Green Curry Chicken

Winner winner, chicken curry dinner.

Green Curry Chicken

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, sliced

1 red chili pepper, sliced into thin strips

3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

14 oz can coconut milk

3 tbsp Thai fish sauce

3 tbsp green curry paste

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 in ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 - 1 tbsp crushed red pepper, adjust for taste

6 oz snow peas

1-2 tbsp heavy cream

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pot and fry the onion over medium-low heat until soft, 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the peppers and fry for 2-3 minutes. Make a well in the center of the vegetables and add the chicken and brown.
3. Add the curry paste and stir together.
4. Add coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Stir together, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Add the snow peas and cook for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve with plenty of sticky white rice to soak up the liquid goodness.

Cherry Cheesecake

I have to admit that when it comes to some things in life I am somewhat of a purist. Things that fall into this category include, but are not limited to, chocolate, coffee, bourbon, and cheesecake. I believe there is no place for mint in my chocolate, flavoring in my coffee, froo-froo in my cocktails, or fruit sauce in my cheesecake. If something is good then it doesn't need all the jazzing up to be delicious, it should just be delicious in it's own right. Case and point: bud light is such a terrible beer they went and made bud light lime, because limes are yummy, bud light is shit beer. Got it? Good.

Now, after admitting that, I will say that is cherry cheesecake is just damn good. It's a stellar cheesecake recipe and the cherry sauce is on point. There is a fantastic pairing with these two together and I am completely willing to set my traditional purist heart aside and indulge in this delicious dessert. 

I found this cheesecake tutorial on The Kitchn by Emma Christensen and it provides an incredible step by step guide to making the ultimate foolproof cheesecake. There are a few key tricks to get a beautiful result that is free from cracks and lumps, and tastes delicious. This is my go to cheesecake recipe and gives you some great ideas for topping and ways to serve it to mix it up - what fun is it being a purist all the time anyway?

Cherry Cheesecake

adapted from thekitchn - How To Make Perfect Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:
2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For the topping:

16 ounces frozen sweet or sour cherries

1/3-1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower-middle position and take the cream cheese out of their boxes and let them warm on the counter for about 30 minutes while you prepare the crust.
2. Prepare a 9 inch springform pan by spraying with cooking spray or greasing generously with butter. At the same time, cut two large pieces of foil and lay them on your work surface perpendicular to on another; these will be used later to protect the water bath from ruining your creation as it bakes in the oven. 

Crust:

1. Next, prepare the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and chopped pecans in a bowl. Then grab the melted butter - you can melt it on the stove or in the microwave, just make sure it has cooled - and stir the butter into the crumb mixture. The mixture should hold together when you grab a clump with your fist, if it doesn't you can add a little more melted butter to get it to stick together but you don't want to add too much or the crust will be greasy.  
2. Press the crumb crust into the bottom of the springform pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is fragrant and just starting to brown around the edges. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

1. Now it's time to make the filling. Combine the warmed cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld mixer). Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is creamy, like thick frosting, and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Scrape down the beater and the sides of the bowl with a spatula a few times as it's mixing to ensure there's not large cream cheese clumps stuck on the bottom.
2. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy. Again, scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula.
3. With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Wait until the previous egg is just barely mixed into the batter before adding the next one. At first, the mixture will look clumpy and broken, but it will come together as the eggs are worked in.
4. Once the eggs are mixed in you can stir the whole batter a few times by hand, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl, to make sure everything is incorporated. The finished batter should be thick, creamy, and silky. Don't worry if you see a few specks of un-mixed cream cheese here and there; they will melt into the batter during baking and won't affect the finished cheesecake.

Pour in pan, water bath, and bake:

1. Check to make sure the crust and the sides of the pan are cool — if they're cool enough to comfortably touch, you can go on. Pour the batter over the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer against the sides of the pan.
2. Once the you've poured the filling into the pan, you can place the pan in the center of the foil you prepared earlier and wrap the foil up around the edges of the pan. Place the cheesecake in pan into a roasting pan or other baking dish big enough to hold it. Bring a few cups of water to a boil and pour the water into the roasting pan, being careful not to splash any water onto the cheesecake. Fill the pan to about an inch, or just below the lowest edge of foil.
3. Bake the cheesecake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. Cakes baked in a 10-inch pan will usually cook in 50 to 55 minutes; cakes in a 9-inch pan will cook in 55 to 60 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the outer two to three inches look slightly puffed and set, but the inner circle still jiggles (like Jell-o) when you gently shake the pan. Some spots of toasted golden color are fine, but if you see any cracks starting to form, move on to the next step right away.
4. Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake cool slowly for one hour.
5. After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, unwrap the foil, and transfer it to a cooling rack. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools). Let the cheesecake cool completely on the rack.
6. Chill the cheesecake, uncovered, for at least four hours or up to three days in the refrigerator. This step is very important for letting the cheesecake set and achieving perfect cheesecake texture, but I'd also be lying if I said I didn't skip it because I needed dessert on the table!

Topping:

1. While the cheesecake is cooling (or cooking) you can make the Cherry Topping. Place cherries in a large pot and add in sugar. Turn heat on med and allow cherries to get hot and start cooking down and releasing all of that yummy cherry juice. Stir often, if cherries stick to the pan you can add up to 2 tablespoons of water or lemon juice.
2. Mix water and corn starch together in a small bowl and add into the hot cherries.  Bring it to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. The topping will continue to thicken as it cools - you want it at room temperature when you pour it on the cheesecake. 

Assembly:

1. FINALLY, take the cheesecake out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to serve. Unmold the cake and top the cheesecake just before serving. Leftovers will keep, uncovered and refrigerated, for several days.

Gingerbread Cake with Nectarines

Every year I like to make my own birthday cake. There is something lovely about making and having the exact birthday cake you want and having the ability to add your own flare or last minute change that ordering a cake doesn't allow; besides, who eats store bought cake anymore anyway? I'm pretty sure it's just meant to hold the candles and then gets thrown away after the singing and birthday wish is over.

This year I am having dinner with a good friend for my birthday and decided to make cake in a jar to bring along. This worked out well because I have two lovely cakes to enjoy tomorrow after dinner and one large cake to sample today!

Two Pretty Cakes in Jars

Gingerbread Cake with Nectarines

I chose a gingerbread cake and altered the recipe to include fresh nectarines baked in and the result was wonderful. The cake has a light and moist texture that holds together very well. It's not too sweet and the ginger is very noticeable but not overwhelming. The addition of nectarines is quite nice as it gives it some added flavor and texture that cake on its own would be lacking - just like sprinkles would do!

Gingerbread Cake with Fresh Nectarines

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 fresh nectarines, cut into 1/4" pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray, or grease and flour, 9" square baking dish (I used two 1 cup jars and 1 8 x 10" Pyrex dish that worked perfectly but the recipe should work fine in most baking dishes as long as you adjust the baking time accordingly).
2. In a small bowl combine all dry ingredients and give it a quick whisk to break up any lumps.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and follow with molasses.
4. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until smooth and incorporated. Once combined you can mix in the hot water.
5. Pour half of the batter into prepared dish(s) and sprinkle diced nectarines over the top. Add the second half of the batter and smooth the top with rubber spatula. 
6. Bake until it smells good and cake tester comes out clean. My 8 x 10" took about 45 minutes and the jars took about 25 minutes. 
7. Serves with ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, fruit glaze, whatever you like! Please don't judge my obvious use of whipped cream from the can. Desperate times call for desperate measures. You know you're guilty too. 

Gingerbread Cake with Nectarines and Cream

Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me... 

Time to Make Lemonade

It's amazing how many times in life we find ourselves starting over. We get a impulse and run with some supposed wildly successful idea - 'of course this bathroom remodel will work out' - and then somewhere in this plans enactment we see it: certain failure. This happens so, SO often in life. It can be something as small as trying out a new hairstyle you saw on pinterest or huge like opening your own business or moving to a new city. I can't say that I am completely comfortable with this roller coaster of success and failure that the ride of life involves, but I do know that those who step out and take these risks are living a much richer life. 

I feel like the unpredictability of life has a lot in common with what you experience in the kitchen. There are things you're familiar with - cinnamon, chocolate chip cookies, scrambled eggs, baked potatoes; and then there are things that make you uncomfortable - tofu? fois gras? flambe? rack of lamb? Depending on your background, what makes you comfortable and what makes your heart rate skyrocket will be different but it's continual pursuit of pushing the limits, despite possible/past failure, that makes you an incredible chef. That word, "chef," carry's so much more than "cook." When you say "chef" it lets the world know that in the face of judgement, failure, uncertainty, this person is quite literally blinded in his, or her, passion for food and stretching the definition of what it encompasses will forever provoke them to try again and again. 

There are many lessons to learn in the kitchen, far beyond the baking formula, proper meat cooking temperatures, and chicken deconstruction that will enrich your life above and beyond your wildest expectations.

This lesson of trying again and starting over is one I'm learning now. I can't say I've enjoyed every moment, or that it's going all that well, but I am certain that I will come out a better person in the end. I know these are far from the last do-over's I'll find myself embarking on, but in the end it makes my life so much more real and earned.

Plus, I'll have some great stories to tell when I'm old and gray.

Pudding Cookies - Good to be Home

So I've been back home in Alaska for about two weeks now after 3 years in Minnesota, and my heart is slowly easing back into it's rightful place; it feels good.

I tried so hard to make the Midwest feel like home and somehow it just never fit and I feel such a relief after accepting that it's just not my cup of tea. Since returning home I am reminded how wonderful it is to be a wanderer, to adventure, to not have all the questions answered.

I'm slowly coming around to the idea of going to culinary school in the fall instead of the more responsible, safe pathway of an MBA I was considering and allowing myself to be me and still be figuring it out. It's somewhat comical actually because after being somewhat of a nerd in high school and doing fairly well in college and finally spending two years employed at the Mayo Clinic, I am much more interested in having a significantly less defined, professional career. and in Alaska I have examples, and support in this style of life which is incredibly liberating. Although, when someone asks me what my end goal is or what my physical address is I literally have no concrete answers which never fails to befuddle him or her. 

"So you're just... living all over and working where you can for as long as you want?"

"Yep."

"Oh... that sounds so nice..."

And you know, aside from the occasional panic I feel about not having a plan, it really is quite wonderful.

So yesterday I went on a Forrest Gump kind of walk. You know, the kind of walk where you just head out and then, all of the sudden, it's two hours later and you're realizing that maybe flip flops were not the best choice in footwear. 

It was completely worth it.

I walked and walked and thought I might come up with some answers, but I didn't. All I was left with was knowing that right now I'm in the right place and some very sore feet.

I'm reading a book right now on how important the location and culture of the city you live is so much more important now than it ever was before. It's called Who's Your City? and it talks about the evolution of information sharing, ease of travel, and metropolitan expansion vs rural stagnancy, and how these things influence the culture and lifestyle of different cities. I'm not too far, but as a wondering soul, I am very curious to see what Richard Florida thinks about where I should live. 

Here's what I know my requirements are so far:

• transient demographic - I love being surrounded by people from all kinds of cities who are similar to me in searching for their life's next adventure. It not only makes for more interesting conversation, but it also inspires me to do more of my own adventuring - we only get one life, it might as well be exciting.
• outdoor activities readily available - I need to be outside. I don't need to summit mountains or spend months camping, foraging, or "roughing it," but I do need to be able to go hiking, downhill skiing, and have the occasional bonfire.
• NO TORNADOES - after the Midwest, I am sick and tired of some freak storm whipping though and taking down my entire life's possessions in one fell swoop. How anyone lives anywhere near tornado alley is beyond me and I'm sorry, but the panic and uncertainty that taints what should be an enjoyable spring and summer season with devastation and sorrow is not something I'm signing up for. No, thank you.
• foodie culture - I love food - have I mentioned that? - and I need to be around people who enjoy it the way I do. 
• family - having family nearby is a huge perk. After all, they are the best and most loyal friends I've got. Plus, travelling for the holiday's is a bitch.

With that said, have you ever tried pudding cookies?

Pudding Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 (3.4 oz) package of instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups AP Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips, adjust to your taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl of stand mixer, or large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add in pudding mix and stir until well blended. Add in eggs and vanilla.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt and gradually mix in to the wet ingredients - I like to do this part by hand to avoid over mixing.
4. Just before dry ingredients are entirely combined, begin to add in chocolate chips. Stir until flour mixture and chips are fully incorporated.
5. Scoop into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet with a Silpat if you have one, if not, directly onto the cookie sheet is fine. 
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges just begin to brown and let cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before placing on cooling rack.

If these don't make you feel at home, then I don't know what will.

Enjoy!

THE oatmeal raisin cookie

I found it. I really, truly found it. I found the best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. As an avid baker I have often been stumped by oatmeal raisin cookies. It seems like every time I set out to make them I never have to right kind of oats rolled? old fashioned? quick-cooking? instant?. It's like some curse was cast on me so that I am always ill prepared for this kind of cookie; this is not the case for chocolate chip - I always find the ingredients for chocolate chip, regardless of who's kitchen I'm in. And if by some miracle I do find all the right ingredients the cookies look great fresh out of the oven and then immediately flatten into some lumpy, dark mound, moist mess which are impossible to remove from the sheet either because A) they have spread out so far they are not one giant gooey mass, or B) they disintegrate instantly upon contacting the spatula to place them on the cooking rack.

So what's different about this recipe? There is one ingredient that solves all the road blocks stopping my oatmeal raisin cookies from obtaining perfection: corn syrup. Now I know it's not the most popular pantry staple out there with some of the recent health crazes out there but it's one tablespoon and it seriously works plus, you're eating a cookie, if you really wanted to be healthy you'd be having an apple instead. The corn syrup helps keep these cookies soft and chewy for several days and creates an incredible texture for the perfect cookie.

Try them for yourself, the proof is in the cookie.

THE Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbls corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups oats (I did 50% quick cooking and 50% old fashioned)
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter, shortening, and sugars. When evenly mixed together add in eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. 

Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. 

Finally, mix in the oats and raisins.

Drop cookies onto baking sheet, flatten out slightly if you prefer a less mounded cookie, and bake for 9 minutes until edges are just golden brown.

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes and then move them to a cooling rack by 'cooling rack' I mean your hand where you can immediately begin enjoying every morsel.

Enjoy!

Berry Pie Bars

I have a serious question: does it, I mean really does it, get much better than Berry Pie Bars? This is a serious question that can only be answered with one serious answer; and that answer is, No. It certainly does not. 

This time of year always makes me feel like the weather is playing tricks on me. I love the spring weather, and those first warm rays of sun that start to awaken the earth. You feel like you can hardly take one more minute of winter and then one day the clouds break, the birds chirp, and everything begins to melt.

It's really a beautiful time and every year at this time I get inspired to clean out my freezer and make room for the coming seasons fresh crops. Inevitably, I will open my freezer and find a bag of berries that were stored away just in case a reminder of summer was needed during the drudge through winter. When spring finally arrives, there is no better way to put that last bit of berries to use than Berry Pie Bars.

This recipe came from Chew Out Loud and I liked it not only because it makes a 9x13, which, let's all admit, is absolutely necessary when it's been dark and cold so long, but also because it uses greek yogurt so you can at least feel a little bit better when you have three because you will want three.

Very Berry Pie Bars

Ingredients:

• For the crust and topping:
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1½ cup white sugar
• Zest of one large lemon
• 1½ cups salted butter, cold
• 
  
• For the filling:
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• ⅛ tsp salt
• Juice of one large lemon
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 30 oz any mixture of fresh blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease a 9x13 pan along bottom and sides. Set aside.
2. In bowl of a food processor, lightly pulse together the flour, sugar, and lemon zest just until blended. Cut cold butter into slices and add to bowl. With a few short pulses, cut the butter into flour mixture just until mixture is crumbly. Small bits of butter remaining is fine. (You can also use a pastry cutter if you don't have a food processor.) Set aside 1½ cups of the flour/butter mixture for the topping. Pour the rest of the mixture into bottom of prepared baking pan. Press firmly for an even layer of crust on bottom of pan. (You can cover your hand with saran wrap or a plastic bag to keep the crust from sticking to your fingers.) Bake crust about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove baked crust from oven, but keep oven on.
3. Combine eggs, sugar, Greek yogurt, flour, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Carefully fold in the berries with rubber spatula. Gently spread filling over the baked crust. Sprinkle reserved topping over the filling, to make an even layer of crumble topping.
4. Bake about 75 min to 90 min or until topping turns golden and bars are set. Cool completely at room temp before putting in fridge to chill. Chill several hours or overnight. Cut and serve cold.

Time for Change

Someone, many years ago, gave me some advice that has resonated with me more consistently than I anticipated. He said to me, "You can't have progress without change." At this point in life I had spent my first year of college in Reno and I knew it wasn't the right place for me. I was thinking of transferring to a new school and trying not to regret the year I felt I'd wasted; he gave me these words to let me know that change was not something to fear, but an adventure to embrace and a sign of moving forward. Since then my life has been filled with change, experience, and occasional regret. I find I can't seem to stay in one city or job for more than three years and usually after the first two I become bored and unsatisfied and again search for something different. 

So here I am, once again in the middle of change, still searching for life purpose. I left my job and rented my house and am moving home, once again, to remember who I am. My mom told me once that there are three important things in life: your career life, your home life, and your love life. When more than one of them isn't going well, life get's really tough. This piece of advice never really provided me with consolation as much as it did awareness. I started noticing how each of these areas of my life were doing and began to understand why I felt so unhappy. It's good to consciously think about how life is in this way because when you see that an area is not going well, it's easier to consider what areas you can change in order to make it better. I started to look at my life and realized that I was in a career I didn't like, in a city I didn't enjoy, and dating someone who didn't make me feel good. No wonder I felt miserable. Side Explanation:  If you're wondering why I would even continue trying in this place when it was so terrible for me and I can explain it with a few words: there was a guy. I took a job and right away met someone I was interested in, but he didn't feel the same way; I started seeing someone else to have a friend to go do things with while still hoping something would change with guy #1. As I waited and nothing changed I became more depressed and anxious and finally accepted that I needed to give up and move on; I needed change.

It turns out that you can't really control your love life. You can end something you have, but you can't necessarily force Mr. Right to appear when and where you think he should. There is an element of making yourself available and being seen which can help, but, ultimately, you can't hurry love. So what can you control? Career and home. I'm in the process of figuring these two out which is essentially self discovery; and I think you you find people you're most compatible with when you're doing things that you love in a place you want to be. It's important to be on track with yourself in order to have the most fulfilling relationships, I think this is a big part of what I was missing the last few years.

So in this process of self discovery, what do I know?

I know that I love food and am somewhat of a snob about it. I have come to terms with this fact and fully embrace the reality that I do not like fast food (In & Out and Chipotle do not fall into this category), cheap beer is solely meant for rodeos, other sporting events and along with take-out Chinese food, and I would rather go hungry than eat something that involved little to no effort or is served at a buffet more involved than just salad. 

I know that I need people, interesting people, in my life everyday. I want to interact with individuals who have traveled and seek adventure. I need to be challenged to explore and discover new opportunities and ways of thinking. I want to know what is out there that I haven't yet experienced and find out how to see it for myself. I enjoy a transient culture far better than one that is consistent and predictable. 

I know that I want to fall in love and have kids someday. I want to meet someone who I am uncontrollable in love with who makes me nervous and challenges me, yet doesn't push me away but strives to continually evoke my curiosity and interest. Someone I can laugh with.

I know that being active and fit is important to me and that I want someone who encourages and enjoys this part of life as much as I do.

So there you have it, my life lessons and what I know so far. I'm sure there is more to learn from what's behind and more to gain from what's ahead. Here's to looking forward.

Classic Pesto

When spring finally shows it's face and the sun brings enough warmth to melt the snow there is one thing you must do: make pesto. I know this is somewhat nonsensical "why would you make pesto when basil hasn't even begun to grow?" but the bright flavor of basil and warm heartiness of the pine nuts and cheese is such a perfect way to welcome the new season. 

This was my first attempt at making pesto and it was a complete success. I had some good olive oil from an Italian market and a lot of pine nuts I'm pretty sure anyone who's bought pine nuts at Costco understands this situation and when I saw the large containers of basil at Trader Joe's, the next step was obvious.

I found this blog that was incredibly helpful for a novice pesto maker. It's a good overview and gives a basic recipe for pesto that I adjusted slightly. One of the best features of pesto is its versatility in creation and utility. The blog gave many examples of alternative ingredients and, now that I've mastered the classic recipe, I expect I'll experiment with all kinds of styles in the future. Something this recipe certainly made me appreciate is the spiciness that fresh garlic has. It's incredibly powerful, and while I've thought of it as being bitter, I've never really considered the spice it has. What an incredibly deep flavor. Those Greeks and Italians really know what's up. That's all I have to say.

So without further ado, I give you Classic Pesto:

Classic Pesto

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pine nuts
3-4 garlic cloves
2.5 oz basil leaves (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan or other nutty cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, blend together basil, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing, and then add in salt and pepper. Scrape down the sides and pulse once more to make sure it's well-blended.

Storage:

Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you plan to use it after 1 week, portion the pesto in an ice cube tray and cover with a shallow layer of olive oil and freeze.

all about color - fried rice and other good for you essentials

One trend that seems to be consistent in all good and good for you food is the presence of color. You see red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow peppers, purple radicchio, golden beets, and a myriad of other flavorful accouterments intermingled with leafy greens, beige quinoa, bright orange sweet potatoes. Whenever you are putting something good in your body it's healthful benefits seem to be recognizable in the colorful display your food shows. I often use this rule when putting together a dish; if I am uncertain or it just doesn't quite look "pretty enough" I start to think of what color, what nutrient, what garnish is needed to finish my creation. 

Do you have soy-balsamic glazed chicken in front of you? maybe it needs a few scallions or a sprinkle of sesame seed on top. Did you make creamy butternut squash soup? maybe it could you a few Gorgonzola crumbles and a sprig of fresh sage. How about a quick salad you put together on the fly for lunch? It's got leafy greens, tomato, carrots, red onion... maybe add in a scoop of sunflower seeds.

Those are just a few examples, really the possibilities are endless. So try it out! add color, add flavor, mix it up and get creative and see what kinds of fabulous you come up with. Feel free to comment and let me know what ways you find to add color to your favorite meals, and best wishes in your culinary creations.

Healthful Fried Rice (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbls olive oil
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/4 large red onion
• 1 bunch green beans, cut into 1/2" 
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 egg
• 1-2 oz cheddar, shredded
• salt and pepper to season

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over med-high heat. Add carrot, onion, and green beans and saute 4-5 minutes.
2. When vegetables are sauteed and still slightly crisp, add the brown rice and mix into vegetables until the rice is heated through.
3. After rice is heated through, crack the egg over the the top of the mixture and immediately stir to combine. The egg will integrate throughout the rice and vegetables as you stir; you should not have any big pieces of egg in the pan.
4. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover the pan for 1-2 minutes while the heat from the pan melts the cheese; when the cheese is fully melted, serve hot and enjoy!

Soy Balsamic Glazed Chicken Legs

I have realized the reason I have never been successful at making a blog before. When I'm indulging myself in food blogs, seeing what's new and tasty out on the internet, I always see these wonderful step-by-step photos that look incredible and give such an amazing description of how the recipe is put together I think Pioneer Woman started this. It's so handy to see what the ingredients should look like as you go "Did I reach the softball stage yet? Should I have bought a thermometer? What does 'softball stage' mean anyhow?" and this is something I've greatly appreciated about Halmost every blog I frequent. How on earth do they get such wonderful photos as they go? When I start cooking there is no time for photography. I find a recipe most fitting for first my cravings, and second what I already have on hand, and then I turn my brain on to partial capacity and let my senses take the wheel. I begin with a general idea of the process and a definite hunger in mind. As I work through the recipe things slowly come together and I make changes based on what my instincts tell me: more seasoning, more bite, more heat, more BUTTER, etc, and most of the time it's pretty incredible (not to toot my own horn or anything..)

So within this process, this aimless culinary safari, I usually completely omit the documentation step. I become enthralled with the end product and by the time the creating is done, I am beyond hungry. I am starved, excited, anxious, RAVENOUS. And hell if I'm getting a camera to take some fancy photo before indulging in my plate of delicious. 

I sit down and I enjoy every bite. I contemplate, I analyze, I quench, and oh man is it good. By the time I'm done eating and my plate is clean the thought usually dances through my mind, "Oh wow, that was really good. I should have taken pictures and put them in a blog or something." And then I just go for seconds and move on with my life. 

There have been countless meals, quick breads, snakes, and treats where this situation has replayed itself and, seeing that it's a habit I am powerless to shake, I give you Soy Balsamic Glazed Chicken Legs.

Soy Balsamic Glazed Chicken Legs

Ingredients:

• 6-8 chicken drumsticks, skin on
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbls chili paste or Sriracha
• 1 tbls molasses or honey
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (you can use 1 tsp of fresh if you want)
• 2 tbsp scallions, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
• White rice (sub chicken broth for water)

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, brown the chicken on high for 3-4 minutes (use oil or butter if using skinless legs). While legs are browning combing water, vinegar, soy sauce, chili paste, molasses, garlic, and ginger in a separate bowl.
2. When legs are browned, add the soy-balsamic mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and allow the sauced to reduce down for 8-10 more minutes, turning the chicken occasionally. 
3. Once the sauce is reduced to a glaze and the chicken is cooked through, transfer the legs to a serving platter and pour the glaze over the top. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds or completely forget this step because it was so tasty at this point that you forgot the garnish and just started stuffing your face.
4. Serve over white rice.

i love food.

I love food. I truly do. The biggest struggle I've had in my life is most surely how to make food a career that involves just as much variety and exploration as my heart desires. This may seem obvious, "Why don't you open your own restaurant?" but any successful restaurant can only take so many risks and make so many menu changes before people start needing some consistency "Do you still make that risotto I had in November, that was incredible".

Regardless of amount, quality, hunger, meal, or ethnicity, food is essential to life and absolutely necessary to continue day in and day out. There are no doubt a myriad of struggles and successes all of us will face in our journeys but one thing is true among every being on the planet and that is the necessity of food. This requirement has always held some amount of beauty to me: this one element unites us all and gives us something to come together over. I can't help but think there is purpose in this design and pleasure in it's realization. If the pure bliss of high quality chocolate or crippling sensation of fall-off-the-bone ribs or simple pleasure of a homemade apple pie was not enough, the fact that we all need food to survive is enough to make me want to taste and learn more.

With this deep passion for food and desire for widespread variation I've decided to start a blog. My knowledge of cooking and baking is ever growing and there's no sense in keeping all this good information to myself. So here it is, this is my food, my passion, and my love. It will fill your bellies, warm your soul, and help surround your table with friends, family, and love.

Best wishes and happy tummies to all who find time to enjoy my blog.