Hey people!
So, it's June.
When did that happen?
I guess time flies when it's always sunny and you're often drunk. Or something?

Speaking of drunk-- you should probably crack a beer and make this queso. Doesn't it look melty and gooey and cheesy and stupendous?
Do you believe it's vegan? I sure didn't. And I made it.

A while back I told you about buffalo cauliflower and the wonderful people at Follow Your Heart. Today I'm armed with two more recipes utilizing their products that would be an excellent addition to your next party.

So, I mean, full disclosure here: I'm a carnivore. That won't be changing anytime soon.
But-- I'm also completely able to eat gluten, but a vast majority of what you'll find on here is gluten free. My fiancé is allergic to wheat, so I plan around him.

If you have a vegan loved one, you should plan around them sometimes. Don't be a steak-eating-dick and offer them a side of burnt, grilled vegetables when they stop by your barbecue.

Offer them the queso you made for everyone that just happens to be vegan! I can assume they'll be quite grateful and you'll have just gone from would-be asshole to party hero. Do it.

You should also make the chipotle bean dip below, too, to further solidify that hero status. This stuff was great for dipping veggies but would also make a great addition to a sandwich, taco, et cetera.

Let's get on to the snacks, shall we?

Oh hey. It's Tuesday! And while I am certainly not limiting my taco consumption to just this one day-- it is pretty clear I have enough taco recipes to eat only my favorite non-emoji represented delicacy every day for a long time-- this blog isn't All Among Tacos, am I right?

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 large basil leaf per shrimp; plus a palmful more, any size
• 1 16 oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 head (8-10 cloves) garlic, peeled
• EVOO

1. Heat a couple tablespoons of EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp liberally with salt, pepper and paprika then add to the skillet and cook until just pink and curled, about three minutes per side. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to an ice bath or the freezer to quickly chill.
2. In the meantime, heat a small skillet over medium heat, pour in 3-4 tablespoons EVOO and the garlic cloves. Cook the garlic, stirring often, until it's starting to get soft, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 
3. In a small food processor, combine the garlic cloves and their cooking oil, a handful of torn basil leaves, and the garbanzo beans. Add the juice of half a lemon, as well, if you have that handy and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Purée until smooth, adding additional EVOO by the tablespoon if the mixture is too lumpy. You do want it to be quite thick, though. 
4. Smear a tablespoon of the bean purée on each basil leaf then top with a shrimp. Squeeze with lemon and add a pinch of salt. Serve immediately, preferably on a duffed up cutting board.

I've made some great friends since moving to LA.
A big part of leaving Boston was knowing I wouldn't see my people on a regular basis. There was a six month or so stint there, living in Dorchester, when my BFF Courtney would just drop by on her way home from law school every night. She'd have been in traffic for hours, and just needed to get out of her car (or sometimes use my bathroom. Especially when she was pregnant.) and would stay for an hour, just shooting the shit with me while I made dinner.

While no one will ever replace my Boston friends, my social circle in Southern California has added some pretty awesome people in the past year, and it makes living here all the more enjoyable. One such friend is Oscar, a former client turned buddy who recently started working for the awesome Vegan product brand Follow Your Heart. He came by one afternoon, armed with some product samples, and we tested drove some delicious veggie-heavy recipes. Even for the most carnivorous of us (my fiancé Fazekas, obviously) we agreed the snacks were as delicious as they were satisfying.

Good morning!

I'm currently sipping some coffee out of the most gigantic owl-shaped mug I've ever laid eyes on, and it's making me quite happy. I love weekend mornings-- the ritual of leisurely sipping your beverage (caffeinated or alcoholic. Or both?) and planning a day that is wide open.

Lately, Matt and I have been partaking in what we call "surprise Saturday." I'll share photos from our last few adventures soon but, basically, one of decides what we will do and the other gets to be blissfully ignorant until we arrive at each destination. Last week, I took Matt to a driving range in Koreatown and out for shabu. The week before, he greeted me after my shower with a mimosa, and declared it "treat yoself!" day. We went for pedicures shortly thereafter.

There's just something about not knowing what today will bring (it's his turn. All I know is we are taking the train somewhere,) that seems to have invigorated us both to step out of our comfort zone, and explore LA beyond our little 'hood. Whatever today brings, I'm sure it'll be delightful.

But before we're off, I wanted to share another weekend-friendly post. I have some more breakfast ideas for you, but I also like to use the weekends to make more labor-intensive types of dishes. Rice balls almost always turn into a huge pain in the ass, it's just the nature of the beast, but they're almost always worth it. As per usual, I had to make these gluten-free (can you imagine if I made like twenty rice balls and then just looked at Matty and said, "oh, sorry, you can't have these." That would be a real kick in the rice balls.)

I'm currently in the middle of making a batch of these for dinner to eat over some salad, but last time I made these bad boys was for an afternoon get together and sports-watching at our place. They were gone in minutes, and I couldn't blame anyone. These highly addictive little balls of spicy goodness are exactly what you want for a party spread.

Or a Thursday night dinner, apparently.

I'll keep this short as I have about five more minutes until my latest batch of meatballs should come out of the oven, and I'm getting pretty hungry looking at these photos!

As I sort through a massive back catalog of recipes I've cooked and photographed for this here space, one thing is abundantly clear-- I eat a lot of tacos. Even before our venture out to SoCal, the land of tacos, I was on board. Perhaps it's because my dearest is gluten free and I love foods that are naturally so as well.

But it's more likely that tacos are just super fucking easy.
Like slap some tortillas over an open flame and fill with meat and put in your mouth easy.
And when the filling is made in the slow cooker, it's even easier.

These are up there with the cilantro chicken I made a few weeks ago-- the braised beef is so delightfully tender, and the combination of spicy jalapeños, smoky cumin, and tangy lime juice comes through in every delicious bite.

After averaging about a tamale or two a week since our arrival out to southern California, I decided a little while back I ought to learn how to actually create these little packets of doughy deliciousness. I was shocked that it's not really all that difficult, just a tad on the time consuming side. Regardless, these tamales came together in just a few hours one afternoon, and depending on your filling it could go even quicker. I used my bamboo steamer simply because I already had it, and found it works pretty great with these little square-ish tamales I folded. This was also the first time I used vegetarian soy chorizo as opposed to its fattier pork and beef counterparts, and it was truly great-- the same tangy spicy sausage you expect, but a lot less neon orange grease to drain. Coupled with some corn, some smoky adobo sauce and a red onion, and this filling made for highly addictive tamales.

Hello!

I'll spare you a long story about this chicken. You should just skip to the recipe and photos below and know you're going to behold some of this green glory sometime soon. If you're one of those people that think cilantro tastes like soap, this is probably not your kinda thing. However, I will say this would probably be good with basil or parsley instead.

But really? Cilantro is delicious.
The dress was gold and white.
There are some things that are just facts.

I've made this chicken a couple times, most recently when Matt's brother was in town for a visit. He kept eating it cold, right out of the fridge, with his bare hands for days to follow; mumbling "best chicken of my life," as he chewed. So, this is for Jimmy.

Don't you want to eat cold chicken with your fingers like Jimmy?
Or maybe these tacos.




You know you do.

Hello, Hello!

Back again with much less intense things to talk about than last night.

Like, you know, french fries.
And homemade ketchup.
Because some sportsing is happening tomorrow, we've already addressed that you should make some snacks. I'd been itching to make my own ketchup again ever since I took a Condiment Making class at the BCAE last Spring. This recipe is pretty simple, comprised of things you may just have handy already. The fries themselves are super simple and turn out pretty perfect-- that lovely combination of crispy outside and tender potato inside. The secret is soaking them, thoroughly drying them, and frying them--twice. These stay nice and warm in a oven set to 220 or so while you wait for your game day guests to arrive. And the ketchup keeps for a week or two in the fridge--and tastes good on just about everything.

So. Whip this up tomorrow.
Because sports!

Can I say Super Bowl on here? Am I going to get sued by the NFL? I'm sure this blog is totally on their radar. If so-- I meant Superb Owl instead.

Anyway. We've already established I'm not totally into football (owls, however, are a different story), but this weekend I'll make an exception and "watch" the game-- mostly for the beer, snacks, and commercials. In that order.

In addition to the pork taquitos we talked about yesterday, these wings would make a great dish to lay out with your game day spread-- and so much more exciting than wings drenched in buffalo sauce. They're super simple and pretty hands off-- ideal for a day when you're probably trying to make multiple snacks for lots of people. These are also baked, not fried, yet still incredibly crispy and perhaps a touch more "healthy?" Maybe?

Whatever. Pretty sure Sunday isn't about eating right. Also, it's just about February, so you should have completely abandoned that whole "eat better" New Year's Resolution by now. If not-- do so on Sunday. Charge into that Super Bowl spread with complete reckless abandon. Also, get drunk.

It's the American way.

Apparently there's some sort of sporting event this weekend?
Although I was a cheerleader for many, many years (seriously), I'll go ahead and admit I'm not all that into football. So, unless Tom Brady and the boys are involved, I really can't be bothered to get all that into it.
But this Sunday is about so much more than yards and downs and spandex pants and all that. It's about more glorious things.
Like friends.
And beer.
And food.
Which I am always interested in.

In the past few weeks, I've used the upcoming epic Sunday Funday as an excuse to play in the kitchen with all things snackable. First up are these taquitos, which are, in my humble opinion, the perfect game day treat. I made the pork overnight in the slow cooker the night before, so these came together pretty quick the next day. The best part is you can fry the tortillas, assemble the taquitos, and then easily pop them in the oven immediately, or at your game day destination. Pack a jar of dipping sauce and tote along a variety pack of beers, and you're immediately the game day MVP. Better start working on your end zone dance.

Or don't.
You look like an asshole.

Stick to cooking stuff, alright?
Start with these.

The end is near, my friends.

Before we know it there will be Halloween candy on shelves, leaves on the ground, and the bountiful harvest of heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn that I swoon over weekly at the Farmer's Market will be swapped for gourds and roots and apples.

And while I do love fall, summer will always have my heart.

So, in celebration of the almost-end of corn season, I wanted to share a recipe that I have been making all summer long-- a potato salad with sweet corn, salty bacon, and tangy greek yogurt. This is great to bring to a party, served alongside some grilled meat, or just out of the bowl for an afternoon snack.

Enjoy these long days while they last!

We're big fans of potato salad in my house.
With Matt being allergic to wheat, I am keenly aware of just how often pasta salad is the staple side at summer barbecues. And while I love me some pasta, in any form, I try my best when I cook at home to include my gluten-free-refugee-fiancé (just rolls off the tongue, no?)

This has resulted in the quest for the ultimate potato salad all summer long. I love different variations using produce like corn or, here, radishes and peppers. The jalapeños are from our garden, which makes it even closer to my heart.

The cilantro-mayo-yogurt combo on this is an unexpected pleasant surprise. Bring along to your next cookout--your gluten-free friends will thank you.

Hello, friends.
I needn't remind you that time is precious, and temperatures are high these days. So, without a long rambling post about how delightful these steak lettuce wraps were--with crispy iceberg and juicy grilled steak and tomatoes; or how it made for a perfectly casual romantic dinner with my (apparently topless) fiancé in the backyard-- I'll cut to the chase.
Make these.

Happy Sunday, kids!
Today is probably my second-favorite day of the week. For me, it usually starts out pretty slow and progresses in a blur of coffee, then mimosas, then snacks, then dinner. When I am super busy during the week, I often try to cook multiple things (many of which I have already test-driven once) over the weekend to ensure:

• A- They're actually good (blog-worthy, if you will)
• B- I know WTF I am talking about (I have finally started keeping a dedicated recipe notebook so I  know exactly what I did when it comes time to share with you guys. Only took, like, two years. Better late than never?)
• C- I can get some quality photos and am no longer trying to snap pics of my dinner at 10PM in a dirty kitchen 

These precautions have helped me tremendously with content, and I assure you some of the best food-related posts here are yet to come.

But all of this doesn't change the fact that during the week, all too often, it is late, I am hungry, and I am tired. And lately? I am hot. So, so hot. Which makes cooking positively miserable, if I do say so myself.

So, I thought my options were limited to grilling or going on a hunger strike in the kiddie pool--but then I remembered the slow cooker. There is positively no need to relegate this appliance to colder-weather months. While I love slow-cooked stew and other fall fare-- in the summer it's that much more pleasant to have a delicious meal with limited effort and time in the kitchen.

And the best thing to do with slow-cooked meat is tacos. Fact.
Throw the beef in the slow cooker in the morning, fire up the grill for a few (literally) hot minutes in the evening, and set up a quick taco bar with accompaniments like crisp arugula and cool greek yogurt, and you have a Taco Tuesday that's guaranteed to impress.

A little while ago, I took a pretty neat condiment making course at the BCAE. Richard and Katie, a soon-to-be husband-and-wife chef duo behind catering company The Skinny Beet, showed us how to make a few classic condiments with some unexpected twists. Some highlights were a smoky barbecue sauce and a spicy-yet-sweet mango habanero hot sauce. This spicy ketchup, however, was my by far my most favorite.

I was fortunate enough to snatch a few jars to bring home when class ended, and since I've been putting ketchup on anything and everything I can. We've played around with bacon wrapped asparagus a few times in this house-- on the grill, in the oven, and here on the stove top. The secret, it seems, is not touching the damn things while they cook. These turned out pretty great. The perfect vehicle for my new favorite condiment.

So, I'm currently writing this from a couch in Chicago. Matt and I are out here to see his family for his thirtieth birthday bash this evening, and right now it's a lovely afternoon of Nick Jr and Eggo waffles with his niece.

Every time we visit, I want to take over someone's kitchen and cook. Partially, it's a "thank-you, here-let-me-do-it" to our hosts; but it's also a selfish, must-cook-now feeling I get when I haven't made anything in a few days. And sometimes, I just want to try to show off whatever dish I'm currently obsessed with. Looking through photos of the past few weeks exploits, I came across these little guys that I made with risotto rice. This was somewhat labor intensive because it involved, you know, making risotto first and allowing it to cool. But a rif on this with leftover rice of any persuasion, or orzo, or even quinoa would, I'm willing to wager, be delicious.

It's here!
The day us annoying fans everywhere have been waiting for; the return of the hit AMC series Mad Men is tonight. And I couldn't be more excited.

So.
I'm just going to say it.
Spring needs to hurry the fuck up already.

The blizzard that was so charmingly deemed Nemo by the Weather Channel's marketing department was fun for a bit; we got snowed in and we built a beer igloo and we got drunk and we ate snacks. But now, a week and a half later, as I still have to walk in the middle of the goddamn street on my way to the train in places where sidewalks haven't been shoveled, I have decided I am officially over it. Apparently more snow is coming this weekend, but I'll remain blissfully defiant until I am trapped in my house again.

The countdown to St Patrick's Day is on, the snow will melt, this too shall pass.

I act like I haven't spent the past twenty-eight years in the northeast and that this absolute contempt for the cold is warranted; but of course I know it is not. This happens annually (with the exception of last winter, it seems), and I find the best remedy for the winter blues is to (apparently) aggressively bitch about it on the internet, and make a lot of food.

These sliders were a slow cooked endeavor on a Sunday, while we hung around and cleaned and drank the other beers in the variety pack. The beer used in this recipe call be found in Magic Hat's Spring variety pack, which also features Pistil - their highly drinkable Spring seasonal- and their Rye IPA, which Fazekas adores. I am obviously a Magic Hat lover, so having eleven left over beers when I only "needed" one Saint Saltan to braise some chicken was just a "coincidence".

Total coincidence.