World Cup of Yum

Lemon Ricotta Torte

I had made an appetizer and a savory main course with the ricotta from my friend, and I still had a few treasured cups left. So it seemed appropriate to try my hand at something sweet. Ricotta is so versatile! A crumb crust provides a nice bit of crunch to complement the creamy goodness of…

Chipotle-Garam Masala Olives

Cookbook Club – Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food September’s Cookbook Club book was Nik Sharma’s Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food. Sharma’s stunning photography showcases his take on Indian cooking in this gorgeous cookbook. To see all the beautiful food, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! I got as far as…

Roasted Garlic Ricotta Pasta

I was trying to come up with ways to use my bounty of ricotta and I hit on this idea that a creamy sauce of roasted garlic and ricotta with oyster mushrooms and corn over pasta sounded pretty freaking good. I am so glad that I figured out how to easily make roasted garlic in…

Guava Ricotta Hors D’oeuvres

My cheese hookup came through again… this time with the creamiest, most incredible ricotta I have ever eaten! I just happened to have made guava jam using guavas gifted to me by my neighbors (I feel so lucky to have friends who like to give me food!), and it occurred to me that I could…

Guava Jam

My neighbors gave me some wonderfully ripe guavas fresh from their tree. I love the taste of guava, but I hate the multitude of seeds. I know that some people eat the seeds, but I find them unpleasantly hard. These guavas were so fragrant that I even tried eating one, but the seeds distracted from…

Taco Pasta

Cookbook Club – Guerrilla Tacos For August’s Cookbook Club we used Guerrilla Tacos, a compilation of the recipes LA local Wes Avila created for his very popular taco truck of the same name. To get a taste of all the tacos, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! I know, I…

Saltado de Vegetales

I introduced my boyfriend to Peruvian food and he became obsessed with Saltado de Vegetales, begging me to figure out how to make it at home. The waiter at my favorite Peruvian restaurant informed me that the key is aji amarillo paste. So I acquired some aji amarillo paste and got to work. My boyfriend…

Coconut Mango Dessert Soup

I know a dessert soup sounds weird and maybe not that appetizing, but that’s probably because it has a better name that I don’t know. I once had something like this at a Chinese banquet dinner and loved it so much that I went around to all the people who looked like they weren’t eating…

Iced Coffee

My dad told me he had been adding cinnamon to his coffee grounds when he makes coffee, and it opened my eyes to the wonders of flavoring coffee before you brew it rather than just adding the flavoring afterward. It better infuses the flavor, plus you don’t get the grittiness of the spices floating around…

Lentils with Curried Butternut Squash and Walnuts

Cookbook Club – Gourmet Today For our July Cookbook Club we used Gourmet Today, a collection of over 1,000 recipes which Ruth Reichl compiled during her time as editor in chief of Gourmet magazine. To see all the dishes we sampled from this massive selection, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my…

Kabocha Squash with Ground Pork

I love the taste of squash, but it can be hard work to cut, remove the seeds, and peel. Kabocha is one of my favorite squashes because the skin is edible. It’s so much less work when you don’t have to worry about removing the skin, and it makes a hearty and delicious stir-fry with…

Cheese-Swirled Bread

When I make this bread, my boyfriend will eat the whole loaf in one day. The bread is soft and fluffy on the inside, with a crispy cheese crust on top, and delish herb cheese swirling through the middle. I have tried every combination of cheese and herbs – my favorite is cheddar with green…