Recipes

The Tartine Bakery cookbook would be a great gift for the exceptionally talented baker on your holiday gift list. For me, an exceptionally non-talented baker, it presents a mighty challenge. Remember the 3-day, $100 dollar lemon creme tart incident last year? I braved the book again this fall to make soft glazed gingerbread. And, boy…

Quiche! Such a simple thing to make for a weekend lunch party. I used this recipe as a starting point last Sunday. I cheated with a pre-made crust instead of their instructions. And I added truffle oil and lemon zest for a little extra flair. Mushrooms and lemon are a strangely perfect match. Very elegant…

When life gives you too much fruit, make sorbet! I broke out the ice cream maker last Sunday to make use of some frozen pureed plums I had leftover from the summer. It was simple, healthy and gorgeous. Plum Merlot Sorbet About 6-10 plums depending on size, enough to make about 4 cups of puree1/4…

With the economic uncertainty, I’ve been cooking at home a lot recently. Between stocking up on frozen fish and meat at Trader Joe’s and fresh produce from the cheapest green grocer on the planet (at Divisidero and Pierce), we have lots of choices each night. Rob loves pork chops with applesauce, but it’s a little…

Tilapia is supposed to be one of the best eco-fish to eat. So, I picked a package of tilapia “loins” at Trader Joe’s this week. Loins? Last time I checked, tilapia didn’t have legs…but let’s move on. The fish can have a muddy taste, so it helps to go a little heavy on the spices.…

I usually don’t like broccoli. But I’ve started keeping it in the fridge to eat raw with salads and hummus. I used that stash last night for a “pantry” dinner after the gym. It’s similar to a recipe I’ve made with cauliflower before, but broccoli is way better. Broccoli Rigatoni (for 2) 1 head of…

I was put in charge of appetizers for Easter. Fortunately, the visiting guests had brought a big smoked salmon in a wood box from Washington and there was a box of puff pastry in the freezer. Here are the instructions: Smoked Salmon Puffs (for 12 guests) 1 package of puff pastry (filo dough would probably…

Rob and I had a delicious spring dinner last night! A huge bowl of fresh guacamole with organic corn chips followed by another huge bowl of fresh ripe strawberries. The first strawberries of the year officially kick off spring for me! I take my guacamole recipe very seriously. As do most SoCal natives. I practically…

I’m a recent convert to the world of squash. I used to hate anything related to a butternut or an acorn, it all tasted like baby food to me! Over the last year I’ve discovered some new recipes and a whole new world of cucurbita. One of my favorite ways to cook winter squash is…

The dinner party went really well last night. All the treats from TrulyMed were delicious, the chicken tangine came out perfectly and the Israeli couscous didn’t get burned! Our guests were great conversationalists and a lot of fun. To start the whole evening off, I improvised a pomegranate mimosa. Here’s the recipe: Pomegranate Mimosas 1…