Blueberry Crisp

I think we can all agree that the worst part of cooking is the cleaning. So when my good friend, Lauren Keating, told me she was writing a one-pot cookbook, I knew it would be a hit.

Vegetarian White Bean Cassoulet

I hesitated slightly to call this dish a cassoulet because the original is a French casserole that includes white beans, duck confit as well as other meats and is slow cooked for days in a special earthenware pot. But if we can get past that, my version is way easier to make and ridiculously delicious.

Popcorn Balls and a DIY Popcorn Party

For me, watching the Oscar's or even a marathon of nominated movies, is more fun with a crowd. And what food is more associated with the movies than popcorn, right? So this year I'm making it the theme with sweet popcorn balls, popcorn topped cupcakes and a DIY popcorn bar with a fun assortment of toppings.

Roasted Peanut Linzer Heart Cookies

After an indulgent holiday season, I spent a sad, bleak cookie-free January and thank goodness that's over and it's cookie time again! February means it's time for my well worn and well loved heart shaped cutters to come out from the bottom of a giant container of cookie cutters. (Don't worry, I've checked and they all spark joy.)

Breakfast Yogurt Bowls

This post is sponsored by FAGE. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Did you make any new year's resolutions? I definitely did but I prefer to call them goals and intentions. Resolutions make me feel like everything has to start and be perfect on January 1st but, the fact is, I was still eating leftover holiday cookies on the 1st. Goals can happen slowly, over the whole year, and I think they're much more realistic for me.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

When the temperature outside is 5 degrees with a wind chill of OMG, don't go out there, I make soup. I pretty much live on soup in January and February anyway so I only need to decide what kind of soup I'm making.

Baked Three Cheese Spinach Dip

Hot, gooey, creamy, cheesy...I have your attention, right? January diet? Um...calories don't count while watching football. Or award shows. Or Netflix. Feeling better about this? Good. Let's get back to gooey cheesiness.

Hummus Toast with Perfect Jammy Eggs

For the past few years, lots of us have been spreading avocados on toast and loving it. I do too. But I've actually been spreading hummus on toast my entire life and it's about time this treat gets some recognition.

Individual Roast Beef Pot Pies

One of my favorite things to cook is a chuck roast in a big Dutch oven pot. I fill the pot with onions, carrots, beef stock, red wine and fresh thyme before letting it do its thing in a slow oven. The meat is so tender that you don't even need a knife and I turn all that cooking liquid into the best gravy.

End of Year Round-Up 2018

Maybe it's just me but some years seem to move fast while others crawl by slowly. For me, 2018 went by quickly. It had its ups and downs. There were wins and there were losses. But I'm ending the year grateful for what I have and not worrying about what I don't. And it's with that attitude that I intend to approach 2019.

Elderflower Vanilla Champagne Float

This is definitely the season for breaking out the champagne and toasting. I actually like bubbly wines a lot but, somehow, I rarely get to it and the corks don't get popped until sometime in December.

Gingerbread Layer Cake with Tahini Cream Cheese Frosting

For me, this has been the season of gingerbread. I can't seem to get enough of those flavors. Maybe it's because I didn't like gingerbread much when I was younger and I'm making up for lost time.

Stuffed Roasted Cornish Game Hen

My European mother came to the US as an adult and had to learn American foods and holiday customs. She liked the idea of them but wasn't completely sold on some of the dishes so she put her own spin on them. This also applied to the Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey which she interpreted to mean some kind of roast bird. And it was fun each year to see which bird she'd chosen.

Easy Holiday Charcuterie Board with Eckrich Smoked Sausage

This is a sponsored post, written by me, on behalf of Eckrich Smoked Sausage.

I think one of the reasons that people love this time of year, myself included, is that there's so much focus on gathering. While it can feel like we're disconnected from each other much of the time, the holidays bring family home and friends together.

Salted Caramel Ginger Pot de Creme

I love desserts in little jars and always have. Not only do I enjoy having a little pot of something delicious all to myself but, even better, it's the perfect way to give a sweet gift. And these days I'm all about thinking up sweet little gifts.

Spiced Bourbon Almond Nog

The chances of my getting through the holiday season without buying at least one container of egg nog are basically zero. It's such a creamy, indulgent treat and I've loved it since I was a kid. But, as an adult, I find I need to cut the sweetness a bit. Fortunately, adulthood comes with the ability to pour bourbon into it.

Chicken Shawarma Tacos

One of the many, many reasons we all love tacos is how easy they are to prepare, right? Make a few simple things and set up a DIY taco station for family and friends to customize however they like.

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.