Mr. Martini, you know I love you, but we need to take a break.

I told you how amazing the last month was, right? And it was, truly amazing. Lots and lots of precious time with friends and family, and many a good meal shared. In fact, perhaps too many a good meal shared. It was days upon days of epic eating and drinking, and with bikini season looming, the harsh, cold reality came crashing down that I tragically no longer have the metabolism of a prepubescent teen, and unfettered weeks of “wine, bread, and cheese, repeat” can take its toll. Continue reading

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with Roasted Tomatoes

Hello, there. I’ve missed you! April came, I blinked, and now it’s gone. While in Shut Up & Cook land I have nothing to show for the past thirty days, in my “real life” I’ve had a month bursting at the seams with:

• House guests
• Foster puppies
• Delicious dinners
• Too much wine
• Lots and lots of laundry

If you have a heart and a soul, which you must since you’re reading this blog, I imagine you’re most curious about the foster puppies…because let’s be honest…who wouldn’t be. Continue reading

You crawl up Highway 99, barely keeping pace in the right lane, for fear that if you miss the driveway you’ll be jettisoned over the bridge and into that foreign land that is “North of the Shipping Canal”. Your speed, which is much more in alignment with the Senior Citizen community that used to frequent this establishment, is in direct contrast to your Spring couture and daring high heels, because if there’s anywhere in Seattle you can wear true fashion in March, it’s here. Continue reading

Cutest little guy you ever did see.

Remember how I was making a case to bring  the Slumber Party back? Well I’m adding something else to that list: Brunch and Bubbles. A perfectly brilliant combination, brunch allows for so many of my favorite things (easy, make-ahead dishes; beautifully set tables; champagne before noon). Furthermore, in these wildly busy lives that we all seem to lead, where syncing up calendars can often result in not seeing dear friends for weeks, Sunday Brunch seems to be a secret pass, often unscheduled and just waiting for a mimosa to kick it off. Continue reading

Hi there,

Could I ask you to do me a favor? What if I say please? I’ll trade you a yummy, delicious recipe in exchange?

Nominations are now open for Saveur’s 2012 Best Food Blog Awards and I would be so thrilled to see Shut Up & Cook make the list. It’s admittedly stiff competition with winner’s from last year such as SmittenKitchen, 101 Cookbooks, and my personal fave, Orangette, but I think we’ve created something pretty special here and I’ve love to have your help going for it. Continue reading

Fish Taco White Sauce. That is the number two most frequent search term that gets people to Shut Up & Cook is? Tragically it is not “witty, smart, brilliant, and good looking home cooks”. Nor is it “the next Rachael Ray”. And while I’m sure it’s bound to happen at some point, I have yet to see Google searches for “next food blogger who is going to make it big” top the list.

And do you want to know what # 3 is?!? Continue reading

Clearly this requires no explanation.

Thursday night my mama arrived, full of big smiles, rolling laughs, and a declaration that we must, simply must make Sticky Buns.  She also brought a piece of my artwork that she’d found while cleaning out her files this winter. It was a small piece of construction paper on which I had drawn myself on one side (helpfully labeled “Erina” lest my mother or father forget my name) and a cake on the other (helpfully labeled “Cake” lest one not be able to tell). Continue reading

Ready for our annual Pearls and Pinstripes Party.

The first thing most people commented on about Onca was how big she was. I mean, the dog was fucking huge and most people had never seen her breed before making her that much more mysterious. The second comment was always about her ears. The loser that had got her as a perfect puppy had taken it upon himself to wack them off on his own so she had these hysterical little diablo ears that crossed when she was trying particularly hard to be good. Continue reading