Have you ever read something that was so ludicrous, so insane, so out of place, that you read and re-read it before you were able to figure out that you aren't the crazy one? If you have never had the pleasure of encountering something quite this hilariously crazy, let me tell you about what happened to me last week. It's started out pretty normal. A request for a quote came to my company, it landed on my desk. I briefly noticed that it wasn't from a customer I recognized, so I stuck it on the back of my pile of work. I finally got to this quote request, and started to read a list of items. Before we go forward, I'd like to note, for those who don't know this yet, that I sell … [Read more...]
Kasha with Onions and Mushrooms…and a Cookbook Review
Often when I read cookbooks, I make mental notes such as "I'll make this when I have lots of spare time" or "I'll make this when I have guests and don't want to serve something too dietetic." Rarely do I read cookbooks thinking "I must make this!" and "Wow I really want to try that!" Those of you that have been reading this blog for a while know this already, but for those who don't, let me explain how I cook: super fattening and over-indulgent desserts which I don't touch because I am perpetually on a diet and then I make relatively healthy real food, which is what I eat because I am perpetually on a diet. Pay attention. Back to cookbooks, here's why that was important to know: I finally … [Read more...]
Guest Post: Caprese Panini
I am spending the majority of my (non-work) waking hours in the kitchen, baking up a bunch of the most amazing treats you've ever seen! I can't wait to share them with you, but that requires time- something I don't have this week. Instead, my friend Tova B. is showing you folks how to make a delicious looking Panini. I dunno about all of you, but after reading this I have been craving Panini. I can't wait to try this recipe! If you want to contact Tova you can email me and I will forward it on to her. _________________________________________________________________ I love this recipe because it really is all about your own taste. The ingredients are simple, but the measurements of them … [Read more...]
Spinach Stuffed Roasted Chicken
Let's talk for a couple of minutes about memory. No, not memories, as in I spent quality time with my family and formed lovely memories. I mean digital memory. I know I'm quite young, but no topic in the world does more to make me feel like an old grandma than this one. Let's go back and talk about my first encounter with digital media. It was seven years ago when I first purchased a digital camera. By today's standards it was a piece of junk, but in those days it was a top of the line camera. It had 5 megapixels and came with a 32 megabyte card. After spending a bundle on a camera, I didn't want to drop the additional cash on a larger card. I opted instead to use my 32 MB … [Read more...]
Spicy Baked Zucchini Sticks
Spicy Baked Zucchini Sticks are bursting with flavor and so easy to make! ***Before we start – have you signed up for my email newsletters? You’ll get new recipes, cooking tips, menu suggestions, kitchen deals – and more! Click here to signup.*** Last week I discussed how a certain food has come to be associated with a memory. Little did I imagine that just a couple of days later, I would accidentally stumble on to another food with deep memories attached. It started when I saw zucchini on sale at my local grocery store. I wasn't sure what to do with them, but I bought a big bag and decided that I would figure it out. I started to cut them into wedges, probably out of laziness, … [Read more...]
Spiced Corn Fritters
I know it's just the beginning of February, but one can hardly blame me for making summer food. Last week, I went out for my daily lunch-break walk (hey, it's better than nothing!) with no coat. In February. In New York City. It was surreal, but absolutely amazing. And now, I can't get this out of my head. It's practically spring, which means it's basically summer. Which means it's time for frozen concoctions, grilled recipes, and corn. So what if I am totally jumping the gun here? These fritters are made with a bag of frozen corn. (Shh. Don't tell anyone.) And they're super easy to make. Forget our friend the groundhog and his little prediction of doom. And don't worry about summer being … [Read more...]
Broccoli Kugel Muffins
I recently posed the question on twitter: "how does one describe broccoli kugel to non-Kosher eating folks?" For someone like me, who grew up eating kosher, Jewish style foods, kugel is a no-brainer. But when you stop and think about it, try to determine how one can define kugel, it gets infinitely complicated. Is it a side dish? Maybe. Is it savory? Occasionally. A sweet dish? Can be. Something eaten on Shabbos (sabbath)? Often times. Is there one blanket definition of kugel? Sadly not. So while my Jewish readers will probably know exactly what a broccoli kugel is, it may be perplexing to my non-Jewish readers. What exactly is a broccoli kugel, you may be asking yourself. Well, … [Read more...]
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
I am a recovering soup-aholic. Don't get me wrong. I still love soup, enjoy soup, even crave soup. But there was a point in my life when all I wanted every day, all day, was soup. This was in the days before I spent quite so much time in the kitchen, so most of the soup I consumed during that period of my life was bought. Here's the funny thing about store bought soup, though. You can order something very benign sounding, such as "vegetable soup" or "broccoli soup" and instead of a healthy dish, you just inadvertently consumed half of your daily allotment of calories. If I had tasted this soup in a restaurant or any other food establishment, I would have been wracked with guilt, convinced … [Read more...]
Healthy (Mock) Breaded Cauliflower
Healthy Mock Breaded Cauliflower is crispy and delicious, without all that fat! It's Chanukah now, which means that most of my readers, particularly the Jewish ones, will be expecting all kinds of deep fried delicacies to appear on the front page of this blog. After all, what kind of good Jewish girl isn't making latkes and donuts now? Okay, so I won't go so far as to say that I am not making any fried goodies this week. In fact, I have a whole bunch of deliciousness up my sleeve, (or in my frying pan, as the case may be). Hopefully, those will be here soon. But in the meantime, I figured I would preempt the unhealthy treats with my latest veggie creation. I think obsessed is a … [Read more...]
Baked Butternut Squash Fries
While the majority of my job involves sales, I work on sales on a corporate level, so it's also a matter of building relationships with people, keeping customers happy, and other aspects of customer care. And while my company has a very loyal base of happy and completely satisfied customers, we are human, and like every company there's glitches that pop up and issues that happen and customers that get upset. And it's my job to deal with those unhappy people. And if an unhappy customer who spent a hundred dollars is a problem, you can imagine that an unhappy customer who spent a hundred thousand dollars is about a thousand times more of a problem. But it happens. And we deal with it. And … [Read more...]