Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Like most people, I hate to see food go to waste. I cringe as I watch my kale shriveling up, and feel great pangs of guilt as I toss the forgotten Tupperware of pasta into the trash. I try to goad my husband into eating things for lunch that are well past their prime, heralding virtues of convenience, and I have once or twice (okay, three times) been known to give my dogs stale crostini topped with tired pâté. Continue reading

Recipe: Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Pomegranates

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. It was a grand day indeed complete with soaking up sunshine, ice cubes clinking against margarita filled glasses, and a seemingly never-ending stream of great friends, great food, and great fun.

The ever addictive Truffle Popcorn.

Fresh Spring Rolls, Sesame Noodle Boxes, and Goat Cheese Crostini.

As an “adult” (whatever that means) I think I am supposed to have reached a state of general maturity and evolution so as to not feel disappointed when my birthday is over. Continue reading

The Interwebs are a funny place. They make our world so large, and yet also so small. So informed and yet also so naive. We fool ourselves into imagining we can explore life from the comfort of our couches, and forget the importance of teaching the next generation how to write, how to shake someone’s hand and look them in the eye, how to set a nice table.

Clearly, there can be no birthday without cake. Photo Credit: Annie Laurie Malarkey | Capital Grille

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is officially the annual birthday musings, where I look fondly (and at times not so fondly) on years past, and look eagerly (always eagerly) ahead. Continue reading

{Reminder: 24 hours and counting to enter the giveaway for some of the best olive oil you’ve ever had. Simply share this post via your favorite social media channel, drop the link into the comments section, and cross your fingers. Best of luck!}

What I’m about to say might shock you. Are you ready? Are you sure? Perhaps you might like to sit down. Here goes:

I am not much of a wilderness woman.

Shocking, right? And yet the truth remains,  I like nothing better than eight (okay 10) hours of sleep per night, my hot running shower, and my gourmet cuisine. Continue reading

Recipe:Grilled Eggplant Carpaccio Stuffed with Arugula and Fontina

Living in the city, I find that I’m often on guard. This is especially true in my neighborhood, which proudly boasts the most diverse zip code in the USA, but also has the (not so) occasional high-speed car race / gun fight. It’s not really that bad…this is Seattle we’re talking about after all, not Detroit or St. Louis, but it’s also not leave your windows open, drop your bikes in the front yard, walk alone at midnight, small town Americana. Continue reading

There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.

No, no…it’s nothing like *that*…, but something exciting did happen that’s kept me busy for a few weeks and I’m excited to share.

The Tuna Poke at BOKA Bar + Restaurant. Photo Credit: Annie Laurie Malarkey

One of the coolest parts about being a food writer is the invitations to spectacular events. There are chef’s dinners, wine tastings, cook book reviews, and more. At each event I feel as though I fall in love with a roomful of soul mates; of people who don’t think there’s anything funny about taking a picture of your dinner before you eat it, and couldn’t imagine not all sharing bites of each others’ meals to make sure you try everything on the menu. Continue reading

Here at Shut Up & Cook, it’s all about the twist on the expected. The interwebs are flooded with loads of food blogs (some good, some great, some downright bad), and all boasting their own interpretation of why they’re unique. You have gluten-free vegetarians, lovers of scones, and those who just want to eat bacon, morning, noon, and night. You have the tidy baker, the messy cook, and new, left-handed moms in the kitchen. I could go on and on, but if you’re here you’ve probably already read your fair share of them, and have hopefully found your niche. Continue reading

I don’t know where I’ll be come Thursday night. Not in an esoteric, “What Am I Doing With My Life” kind of way, but as in I literally don’t know what state I’ll be spending the weekend in, thanks to our upcoming Mystery Girl’s weekend.

Picture this: Six months before you send in your money (which conveniently goes up $50 per year, allowing us to evolve from shared twin beds and PB&Js to something a bit more indulgent). Over the course of the next 6 months you get clues. Continue reading