by Jillian on November 24, 2011
Making homemade cranberry relish is almost as easy as opening a can, but it tastes so much better than any store bought concoctions full of corn syrup and artificial additives. All it takes is a few simple ingredients stewed over the stove – for less than 10 minut- and you have a fresh, sweet-and-tart side [...]
by Jillian on October 3, 2011
Figs are treat all by themselves. But then you stuff them with Laura Chenel’s herbed goat cheese, sprinkle them with fresh cracked pepper and fleur de sel, and drizzle over a healthy pour of local honey and, well, you have my favorite late summer appetizer!
by Jillian on October 12, 2010
Thomas Kellar’s Ad Hoc cookbook as been staring me in the face for the past 6 months, so I finally pulled it off the shelf and dusted it off. There’s an entire section dedicated to pickling, of which apparently Mr. Kellar is a huge fan. I tweaked his recipe for pickled green beans just a [...]
by Christina on July 5, 2010
Inspired by Jillian’s Elegant Bean Dip (which I made, it’s absolutely delish!), I decided to go the dip/pita/veggie route when friends recently came over for dinner. This edamame dip is super simple to make – I’m talking 5 minutes or less – and it’s a refreshing and unexpected alternative to standard appetizer fare. Plus, the [...]
by Jillian on June 21, 2010
Don’t get me wrong, I love me some bean dip. You know, that Frito Lay kind that comes in a can and has a layer of congealed fat on top? Mmm. This, however, is a bit more elegant. It’s also a great way to use leftover herbs. I had some rosemary sitting around, but parsley [...]
by Jillian on June 3, 2010
Did you know that pesto means paste? It’s not just limited to basil plus all of those yummy aromatic ingredients like garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil. I didn’t realize this either, until I read Mark Bittman’s recent article the NYT.
So, that means practically anything can be transformed into “pesto”. Think arugula, sun-dried tomato, [...]
by Christina on May 21, 2010
I did it! My first cooking attempt with ramps was a success! A few things I learned…ramps DO really smell awful when you chop into them. I prepped everything for this tart then jetted out to a quick cocktail party before baking, only to return to one smelly mess of a house. But if you [...]
by Christina on March 26, 2010
After raving about my love for asparagus I thought it only fitting to up the ante this year and going beyond serving it for a month straight by simply sautéeing the stalks with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice (although it remains a golden standard). Since I had some guests coming for dinner I [...]
by Christina on December 28, 2009
When removed from your everyday eating environment – i.e. spending a week with your fam in another part of the state – you quickly realize that not everyone shares an “eat seasonal” state-of-mind. Hence being offered asparagus at Christmas dinner and tomato slices on my morning eggs. So when searching for an appetizer that would [...]