When it comes to dinner I don’t often cook. I know that may seem a little crazy but it’s actually not the cooking that deters me, it’s the dang cleaning, man. I feel like I spend at least 75% of my life cleaning stuff. And things are still dirty! So, yeah when it comes to weeknight meals I don’t always cook.
My recent obsession is this restaurant in Los Angeles’ Thai Town called Pa Ord. It’s just one of those restaurants that fits the bill when it comes to price (it’s way cheap), delicious and interesting and somewhat close by (very important in LA #traffic). And every time I go it’s the same: one Tom Yum Gai (it’s spicy, incredible and somewhat healthy), sometimes a Fried Rice with holy basil and crispy pork and a green papaya salad. Always a green papaya salad.
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To all of you who entered the giveaway on Tuesday, THANK YOU! I read every single entry (and still reading–it ain’t over!).
I LOVED hearing stories about your first cooking experience. Some of your stories were funny, simple, most involved grilled cheese, a lot of them were accounts of utter disaster, and some even involved pancakes! Others were sweet, visceral and really really beautiful. Some of your memories involved grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles who are no longer with us but left such an enormous impact on you and your relationship with cooking and food. Thank you for sharing these super personal stories. I loved reading them. I cherish them. I hold them close.
Today I’m sharing a very savory, non breakfast-ey recipe from the book. Coming up with 72 pancake recipes is a lil’ tough, so when I got to the dinner portion, I included all sorts of “pancakes.” There are patties, fritters, savory popovers, arepas and huaraches. I love these Spicy Black Bean Cakes. They’re really simple to put together, hella flavorful and they’re gluten-free! Woohoo! Oh and the Avocado Buttah is delicious.
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Are you a hand-shaker or a hugger? Like, when you first meet someone and you don’t know them, but you sort of know them, like you’ve emailed before, do you go for a hug or the handshake? Is it gender specific? I feel like I’m more likely to hug a lady than a dude. But for the most part I’m totally that weirdo that goes for the hug when people go for the handshake. And then I have to be like, “I’m a hugger, soooorrrry!”
I’m usually secretly hoping they don’t have a weird complex about people touching them. I’ve known people like that. And those people haaaate people like me. Also, I kind of hate when people are too touchy-feely. There’s a happy medium to be had, man.
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Happy Easter, my fwiendz. I grew up very Catholic, so Easter in my house was a big deal. It was the day when we got to eat whatever it was we gave up for Lent. Most years I gave up sugar. Except for that one year when I tried to “give up” vegetables–that totally didn’t fly.
So, since I was coming off of a serious sugar deprivation, Easter always meant stuffing my face with Peeps and Cadbury Eggs, which is weird because I don’t even think I liked them very much. I just needed a lil’ sugar fix.
Now, as a grown-up who isn’t religious, I still love Easter. It’s nice to gather some friends, eat outside, have brunch, talk and enjoy each other’s company.
Whether you’re celebrating the holiday or just chilling with friends, lamb is always the move. I went through a phase when I refused to eat cute animals. This included bacon. This phase did not last long. At all.
This lamb is rubbed with herbes de Provence, lemon zest and a good amount of salt. It’s seared and then roasted. The mint pesto is bright, tart and so super Spring-like. I just love it. Hop over to Etsy’s blog for the recipe.
And if you’re looking for more Easter recipe inspo, I love these Avocado Deviled Eggs I made last September, oh and these Egg and Cheese Hash Brown Nests (I mean, how cute are they!) or even this Rasberry Vanilla Smash Lemonade would be a winner.
Spring is here and I’m pumped.
So…confession: as of two days ago I had no idea who was playing at the Super Bowl. I mean, it’s not that I hate football, no. I grew up with a football-loving/screaming dad and a brother who plays in those fantasy leagues that I have yet to understand, so I get it. It’s just that I, personally, could sort of care less. And I kind of don’t care about the commercials either, because now they debut them a week before the Super Bowl on YouTube and I don’t even watch them there either.
But it’s cool, you know, because the biggest perk and only attraction to this Sunday’s event is DHEM snacks! Who doesn’t love snacks?! I mean…
Game day food is my ultimate love. Ultimate! Chicken Wings? Hello! Yes. Pretzel tots? I love them. (Please make these!) And this melty, cheesy, chorizo-ey bowl of goodness is epic. Ep-ic.
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The internet will tell you that Pigs In A Blanket is an appetizer made up of little cocktail wieners wrapped in baked pastry dough. These things flourished in the 50s, along with cigarettes, fondue, red lipstick and anti-depressants.
I personally don’t favor this variety of Pigs In A Blanket. Instead, I want the blanket to be fluffy, soft and light—more like a cashmere blanket. Yes.
And instead of cocktail wieners (ew), I like to use savory breakfast sausages I find in the freezer section of my grocery store. I actually found spicy ones which worked pretty well with the sweet flavors from the maple syrup.
I think I might’ve had this version of Pigs In A Blanket at a Denny’s or iHOP when I was a kid, and haven’t eaten/seen it since. What a shame.
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Everything tastes better wrapped in prosciutto. It’s a well-known fact of life.
This firm pear situation wrapped in prosciutto is what you need in your life when you only have fifteen minutes to spare and are simultaneously putting on your earrings while trying to fit into your too tight holiday dress. (I know I just described Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’s Diary, but just go with it…you probably fit just fine in your holiday dress.)
This recipe–or more like non-recipe–is for those procrastinators who forgot to freeze up cookie dough or ran out of time to bake up banana bread. This is the holy-shiz-I-don’t-have-my-life-together-but-need-to-bring-something type of appetizer.
In moments like these you don’t need a recipe; you need something you can assemble…complete with glitter skewers! (Clearly my five-year-old self is not over glitter yet.)
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I really like weighing things. This is a weird Adrianna thing. I weigh everything I’m cooking, and sure I love precision, but it’s mostly because I just like weighing stuff. It’s the same part of me that loves the self-checkout at the supermarket. I dunno. It’s unexplainable. Maybe you’re this way too…or not.
So, yesterday I started the day how I usually do and stepped on the scale. And like I said before, not necessarily because I’m weight obsessive, but more because I like weighing things…which I guess also includes myself?
And since it was the start of the day, I was without contact lenses on and I wasn’t wearing my glasses. Also, I’m blind as a bat without glasses. AND, are bats really blind?! Whatever.
So, there I was on the scale, looking down, squinting trying to see what the number would say back to me when “FATT” appeared before my eyes. Yes, my scale said “FATT.” Two letter “T”s showed up.
So like any normal person would, I started to freak out a little because, well, my scale called me fat.
I bent down and looked closer and realized it actually read “BATT,” which basically meant that the thing was out of batteries and needed more batteries, but since I’m super blind I read it as “FATT.”
Phew! Since I realized that scale wasn’t calling me fat, I decide to celebrate and made some guacamole. Good reason, right?
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The world of people is (sorta) broken up into two types: the snackers and the meal-eaters. You know what I’m talking about. Like, they don’t eat three meals a day like normal people, instead they just snack all day long and maybe have a one full meal sprinkled somewhere in between a ton of snacks.
They’ll start the day with coffee and a few pieces of turkey bacon and then around 11am they’ll have a few handfuls of granola or maybe a small bowl of oatmeal. At 1pm they might have some tea and too many Cheez-its. They might even feel Cheez-it-full. (That’s totally a thing.) And then when 3pm rolls around they’ll have their afternoon coffee and some sort of coffee cake/scone situation. They might have a full dinner that night…or not. They might just decide to snack some more.
I used to think those people were psychos. I was strictly a meal person, no snacks! Ever! And then something happened. I dunno if it was the whole small plate trend that’s everywhere or what, but now I’m totally a snack person. I’m super into the whole idea of eating a little bit of lots of things. More variety. More exploration. Makes for a more exciting life, I think.
Snacks are very cool.
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I read cookbooks like normal books. Like a novel with a cup of tea. I pay special attention to the dedication and awknowledgements, mainly because I’m naturally a very nosy person. I love reading the way certain authors write their recipes. I love reading all about the supplies and tips I’m supposed to keep in mind. And I love reading about a recipe’s story in the head notes. If you’re here, you’re probably super weird like me too and get great enjoyment in reading this stuff.
So needless to say, when I received the new cookbook from Sprouted Kitchen, I was pretty pumped to read the thing from front to cover. The book is a direct extension of their blog – beautiful pictures with delicious and healthy recipes.
As I thumbed through each chapter I stopped at “Happy Hour.” My favorite type of chapter. This one jumped out at me–it’s perfect for late-summer when it’s almost too hot to eat. Baked polenta squares, which are cooled, topped with blueberry and fresh corn relish. Yes. Just yes.
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