As I was making this Greek Chicken Orzo Salad, I realized something: for someone who doesn't really like mint, I sure am making a lot of recipes with mint these days. Mint is just so fresh tasting. It brightens up any savory dish with an unexpected zip, and it imparts a refreshing coolness to sweet desserts. Can you really blame me for over-using it this summer? Nope. I didn't think so. Spoiler alert: this Greek Chicken Orzo Salad contains...
One of the reasons that Tranquillum House in Nine Perfect Strangers seems so ideal for transforming your life is that guests are encouraged (forced?) to eat healthy and clean. Although I love my carbs and cream sauces, there definitely comes a point (usually right after Christmas) when I simply crave lighter meals filled with fresh, green ingredients. Tranquillum House guests have a limited diet: they aren’t allowed sugar, carbs, alcohol, or...
Holy. FREAKIN. Cow. These cheese scones are amazing. Jenny Colgan is the woman who inspired me to make scones. I had been smack in the middle of The Café by the Sea, reading about how Flora was making scones from her mother’s recipe book, when I was suddenly overcome with the need to make scones myself. From scratch. For the first time. At 6AM on a Saturday. That is what this woman’s writing does to you. Colgan’s wonderfully descriptive...
I'm not going to lie. Making this Moroccan Chicken B'stilla Pie was.... a challenge. But, it’s good to challenge yourself, right? Every now and then? **gulp** Well. If you’re in agreement with me, you’ve come to the right post. If you’re not used to working with phyllo dough, that is. *Raises hand*
Why is B'stilla (Moroccan Chicken Pie) the book-inspired recipe for The Perfect Nanny? The Perfect Nanny is set in Paris. However, the...
In my last post, I recommended some perfect books for summer reading. I'm now pairing that list with the perfect summer salad. Does anyone else barely cook on the stove during summer? Because that’s me. While I love firing up the oven or having a bubbling pot on the stove during the cooler months, I loath being cooped up in the kitchen during warm weather. For one thing, our Cottage kitchen is adorable but poorly ventilated, so even with the...
I had a tough time thinking about what recipe to pair with You Think It, I'll Say It ; the stories are so varied, and all of them lead you into different places. And, aside from a small mention of raccoon stew (um, NO), food wasn't prominently featured in this book. However, there was one theme running through many of the stories that really spoke to me -- the one that characteristically appears in so many of Sittenfeld's works -- and that is...