Make Ahead Gravy

Three days left until the big Thanksgiving feast so let's talk about food stresses. For me, for many years, it was the gravy. I was taught that I need to take the turkey out of the roasting pan and keep it warm while I strain the boiling hot pan, de-glaze it with stock and scrape the good bits up from the bottom. Then pour it into a gravy separator to get off the layer of fat, then make a butter and flour mixture and whisk it in until the gravy thickens.

Mustard Coated Crispy Potato Balls

My favorite thing about this time of year is the focus on gathering. Whether it's family or friends or even new friends like the great group I recently met at a book club meeting, the get-togethers make me feel connected.

Autumn Harvest Bourbon Ginger Fizz

The countdown to Thanksgiving is on and I love this time of year so much. The air is crisp and the weather cool but not cold. Autumn is showing off her colors outside my window, magazines and newspapers are filled with pie and side dish recipes and most of us are placing our turkey orders. But let's not forget the cocktails.

Bacon Cheddar Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Let's talk about the best part of the Thanksgiving feast: stuffing! Or, in this case, dressing. Because when you stuff it inside the bird it's called stuffing and when you make it on the side it's called dressing. In my family we call it stuffing no matter what because dressing is the stuff you pour on salad. But that's not important right now. What is important is: stuffing!

Moroccan Chicken Chermoula

How does a pan of flavorful chicken thighs, cooked in an aromatic sauce and served over rice, sound for dinner? Good, right? Especially when that sauce is a slow cooked North African chermoula, a blend of red chili peppers, garlic, coriander, cilantro and lemon. No time to make a complex sauce, you say? I've got you covered.

Pumpkin Boule Bread

Have I ever mentioned how much I love pumpkin? For some reason, I've been obsessed with how pumpkins and other winter squash look since I was a kid but I didn't actually love the taste. But, as an adult, my obsession is complete.

Crispy Chickpea and Egg Shakshuka

I came to love shakshuka, the popular breakfast dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, a little later in life. This was probably the result of being a tomato hating kid but thank goodness I grew out of it.

Wicked Chocolate Pumpkin Smash Cocktail

I interrupt this normally family-friendly foodie conversation to talk about wicked cocktails and what they'll make you do. Dancing naked on a bar to the song Monster Mash is one such wicked possibility.

Tahini Salted Caramel Apples

Every autumn I start to dream about caramel apples. I think it started when I was a little girl, window shopping with my mother in fancy department stores. There was always a display of the most decadent looking caramel apples, loaded with chocolate and nuts. But the prices were outrageous.

Individual Apple and Peanut Butter Crumbles

Last weekend, when I was at the farmer's market, I could practically smell the apples a block away. So many fresh ripe varieties to choose from and all sweet and perfect. I bought some just for eating as snacks with peanut butter but I also wanted to make an apple crumb cake.

Middle Eastern Wedge Salad with Crispy Cauliflower Rice

I, personally, celebrated when the old time wedge salad became popular again. They're the steakhouse classic of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese dressing. What's not to love? And I'm all for them never going out of style again. But there's also no reason we can't make variations of it.

Warm Apple Fritters

Yay! It finally cooled down enough for me to turn off my air conditioner. I mean, seriously, this was the hottest summer ever in New York and I was over it a long time ago. Bring on autumn with its apples and pumpkins and open window breezes.

Cheesy Meatball Sliders

Summer may not be officially over but summer schedules definitely are. It's back to school, back to work, back to real life. And that also means back to meal planning for quick and easy dinner ideas.

Za'atar Crusted Steak with Spicy Shatta Chimichurri

I'm always experimenting with steak sauces that enhance but don't overpower the meat. As much as I love barbecue sauce, once I put it on, it's pretty much all I can taste. And it's a shame to buy good quality beef and spend time cooking it well only to not get the flavor.

Frozen Coconut Blue Hawaiian

Late August is usually when I feel some cooler breezes in the air, autumn catalogs begin to arrive in the mail and, much as I hate to rush the seasons, I start to think about baking with pumpkin. The key word here is usually because this year, it's still hot as hell, my air conditioner is working overtime and all I can think about is cold drinks. And ice cream. I think about ice cream.

Sparkling Peach and Thyme Rose' Cocktail

This was my summer of discovering all my favorite rose' wines. I have nothing against reds and whites but rose' has my heart. Extra points if the weather is hot and the rose' is bubbly.

Peach Shortcakes with Honey Basil Syrup

And...it's finally peach season. Oh, sure, there have been peaches in the market for the last couple of months but they were just hard orbs with no fresh peach aroma. And I know from sad experience that they will never ripen. But now that it's August, the peaches are tender and fragrant, juicy and delicious.

Savory Zucchini Pie with Fontina Cheese and Walnut Crust

Based on what I'm seeing at the farmer's market these days, zucchini is taking over the planet. OK, maybe not but I'm eating so much of the stuff that I'm about to turn green. Fortunately, I love it.

No Bake Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake

It's no secret that cheesecake is my favorite dessert and it's what I always want as my birthday cake. And yes, I do usually make my own birthday cake because...well...I make really good cheesecake. If I absolutely, positively had to pick a favorite, it would be a tie between the classic New York steakhouse style with a cookie crust and strawberries on top and my mother's no-bake version.

Labneh Ice Cream with Cherry Swirl

There's not really much to complain about when it comes to ice cream. But sometimes, the sweet on sweet can be too much for me, especially when it's hot and I'm looking for something cooling. My preference is for a little tart to go with with my sweet. Not sour, like a lemon sorbet, but just a little bit tart.

Loaded Chickpea Slaw

Let's talk about lunch prep. I feel like the Sunday meal prepping people do tends to be more for weeknight dinners but lunch has always been a big prep situation for me. I love those Whole Foods type salad bars but it's expensive and not always convenient. So I make my own salad bar at home.

French Inspired Cheese Board with Edible Flowers

No matter what the season, when I'm entertaining there's nothing more crowd pleasing than a great cheese board. But, in summer, I especially love opening a crisp bottle of rose' and serving cheese on a Sunday afternoon with friends.

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Summer is all about the grill, isn't it? There's just something about cooking and eating outside and the taste of grilled food. You can use a grill pan in your kitchen, too, and I've done that plenty of times. But now this city girl has an outdoor grill as well!

Star Spangled Watermelon Gin Slush

We need to talk about this cocktail because it is so good. I mean, this recipe makes two drinks and I may or may not have had them both. It was just so hard to stop. And the 4th of July theme? Oh, yes, this drink will be on repeat for the holiday.

French Market Salad with Fried Goat Cheese

When I'm walking through my local farmer's market on Saturday mornings, I always develop an overwhelming urge to make a big salad. And since I can't resist buying all the things, a salad is a great way to use them.

Cauliflower Shawarma

My first experience with shawarma was on vacation on the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel. Food vendors were selling falafel and shawarma sandwiches along with cold beverages on that hot August day. I ordered falafel because it's my favorite street food and my sister-in-law, who was my beach buddy that afternoon, ordered shawarma. I'd never had it before but the aroma was intoxicating and I asked for a taste. Hooked!

Creamy Lime in the Coconut Ice Cream

I have a life long love/hate relationship with coconut. Love the flavor, hate the texture. So, little pieces of shredded coconut inside foods or covering the outside of a cake? Nope, not for me. The result of this has been that I spent a lot of time avoiding coconut flavored foods and pretty much kept my coconut consumption to pina coladas.

Memorial Day Recipe Ideas

Are you ready for the unofficial start of summer with Memorial Day weekend? Yes, the day itself is significant but, let's face it, it's also a time when friends and family gather to spend time together and start enjoying the summery weather. And that means food. So here are some of my favorite ideas this year for sides, mains, desserts and, of course, cocktails. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Chocolate Covered Almond Butter Cookies

My peanut butter obsession means that's usually the jar I reach for when there's cookie baking to be done. And since it's been raining non stop for so long that I've actually lost track, there has definitely been cookie baking. But I decided it was time to show the almond butter some love as well.

Ghee Roasted White and Sweet Potato Salad

For some reason, 2018 is running by super fast for me. Half the things I was supposed to get to in the first quarter of the year are still untouched. And then suddenly I look up and it's two weeks to the start of long summer weekends, beach openings and grilling season. Not that those things are anything to complain about.

Honeydew Melon Mojitos

I've always enjoyed a cool, refreshing mojito in hot weather. It's icy and minty and not too strong. Despite the 2 ounces of rum, it's topped off with club soda which makes a great slow sipper. Can't you just picture a tray of them on the porch in summer?

Bagel Breakfast Bar with Labneh and Za'atar Cream Cheese

When Sunday brunch is at my house, I like to to serve a bagel feast. I mean, who doesn't like bagels?Not only is it popular but it's easy to put together and involves more shopping than actual cooking.

Ramp and Gruyere Cheese Tart

Do you suffer from ramp insanity? These wild onions appear for a short time in the spring and our local farmer's markets actually tweet out alerts. That's how ramp crazy we are. They smell and taste like a cross between garlic and onions with an extra touch of something green and wild and wonderful. Clearly I'm a a sufferer.

Cobb Salad Nachos

This recipe got started recently as I was staring at the menu of one of my favorite local dives and trying to decide between nachos and Cobb salad. Normally this is an easy decision for me since Cobb salad is one of my favorites. But I had Cinco de Mayo nachos on the brain.

Falafel and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

I have a serious affection for a good, loaded breakfast sandwich. What's not to love about all the delicious breakfast things stacked between two pieces of delicious bread? But what exactly constitutes breakfast things is open to interpretation and variation.

Milk Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies

When you love peanut butter as much as I do, you have a favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. And, in my case, my ultimate favorite is from my friend Jennie, who writes the blog, One Sweet Mess. So, when I was working on my recipe for tahini cookies, my other favorite thing (I have a lot of favorite things), I started out with her base.

Honey Tahini Overnight Oats

Let's just say that it's a good thing I don't live with anybody who expects a hot breakfast because they would be very disappointed. Most days, I'm happy I've found time to pour milk into my cereal instead of just grabbing handfuls of it dry as I rush around. Needless to say, hot oatmeal is not a thing that happens around here without significant pre-planning. Overnight oats, though, are in regular rotation because all I have to do in the morning is grab them out of the fridge.

Tamari Roasted Vegetable Platter

One of my favorite ways to serve side dish vegetables to company is just to grill or roast a big platter of them and put them in the middle of the table for people to help themselves. I also think it's a fun appetizer with cocktails instead of the more expected cheese and dips.

Pear Dutch Babies with Honey Labneh Cream

Let's talk about how much there is to love about Dutch baby pancakes. The puff, the flavorings and, my personal favorite, the fact that they cook in the oven and I don't have to stand over a griddle flipping batches of pancakes.

Spinach and Feta Turnovers (Bourekas)

Puff pastry and frozen spinach are a couple of items that can usually be found in the back of my freezer somewhere. They're both useful to have around for all kinds of recipe options but, sadly, my freezer is underutilized. I keep nuts and vodka in there but tend to forget to look to it for food ideas. That needs to change.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

Oh, has it been a minute since I expressed my undying love of peanut butter? Rest assured my obsession has not waned. And while I fully admit that my preferred method of eating peanut butter is with a spoon, right out of the jar, sometimes I feel compelled to actually make stuff with it.

Quick Pickled Vegetables

At any given time, I've either had no pickles in my fridge or I've had an overly large array of them in various shapes and styles. Why? Because I never know which one I will like. Too sweet, too sour, too soft, too crunchy. And so they accumulate until I get frustrated and get rid of all of them leaving me with no pickles when I feel like having a pickle.

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Another week and another make-ahead dinner prepped, portioned and stored in the fridge for use during the week. I'm so weirdly proud of myself when I actually do these.

Roasted Parmesan Sugar Snap Peas

I was on a hunt the other day for some fresh spring peas (I'm pretending it's not still freezing outside) but none of my local grocery stores had them. What I did find was fresh sugar snap peas. Those wouldn't work for the recipe I had in mind but I figured I'd come up with something so I grabbed them.

Tex-Mex Potato and Beef Burritos

One of my goals is to get better about weekly meal prep and make-ahead freezer meals. I've always found that the prep work on a Sunday is totally worth the ease and convenience of having ready made meals and prepped vegetables during the hectic week. Now I just have to get better about doing it on a regular basis.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Air Fried Doughnuts

See these hot, fluffy doughnuts, oozing with jelly and dripping with peanut butter glaze? Fresh from the fryer! Oh, wait, I meant the air fryer. Yup. These beauties are an air fryer masterpiece.

Chicken Sausage with Creamy Polenta and Onion Gravy

Let's talk about quick and easy weeknight dinners because it's a subject that comes up often around here. It's actually most likely to come up at about 6:00 pm when I look up from my computer screen and realize that I haven't planned anything for dinner.

Currant Scones

It snows, it warms up, it snows, it warms up. All month long. Rinse and repeat. I know it's just winter's last hurrah before exiting for the year but I'm a little over it. Yesterday was another inclement weather day so I did the only logical thing - I baked.

Banana Cream Pie

For those people who know me well, the only surprising part about me baking a banana cream pie is that it's the first time I've ever done it. And surprising because it is literally my favorite dessert of all time.

French Onion Patty Melts

One of my cooking mottos would have to be French onion all the things! Why? Because the combination of beef, Gruyere cheese and caramelized onions is awesome. Sure, it's great in soup but it's just as great minus the soup. Patty melts are already awesome so giving them the French onion twist just makes them even more so.