Kale Salad with Ricotta Salata and Creamy Avocado Dressing

Posted in Kale, Salad, Summer Recipes, Vegetarian by

Kale Salad with Ricotta Salata and Creamy Avocado Dressing

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend, Jordan, and I took a much needed long weekend away from the city. I love everything about living in NYC… the energy, the skyline, the food (obviously), the endless list of things to do at any given hour of the day… but let me tell you, it can get to be a lot. The noise, the crowds, the inconvenience of having to be anywhere on time, it can be unbearable sometimes.  If you live in NYC you will absolutely know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t then it’s hard to put into words…it can sort of feel like this.  Especially after this wretched winter, when everyone was surly and miserable because the weather was so incredibly oppressing, we were just over it and needed a weekend away. So we booked a long weekend at a small lake house in the Berkshires.  Just Jordan, our dog Brody and myself.  Continue reading →

Rhubarb Coffee Crumb Cake

Posted in Breakfast, Cakes, Desserts, Summer Recipes by

Rhubarb Coffee Crumb Cake

I used to think that there was nothing better than store-bought Entenmann’s Coffee Crumb Cake.   The outrageous ratio of crumb to cake always seemed like confectionary perfection, and on the rare occassion that my parents would buy it as a treat for Sunday morning I would experience both utter excitement, and then utter regret at having eaten way more than a suggested serving size.  Continue reading →

Lemon-Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Almond-Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes, Desserts, Summer Recipes by

Lemon-Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve been holding out on these lemon-poppy seed cupcakes since I made them a few months ago for my coworkers birthday, and I apologize profusely for not sharing the recipe sooner. Partly because a couple coworkers have been begging me for the recipe and partly because I think they would have been a perfect addition to a backyard barbecue, which almost every American was doing this past holiday weekend.  After all, if you can’t spend the day lounging on the beach, grilling out in your backyard is the obvious next-best option.  Continue reading →

The Backyard Bubbly

Posted in Cocktails, Raspberries, Summer Recipes by

The Backyard Spritzer

This past weekend, all over America, moms were celebrated for simply being moms.  And I can’t think of a better reason to celebrate.  I wouldn’t know from experience, but I can imagine being a mom is no easy feat.  I’ve certainly put my mom, Dee Dee, through a lot: starting with a natural childbirth (yikes!), she dealt with me as an infant with insomnia (she still blames me for her coffee addiction), a know-it-all, moody teenager (weren’t we all), and a college student who had a little too much fun studying abroad (it’s all about life experiences, right?).  Now that I’m a adult (must I call myself that?), I still turn to her for just about anything – from career advice to recipe advice – she seems to always have the answers. It really should be Mom’s Day, everyday, especially when you get to celebrate with a delicious Backyard Bubbly.   Continue reading →

Orange Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Bourbon Buttercream Frosting (a.k.a. The Old-Fashioned)

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The Old Fashioned Cupcake

Last weekend, my mom, sister and I hosted a “psuedo”-surprise birthday party for my dad. I write “psuedo” because my dad, not being a fan of surprises, knew the party was happening, but was not made privy to the guest list.  So he was certainly surprised to see over fifty of his closest friends and family show up to celebrate.  That’s right, my dad’s a pretty popular guy.  Continue reading →

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Posted in Dinner, Potatoes, Vegetarian by

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Whenever I ask my Jewish friends what’s on the menu for their Passover Seder, I always get similar responses: meat and potatoes. The dishes may vary, from brisket to a roast. From mashed potatoes to potato gratin. But chances are, these two staples are most likely on the menu.  It makes a lot of sense, when you can’t have bread, potatoes are the obvious choice for a delicious starchy side.  Continue reading →

My favorite Banana Bread

Posted in Bananas, Breads, Breakfast, Cakes by

My favorite Banana Bread

Whenever I buy a bunch of bananas, it never fails that I have at least 2 or 3 left at the end of the week that have turned completely black and are no longer very appealing for topping cereal or sliced on peanut butter toast. I realized this past weekend that I’ve probably been doing it on purpose…because you can’t make banana bread without over-ripe, almost rotten, bananas.  Continue reading →

Huevos Rancheros and my trip to Mexico

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Huevos Rancheros

This winter has been a doozy.  I’ve lost count of the major snow storms here in NYC, and the forecast for the next few weeks is not looking much different. The cold weather and continuous gray skies have really been taking a toll on my mental health, and it seems I’m not alone. Everyone seems just a bit more on edge, making winter in New York even more unpleasant. Warm weather seems so far away, despite the fact that today marks the official first day of Spring. There’s only one way to escape the misery that is NYC in winter – a beach getaway.  So that’s exactly what we did.  Continue reading →

Spicy Caramel Popcorn

Posted in Candy, corn, snack by

Spicy Caramel Popcorn

The Oscars were on last night, and I realized I have not yet seen any of the nominees for Best Picture. I hate to say it, but I guess I’m just not a movie person. I find that when it comes down to it, if I have the choice between going to a movie, and doing almost anything else, I generally choose the latter. It’s not that I don’t like movies because I do. But going to the movies can be a gamble, and a complete time suck. I’m picky, and if it winds up being a movie I don’t enjoy…the plot is boring…the characters are disengaging…Anne Hathaway is a leading role, or for whatever the reason – I totally regret going. I walk out of the theater knowing I wasted at least 2 hours of my day – time that could have been put to such better use…like binge watching Downton Abbey on my DVR.  It’s a commitment that I just can’t justify making. Continue reading →

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Desserts by

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw these cookies in last month’s issue of Bon Appétite and was looking forward to making them for Valentines Day’s. Since nothing says “I love you” more than chocolate.   The recipe was really straight forward, but I knew something was off when the batter was more cake-like than cookie-like, and even though it thickened a bit while chilling in the fridge, the dough never turned into the consistency I imagined it would.  Continue reading →