FOOD LA LA

Try this trick for storing fresh mint and it will stay fresh longer than you'd ever imagine.

They’re colorful, satisfying, oozing with texture, and can be made with anything you have in your pantry—dried fruit, seeds, nuts, coconut, flax, goji, fruit peels and zest. The only two requirements are high quality chocolate and flaky sea salt.

This cocktail is a fun project. If you want to make a simple version, skip the fancy steps, and muddle then shake your raspberries, plain gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and aquafaba.

Preserving lemons extracts the lemon juice and softens the peel, which you can then cut into tiny pieces and use to flavor dishes just as you would salt.

I created this recipe to make crab cakes without the filler—just pure lump crab, a few simple ingredients, and homemade breadcrumbs (if you’re feelin’ fancy).  Top (extra generously) with mango salsa and you’ve got yourself a bite of heaven.

This soup is an excellent party dish because it’s show-stoppingly beautiful, it comes together in a flash, and it can be made ahead.  Serve it hot or cold. 

While this patriotic icy champagne bucket is reminiscent of childhood summer popsicles, it’s sophisticated enough to make any adult smile and wonder how you did it. 

I challenged Alex to create a lumpia recipe that could be baked, because many of you don’t own deep fryers.  He began experimenting, and the Berry Ricotta 4th of July Lumpia was soon born. 

Dessert doesn’t have to be bad for you.  Instead, get creative and find a new way to incorporate something healthy.  If I need something sweet to satisfy me after dinner, I reach for one of these superfood chocolates.

My fiancé, who moonlights as our in-house bartender, introduced me to the 3-2-1—a clean, tangy margarita perfect for ringing in Cinco de Mayo.*   Sometimes I prefer “3-2-2” with more lime juice, so adjust the proportions to your liking.

Shane makes these sauces at the same time: He uses a sprig of basil in the marinara, then blends the rest into a quick pesto.

I’ve been determined to teach myself, then all of you, how to easily make pasta—even without a pasta machine—a recipe you can make in your own kitchen right now.

Mussels are quite easy to cook, though a little trickier to prep.  First, soak them to remove excess sand and grit.  Then, remove the beard (a stringy membrane that the mussel uses to attach itself to rocks or other stable surfaces).

What’s the best way to start your morning on St. Patrick’s Day?  With an Irish Coffee o’ course!

Dessert menus at many great restaurants feature chocolate molten cake.  It looks fancy, feels fancy, and one spoon dive into the center leaves you in a delightful chocolate-induced coma. 

In the winter months, soup is always a favorite—you can put everything in the pot and (almost) forget about it.  In 2012, my sister and I travelled to a small village in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we learned to make one of my favorite soups: Tom Kha Gai.