I reignited my love affair with gin and tonics in Dublin last month.
I found this amazing new restaurant in Dublin called L Mulligan Grocer. We stepped inside the cozy restaurant, which used to be a grocery store, and upon being seated we were handed menus bound within old hardback books. I was enchanted immediately, especially when a delightful gin and tonic was placed in front of me garnished with fresh coriander (aka cilantro). [Read more…]
Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Blackberry Buttercream Frosting are a bright, light, and citrusy burst of moist deliciousness. The fluffy cupcakes are filling with lemon curd, then topped with the best buttercream frosting, made with fresh blackberries!
I finally made a cupcake!
Not just ANY cupcakes though…
For the first time in months (since my pumpkin cupcakes last YEAR), I actually made a cupcake!!! I know this cupcake may seem simple on the outside, but on the inside… [Read more…]
We’re getting spicy and smoky with our burgers today!
Roasted poblano peppers are something I only recently discovered this year with my adventures with Chiles en Nogada. Now I want to start shoving them in everything I make – just how crazy is the idea of making a roasted poblano risotto…?
Never mind, don’t even answer. I know I’m insane. [Read more…]
This is the perfect time of year to take advantage of the surplus of gorgeous, fresh fruit I see everywhere. As soon as the bags of cherries begin overflowing from the bins at the grocery store, that’s when I know it’s finally time to start enjoying all the fresh berries and cherries I can stuff in my mouth.
Nothing does a cherry justice like a warm, gooey crisp. When you pull it out of the oven, all bubbly and golden brown on top, a sweet, tart smell fills your kitchen. I am instantly transported back to those classic 50’s era images of mothers pulling cherry pies out of their ovens to cool on windowsills (just like my American Doll Molly’s mother did! Oh I hope I didn’t just completely date myself with that comment…). [Read more…]
Now that I am back in Denver after a whirlwind trip to Europe, I am really feeling summer.
Not only because of the intense 80+ degree days we have been having, but my body has been craving those brighter flavors of summer. I am especially dying over anything grilled. Our neighbor has had his smoker going every day for the past week and our fan sucks those smoky rich flavors so they permeate throughout our house. You would think I would get sick of the smell, but every-so-often I catch a whiff and I am transported to a zone of complete relaxation. [Read more…]
OMG cheeeeeeese…..
Yep, back to the cheese addiction. I always go straight for the goat cheese when I have the option. I love that strong tangy flavor! Usually I like my goat cheese with some fig jam, but since I discovered the joys of marinating cheese, this is hands down my new favorite. [Read more…]
I think I have stumbled upon the best roasted potatoes EVER.
The first thing I said after one bite was “OMG this is how I am making potatoes from now until I die.” Seriously, they are just so unbelievably delicious. The crispy pancetta, shallots cooked in pancetta fat (OH YEA), and fresh herbs just keep you going back for bite after bite after bite. [Read more…]
One of the simplest dishes to make and one of those dishes that always brings me back to my time in Italy.
When I was in Rome, I was a broke college kid who didn’t know much about cooking and I was saving most of my money for travel. My meals were usually made up of the cheapest ingredients I could find so I cooked A LOT of pasta. I was in Italy, so it just made sense! [Read more…]
We brought back summer!
Sorry, had to do the Frozen reference… I just can’t help myself – that movie is just SO GOOD.
Just like these gorgeous pink shots… Eek aren’t they just so cray cray adorbs? [Read more…]
OMG you guys, dessert fries are a thing. And they are AMAZING.
Right now you might be tempted to run away because the idea of dessert fries is just way too out there. Bear with me, because these fries are one of the best things I have ever experienced.
And no, I am not trying to taut my awesomeness.
Well, maybe just a little… These fries are THAT good. [Read more…]
The reuben sandwich is one of my husband’s favorite sandwiches. EVER.
I think he has a weird obsession with sauerkraut that he failed to disclose before we got married. Not that I could fault him for it. It is pretty rad so I had to stuff it into an egg roll.
Every time you fry something, it just makes it that much better doesn’t it? [Read more…]
I had to name this the Mahalo Burger.
Every bite I took had me saying (come on, let’s be real, it was more like groaning) THANK YOU. The mix of all these gorgeous ingredients is the epitome of a tropical epic burger. [Read more…]
Poached pears have been on my bucket list for a while now.
Though I could never quite master perfectly elegant plating, I always thought that poached pears were so gorgeous that you there isn’t much you would have to do to make them gorgeous – which as it turns out is totally TRUE. Gobs of chocolate sauce can’t drown out the beauty! [Read more…]
There’s nothing like a cocktail that is both sparkly and spicy!
I feel like I have been running a marathon every day lately. Between work and planning and social engagements and recipe testing, I am starting to feel a little burnt out. I have also started to lose my ability to put my thoughts into words because I am going a million miles per minute. Basically I am a 5 year old running around in a 20-something’s body, though somehow I am able to cook without chopping off a finger or burning my face off. [Read more…]
Oh yea, I went there.
This is the product of attempting to diet too harshly and not being able to think about anything but poutine for several weeks… It’s quite evident that my self-control has very struck limitations – especially when there are cheese curds involved. I know it’s terrible, but OMG this calorie overload is so worth every single bite. [Read more…]
I have always loved petit fours.
To me they are that perfect elegant cake that reminds me of fancy afternoon tea services I have gone to throughout my life. It started as a tradition with my grandma Alice around Christmastime – all the ladies of the family would take an afternoon and head to some fancy afternoon tea where I would devour endless little petit fours and scones. Even after my grandma passed away, we have been keeping the tradition for years. [Read more…]
Fruit obsession? Uhhhh YES.
If I could, I would put fruit in everything I eat. Fruit salad, fruit salsa, fruit sandwiches…. it all sounds so delicious and inviting… [Read more…]
I might still be having dreams about this pizza…
You guys, is it Spring yet? Because the recent snowstorm that blew through Denver is making me question when it is really April. Whatever happened to “April showers bring May flowers”? I refuse to accept snow falling from the sky as “showers”. [Read more…]
Raspberry Lemon Sweet Buns with Cream Cheese Frosting are the rolls everyone will come running to the breakfast table for. With a heavenly combination of cream cheese frosting, raspberry and lemon, you end up with the perfect mixture of tangy sweet richness. DELISH!
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I can’t even handle these….
You know when you take a bite of something you made that is seriously amazing and it’s just that WOW moment?
Yea, that was my first bite of these gorgeous things. I think my eyes bugged out of my skull, Looney Tunes style and all. [Read more…]
I might as well declare this week Elvis Week!
I just got so inspired with those Three Olives Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water cocktails (Shake, Rattle & Roll and Tropical Bliss, in case you are interested)! I don’t know if you are aware, but Elvis had a favorite sandwich – peanut butter, banana and bacon. These adorable sliders have all those things PLUS jelly AND a toasted pretzel bun! GAH, I could eat another dozen of them RIGHT NOW. [Read more…]
Naturally I couldn’t stop at one cocktail… So as promised here is bonus round #2 for Three Olives Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water Vodka!
I had to continue the tropical theme (though I did seriously consider somehow making a chocolate covered coconut drink… thoughts?), so I give you “Tropical Bliss”. While this one isn’t as sweet as “Shake, Rattle, & Roll”, you will still be floating in a tropical sunset of fruit flavors with just the slightest little zing at the end (thank you lime juice!). [Read more…]
This might be one of my favorite vodka flavors of all time.
First of all, there’s coconut involved so HELLO, that’s just amazing right there. Second, you can literally drink this vodka straight and not feel like you are drinking rubbing alcohol. For someone like me who is pretty sensitive to the taste of straight booze, that’s saying something. I could sip on this Three Olives Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water Vodka and automatically be transported to a tropical beach, full of white sand and clear, blue water as far as the eye can see. [Read more…]
Who doesn’t love peanut butter and jelly?
No matter who you are, at some point in your childhood, you probably had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Like mac & cheese, it’s one of those staples that reminds me of being a kid. I think PB&J sandwiches were the first thing I ever learned to make all by myself! [Read more…]
Due to the sudden shift to cold temperatures, I need something warm and filling to get me through these final weeks of winter.
The weather here has been so bipolar lately I just can’t keep up. One second it is 60 degrees and sunny, then three hours later it’s dropped 40 degrees and snow is falling. [Read more…]
