weeknight dinners, and other culinary adventures
Happy belated summer solstice! I love love love these long, balmy summer nights in Chicago where it stays light out forever, and you feel completely justified in going for a digestive walk after dinner only to end up at the ole’ ice cream shoppe. Every time September rolls around, I host an internal debate where … Read more
It’s James’s birthday!! Can you believe, that in all the (three) years that we’ve known each other, we’ve never been able to celebrate the actual day of his birthday together? Work and life just get in the way. And so, I’ve never made him a birthday cake! And because we weren’t together this year either, … Read more
As you know if you’ve read my previous post about homemade Reese’s cups, I am currently obsessed with Stella Parks. And I saw Stella’s new post about Chocolate Swiss Buttercream the other day, and fell down the rabbit hole of WANT. NOWWWW. This isn’t really a “NOWWWW” sort of frosting, though (ha!), as Stella waxes rather poetically … Read more
When James moved from the steepled city of London to the steepled city of Boston in 2014 (fun fact! James emigrated on my birthday! #destiny), he brought these little BBC cookbooks with him. They’re tiny little 6-inch-by-6-inch jobbies, and they look like cookbooks for children, or really dated cookbooks that rely too heavily on processed … Read more
I discovered this spice shop a few weeks ago in Chicago, and I. am. in. LOVE. It’s called The Spice House, and it’s got about everything you could possibly want to flavor any kind of food. It smells amazing inside, like pepper and cinnamon and cumin and garlic and onion, and there are friendly, smiling … Read more
On Friday, June 8, 2018, America was again rocked by the apparent suicide of Anthony Bourdain, following so close on the heels of Kate Spade’s death. It seems inappropriate to let this moment pass without comment, but I must admit, I don’t actually know that much about Anthony Bourdain. I’ve seen a couple of episodes … Read more
Sometimes we eat like toddlers. Okay. Okay. Now you’re going to yell at me, because fussy meatballs, plus a load of ingredients for a separate sauce, plus maybe another vegetable to get your greens in, is not a weeknight dinner! And… I would have nothing to say back to you. You’re right. Deb from Smitten … Read more
Sausage Kale Pasta was going to be the name of my blog. When I first started thinking about starting a blog, I was sure I’d hit upon the perfect domain name! Sausage kale pasta is definitely the dinner that James and I make the most frequently, and this little three-word combination is bandied around our … Read more
I’ve discovered two things this past week: (1) I have been living in a bland, colorless world for not buying Stella Parks’s incredible Bravetart cookbook until now, and (2) relatedly, Stella Parks is a freaking genius. I have only made one recipe from this book, having received it last week, and I am already a die-hard … Read more
My lemon elderflower layer cake is my new baby. You know, life is a journey. And at this point, this cake is definitely the pinnacle of my cake making skills (trust me – that lemon curd is sooooo good). Anyway, I’m also excited about it because I branched out and decorated it with fresh flowers! And, … Read more