I recently had a “meatball sandwich” from an establishment that shall remain nameless. My friend got one too, and we were both a little confused when our sandwiches came out with lettuce, tomato, and onion on them.

What??

Is this a Bay Area thing? This has happened to me here before, and I don’t get it.

Hot meatballs and marinara sauce + cold, bland toppings… does not compute.

To top it all off, the food from said establishment left us both with stomach aches all afternoon.

It goes without saying that I needed to make this right, so a few days later I cooked up my own meatball sandwiches.

We definitely have some of the usual suspects here, although I used goat cheese where I normally use parmesan. And the meat mixture is beef and pork sausage; apparently I needed some really fattening meatballs to get over the previously mentioned atrocity.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind when making meatballs (and I could make a lot of jokes here, but I’ll spare you) is to not overwork your meat! I know you’re worried that it won’t get mixed properly, and that’s why I always thoroughly mix everything but the meat first. That way you’re combining the meat with one homogeneous mixture instead of 10 different ingredients.

These meatballs are baked because dammit, it’s just easier that way. You still get a nice outer crunch, they all cook evenly, and you don’t have to tend to them at all. While they bake, a simple sauce (with even more goat cheese) gets made and they’re ready to go at the same time. At that point you could always leave them in the sauce on very low heat to keep warm until you’re ready to eat!

I mean really, as Ina would say, how easy is thaaaat?

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You know that point when you’re about to go out of town and trying to whittle down the produce in the house? And then you end up with a potato and a handful of arugula and think, well I guess I’ll try to make a meal out of this…

It could just be me. Other folks might go for take-out at that point, but I like a good food challenge.

I especially like it when an attempt to use up some random food ends up being really, really delicious.

My baked potatoes normally get ALL the fixin’s thrown on top. Why not, right?

Well, think of this as the minimalist baked potato. Minimal effort and ingredients that yield huge flavor in return.

It starts out in the usual manner. Rub some oil on the potato, sprinkle it with salt, stab it with a fork a few times.

The fork part can double as a way to relieve some stress if you need it to.

The potato gets thrown in the oven and forgotten about for the better part of an hour. Once it’s done, you’re 2 minutes away from potato magic.

Have you sautéed arugula before? I hadn’t until I made this dish. It’s crazy how much 30 seconds in a pan can change the flavor. Especially if there is butter and garlic in said pan. It mellows out a little and becomes more like spinach’s funky cousin.

Arugula and garlicky butter taste really nice with parmesan cheese, so that goes on top. Going out of town or not, I’ve always got some Reggiano in the fridge!

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Too often I find myself in this situation: I just finished a swanky meal (most recently at Wayfare Tavern) and the waiter asks if I want to see the dessert menu.

Um, NO. Then I’ll want every single thing on it, and there is absolutely no room left in my stomach after the appetizer, entree and two cocktails. It just isn’t going to happen. That always makes me sad.

This is why it’s nice to have something like these Bourbon Caramel Peanut Butter Cups on hand. Post-Valentine’s Day dinner, you don’t want to have to be rolled away from the dinner table.

A little treat like this will be rich and satisfying, but won’t leave you feeling like a glutton.

Although I guess that depends on how many you eat…

The process of making these candies is actually pretty straightforward. Melt chocolate, combine peanut buttery things, layer all the deliciousness into little cups.

The little cups are where the real time comes in though. Spreading melted chocolate into 50 tiny cups is no quick task.

Just keep in mind that there’s nothing stopping you from making these any size you like.

You could even make one giant, cake sized peanut butter cup!

That might be a little difficult to eat, but it would definitely be fun to try.

Speaking of having fun trying to eat things…

You see, I had some caramel on hand, but not the super thick kind that you should use in a candy like this one. It was really a caramel sauce that we’d poured over some mini chocolate cakes last week.

But I thought meh, caramel is caramel and it’ll be frozen, RIGHT?!

Well the candies tasted delicious of course, but mostly when we were licking caramel off our hands because these things were MESSY.

Don’t be like me – use a thick caramel.

Then give some to your Valentine!

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Ah, the humble burger.

Sometimes I get so caught up in kitchen experiments that I forget to just cook a damn burger once in a while.

We have a red-meat-intolerant hubby in the house though, so burgers here are generally made from alternative meat sources.

And since a plain chicken, pork or turkey patty can’t even pretend to compare to beef, I dress them up a little.

Sometimes a lot.

It starts with broiling some peppers. Really blacken the crap out of ‘em.

The smoky flavor this creates will make you forget all about grilling.

They’ll also keep the turkey from drying out. A dry turkey burger will make you so sad. Believe me.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also make an exciting topping or two.

This time I made one of my favorite instant meal boosters of late: a quick pickle.

Toasted spices, some salt and sugar heat up with vinegar and get poured over their soon-to-be delicious victim.

I used red onions, but you could apply the same technique to basically anything you want to pickle. And it only takes 20 minutes! Woop!

Apparently I was very excited about this burger, because I also made a Lemon Rosemary Mayo.

Homemade toppings are totally optional, but quite delicious!

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When it comes to food and holidays, are you a traditionalist or do you thrive on serving the unexpected?

(Have I been watching too many Sex & the City marathons? I feel that question was worded in the style of Carrie Bradshaw…)

Personally, I like to walk the line between the two worlds. Take Thanksgiving – of course I’ll serve turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and something green, but they won’t necessarily be prepared in “traditional” ways. Then maybe I’ll throw in a curveball of an appetizer.

You have to keep them on their toes, but you can’t leave out the classics.

That’s where spices come in.

Sunday is the Super Bowl, which of course means chicken wings!

But there is no reason they have to be standard buffalo wings. For me especially, I feel it’s pointless to attempt making buffalo wings. My grandparents live in Buffalo and I’ve had the original. They can’t be beat. So let’s just move on.

Where the idea of making Indian spiced chicken wings popped into my head, I can’t tell you. But I’m glad it did.

Why? Because this often means a yogurt based marinade, which makes for the most tender and juicy chicken possible.

These wings are baked, simply because frying things when you’re entertaining can get… tedious. Especially when there’s meat involved and you’re worried about not cooking it through, or over-cooking it, or how to keep the previous batches warm and crispy while making the current one. Nope. Not this year.

In fact, I’m not cooking at all for the Super Bowl this year – we’re going out! The 49ers are in the Super Bowl and the city is ablaze with excitement.

(And considering how things went after the Giants swept the World Series – it might literally be ablaze on Sunday.)

So if you’re entertaining for the Super Bowl, I hope these wings will make your life a little easier, a lot more delicious, and plenty unexpected for your guests.

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I guess I can see why some people aren’t down with beets.

They’re a bit funky looking, and most people seem to have some unpleasant childhood beet memories. Just like peas, lima beans and brussels sprouts before them, beets get tossed in the mental “icky healthy food” bin without a fair fight!

You can’t just slop some plain boiled peas or a pile of raw shredded beets on a plate and expect your kid (or anyone, for that matter) to rejoice.

Beets deserve a bit more attention.

A little time and love, that’s all they’re asking for.

I like to do a roast/steam situation for my beets. You put them in a dish with a little olive oil, cover it in foil and forget about them until they’re done! If you aren’t working in bulk, you can always roast one beet in a foil pouch, much like you would for roasting garlic.

But today we aren’t stopping at beets. There’s a whole salad to be made! One that I think could convert a beet hater or two. I’m curious to find out if it would change the mind of my mom, who swears beets taste like dirt.

There is an earthiness to them, yes. But dirt?!

Well, if there are people who think cilantro tastes like soap… who knows.

These earthy beets get paired with earthy lentils, because they’re friends like that. It’s all going to get tossed in an extremely acidic dressing, so never fear.

The salad gets mixed with fresh celery, then topped with salty feta cheese and crunchy walnuts.

The really great thing about this salad is that each of the two main components can be prepared ahead of time and left to chill in the fridge for a good week. So if you happen to roast beets or cook lentils in large batches like I do, you’re in luck!

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Over the past several years, I’ve made an effort to cook from scratch as much as possible. This has lead to a growing number of pre-made, shortcut-type-shenanigans that I just don’t buy any more.

Jarred pasta sauce comes to mind. In a pinch, sure I’ll grab some. But why spend $6 or $7 for what’s basically a glorified can of tomatoes when I can very quickly and easily put together my own, using all the ingredients I want and none that I don’t?

Now, I by no means want to make you feel bad if you’re a fan of the food shortcut. We all have to pick our battles.

But let’s pretend that your resolution this year is to save money. Or to eat healthier.

Making things like these Spiced Mixed Nuts from scratch works on both fronts!

Step 1: go to a grocery store that sells bulk goods and buy an assortment of nuts. Whatever kind you want! Whatever proportions you want!

Step 2: mix together some spices, sugar, and salt. Again, get wild! This is your show!

Step 3: throw them in the oven and go relax for a while – you earned it!

Step 4: pull those beauties out of the oven and give yourself a high five, a pat on the back, or whatever your style dictates.

Then take a moment to reflect: you just made an awesome snack that is way cheaper and healthier than anything you would buy pre-made in the store, AND you made it exactly how you wanted to! No picking out stupid filler nuts or wishing they were spicier. No high-fructose-partially-hydrogenated-whatever-the-hell either!

This recipe is endlessly customizable. You could make sweet ones and add holiday spices like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Make them chili flavored with things like chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder.

The recipe below is a great starting point. A little sweet, a little smoky, a little spicy. These are always a hit at parties – Superbowl, anyone?

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It’s no coincidence that the header on this page features lemon zest.

My addiction to lemons is real, recognized and wholeheartedly accepted.

This latest episode in lemon mania comes from way back in the good ol’ days (A.K.A. the ’90s).

If you’re new to this particular recipe, let me introduce you to the lightest, fluffiest, most perfect pancakes ever.

All other pancakes should really just stop trying.

I mean, it starts with lemon zesting, so it’s automatically great.

Then you take that lemon zest and mix it with egg yolks, CHEESE and a teensy bit of sugar.

You might be wondering where the egg whites went. They’re the magical part: beaten to stiff peaks and then folded into the batter.

GENIUS.

All the other pancakes are mostly flour and milk.

These pancakes are all like get that milk outta here – replace it with cheese!

Cut most of that flour out – don’t need it!

Throw in more eggs though, and make all of that fat seem pillowly light through the magic of egg whites!

And when these pancakes are in my house, they also request to be drenched in homemade blueberry syrup.

These are some smart pancakes.

(This blueberry syrup, by the way, was made possible by my awesome mother who bought us a FREAKING VITAMIX FOR CHRISTMAS!! So there may be a sharp increase in the amount of blended things on this site…)

A close friend of my mom’s first made these pancakes for me. She owned a B&B when I was little and these were in her regular rotation. It’s easy to see why!

So thank you Trish for contributing to my lemon obsession in such a delicious way!

Click here to view this recipe.

I have a thing for ginger beer. I usually use it in cocktails (see here), and in fairly large quantities.

But for this cocktail right hurr, I prefer just a splash. There is some delicious citrus action going on, and it would be a shame to hide it.

Now, I feel I should warn you: this cocktail is really easy to drink.

Plus, it looks festive and celebrates the arrival of the best part of winter: citrus!

Sounds like a great way to kick off a New Year’s Eve party to me…

Or a Saturday afternoon. Whichever.

This cocktail is like a winter margarita, if that’s a thing. You’ve got your tequila, your citrus… but it’s all fancied up and seasonally appropriate.

Speaking of which, let’s have a quick conversation about tequila. There’s a lesson that I learned well into my love/hate relationship with it: make sure the bottle you’re buying says “100% blue agave” on it. Otherwise your awesome night might lead into a decidedly less awesome morning.

You may see cheaper varieties that say something like “made with blue agave” – no percentage. Stay away! Translation: hangover.

Ok, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s make some cocktails!

If you want to make these for a large party (or just make life easier), you could scale up the proportions of blood orange juice, tequila and lime juice, combine them in a pitcher, and stir well. Pour 1/2 cup of this mixture into a prepared glass and top off with a splash of ginger beer.

Cheers to 2013!

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As soon as I poured this caramel hotness into its cooling vessel, I could only think one thing:

“I’ve made a huge mistake.”

(Props to my fellow Arrested Development fans)

Not that I messed up the recipe or anything, I just knew I was on track to eat way too many of these caramels.

The first one that I bit into for the purposes of the picture above wasn’t quite the right bite shape. Definitely had to try it again.

Then I started wrapping them up, and it turned into one of those I Love Lucy candy situations where I just couldn’t wrap them fast enough, so I had to eat some of them to stay on track.

There isn’t a conveyor belt in my house or anything, but you know. I had to.

A lot of people think making caramel is difficult. I wouldn’t call it difficult, but it is an attention whore.

When you set out on the road to caramel, there is no multitasking allowed. You can’t talk on the phone or catch up on Facebook drama.

Your entire world has to be centered on that pot of boiling sugar because the moment you go to do something else, it’ll turn on you.

And burnt caramel is a very sad situation.

So, assuming you can shut the world out for 30 minutes and read a candy thermometer, you can do it! I swear!

The recipe is based on one from Martha Stewart, who proclaims that bringing this caramel to 248 degrees (and not one degree more!) yields the perfect chewy-ooey-gooey caramel candy. She’s totally right.

Surprise, surprise.

I upped the vanilla content in these candies because everything needs more vanilla. Then I topped the caramel with cacao nibs and chunky sea salt. The cacao nibs add a slightly bitter, chocolatey crunch, and we all probably know by now that salted caramel is where it’s at.

This makes a pretty giant batch of caramels, and everyone likes being given a little something sweet around the holidays. So make some caramels, give them to loved ones, throw them from your rooftop, spread some holiday cheer!

Disclaimer: Throwing caramel candies from your roof is actually a really bad idea. Nobody wants a caramel injury. Just hand them to people. Maybe in a cute bag wrapped with a bow.

Click here to view this recipe.