Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Soup with Lemon Ginger Cream

roasted carrot & parsnip soup with lemon ginger cream

Are you noticing a pattern yet? I love soup. And I saw a cloud in the sky yesterday for the first time in about a week, so I made some. This has to be my favorite soup genre. The “chop stuff up, roast it and blend it with some stock” kind. It works for every […]

Maple Stout Cupcakes with Candied Cayenne Bacon (aka Mancakes)

maple stout cupcakes with candied cayenne bacon

Let’s face it: guys get the short end of the stick on Valentine’s Day. For weeks leading up to February 14th, every commercial, magazine ad, and billboard is not so subtly reminding men: make this year special, show her how much you care… ’bout time to propose, isn’t it??? And if a guy forgets the holiday all together […]

Pan Seared Salmon with Pomegranate Reduction

pan seared salmon with pomegranate reduction

Here we are at day 2 of my Not A Cleanse Eating Right Fortnight (I just came up with that – pretty good, huh?) and I feel goooood. I went to the grocery store yesterday to stock up on yummy, healthful items like fresh & dried fruit, granola, almond milk, veggies, veggies, and more veggies. […]

Chicken & Lentil Stew

chicken & lentil stew

Sometimes your timing is just off. Like right now. The beginning of this week was all rainy and gloomy-like, causing me to dream of a thick, hearty stew. But by the time I bought the ingredients and got around to making one, I think it was about 68 degrees and sunny. Where is all this […]

Chocolate Pots de Crème

chocolate pots de crème

Can you believe I had never made pots de crème before the other day? I couldn’t either. I was forced to face this reality while flipping through the February Martha Stewart Living. After drooling over the photo in the magazine, I fondly recalled a few of these darling cups of decadence I had enjoyed in […]

Braised Kale and Cannellini Beans

braised kale & cannellini beans

Whoa, where did this day go?! I guess I got a little distracted by that amazing 49ers game (and black bean hummus, and good beer). That’s kind of how this whole week has felt, actually. I cooked this lovely little side dish on Thursday (I think?) and I’m just now sitting down to tell you […]

Spiced Cider Cocktail

spiced cider cocktail

I don’t drink cocktails too often; I’m more of a beer and wine kind of gal. However, there’s something wonderful about being handed a beautiful, seasonally appropriate cocktail as you arrive at a dinner party or holiday gathering. And if the cocktail is strong… well now we’re really getting a party started. I don’t mean […]

Persimmon Bread Pudding

persimmons

Persimmons. Where have you been all my life? These unsung heroes of the fruit stand were only introduced to me a few years ago at a farmers market. One of the vendors was giving out samples and, as is always the case with food, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try something I’d never […]

Curry Lentil Soup

curry lentil soup

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Bay Area – in ways both good and, well… otherwise. People really get into the spirit up here, and in the absence of leaves on the trees (which I thoroughly enjoyed watching fall – we don’t get much of that back in San Diego) there […]

Turkey Pot Pie

turkey pot pie

I’ve always loved any kind of meal-in-a-bowl. Or in this case, a meal-in-a-ramekin. Especially in the fall; it makes comfort food all the more comforting. This one is loaded with all kinds of quintessential fall goodies: leeks, butternut squash, rainbow chard, and turkey. This is a great use for the last of that Thanksgiving turkey, […]