Category Archives: EAT

I Heart You.

February 10, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

My bf and I have been together almost 6 years (yowza!), so that means we’ve already experienced most of the generic Valentine’s Day requirements, like expensive pre-fixed dinners, bouquets of flowers, a surprise date to a beautiful outdoor ice skating rink where he forgets to bring a pair of socks for you to ice skate in (and you’re randomly sockless that night because you wanted to look extra cute and wear heels) because who remembers socks when you’re trying to plan surprise dates??? Ya, that happened.

So now we keep it simple for Valentine’s Day. A witty card, a sweet note, gifts in the form of food…that’s all we need! So I made these sugar cookies, recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman, and tied them up with baker’s twine because honestly, what says I love you more than a delicious, heart-shaped cookie?

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Cinnamon Pear Tart

January 27, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

Before I start bragging about my pear tart (because let’s face it, it was my first time and it turned out like a champion tart), I need to confess my sins. I committed TWO crimes in tart-baking world. 1) I used an apple tart recipe and…gasp…USED PEARS INSTEAD. 2) I altered the recipe (is this legal?) and added cinnamon…like LOADS of it. I went against all types of baker’s code! For shame!

Ok now that I got that out of the way, let’s move forward. For as much as I bake, I’m really not that good at it. Half of my baked goods are total failures and the other half are semi-decent. But for some reason this tart was a real gem. It might be because the ingredients were so simple or that the recipe was so straightforward – either way, I didn’t F it up so I deserve some brownie points (preferably in the form of Girl Scout Thin Mints, I’m accepting all deliveries at my house, a-thank you).

The tart crust was buttery and golden and the pears had a juicy bite to them. Not too sweet, not too heavy. And dare I say the cinnamon was a perfect addition?? I swear, everything is better with cinnamon.

I loved this tart so much that I plan on baking it again real soon. And who knows, maybe next time I’ll bake it with apples! View the recipe, found on Smitten Kitchen, here.

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Heart Skipped a Beet

January 25, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

I’ve always had a major crush on beets. I would order them in restaurants, buy them pickled in grocery stores, but never attempted to make them at home. WAY TOO DIFFICULT. If I haven’t seen a food prepared/cooked/demonstrated on Food Network, then I sure as heck have no clue how to make it.

But the raw beets were looking real pretty in the produce section this weekend so I took some home, googled a “how-to,” …and found out they were super easy to make. Embarrassingly easy. Like so embarrassing that I cleared my internet history because I didn’t want anyone to know I was googling something so ridic. You guys, all you have to do is roast them in a 375 degree oven for an hour. AND THEN THEY’RE DONE!

So that’s what I did. I chopped off the beet greens (which actually are quite edible), wrapped them individually in foil, and roasted them in the oven for an hour. When they came out of the oven, I peeled the skin off with my fingers (super easy), stained my entire hands purpley red, pretended the beet juice was a lip stain, and sliced the beets fairly thin.

I used half the beets to make a citrusy salad of sliced oranges, red onion, baby spinach, and balsamic vinaigrette.

The next night, I made a beet caprese of sorts with mozzarella cheese, chopped basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked pepper. I swear, you can’t go wrong with beets!

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Postcards from San Francisco

January 4, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - TRAVEL

This past weekend, Kyle and I took a small vacation to San Francisco to celebrate New Year’s. The entire trip revolved around exploring new districts of the city and indulging in delicious food. I swear, San Francisco has the best food! On Thursday night, we started our trip in the Marina District, stumbling into a gastrotavern called The Tipsy Pig. Best. Decision. Ever. Not only is The Tipsy Pig a lively bar, it also has some of the best comfort food I’ve ever had. 3 words: chicken pot pie. TO DIE FOR. I have no photos from this gem though, the lighting was too dark sadly (read: I had 2 brewskies).

The rest of the trip was just as magical, from our New Year’s Eve spent at the W Hotel’s bar/club (where I forgot my ID card and had to go back to our hotel to get it – $30 later in cab fare and a total NYE FAIL) to the adventures we had with my very good friend Kristen (a San Franciscoian) and her boyfriend, C.J. (brunch at Absinthe Brasserie, several trips to Zara, searching for Maiden Lane, being tourists in Union Square, deep dish pizza at Little Star).

Here are some highlights from our getaway to San Francisco:

Lunch & tea on the top floor of the Grand Hyatt in Union Square with Kristen and C.J.:

Standing in line at Tartine Bakery for 30+ minutes just so we could stuff our faces with these:

Finally stuffing our faces with Tartine goodness (in the form of a chocolate croissant):

…and some more Tartine. Spicy turkey and brocollini pesto panini:

Being touristy in front of the Golden Gate Bridge:

Kyle wanted a photo too (how adorable is he):

Wandering around aimlessly:

Kristen and I “hearting” each other forever:

Barney’s telling us to “Have a Foodie Holiday”…and we did:

Kyle carrying my bags while I took pictures of him (whoops):

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Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes

December 29, 2010

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

In the month of December, I pretty much let myself go. There are just too many temptations in the form of peppermint-flavored, -crusted, -coated chocolate (hello, friend). Don’t worry though. When January comes around, I pull on the reigns and begin to eat sensibly again.

But pulling on the reigns means only one thing: chocolate-induced withdrawals. In an effort to curb side effects of the withdrawal process, I tend to make foods with hidden added chocolate. Ween myself of it, if you will.

When I found this recipe for Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes in this month’s Real Simple magazine, I just about died. It calls for 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder! Say what? A hearty, healthy, slow-cooker chili with la chocolat? Ok so you can’t really taste the chocolate in the chili per se but there’s definitely an underlying sweetness to it. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely has all the flavors of a typical chili – just with a little somethin’ extra. So so delicious!

PS- I only took ONE photo of the chili (blogger slap on the wrist) so instead here is a photo of my human-like dog relaxing after a long day at the office:

…and a sweet birthday treat from Anthropologie – they are officially bringing back the zodiac sign:

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