Lately, I’ve totally been into bagels. I’m eating them with butter, cream cheese, apples, turkey, hummus, roasted red peppers – you name it, I’ve probably put it on a bagel in the last month. I’m not sure how or why this came about, but one day I had a serious craving for a plain bagel
Category: Menu Planning
The Salad Whisperer
Remember that scene in “City Slickers” where everyone has just finished eating dinner and the “Ice Cream Brothers” (who I suspect were not-so-loosely-based on Ben and Jerry) decide what flavor would be best for dessert? Well, I’m kinda like that. Except my specialty is side salads. Give me the main course – fish, beef, chicken,
June 1, 2011 2 Comments Short URLcooking, food, ingredients, menu planningDinner, Ingredients, Lunch, Menu Planning, Seasonality
The Well-Stocked Pantry, part deux
A couple of months ago, I proudly shared the story of how it took six months to stock my well-stocked walk-in pantry. Alas, the downside of renting means that a home is never truly your own, (but then neither is the mortgage which is what landed the owner in hot water, so I’ve got that
May 26, 2011 1 Comment Short URLfood, grains, oils, pantry, pasta, spices, staplesIngredients, Menu Planning
The Well-Stocked Pantry
In just about every good cookbook you’ll find – usually in the introduction – a section entitled, “Staple Ingredients”, “Pantry” or simply, “Staples”. In short, it’s the list of ingredients cooks should have on hand at all times. For some cookbooks, like “Indian in 6” it includes ingredients you wouldn’t usually find in my pantry
March 29, 2011 2 Comments Short URLgrains, oils, pantry, pasta, spices, staplesIngredients, Menu Planning
Not Your Mother’s Pot Roast
Pot Roast – the bastion of 1950’s kitchen cuisine. A foundation for countless recipes using leftovers. Gentle reminder of Sunday night dinners everywhere conjuring images of women in pearls and oven mitts. Comfort food at its’ peak. I’ve never really been a big fan of pot roast and not because of the misogynistic images it
February 23, 2011 2 Comments Short URLdinner, family, food, recipesDinner, In the Kitchen, Menu Planning, Recipes, Winter
Testing My Limits Barefoot Contessa-Style
Out of boredom, I challenged myself a few weeks ago to try some new recipes. I had just purchased the newest Ina Garten cookbook in hopes of gaining some inspiration but to be honest, the first time I flipped through it I kinda thought, “hmm.” Clearly I wasn’t in the mood to be inspired. So
February 15, 2011 4 Comments Short URLcooking, dinner, family, food, ingredients, menu planning, recipesDinner, In the Kitchen, Inspirations, Menu Planning
12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Eve Dinner
From a food standpoint, Christmas Eve started off badly. In short, I committed the cardinal sin of farmers market shopping – making a list. I think I’ve mentioned before that I am able to purchase roughly 70% of my weekly groceries at the Vista Farmers Market – one of the best markets in North County.
December 29, 2010 1 Comment Short URL12 days of christmas, bread, cooking, dinner, family, food, ingredients, menu planning, seasonal, success and disasterDinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Menu Planning, Seasonality, Winter
What Else is for Dinner on Thursday?
Yesterday I waxed poetic about the similarities between the Super Bowl and Thanksgiving. And as much as I would really love to create another analogy for my Thanksgiving feast, I really just want to get on the road. We’re taking Madison to Knott’s Berry Farm for her first time today. But, I also don’t want
November 23, 2010 1 Comment Short URLcooking, dessert, dinner, drinks, family, food, ingredients, menu planning, seasonal, side dishes, Thanksgiving, vegetableAutumn, Beverages, Dessert, Dinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Menu Planning, Recipes, Seasonality
Super Bowl for Cooks
It dawned on me as I spent hours combing through cookbooks, blogs, tweets and websites that Thanksgiving – more than any other holiday – could be considered the Super Bowl for cooks. Like a championship quarterback, cooks exert a lot of energy just preparing for the big day. We spend hours imagining the perfect menu.
November 22, 2010 7 Comments Short URLbaking, cooking, dinner, family, food, menu planning, recipes, roasting, seasonal, side dishes, starch, Thanksgiving, vegetablesAutumn, Dessert, Dinner, In the Kitchen, Menu Planning, Recipes, Seasonality
The Rule of Three: Protein, Starch and Veg
This post is for Courtney because I owe her several recipes and she can’t use her oven right now. (True. Funny story. And kinda my fault.) Menu planning is actually pretty simple if you follow what I like to call the Rule of Three. Think of it as the Garanimals of menu planning. A well-balanced
November 5, 2010 2 Comments Short URLdinner, food, menu planning, protein, starch, vegetableIn the Kitchen, Ingredients, Menu Planning, Recipes, Seasonality
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Cooking For Madison 