Recipe:Homemade Pizza Topped with Figs, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Truffle Honey

This past weekend was lovely. Not because of any spectacular event, but because of all the little things. The kind that are easy to miss, and so important not to. Lazy mornings in bed drinking tea and eating croutons. Soaking up the sun at the park while the dogs run as though their hearts might burst. Dinners that creep into the wee hours with new friends. Rediscovering a song you loved back when life was simpler, but didn’t seem as such. Continue reading

There is something simultaneously inspiring and depressing about meeting someone your age that is having great success. Double-penalty points if they are having fame and fortune in an area you’re passionate about, and triple points if they’re nice to boot.

Such was the case last week when I met Mark Fuller , the chef and co-owner of Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky and a James Beard semi-finalist. Not only has he managed to open not one, but two iterations of a tremendously popular restaurant, he is a phenomenal chef, and just a damn nice guy. Continue reading

I consider myself a good secret-keeper, but this one has been no small feat for my big Irish mouth to keep under wraps. Hence why I am so excited, nearly giddy, over-the-top pleased to share that I was chosen to be one of nine contestants on Top Chef Master Thierry Rautureau‘s upcoming Kitchen Circus show!

The general premise is this*:

“Ever wonder how masterful dinners are created in a 4-star restaurant?

Each episode of Kitchen Circus features three home cooks testing their skills preparing one course of a three course meal at Seattle’s renowned Rover’s restaurant. Continue reading

A perfect way to start a Saturday morning.

Sage and Chevre cheese popovers ideas. One of the things I love most about writing this blog, is becoming friends with people all over the world; hearing their stories, sharing recipes, being buoyed by their adventures, and trading kitchen tips and tricks. I am humbled by people’s honesty, in their triumphs and in tragedy, and I so appreciate knowing that there are other neurotic foodie folks out there who think there is nothing odd about making six dozen carrot muffins to perfect the technique. Continue reading

Day 21 of no buying groceries. Perhaps I’m having similar experiences to the kind that people who go on totally unnecessary, self-induced, 7 day juice only retreats have. Increasing obsessions of never running out of olive oil again, chaste commitments to myself to not callously swipe the crumbs of cheese into the sink, a newfound appreciation for all the things you can make with eggs.

Brilliant loophole…people coming over for dinner and offering to bring things.

What started as a slightly irrational response to admittedly excessive spending, and turned into a silly experiment, has provided a nascent respect for all the grandeur and bounty of our lives. Continue reading

Recipe:Grilled Bruschetta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil, and Shrimp

This past weekend my Uncle Daniel took us on a boating adventure up to the San Juan Islands. It is truly breathtakingly beautiful up there, with vistas you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the States. We boated, we kayaked, we laughed, and of course, we ate. Happily bobbing along on the Moon Dance II, a handmade wooden craft by the renowned Sam Devlin, we enjoyed cooking up feasts in the boat’s galley, aptly named the Moon Dance Diner for all the impressive creations Daniel whipped up there. Continue reading

Recipe: Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Curried Quinoa

When you write a food blog, it is very important to be strategic about your posts. You want to be consistent for your readers…but not post too often, lest they get sick of you. There are certain times of day that you want to publish, thereby generating higher traffic, and you always want to make sure you cover a variety of recipes and topics so you can rest assured you’ve got the proverbial “something for everyone”. Continue reading

Like so many before me, I’m afraid to say, I have some unflattering qualities. I’m prone to interrupting and am wildly competitive. My hair makes me look like a Fraggle when I wake up and I have been told on more than one occasion that I am nearly unbearably cheerful in the morning. I think To-Do lists are fun, and find a timer a helpful addition to more situations than is healthy. And I am a hideous control freak. It’s bad. Continue reading