It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and for most that means corned beef, cabbage and beer. When I first went vegetarian, I was really missing that corned beef, so I had to think of something rich and hearty that would ease the craving. By the next year, this Leek Onion Beer Cheese Soup was what I served up instead.
Read all about it and get the recipe on the St. Petersburg Foodies website here.
Pesto was never on my radar. I was always a red sauce kind of girl…until I found a recipe for lemon spaghetti. With those two in my life, my pasta didn’t need any other options. I wasn’t completely ignorant: I had tried pesto a couple of times before, but only at restaurants; and honestly, while I like basil, I didn’t really enjoy an entire meal of it.
The one time I did venture out to buy pesto from the grocery store, I was not expecting what I found. Inside the container was an unemulisified mingling of dark green–nearly black–basil suspended in a layer of oil. That hallmark intense, kelly green color of homemade pesto was missing—it did not look appetizing. Despite its questionable appearance, I had to taste it; not surprisingly, the flavor was lackluster at best and the oiliness was overwhelming—I can’t believe I actually ate it. This solidified the case that pesto need not be in my repertoire.
Once I started my blog, daily food research brought me to videos all over social media about making fresh pesto. Not only did it look super simple to make, but the classic basil/pine nut duo no longer seemed to be the default combination: kale, spinach, parsley, and various nuts and seeds were taking center stage. All of those options opened a creative door for me; it was time to break out the Cuisinart.
Sitting down with a mug of this tomatillo and cilantro posole takes me back to a wintry Santa Fe. The flavors are bright and the stew is comforting no matter what time of year you choose to make it.
If you are new to tomatillos, never fear; all you need to know about them and this dish is on the St. Petersburg Foodie website here.
Today is my late grandfather’s birthday and the last day our Christmas decorations will be up. My mom would always keep everything decorated until January seventh and it’s one of the traditions I still keep in my own home. Not only does it remind me of him, I like that it extends the holiday season a couple of weeks more and gives me time to mentally prep for the New Year. And now…the time has come to bid adieu to 2016.
It feels like not long ago, I was reveling in the fact that I had been blogging for an entire year. Writing and cooking was how I spent much of my free time. And now…year two has flown by and year three has begun! Within the last few months, I went one step further and am now a guest writer on a local foodie website. I was so nervous about reaching another set of readers, but realized that taking that leap was an important challenge for me to accept. I’ve got five posts under my belt on StPetersburgFoodies.com and it has not only helped build my confidence as a writer, but also has given me much needed discipline to meet my self-imposed deadlines. So that you don’t miss a recipe–no matter where it’s actually posted–I’ve created a Publications section on my blog. Those brief snippets will have a link to follow to get you to the post and recipe du jour. Who knows where my posts will be showing up next year?!
If you’ve been curious about persimmons but have no idea what to do with them, try this simple recipe for persimmon butter. This butter elevates just about anything you spread it on.
For the recipe and the story behind my inspiration, you can find it here on the St. Petersburg Foodie website.
Seventeen years ago–on our second date–my husband introduced me to Indian food. It was quite a memorable bite; chana masala is now a regular on the menu at our house. Don’t let those complex spices fool you; it’s incredibly easy to make at home!
You can find the post and recipe on the St. Petersburg Foodies website here.
Fifteen years ago, my husband, Ed, and I toasted the start of our life together. Our glasses–and thirty others–were filled with Banfi’s Rosa Regale sparkling red; the color not only matched my wine-colored calla lilies, but also, as those glasses were raised, served to offset the stark white walls of the museum where we held our reception.
After putting dishes away the other day, I pulled down two of those infamous champagne glasses and gently clinked them together to reminisce. As I listened to the sound of the crystal reverberating, it made me think of my son, Everett, and what he would be drinking as Ed and I toasted our anniversary this week–he always feels left out when we have a grown-up drink. (Typically, as a consolation, we allow him to have something special and bubbly along with us: root beer and ginger beer are his favorites.) I set the glasses down and noticed that sitting right in front of me was the bowl full of Florida cranberries that I picked up at the market the day before. The cogs started turning…
My brain is always veering off from one tangent to the next: it’s pretty much how I function. So, follow me, won’t you, as I take you along my thought path from our wedding champagne memory through to my latest creation: hibiscus syrup.
Ricotta gnocchi takes me back to my first San Francisco trip with my husband. Topping it off with brown butter is a bonus…
You can find the post and recipe on the St. Petersburg Foodies website here.
There’s nothing more addictive than Magic Bars. I’ve updated them for fall with a pumpkin version. You can find the post and recipe on the St. Petersburg Foodie website here.
Rummaging through the fridge resulted in some pretty amazing empanadas! You can find my post and recipe on the St. Petersburg Foodies website here.
