It seems like everyone has an extravagant friend. The person in your life who likes the finer things, the fancier stuff, the flashy side of life. I have a few, but one who truly fits this description recently looked at me and said, “You know what’s delicious? White chocolate chip matcha cookies.” Challenge accepted. If …
Continue reading “There’s no ‘matcha’ for tea-flavored cookies”
It’s not often I can stump Joey with a recipe. He’s the king of the spice cabinet and my go to when I know a recipe needs “something,” but I can’t quite put my finger on it. So when I managed to completely confuse him this week, I was a little proud of myself. Well, …
Continue reading “This Greek pasta dish ‘itsio’ good, you have to try it”
There are tons of great copycat recipes out there. I was blown away several years ago to learn that you can make a pretty convincing Butterfinger candy bar with candy corn and a few other ingredients. I also once tried a great recipe claiming to mirror Starbucks’s lemon bread. So when I tried a casserole …
Continue reading “Casserole should tread care’philly’ with its cheesesteak claims”
Thanks to the Newton Rotary Club’s annual peach fundraiser and my three-year-old niece insisting that I buy blueberries for our recent fun day, I had quite a bit of fruit in my refrigerator this week. That, combined with Joey itching to use a cast iron Dutch oven he recently got for his smoker, meant we …
Continue reading “Baking cobbler outdoors can be ‘berry’ satisfying”
Several years ago, Danielle Oteri wrote a column for the website “Good Food Stories,” where she explored the differences in personality between her friends and family who preferred to cook, versus those who preferred to bake. It’s a fun read, if you get the chance (goodfoodstories.com/the-psychology-of-baking), but one quote from her friend Melissa resonated with …
Continue reading “Family pie recipe is ‘choc’ full of flavor”
Joey and I tied the knot back in 2010, which meant our 10-year anniversary was pretty anticlimactic last summer with COVID in our backyard. No date night out on the town. No restaurant dinner. We still enjoyed one another’s company (I mean, it’s not like we could be apart while quarantined in the same house.), …
If anyone can tell me the trick to pitting a firm peach, I’m all ears. So far, my strategy includes cutting numerous slits down the sides, grunting and murmuring regrets under my breath while trying to pull the first slice off, and I can tell you that it doesn’t work all that well. Luckily, the …
Continue reading “Peaches and fresh ginger will help you snap into August”
Not long ago, I saw a spirited discussion on Facebook about online food bloggers. The general consensus was that nobody wanted to read the person’s back story and long-winded tales from the kitchen—they just wanted the recipe. Honestly, that made me a little sad. Not only because I was sure that means they are definitely …
Continue reading “Potatoes and ground beef make dinner a done ‘dillo’”
I normally like to start this column with a story about the week’s recipe, but I have to tell you about my most recent kitchen fail. It’s a doozy. My parents-in-law gifted us with several packages of frozen tamales that are made by simply boiling the bag for 20 minutes and then serving. They’re great …
Continue reading “Come out of your shell with pistachio cake”
When it comes to cooking indoors, Joey and I share the load pretty evenly. We each take on lunch or dinner regularly, with both of us having our specialties. But when it comes to cooking outside, I definitely fall far behind. Joey has really perfected the use of his kamado-style grill, mostly opting to create …
Continue reading “Grilling cheese is more than just o’queso’”
