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...
I really should call this Mint Chocolate Cake the “Hot Mess Cake.” Because that's totally what it looks like until the cake comes out of the oven. It’s just a whole bunch o’ ingredients dumped unceremoniously into a food processor that magically becomes one of the most delicious, moist, and mouth-watering cakes you’ll ever taste. Even though The Mother-in-Law wasn't inspired by author Sally Hepworth's mother-in-law, my book-inspired...
Anybody in need of a good cry? Because these Smoked Gouda Burgers with Onion Jam will do the trick. No, not because you’ll cry at how good burgers with this jam taste. I mean, you might. I almost did. It's just that the amount of raw onion slicing required will certainly bring a few tears to your eyes – and to anyone within a 10-foot radius of your kitchen.
Why are Smoked Gouda Burgers with Onion Jam the book-inspired recipe for...
What recipe does one pair with a book set in a crematory? I admit, this book-inspired recipe was a real stumper. I wanted something that relates to Smoke Gets In Your Eyes as closely as possible. And, yes, some recipes did come immediately to mind. However, I had to nix them pretty early on because, silly me, I also wanted something that wouldn’t completely gross out my readers when they finally realized the inspiration for the recipe. I'm all...
Fair warning, Tartlets: once you taste a Pineapple Mint Agua Fresca, it will be your new summer drink obsession. #SorryNotSorry I know a lot of people prefer alcoholic summery drinks (Rosé all day, and all that), but we at the Cottage aren't really a booze-lovin’ bunch. That said, I still enjoy a good refreshing drink, especially when I’m reading under my pergola during the sweltering New Jersey summers.
What is the book-inspired...
Do I really need to write a post about this Cardamom Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting? I mean, LOOK AT IT. A picture’s worth a thousand words, so I’m just gonna peace out for the rest of this post… KIDDING! Just kidding. I’ve been blogging for almost a whole year now; I know how all this works. I have to entice you to make this dessert through words and photos. Really, the best advertisement for this Cardamom Banana Cake is the fact...
You know what’s really hard to take pictures of, you guys? ICE CREAM. I’ve made ice cream before for the blog, and I think I managed to pull off some pretty good photos. This time, however, I got cocky, and I tried to do my Mint Chocolate Chip Hot Fudge Sundaes photo shoot after I got home from work. Since I’m basically awake around 4:30am each day, doing anything after work that involves patience and a modicum of creativity is not the...
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...
Brush up your Play-Doh skills, everyone! Because we’re baking Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies on the blog today. Colors are a big theme in The Things She's Seen. Beth sees beautiful, beckoning colors that she knows she should go toward ("the afterlife"), and Catching and Crow have "the colors" viciously torn out of them by the Feed. The concept of colors represents SO much in this incredible novel -- hope, strength, happiness, peace -- that I knew...
Chocolate Chip Cornbread Muffins are the breakfast appetizer you never knew you needed. Yes, breakfast appetizer. Stay with me.
My love affair with chocolate and cornbread... I first discovered how amazing chocolate and cornbread are together back in high school. My friends and I would visit a pancake house on our days off, and even though the restaurant served INSANELY large pancakes, you were given a basket of freshly baked, chocolate...
