Food for Thought
If you are anything like me, then you are a huge fan of brunch! What I like especially about brunch is eggs Benedict, and Bloody Mary’s! MY favorite local spot is 1 South in the South Orange Village. They have a great recipe for a …
When making pizza, there are so many little things that make some pizzas better than others. The best pizza makers know these tricks, but I am here to give a few tips on how to assure that your pizza will be looking like it came …
Grilling is easily one of my favorite summertime activities. Being able to facilitate the ingredients and man the grill is something I hold near and dear to my heart. Grilling is a way for me to share my love with my friends and family, all while unwinding from a long week. This past weekend, I got the chance to grill out with my best friend Arlina, her brother, and the rest of her cousins. Her parents are in Albania visiting family, and my family is back in Maryland, so it was a nice way to spend a mother-less Mother’s day! See the attached video for some great Grilling footage! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsdydgdIBz
Here are some of my favorite things to grill…
BBQ Chicken
Eggplant
Steaks and Chops
Red Peppers
Pineapple (so friggin’ good)
An easy appetizer or amuse bouche for any occasion that involves friends and/or wine. Extremely easy and ingredient driven dish that will bring your friends directly to the mediterranean. Mixed Olive Plate serves 3-4 12 oz. mixed olives in oil 2 T. lemon juice …
In the kitchen.. things can get hectic. Dirty dishes, frying pans, knives, and everything in between can build up and can get things completely out of sorts. With a messy kitchen, comes accidents, mistakes and injuries. To avoid all of this, we must learn the …
This is my mom’s absolute favorite treat. We would always go to her favorite local chophouse when I was younger and she would always get a side of this amazing nutty, crispy candied bacon for the table and I can honestly say that it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. With this in mind, I created a recipe of my own to try and pay homage to that same candied bacon.. but of course I had to add my own little twist. This can be used as a side dish, a snack, a salad topping, or anything in between. Here’s how it goes..
Blueberry Maple Bacon
1 lb. of Bacon
6 T. Maple Syrup
3 T. Blueberry Compote (Blueberry Jam works just fine)
1 Handful of Chopped Walnuts (Optional)
1 T. Fleur de Sel (Optional)
2 T. Fresh Cracked Black Pepper (Essential)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil. Place the bacon on a wire rack and place it on the sheet tray. In a bowl, combine the maple syrup and the blueberry compote and mix. To make it easier to baste the bacon, heat the mixture in a microwave and heat for 45 seconds. Baste the bacon with the mixture and place the bacon in the oven. Roast the bacon for 30 minutes, making sure to baste it throughout the cooking process and flip it after 20 minutes. Continue to baste and increase the heat to 425 degrees F. At this point, place the chopped nuts on the bacon and place in the over for 5 minutes or until crispy and candied. Bring out the bacon and leave it out the cool. Baste with the syrup mixture. Top the bacon with the fleur de sel and cracked pepper and serve.
Serves 2-4.
When searing a steak or anything else in hot oil, it can be quite a daunting task to make sure you can get a perfect sear as well as keep your skin and clothes safe from oil splatter. To assure this, make sure you have …
When cutting any type of meat, it is absolutely imperative to cut against the “grain”. The grain is the direction of the muscle fibers in the meat, and run along all varieties of meat. Cutting against the grain renders the meat more tender as opposed …
If you are anything like me, you love quick, easy and cheap meals at home… who doesn’t? I have a great recipe here for microwaved tomato soup (that goes great with some flaky and buttery toast/grilled cheese). Here it is… blink and you might miss it! It is so easy!
Microwaved Tomato Soup:
1 Heirloom Tomato (cored, and cut into chunks)
1/2 White Onion (thinly sliced)
1 Garlic Clove (thinly sliced)
1 T. Tomato Paste
1/2 C. Water/Stock
1 t. Corn Starch
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place the tomato, onion, garlic and tomato paste into a large microwave safe bowl. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 10 minutes on 80% power. Once the mixture is cooked through, carefully remove the plastic wrap. Add the water/stock, and salt & pepper to the bowl and mix. Blend the mixture in a food processor. At this point, the soup is done, or you can strain the soup for an extra silky smooth consistency. Serve hot.
serves 1-2.
This is a perfect summer salad that is fresh, easy, and absolutely beautiful. You will need… 3 Heirloom Tomatoes 1/2 Log of Goat Cheese/Feta Cheese (you can use fresh mozzarella as well) 1/4 Red Onion 10 Leaves of Basil (you can never have too much) …