If you are looking for a fun side dish to bring to a potluck, I think you'll like my Israeli Cous Cous Salad. Quick shout out to my friend Lara for suggesting Israeli cous cous: I took it from there.This salad is great not only for a potluck, but also for a picnic because it doesn't have any mayonnaise (I know... you are shocked that something I make doesn't have mayonnaise).I brought this salad ..read more

Are you looking for a super fast dessert recipe that doesn't require any complicated ingredients or equipment? Well, let me tell you that this yogurt cake from Mon Petit Four fits the bill!To make it a bit more special, I found an incredibly gorgeous hibiscus glaze from Butter Be Ready that only requires two ingredients.I shared this cake with a few friends (and froze a few slices), and everyone ..read more

 Vegetarian Three Beans ChiliSaute 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped green pepper, and 1/2 minced jalapeño until the vegetables have softened.Add 2 minced garlic cloves, salt, cumin, and chili powder to taste. Saute until you can smell the spices.Add 2 cups [each] of black beans, chickpeas, and navy beans, and 2 cans of diced tomatoes.Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 30 ..read more

Let me start by saying that I hate fake things (plants/flowers) and fake people. I also hate fake meat: I would rather eat something plant based that's not pretending to be beef or chicken. Ok, phew, I feel better. (I hear my friend Laura say 'hate is a strong word' in my head...)This past week I made two meals using plant based ingredients as the base.The photo above is a double 'burger' with ..read more

 You know what kinds of things I love in life? Those that are low effort and high reward! This Flourless Chocolate Cake with Cayenne is exactly that!Last weekend I went to visit my friend Laura and her family and was encouraged (ha!) to bring dessert. I asked if Laura wanted tres leches (I've never made one) or something chocolate'y, and she said definitely chocolate.Anna (my twin for those of ..read more

Every cuisine has a dish of a filling stuffed into dough. Dumplings, pelmeni, empanadas, and then there are pirozhki or piroshki. The latest ones are these wonderful baked Russian pockets of thin dough stuffed with a variety of fillings.This past weekend my friend Jazmin and I got together to make them! This was the first time I made pirozhki, and the first time Jazmin made and tried them!For the ..read more

Happy 2023! Can you believe we are in a new year!? Here's to it being sweeter, more fun, and healthier than 2022, with many new opportunities and possibilities!Anna, my twin, suggested I start a tradition of making a new recipe for a new year and sent me a recipe for a pistachio cake she had at one of the restaurants in Chicago. That recipe was too complicated for me, so I asked Google to find me ..read more

 Oh let me count the reasons I absolutely loved this Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash from Cooking With Cocktail Rings blog.There were hardly any hands on tasks in this recipe! You brown the lamb shanks, then brown butternut squash and carrots (I left out zucchini and celery), add in the wine, the broth (I used chicken instead of beef), and nest the lamb shanks in the mixture ..read more

You know how they say (whoever they are) not to make a new recipe for a dinner party? Well, I did just that when I went over to my friend Jazmin's house for Thanksgiving.I wanted to try a new recipe and happened to see a recipe for Upside Down Cranberry Cake on Simply Recipes website. The recipe could not have been easier to follow even though it was my first time making caramel (I know ..read more

While in Seattle, I made my first full-sized pavlova under my twin Anna's supervision. I topped it with slightly sweetened homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberries and mango. A bit of powdered sugar was the final touch. Everyone, especially my mom, loved it ..read more