Gluten-Free

A chocolate truffle is a simple but incredibly delicious treat.  A truffle is something everyone should learn how to make, at some point, if you love chocolate.  Surprisingly easy, if you stick with a basic four-ingredient truffle recipe like this one, and completely worth it. Technically speaking, a chocolate truffle is a confectionary, traditionally made […]

Cauliflower quinoa vegetable rice is an easy, flavorful, and delicious side dish that you can serve with just about anything.  Cauliflower rice, or riced cauliflower as it’s also called, has become incredibly popular in recent years as a low-carb alternative to rice.  Don’t get me wrong: I love rice and I always have.  But I […]

A beautiful summer salad is something we could all afford to eat more regularly.  Most people go to farmer’s markets and are excited to buy a collection of beautiful seasonal fruits and vegetables; but later at home, it is not always clear what to make with the cornucopia of items purchased.  When in doubt, I […]

Strawberry-orange quick jam is the perfect thing to do with all those berries you just picked with your kids or with leftover fruit you bought from the market that may not get eaten. This is a super easy summer cooking project that your kids could probably do by themselves.  I say let them try. This […]

You should eat some asparagus this Spring.  And they can be so much better than a lot of restaurants make them.  April to June is the typical growing season and the best time to eat them–since you can find them with tender stalks and vibrant green colors.  Thicker, older stems produce a woody and much tougher vegetable. […]

If you are unfamiliar, watermelon radishes are supremely beautiful. Their deep pink/magenta color is eye-catching and adds a real pop to any ordinary salad. Watermelon radishes are considered a heirloom Chinese Daikon radish and a member of the mustard family (along with arugula, broccoli, and turnips–who knew!). Typically, watermelon radishes are available during the spring and […]

Gazpacho is a raw vegetable soup served chilled.  Gazpacho is believed to have originated in the Southern Spanish region Andalusia but is commonly seen all over Spain and Portugal (where it is known as “Gaupacho”).  Historically, the most well-known versions of gazpacho (or “soup-salad” as it has been called) come from Seville and Córdoba.  Traditional ingredients […]

I discovered Cotija cheese several years ago when I hosted my husband’s 40th birthday party, which had a Mexican theme and was catered by Tacolicious, a fantastic California-style taqueria in San Francisco.  Cotija has become a staple in my house ever since.  Cotija is a cow’s milk cheese named for the small Mexican town in […]