food.

This is the heftiest category on my blog. Over 5 years ago, this blog started as a humble collection of my favorite recipes. That led to culinary school—and my affection for knives—which led to work at a nearby restaurant and teaching at a cooking school. Now I fly around the globe on food-sponsored trips and am building my own urban farm.

‘Food’ includes hoards of recipes and kitchen tips, easy explanations of cooking methods, frequent obsessions with seasonal ingredients, lots of Italian food (I lived there for a year), plus learning to make everything from cheese to bitters to fruit leather. And without apology: you can count on an orchestrated parade of martinis.

eggplant ragu… on soft polenta.

02/16/2012 | 1 Comment | Topics: entree, food., Italian food

I teach cooking classes at a nearby cooking school. It isn’t uncommon to have class participants who are vegetarian, gluten-free and/or have food allergies or restrictions. Offering substitutes or alternative dishes—aka accommodating those needs—is part and parcel to being a chef. Sometimes during an iron chef event, we have a whole team dubbed ‘vegetarian.’ For example: a group of 60 might be participating in an iron chef event—each team… [more]

foodbuzz 24×24: an all white wintry meal

01/29/2012 | 7 Comments | Topics: food., menus

foodbuzz 24x24: an all white wintry meal

I have long been intrigued with color. Some geniuses can look at the piano and ‘get it’ or do math in their sleep. To some, a canvas speaks to them or the sculpture is in the marble waiting to be carved free. Others are born to sing or work with their hands, have a sense of people’s needs or can readily wrap their mind around litigation. Numbers dance in… [more]

delicata squash ‘pasta’ ribbons with chanterelle mushrooms

01/20/2012 | 12 Comments | Topics: entree, food., recipes, vegetables

What is this mom? Not something the boys had seen before: ribbons of delicata squash made to look like pasta. A simple squash—skip the boiling water for this faux pasta—lightly sauteed, topped with toasted walnuts and chanterelle mushrooms. I LOVE this ingenious tip: you don’t even need to peel the squash. This yummy little number was inspired by a recent night at the restaurant (I help at a neighborhood… [more]

quinoa, red bean and yellow pepper chili

01/10/2012 | 3 Comments | Topics: food., soups

I love chili, especially this time of year. It is perfect for a warm lunch, snack or light dinner the same way crisp lettuce greens and just-picked berries scream of summer. I love chili because: it is a brilliant after-school snack for my teenage, growing-taller-than-life sons. I can start a batch mid-afternoon and when they swing open the door and bee-line it to the crock-pot. Sometimes I make chili… [more]

swimming RAMA.

01/07/2012 | 3 Comments | Topics: entree

There is a place called Jai Thai in the Fremont and Capital Hill neighborhoods of Seattle; almost every time I go, I order the Swimming Rama. Chicken smothered in coconut-laced peanut sauce, swimming on a bed of fresh spinach? Sign me up. Besides, then I don’t feel over-full from eating piles of carbs. This is as good a time as any to insert this chicken recipe onto our… [more]

gnocchi. and why it is your friend.

01/03/2012 | 3 Comments | Topics: food., Italian food, starch

I have been teaching a lot of gnocchi-making classes lately. I adore traditional gnocchi made with waxy, yellow potatoes (nope: don’t use russets/baking potatoes). Though sweet potato gnocchi is wildly popular and the other day a plate of beet gnocchi made me smile—I am still a sucker for classic potato. Gnocchi lend themselves to a myriad of dishes, and are a fantastic candidate for… [more]

a new year’s toast: new york style (think manhattan).

12/31/2011 | 1 Comment | Topics: food., libations

I wanted to like whiskey. bourbon. rye. blends. And thanks to a brilliant Manhattan made at Elemental in Seattle: I was finally ushered in the door. I finally ‘got it.’ And for a gal who claims to wield martinis, well, earning my bourbon badge was a high priority. Suffice it to say, Manhattans have topped my personal chart: they are now my favorite go-to martini, complete with [more]

braised beef with red wine, onion brulee served on chive sweet potatoes

12/28/2011 | 3 Comments | Topics: entree, food.

I love a good roast. Especially this time of year. Not to mention finding yet another opportunity to use sweet potatoes. This was grass-fed chuck roast. I trimmed it of silver skin, then seared the outside until nice and brown. Note: see picture of spices in a jar? I tossed spices (see below) into a jar, then shook it up and smeared it on the steak. THEN I seared… [more]

cinnamon creme brulee

12/25/2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: dessert, food., holidays

Merry Christmas. I hope you and your family and friends are happy and healthy, full of merriment and grace. This is little dessert gift, from me to you. I adore the subtle flavor of cinnamon permeating this exquisite, always-welcome pot of cream. And I love that it is easy to make. I use a little culinary blow torch to ‘brulee’ mine, but truth be told: I am hankering for… [more]

12 Days of Christmas: 12 Easy Appetizers

12/15/2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: food., holidays, starters

The 12 APPS of CHRISTMAS I recently held a class on appetizers; my challenge was to come up with easy to assemble appetizers that maximize flavor while minimizing time. I probably could have presented half a dozen, but what with the spirit of Christmas I couldn’t help myself: 12 appetizers for the ’12 Days of Christmas.’ (Just click on links to find recipes). Next, I organized them… [more]