Who does not love marshmallows?  My kids are huge fans for sure. Homemade artisanal marshmallows are now seen in gourmet stores everywhere, and they can often be rather pricy.  Classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are often available, but more adventurous ones like malted milk, caramel, toasted coconut, lavender, Kahlua, Irish Cream, and Espresso […]

The world is a better place because of donuts. Seriously, it’s true. Donuts make people happy, myself included. Birthday mornings in my house are celebrated with donuts, it’s just something we’ve always done. At 13 and 11, we still have not stopped. I posted a recipe for baked cinnamon sugar donuts last year, I thought […]

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 […]

Roasted beets with burrata and pistachios: these are a few of my favorite things. There is nothing all that fancy or complicated going on here, just a salad, but a fantastic one. Earthy flavors combined with creamy delicious burrata cheese make the perfect pairing. It’s a simple dish I could honestly live on all year […]

There comes a time every winter when I start thinking of summer. What can I say, I don’t love the cold, well, unless I’m skiing, but that’s a different story. Typically in the February/March timeframe I start to crave summer foods. Fresh-picked strawberries, juicy vine tomatoes, grilled corn, and inevitably, my favorite summertime sweet treat, […]

This is a new(ish) family favorite. The best part, it pleases all. My husband and I love soup and my kids love pasta. The marriage is perfect. This Tuscan tortellini soup is a fantastic slow-cooker meal that is mostly effortless. A tomato-based soup is a great go-to option for me year-round. Tomatoes provide a great […]

Casserole is a term I don’t love. By definition “casserole” can mean a deep pan used both in an oven and as a serving vessel or for the food cooked and served in such vessel. To me, a casserole always sounded like the name for something that was nondescript, randomly thrown together, mushy, and flavorless. […]

To be clear, it’s still cranberry season, at least it is to me. I first read about a Good Tidings cocktail in Esquire.  I’m not sure where that magazine has been all my life (although apparently the answer is: on my husband’s nightstand). Esquire regularly has fantastic drink features. I loved the flavors in this […]

Pot de crème is a simple baked custard I have blogged about before.  Last time it was a classic chocolate pot de creme, an old favorite, this time I’m talking rich creamy butterscotch. Both of my pot de creme are delicious, but very different. Butterscotch has always fascinated me. I have loved the flavor since […]

Chocolate pecan turtles are one of my favorite chocolate treats. My association with turtles goes way back. My dad loved them and used to get them when we went skiing in Colorado. As a young kid, I almost always opted for the larger sweet treat at the chocolate shop (a caramel apple), but my dad […]

My eleven-year-old taught me how to make homemade corn tortillas and they were outstanding. My son appreciates good food, he always has actually, with the exception of sweet potatoes. As a baby, he loved most flavors and textures. By age five it was clear I had a fish and vegetable lover on my hands and […]

I have always loved sesame seeds. I’m not sure why really, on their own they are somewhat nondescript. But, on a bagel or on a cookie they are so much more. These are my buttery black and white sesame cookies; a cross between two well-known sweets served during the Chinese New Year; smiling-ball cookies, (a traditional cookie […]

The first time I had spinach dip was in college and it was served in a large hollowed-out bread bowl. It was not healthy food by any means, but I can admit it, the whole thing was delicious. But that was in the Midwest, I don’t see many bread bowls being served in Northern Cal. […]

The Super Bowl is approaching, and whether you are a football fan or not, it’s a time for fun casual gatherings and tasty snack food that is undoubtedly indulgent and unhealthy. I have always maintained the belief that all things in moderation are fine. Honestly, I believe that. I feel this approach prevents being too […]

I have always loved paprika. My first exposure to it was the light dusting on the top of my mom’s deviled eggs that she frequently made when I was a kid. To six-year-old me, paprika made the simple eggs look elegant. I liked that, even way back then. For anyone who is unfamiliar, paprika is […]