Corn and Orange Pepper Salad

Fresh herbs are one of my favorite ways to add a boost of flavor to a dish. This time last year, I planted an herb garden near my front entryway. The location is a wonderful conversation starter for arriving guests – particularly those who can’t resist running their hand over the plants as they walk [...]

Snickerdoodle Bars

While waiting in line at the checkout counter at my local grocery store, my eyes scanned the magazine rack. I flipped through several before impulsively purchasing a pamphlet-sized beauty published under the Betty Crocker brand. That was nearly two years ago. I found the magazine while organizing my bookshelves recently and decided to give this [...]

Panko & White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

Like most large families focused on stretching their food budget, I grew up thinking mushrooms always came sliced in a can. You know what I’m talking about – the clank of the can opener finishing its rotation around the rim and juices expelled into the sink using the lid to hold back the can’s contents. [...]

Cinnamon Roll Cake

There once was a time when I knew Chicago’s O’Hare airport like the back of my hand. Nearly each week, I would board a plane to some far off city (typically the west coast); get whisked to a windowless conference room where I would eat Chinese take-out, and work into the late evening. Then it’s [...]

Review: Alexia Natural Parmesan Lemon Waffle Fries

I’ve always believed fries were designed as a delivery mechanism for ketchup. So how would I react to frozen fries with the flavoring baked in? That was a question I asked myself when Alexia Foods invited me to sample their new Parmesan Lemon Waffle Fries. Alexia is known as a company who thinks differently about [...]

Raspberry Lemonade Marshmallows with Coconut

Distraction can be a beautiful (and tasty) thing. In a time when I should be focused on a thesis proposal and other projects for my graduate studies, I somehow gravitate to the kitchen in search of inspiration. This week’s inspiration came from a new cookbook by Shauna Server called Marshmallow Madness. Filled with a seemingly [...]

Pickled Daikon Radish & Carrot Slaw

Daikon is a long, white, root vegetable that translates literally to “large root” in Japanese. My first introduction to these lovely radishes was through a community cooking demonstration I attended several months ago. We watched for nearly an hour as our instructor prepared each ingredient with focused precision. It was as if the small cleaver, [...]

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

My sister Rosita was the first person to introduce me to Pinterest nearly six months ago. And I have been hooked ever since. It is the latest online darling to hit the social media scene that is quickly earning its place next to Facebook and Twitter. For me, the site is a wonderful way to [...]

Chocolate Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

After several weeks of unusually warm weather, winter has finally arrived in Pittsburgh. That means it’s time to gear up for some much needed baking. The warmth of the oven offers a sense of comfort that can only be appreciated when a dusting of snow swirls across my front lawn. I had a couple of [...]

How to Roast Beets in 5 Easy Steps

My appreciation for the mighty beet grew around the time they started to appear in my winter CSA box. Before I found them awkwardly interesting and, frankly, annoying at the same time. They are a pain to clean, they stained my hands several shades of magenta and would take hours to transform into anything edible. [...]

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