Vegetarian

Fast Food:  Skillet Chili

Fast Food: Skillet Chili

  This probably never happens to you, but I sometimes find myself wanting to get in and out of the kitchen quickly after a tiring day.  If I can do that and still produce a great meal, I’m one happy camper. This is a recipe…

Minestrone, A Wistful Pup and Letting Go of Summer

Minestrone, A Wistful Pup and Letting Go of Summer

    There is an old Italian saying O mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra. That roughly translates to “Eat the soup or jump out of the window”–an exclamation for those times when inaction is off the table and you just have to do something–anything. Take it…

Wow! Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies

Wow! Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies

  Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies. I repeat. Salted. Chocolate Chip. Tahini. Cookies. These are stunningly good.   Tahini, for those unfamiliar with the ingredient, is a paste made of ground sesame seeds. It is similar to peanut butter. It has been around for thousands…

Lemon-Almond Butter Cake

Lemon-Almond Butter Cake

  Raise your hands if you are fans of lemon curd in all its piquant wonderfulness. Good. I thought so. Read on. This delicious lemon-almond butter cake is a crumbly cake made with regular flour, almond flour and a generous amount of home-made lemon curd.…

Eggplant Gratin in Parmesan Custard

Eggplant Gratin in Parmesan Custard

  I’ll confess right off. Eggplant and I have a rocky relationship. It’s not because eggplant isn’t Robert-Redford handsome. Just look at that smooth skin and that sensuous coloring. It’s also not because I don’t try. I do.  I just have trouble finding stellar recipes that…

Ho. Ho. Ho. and Spinach and Mushroom Gratin

Ho. Ho. Ho. and Spinach and Mushroom Gratin

It is the Christmas season here in Huntington Beach. I know that because my local Costco has Christmas trees for sale.   Seems a tad early to me, but there is some research that holds that people who decorate early for the holidays lead happier…

Farro: You Can Take It With You (Apparently)

Farro: You Can Take It With You (Apparently)

This is a post about farro. People have been enjoying farro for a very long time. Farro images can be found on the walls of the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. The Egyptians stocked the tombs of their leaders with all the good stuff they would…

Pucker Up for Nectarine Frozen Yogurt

Pucker Up for Nectarine Frozen Yogurt

Trust me. It’s tough photographing frozen yogurt. The stuff melts. There you are setting up the shot–just the right lighting…just the right angle– and bam! By the time you are ready to release the shutter, your subject has melted and those pretty little chunks of…

Plum Cobbler Bars From The Heart

Plum Cobbler Bars From The Heart

“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.” -Cesar Chavez   I get a lot of pleasure from sharing food.  There is something wonderful about watching…

Wicked Potato Salad with Dill

Wicked Potato Salad with Dill

    Apples and potatoes? Why not? This recipe brings together an eclectic mix of ingredients into one delicious whole and the magic of the salad is the dressing which incorporates a whole lot of crunch and a piquant sweet and sour dressing. It’s pretty,…