Just Putzing Around the Kitchen

General Tso’s Chicken

My friend Peng has been bugging me to make General Tso’s chicken for several months now. He lives in California and is really into the Asian-Mexican fusion thing, so he’s fixated on the idea of a General Tso’s burrito with fried rice and kimchi. I don’t know how I feel about that, but I’m nothing…read more »

Mini Bagel Sandwiches with Turkey, Lettuce, and Tomato

In law school, when I was short on cash (almost always), or on a health kick (every time my jeans felt too tight), I would decide to be good and pack myself lunch everyday. I ate the same thing every single day — turkey sandwich on wheat — but I never got bored of eating…read more »

Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

So, Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain has started hosting a monthly Improv Cooking Challenge on her blog. The idea is that two ingredients will be assigned each month, and every participant is supposed to create something delicious with those ingredients. This is my first time being invited to do something like this, and I’m…read more »

Banana Whoopie Pies with Nutella Buttercream Filling

So, if you guys were paying attention, you’ll recall that I said there were four over-ripe bananas on top of my fridge. But, only two of ’em went into my banana cake. That means that as of 7pm last night there were still two mushy (quickly getting mushier) bananas laying around, attracting millions of fruit…read more »

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting

Dan and I both love eating bananas for breakfast, but we can never seem to eat the entire bunch fast enough. Honestly, it feels like there’s always a point in the week where I walk by the fridge and catch a whiff of over-ripe banana, even if we don’t actually have any bananas lying around….read more »

Smoked Salmon and Mozzarella Crostini

Last month, Dan and I were up in Massachusetts for his cousin Pete’s wedding. It was awesome; possibly one of the best weddings we’ve ever been to. The weather was amazing, the outdoor venue was gorgeous, the ceremony was short and sweet, the dance floor was jumpin’, and there was an open bar + servers…read more »

Crispy Bacon and Onion Wonton Flowers

OK, if you want to get really technical, these “flowers” are pretty much just bastardized crab rangoons without crab meat. I didn’t think that was an appropriate or appetizing title, though, so I fancied up the name a little. But, just as a rose by any other name smells as sweet, a rangoon by any…read more »

Short Stack Cookies

Confession: I’m not crazy about pancakes. I’ll make ’em (for Dan, mainly), I’ll eat ’em, but I don’t love ’em. If there are chocolate chips involved, I’ll enjoy them more, but that’s mainly because of the chocolate. I have nothing against pancakes, really. It’s just that, given a choice, I’d far rather have something savory…read more »

Perfectly Mouthwatering Pot Roast

So apparently The Pioneer Woman has upped the ante on being awesome and landed herself a show on the Food Network. And yes, she is just as adorably quirky on TV as she is on her blog, her cowboy husband is a hunk, and her kids are frickin’ angels. I want to be her when I grow…read more »

Fizzy Apple Cider Punch

What is going on with the weather, people? One second it’s 55 degrees and freezing everywhere, the next second I’m running outside with a warm breeze on my face. And, rumor has it that it’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny on Sunday. Looks like summer isn’t giving up without a fight. Or, you…read more »