I enjoy cooking. I don’t find it to be either a chore or an obligation. And because I enjoy cooking, cookbooks and kitchen tools make successful gifts and presents. I’ve gotten carving knives, gourmet olive oils and vinegars, and blog- and New Orleans- themed cookbooks from friends and family. On my 30th birthday, Caitlin made me a doughnut cake, with the additional gift of the doughnut cake pans that helped to bake that cake.
More recently, I received a tagine, …
The Best Cookbook Ever, as the name implies, is a damn good cookbook. I first checked the book out from the library about three months ago. Five or six “mind-blowing” and “deliciously awesome” recipes later, the book has become a kitchen fixture and a faithful auto-renewal. Its recipes may not really make you “cry as you cook from it [and] change your life forever” but it may just leave you constantly cooing over your culinary creations.
From their Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms to Rigatoni Paprikash, each recipe has proved easy to make and delicious. Weekday meals have lost their repetitive dull. The Sussman brothers – living proof that the Hipster movement is alive and well – are also vegetarian friendly, with many of their entrées meat free. Tongue-in-cheek, many recipes suggest possible “Meatifications” for those who may be going “on a meat-eating walkabout” to discovery why they are, after all, vegetarian.
Speaking of meatification, this recipe began meatified. It was my adaptation – the result of finding …
For the best tamales, you should use your abuela’s recipe. In my case, not having an abuela of my own, I borrowed the recipe from Stephanie’s abuela — Marie E. Salazar.
At first, I thought that making tamales would be difficult and agonized over the proper ingredients and procedure. I wondered whether the effort would pay off and whether the tamales would taste like those tamales we once had from a street vendor in Santa Fe. And most of all, I wondered whether I had the energy to embark on a two-day adventure of stewing, cooking, folding, and steaming, all by myself.
In her write-up, …
There are Belgian waffles and then there are Belgian waffles. The “Belgian” waffles we know and love are, in fact, American — an invention of the late 1950s, which were popularized during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. The Belgian-American waffle, like other hyphenated groups, sits firmly on U.S. soil, but with a firm nod towards his past origin and history.
Belgium is famous for its waffles. But in Belgium, the most popular waffle is not the version we know (commonly referred to as the Brussels waffle), with the squared sides, light batter, and deep pockets. No, the best and most popular waffle is the heralded Liège waffle, with its caramelized colors, rounded edges, and small, hand-held beauty. It is absolutely delicious and best eaten piping hot from a street stand, unadulterated by any add-ons. Unlike the Brussels counterpart, the strawberries, syrup, and whipped cream only detract from its innate flavor.
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Whenever I see egg salad on the menu, I can’t help but think of the scene from Pee-Wee Herman, where Winnie tells Pee-Wee that she has made him “his favorite.” The two are seated on a picnic blanket, cooing at one another. But with each guess — fried chicken!, hamburgers, cheese sandwich, turkey a la king, vegetarian plate, shepherd’s pie — Winnie becomes increasingly upset, just as Pee-Wee becomes increasingly confused, until he confesses that he can’t think of anything else. At which point, Winnie pulls a carefully wrapped egg salad sandwich from the picnic basket.
Pee-Wee takes the obligatory bite, chews it around, pronounces it “egg salad-y,” and then tosses it, Frisbee-style towards some playground equipment.
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When I attend a professional sporting event, I usually buy a pretzel from the concession stand. A hard, chewy, somewhat tasteless pretzel. That costs about $5.00. But really, what are you going to do? Try ballpark sushi? Or spend $20.00 for a hot chocolate? Stadium food rarely presents many good options, though I’m sure there are some inherent challenges in preparing food for 70,000 people.
With that in mind, I decided to make my own stadium snack for the Superbowl. With the big game on in the background, I got to work on these pretzel bites, mixing, kneading, rolling, slicing, and salting my own soft pretzels. And the outcome was delicious, even if the game itself had turned anticlimactic by the third quarter.
When I first found this recipe, I found myself …
After making, among other things, our Rosemary Pepita Granola and our Cajun Spiced Almonds for our out-of-town guests, Caitlin and I sat down to brainstorm our end-of-the-evening favor. With the wedding and reception in the heart of Baltimore, Caitlin suggested a quintessential Baltimore dessert.
I asked her what that might be.
Caitlin noted that it was the Berger cookie, a shortbread cookie topped with a thick layer of chocolate frosting, and long considered one of the best cookies in Baltimore. A quick search of the Internet revealed a recipe from King Arthur flour.
Satisfied with the recipe, …
As I noted last month, Caitlin painstakingly prepared a beautiful array of signs, favors, and gifts for the guests of our wedding. Among the items, she created over twenty-five welcome bags, each adorned with a hand-painted welcome tag and boasting a sixteen-page booklet of our favorite recipes.
The booklet featured line drawings of several photos from this blog, and guided our guests through meaningful recipes that the two of us had shared. Among the recipes, there was one for Gooey Butter Cake, a St. Louis original, and an ode to the city where we first met; Lemon Yogurt Cake, a recipe that featured that lemon flavor I love; Sea Salt Caramels, a reminder of our trip to San Francisco together; White Peach Italian Ice, a summer treat that capped the end to a barbeque Caitlin and I hosted, and a tribute to an ice served by one of my favorite dessert shops growing up; and this recipe …
“So what’s been cooking?” you might ask.
Well, for starters, I got married!
On June 22, 2013, Caitlin and I got married before our friends and family at the American Visionary Art Museum in downtown Baltimore. The ceremony took place in the wildflower garden outside of the Museum, and was officiated by the Judge for whom I clerked, and in whose chambers Caitlin and I met some five years ago.
The beauty of the ceremony was matched only by the radiance of my bride, and it was Caitlin’s months of efforts and DIY projects that made the day so touching and meaningful. Caitlin painstakingly designed (and sometimes redesigned) …
Indian food rarely lacks for flavor. Packed with exotic spices and chutneys, the dishes brim with colors and culinary delights. This dish is no different. And better yet, this dish won’t send you scurrying to exotic markets or stores; all of the ingredients are staples of most pantries and refrigerators.
A vegetarian and Indian take on the classic American burger, this Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burger packs a healthy punch. Sandwich it between two toasted buns and adorn with a little mayonnaise, and this vegetarian burger is bound to please. Serve alongside roasted sweet potato fries or, for the sake of regional consistency, prepare a side of Aloo Gobhi Masala.
A word of warning: this recipe …