(In the Tradition of) Irish Blueberry Scones
A really thought-provoking topic came up on Facebook the other day: what does “authenticity” really mean when it comes to ethnic cuisines? I’ve gone back and forth, trying to define it in my own mind, and I think I found some answers as I worked on getting these Irish Blueberry Scones “right”.
I wanted to make some “real” Irish scones for St. Patrick’s Day, so I messaged my friend Kerily to see if her Irish in-laws had a recipe they loved. Within hours, her sister-in-law, Una, generously replied with hers. Right off the bat, I could tell I probably would not be able to perfectly replicate Una’s scones for a variety of reasons:
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Roasted Broccoli and Pecan Salad
This Roasted Broccoli and Pecan Salad I’m sharing today resulted from my recent “broccoli epiphany” (if those are even possible). For years, I’ve picked broccoli florets out of salads as I don’t do raw broccoli — I’m a fan of neither the flavor nor the texture, it’s what I imagine gnawing on the hedges would taste like. {shudder} But I…
The Delicious Side of Disneyland: Part 2
Disneyland has gotten pretty cute with its food, I must say. Who can resist a Mickey-shaped soft pretzel? Apparently not my family! Last time, I shared the food (and drink!) we encountered at California Adventure — this time we’re across the plaza at the park that started it all. For the first time in our history of…
The Delicious Side of Disneyland: Part 1
Eighty degrees and sunshine — that’s how our family prefers to do “ski week”! We popped down to the Disneyland resort last week and I thought I’d share with you how that all went. I’ll split it up into two parts: I’ll devote this post to California Adventure (aka, the one with the wine) and…
4 Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Treats
I’ll admit, it put a smile on my face to see the 4-year olds in my son’s preschool class delightedly ogling the Valentine’s Day treats we brought for their party today. Better yet — I was able to pull them all together in just a few hours (and most of that time was spent waiting for…
Exploring San Jose’s San Pedro Square Market
I’d driven past it a bunch of times in downtown San Jose, but from the outside, I couldn’t really tell what the San Pedro Square Market entailed. But the word “market” always intrigues me, so when my friend Meilee (in the cool red jeans in the photo above) suggested we check it out for our…
Dominique Ansel’s Mini-Me’s
I expected I’d leave Dominique Ansel’s book signing eager to try my hand at making his famous Cronuts™, but I ended up feeling a bit inspired to bake my way through his entire cookbook, Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes. It’s not that I can handle all of these desserts in my house (although, I’m not bothered…
Miso Risotto with Shrimp and Broccolini
A few friends asked for this recipe after I posted this photo on social media, so here it is — one of those fortuitous “let’s see how this goes” dishes that actually turned out to be something I’ll look forward to repeating. I’d found a carton of miso broth at Whole Foods and picked it up…
Finding Home
I miss home. I’m not even entirely sure of where “home” is. When I find myself referring it to it lately, I’m talking about San Diego. It’s where Mike and I lived for 10 years before our recent move. It’s where we got married, bought our first house and had both of our kids. It’s where…
My Mom’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Before I ever watched Julia, Ina or Giada, I watched Nancy…my mom. She cooked dinner for my dad, sisters and I pretty much every night (and breakfast and lunch too, for that matter), a feat I did not fully appreciate until I had a busy (and clamoring!) family of my own. My mom cooked and…
