Vegetarian

Not all salads are created equal. Some are complex, with many competing flavors and others are simple and subtle. In the salad world, both are needed. This is a simple one; a lovely butter lettuce and watercress salad with a creamy walnut dressing. Now don’t misunderstand me, by “simple” I don’t mean boring, I mean […]

An arepa is an iconic South American food with over 75 distinct forms and preparations. According to The Columbian Academy of Gastronomy, “arepas are part of (their) cultural heritage and can be considered a symbol of national gastronomic unity”. Arepas are flat, round, unleavened patties made from maize meal or maize flour that can be […]

I can’t call this recipe healthy, however, I can say it’s a vegetarian taco recipe that’s worthy of trying–even if you are not a vegetarian. Meanwhile, if you’re on Instagram, you may already know this dish is a popular one right now with clear staying power. This recipe was a fun one for me as I’m […]

They say pesto sauce originated in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy.  But this simple sauce can actually be traced to the ancient Romans. Romans made a very similar dish called “moretum,” a spread made of garlic, cheese, herbs, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Another influential sauce was “agliata“, a garlic sauce, common during the […]

Buddha bowls, as they are often called on social media, are everywhere. Typically presented in a Zen-like fashion, these brightly colored, artfully arranged bowls consist of a cornucopia of vegetables and/or proteins that are eye-catching at first glance. If you ask me, Buddha bowls are works of art that can make you feel healthier just […]

Traditional Easter foods consist of baked meats (typically ham), various sweet breads, and chocolate of all varieties. This can likely be attributed to the Lenten season, the 40 days prior to Easter when observant Christians often try to avoid indulgences. But for many Eastern European countries, such as  Ukraine, a staple Easter food is perogies, also […]

Mushroom farro is a hearty winter comfort food to me. The addition of black truffle oil makes this simple dish even more delicious.  Farro is an ancient grain from Mesopotamia that has been around forever. Considered a nutritious grain, farro is high in protein, fiber, and B complex vitamins, and is considered a much healthier […]

My family knows it, I am obsessed with almond butter. I buy it constantly and am always putting it into things I make. I have been wanting to make my own almond butter for some time, so this was a fun recipe to develop. I have had so many kinds of almond butter over the […]

This baked zucchini “noodle” is my low-carb “lasagna” alternative that my husband and I have come to prefer. Don’t get me wrong, I still love lasagna now and again as it reminds me of my childhood.  But a reduced-carb option is always good to have. My mom, who is originally from the Midwest, made a […]

Apparently, Christmas jam is a thing. As a chef and a food blogger, I had no clue. This is a fine example of the food world today, chances are, the idea (recipe) is out there long before you came up with the recipe, and the only hope is you make it better. Jam is something […]

Winter is a wonderful time. Earthy, hearty, beautiful root vegetables are in abundance. But what to do with them?  I say roast them. I love slightly browned roasted vegetables lightly toasted in olive oil. Straight-up, as a side dish, or here, mixed together in a hearty winter salad. This roasted winter vegetable salad hits the […]

Thanksgiving is so close I can almost taste it. All those wonderful, familiar, harvest comfort foods together on one table. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by far, centered around what I love to do most: cook and eat. Thanksgiving first began in 1621 with a shared meal between the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians. It […]

My entire family is addicted to Chinese food.  For my husband and me, it’s just in our blood after growing up in NYC. We grew up eating crispy Peking duck served with fluffy pancakes; dumplings of all varieties; and perfectly browned, crispy scallion pancakes. Our older son was born in NY and being that I was […]

Impress everyone with this lovely seasonal and satisfying roasted cauliflower steak with a whipped feta recipe.  Honestly, I would eat plain old roasted cauliflower every day.  But as I have said before (and my husband strongly believes), cheese makes everything better.  This dish is inspired by a close friend whom I met 11+ years ago […]

My family and I are obsessed with Din Tai Fung, a famous Taiwanese restaurant in at Santa Clara outpost that we frequent.  My husband is the only one of us who has been to Taiwan, which is partly how this obsession began. Once a restaurant opened in our area, we quickly became frequent visitors. For […]