I’ve made this soup twice in the last couple weeks since I came across it, and I can’t wait to make it again! Alton Brown tell me cauliflower is quite healthy for you, so even though I enjoy it roasted, it’s exciting to find a new way to savor it. The flavors in this soup are AMAZING: complex, a little smokey, unexpected and so delicious. Perfect for a cool day like we’re experiencing today! Husband loves it. Toddler loves it. Friends love it. It’s simple and heart warmingly delicious! Try it out!
This is a celebration cake to make for somebody you really love.
For me, that was my friend Lily, though I will say I made it for her pre-baby. Two days pre-baby, to be exact. I was on maternity leave and had just a litttttle more time left on my hands before our little bundle of joy came along (and completely changed the meaning of “free time” (and how I spent it)).
I think it made her happy, so that made me happy. I was also happy to eat it. Yum. It was so good. Several people remarked that it seemed like bakery quality, and even Eric told me he liked it, and he normally doesn’t even like chocolate cake. (But don’t worry. I love chocolate cake and I looooved it, too.)
That night, as our huge group celebrated at the restaurant, who did we run into but my dear brother and sister-in-law! Naturally I wanted to share my chocolate creation with them. They liked it so much that they later requested it for my niece’s 1st birthday party several months later. So I made the cake once more, again for somebody I really loved. And this time, it was with my own baby in tow… so methinks that’s somehow even more love than Lily got. Because spending all day making a cake pre-baby is not the same as spending all day making a cake post-baby. It was a hit, and even though my niece never got to try a bite, I know the guests enjoyed it! She’ll have to wait a little longer before she’s allowed processed sugar, but if she’s anything like her aunt, I think she’ll take to it pretty quickly :).
We had just had our babygirl, and Danny and Akemi were so generous to drive an hour to visit with their baby AND prepare us a delicious Japanese meal! Japanese is our FAVORITE cuisine, so we were ecstatic as we watched them cut and slice and prep their superfresh ingredients in our kitchen. So spoiled, I know!
Surprisingly, one of my favorites of the night was this simple appetizer. I had just never thought to eat tofu uncooked before! The photo above is missing the splash of soy sauce to finish, but otherwise it’s exactly what you see: soft tofu, grated ginger, and green onions. It’s so easy, so bright and refreshing, and lovely to eat!
I’ve made this myself a number of times since, especially on nights where I know I have something fried (like tonkatsu) on the menu. It feels fresh and bright and it’s so simple to prepare– definitely a good one to keep in your back pocket for quick dinner nights!
This one is lookin’ mighty good for an Easter brunch. We’ve actually never had one, since we’re always at a long church service that morning… but if we did, this would be on the menu! Mm-mm. This is GOOD STUFF.
My husband is a lover of all things salmon, and all things egg, so this is right up his alley. He also loves appetizers, so it pretty much makes his day when this is served up! The egg salad is just perfect– slightly creamy, with a hit of mustard and dill, which complements the smoked salmon so nicely. Whether you’re having a brunch or a bridal shower (smoked salmon won’t do for pregnant mommas at a baby shower though), this is a beautiful, perfect little finger food to serve up!
This is not a recipe. This is a technique. One you should skim, try, and then thank me for later. Trust me, there’s no turning back once you’ve tried it! It makes even the least exciting slice of pizza better, and elevates good pizza to a whole new level. It makes freshly delivered pizza even more mouthwatering and transforms leftover pizza into better-than-fresh-from-the-pizza-oven. Seriously!
I’m all about the crispy crust and hot, gooey cheese and toppings. Give me a limp crust and I give you a sad face. When I was a kid, I microwaved my pizza leftovers, resulting in melted cheese with a crust that was too hard and chewy at the edges, and too limp and soggy toward the middle. No good. When I was older, I reheated it in the toaster oven. The top would have nice, bubbly cheese, but the crust was still inevitably soggy… especially with thin crust pizzas.
Now that I am all grown up, I only reheat on the pan, with a simple piece of foil on top:
Mashed potatoes are delicious. Fried food is delicious.
Which explains why smashed, fried potatoes are AMAZING.
Amazing.
If you share in my love for savory, crispy things,
I got on the Nutella bandwagon in high school, when my German teacher served it to us on slices of sourdough baguette. Is it just me, or does food taste about 100x better when your teacher hands it to you in class? Doesn’t matter if it’s goldfish in third grade or chocolate spread on bread in high school– it’s such a treat! As odd as the combination might have seemed in any other context, it was like magic that chilly morning in third period. Chocolate spread on bread?! That’s allowed?! I thought. That seriously might be the most lasting thing I took from that class (my teacher was great, but honestly, I’ve never used my German since).
Since then, loads of people have fallen in love with the stuff, and for good reason. Here is one of my favorite applications of Nutella: Banana Nutella Croissants. Guys, these are SO GOOD. I want them ALL THE TIME.
Pork tonkatsu! (Plating and photo creds to Chris C.)
Last week, I bought about a million pounds of sliced pork tenderloin from Costco. On top of the usual Costco bulk discount, there was a “manager’s special” which brought the price down an additional ~20%! I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with twelve huge hunks of pork loin, but there was one thing I did know: pork tonkatsu was definitely on the menu this week!
Tonkatsu is a Japanese food where pieces of meat (usually pork, but I’ve also seen chicken) are breaded and fried. It is key to use panko (bread crumbs
I have a confession to make.
I use box mix for brownies. It’s true.
…BUT IT IS SO GOOD!!!!!
Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
I’ve made a lottttt of batches of brownies from scratch, but once I gave Ghirardelli’s Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
The brownies are moist and chewy and chocolatey with that thin crackly layer on the top. There are big chunks of chocolate, and the edges are satisfyingly edgy, for you edge-lovers out there. They’re pretty much perfect, and at $10/6-pack from Costco… you can’t really ask for more from boxed goods…
Golden Coin Almond Jello Mix
…Unless if you’re making almond jello, in which case Golden Coin’s almond jello
cake jello.
We haven’t set up too many traditions in our family yet, but here’s one that has been going eight years strong: COOKIES ON RAINY DAYS. I am strong believer in fresh-baked cookies on rainy days, and have had plenty of opportunities to continue the tradition here in rainy California the last couple of weeks. Speaking of rain, I just want to say: California teachers, I felt for you on those wet days. I really did. I do not miss those rainy weeks of cabin-fevered children and indoor recesses. I wish you many cookies and hot baths when you get home!
Back to cookies. So a few months ago, one of my favorite people in the world sent me this request: “Would you be willing to post your recipe for your coffee toffee chocolate chip cookies? [Someone] made your lemon bars last week so I remembered my absolute favorite of your desserts…” How could I say no to that? So I emailed her the recipe, and have been waiting for rainy days to come so it would be juuust the right time to share it with you all, too!
These are also my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookies of all time. If I were a recipe hoarder, this is one I would hoard. I’ve tried maybe 15-20 different chocolate chip cookie recipes in my lifetime (including these and these and these and these), but the one I am about to share continues to be my all-time favorite. Hands-down. As a matter of fact, it’s probably one of my all-time favorite recipes of all time, chocolate or not. Yeah. Really. 
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