Have you ever tried a mint julep? If you like fresh mint (like me) or bourbon (like Jack), then you absolutely should. A mint julep is made with four simple ingredients: bourbon, simple syrup, crushed ice, and fresh mint. It’s the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby, and it might be as important a tradition as the horse race itself. The Kentucky Derby’s website claims that fans consume 125,000 mint juleps at the Churchill Downs racetrack over the race weekend each year!...
To all of you who are snowed in… this is my attempt to send warm thoughts through the computer screen. It’s not exactly balmy here, but it’s a far cry from the -11 degrees my weather widgets (and text message updates from my mom) are showing for tomorrow’s Chicago’s forecast. Yikes… This soup is full of warming healing ingredients (shiitakes, ginger, miso, etc.)… and would be the perfect thing if you’re under the weather, figuratively or quite literally....
Watch the Video Our Favorite Thanksgiving Gravy This turkey gravy recipe calls for pan drippings. To make gravy without pan drippings, see this easy recipe. I’ve fallen head over heels for this homemade gravy, especially when made alongside our new favorite roasted turkey. Thanks to outrageously flavorful pan drippings, a simple onion broth, and the perfect roux, this gravy is silky, perfectly thick, and tastes incredible drizzled over mashed potatoes, turkey, and other Thanksgiving sides....
This blog may be mostly healthy, but I have to admit that I enjoy my share of fried foods from time to time. Fried oysters, fried shrimp – I love it all, even if it’s “sometimes food.” That is until now, because these baked oyster mushrooms are every bit as crispy, meaty, and delectable as anything fried. They’re easy to make, they’re healthy, and there’s no messy fry oil involved....
Today, TH turns 31. I met him when he was 24. Both of us were younger, slimmer, naive, and he really wasn’t TH back then, just this goofy funny guy who made me laugh all the time and ridiculed my Tamil. Most of that has changed now except one thing. TH’s love for Palak Paneer. When he first told me how much he loves Garlic Nan with Palak Paneer, I was surprised because where I come from, most guys don’t really like spinach....
This is my favorite recipe for cosmopolitan cocktails (or cosmos), and it is delicious. Although they are strong, my recipe makes them taste so good. They aren’t too sweet or tart! I’ve shared all my tips for making them the best. For a sparkling cosmo, try this Champagne Cosmopolitan. Key Ingredients Vodka: When choosing vodka for cosmos, go for something mid- to high-range. We usually stock Stolichnaya or “Stoli,” but use what you know you enjoy....
Two things happened on Monday: It was Jack’s birthday and also we won the Saveur Reader’s Choice Best Cooking Blog award! Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of you who voted for us! As someone who’s not used to winning things, I really didn’t see this coming. I’m shocked and just so flattered. I realize — I probably should be posting cocktails and cake, but it’s been a heck of a busy week, so today I bring you: Celebration Salad....
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about fancy cooking and elaborate meals. If pasta making sounds too stressful, try this cozy one-pot stew that’s perfect for two. (With maybe a little leftover, if you eat less than we do). It doesn’t get much easier than this – sauté leeks and mushrooms in an oven-safe pot or this adorable heart shaped one. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, couscous and – the fancy part – a few pinches of saffron....
Welcome to part 2 of Meal Prep Breakfast Taco week! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go check out Monday’s post and read about how we’re prepping once to make 3 different breakfast tacos throughout the week. If you’re not a tacos-for-breakfast person, you can make these for lunch or dinner just the same. Me? I go to bed dreaming of tortillas… So taco #2 is… Shiitake Bacon & Egg Tacos!...
Happy second day of spring! I don’t know where you live, but it’s been absolutely gorgeous around here lately so I’m going to brag about it a little bit. The sun is shining, colorful vegetables are showing up at the markets, and mint (a.k.a the only thing my black thumb can “grow”), is spreading like a weed in our yard. I’m not sure what our Easter brunch plans are yet, but I’m already looking forward to the weekend....
Tell me, what’s your favorite summer salad? If you said panzanella, you’re at the right place. If you didn’t say panzanella, that’s ok too, because I think you’ll be converted after you try this one! 🙂 It’s the ultimate summer salad to make with a bounty of fresh tomatoes. Or in this case, if you have a few tomatoes and a bounty of fresh sweet corn. Panzanella may be an Italian bread salad, but the special part about this panzanella is that it’s not entirely about the bread....
If you have seen our Dark Chocolate Bark with Coconut and Pretzels then you know our love of all things chocolate bark. It’s quick to make and can be customized however you like. This time, not wanting to only use one variety of chocolate, we swirl dark chocolate with white then top them with dried cranberries, pistachios and fresh orange zest. It might just be the prettiest bark we’ve made....
Baking sheets are some of the most-used pans in my kitchen. I reach for them whenever I want to make roasted vegetables or bake chocolate chip cookies. I pull out a sheet pan when I’m whipping up a homemade pizza or cooking off crispy potato wedges. And when I want to make the easiest possible dinner, I grab a baking sheet to cook this tasty sheet pan gnocchi. Given all that baking sheets can do, I think that everyone should own a good one....
Thankfully the power stayed put while the cake was baking and it came out lovely, crumbly, and perfect as the recipe says. Our crust cracked but turned a lovely golden brown. What you see in the picture in an overturned cake. We have chosen a recipe from The Cake Bible, where Rose has come up with a new method of baking the pound cake, very different from the butter-sugar creaming and wet+dry ingredients, the usual cake route....
Toasted Sugar Bread with Honey Recipe Ingredients: Bread : 6 slices Butter : 3 tbsp (unsalted tastes better) Sugar : 2-3 tbsp Honey : 1 tbsp (optional) Instructions: Add 1 tbsp butter to a pan and when it melts, put in the cubed bread slices. Don’t remove the sides of the bread, otherwise the bread will crumble into tiny pieces. Keep stirring and toasting, adding on more butter as needed....
This cocktail is not overly sweet and does not require any store-bought mix. Everything is made fresh. The base is dry gin then we add freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. It’s incredibly delicious. Back in the day we were contributors for Betty Crocker. We shared this recipe with them. We loved it so much we had to share an adapted version with you. Recipe updated, originally posted July 2011....
Happy Valentines Day! I’m so happy to be home after a chilly week in Chicago – the sun is shining here and it’s WARM! I’ll take a beautiful day over a dozen roses any day. Jack might get off easy in the gift department, but tonight is the night he cooks(!) and I can’t wait to see what he’ll make. I had some treats planned that didn’t get finished on time – so instead, I thought I’d roundup some sweet things I’ve seen around the internet....
So here is amma’s PINDI THORAN RECIPE What She Used: Cut, cleaned and chopped banana stem/pindi – 1 cup Coconut – 1/2 cup Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder – 1 tsp Shallots – 5-6, shopped finely Curry leaves – one strand Mustard seeds- for tempering Salt – to taste How She Made It: Put the pindi in a pan and pour enough water to just cover it....
You are looking at 30 minutes to make our taco soup recipe on the stove. It’s one of my favorite cozy weeknight dinners! I’ve even shared how to make it using a slow cooker below the recipe. My family loves tacos (see all of the taco recipes on Inspired Taste as proof). This recipe packs everything we love about the taco and turns it into a soup! Every time we make this taco soup, we are blown away by its flavor....
