Just Putzing Around the Kitchen

Caramel-Whiskey Banana Bread

I was going to make pate a choux last night, but on my way to the pantry to grab flour, I was stopped in my tracks by the scent of fermented fruit. Again? I just finished those frickin’ strawberries! Have they come back to haunt me? Further investigation led to the discovery of two very…read more »

Strawberry Margaritas

It’s the weekend, the weather is 82 degrees and sunny, and I’ve just been treated to a delicious sushi buffet for lunch. Could my birthday get any better? Yes, but only if you throw in a pitcher of freshly blended strawberry margaritas (and a nap)! Tequila and I never used to be friends. But, that’s…read more »

Mini Lemon Curd Tarts

Remember when you were a kid and after you got a shot the doctor would give you a lollipop for being brave? The lollipops were always red, purple, or yellow, and were cherry, grape, or lemon flavored. I always picked the red lollipop, because red was my favorite color, and cherry tasted the best. Yellow-lemon?…read more »

Strawberry Rum Pound Cake

The problem with strawberries is that (1) my grocery store never has the the really fresh-looking ones, and (2) they go bad so quickly. I bought a big carton of promising-looking berries last weekend, and three days later they were dark in patches, simultaneously shriveled and mushy, and giving off faintly alcoholic fumes. Mmm, over-ripe…read more »

Egg Salad Sandwich

When I was a kid, my grandmother made me eat a hard boiled egg for breakfast every morning. Every. Single. Morning. She’d get up, boil the egg, get me ready for school, and then feed it to me as we walked to the local day care center. The egg was never seasoned in any way…read more »

Aaron’s Chicken with Rice and Beans

I know April showers bring May flowers, but…it’s been raining all freaking day. Yuck. On days like these, the only thing I want to do is stay home and be lazy. And, maybe eat something simple and tasty. My friend Aaron’s chicken and rice/beans dish is just that: no frills, super tasty. He made it for…read more »

Grilled Cheese with Kale and Caramelized Onions

Happy Emancipation Day, everyone! Hope you’re all enjoying your day off as much as I’m enjoying mine! Wait…Emancipation Day isn’t a federal holiday? Only DC government employees get the day off? And I’m the only one of my friends who gets to stay home today? Oh man. That sucks, guys. (I love you all, don’t…read more »

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Dan and I have a friend visiting from Hawaii this week, and he came over for dinner today. Originally, we were supposed to go out to eat but, (1) the weather stinks, (2) we’ve spent way too much money on restaurants lately, and (3) I stumbled across this recipe in my Gmail recipe archive and…read more »

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dan thinks I’m crazy because, sometimes, I get overwhelmed by an intense desire to bake cookies at 10:30pm on a Sunday. “You didn’t feel like cooking dinner just a few hours ago,” he says in puzzlement, “So why the hell are you suddenly in the mood to bake cookies? We’re going to bed in an…read more »

Kale and Lemon-Pepper Chicken Pizza

(I got a new camera! Can you tell?) Both the Pioneer Woman and the Crumbly Cookie assured me that their favorite pizza dough is at its best the longer it’s kept in the fridge, so I took their advice and let the second half of my dough chill for a few days. I didn’t have…read more »