Favorite Recipe Sites

I've been very busy this week and haven't had time for cooking. I promise to post something new over the weekend. I finally have a list of things lined up to cook. I've been kinda waiting for fall to officially start before I make anything with fall produce.

Soooo instead...a lot of people ask me where I go for recipes when I need inspiration. Here's a short list...

Smitten Kitchen - great photos, delicious recipes
Bakerella - cute, fun ideas
Jamie Oliver - love most of his recipes
BBC Good Food - great seasonal cooking guide
Delicious Magazine - a little bit of everything
Food 52 - lots of great recipes submitted from people all over
King Arthur Flour Blog - baking
Epicurious - menus, ideas, lots of recipes

A

Corn Zeppole

A few weeks ago I was browsing recipes while trying to find out what to do with my 16 ears of corn. I came across a great site I'd never looked at before called Food52. This site is a collection of recipes submitted by all sorts of people from around the world. The editors pick the most popular recipes in each category to go up for a vote. Members in the Food52 community then vote on their favorite dish in each category. The winning recipes go into a cookbook. What a cool idea!

So,in my browsing for corn recipes I came across a recipe for corn zeppole. Being a lover of the original sweet version, I decided it was something I had to try. I got a few weird looks when I was standing in the kitchen frying dough (I don't fry often), but after the weird looks, people slowly started trying them and loved them!

I'm going to link to the recipe on Food52. The only changes I will make the next time I try these is adding a bit more pancetta and corn so there's some in every bite.

Corn zeppole recipe from Food52.

A

Monster Cookies

Do you love cookies? If so, this cookie is probably for you. Monster cookies are basically peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies all combined into one cookie. Ingredients include peanut butter, oatmeal, M&Ms, chocolate chips, and Reese's Pieces. I think they're called monster cookies because of the insane amount of calories they contain (no, I haven't added it up, I'm too scared to).

Today I was craving something sweet with peanut butter, but couldn't think of anything to make. If I had powdered sugar, I probably would have made something like chocolate peanut butter bars or a peanut butter pie, but I didn't, so I made something I did have the ingredients for - monster cookies!

The first time I had this insane creation was 7-8 years ago when my friend came over to my house with a big batch. Back then I saved her recipe in my special recipe binder, but I can't find the binder right now. I know I had it last week? Anyways, I found a nice substitute recipe on the Food Network site from Paula Deen. I will say I was a bit skeptical for a minute when the recipe had no flour in it, but they turned out wonderful!

I changed the ingredients slightly, but the base recipe is from Paula. This makes a big batch so I suggest freezing some or lining up people to give them to!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs

1 1/4c packed light brown sugar

1c sugar

1/2t salt

1/2t vanilla

12oz creamy peanut butter

1 stick butter, softened

1/2c M&Ms

3/4c chocolate chips (milk or semisweet, whatever you prefer)

1/2c Reese's Pieces

2t baking soda

4 1/2c quick-cooking oats (not instant)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with baking mat or parchment paper.

2. Using a stand up mixer or a hand mixer (can do by hand as well but it's not very easy), cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter. Then, add in the vanilla, baking soda, and eggs.

3. Mix in the oats, chocolate chips, and candies by hand.

4. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Make sure not to overbake. Leave the cookies on the tray for a few minutes before you transfer to a cooling rack.

Just so you know, this dough is very very sticky!

A

Mediterranean Fish Stew

The other day I was surprised to find fresh fish at my local market. This is a very rare thing when you live in the middle of the country, far away from the water. Sure, I can find all sorts of fresh catfish on offer most of the year, but actual fish from the sea? Never! I don't even know how to express how excited I was about this discovery, I wanted to buy it all! I didn't buy it all, but I did go a bit overboard with the amount of fish since I'm the only real fish eater in my family.

When I got home with my fresh fish finds I had no clue what I was going to do. I thought about having fish for 3-4 meals over the next day or so. I thought about making it all at once and making a pig of myself (I really love it that much). I finally decided to disguise the "fishy" flavor of fish by making my favorite fish stew. Surely my fish hating family would eat it with me? I had a lot of hope.

You're probably thinking it's still too hot outside to be eating anything called stew, but I promise this one is great for warm weather. The very light broth is layered with flavors of tomato, fennel, saffron, and orange. It's great for sipping in a cup, slurping with a spoon, or soaking up with a crispy garlic crostini. Any way you decide to devour this dish, it will be a crowd pleaser for fish/seafood loving people. You may even have a chance to convert some non-fish lovers - I did!

Sorry the photo is a bit blurry, I wasn't prepared (couldn't find camera) so I had to take it with my phone before people started eating!

Mediterranean Fish Stew

1T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 celery hearts, finely chopped

8-10 garlic cloves, minced

1 small can of tomato paste

6c fish stock (I actually used 2c clam juice and 4c veggie stock, that's what I had in the house)

pinch of saffron strands

2 fennel bulbs, quartered and sliced thin

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 orange, zest & juice

1lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

1.5lb white fish (cod, halibut, etc), cut into chunks

1lb clams or mussels

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1. Add olive oil, onions, celery, and garlic to a large pot. Cook over medium heat until soft and translucent. Cover and stir often so it doesn't brown. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

2. Stir in can of tomato paste and heat for about a minute.

3. Add in the fish stock and saffron. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes to reduce the stock.

4. Stir in the fennel, tomato, and orange zest. Let simmer for another 20 minutes or until the fennel is tender. Then, add in the orange juice.

5. Finish by bringing the broth to a boil and adding in all the fish at once. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and top with parsley. Serve immediately.

I served this with a light tomato, avocado and onion salad, garlic crostini, and lots of white wine.

A

Bacon Ranch Mac N Cheese

I want to start off by saying it's a very rare thing to see me making a dish filled with as much fat as this one. I'm a very healthy eater. When I make pies, cakes, cookies, or breads for the blog I take a bite and give the rest away. I bag everything up and make everyone who stops by take some home with them. I'm just not a sweets person. I think this dish is worse than any sweet I've ever made. It's full of fat. It has 1lb of cheese, lots of bacon, whole milk, sour cream, and some more cheese and breadcrumbs to top it.

So why the heck did I decide to make this dish? Sunday night I was watching TV and trying to come up with stuff to make my picky family for our Labor Day bbq. Most of the time they tell me things I make are "weird" or "too different" for them to like. Sometimes they like them, but pretend not to until I leave the room, and then pounce on them. They love southern homecooked type of food. The same type of food my grandmother and great grandmother made when we were all growing up. I am not fond of down home cooking, but I decided to make something special for them this time.

I'm not really sure what I saw or heard that made me think bacon ranch mac n cheese, but I know I couldn't have come up with it on my own. My mind doesn't work right when it comes to making fatty foods. I googled and was certain I would find a Paula Deen recipe for a crazy mac n cheese like this, but I was wrong. I found one from Taste of Home (magazine, I think?), but it called for a ranch dressing mix or something and I'd never buy that, so I decided to make up my own recipe. Surely I could make something tasty.

I must warn you for the 100th time in this post that this dish is full of fat. You can cut down the fat by using 2% cheese, skim milk, and light sour cream. I wouldn't go for fat free cheese because it melts weird, and fat free sour cream has a strange flavor to me.

Also, I apologize for the weird recipe on this one. I made this without actually measuring anything or writing down what I did. The measurements are approximate. The key to making the white sauce is adding a bit of milk at a time until it's a consistency you like.

Sorry for the dark pic. I took it with my phone before adding the breadcrumbs and baking. I was in such a rush getting all the food out for the BBQ I forgot to take another pic after it was baked.

Bacon Ranch Mac N Cheese

1 box of pasta (whatever you have on hand)
5 slices of bacon, julienne
1 medium red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
AP flour (amount varies, I will explain in instructions)
Milk (amount varies)
1lb sharp cheddar (or whatever cheese you prefer), shredded
tt S&P
1/2c parsley, finely chopped
1c breadcrumbs
1/4c mozzarella, shredded

Cook the pasta as the box suggests. When it's done drain it and set it aside.

1. In a big saucepan, cook the bacon to render the fat. Once the bacon is almost cooked, added in the onion and cook together.
2. Once the onion is cooked, stir in the crushed garlic.
3. Next, you need to add just enough flour to soak up all the bacon fat in the pan. This is why I said the amount of flour varies depending on how much fat is on your bacon. You can leave the onion and bacon in the pan, but make sure you stir it. It's ok if it's sticking at this point, but don't just let it sit. The fat and flour come together to make a roux. This will thicken your sauce.
4. Now start adding in milk a bit at a time. I start with enough to cover what's in the bottom of the pan. Stir it to remove lumps and it will start to thick. Continue adding in milk until it's the consistency you desire for your sauce. Make sure to stir often and get around the edges so it doesn't burn.
5. Once it's at the consistency you desire, add in the cheese and stir as it's melting until it's all incorporated.
6. Mix in the parsley, and add salt & pepper to taste.
7. Mix the cheese sauce in with the cooked pasta and top with breadcrumbs and mozzarella.
8. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and the breadcrumbs are brown.

This dish can be made the night before. Just do everything up until the step where you put the breadcrumbs on. Let cool and put in the fridge. Remove from the fridge about an hour before you want to cook it, top with breadcrumbs and cheese, and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until it's warm in the center.

A

Flank Steak Fajitas

I'm usually a chicken person when it comes to fajitas, but a few months ago I decided I wanted to have some with steak. I couldn't find skirt steak (this is what is normally used for fajitas) where I live (not surprised by that), so I decided to go with my favorite cut of meat, flank steak.

As time goes by, you will begin to see I'm a bit obsessed with flank steak. Why? Well, the main reason is there's little to no fat on it. Secondly, it tastes really good! For anyone who doesn't know about flank steak, it comes from the lower hindquarter. At the store, you will buy a whole flank steak which is typically 1-1.5lbs. Flank steak needs a marinade to help tenderize it because it's very fibrous. Once marinated, this cut of meat turns delicious.

The first time I did this it took me awhile to decide what I wanted to do with the meat. I knew I needed to add flavor, but how much? I spent the whole day thinking about what to do with the steak, and finally decided on garlic and lime. The fajitas turned out great!

The other day I decided to invite a few friends over for dinner. Instead of coming up with a menu myself, a lot of the time I ask my friends (usually the ones who are picky) what they want me to make for them. The immediate response from my friend's husband was "Mexican. Nothing weird. Nothing fancy...how about fajitas?" Ask and ye shall receive!

Flank Steak Fajitas

Marinade:

1 flank steak

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Place the flank steak in a shallow dish. Rub both sides with crushed garlic, cover, and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Veggies:

3 bell peppers (whatever color you prefer), sliced thin (I use the madoline)

1 large onion, sliced thin (mandoline again)

2T neutral oil (I used extra light olive oil)

2 limes, juiced

1. After the meat has marinated, place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it easier to slice.

2. Remove from freezer and slice thin, and against the grain (across the short side) of the meat. Toss with salt & pepper.

3. In batches, sear the meat on each side and place into a shallow dish. Do this until all of the meat is finished. Squeeze lime juice on the meat. Let sit while you do the next step.

4. Saute all the veggies in the same pan you cooked the meat. Cook these until they're done to your liking. I like them softer, but if you like them still a bit crunchy then cook for a shorter time.

5. Toss the veggies with the beef and serve.

For a big group, serve these with lots of things to top them with. Big bowls of guacamole, pico de gallo, lime sour cream (just zest one of the limes before juicing and stir into an 8oz container of sour cream, refried beans, spanish rice, a selection of hot sauces, and obviously big pitchers of margaritas.

A

Gambas al Ajillo

Last week I forgot to take pictures when we had tapas for dinner. I think I secretly did it on purpose so I would have an excuse to make gambas al ajillo again. This is a super simple, and very quick dish to make. It's great with crusty bread and a glass of sangria.

My shrimp doesn't have chili flakes in it because someone called and distracted me. By the time I got rid of them, the shrimp was done and there was no time to add in the chili flakes.

Gambas al Ajillo

1/2lb shrimp

1t olive oil

1T butter

2 garlic cloves, minced (can use garlic press)

1t chili flakes

1/2t paprika

parsley, to garnish

tt S&P

1. Heat the oil & butter.

2. Add the garlic and heat just until you smell it.

3. Add in the chili flakes, paprika, and shrimp. Saute until the shrimp is done.

4. Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

A

Cheddar, Pancetta & Green Onion Muffins

This weekend I packed up and headed to the family cabins. The whole family went to enjoy the outdoors (it was sooo hot), pick fruit, berries, and all the produce in our huge garden there. My aunt and I are usually in charge of food for everyone (we're the only ones who can actually cook). On Friday, I sat for a few hours trying to figure out what to make, and then I remembered the muffins. I saw this recipe in a magazine back in July, and I've been thinking about it ever since. I finally had a reason to make them.

I'm not sure why the magazine I got this recipe from called these muffins, they're much more like scones to me. Maybe it's some weird British food magazine thing that I'm compeltely unaware of? I don't know. What I do know is: 1. these are good, and 2. they're really easy to make!

Sorry there's no photo for this recipe, I forgot my camera!

Cheddar, Pancetta & Green Onion Muffins
recipe from Delicious magazine


12.5oz self-rising flour
1T sugar
1/2t salt
3fl oz vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4c buttermilk
1/4lb pancetta, finely diced
1/4lb mature cheddar, diced
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced

Serve to guests while they enjoy drinking and waiting for dinner, give to friends, use as part of your brunch buffet, or enjoy them with dinner. I put them in a basket on the counter for everyone as they came and went, and they were gone by the end of the day.

A

My Must Haves For The Kitchen

Everyone has things that are "must haves" in their kitchen. I'm lucky to have two kitchens in my house, so I am able to have every gagdet and small appliance I could dream of. After spending the summer in my tiny London flat, and feeling like I couldn't even cook, I decided to sit down and decide what things I needed and what things I could really live without. This is my list of must haves.


1. Mixing bowls - different sizes and ones that stack inside each other like these with rubber on the bottom so they don't slide around when you're trying to mix or whisk.

2. Measuring cups & sppoons - liquid measuring cups like these by Oxo that stack inside each other, and dry measuring cups like these. You really need both because the liquid and dry measures are slightly different. For the spoons, any ones will do as long as they have a good amount of different sizes.

3. Good pans - good, non-stick pans for people who don't want to scrub after the cooking is over.

4. Chef's knife - a good, heavy 8" chef knife is great for chopping everything

5. Cutting boards - one for meat, one for veg.

6. Whisk - any whisk as long as it's well made and sturdy.

7. Wooden spoons - a few in different sizes.

8. Mandoline - if your knife skills are awe inspiring and speedy then this isn't needed, but for people who aren't that quick, this tool helps speed up the prep process. I like the one from Kuhn Rikon.

9. "Y" or "Swiss" peeler - this type of peeler is great for speed peeling. I recommend the one from Kuhn Rikon since it comes in a set of 3.

10. Cooling rack - like this one by Calphalon.


That's my top 10! I'm sure I could go on and on, but I will stop there. What's your must haves? Leave a comment and let me know!


A

Sangria

Last night was tapas night at our house. I think the spread was impresssive because everyone pulled out the phones to take photos of the food. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the food (I think I was just hungry?) so the tapas recipes are on hold for a bit, but I snapped a photo of the sangria!

Lovely, fruity, boozy, delicious sangria. I'm not a big drinker, but I can't turn down a glass when sangria is on offer. Sometimes I think I should live in Spain with my tapas, chorizo, and sangria obsession...I guess a girl can always dream.

Anyways, not a lot to say about this fabulous invention (is it an invention?) without sounding like a completely obsessed boyband fan, so this entry will be short and sweet. Drink recipe and photos.

Make sure to save a glass for me!

Sangria

4 oranges, cut 1 into slices, juice the others (can use blood oranges too mmm)

1 lemon, cut into slices

1 lime, cut into slices

1 bottle of red wine, I like pinot noir for this

1/4c sugar (superfine if you can get it)

ice for serving

1. Juice the oranges straight into a large pitcher, pour in the wine and dump in the sugar. Stir around until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the sliced fruit and chill. Serve over ice if you prefer to have it straight away.

Enjoy!

A

Watermelon Agua Fresca

The garden is overflowing with watermelon! Every year we plant melon, and every year they fail to grow. This year my aunt decided to plant extra watermelon thinking something would have to grow. For some reason they all decided to take off and we have tons! I have one in my fridge and 4 sitting on the counter! Everyone is over watermelon, so I decided to take it upon myself to make something with it.

So far I've made popsicles, salsa (recipe soon), and agua fresca. I don't think the agua fresca was a big hit in my family. I gave a glass to my grandmother and she said "I always make sure to drink my watermelon juice after I'm done eating the melon". In grandma speak that means she's not impressed. My aunt called it "watermelon juice" and my little cousins dumped it in the sink! I'm not sure what's wrong with them because I swear this is delicious!

Please try it if you have some watermelon, and then tell me it's really good! The rest of my "watermelon juice" will be used for alcoholic drinks! No one will turn down boozey drinks.

You can use any type of melon to make this, not just watermelon.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

1/2 large watermelon

2c water

3T honey

2 limes, juiced

1. Put 1c of water in a blender along with half of the watermelon. Blend and strain to remove all the pulp. Repeat with the rest of the water and melon.

2. Stir in the honey and lime juice.

3. Serve chilled and over ice (can use frozen melon balls as ice).

A

A Guide For Understanding My Recipes

Awhile ago I was giving my friend directions on reheating a dish and she kept asking me all sorts of questions about the instructions I wrote down for her. She's a pretty accomplished home cook so I couldn't understand why she didn't understand my instructions. Well...it turns out all of my recipes make sense to me, but other people give me strange looks when I scribble them down. Sometimes I say things like "til it's done" or "you know, like, a few minutes". I also tend to abbreviate things a lot for quickness. Over the years I've figured out no one else has any clue what I'm talking about. I guess that's a good thing if I want to keep my recipe a "secret", but when I'm trying to share with people it kind of backfires.

I usually read the recipe a few times before I post it to make sure it will make sense to everyone, but this is a short guide to my abbreviations.

tt = to taste. Just season with S&P until it tastes good to you.
t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon
AP flour = all-purpose flour
c = cup
glug = ummm...ok, I know this is a strange one, but you know the "glug" sound the olive oil makes when you're pouring it out of the bottle? That's a glug.
a bit = usually a pinch or about 1/2t


That's all I can think of right now, but I will continue to add things as I see myself using them. Please leave a comment and ask if you're not sure on a recipe. I check the comments almost every day.

Sausage, Peppers, & Onion Pasta

Today I went out to the garden to see what was ready. I came back in almost an hour later with a bucket of tomatoes, a bucket of potatoes, a grocery bag full of banana peppers, and a few onions and bell peppers. The onions and peppers will be put to use today and tomorrow. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with all the tomatoes, so I'm sure you'll see something with those soon. Salsa, maybe? I decided to make a quick and simple dish that I've made many times before. I guess I've been craving it a bit, too.

Sausage, peppers, and onion pasta is a dish I made for the old blog, but I've updated it and added some new things. I think I've also sped up the cooking process to make it a quick meal for a weeknight dinner.

Depending on portion size (are you big eaters?) this will feed 6-8 people.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onion Pasta

1lb bulk sweet italian sausage (can use spicy if you want)

3 garlic cloves, finely diced or put through garlic press

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

6T butter

arugula (I used a few handfuls)

1lb pasta (I used mini farfelle)

tt S&P

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside 1/4c of pasta water.

2. Break up the sausage and place in a saute pan with about 1/2c of water. Cook until all the water has evaporated.

3. Add in the garlic and cook until you smell it. Then, add the peppers and onions. Cook until soft and all the liquid has evaporated.

4. Add 1/4c reserved pasta water and butter to the sausage and veggie mixture. Stir until the butter is completely melted.

5. Toss with the pasta and arugula.

I serve this with white wine to drink and crusty bread for everyone to tear pieces off. This is always a hit at my house!

A

Buttermilk Red Onion Rings

I bought a new deep fryer. I rarely deep fry anything, so I'm not quite sure why I bought it - but I did! I think my compulsive small kitchen appliance buying has something to do with boredom and Amazon shopping. This kitchen buying thing is a bit of a problem for me. You see, I still have things in storage that have never even been opened! I think there's a juicer, an indoor grill, a kettle, lots of dishes and glasses, a second and third food processor, and many other things I don't need.

I decided I will not let the deep fryer have the same fate! I removed it from the box, sat it on the counter, and stared at it for what seemed like forever. Then I stared at my kitchen, hoping something would jump out and say "fry me!", and something did! I decided to make onion rings with the one red onion I had sitting on the counter.

I took the fryer outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, and grill my steak with chimichurri. I used my regular all purpose flour seasoning for the onion rings, minus garlic powder because I'm trying to re-stock my cabinets after coming home to empty ones.

Buttermilk Red Onion Rings

1pt buttermilk

1 large red onion, sliced into rings

Seasoned flour:

4c AP flour

2t salt

2t black pepper

2t white pepper

2t garlic powder

2t onion powder

2t cayenne

2t paprika

1. Let the onion rings soak in the buttermilk for about 30 minutes. I seriously have no clue why I do this, but I've always done it.

2. Double dip the onion rings by dipping into flour, into the buttermilk, and into the flour again.

3. Deep fry at 350F until they're golden.

4. Place on a cooling rack to drain off excess oil.

5. Eat and enjoy!

A

Tomato & Avocado Salad w/ Chorizo

Summer usually makes me think of one thing - fresh homegrown tomatoes from the garden. Growing up I was spoiled by an abundance of fresh produce every summer thanks to my grandma's massive garden. I've always lusted after the perfect tomato, and as I've grown up, I've never been able to find a store bought one (even in season) that tasted anything like the ones from my grandma's garden. Last year I introduced my family to all varieties of heirloom tomatoes - purple, red, pink, green, yellow, orange, zebra striped, etc. They couldn't believe how delicious all the new varieties were. Unfortunately, not everyone was excited for the "weird" tomatoes. I am sad to report, when I got home from vacation I learned they only planted varieties of the red tomato we all know. That's okay! I was sad for a minute, but I'm going to make it through because I've been dreaming of this salad since I saw it in a magazine over a month ago.

I'm not really sure who is responsible for this delicious creation, so I have no one to give credit to for this beautiful salad. I'm sure you can easily cut this recipe down, but at this size it's enough for 4.

Tomato Salad w/ Chorizo & Avocado

Salad:
4 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thin
1/4lb chorizo, thinly sliced & cut into strips
1 avocado, peeled and diced

Dressing:
3T olive oil
1T wholegrain mustard
1 orange, juice & zest

1. Arrange the sliced tomato around the edges of a serving plate and pile the others in the middle.
2. Heat a non-stick pan and add the chorizo sliced. Pan fry for 3-4 minutes until crispy. Drain fat and scatter on top of tomatoes.
3. Scatter the avocado and basil on the top as well.
4. Whisk together the oil, mustard, orange zest, and juice together. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle over the top of the salad.

This salad is super simple and very tasty. I served it with big chunks of crusty bread to soak up the leftover juices from the tomatoes.

A

Grilled Flank Steak & Chimichurri Sauce

I arrived home less than 48 hours ago and I'm already cooking like I never even left. I missed my kitchen. I missed my outdoor kitchen. I missed my knives, and my cutting boards, and my fully stocked cabinets. Well...the cabinets aren't fully stocked yet because I've been too busy to do a big shop, but I'm dreaming of them being well stocked. I think I will do the shopping tomorrow.

My vacation diet consisted of a TON of fish, so the first thing I wanted to cook when I got home was beef. I'm not talking about some tiny little steak either. I cooked an entire flank steak. Unfortunately, my family is a bit lame when it comes to eating meat how it should be (very rare), so I had to suffer. Since I'm the only one who eats the meat rare, I decided I would be nice and crucify the beef for them. My biggest tip for this recipe (I've made it 100s of times this way) is to cook the beef to rare or medium rare. Anything else you might as well buy a cheaper cut of meat.

We ate the entire meal with our fingers. We mopped up the amazing chimichurri with thin slices of beef. We used bread to soak up what was left on our plates. There was absolutely nothing left.

Grilled Flank Steak & Chimichurri Sauce

2-3lb flank steak

Marinade:

1 bunch green onion

1T ground cumin

12oz light beer

1/4c worcestershire sauce

1. Marinade the beef overnight.

2. Remove from marinade and grill over medium heat until it's cooked to your taste.

3. Let rest for at least 5 mintues before slicing into thin pieces

4. Serve with chimichurri.

Chimichurri:

1 bunch parsley

1/2T sambal

3 garlic cloves

1T red wine vinegar

1/3c olive oil

tt S&P

1. Dump all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz.

2. Serve on the side or on top of thinly sliced beef.

We had this with homemade red onion rings, and crusty bread to soak up the extra chimichurri. If you have any of the sauce left it will only get better as it sits, and should be good for up to 1 week.

A

Recipes!

Look for recipes starting later this week!

A

A Well Stocked Pantry

I'm exhausted. I've been on vacation for 86 days and can't wait to get home.

Before I left, I completely emptied my fridge, freezer, and cupboard by bagging everything up and bringing it to my mom's house. I decided she would get better use of it in my absence. I wasn't sure how much use she'd get out of them since she's the world's worst cook, but I thought giving them to her would be better than letting things sit there. My mom is one of those people who throws everything she can find into a crock pot (I stare at her with a disgusted look the entire time she does this) and then calls a it "soup". The first few weeks she told me of the weird things she made with my delicious cupboard standards. She really did ruin the goodness of all the beautiful things I gave her. Silly mom!

Weeks have went by without me even thinking of my cupboard at home, until today. I'm not really sure why I started thinking of my cupboard today. Maybe it's because I'm dreaming of all the delicious things I'm going to make when I get there. I may walk straight in the door, kiss my kitchen floor, and hug my lovely cabinets; I miss it that much! Then it dawned on me...I have nothing there to cook with! That's when I started making mental notes of all the things I need to buy when I get home. It gave me the idea for this post.

What is a well stocked cupboard or pantry? I think everyone has their own essentials, but there are some things I think every serious cook should have in their kitchen at all (most) times. After writing my list I consulted ivillage, Martha Stewart, Eating Well, Gourmet, and a few others. Some of the things on their lists I didn't agree with, and some of them I added to my own list.

Here's the list:

• AP flour
• baking soda
• baking powder
• salt (regular & kosher)
• black peppercorns
• white pepercorns
• bay leaves
• applesauce
• boullion
• rice (white & brown, instant and regular)
• brown sugar
• cake mix
• granulated sugar
• butter
• vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
• carrot
• celery
• onion
• cinnamon
• cocoa powder
• dried herbs
• cornmeal
• cornstarch
• cream of tartar
• dried beans
• breadcrumbs
• dried fruit
• cake mix
• eggs
• gelatin
• ginger
• mustard (dijon, whole grain, yellow)
• honey
• jams or jelly
• lemons
• hot sauce
• mayo
• cheese (any you like)
• pasta
• peanut butter
• powdered sugar
• potatoes
• vinegars (red wine, white wine, rice wine, champagne)
• oils (olive, canola, vegetable, peanut, sesame)
• soy sauce
• tomato paste
• canned tomato
• vanilla
• yeast
• wine for cooking
• oatmeal
• barley
• couscous
• whole wheat flour
• bread flour
• stock or broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
• dry lentils
• canned beans

I know this is a big list, and things on here aren't necessary for you if you have a tiny pantry, or if you never use them. I'm sure I left things out, and maybe even put something on twice (I don't know). I also gave up on alphabetical order pretty quick (after the AP flour) cos things were popping into my mind too fast.

A

And We're Back...

Last summer I decided to start a food blog with some friends from all over. Unfortunately, after a few months, we all got too busy with life and forgot about the blog. Soon after, I decided we were done and deleted the entire thing from my blogger account because I was convinced I'd never have time for it again. You can still find the old blog here, but I no longer have access to it.

So, this one is a fresh start for the old one. I plan to continue on with simple dishes that taste fantastic. I can't promise to always use inexpensive ingredients, but I will try to give less expensive substitutes when I can. There will, on occasion, be other people contributing recipes; however, I think too many cooks was part of our downfall last time.

Right now, I'm at the end of a 3-month European vacation, and have so many new recipes I want to try when I get home. During this time I've folded down the corners of so many pages and rippped out so many recipes from magazines I don't even know where to start. I can't wait to try and recreate the potato & zucchini dish I learned from a B&B owner in Italy, the bacon chops I had in Ireland, and the crepes I had in France.

I cant decide if it's the crazy amount of food I've consumed or the small kitchen in my flat (it's so tiny I can't even cook!) that has ignited the fire in me, but I plan to start posting recipes regularly at the beginning of August. Please bookmark the new page and check back in a few weeks!

A