Spicy Italian Sausage with Kale and Tomato

This dish uses just a handful of ingredients and a single pan, but the flavors of the sausage, kale, and tomato go so well together that you don’t need anything else. My boyfriend says it’s like a really delicious pasta, only without any pasta – that’s a glowing endorsement from someone who would live on…

Persimmon Crisp

Our Cookbook Club tradition is to do a Friendsgiving event in November, where instead of using a cookbook everyone makes a dish that’s either a Thanksgiving tradition for them or something new they want to try this year. It’s persimmon season, and my friend recently gave me a bag full from her tree. I make…

Salted Egg Yolk Pumpkin

I ate a fried pumpkin dish in a family-owned Chinese restaurant like 10 years ago and have been dreaming about it ever since. The pumpkin had a salted egg yolk coating that I couldn’t get enough of. So when I saw a package of salted egg yolks at the Asian market, I had to buy…

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…

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…

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…

Hummus Honey Salad Dressing

I was at a friend’s for dinner and she made a salad with a really tasty dressing. When I asked her about the dressing, she said it was mostly hummus with a little honey, apple cider vinegar, and some other seasonings. I kept thinking about that dressing for weeks after the dinner, so decided I…

Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich (Tamago Sando)

Before I went to Japan, people kept telling me I would love the 7-Eleven food there. I was skeptical to say the least. I have never eaten anything from 7-Eleven in the US, and with all the incredible food spots I had lined up for my trip, I just couldn’t imagine why I would want…

Air-Fried Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

I have a friend who works for a cheese company (I know, lucky me!). He came over for a dinner party one day and left me with a huge amount of fantastic parmesan cheese. I figured I better find ways to use it before it went bad. Not a bad problem to have, right? I…

Pantry Chilaquiles

Whether for breakfast or dinner, these chilaquiles are great because they are made from items I’ve almost always got in my pantry and fridge (except for maybe avocados, which are an optional topping). You can use store-bought tortilla chips, or use an air fryer to make your own. Guessipe 28 oz can diced tomatoes 2…

Cashew Cream Pasta

My friend showed me how to make this amazing creamy pasta that actually uses cashews instead of cream! I make it all the time simply because it’s so delicious and easy, but as a bonus for some people it’s vegan if you use nutritional yeast seasoning. For those weeknights when you just need to cook…