Quick-Style Stromboli with store bought pizza crust There are so many times when I yearn for pizza parlor food.  Calzone, Sausage Rolls, Stromboli or even the bad spaghetti in those foil take out containers.  Either you know it's a bad idea health wise or its a money thing, or a time thing but eventually you talk yourself out of it and that's a good thing.  Other times, you can suppress the urge only so far and then you simply must satisfy that craving. One must understand and respect, just how tied in our stomach is with our minds.  My stomach is like the ca ..read more

Easter Sunday Chipotle Honey Glazed Ham  Roasted Turkey Breast, Mexican slaw, Potato Salad, Skillet Cornbread, Greenbean bake Roast Turkey Breast I was so scared this would be dry but somehow it was the moistest ever! P's Holiday Bloody Mary Alex Guarnaschelli Skillet Cornbread Mexican Slaw There are recipes out there but I like to think I invented this one. purple cabbage - sliced red onion - sliced Green apple - julienned jalapeno - chopped Cilantro - stems and all lime juice, zest Any excuse to use my giant mixing bowl ..read more

Freddy's Mexican Food Truck Freddy's food truck breakfast tacos An early morning walk that ended in incredible breakfast tacos from Freddy's truck was the inspiration for my first attempt at making corn tortillas.  This is a good example of ignorance and fear keeping one in darkness for years.  I always thought the process was laborious and drawn out, hours of dough resting, flour all over my apron. I figured sweat would be involved.  It takes 20 minutes and it's so easy!  But, and it's a substantial but, there are nuances and skills that will develop to g ..read more

Inspiration on a lamp post You would think some time off of work to recover from an injury would be a dream.  Turns out, like all joy, fun is elusive.  The rest of the time, you are in pain and fighting self-defeating thoughts.  Like, will you ever get better?  Why does this part of my body hurt now?  Am I falling apart?  Did I hit my head?  Can I form a thought or am I permanently broken?   A trip to the local diner was the first social endeavour. Even in a catatonic state, I would probably know how to order fries.   A trip t ..read more

Easy Oven Baked Ribs courtesy of Inspired Taste.net I never make ribs and I'm not sure why.  They really are super easy and a fun alternative to chicken.  Spice them up, wrap them in foil with herbs and garlic and sauce them at the end.  These are made low and slow, so you get to have the anticipation factor.   I love things that take hours in the oven.  You feel like you're accomplishing something when all you have to do is wait. Where this fresh summer corn comes from early, I'm not sure but it was indeed super sweet.  And this time I only st ..read more

Switch Up Dinner These days particular items can be hard to find randomly, like corn meal of all things.  Turns out some corn meal doesn't work to make polenta, like the kind P bought from the store, twice.  My plan was shrimp and grits, then cornbread. Finally, I settled on a confetti corn with shrimp and sausage.  This begs the question: Do you need a proper starch for dinner?  It's a fair question.  My answer is, not always, but it's usually a welcome addition.  If you can skip it a few times a week, you most certainly will feel lighter.   I love ca ..read more

Another one gone, Fulton Bikes, my bike store, for the last 4 years. Businesses die right and left these days. Thank goodness another one is always right there to take the business.    I was taking Dave in for an overhaul while I was recouping myself, hoping to one day soon be able to hop back on his sweet ass.   Walking hurts, everything hurts, afterwards.  I'm healing from this work injury but it's a slow climb back up. Never will I ever, put my body in danger for some dumb arse task.  It became apparent that a giant burger and onion rings were in order for th ..read more

 Baked Bacon & Turkey Patties One might think it was summer by looking at this plate of sweet corn, burger patty, salad and cottage fries. And it is a nice preview window into the fresher meals ahead.   This was also a reminder of just how sweet that red onions can be when roasted.  Adding a little balsamic vinegar hoists that wallop and you can thick cut the onion slices and roast them on the same pan as the burgers.  I mix small diced bacon into my ground turkey and bake them on high heat to create a barbecue like effect.   ..read more

NY Times Garlicky Chicken with Anchovy and Lemon What's so helpful about browsing recipes, is finding new ways to do similar things, like this one from the New York Times. The simple addition of capers, anchovies and more garlic elevated this chicken exponentially.  It calls for 6 anchovies but here's the thing; you open that can and well, you just gotta use them all because what are 4 more anchovies?  More depth that's right and by adding more lemon it boldens the flavor.  Plus, no one wants an opened can of anchovies in their fridge and throwing the rest out, wou ..read more

 Irish Cabbage Soup from the Hillbilly Kitchen I've spent time admiring Appalachian cooks on-line and websites, like the one above and the way in which budget, leftovers and simple ingredients, as well as thoughtfulness come into play in their recipes.  Ideas made out of necessity and supply.  This matches my way of thinking about food and meals.  Because I am in Brooklyn, I have access to many fun ingredients and influences that allow me to be creative when I want.  I'm not considered a house wife by any means and certainly am not southern.  I'm not feeding 6 ..read more