Parmesan & Chipotle Popcorn

Cookbook Club – Cooking for Jeffrey For July’s Cookbook Club, we used Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. I made the Parmesan & Chipotle Popcorn. You can get a sampling of what else Ina Garten has been cooking for Jeffrey on my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! There’s…

Parmesan Fried Eggs

Ever buy a nice chunk of Parmesan to grate over a pasta dish, and then wonder what you could do with the remainder? Use it to make this awesome Parmesan fried eggs breakfast, which will feel and sound fancy if you’re making brunch for someone, but is actually so easy to make that you could…

Creamy Feta Red Pepper Vodka Pasta

Did you know there’s such a thing as creamy feta? I didn’t. But I bought it accidentally once, and have been a fan ever since. I happened to have some creamy feta when I got in the mood for vodka pasta, and decided to see if I could use it instead of cream, which I…

Elote

Elote, a.k.a. Mexican corn on the cob, is a magical treat that always induces warm fuzzy feelings for me. Perhaps because it’s the kind of food you usually get from a street cart or at a fair, and then eat while walking around. I like to make an Elote bar at BBQs, where people can…

Greek Salad

I like a Greek Salad because it’s got great crunch and body, but also feels hearty, probably because of the feta. It’s easy to throw together, and keeps well as it’s another one of those salads with no lettuce to get soggy in the dressing. You can use whatever kinds of cucumbers and tomatoes you…

Avocado Pasta

Did you know that Compton used to be a giant avocado grove? I didn’t. My friend lives there, and she has one of the remaining avocado trees. It is the most epic avocado tree I have ever seen. Huge, with giant incredibly delicious avocados to match. Every year around avocado season, I try to make…

Creamy Broccoli Salad

I love this Creamy Broccoli Salad for a picnic or a day at the beach. It doesn’t have any lettuce to get soggy, and actually gets better with some time soaking in the sweet creamy dressing. It’s got so many layers of flavor and texture, and lots of good for you veggies! Guessipe 1 lb…

BBQ Pork Pita Pizza

I put this BBQ Pork Pita Pizza together using leftover bits of this and that rummaged from my fridge. It turned out so good that I have since endeavored to end up with Chinese BBQ pork and pita leftovers whenever possible so that I can whip up this tasty snack. It’s a little spicy and…

Spicy Sausage & Mushroom Tomato Sauce Pasta

I adored this spicy sausage and mushroom tomato sauce pasta when I was a kid. My mom always made it with spaghetti noodles, and half the fun was watching my brother eat it. He would suck each individual noodle through his lips, and then eat the sausage and mushrooms later. By the end of the…

Crab Dip

It seems like the only time crab dip is served is at football parties. Don’t get me wrong – I love football and I love crab dip, so I’m not complaining. But crab dip is a wonderful thing. Perhaps I will try to start a movement – make crab dip your every day dip! Hmmm……

A.O.C. Restaurant Review

Gold Dig #24 A.O.C. is one of Suzanne Goin’s restaurants to regularly make Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list (Lucques is another, which I haven’t made it to yet, but it’s on my list to make it to their Sunday Supper!). A.O.C. has a beautiful courtyard patio with big doors into the restaurant and bar, vines creeping up the surrounding…

Pesto

Pesto is ideal for a Guessipe, because it’s pretty flexible. While pesto is traditionally made with basil, you can substitute with parsley, cilantro, carrot greens, radish greens, beet greens, and probably others! You can also use walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts. In this Guessipe I used walnuts and…