Caprese Sandwich

I am a meat lover, but when I’m looking at a sandwich menu there is one vegetarian option that always draws my attention and often wins out over its meaty brethren… the caprese sandwich. It’s fresh and zingy, but substantial enough that I feel completely sated when I’m done eating. When I realized I could…

Pasta all’Amatriciana

Cookbook Club – Milk Street: Tuesday Nights The cookbook for our March Cookbook Club was Milk Street: Tuesday Nights. Due to host availability we had scheduled it for earlier in the month than usual, which turned out to be a lucky thing since COVID-19 may keep us from gathering for awhile. It looks like we’ll…

Pesto Spinach Breakfast Biscuit

I threw this breakfast biscuit together one morning using whatever I could scrounge up from the fridge. It was such a hit that it has since become a breakfast staple. 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 1 tsp rice vinegar 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces 1 TBSP pesto 1/8 tsp…

Crispy Harissa Chickpea Caesar Salad

Cookbook Club – Casablanca: My Moroccan Food To kick off Cookbook Club in 2020, we used Nargisse Benkabbou’s Casablanca: My Moroccan Food. The book was a bit hard to find, but luckily Benkabbou also has a website where she posts recipes http://www.mymoroccanfood.com/ which we also used. To experience our whole Moroccan meal, go to my…

Simply Tasty Heirloom Tomatoes

When you have peak season heirloom tomatoes at their optimal ripeness, you don’t need to do much to make them delicious. A little olive oil, salt, and pepper is all it takes to bring out their natural sweet goodness. Guessipe heirloom tomatoes, sliced olive oil Himalayan pink sea salt fresh ground pepper Lay out the…

Late-Summer Salad

Figs come into season in late summer, and if you’re lucky enough to have a fig hookup (AKA a friend with a fig tree) like me, then this is a refreshing and stunningly inviting salad that’s perfect for a hot summer day. Guessipe 1 head red lettuce, washed and hand-torn 1 head spinach, washed and…

Spiced Egg Salad

Cookbook Club – The Soul of a New Cuisine For our June cookbook, we used Marcus Samuelsson’s The Soul of a New Cuisine. In it, he includes traditional foods of Africa as well as his own African-inspired creations. I was looking forward to this meal because I haven’t had many opportunities to eat African food,…

Crunch and Squash Salad

I like a hearty salad that really gives you something to chew on and fills you up. This is one such salad – with crisp and crunch from the cucumber and jicama, creamy avocado, and roasted squash that adds an almost meatiness. You can of course add in other veg that you like and change…

Pizza Marinara

Cookbook Club – The Elements of Pizza In June, we did a special event in partnership with the LA Bread Bakers, using their outdoor wood-fired pizza oven! We used The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish for dough and sauce recipes and topping combos, and also came up with our own pizza creations. Go to…

Pico de Gallo

When I go to a taco place, I always make sure to get a healthy scoop of the Pico de Gallo at the salsa bar. It’s got a little spice, but also adds a nice pop of freshness to any taco. Pico de Gallo is equally good with just some tortilla chips. Or you can…

Charred Tomato Soup with Mint and Croutons

Cookbook Club – Everything I Want to Eat For December’s Cookbook Club, we used Everything I Want to Eat by Jessica Koslow. I made the Charred Tomato Soup with Mint and Croutons. You can see everything we did eat on my Cookbook Club site. For now – my dish! There’s something about tomato soup that…

Tomato Tart

My dad grows tomatoes in his garden. If I am lucky enough to see him in late summer, this means I get to go home with a bucket of wonderful vine ripened tomatoes. Which can be used to make this yummy tomato tart. If you’ve never had a tomato tart, think of it sort of…