Flowering Choy with Lime and Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Cookbook Club – Holiday Year in Review We’ve found that the December Cookbook Club is the perfect time to celebrate the holidays and look back on all the food and fun we’ve had throughout the year. For our Holiday Year in Review event, any recipe from any of the cookbooks we’ve used in the past…

Lemon Pie Meringues

These are like inside-out lemon meringue pies – the meringue holds the lemon filling and the graham cracker crust becomes a topping. They’re also easier to grab and munch than a slice of pie… perfect for holiday parties that are more mix-and-mingle than sit-down-dinner. Guessipe 2 TBSP meringue powder 6 TBSP water 3/4 tsp cream…

Thai Curry

When I think of Thai food, the coconut-y curry is the first thing that comes to mind. Once I’ve made this for people, I get repeat requests to make it again. The great thing about this Guessipe is it’s super flexible – pick whichever curry paste you like best – panang, green, red, yellow, etc….

Double Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Cookbook Club – Friendsgiving As has now become tradition, for our November Cookbook Club we skipped the cookbook and instead did a Friendsgiving meal, where each person cooked either a favorite Thanksgiving dish or one they’ve been wanting to test out. Go to my Cookbook Club site to share in the food and friends I’m…

French Onion Soup

Onions, bread, and cheese are three of my boyfriend’s favorite foods, so French Onion Soup was pretty much a no-brainer dish to make for him. It’s traditionally made with dry white wine, but all I happened to have on hand was cream sherry when I made this. It came out great, so now it’s what…

Apple Crisp

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, I’m obsessed with pie. So if I deem something an acceptable replacement for pie, you know it’s legit. Making a perfect flaky pie crust is difficult and intimidating (at least for me), and sometimes I just don’t have it in me. Enter the apple crisp… which…

Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

This roasted broccoli works really well as an accompaniment to a rich pasta dish, with the lemon giving it a nice brightness. The roasting crisps the garlic and develops some nice crispy bits on the broccoli as well. Guessipe Toss the broccoli with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the minced garlic. Spread on a baking…

Sunny-Side Pulao

Cookbook Club – Aarti Paarti In October, we used Aarti Sequeira’s cookbook Aarti Paarti. In it, she simplifies traditional Indian recipes and techniques to make Indian flavors accessible for the US market. To find out how many of her Indian dishes translated, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! What Sequeira…

Cherry Turnovers

I had an extra puff pastry sheet after making my Rose in Winter Apple Tarts, so I threw together these Cherry Turnovers. They were a hit, and so easy to make that I’ve done them again many times, using whatever fruit filling I have available (apples sprinkled with cinnamon sugar work really well too). Guessipe…

Rose in Winter Apple Tarts

My friend brought these gorgeous rose-shaped apple tarts to a dinner party. I complimented her on her stunning dessert, and was blown away when she told me they were actually fairly simple to make and she would teach me. She proceeded to explain how to make them in just a handful of sentences. I have…

Anchovy Olive Almond Pasta

Even if you don’t like anchovies, don’t discount them as a magical ingredient for amping up the flavors of a pasta dish. You can use them in tomato-based sauces, or as I do here simply with garlic and olive oil. You won’t even know they’re there, but they’ll add so much depth to the dish….

Pickled Rooibos Grapes

Cookbook Club – Baco Our September cookbook was Josef Centeno’s Baco. Centeno has several restaurants in LA – I’ve been to Baco Mercat, for which the cookbook was named, and really enjoyed the sandwiches made from the flatbread he calls “baco”. To find out how our homemade versions of the baco and other selections from…