Unless you’ve traveled to Peru, chances are you have never tasted chicha morada. I have Erik Burmeister to thank for introducing me to this delicious Peruvian specialty. Chicha morada is a non-alcoholic Peruvian beverage made from purple corn called “maiz morado“.  “Chicha” is common in South and Central America–it is a fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented […]

My thoughts on pies are no secret: I’m not a huge cooked fruit person, I say this yet I still enjoy a pie on occasion, especially a good one.  This year, I decided to play around with an easy pie-like type of dessert—fruit hand pies or as my older son calls them, “personal pies”.  I […]

Nothing says summer to me like chilled soup. As I mentioned in a post last year, my family lives on gazpacho. I make my quick gazpacho year-round, as it is a family go-to even when the weather turns California cold.  In the summer, I make double batches. Any time of year, it is a wonderful, healthy go-to snack […]

I don’t typically crave jam. But in the summer, with delicious ripe fruit and berries, it’s more appealing. Right before traveling to Europe, our entire apricot tree ripened at once. Totally serious, the whole tree! I made some coconut-apricot bars using my raspberry-coconut oatmeal bar recipe if you check out my Instagram feed you will see […]

I have been struggling to get a post up the last several days. I lost a close friend recently and although I had been mentally preparing for this for years, it hit me substantially harder than I anticipated. Loss sucks. But today I woke up thinking about my friend and all the many good memories. […]

I love Fridays in the summer, and I also love cocktails. To me, nothing says summer like lemonade. Sweet deliciousness. Raspberries are also a sign of warm weather and are glorious right now. In celebration of the carefree summer months I love, I developed this fun raspberry vodka lemonade cooler with fresh summer berries. Sweet yet […]

I have always loved lamb kofta but, surprisingly, I have not made it very often until recently.  A trip to Iceland put lamb back on my radar–one of my sons, who does not eat fish, ate lamb almost every night while we were there. When we returned, I started looking for ways to add more […]

Changemaker Series: Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. As a chef, food blogger, and mom, food is important to me. Food is something we all need, and for many of us, good food is readily available. But this is not the case for everyone, even in an area like Silicon Valley. […]

A frozen Grand Marnier soufflé is a thoroughly elegant dessert.  It is also one of the tastiest. Some say it’s similar to ice cream. But not in my book. Frozen soufflés are rich and heavenly. They are light but luxurious. Back in my restaurant days, I made them almost daily.   Regular diners loved them, […]

I don’t believe I had ever heard of agua fresca until I came to California. Popular in both Mexico and the United States, “agua fresca” is Spanish for “cool water” and is just that–a cool, water-based drink with various flavor combinations. You can blend fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds with sugar and water and serve […]

My sheet pan chicken recipe was well received, so I am adding another easy sheet pan meal to my recipe arsenal.  I love shrimp, including shrimp ceviche.  To me, shrimp is a neutral shellfish.  You can do almost anything with shrimp, provided you don’t overcook them.  They are also a quick-meal option, which I love. Three out of […]

A horned melon is not your typical-looking fruit. Also called a kiwano melon, African horned cucumber, jelly melon, hedged gourde, melano, and blowfish fruit, the horned melon is native to Southern Africa and grows mainly in dry semi-arid places such as the Kalahari Desert. This fruit was later introduced to other areas of Africa, Australia, New Zealand more recently, the US. The […]

Let’s talk about pop-tarts. Chances are, if you were a kid growing up in the ’70s and 80’s, you not only knew what Kellogg’s pop-tarts were, you loved them.  I know I loved them; not for breakfast per se, but for a snack. I was unlike most kids in that I did not like mine […]

Everyone needs a go-to, easy salad. This is my new one. I love tofu almost as much as I love salads, so I feature it prominently in this one for this easy and tasty tofu cabbage salad. Tofu, also known as bean curd, is cultivated by curdling soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into […]

July 4th is a beloved American holiday. For some, that means watching fireworks; for others simply hanging out with family and friends in the backyard or by the pool.  No matter what you do, you’re looking for fun, simple foods that work well with groups. A patriotic nod is a bonus. With that in mind, […]