kjs444

Earthy flavors – fresh herbs, roasted vegetables – beg for winter’s fire. Cold winter days just scream for the kind of  soul warming recipes that keep wanderers heading to Provence and Tuscany year after year. While winter 2012 has certainly been on the mild side so far, a simple roasted chicken is just the thing to warm up the kitchen, even without snow. Combining ease with rich flavor, it’s a great dinner party standby, and the white bean ragut is one of those staples you should always... Read Full Story

Marrakech, Tangier, Casablanca. We may have been lost, but we were certainly well fed. It all started with the idea of getting lost in Morocco. From a romanticized article in the New York Times and the abundance of cocktails in Casablanca , to our friends misty memories of their own trip to the North African country, TH and I couldn’t get the locale out of our heads. So we booked tickets, slept through most of Christmas Day in the Lisbon airport, and arrived by nightfall in Marrakech. And... Read Full Story

Start your day with a bright herbal tea inspired by my African adventure! I was lucky enough to spend a week in Morocco over the Christmas holidays. TH and I had an incredible time exploring a completely new culture, and eating a week’s worth of tagines, preserved lemons, cured olives, and rich breads. From wandering through the evening medinas — complete with grilled meats, live music, and costumed performers — to drinking cocktails à la Casablanca in a bar said to inspire the movie, the... Read Full Story

A last minute addition for your holiday table. Merry Christmas! I’ve been a bit lacking in my blog posts these past few months, but it isn’t for good reason. My new job in New York has kept me quite busy, from covering StarChefs.com 2 nd Annual International Pastry Competition , to traveling to Atlanta and Boston on culinary escapades. But if there’s any time to think about food, it’s the busy holiday season, when the day’s hours get taken over with holiday parties, family meals, and... Read Full Story

Fragrant yogurt and crunchy pumpkin seeds help make persimmons the perfect snack. I’m a fruit fanatic, but as soon as it starts to get chilly, the idea of eating fresh berries no longer seems quite right. Instead, I begin to crave the sweet taste of permissions—the crunch of a Fuyu, sliced like an apple, or the creamy Hachiya, perfectly ripe and diced into a salad. Something about the earthy flavor and gritty texture of these orange orbs just feels like biting into a sunny winter day (their... Read Full Story

Earthy pumpkin seeds and hazelnuts give pecan pie a run for its money. Everyone loves pecan pie. Gooey, sweet and chuck full of toasted nuts, it’s a bona fide Turkey Day classic for a reason. But in my book, every classic can use the occasional update (I’m all for a Thanksgiving meal that eschews the mashed potatoes, gravy, and plain-Jane Turkey for more creative operations, like Ideas In Food’s Turkey Meatballs .) While I’d never turn away a pitch-perfect slice of pecan, this pie... Read Full Story

This rich decadent cake is the perfect treat: one part indulgent, one part healthy. I’m never quite sure what to say when I meet a pastry chef who doesn’t like sweets – it’s a problem I certainly don’t suffer from, and I find it oddly amusing when someone who doesn’t like sugar is willing to devote themselves to its craft. I’m not sure if my love of all things sucrose, fructose and glucose stems from a childhood based on German chocolate and Italian gelato, or years spent nibbling on crème... Read Full Story

A last bite of summer full of lobster, lobster and, oh yeah, some seaside views. We spent a few days in Cape Cod last week, surprisingly my first visit to this in-demand East Coast locale. Although the weather has turned decidedly chilly and many establishments shuttered their doors shockingly early in lieu of the drop in visitors after Labor Day (don’t plan for any late night eating), it was easy to understand the charm of this seaside getaway. Driving on curvy back roads, you’ll... Read Full Story

Swap out your typical dill favorites for these bright and tangy vegetable pickles. I noticed recipes for zucchini pickles popping up all summer, but it wasn’t until late last week that I found the time to transform my farmers’ market finds into a crunchy sandwich topper. If I had known how simple this recipe was, and how delicious its outcome, I would have moved them to the top of my to-do list. Now I’m sure these tangy bites will be on hand more often. The pickles, inspired by a classic... Read Full Story

Sip on the last of summer’s fruit with this refreshing, citrus-packed cocktail. Sweet blueberries hit their prime as summer nears its end, and what better way to savor their tart flavor then in a cordial you can enjoy all through the fall? Making infused liquors is quite easy, and a great way to use up over-ripe fruit and scraps. Just soak berries, or any leftover fruit, in a quick simple syrup, then mix into vodka and let sit for a few weeks. And packed full of citrus and fresh mint, the... Read Full Story