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…

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…

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…

Aji Verde

No Peruvian meal is complete without Aji Verde (Peruvian green sauce), so of course I had to make some for my Peruvian dinner party. It’s a refreshing sauce that is automatically delivered to your table at most Peruvian restaurants, and I like to put it on basically everything I order. Which is why I love…

Huancaina Sauce

Another one of my Peruvian favorites is Huancaina Sauce. I learned how to make this from a friend who is actually Chilean, but it tastes just like the Huancaina at my favorite Peruvian restaurant, so I’m going with it. It’s typically served with potatoes, but as you know by now potatoes aren’t my thing. Also…

Peruvian-Inspired Pie

I decided to do a Peruvian theme for a recent dinner party, since I had some aji panca paste I’ve been itching to use. Arroz Tapado (ground beef layered with rice, peas, and carrots) is one of the traditional dishes that uses aji panca, but one of my dinner guests doesn’t eat rice, so I…

Peach Basil Meatballs

I had some leftover meatballs from when I made Meatball Cheese Crisps, and I had some end-of-season peaches that were ok but not the peak of sweetness we experienced a few weeks ago. Plus my basil plant has been doing really well lately. So I decided a savory dish might be a good use for…

Meatball Cheese Crisps

My cheese guy came through again, this time with a giant bag of shredded mozzarella. I also have an excessive supply of frozen meatballs at the moment, because for some reason my boyfriend keeps buying them every time he goes to the store. I decided to try making an appetizer of meatballs on mozzarella cheese…

Pralines

Cookbook Club – Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking The book for August’s Cookbook Club was Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin. For a glimpse into what we sampled from those two centuries, go to my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! At the…