ahh, summer. the season that's synonymous with things like sun, citrus, vacay, (most recently, yes way rosé) and most of all, grilling. it's an activity that brings everyone together, because, let's face it--we all love food. even if you don't know how to grill, have no fear. there are many ways to achieve summer superstar status with this no-frills flank steak and (very easy) blackberry chimichurri, that can virtually work on any type of grill or grill pan that can achieve high heat.
cacio e pepe, the traditional italian pasta dish literally meaning "cheese and pepper" is making a big comeback lately. so, i decided, why let pasta noodles have all the fun?
everyone loves a good "throw it together" soup, and this one is just that. in a total of 45 minutes you can go from drab to fab in the soup department of your kitchen.
i'm often asked what is my favorite thing to cook. well, these lamb chops are pretty close to the top. immediate reactions usually are along the lines of oh wow i could nevvvvver make that. well, folks, i'm here to tell you that yes, you can.
the holidays are stressful on just about everyone (yes, even that perfect relative who always seems to have everything together), especially when it comes to cooking. whether you're the adventurous host who's responsible for the entire feast, or just one bringing a random dish, let this great side dish squash those cooking fears away.
#straightouttatampa, this recipe is a faster version of the original spanish caldo gallego (literally meaning 'galician broth', hailing from spain), and is (literally translated by me as) an easy weeknight meal i like to call a "throw-together". hailing from tampa myself, i grew up eating this soup, and certainly many of my fellow tampanians, have from the infamous columbia restaurant.
it's the saturday after thanksgiving and you've officially survived the annual feast and 'crazy aunt carol's' antics, and therefore, congratulations are in order. however, you haven't fully survived thanksgiving until you've successfully incorporated the leftovers into something other than a sad, soggy sandwich. enter, the leftover turkey, brie and apple melt.
think you can only get those crispy, melt-in-your-mouth parmesan truffle fries at a restaurant? (ahem, cue my favorite atlanta staple JCT Kitchen). think again. my gift to you this week is this preposterously easy recipe hack for those fries you love to hate and hate to love. (but no one really hates them, let's be honest).
here at kitchen lush, i love anyone who loves creating (and wine) as much as i do. i'm delighted to introduce to you my new lush love, and a fun collaboration we've been working on, mexican night with whitney of grace graffiti.
let's be honest, we've all seen about ten dozen back to school, #icantbelievemybabyisinprek photos this week on the wonderful world of social media newsfeeds abounding. (they are all adorable, by the way.) i don’t have any children, but i do have a hungry husband, a walrus who loves chicken, and many friends who are in the back-to-school craze and know that a quick and easy weeknight meal is the holy grail this time of year.
what's more southern than fried green tomatoes? fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese. put them together you'll have a yankee saying ya'll in no time. what i like most about this summer staple is the versatility that comes with making this recipe. the tomatoes can be stacked, like shown here, or ,cut in quarters and served as appetizers, or feel free to just dive in and eat the pimento cheese with a spoon. (i mean, i don't judge).
aesthetically, not the most appealing dish in the book, but flavorfully, it's a mic-drop moment. but hey, that's just a part of cooking. sometimes, the not-so-photogenic meals taste the best, so never apologize for a dish that's just having a bad maybelline moment.
aaahhh, sundays. the day of rest, epic brunches and more than likely, leftovers. If you're like me, i usually have a few to-go boxes stacked in my fridge. i don't like wasting food so there's always something to be reheated (and doctored up) to next-day perfection. the go-to for leftover steak is typically steak-and-eggs. i don't blame you, it's delicious, but next time you find yourself with half a filet/strip/cowboy/whatever in your fridge, egg it no further. say siañara to the sunday scaries with, behold: the sunday sandwich.
cinco de mayo... taco tuesday... whatever you're celebrating, just. add. lobster. and olé! you've nailed that taco scene.
when it comes to cooking lobster, most people, including myself, are intimidated by the popular crustacean. never have i ever sent whole, live, breathing lobster to its demise in a pot of boiling water…yet. i know i'll do it eventually, it's just that for some meals that have a lot of other ingredients going on, (aka tacos), i prefer to take some shortcuts that dial down the prep time. (or could it be i just want to get to the eating of the tacos part faster? sure. so sue me.)
oftentimes, the answer to a long day is almost always lots of melted cheese between two perfectly grilled (and buttered) pieces of bread. the best part about a grilled cheese is you never really need a recipe, and let's be honest, you never really need an excuse. am i right?
this. soup. i've been dreaming about asparagus soup since easter sunday when the one from st. cecilia here in atlanta literally made me swoon. so i set out on a mission to make my own. never before has a recipe i've worked on so perfectly blended together (the first time) to create heaven like this one. it's simply souptastic. it's fresh, healthy and will literally take you 40 min total to make. plus you can eat it for days... after all, second and third day soup is better than first day, no?
dieting for spring break? perfect. so am i. sort of. say hello to your new go-to spring pasta: a fresh mixture of leeks, asparagus, lemon and shh can be made with greek yogurt so you can still fit into that tankini you've been eyeing.
the confit you can counterfeit. don't let the title scare you. while, yes, confit does literally translate to "cooked in your own fat", it can actually be achieved with a lot less pain and frying than saving rendered duck fat for months. i've been making this dish (the easy way out) for years now and have never looked back.
What to serve to that friend who won’t stop complaining about the cold… french onion soup with gruyere croutons.
Yes, we know most of the country is an arctic tundra at the moment. Even here in the south we recently had a wind chill of -4 (excuse me?). Basically the only thing to do is hunker down and pray for spring. Or you could make this to warm you up, and no, I’m not talking about just the sherry that’s involved.
april showers bring may pancakes. that's how the saying goes, right? well, being just less than a week away from mother's day it sure does. If you're anything like me, you strive to make certain that your mom knows just how much you love and appreciate her on this one day (but let's be honest--it really should be every day!) i know my mom deserves the moon for all she does, and i only hope one day i can live up to the example she's set. so, without further adieu, here is a recipe that has been adapted from my own family recipe to include the most incredible addition of raspberry preserves thanks to the good folks at bonne maman, and is sure to knock mom's socks off next sunday.