F O O D !
Get inspired to try something new, make something better or upgrade your kitchen with these tasty bits. Or heck, throw a whole dinner party and order my cookbook “The Dinner Party Project” out now!
Super-California-Licious-Excellent-For-Brunch Cake
Super-California-Licious-Excellent-For-Brunch Cake
24-7 Bagel Dip
Quince Vodka Shrub
Shrubs are becoming a thing. For cocktails. Not your garden.Before they start to bore your friends and they’re on the hunt for the next thing, start shrubbing!
Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder With Herby Crispy Potatoes
Nothing makes me happier than cooking a protein that’s incredibly crisp on the outside, totally tender on the inside, and, and big enough for leftovers. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this triple threat is by using this recipe right here. It does take lots of time to cook, but it’s not active time. You can set it and forget it!
Ragu Lasagna
This is hands down my favorite way to make lasagna. One day when I was struggling with a boiled wet limp lasagna sheet that was stuck to another one and causing me anguish I thought to myself “can’t I just not do this?” and it turns out the answer is YES. By simply using raw sheets/noodles and building the lasagna one night in advance, enough moisture soaks into the pasta that by the time you’re ready to go, the lasagna sheets are perfectly soft and full of flavor from the sauce.
Smoky Spanish Spinach And Chickpeas (Espinacas Con Garbanzos)
After a month of eating in Spain, vegetables are the thing I get most excited about on a menu. The food here is insanely delicious, but it isn’t exactly vegetable-forward. At most traditional tapas restaurants there are generally two vegetable dishes on the menu: Padrón peppers and patatas bravas, and occasionally a third; espinacas con garbanzos! Espinacas con garbanzos (or spinach and chickpeas) is a dish that comes from Seville and I can't get enough of it. It's got an earthy, smoky flavor from the paprika. It's rich and creamy from the olive oil and chickpeas. And it has yet another layer of complexity from the roasted garlic and vinegar. Needless to say, it has quickly become one of my favorites.
Albondigas Receta (Spanish Meatballs)
One of the things I’ve been thinking about over my last week living in Barcelona is how can I bring the flavors I’ve grown to love home in a user-friendly way. Perhaps it’s my Eastern European roots talking, but the addition of sweet or smoked paprika into basically every dish has been something I’ve warmly welcomed. This recipe is an example of the many glorious paprika-infused dishes I've enjoyed in Barcelona. Although not originally from this region, these little meatballs have weaseled their way onto many a tapas menu (tapas are also not from this region), and they’re delicious! Unlike Italian meatballs, they are generally small, smoky, and usually onion-less. Like Italian meatballs, they’re soft and comforting, and most importantly, laden with garlic. And they hold onto my strong belief that breadcrumbs never belong in meatballs. Bread or bust!
Diner Style Smash Burgers With Crispy Rosemary Oven Fries
Don’t forget your roller skates! These burgers are inspired by my favorite diner burger growing up in Lake Oswego, OR. It was on a squishy bun with plenty of special sauce, a mountain of crisp cold iceberg, and, most importantly, a thin cheddar blanketed patty charred to perfection. Fries are optional, but are they?
Fall-Off-The-Bone Cocoa Spiced Ribs
I have always been a rib person. I recall being no older than 6 and always begging to go to Tony Roma’s to dig into a giant plate of sticky sugary ribs and be showered in moist towelettes to clean my hands after. Rarely did my parents agree, but every once in a while… it was GO TIME. I haven’t had their ribs in… I don’t know… 21 years? I don’t even know if they’re good? But in my memory, they’re fall-off-the-bone-tender, mildly spicy, sticky sweet and deeply smokey. These are my tribute to those, only with some extra spices to warm up the flavor and there are no moist towelettes included.
Wine-Drunk Short Ribs
Ok, this is another one of those recipes where you just have to be patient. The difference between an hour here can make or break the dish, and you basically can’t cook it too long. You can start them Sunday morning and have it for dinner Sunday night OR do cook it on Sunday and then reheat it for Monday, short ribs are always more delicious on day two.
Spinaki Lemonato
I’ve been obsessed with this spinach dip for years. I’ve only found it at one restaurant, so I recipe tested endlessly and cracked the code. Then changed the name by one letter so they don’t get too mad at me.
Coconuty Movie Theater Popcorn
This is a straightforward simple recipe to make really good popcorn at home without a microwave. It requires a TOUCH of arm strength but other than that is basically fool proof.
Overly Dilled Tzatziki With Crudités
This is a real easy recipe. Basically the only technique here is to remove excess liquid from the cucumbers so that the yogurt remains creamy and thick. To get the excess liquid out of the cucumber put the cuc’ bits in a colander and sprinkle with a little salt. Let the salt pull the water from the cucumber for a few minutes and then wring ‘em out between paper towels. It's best coooollllldddd. Serve with some carrots, cucumber, and radish. Or with pita bread. Or as a side for chicken.
Bazillion Dollar Watermelon Salad
In the summer months when, at least here in LA, it’s unbearably hot, and the last thing you want to do is turn on the stove, this salad is everything. It’s cooling. It’s hydrating. It’s fresh. And did I mention it’s cold? Anyway this is one of my favorite no-cook recipes for those days when you don’t really want to cook, but still gotta eat.
Brunch's Best Friend: A Seasonal Frittata
There are a few things that are crucial to making an epic frittata...
1. Sauté your vegetables before adding the eggs (helps remove excess liquid and build flavor)
2. Whisk your eggs before adding them into the pan (aerates and helps keep the frittata fluffy)
3. Cook your eggs low and slow (because no one wants tough bubblegum textured eggs)
4. Slow the cooking process of the eggs by adding fat (milk, sour cream, or butter) in 2 stages
The frittata you are about to make incorporates all 4 principles, resulting in what could be your favorite frittata of all time. Great thing is, you don't need these veggies, herbs or cheeses, you can use whatever you have lying around.
Everything Bagel Oven Roasted Potato Chips
CHIPS! You can make ‘em! I love them served as a side at dinner with roasted chicken and a green salad or as a snack if someone is forcing me to watch sports. Only trick here is that you have to WATCH them because they can go from delightfully crispy to burnt very quickly.
Millennial Beet Hummus
Once I started making this dish I started noticing all the places that hummus could and should be: on a sandwich, served with sliced veggies, thrown on top of a salad, served beneath roasted white fish, eaten on a cracker. Hummus makes almost anything more delicious, and this pink one will make any dish look 1,000% more fancy.
Please Pass the Stuffing Muffins
Crispy on the outside, soft and speckled with flavorful goodness on the inside. There really isn’t anything to dislike about the stuffing muffin. Try ‘em out on your Thanksgiving guests this year and prepare for the compliments to roll into the new year. :)
Juicy Grilled Summer Veggies With Pesto And Feta
This recipe will convert anyone into a vegetable lover! It’s an incredibly flavorful mix of crisp summer vegetables, pesto, fresh herbs, and tangy feta. It’s a recipe that’s easy enough to throw together and serve with some grilled chicken or sausage for a weeknight meal, but beautiful enough to serve on a special occasion.
Caramelized Onion Deviled Eggs
I’ve had a lot of deviled eggs in my life, and they’re all pretty good, but I wanted to make THE BEST deviled eggs. What really takes this recipe to the next level is the addition of the grilled onions from the roasted veggie recipe. The grilled onions add a subtle smokey note that just sings “serve me at your barbecue,” or something like that.
