This year Zatarain’s is throwing a nationwide Mardi Gras party on Fat Tuesday, February 16, with participants from all across the country, in hopes of setting the world record for largest Mardi Gras house party. Thousands of participants will be hosting Mardi Gras celebrations at home with their closest families and friends and I’m happy [...]
While my Valentine’s Day menus often include decadent favorites like lobster, steak, and truffles, this year I wanted to put together a healthier menu that would still feel decadent.
[Jump right to the recipes: New Twists on Old Favorites, An Elegant Super Bowl, or Red Chile Beef Empanadas]
Football is all about fandom, and half the fun of being a fan is sharing your obsession for the sport with other similarly obsessed folk. For many years I was torn between my love of the sport [...]
When I think of a New Year’s Eve party, I envision nibbles, bubbles, and all of the trapping of a glittery cocktail party. A celebration to beat all celebrations as we put the old behind us and take a fresh look at life, love, and other important things. In my world, two must haves at [...]
[Jump to the recipe: Lemon-Lavender Shortbread]
My local Austin food blogger brethren and I love nothing more than to get together and share food. And while the food is important – we are food bloggers after all – we get together for so many other reasons. We have a shared passion for not just food but [...]
One of my favorite additions to a winter holiday menu is a warm and creamy artichoke dip. There’s just something satisfying about dipping a crisp crostini or cracker into a bowl of rich and melty goodness. It’s a nice alternative to a typical queso and adds a hint of sophistication to any menu, be it [...]
[Jump right to the recipe: Cranberry Palmiers]
There’s just something about a cookie that seems to make the holidays that much sweeter. Cookie swaps, cookie gift baskets, and cookie trays at the office all speak to our shared love of the Christmas cookie. Cookies really are more than just a tickle for the sweet tooth. They [...]
Thanksgiving is just two days away. Are you ready? You’ll be fine – trust me. Remember, Thanksgiving is all about friends and family, the food is just a catalyst for the gathering. As you gird up to face the coming three days, I thought it might be useful to share some of my tried-and-true tools [...]
Last night I went to see The Blind Side. In case you’ve missed the many tissue-worthy promos for this movie, it’s the story of Michael Oher, an athletically gifted boy from the poorest area of Memphis who is almost lost to the world of drugs and poverty. Through a series of events which from my [...]
Let yourself off the food and wine pairing hook this Thanksgiving – it turns out it’s not as big of a deal as you might think.
The Thanksgiving Food and Wine Conundrum
As turkey day looms there’s an uptick in Thanksgiving wine advice from magazines, blogs, and wine merchants. Most talk about the difficulty of finding a [...]
It’s been almost a decade since I’ve had to plan a Thanksgiving dinner but this year I’m on the hook. After spending a few hours on recipe creation and planning, I remember why it’s such a huge pain. Putting together a big collection of recipes that all work together not only from a flavor-perspective but [...]
When I was growing up, the turkey on our Thanksgiving dinner table always started out frozen and the biggest differences among turkeys in the grocery store were brand and price. My mother would keep an eye out for the best combination of these two attributes, and often our turkey would be free with a grocery [...]
[Jump right to the recipe: Pumpkin Bread]
Early this fall, my company’s resident baker brought in a wonderful loaf of pumpkin bread in an attempt to fatten up our staff. I was of course more than happy to partake of her bread, seeing as I love pumpkin in wholly unwholesome ways. I immediately asked for the [...]
[Jump right to the recipe: Savory Chex Mix with Pumpkin Seeds]
Throwing a really great party doesn’t have to be difficult if you do two important things:
Plan ahead a bit.
Create a menu that combines a healthy selection of make-ahead recipes with a few choice “serve immediately” dishes. The make-ahead dishes are the backbone of the party and the [...]
Spatchcoking is a technique that is greatly underutilized in many home kitchens, which is a shame because it takes a chicken to a whole new level. A butterflied chicken is simply a chicken without a backbone that lies flat.
Texans are crazy for green Anaheim chiles, particularly those grown in Hatch, New Mexico. They star in this recipe for a burger inspired by the Mexican and New Mexican flavors of my childhood.
[Jump right to the recipe: Stuffed Squash]
When I was a youngin’ growing up, my family always had a garden. My grandmother was an amazing gardener, having been the daughter of a farmer and a child of the depression, and really had a great knack for growing just about anything she put her mind to. I’m [...]
This past Memorial Day weekend I wanted to kick off the summer with new twists on old favorites: baby back ribs, corn, and summer fruit. These are some of my ultimate comfort foods because they take me back to summer barbecues and outdoor dinner parties with my family. They are hands-on foods, both in the [...]
[Jump right to the recipe: Caprese Sandwiches on Parmesan Gougères]
Recently, the Austin food bloggers gathered again for a potluck, giving me another blogger event to simultaneously look forward to and fret about. I of course work myself up unnecessarily. Our local blogging group is so down to earth and ready to try new food that [...]
One of my favorite things about food blogging is the fantastic array of recipes and food ideas I find as I connect with other bloggers. While I do enjoy a good magazine or cookbook, I’ve found that blogger recipes are often much more practical to make at home and quickly become favorites of my family [...]
