Just Putzing Around the Kitchen

Turkish Delights

The first time I heard about Turkish Delights was probably fourth grade, when I was reading “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” The White Witch gives Edmund Pevensie some Magical Turkish Delights, and he gets so hooked on the stuff that he betrays his siblings later in the story just to get another taste….read more »

Blueberry-Limoncello Cooler

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I’m pretty sure the limoncello is getting stronger. It’s only been two days, but when I poured myself a glass yesterday, the lemony-boozy fumes about knocked me out on the first sip. It was still very sweet and lemony and all, but…whew. I can see why people say the…read more »

Hanbagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)

So, my friend Spike and I have been having intense gchat conversations about what we can do with all the ground beef we’ve got on our hands. We each saw family-sized packs of ground beef on sale at the grocery store a couple weeks ago and couldn’t resist getting in on the deal. Seemed like…read more »

Limoncello

OK, so the thing about summer is that it’s so frickin’ hot that I never really have any motivation to cook anything. Who wants to stand in front of a hot stove/oven when it’s 95 and humid? I mean, yes, I have A/C, but just knowing that the air outside is thick enough to swim…read more »

Strawberry Mille Feuille

As soon as I said I was going sit on my ass all day and do nothing, I got the urge to bake. And, of course, the more I thought about baking, the stronger the urge got, until it could no longer be resisted. Sigh. What can you do, right? Lets just chalk it up…read more »

Pomegranate-Champagne Rum Punch

“Today I don’t feel like doing anything, I just wanna lay in bed. Don’t feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone, ‘Cause today I swear I’m not doing anything.” I’m loving this new Bruno Mars song today! It really captures the way I feel about how my Saturday is…read more »

Classic Lemonade

Man, it was hot today! The weatherman predicted thunderstorms all week, but there was nary a raindrop or storm cloud in sight. By the time I got home it was 88 and sunny. And just a little muggy, ‘cuz you know, it’s summer in Virginia. Basically, it was the perfect day for an icy cold pitcher of…read more »

Cheddar-Stuffed Jalapeno Burger

Dan was jonesing hard for Five Guy’s and Ray’s Hell Burger this weekend. Who can blame him? They’ve got amazing burgers! But, getting to Five Guy’s meant spending 30 minutes in intense local traffic, and Ray’s Hell Burger is always packed to the gills on weekends, so neither option seemed particularly appealing. We didn’t want…read more »

Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca

Remember when we were younger and watermelons could only be bought in the summer? A cold slice of the juicy red melon was always something to be looked forward to at picnics and bbq’s when the weather was nice. And the seeds! Kind of a pain to eat around, but fun to spit at your…read more »

Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing)

Any time Dan and I get Chinese delivery, we make sure to get an order of scallion pancakes and crab rangoons. They are equally delicious, but I always feel kind of bad eating (and loving) crab rangoons. I mean, they’re fake Chinese food! As a good Chinese person I feel like I should turn my…read more »