What Smells Better Than Home Cooking?

We all know the way to make a house smell like a home is to cook dinner, make fresh bread or bake a pie. But bringing the outdoors in can also work wonders. Our lilac bushes bloomed a little early this year due to the unusually warm winter. We almost ran out of vases and containers to put them all in and now our place both looks and smells amazing.

A Kicked Up Frozen Watermelon Margarita

If you've noticed a lack of tequila drinks on our blog it's because neither Brian nor I drink much of it. Oh, we like the taste just fine but it does tend to hit us much harder than other liquors. With Cinco De Mayo coming up, though, we figured the holiday was worth a true margarita. Of course, when I say "true" I mean it's gotten the Hungry Couple cocktail twist.

Torta De Cielo (Mexican Almond Cake)

With Cinco de Mayo coming up, I've been seeing recipes for this traditional Mexican cake popping up on Pinterest and various food blogs. Based on the original recipe by Diana Kennedy in her book The Cuisines of Mexico (1972), this almond sponge cake recipe is quite simple to make.

Hey Everyone, Show Us Your Freezers!

So it's a gloomy, rainy day in New York city. That reminds me of one of my favorite old songs by the band Chicago - "Another Rainy Day in New York City." Anyway, I'm spending the day catching up on my blog reading and am seeing a few posts that include photos of people's freezers and refrigerators for various reasons.

Pasta with Sweet Italian Sausage

This past weekend was rainy and quite chilly in New York compared to the warm weather we've been enjoying. Oh well, the flowers need the rain and we got to enjoy a lazy weekend of cuddling, movie watching and puttering around the kitchen.

Southside Cocktail and a Guest Post

Today I'm guest posting over at Young Grasshopper. If you haven't already met Heidi, you'll quickly learn that she has a wicked sense of humor, juggles a challenging career, a husband and three kids while cooking, blogging and mixing up the cocktails. She has a particular fondness for gin and gave me the great honor of asking me to contribute a recipe for her "Gin-sanity" series. Well, how could I possibly say no to that?

A German Inspired Cheesecake

Did you ever see a photo or read a recipe for something that made you instantly know you will make that? That's how I felt when I saw Sofie, The German Foodie's blog post for German Cheesecake. I LOVE cheesecake! If it were appropriate to do so, I would list it under interests on my resume. I don't make it often because it's a calorie catastrophe but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Peanut Butter Biscuits for the Birthday Girl

This is Hadley, affectionately known to my blog readers as the furry sous chef. At various times, Brian and I also refer to her as doggie, puppy, mutsky, her royal muttness and the tail-wagger. Today she is also known as the birthday girl!

My Date with an English Scone and a German Foodie

Alice's Tea Cup Chapter III, 220 East 81st St., New York, NY 10028, 212-734-4TEA www.alicesteacup.com

This "chapter" of Alice's Tea Cup is only a few blocks from our apart- ment and I've always wanted to check it out. I am definitely a tea and scones kind of woman. Unfortunately, Brian is not a tea and scones kind of man. That plus the fact that the place always looked a little "delicate" for him to fold his 6'4" frame into. :)

Couscous Primavera Salad

Sometime during the first couple of months that Brian and I were dating, we'd spent a lovely summer day in Central Park and then stopped at Citarella (a large gourmet market with stores in Manhattan and the Hamptons) to pick up a few things for a light supper. Brian liked the look of a coucous primavera salad and was not disappointed when he tasted it.

Passover Prep - Countdown to a Seder

Brian and I traditionally celebrate Passover at his mother's house with both our families in attendance. She always cooks up a lavish, multi-course feast so that by the time everyone is done with dessert, they need to change into larger sized clothing for the trip home. That is, after we spend some time with our bloated bodies passed out on her living room carpet. Oy vey, thank goodness it falls on a Friday this year! :) I typically bring a dessert and a couple of side dishes. But whether I'm cooking to contribute to her Seder or just for the two of us during the days of Passover, here are some of my favorite recipes. Have a happy holiday, whatever you celebrate!

The Fluffiest Matzo Balls!

These delicate dumplings are so comforting and have always been at the top of my holiday favorites list. Last year I posted about my long held belief that my matzo balls were the best (see the post here) and about my unpleasant discovery that Brian's mother made them better. She claimed Crisco was the secret to fluffiness and I dutifully followed suit. The result was indeed softer than my previous recipe but I just didn't care for the taste and texture of that particular shortening.

Capturing the Color

Though spring officially began at the end of March, for me there's something about the first week of April that fully brings on the feeling. It's typically when the trees are flowering, enveloping us in their dazzling, albeit brief, beauty. Tulips spring up all over the city in a multi-colored show and restaurateurs set up their outdoor tables. Manhattanites adore being outside and any eatery with a sidewalk cafe license is sure to draw a crowd.

Creamy Strawberry Mint Daiquiri

It's cocktail Friday and time for a new drink. But Brian and I are still really loving last week's Springtime Martini. And so, with no particular plans for a new beverage, we headed off to do some weekend grocery shopping and ran into a big bunch of ripe looking strawberries.

My Award Cup Runneth Over!

I am feeling the love around here lately, let me tell you!  In addition to my previous Liebster and Sunshine awards, I've just been the lucky recipient of four...count 'em...four more honors!

Lasagna Roll Ups

What's for dinner? I used to flip through cookbooks for inspiration but now I "flip" through Pinterest and Food Gawker. Don't you love food porn? And at this point I've probably got ideas to make or tweak or use as a basis for to last me a while so it's only a matter of what speaks to me that day.

The Water Club

The East River at 28th - 32nd Sts, New York, NY 10016, 212-683-3333 www.thewaterclub.com

The Water Club was built in 1982 on Manhattan's East River near the 34th street heliport. The culmination of a three year project, the restaurant is set on a floating barge and resembles a docked yacht. Although you can arrive by foot, its location off the highway makes that awkward and the restaurant recommends arriving either by private car or taxi. Valet parking is offered in the restaurant's lot and that itself is a rare luxury in Manhattan.

Springtime Martini

The start of spring is an occasion well worth celebrating with a cocktail. Of course, I tend to think that the arrival of Friday is to be equally celebrated but that is not the point. The point is that spring arrived this week and did so in an appropriate fashion. It's been sunny with temperatures in the 60's and 70's all week. The trees will be blooming soon as will the tulips that are traditionally planted all over the city. I love when colorful tulips fall over the sides of a vase...

Healthy Asparagus Spiral Puffs

Happy first day of spring! Yesterday was the official end of my least favorite season and this morning is to be sunny and 65 degrees in New York. My pup and I will be strolling around for a long time today, soaking up the spring. To be truthful, the northeast has enjoyed a very mild winter this year (the second mildest in history according to the news reports) and we escaped the majority of the deep freeze, snow and slush that normally blankets us for a few months. But psychologically, I still knew it was winter but now it is spring! OK, I'll shut up about that now.

Bailey's Banana Colada

For the past few months my bestie has been going on and on about some cocktail that she and her hubs had on their way to Montauk last summer. Finally, as we all gathered last weekend for some food and merriment, we decided to try to recreate it. We didn't have a recipe but we did have a blender and all the likely suspects for ingredients. The problem was that as we kept tweaking and pouring and tasting, we kinda lost track of what we'd added. So by the time we thought we had it right, we were all too drunk to remember the ingredients. Haha...what a bunch of wacky kids we are...except for the fact that we're all over 40!

Simple and Sweet Soda Bread

A number of years ago I had the pleasure of working with a few Irish clients and, consequently, found myself frequently dining at Irish restaurants. There was plenty on the menus to suit my taste but the soda bread was never particularly interesting to me. Last year, however, an Irish colleague brought a soda bread into the office and I was fortunate enough to get a small piece before it was set upon and devoured as if by a pack of ravenous wolves. The bread was actually made by a friend of hers and it was unlike any I'd had before.

Heavenly Cheesecake Brownies

On Saturday, Brian and I were invited to a friend's house for dinner. When I asked her a few days prior what she'd like us to bring she said she'd appreciate dessert, maybe brownies or cheesecake which are her two favorites. And so I thought to myself that I would bring cheesecake brownies and thus combine the best of both. I've never made them myself and I wasn't particularly in the mood to bake so I intended to buy them from a bakery. There's one near us that usually has delicious cheesecake brownies but this time they did not. I headed to another nearby bakery that had them but theirs looked stale and dry. Sigh. I guess I'm baking cheesecake brownies.

I am Bubbly and Full of Sunshine!

That, at least, is the opinion of Chock Chip Uru, the resident kitchen diva over at Go Bake Yourself, who has given me the Sunshine Award. If, for any reason, you have not already visited this lovely Australian girl's blog than get over there at once. I would, however, advise you to lose some weight first because you will want to eat everything in sight!

Beef Casserole with Cheesy Cornbread Topping

I was going to call this recipe a chili but I didn't want to start a debate on what does or does not constitute authentic chili. So I figured that if I called it a casserole, all it constituted was dinner :)

Peace, Happiness & Pinterest

I've been having fun with Pinterest, adding my pins and looking at other people's inspirations to fuel my own. It's certainly making me focus on what I really care about. I like a lot of things but only a few conjure strong emotions and while it would be fun to be able to buy all those lovely things on my wish list, that won't bring inner peace or happiness. So here, then, are a few things that make me feel peaceful and happy.

Yummy Guacamole

Since this past week featured both National Margarita Day and National Tortilla Chip Day, it seemed appropriate to have Mexican food over the weekend. The most appropriate way to have it, of course, would be to go to a good Mexican restaurant and have it prepared by people who know how to cook Mexican food. That just seemed too easy, though.

Pot Roast a la Giada

I frequently have The Food Network on in the background when I'm puttering around the house and every once in a while I see something inspiring. One day Giada De Laurentis' show Giada at Home was on and I watched her take a roast out of the oven that looked so tender and succulent that I had to go to the show's website and look up the recipe immediately. And I knew what I was cooking for the weekend!

Valentine's Recap and the Fate of a Bear

I am very fortunate to have love in my life and Brian and I took the time on Valentine's Day to present each other with a few gestures of our affection. I cooked up a feast, he turned up the romance.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Happy Valentine's Day! To round out my other romantic culinary creations is this ooey, gooey chocolate dessert. Lava cakes have been around for a while but they remain popular because they're both delicious and quite easy to make.

Savory Valentine's Heart Crackers

Did I say savory? For Valentine's Day? Yup, because man cannot live on chocolate alone. Women can, of course, but I find that men need something crunchy, too!

I've Been Liebster'ed!

I was so very pleased when I checked my email and found a message from the lovely Ingrid at The Cozy Apron. She said I deserved the Liebster Award because I have a darling blog. Well, she herself has an even more darling blog and you should go check it out immediately!

Creamy Dreamy Chocolate Martini

Those of you that follow this blog should know that I can't let a holiday pass without creating an appropriate drink! For this past new year's eve I made an Ultimate Chocolate Martini for Brian because he doesn't like champagne. But surely Valentine's Day is the perfect holiday for a chocolate cocktail. So, I decided to kick up the chocolate flavor even further for the occasion. Adding a bit of chocolate ice cream makes for a truly decadent experience.

Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Scones

What to make for a romantic breakfast on Valentine's Day? Brian's not a big breakfast eater so he's not interested in the full breakfast-in-bed tray of morning fare. But he does love my scones with a big pot of morning coffee.

A Cocktail Story Part 3 - The King of Cocktails

We conclude our three part cocktail series with the king of all cocktails, shaken, not stirred, the classic martini.

According to the IBA (International Bartenders Association) the martini is found in literature as early as the 1860's but gained popularity during prohibition, ironically enough. There are numerous recipes for the ratio of gin to vermouth but IBA specifies approximately 2oz. of gin or vodka to every 1/2 oz. of vermouth with either an olive or a twist of lemon. A dry martini has less vermouth and a wet martini has more.

A Cocktail Story Part 2 - Rims, Mixes and Garnishes

A lot of the fun of having cocktails out, apart from the social atmosphere, is watching bartenders perform their magic tricks. But for all the elaborate liqueurs, tinctures and slight of hand that comes with professionally made cocktails, you can still create impressive drinks at home with only a handful of ingredients and a few easy tricks. Just mix a simple recipe with a great garnish and a fun rim and raise your glass for a toast. Cheers!

A Cocktail Story Part 1 - The Basics of the Bar

There are some great reasons to make cocktails at home. It's much less expensive, we can customize the strength and sweetness to our taste and, of course, it makes us very popular with friends!

Hearty Yet Healthy Beef Stroganoff

When the holidays are over and it's just cold and dreary and bleak (can you tell we don't like winter?), how nice it is to come home to a hot bowl of comforting food.  Soups and stews, abandoned in the warm months, now seem the ideal foods.  One version of these one-pot delights is the Stroganoff.  Normally made with rich cream, this lighter version is still wonderful but a little easier on the arteries.

Sunday Lunch at Mediterranean Grill

160-24 Willets Point Boulevard, Queens, NY 11357, 718-281-4210

Last Sunday, Brian and I drove to his mother's house in Queens to take her out to lunch.  There aren't a lot of options near her home but she'd found this place a few months back.  We hadn't made reservations so, given that Sunday post-church lunch places tend to be crowded, we were prepared for a wait.  But, we walked into an almost empty restaurant.  Hmm...

Smokey Mashed White and Sweet Potatoes

Mashed potatoes, again? Sure, we all love them. Especially when they're laden with lots of artery blocking butter and cream. Or, my personal favorite, gobs of yummy gravy. But still, they can get kind of boring. How about sprucing them up once in a while by pairing them with their sweet and nutritious cousins?

New Year's Musings and a Brisket

The Hungry (and Happy) Couple

As we get ready to welcome 2012, I'm in the kitchen cooking, my little furry sous chef by my side. Brian and I will ring in the new year at home, feasting on an elaborate meal, hoisting a few cocktails and snuggling together with our pup as we watch the Times Square ball drop on TV. Those may not be the most exciting sounding plans in the world but it's exactly where I want to be.

The Ultimate Chocolate Martini

Brian's not much of a champagne drinker so, with New Year's Eve coming, I wanted to make a festive cocktail that didn't rely on the bubbly. A chocolate martini seemed a good choice and I asked him to bring home a bottle of Godiva chocolate liqueur. He bought what I asked for but, as I was mixing the drink, he expressed doubt that it would be good.

Creamy Layered Pumpkin Pie in a Jar

I love the Christmas music that's playing all around and every time I hear The Carpenter's "Home for the Holidays" with the line about heading for some homemade pumpkin pie, it makes me want some. Ironically, neither of us are big fans of traditional pumpkin pie but this year I've been experimenting more with pumpkin and decided to see if I could come up with a pie we liked. I realized I don't care for the usual homogeneous flavor and that gave me the idea to deconstruct it. How did it turn out? Let me tell you, this is the most amazing dessert we never knew how much we wanted!

Glazed Ginger Scones

The flavor of gingerbread is, of course, a holiday staple. Traditionally made with molasses, gingerbread cakes are dark but this easy scone recipe lightens up the taste. With plenty of flavorful ginger and a bit of spice, a batch of these freshly baked scones won't be around for long!

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

This tastes so completely, wonderfully, amazingly good! After we'd polished off  the Thanksgiving leftovers and every last shred of turkey was gone, I still had a bit of butternut squash left in the veggie crisper. I'd already maple glazed it and served it up in a delicious salad so I needed another idea.

A Tired Cook with a Sweet Tooth...in a Jar

It was near the end of my first week at a new job and I was exhausted. It's so stressful to be the new kid, even when you're senior, and by now I had a headache, a backache and I seemed to have pulled something in my knee. I was a train wreck pushing a cart down the aisle of the supermarket to buy some staples and decide what to eat for dinner - grilled cheese and canned soup, as it turned out. But I also felt like something baked and sweet and I was too tired to walk to the bakery.

Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots

I'm usually a raw carrot muncher but I tend to like serving them as a cooked side veggie when I have company for dinner. I find that their naturally sweet, mild flavor means that even non-veggie fans will usually eat them. I typically steam them and serve with a little butter or olive oil and some chopped fresh dill.

Croton Colonial Diner

221 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520, 914-271-8868

How do you review a restaurant that you visit once a year, on the exact same date?  Let us explain.  A number of years ago on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, with holiday company gone, Brian and I decided on an impromptu outing. We drove up one side of the Hudson River Valley, crossed over the Bear Mountain bridge and followed the river back down through all the towns along the valley. The day was dreary and cold but Christmas music was playing on the radio and we held hands in the car throughout much of the drive. After many hours, hungry and in desperate need of a restroom, we stumbled on this diner in Croton.

Maple Glazed Butternut Squash

If you're not a fan of the ubiquitous Thanksgiving marshmallow and yam casserole or if you're just looking for a simpler way to add that expected sweet side dish, then try this simple and delicious recipe. This is our house standard side dish next to the mash and gravy and the only one that never has any leftovers! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Salad

The first time I tasted this salad was at one of our favorite restaurants and, quite frankly, the combination didn't sound like it would work. But we'd never had a dish there that we didn't like so it was worth the experiment... a delicious experiment, as it turned out! I've ordered that salad several times since then and learned to make it on my own with some personal variations. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Herb - A Tart Goes Light

The desire to order a rich delectable goat cheese tart as an appetizer in a restaurant is usually tempered by the rueful realization that we can no longer have dessert. But a little experimentation on a lazy Sunday afternoon produced this far lighter version that keeps the mouth watering flavor while removing some of the fat, calories and cholesterol.

Sweet Potatoes, Stuffed and Loaded

I hadn't thought much about sweet potatoes all summer but the combination of cooler weather, and a colleague's semi- obsession with them, influenced me to pick up a couple of plump ones in the market. The colleague in question had stuffed hers with broccoli, which sounded good, and fat free cottage cheese, which sounded less appealing. But I was certainly inspired to stuff! I chose spinach instead of broccoli because of the creamier texture. Cheese, of course, although I went with cheddar. And I did keep it low fat because there's no sense in ruining the nutritional powerhouse of the mighty sweet potato with gobs of cholesterol.

Risotto Tart Revisited

Last night I was really in the mood for my risotto tart so I began assembling the ingredients and reached for my spring-form pan. But then I saw my newest kitchen additions - two mini spring-forms - that had looked so adorable, and irresistible, on the shelves at Sur La Table. When I bought them I envisioned making mini cakes but have actually found a number of other uses.