Ah, umami. Prounced like the catcall ("ooh mami"), but much more likely to get single men results. I don't think any of my friends have ever responded favorably to shouts on the street-- I know I haven't-- but an explosion of savory flavor in the kitchen? Well, that can really woo a woman. Unsolicited dating advice courtesy of...
Search Results for: bad
Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
You know what is absolutely disgusting? Cauliflower. ... Said I, 4 years ago. I was a vegetable-lover, but cauliflower, with it's mild-but-nutty-broccoliness, well it just grossed me out. But then! Then I realized that I'd been doing that whole cauliflower thing all wrong. When prepared correctly, it could be absolutely delicious. It could add extra fiber, vitamins,...
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Stuffed Garlic Bread
I hope I never go through another bad break-up. I certainly don't plan to. But if the unfortunate day comes when I'm licking my emotional wounds while watching Pretty Woman and ugly-crying on the couch, I will break one break-up stereotype: I'll stay away from the Ben & Jerry's. I'll make myself this Spinach and Artichoke Dip...
Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad
Is it too late for me to start working on getting a bikini bod in time for summer? Yes? Probably? But I mean I have this Easy Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad, and that has to count for something. You see, this spin on chicken salad fulfills some pretty difficult criteria: it's healthy, it's simple, and it...
Sofritas Tofu Burrito Bowls
As a lover of bacon, pulled pork, and burgers, a lot of people find it surprising when I say that I also adore tofu. Or maybe I should say I adore good tofu. Tofu gets a bad wrap from the many people who don't know how to properly prepare the wiggly soybean curd, leaving a lot of people to think...
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
Guys, this recipe is going to be my downfall. Not because it's bad-- oh no. Quite the opposite, really. A simple caramel sauce that requires only 5 ingredients (well, I guess 6 if you count the 2 tablespoons of water) and 15 minutes? You know a caramel overdose is in my near future.
Baked Sweet Chili Garlic Popcorn Chicken
Believe it or not, in between chowing down on all things cheesy or chocolaty that I put up here, I try to make healthy choices. Well, at least sometimes. And I know that a lot of you are right there with me, trying to keep your snacking down and your salad-consumption up. However, just because...
Mozzarella-Stuffed Chicken Parm Meatballs
At all times, I have at least 3 varieties of mozzarella in my fridge. Bocconcini, shredded, sliced, mozzarella di bufala... it's all got its place in my heart and in my meals (especially since I learned how to make my own fresh mozzarella). I could --and would-- eat mozzarella in everything, but I try to...
Birthday Cake Remix Brownies
When I was in high school, I worked in a pretty pathetic mall (there were like 3 stores in the place that stayed open for more than a month) at an Auntie Anne's. There was honestly no reason to visit that mall unless you wanted a pretzel or ice cream. No reason at all. But in...
Loaded Greek Chicken "Pitzas"
Sometimes my cooking "failures" work out even better in the end. When I say "sometimes", I mean almost never, but this recipe was one exception to the typical disaster that is my kitchen on a bad cooking day. (Yes, we all have them!) I wanted to make a regular pizza with Greek toppings, but my dough was...
Boozy Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
I'm really bad at coming up with short recipe names. I thought about calling these "The Absolute Best Frozen Dessert The World Has Ever Seen", but that seemed a little too wordy. Boozy Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles was shorter-- by a margin-- so I went with that. You can call them whatever you want though,...
Baked Chicken Chimichangas with Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce
Yesterday I cried at Starbucks. Not like a little whimper, I'm talking full on sob-crying with little pools of tears collecting on the lid of my coffee. It was not my finest moment, guys. Not my finest moment at all. I'm pretty sure James was contemplating running for the hills and never looking back.
Garlic Lemon Chicken Stir Fry
I just came back from my lunch break, and according to my car it is 75 degrees out right now. I can believe it, because I actually felt the need to turn the air conditioning on. Then I remembered that my air conditioning is still broken because I always convince myself not to spend the...
Tequila Sundown
Some mornings you already know that it's going to be the kind of day that deserves a cocktail. For example, if you get ready to leave for work 45 minutes earlier than usual on a Monday morning, but then you slip and fall on ice on your way to start up your car. Then, once...
Cannoli Dip
A few years ago, my then-roommate Allison and I were broke college students who could barely afford to pay our rent and cable bills, let alone buy anything for anyone else. When we realized Father's Day was just around the corner, we panicked a bit. Dads are hard enough to shop for in the first...
Cheesy Crab Poppers
It's Christmas Eve and I've got about 20 million things to get done, but I have one very important thing to do before I can go brave the cold and brace myself against the hoards of last minute shoppers-- I've got to share this recipe with you. I made these Cheesy Crab Poppers on...
Pomegranate Mojito
Am I the only one who is completely blown away by how close to Christmas it is? Where did the time go? What have I been doing for the past month? I feel like Anchorman 2 has gotten more attention than the holidays this year, or maybe I just have selective hearing. Either way, I'm...
Boozy Raspberry Hot Chocolate
I've never been a huge fan of hot chocolate, but I also never realized that real hot chocolate doesn't come from a powder packet. In real hot chocolate, you actually melt chocolate and add milk and cream, which probably should be obvious but I never even considered it. It tastes like liquid happiness. Or at least...
Spicy Fried Shrimp
The first time I ever ordered Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill, I sang "She Bangs" (you know, the song by Ricky Martin-- but I sang it like William Hung) for about a week. It was a silly association, but it was so severely stuck in my head that it was driving me crazy. I...
How to Put Together Your Own Italian Wine and Antipasto Spread
I personally don't believe that you can go over-the-top with a meal as long as the taste is worth it in the end. I don't find anything wrong with spending hours in the kitchen, or searching high and low for the best ingredients, or meticulously planning out the details of each course. Food is something...
Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea
I've been reading your facebook statuses. (Well, I mean, only if we're friends. There's no NSA-esque business going on over here.) I've been hearing about your lovely vacations around the country and around the world. (And I've been missing my usual partner in culinary creation, Amanda, who is currently in Hungary. Or Austria. Or Prague. ...
Marinated Antipasto Skewers
There's been a lot of debate lately about using the "F" word. You know... Foodie.
Chile Relleno
I'll cut to the chase: This is good. I mean, it's really good, the type of really good that makes it difficult for me to not leap out of my seat, speed off to the grocery store, and stock up on ingredients to make another batch. It's the type of Chile Relleno you find in...
Bratwurst Sliders with Beer Cheese and Beer Braised Onions
These Bratwurst Sliders are loaded up little sandwiches that pack a lot of flavor (and beer) into small servings. Don't forget the beer cheese (which is surprisingly easy to make) or the beer braised onions, which are rich and caramelized, if you really want to do it right. Bonus points if you make the pretzel...