I mentioned I’m working with Spice to Meet You, a monthly home delivery spice service, and I was super fortunate to shoot some cooking demos for them! The first installment (do you recognize that kitchen??) is on California Summer Spice Shrimp Salad. Head on over to Spice to Meet You for the full recipe!
Vacation cocktails are the best kind
It’s hard for me to celebrate TOO much that today starts the weekend because last Friday I was sunning myself on a hot beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sigh. I guess if every day was vacation then it wouldn’t be as special… I’d gladly give it a try, though.
Today’s post is a mini one, just some links around the interwebz you might enjoy.
I could never live my whole life this way, but something about this super healthy blog has me transfixed. (Undressed Skeleton)
This month’s issue of Martha Stewart Living is the Summer Food Issue and I seriously want to lick every. single. page. Just go buy it already.
I made this fancy tuna melt (with lemon, olive oil, capers, and freshly shaved parmesan on baguette slices) for dinner last night and it was out of this world. (TheKitchn)
Have you heard of a cronut? It’s a CROISSANT/DONUT and I’ve never wanted anything so much in my whole life. Just saying: my birthday is in 2 months and someone should probably start working on getting me one right. now.
The whopper of a flop food festival The Great GoogaMooga is this weekend in Brooklyn if you care to venture out… or you could read all my reasons NOT to go and then eat at a nice restaurant instead.
Filed under Miscellaneous
I get to do some pretty cool things being a blogger, and most of them are totally random. I’ve tested recipes, sampled peanuts, attended luncheons, and sampled all manner of new apps. Admittedly, I’m not at Supreme Food Blogger status quite yet (yes, that’s a thing, and yes, I made it up) so the products I’m offered are occasionally strange and sometimes not great. Okay… most times not great.
So when the folks from the Cooking Planit app approached me, I expected more of the same.
I was dead wrong.
The app was clearly designed by people who actually cook in their kitchens. It’s basically an app full of recipes but with ease and efficiency at the root of it. Below I break down my favorite features:
1. Ingredients list: How annoying is it to hand copy your grocery list from a cookbook or website? And I inevitably forget something. Or the recipe calls for a LARGE onion but I wrote down “onion” and I get home and realize I have to go back out because my onion is tiny. Cooking Planit lets you download a grocery list right to your phone. You’re like YAWN I also need Rice Krispies, shampoo, and Oreos. You can edit the grocery list within the app, too! So smart, right?
2. Voice prompts: This has to be my favorite feature. I think the iPad might be the greatest thing to happen to cooking in the past 10 years, but I’m always super aware of getting it dirty. To remedy this? Cooking Planit devised a way to just say, “NEXT” and you’re on to the next step in the recipe. No swiping necessary.
3. Timing: The app tells you EXACTLY how long everything takes. It’s a pet peeve of mine when a recipe purports to take 30 minutes to cook but a step within the recipe is “cook until liquid is reduced by half.” Um… cookbook writers? This occasionally takes FOREVERRRR. Cut to me serving dinner at 9:46PM. The Cooking Planit app has an actual clock and timer that updates as you go. And if you’re going to fast? They’ll send up an alert to let you know the dish might not come out as planned if you continue to rush through it.
In short, this app is awesome. You can test it out for free and buy it for a super low price to gain access to all the recipes (which is ridiculously extensive). Go to CookingPlanit.com for more information.
Filed under Cooking, Miscellaneous
It seems as if whenever December 31st rolls around, my friends and I all say, “Ugh, GOOD RIDDANCE! Next year will be so much better!” But you know what? This year I truly believe it. In 2012 I lost my job, and I’m already starting out 2013 knowing I have a new one (heyooooo). And it’s way better. Just saying.
So thank you for all of your kindness, readership, and support this past year! Here’s to a bigger, better (lucky) 2013!
A light spring risotto with shrimp
Still the most popular post on Food E.: pancakes!
A delicious summer meal, totally vegetarian
My second favorite restaurant meal of the year: Red Rooster Harlem
The most amazing meal I’ve ever had: Per Se
A Christmas cocktail not to be missed: cranberry pomegranate bellinis
Filed under Miscellaneous, Recipes
… and that’s because in my day job I’m a publicist for romance novels. That’s right. You heard me.
So this week I’m attending the Romance Writers of America conference in sunny Anaheim, CA. Apologies for the lack of posts but I wanted to drop you a quick note to remind you to check out my Pinterest page! I pin tons of recipes, including my own, and even some wedding dresses I would like to someday wear. But you can ignore those and focus on the food.
Have a lovely (romantic…) weekend, my friends!
Filed under Miscellaneous, Recipes
