I always grab a bottle of marinara as I'm getting my grocery shop on. When I'm feeling tired and cooking is a no-can-do, pasta and marinara are my BFFs. That being said, I'm choosy about canned and jarred foods, ergo my favorite brand of sauce is a wee bit expensive. With all these tomatoes and basil plants taking over grocery stores and farmer's markets, spending eight bucks for a jar of tomato sauce is just silly. Plus, chances are you are putting something much better in your body since you know {or rather, have a better idea} of where your ingredients came from. Make a batch or two, have a jar this week and then freeze one for a few weeks down the line, and then take reward yourself with a pint of gelato for being so very resourceful.
I know I'm always like, "OMG, this recipe is the EASIEST ever!" I would like to rescind all previous statements o' easiness, and assign this little recipe as the easiest recipe ever. There is very little prep time and very little cook time, and the natural flavors of the oil, garlic, honey, and manchego do all the work. It's like a group project, where your only contribution is buying a three-ring binder, yet you still manage to make an A. {Which by the way is totally not fair when certain other people are staying up until 2 o'clock in the morning working their elbows off to make up for your slack. Just saying.} I digress. This makes a great nibble for a big group of people but can easily be devoured as quite a substantial snack for smaller groups. Just make sure everyone gets their fair share.
Merrill Stubbs is kind of the bomb, so it's no surprise that she recognizes a ridonculous recipe when she tastes one. Merrill discovered this particular recipe when she was a six-year old nugget on vacay with the Stubbs family. She asked the server for the recipe, wrote it down on a napkin, and hence the recipe lives on.
"Hmmm, this is good," Internet Cooking Boyfriend says. "What's in it?" ICB listens. ICB pauses. And pauses again. "MAPLE syrup and LIME juice? THAT'S an odd combination." Perhaps on the face of things, yes, it is an odd combination. But, when you consider the mix of ingredients - carrots, bacon, pistachios, and golden raisins - you can see how each component partners well with either the maple syrup and/or the lime juice. It's kind of like Turner and Hooch. I mean, on the face of things, you're all like, "Why is a dog partnering with a police officer?! That can't be real, because it is just SO crazy!" But, when you evaluate how Turner and Hooch complemented each other as a team, and their sheer charisma as partners, it's not so crazy anymore, is it? Perhaps Turner and Hooch are a tenuous link, but you get where I'm going with this. Plus, it's Monday. And, I haven't had my latte. And, I just realized I'm wearing my shirt inside out. So, there.
I'm almost ashamed of divulging this recipe given last week's Top Chef. Tom Colicchio, wonder of wonders, admonished two aspiring top chefs for using canned beans. "A bag of beans?! You couldn't just cook a bag of beans?!" Truth be told, I was quietly judging them myself. But, here's the deal, I have a grocery shopping problem - a problem that involves me stocking up on all sorts of foodstuffs that I have no immediate use for, but think perhaps there may be a need in the foreseeable feature. Twelve cans of kidney beans later, I now realize that this is perhaps not the best buying strategy. {Just as going to brunch with your besties, downing a few mimosas, and hitting boutiques is not a good buying strategy.} Long story medium, the beans have to be cleared out of my pantry.
Have you ever loved someone so much you just wanted to grab them by the face and plant a fat smooch on their mouth {and not under the influence of any grown-up libations}? That's kind of how I feel about my hairstylist. Thanks to Internet Cooking Hairstylist, I no longer have a phobia of getting my hair cut. It all goes back to a traumatic incident at a Super Cuts, on my 13th birthday, on Friday the 13th, immediately before my Friday the 13th themed birthday party. I wasn't a supersticious person when I went in to be coiffed, but I came out blazing with the fear of God in me - and significantly less hair.
You are looking at my lunch last week, as well as the latest finalist in this week's Food52 competition! I created this recipe because I wanted something light that I could take to work with me, so it needed to be eaten at room temperature. And, I have recently been thinking to myself (a) I haven't had couscous in a while and (b) I don't cook with pistachios enough. Lo and behold, this little recipe came together. Try it for yourself and make sure to vote for it on Food52! {The winner gets a $100 gift card from Whole Foods! Help mama get some truffle salts! Ahem, please.}
I love cilantro pesto in the summer - it's herby and fruity at the same time. Internet Cooking Boyfriend has become weary of my infatuation with pizza, especially given pizza is not quite appetizing in the sweltering Texas heat. Lo and behold, the cilantro pesto lightens up a traditional pizza and really holds its own with minimal {but delish} toppings of crumbled manchego and thinly sliced serrano ham. {If you can't find serrano, prosciutto or even black forest ham will be fine.} You could potentially lighten this even further by using ready made flatbread {excluding Sardinian flatbread} instead of a pizza crust. Pair with a chilled glass of cava or prosecco {you can find good ones for about $10 a pop}, and enjoy this summer-proof pizza.
Compound butters are the best way to cheat in the kitchen. They're so easy to make, yet they get the job done just as well as marinades, rubs, salsas, etc. It's almost like the cooking equivalent of ironing. Pants still wrinkled after you take them out of the dryer? Throw them in again, and voila, non-wrinkled, non-ironed pants.
One of the few desserts Internet Cooking Mom made on a regular basis was strawberry shortcake. Each shortcake consisted of a pre-made sponge cake which took the shape of a volcano-like crater, strawberries, and Cool Whip {probably the low-fat variety since she loved to torture us - der - I mean, because she really, really cared about our health.} Nevertheless, every time I see those pre-made crater sponge cakes in grocery stores, I immediately begin craving strawberry shortcake. To celebrate summer, strawberries, and my love affair with my KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, I decided to make my own strawberry shortcakes using sweet biscuits and homemade whipped cream. The end result is a special, hand-held variety of Internet Cooking Mom's go-to dessert that even she could make. {Ain't disprecting, ICM. Just keepin' it real.}
I love Ina Garten's style. Her food is not overly fussy and just creative enough to give you a break from the culinary norm. {I also love her because she just seems like a super nice lady. In fact, if I ever met her, I would ask her for a hug. Maybe two.} One of her recipes that I come back to time and time again is a delightful and convenient Pesto Pea Salad. Even though the peas are frozen, it still feels very seasonal due to the spinach and fresh pesto. I always have frozen peas and pine nuts around, so all I have to pick up from the store is a little parmesan, spinach, and basil to make this salad happen. {I've even cheated with good store-bought pesto.} This is perfect for summer, but it's also great when you're in a time crunch. I've thrown this together for many an impromptu dinner, and will continue to do so...probably forever. That's how commited I am to you, Ina. {Barefoot Contessa 4 Eva.} To check out The Barefoot Contessa's Pesto Pea Salad recipe, click here.
I totally made this spoonbread on purpose. Yes, indeed. The original intention was not at all supposed to be regular, spongy cornbread with a few added embellishments in the form of zucchini, chives, and parmesan. That's right. I knew exactly, 100% what I was doing. Every step of the way. And I am totally not lying. {I'm lying.}
Nothing says 'Happy Fourth of July' like fireworks. Nothing says 'awesome' like simulating that experience...in your mouth. Fine. You caught me. Just having a little bit of hyperbole fun. These little crackers-turned- cookies (that I have deemed crisps) are unusually delightful for entertaining or at-home-by-yourself snacking. Sesame rice crackers are delicious, relatively guilt-free if you don't eat the whole box, and have a lovely buttery flavor and puffy yet crispy texture. Because sesame seeds have a sweet and nutty flavor, I thought a little melted chocolate might complement these highly palatable bites quite nicely. Guess what? I was right. A little too right. These came out tasting way too sweet until, eureka, I added some crushed red pepper to keep the sweetness at bay. Kind of like Paul Revere kept the red coats at bay. Or...something. Happy Fourth of July everyone!