Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Sparkling Red Currant Cosmopolitan

Recipe for a vodka cocktail flavored with red currant syrup, lime and orange liqueur.

I am obsessed with fresh currants and probably mores so because of how hard they are to find. In New York I typically find them in the winter at specialty gourmet stores but sometimes larger farmer's markets will have them. One thing is sure and that's that, if I see them, I'm buying them.

Monday, January 29, 2018

Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake

Recipe for a 4 layer chocolate cake with raspberry syrup, chocolate mousse filling and ganache topping.

Most of the time, I am not a fancy dessert maker. I like to create recipes that are easy, quick and delicious. But sometimes you have to make an effort and Valentine's Day is the perfect occasion for an extra fancy chocolate cake.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Triple Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Recipe for heart shaped shortbread cookies filled with semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzled with milk and white chocolate.

It's almost time for the sweetest holiday of the year. And yes, it's wonderful if you have a romantic partner but I believe in spreading the love to friends and family. Thanks to Parks and Recreation, so many of my friends now host "galentines" celebrations and I'm happy to share the friend love with sweet treats.

Monday, January 22, 2018

Cheesy Beef and Potato Casserole

Recipe for a casserole of ground beef and potatoes in a creamy smoked Gouda cheese sauce.

Every time I make a casserole I ask myself why I don't make them more often. They can be prepped ahead of time, come together using just one or two pans and they usually make enough for lots of leftovers. Those are all words that interest me when I'm busy and can realize, with relief, that dinner is already in the fridge, just waiting for me to reheat it.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Burger Au Poivre

Recipe for hamburgers cooked with a creamy au poivre peppercorn sauce.

One of my favorite restaurant splurges is steak au poivre which is typically a filet mignon served with a creamy peppercorn sauce. The steak is great, of course, but it's the sauce that makes me crave that dish. So, why not just make the sauce?

Monday, January 15, 2018

Chocolate Chip Tahini Cake

Recipe for a chocolate chip loaf cake flavored with sesame tahini and topped with a sweet tahini glaze.

This weekend I was going through my pantry and thinking about doing some cold weather, stay-at-home-day baking. There's something so comforting about winter baking not to mention, I really wanted something sweet.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Baked Cauliflower Rice and Bacon Arancini

Recipe for baked rice balls made with cauliflower rice, bacon and a cheesy cheddar center.

Where should I begin? The arancini part, the cauliflower rice part or the fact that this recipe serves four but I ate most of it by myself for dinner last night?

Monday, January 8, 2018

Winter Squash Soup with Sage

Recipe for soup made with butternut, acorn and carnival squash.

I hope you all are not getting sick of soup recipes because the temperatures and wind chill around here are below zero and that means I'm eating soup. My big soup pot pretty much lives on top of the stove lately because it's a stay inside, eat all the soup and watch Netflix kind of month.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Braised Short Ribs

Recipe for short ribs braised in red wine, beef stock, vegetables and thyme.

So...brrrr. Those of us in the north east are enjoying (no, not really) single digit temperatures and the pleasures of potential frostbite whenever we take the dog for a walk. Mind you, I'm not really complaining that much because my apartment is heated and cozy. Just maybe getting a little claustrophobic in here.

Monday, January 1, 2018

Black Bean Soup

Recipe for soup made with onions, carrots, black beans, cumin and chicken stock.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had an opportunity to take some time off around the holidays. I took most of last week off which, for me, meant catching up on sleep, catching up on some personal stuff that I wanted crossed off my list and playing around in the kitchen.