I am often asked what my favorite dish to cook is, but today I was asked what my favorite food is. Not something that I have been asked in a long time, and it took me a minute to answer as the kid in the candy store that was my head ran around in circles. "French fries." But as the words came out of my mouth, I found myself running through ... view more
comfort food
Beef and Onion Ragu with Spaghetti Squash
I had the opportunity to get out of the city over the long Veterans Day weekend, and I spent a few days in one of my favorite places: Charlottesville, Virginia. My memories from Charlottesville are warm and inspiring, and I think the air is different there - the breaths I take are clean and crisp, and reinvigorating. I try to escape to ... view more
Butterscotch Granola Blondies
Do you go through food phases, like me? For weeks or months at a time, I can't get enough of smoothies, or egg white and cheese sandwiches, or green tea. For a period during law school, granola was my jam. One day I reached for one of the specialty brands that are sold on the highest shelf in the cereal aisle, and a love connection was ... view more
Chicken Chowder with Chipotle
The word "chowder" derives from the french word for cauldron: chaudière. Into that chaudière go the rich ingredients that make a rich, thick, creamy soup, usually headlined with seafood or corn. Thick creamy soups are not my jam (my arteries whimper just thinking about them), so I was intrigued, and then thrilled, by this recipe that came to me ... view more
Easy Roasted Chicken with Lemon Pan Sauce
If you read my Roasted Chicken with Cider Glaze post, you know that I used to be intimidated by roasting a chicken. Not any more - it is a great option for dinner that requires almost no hands-on time. In the 90 minutes (give or take) that the chicken is in the oven, I can make a great side, put together a salad, set the table, and straighten up ... view more
Brownie Bark
When you have a homemade brownie, do you go for a center piece, or an edge piece? I mix it up. I love the fudgy center, but the crispy edge has its own allure. What is Brownie Bark (a/k/a Brownie Brittle)? It is a thin layer of that crispy brownie edge - no soft center, just a crunchy cookie. It satisfies a sweet tooth without inducing a ... view more