I am a lucky girl. For my birthday this year, my boyfriend not only baked me a(n epic) cake, but he baked me a cake of my own design: two layers of dense, moist chocolate raspberry upside-down cake with a layer of chocolate raspberry ganache sandwiched in between and topped off with chocolate frosting!!! Welcome to Chocolate Fest 2013. I hope you brought your cake pants. ...
Archives for August 2013
Apricot Compote Parfaits with Almond Granola
The other day when I was at the store, I saw bags and bags of gorgeous fresh apricots. I was tempted to buy some but had no specific recipe in mind at the time, so I resisted. Poor decision. The next day I thought of making apricot compote, but when I went back to the store, they were all sold out! I shrugged it off and went to another store, but they were all out too! I ended up going to FIVE ...
Milkless Monday: Dairy-Free Tuna Noodle Casserole
While I’m not a fan of fake cheese products, I’m fine with cheese-like sauces that are comprised of all-natural ingredients. This recipe uses a combination of cashews, potatoes, carrots, onions, and oil to make a surprisingly savory and creamy cheese-sauce approximation. Tuna noodle casserole is a classic American comfort food, and those who can’t have dairy shouldn’t have to miss out! ...
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Arugula
According to my mom, squash and yams were some of my favorite foods as an infant. I apparently ate so many of them that the bottoms of my feet turned slightly orange in color, at which point my mom (rightly) became concerned and scaled back my squash/yam consumption. I don’t remember any of this, and oddly, from as far back as my memory permits, I hated squashes and yams. Incidentally, “squash” ...
Sedona Corn Soup
Back in college, one of my favorite dishes in the dining hall was Sedona corn soup.* I think it was meant to be a side dish, but whenever they had it, I’d ladle up a big bowl of it and have that for dinner by itself. When my family was in Arizona several years ago, we took a day trip to Sedona, where I was slightly crestfallen that I didn’t find any corn soup on the menu at the restaurant we ...
Broccoli Couscous with Halloumi
I recently tried halloumi for the first time. I have to admit that the first time I heard the name, I wasn’t sure if it was a kind of cheese or fish. As I found out, halloumi is a cheese from Cyprus, and it has a texture somewhat similar to mozzarella (a bit squeakier, though) and a tang similar to feta. Together, the halloumi, tomatoes, and dill create a fresh Mediterranean flavor. I made this ...
Chicken Gyros
The first time I had a gyro was in the summer of 2008 when I was studying abroad in Greece. First, I learned that they’re pronounced in a way that is virtually indistinguishable from the pronunciation of the currency, the Euro. Second, I learned that gyros frequently have French fries inside of them. See? ...
Milkless Monday: Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole! While this recipe evokes associations with Thanksgiving for many people, my immediate family has never relegated it to a holiday side dish. We’ve never included it on our Thanksgiving dinner menu, nor have we actually eaten it as a side dish. Maybe we’re just weird? Green bean casserole was always one of my favorites as a child. In fact, it was a birthday tradition in our ...
Amaretto Poppy Seed Pancakes
Pancakes! Need I say more? Probably not, but I will anyway. These pancakes are the perfect weekend morning treat. The slight bitterness of the amaretto and the sweetness of the berries and syrup balance each other out marvelously, and the poppy seeds add an element of texture that many pancakes lack. And now please excuse me while I go take a post-pancake nap (the perfect late morning weekend ...
Persian Saffron Rice with Sour Cherries
As a child, I was a much pickier eater than I am now. Don’t get me wrong—I can still be picky, but to a far lesser extent. I wasn’t really a fan of going to restaurants that feature anything other than American or Mexican food, but I’m now thankful that my parents ignored my preferences at times and encouraged me to expand my horizons. I was probably about ten years old when my family first went ...