Do you remember your first Super Bowl? I do. My mom and I were living in an apartment off the river, in a little one-bedroom over the manager’s office. One of my favorite pastimes was fastening a paperclip to a string, knotting it clumsily around the end of a stick and dangling it over the balcony. Time and again it’d come back up with a small note attached — or, if I was really lucky, an individually-wrapped Starburst candy, the paperclip deftly pried open and speared through the waxy pink or yellow wrapper. The little things, right? “Hey kiddo,” my … Read More
Crispy Chicken & Root Veggies Skillet (gluten-free)
Last week I had a dream that a high school acquaintance told me on Facebook I should “stop by sometime” — and I did. Totally unannounced. I just opened the door to her house, took in the very confused faces of the kids I’ve only ever seen on Instagram, and was like, “So I’m here! I was thinking we could roast some chicken!” In all seriousness, you guys. I was there to roast chicken. Simple as that. And you know, she seemed a little fazed, but not overly so. Instead she kind of just exchanged glances with Jesse Pinkman and … Read More
Soy Chorizo and Black Bean Empanadas
Soy Chorizo and Black Bean Empanadas: warmly spiced soy (or traditional) chorizo, black beans and sweet potatoes encased in a golden-brown, tender, flaky crust. These veggie hand pies are simple, satisfying and adorably portable. There’s been some major crankypants happening around here lately. Maybe it has something to do with the post-vacation blues (kind of a real thing) or the post-vacation head-turned-chest cold (definitely a real thing), but I have been reallll whiny. Things like emptying bags of Trader Joe’s brand Funyuns into my face seem to be helping marginally, although I refuse to call them by their given name, … Read More
Minted Spring Pea Paté on Crostini (also, #HeatWave2013)
Today has been kind of ridiculous. To start, it’s almost triple-digits here in the Bay Area. Which means, oh, I dunno, it’s almost intolerably hot. I say almost, of course, because it’s actually quite lovely when you take into account the perfect excuse it makes for a beach day. Think tanning, picnic, young adult novels galore and ice cream. Marianne’s Ice Cream, just to be clear. Studded with toffee-coffee goodness and stacked doubly tall in not one but two crannied waffle cones. (The gang’s all here.) Just try and tell me how wonderful a Saturday that does not make. Go ahead. … Read More
Mini Ice Cream Ginger Snapwiches
I think I may have confessed a time or two…my love for Young Adult Novels? Or YA as the cool kids say. A group I’d clearly like to join, all joking aside. Lately I’ve been sorely behind on keeping up with the other members of my unofficial YA Book Club (you know who you are) — distracted by things like sweet potato obsessions and giveaways and fabulous culinary adventures to time zones afar. The ridonkulous weather this week hasn’t helped, either. Who wants to stay inside cooped up with a book or a ‘puter when there are things like beer … Read More