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By Adrianna, July 31, 2009

When I think of trends, what usually first comes to mind is stuff like Von Dutch trucker hats, faux hawks…and, uh, wearing your pants backwards (for all my 90s kids). Basically, stuff that I want nothing to do with–so when I heard about the lines spiraling around the block for this Korean taco truck, I was a bit reluctant to check it out.  But it’s a relentless little truck and seeing it EVERYWHERE–including last month’s Bon Appetit and Food and Wine– started to whittle me down and soon I couldn’t deny the take over of Kogi. So I decided it was time.

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By Caroline, July 21, 2009

As a rule, I’m not a big fan of potato salad. Don’t get me wrong, I love potatoes and I love cool, summery salads, especially at barbeques or picnics. There’s really only one thing that stands between me and your standard potato salad: mayonnaise. I hate, let me repeat, HATE mayonnaise. I can stomach a little of it when its dressed up as an aioli and LIGHTLY spread on a sandwich. I will also overlook mayo when used to make deviled eggs, because those suckers are tasty. However, drowning cooked potatoes in the stuff is just a waste of perfectly good potatoes in my opinion.

So, when a friend asked me to bring a potato salad to her 4th of July barbeque, I set out to find an alternative recipe that would be mayo-less. Searching through my pile of cookbooks I eventually got the idea for an oil & mustard dressing. Ahhh..mustard, how I love thee. Unlike mayonnaise, I could eat mustard with a spoon and be content.

The combination of mustard and relish create a light and tasty salad that doesn’t overshadow or drown the potatoes in unnecessary dressing. Another great bonus to not having mayo is that this salad can sit out all day at a barbeque without the risk of it going bad.

A note on the potatoes: I’m calling this Red White & Blue potato salad, and Chase was very quick to point out that the “blue” potatoes are in fact purple, not blue. My answer is that in the potato world, purple is as close to blue as you’re gonna get, so just deal with it. If someone has a moral dilemma with calling these potatoes blue when they are in fact a different color, by all means feel free to change the name to whatever you please.

Red, White & Blue Potato Salad

1 ½ pounds new potatoes (any color) scrubbed and quartered
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons course ground or whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sweet relish
¼ cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
½ cup fresh chopped parsley

Gently boil potatoes until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain completely.
Meanwhile, mix together vinegar, mustards, relish, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add dressing to hot potatoes and gently toss together. Allow to cool, and add parsley. If the potatoes are too dry, add a little more oil.

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By Caroline, July 15, 2009

I am a big fan of simplicity. One of the best things about living in a small apartment in a big city is that it encourages simplifying your life. I can only own so many clothes, so much furniture, so many gadgets, gizmos and “stuff” because quite frankly, I have a finite amount of space to put it all in.

I love it. I love that I have no need to buy furniture, because there’s no room to put it. I love that I can sweep & vacuum my entire apartment in 10 minutes flat, and spend the rest of the afternoon on the couch reading a magazine.

Continue reading 'Goat Cheese and Apple Tart'»

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By Adrianna, July 10, 2009

When I was kid, the only thing my mom trusted me with in the kitchen was the salad.  So every night, right before dinner was to be served, I was asked to come in the kitchen and make this bland, boring salad.  I’d reluctantly tear up the lettuce, cut a tomato and cucumber and it’d be done—it was the easiest chore I had to do, but that memory has resulted in me being a non-salad eater. People love salads—me? Not so much. When I go to a restaurant, the salad section is usually not even an option for me, unless it’s a caprese salad, which isn’t really even a salad, it’s more like a cold appetizer. So I’m scarred for life—no salads for me…until…my trip to Raleigh, NC last month where I tried this incredible salad at Firebirds.

Continue reading 'Grilled Shrimp & Strawberry Salad'»

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By Caroline, July 5, 2009

A few weeks ago a friend of mine had a bad case of poison oak. I mean, he was COVERED. He was in fact so covered that he had to go to the hospital. Now, if anyone you know has to go the hospital because of poison oak, the least you can do is bake cookies for him. At least, that’s how I feel. I asked my friend what kind of cookies he preferred and without hesitation he said “double chocolate chip.”

Coincidentally, my mother had recently sent me a recipe for Ooey Gooey Double Chocolate cookies from Milk in Los Angeles, so I decided to give them a try. To be clear: I have never been to Milk; I couldn’t find it on a map if my life depended on it. However, I LOVE this place. I would go there every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even a mid-day snack, all because of these chocolate pieces of heaven.

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By Adrianna, July 1, 2009

My past few posts have been pretty labor-intensive: 3 hr. Bolognese; Hand-rolled Pici Pasta—I hope you guys don’t think I’m trying to slave you to death! So this time I decided to give you a recipe that seems like it would take a super long time, but is actually totally doable.  If you make this, you might be met with dinner party guests saying:  “Oooolala, homemade mozzarella?! Man, you’re super cool.” They’ll think you’re a total rock star, which you are—so let’s make this recipe and have everybody thinking you’re like Jimi Hendrix on the base.

Continue reading '30 Minute Mozzarella'»