This is my boyfriend Brian.
Sorry, wrong Brian.
gwyneth’s roasted leeks in shallot vinaigrette
Do you know about leeks? If not, it’s time to get familiar. They are one of the sweetest members of the onion family, and they are as versatile as they are delicious. You can oven-braise them as I once did with carrots and beets, you can caramelize them as a base for risotto, or you can saute them to use atop a simple grilled fish as my mom did the other day. (A satisfied recent leeks convert — she raved about it afterwards.)
gwyneth’s risotto with peas + greens
I know how Gwyneth Paltrow got those perfectly toned arms of hers and it’s not from multiple Tracy Anderson sessions a week; it’s from making this risotto. Trust. She jokes in the recipe (in her new cookbook, It’s All Good) that after twenty minutes of stirring ladles of vegetable stock into the risotto that “your arm should feel as if it’s going to fall off” and man, Gwynnie ain’t lyin.
Food Bloggers Against Hunger: lemon rosemary veggie stack w/lentils + horseradish vinaigrette
This is the most delicious dish I have ever made. From the freshness of the lemon rosemary, to the earthiness of the lentils, to the tang of the horseradish maple vinaigrette, my tastebuds were in heaven. I enjoyed the whole process of bringing this meal to fruition — grocery shopping, chopping and roasting, and eventually eating — and I’m so lucky for it. Why? Because like most of you reading this post, I always know where my next meal is coming from. Did you know that 50 million people in the United States — including one in four children — don’t? It is devastating, but also fixable.
bibimbap in baltimore
Let me tell you about my friend Mindy: not only is she one of the funniest people I know, and now mom to one of the cutest babies I know (see little Jordy, below) but she is also a Master Chef. We had big plans for when B and I were coming to visit her in Baltimore last weekend. I invited two of our other close friends from college over; we were going to whip up this big meal — spring rolls I made a few weeks ago with Noah’s sweet chili drizzle, and her husband Matt’s all-time favorite dish: bibimbap. I found this recipe online and we talked groceries, chopping, plating strategies for days.
mushroom, edamame + kale fried “rice”
I know what you’re thinking: why the quote marks around the word rice in the headline? What is she trying to trick me into eating here? I wish it were more exciting, but I’m afraid it’s only quinoa, my loves — a food you must get familiar with if you’re not already.
food bloggers against hunger
How far could you stretch $4 at the supermarket? I’m about to find out because on April 8th, I’ll be posting a recipe (or two, or more? — depending how savvy my supermarket strategy is) when I join the Food Bloggers Against Hunger challenge.
stuffed veggie spring rolls
With huge risk comes huge reward. That’s what they say, right? Such was my first venture into the world of homemade spring rolls. As I told Grub Street last month, I never leave Whole Foods without picking up their delicious pre-made version from the sushi counter — so I was determined to create a similar version as an appetizer for my dinner party guests this past Saturday night. I was petrified, having never done this before and wondering how difficult it would be to handle the gelatinous papers. But guess what? The spring rolls were much easier to assemble than I expected, and B (and all of our friends) loved em! I know he doesn’t look thrilled in the photo, but trust me, he liked em.
souped-up seaweed salad
I love seaweed salad — I always order it when I eat sushi — but I had never made it at home. Until Saturday. I was admittedly nervous about how it would turn out, even though I asked for very specific advice from the guys working the sushi counter at Whole Foods when I went to do my grocery shopping. They said it expands when you place the seaweed in water — and it does, big time — so two packages each of red and green seaweed was more than enough for my 8-person dinner party.
darcey’s corn + black bean dip
Need a simple, healthy appetizer for your dinner party this weekend? Having some friends over for drinks and want to put something out for them to eat, without slaving over a whole smorgasbord? Sick of the same old cheese platter? Behold, your solution: Darcey’s Corn and Black Bean Dip. Though to be fair, it’s actually Darcey’s Aunt Sue’s Corn and Black Bean Dip — but that’s a mouthful, and you need room to eat!
I’m here all week.
