Pork Belly Recipes: Crispy Pork Belly with Lemon Aioli and Heirloom Tomatoes

I am shamefully impatient. I want what I want, when I want it, and I’m loath to wait. Years of report cards, followed by years of performance reviews have echoed this. And yet, it would appear, not much progress has been made.

Crispy Pork Belly Served on a Bed of Lemon Aioli with Heirloom Tomatoes

Take the other day, for instance. Friday afternoon and suddenly all I could think about was pork.  Continue reading

Recipe: Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna

When I started my own consulting business I had naive, grand notions
that I would suddenly have all this time.

A little hammock action has never stopped The Duke.

I’ll do three blog posts a week! I’ll bake beautiful scones with the
perfect mixture of savory and sweet. I’ll be the one the dogs jump up
for when they see me heading to the door because I’ll finally be the one
taking them to the park. Continue reading

When I was five I used to stand in front of the mirror and practice my acceptance speeches for when I would someday win an Oscar.

Kitchen Circus Season One Premier Party. L to R my fabulous friends who cheered me on every step of the way, Anna-Lea, Angela, and Andrea.

I would generously thank the make-believe people who had got me there, illustrating incredible graciousness for someone my age (did I mention in this fantasy world I was the youngest person to ever win an Oscar?), Continue reading

Recipe: Summer Penne Pasta Alfredo with Grilled Chicken, Walnuts, and Grapes

You know you’ve had a good vacation when:

• The number of times you ate fried clams exceeded the number of times you wore shoes or underwear.
• Getting another wine spritzer felt like a valid workout.
• You temporarily forgot your email password.
  

Make and assemble the evening before to have a turn-key party salad.

Such was the last week in sweet Ipswich, my own little paradise escape where good  friends come for delicious grub, lots of love, and big laughs. Continue reading

Recipe: Jalapeño Margaritas

This past March I was sitting on the precipice of a significant and exiting (and yet not un-risky) career shift. In typical form I had made lists to evaluate and matrices to measure the pros and cons, but in my gut I was still unsure of what to do.

Jalapeño Margaritas, made with Cilantro and Orange Liqueur

Early one morning while tossing and turning a midst snuggling and snoring dogs oblivious to life’s complexities I decided sleep was not to be retrieved and picked up my phone to get started with the day. Continue reading

Recipe: Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Champagne Vinaigrette

If I’m being totally honest, I’ll confess to you that sometimes I get in a rut. Of not wanting to cook, not wanting to write, not wanting to take pictures of my food.

Roasted Beet Salad. Pairs beautifully with a rich dish such as a carbonara.

And then there are those moments when it’s perfect, and easy, and fun, and you find yourself falling back in love with the cooking, the writing, the shooting all over again, as if nothing more had transpired than a fickle lovers quarrel in the middle of the night. Continue reading

Recipe: Arugula with Skinny Caesar Salad Dressing and Grilled Shrimp

My crew is off on an adventure. Or a man-venture as I like to say as it includes all sorts of things my crew likes such as sleeping under the stars, driving across deserts, getting lost, finding lost treasures, and just generally disappearing for a bit.

Arugula with Skinny Caesar Salad Dressing and Grilled Shrimp

This leaves me to a week of flying solo. Of shamelessly dancing around to country music, of reading horse fiction for hours, of eating eggs morning, noon, and night. Continue reading

Recipe: Chicken Pan Sauce with White Wine and Shallots

Happy Mother’s Day to all those fabulous Mamas out there, most of all….mine! For those of you regular readers of Shut Up & Cook, you know that Marnie…aka Marnie Poppins is a regular addition in the kitchen, be it here in Seattle or back in my childhood home of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Easy, Elegant, and Delicious…this Chicken Pan Sauce is guaranteed to impress.

In addition to all those Mom Skills she has (such as the ability to actually fold fitted sheets) she is an exquisite cook, pulling together delicious meals with seeming effortlessness, all the while offering sage life advice. Continue reading