in postI'm thankful for so many things this year. I'm thankful for my family, my friends; the roof over my head and the food in my belly... oh, how I'm thankful for that! I am rich with love, and happiness, and all kinds of luxuries, which I hope never to take for granted. I'm also thankful to be marrying a man who makes some of the best pumpkin pie
Rum and Coke Cupcakes, with Rum and Coke Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Rum Spiked Caramel Sauce - recipe in postHappy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Brother... Happy birthday to you!As an outsider, downtown Pittsburgh is nothing short of a nightmare to navigate - in some areas, the ramps and bridges twist and bend like something out of an Escher drawing - but from the
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Meringue Cookies - recipe in postLeave it to me to take a wonderful, naturally fat-free treat and put a swirl of peanut butter through it and dip it in chocolate. I swear, I'll do it to anything. "Hey, that's a nice recipe you have there... have you considered adding peanut butter?"Sometimes, when I'm bummed, I remind myself of all the people who have it worse than m
