World Cup of Yum

Bruschetta

I love bruschetta, but can’t bring myself to order it in a restaurant because it is so easy and inexpensive to make at home. The first time I made this bruschetta for my boyfriend he said, “This is the best bruschetta I’ve eaten in my life… and I’ve eaten a lot of bruschetta!”. Guessipe Toss…

No-Knead Crusty Bread

A friend of mine shared this no-knead bread recipe with me a long time ago, and I’d made it a ton because it was so easy and delicious. The original recipe called for bread flour, but noted that you could also use all-purpose flour. I’d made it both ways, until one day I went to…

Fish in Black Bean Sauce

Fish in Black Bean Sauce is a common dish in Chinese restaurants, but it’s actually pretty easy to make at home! The black bean and garlic sauce is what makes this dish, and it works with a variety of different kinds of fish. Guessipe Toss the fish in 1 TBSP corn starch and set aside….

Thai Basil Chicken

When I go to the Asian market, I grab Thai basil so that I can make this super easy Thai Basil Chicken. It’s a great dish for weeknights because it comes together in minutes. The only reason to get this at a Thai restaurant instead of making it at home is if I can’t get…

Mushroom-Scallion Soup

Cookbook Club – Joy of Cooking (2019 Edition) We have used Joy of Cooking for a Cookbook Club event before, but this time we focused specifically on the 2019 edition, which has hundreds of new recipes and modifications to some of the old ones. To get our tiny taste of what this extensive cookbook has…

Jalapeno Cilantro Yogurt Dip

I needed to throw together a quick appetizer for a party, so I rummaged through the fridge and found Asiago cheese, yogurt, cilantro, and a jalapeno that I needed to use up. Looked like the makings of a pretty good vegetable dip. Brought it to the party and it was a hit… both as a…

Chocolate Saltine Toffee Treats (AKA Christmas Crack)

The holidays are right around the corner, so I’m getting ready with some Christmas treat-making. Christmas Crack at its most basic is saltine crackers topped with toffee and chocolate. I fancy mine up a bit with chopped nuts and coarse salt. The nuts elevate this dessert to something that seems much more sophisticated and difficult…

Brigadeiros

Cookbook Club – America’s Test Kitchen holiday cookie swap Last year we did a Cookbook Club holiday cookie swap that was so much fun we decided to bring the bonus event back again this year. The cookie recipes were selected from the America’s Test Kitchen website. To see the whole cookie collection, go to my…

Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles are typically served layered (sauce at the bottom of the bowl, then noodles, meat, and vegetables), and you’re supposed to mix it yourself before eating. But I’ve found that I can cook many of the ingredients together, cutting way down on the number of steps and still resulting in a delicious bowl…

Ricotta Cheesecake

What do you do when someone gives you 8 lbs of ricotta? Experiment with ricotta cheesecake! After testing out a variety of combinations, my boyfriend declared this one was the best cheesecake he’s ever had in his life, so it seemed my experimentation was complete. Using a mixture of ricotta and cream cheese gave the…

Ravioli in Pumpkin Cream Sauce

I had some more of the incredible ricotta from my cheese guy, plus a pumpkin that I had pureed after it had served its purpose as a holiday decoration. So I decided to make ravioli with a pumpkin cream sauce. The meal came out so good that my boyfriend said it was like eating in…

Whipped Ricotta Cream Dessert

Got some more ricotta from my cheese hookup and homegrown persimmons from a neighbor, which turned out to be the makings of a perfect dessert for the season (you could also use different fruit though). I squeezed it into 4 glasses, but they were heaping and people were super full after eating them, so you…