Full Gastronomic Tilt

I used to skip breakfast more mornings than not. An extra-strong cup of coffee would get me through to lunch, if in a jittery way. When I started listening to my body, I heard loud and clear that this was no longer acceptable.
Most days, breakfast is an english muffin, toasted and spread with Earth Balance [...]

Dinner plans, via text message:
“Have leeks & potatoes. Thinking something rustic/French. Ideas?”
“Gratin! With thyme and carm. onions.”
“Perfect. Gruyère?”
“I’ll get it. Bringing wine, too.”‘
Gratin: n. French origin, from grater (to scratch), typically refers to any dish with a lightly browned top crust of crumbs, butter and/or cheese. A base of potatoes is traditional. (see also: delicious)
Many [...]

Flip. flip. Flipflip. flip. Cookbook after cookbook. I had agreed to whip something up for a 10 person gathering - mostly vegetarians, one vegan, one gluten allergy. I thought something hearty, warming and fulfilling would be appropriate before extended discussion involving, among other things, community building.
What’s more communal than soup? What’s more friendly, vegan [...]

13-hour days don’t lend themselves to involved cooking. Especially when watching the latest episode of House on Hulu takes significant precedence over fueling your body.
I know, I know. Based on my last post you’d think that I always make feeding myself a priority.
My caveat: after 9 PM.
If I’m just getting home at 9 PM or [...]

I love this late-summer/early-fall dish. Tarragon can be so dramatic and ill-placed, but it works great in this tomato sauce, plus eggplant and chèvre pair incredibly well together. I like this dish to feel a little more rustic, so I don’t peel the eggplant, preferring the chewy contrast the skin gives the dish. I also [...]

Sometimes I do things the hard way. My friends and family will attest to this. A great example: it took me 45 minutes and 6 dirty dishes to make a half-cup of pesto. Normally, this is a 5 or 10 minute job AND you end up with about a cup of pesto. But no. I [...]

[Pretty chowder pictures to come later tonight. It has been a busy week!]
More often than not, I Twitter my dinner plans. A bit of participatory food geekery, if you will. I get instant feedback: “What ingredients?” “Which recipe?” “What else ya makin’?” and people reply with their own dinner plans. Seems silly, but [...]

I’m preparing for a vacation to the Pacific Northwest and trying to use up as many ingredients in my fridge and cabinet as possible so I don’t come home to spoiled or stale food.  Happened to have three very ripe bananas on hand and half a bag of chocolate chips left over from last [...]

This guest post is courtesy of the fantastic and talented Rachel Edidin.  Many thanks, Rachel! ~L
Food allergies make cooking a challenge–all the more so if you’re dealing with more than one.  It’s not too hard to find information on cooking without nuts, or eggs, or wheat, or dairy, but for anyone who’s allergic to [...]

photo courtesy C. Riddle

Remember those strawberries?
Last Saturday I woke up, sat bolt upright and declared “I’m going to make a tart!” Never before had I made a tart of any kind. My inspiration stemmed primarily from Paris Bakery and the adorable blueberry-marzipan mini-tarts that I love.
Thankfully, tarts are easy to make if you [...]