So full disclosure I love kitchy food. You know food from the 50s and 60s - I feel like there is so much history there and the food was strange but also pretty fabulous. Deviled eggs fall into that camp. Here is my updated version of deviled eggs which is perfect for Easter.
Read MoreSpringtime asparagus frittata with leeks, peas and goat cheese - Totally delicious and super healthy, perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch.
Read MoreThe rain has finally stopped and the sun is shining. It had been raining for days and days on end. So much rain it is hard to remember when it started. It just always seemed like it is going to rain. I am not complaining because goodness, the whole state of California was about to shrivel up before it started but I am excited that it is over... for now at least. With all this rain comes the good stuff like all of the flowers in boom and everywhere you look seems to blanketed in bright flourescent green. It is a sign of spring and what's to come. This time of year is always so special in Oakland because I am reminded of everything that grows in this area - there are citrus trees, jasmine, magnolias, roses - the list could go on. I have become a horticulture dork in my old age and love walking the streets staring at everyone else's front yards, especially since ours is pretty busted.
Read MoreWhen I lived in NYC (in what seems like a lifetime ago) I worked at the @MetMuseum. It was a pretty dreamy job if you liked art and history. On days when I wanted to venture out for lunch I would walk over to this little bakery on 78th and Madison where I would just have cake for lunch. I was 25 and running marathons at the time so this was totally acceptable in my mind. It wasn’t just any old cake, it was a slice of crepe cake from Lady M Confections.
Read MoreI recently professed my love of supermarket cakes to someone in the food world and they were appalled. It is the nostalgia that gets me and I will take a supermarket cake any day over a fancy schmancy cake. I grew up on Publix cakes in the southeast and I can still smell the way that bakery smells all these miles away.
Read MoreThis Thai chicken satay combines all of the flavors that I love in Southeast cooking (and yes I know there are a lot them ) It also involves my love of coconut milk. I love using coconut milk in so many dishes because it adds a sweet richness to whatever is begin cook - savory and sweet. And don't get me started on this spicy peanut situation. I could drink that sauce it is so freaking good. Peanut butter is mixed with lime juice, soy sauce and all sorts of other yummy flavors. Be prepared to be obsessed.
Read MoreLet's talk about how I have become this crazy pie lady! I don't know where it came from. Actually scratch that, I blame my family. We never had cakes growing up - we always had pie. Fast forward to my cooking career and my love of pie has basically taken off. I wrote a cookbook on pie when I was in the Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen and have loved, loved creating videos out of pie. It is universal, everyone loves a good 'ol pie
Read MoreIt is crazy how sunshine affects my motivation. There is a reason this south florida raised girl has landed in California! I crave sunshine. It was raining non-stop for the past three months in LA (which is great for the drought, but bad for my motivation). When it rains all I want to do is curl up on the couch with the dog and read a book. But when it is sunny, I feel like I could rule the world. So to the sun is finally out and I am ready to celebrate. Blueberry lemon bars seem like a good thing to celebrate with right?
Read MoreI get asked all the time to choose my favorite restaurant in LA. Well...that is a hard question. To be honest we haven't tried too many so I am not ready to officially nominate a favorite restaurant, but if I had to stay one of my favorite ones so far, it would be John and Vinny's. Mostly because they serve this amazing chicken cutlet for lunch which is out of this world delicious. It literally is just a chicken cutlet, deep fried, served with a lemony salad dressing - so basically it is fried chicken.
Read MoreInspired by an Ina Garten recipe, the first time I made homemade marshmallows, my mind was blown. Homemade marshmallows didn’t taste at all like those bagged marshmallows. There was so much flavor! They were creamy and rich and not dry and chalky - it was a total food revelation
Read MoreMy husband's job takes him all over LA. Literally all over LA. Half of the time he works out of an office and the other half out of warehouses in areas of LA that I have never heard of. I made the mistake of asking him what he was eating for lunch when he is working at the warehouses and the results were dismal. Basically he was just going to the corner taco truck everyday because there were no other options that were close. He said the food wasn't very good and this, coming from the guy who could eat cereal for every meal, means it is bad.
Read MoreThe title of this recipe should be Pizza: The World’s Most Perfect Food. Or maybe Pizza: A Love Story. Because it kind of is right? I am always down for pizza (and maybe tacos but we are focusing on the pizza right now!)
I got a request for my favorite pizza dough and here is it. I am also showing you my favorite way to cook pizza at home - in a cast iron skillet! That is until I get my own wood fired pizza oven, but sadly that seems to be a long way off.
Read MoreButterscotch pots de crème are my dinner party secret weapon. Every time I make them, they are met with rave reviews. Plus they are best made ahead of time, which is perfect for entertaining.
I made these pots de crème for New Year's Eve this past year. We celebrated at a friends house and I brought over a bunch of these little Weck jars filled with butterscotch goodness. I only recently retrieved all of those jars and it reminded me that I need to show you all how to make this simple and delicious dessert.
Read MoreI am lucky enough to enjoy my local farmer's market all year long. LA basically has a farmer's market every day of the week. My favorites are the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and the Hollywood Farmer's Market. It is my weekly ritual to go first thing in the morning and stroll all the vendors admiring the gorgeous produce.
Read MoreI am pretty sure you could say that I am obsessed with tacos. Anytime my husband asks where I want to eat I always say tacos. Tacos, tacos and more tacos please. When we lived in Oakland our staple was Cholita Linda. Oh boy I miss that place. It was in walking distance and had some of the most delicious tacos. Now down here in LA, we are huge fans of Loqui, where they make their own tortillas.
Read MoreI worked in a Michelin starred restaurant right after cooking school. Well it was technically called a stage and I didn't get paid, so I am not sure if you can call it work, but it sure seemed like work! After that experience I gained a whole new appreciation for those that cook in restaurants. It is hard work!
Read MoreI have a bunch of old Gourmet magazines that I am saving. Saving for what I am not sure, but still saving none the less. I was flipping through one recently and came across a recipe for a milk chocolate tart with a pretzel crust that I must have ear marked 8 years ago but never made. I thought there is no time like the present and made the recipe. It was a total fail and way too complicated. Since I love the idea of a chocolate pretzel tart, I decided to write my own recipe and I love it. It is basically like a candy bar in tart form. The combination of salty and sweet is perfect for sweet tooth and dessert nay sayers alike. Also it is perfect for Valentine's Day because Valentine's day is the perfect excuse to eat nothing but chocolate...all...day...long.
Read MoreOne of my favorite meals ever was Valentine's Day a couple years ago in San Francisco. We had dinner at Cafe Jacqueline where they specialize in soufflé. We literally had a meal that only consisted of souffles and it was more amazing than I could have ever dreamed.
Read MoreI have posted this recipe for carrot soup before but because I love it so much I wanted to adapt it slightly by adding some roasted chickpeas. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I eat soup I am pretty much still hungry almost immediately after finishing it. It is sometime not hearty enough and doesn't seem to fill me up. Since it is so good for you, I decided to top it with some roasted chickpeas adding some heartiness all the while still keeping it healthy.
Read More
