The Best Turkey Club Sandwich in the World


Updated 05/22/12 5:50 AM · Posted by · 0 comments

How to Make the Best Club Sandwich

Club sandwiches, like burgers or fried chicken, come in a myriad of styles and spinoffs. Some prefer turkey to chicken, rye bread to white, or aioli to mayonnaise. This recipe isn't a true classic club, as it has avocado, cheese, and mustard, but I consider it to be the best. Here, smoky turkey and bacon complement the buttery flavors of the ripe avocado and cheddar cheese. This sandwich — Read more

A Texan Take on Blueberry Muffins


Updated 05/18/12 2:08 PM · Posted by · 1 comment

Blueberry Corn Muffins

As a food enthusiast growing up in Texas, it was blueberry muffins for breakfast and cornbread for dinner. I always wondered what would happen if the two collided — which is why I created this a rich, buttery cornbread muffin oozing with fresh blueberries. It's subtly sweet and surprisingly light on the palate. With a sour pungency from the Greek yogurt and a bright, floral flavor from the Read more

Discover Fenugreek With a Fast Peachy Salad


Updated 05/18/12 12:48 PM · Posted by · 2 comments

Goat Cheese and Peach Salad

Fenugreek, a spice used frequently in Indian cooking, might easily be confused with similar-sounding fennel seeds, but the likeness ends there. Fenugreek actually has a maple scent and a caramel flavor. It's primarily used in curries, but I like to use it to season everything from pickles and chutneys to breads and soups. Recently, I used it to bring out sweetness in a warm-weather salad. In this Read more

Dainty Vegan Teatime Cookies


Updated 05/17/12 4:49 PM · Posted by · 4 comments

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies With Chocolate Frosting

Warmer months mean lazy afternoon tea parties, and these thumbprint cookies are a dainty treat to add to the table. For added crunch and flavor, try rolling the crisp, crumbly shortbread in toasted, slivered almonds. Although vegan, the smooth, dark chocolate "buttercream" imparts rich, tart notes to the otherwise delicate cookie. Take a look at the fast and easy recipe. Read more

A Different Dinner Roll For the Table


Updated 05/17/12 4:49 PM · Posted by · 4 comments

Pain d'Epi Bread

If you've never had a pain d'epi, this pull-apart baguette is intended to mimic the appearance of the flower of the wheat stalk, or "epi" in French. Each little ear of wheat can be easily pulled apart, which makes this bread shape ideal to pass around the table at dinner parties or picnics. If you don't have time to create a sourdough bread starter, this overnight dough is the next best thing. Read more

Hash It Out With Sweet Potatoes


Updated 04/30/12 8:44 AM · Posted by · 1 comment

Sweet Potato Hash Brown Recipe

Everyone's had potato hash browns — either in patty form at McDonald's, from a mother's stove, or in an American diner where the dish is served up around the clock. One Sunday morning, I awoke with a hankering for hash browns, but I didn't have any potatoes on hand, only sweet potatoes. I figured sweet potatoes make great fries, so why not hash browns? If you want to pay homage to your Read more

Feel Like a Spring Chicken — and Feast on One, Too


Updated 04/30/12 8:44 AM · Posted by · 2 comments

Roast Chicken With Spring Vegetables Recipe

A whole roast chicken is one the easiest weekend meals to prepare; it's pretty hands-off, requires minimal cleanup, and usually yields plenty of leftovers for the rest of the work week. During the Winter, I keep this recipe pretty simple with potatoes and onions but once Spring has sprung, I love to add carrots, radishes, bell pepper, and even asparagus. To season the chicken, coat it in a Read more

Time to Party . . . With a Zesty Taco Salad


Updated 04/20/12 11:57 AM · Posted by · 2 comments

Easy Taco Salad

Taco night is a rarity in my house. For some reason, I just can't wrap my head around getting all the ingredients prepared and laying everything out for easy assembly. Fortunately, I found a way to get my fill of taco night flavors in a fast and easy (and healthy!) salad form. My recipes tend to be inspired by beautiful produce, and when I got my hands on some stunning purple radishes, I knew Read more

Adventures in Ingredients: Aloe Vera


Updated 04/19/12 3:36 PM · Posted by · 4 comments

Cooking With Aloe Vera

For weeks, I'd been eying these spiky succulent leaves at Berkeley Bowl. I always knew that aloe vera came from this common plant, but never thought I would actually need or want the opportunity to work with it myself. And then there's the whole issue of cooking with it and how to harvest it. It's popular in coconut water these days, but other than that, ingesting it is somewhat uncommon. But Read more

Pita Bread With Mint and Feta Is Unusually Satisfying


Updated 04/10/12 10:43 AM · Posted by · 3 comments

Pita Bread With Feta Cheese and Mint

Before you shake your head at this flavor combination, hear me out. Fresh mint and feta cheese are made for each other. Many of my friends have scoffed at the thought but were easily converted once they had the chance to try them out. Enveloped by a warm piece of pita, the salty cheese is woken up by the bright, aromatic flavor of the mint leaves. Finish it off with a drizzle of fruity Read more