• Gluten free,  Holidays,  Recipes,  Side Dishes

    “Stuffing” our faces

    As always, Thanksgiving in Tucson was full of friends, family, fun and food comas—lots of them. While I’m the last person to let dietary restrictions rain on my pig-out parade, I felt inclined to make a gluten-free dish for my dear nana (A thinly veiled attempt to become the favorite grandchild? Maybe). The resulting creation was a sweet potato “stuffing” inspired by a work potluck dish a la creative director of the century, David (A thinly veiled attempt at a raise? Maybe.). This stuff is FANTASTIC—even if you aren’t foregoing gluten. While it won’t replace the good-old Pepperidge-Farm-stuffing-in-a-bag variety my family loves so much, it’s definitely a holiday side worth…

  • Entrees,  Recipes,  Travel

    Mexican done right at Café Poca Cosa

    There are some things that make me proud to claim Tucson as my hometown. The breathtaking Santa Catalina mountains. The constant sunshine. And Café Poca Cosa—almost certainly the best restaurant in the city by a desert mile. There’s no question that owner Suzana Davila’s creative, authentic and upscale Mexican cuisine (sans guacamole and sour cream) could survive thrive in any of the country’s cutthroat culinary proving grounds—from NYC to Chicago. But pleas from restauranteurs to open locations in other cities have fallen on deaf ears. Suzana—and her melt in your mouth chicken mole and moan-inducing tamale pies—are staying put in the Old Pueblo. And that makes me smile. Another thing that I…

  • Appetizers,  Dessert,  Entrees,  Holidays,  Recipes,  Side Dishes

    A haunting in Roscoe Village

    I like horror—maybe a little too much, judging by my Netflix queue. Many a night, Dave flings the bedroom door open to find me in the glow of some weird B-grade horror movie. What can I say, I love things that are a little sick and twisted. Which is why I say, screw the cutesy Halloween decor—give me fake bugs and terrifying zombie props. Scouring Pinterest, I found some equally spooky Halloween bites: Spider web dip Refried beans, covered in a layer of guacamole, surrounded by a ring of salsa and shredded cheese, decorated with a “spider web” of sour cream. I put the sour cream in a plastic bag,…

  • Cooking Tips

    Q&A with culinary rockstar Graham Elliot

    Anyone who uses the phrase “Butter is [INSERT FOOD NAME HERE]’s best friend” is a man after my own heart. That’s why talking bacon, branding, and yes, butter, with Graham Elliot was one of the most exciting experiences of my blogging career. The fact that he’s down-to-earth, warm, passionate and eloquent was the buttercream icing on my cake. Better with Butter:  What would you say to home cooks who want to go “off recipe”? Graham Elliot:  I think the most important thing is unlearn everything you’ve been taught, and that’s similar to anything that has an artistic bent to it—music, sculpture, poetry, etc., etc. To look at a recipe—a lot…

  • Uncategorized

    Me + g.e.b. = good Combos

    The gourmet-ification of classic snack food is a trend I can really get behind. That’s why, when presented with the opportunity to have lunch at Graham Elliot Bistro (g.e.b.), sample his take on Combos (of cheddar cheese and pretzel fame) and interview the man himself (culinary dynamo and all-around badass), I jumped at the chance. On a noble quest to differentiate between a bad combo and good Combos, we sampled some interesting and surprisingly delicious flavor pairings—all in Combos form: Pineapple and peanut butter, egg and cheese (sous-vide egg yolk piped into a Combos shell and dusted in tomato powder), Chicago style hot dog (with all the fix-ins) and for…

  • Appetizers,  Gluten free,  Recipes

    Guilt-free snacking that actually tastes good

    It’s amazing how our expectations change in the face of dietary restriction. Case in point: My recent experience with these crackers … Sister walks into my kitchen. “Ooooh, homemade crackers?!” Nom, nom, nom … confusion … sad face … Me: “They’re low carb.” Eyes light up … expression turns to delight and ravenous hunger … dives in for more … “OMG, SOOOO good!” And despite her initial reaction, they truly are yummy—as long as you realize that nothing that has absolutely no carbs can taste like a food item that is typically made almost entirely of them. These almond-meal crackers will never taste like a crumbly, buttery Ritz, but when you…

  • Appetizers,  Side Dishes

    Devil is in the details

    As a cook, there’s nothing better than converting the non-believers. I’m talking about the moment when someone says “I don’t like (insert food item),” tries your variation anyway, and becomes wide-eyed with surprise and delight. “I DO like (previously detested food item)!” My Italian take on deviled eggs elicited this response. The potentially disastrous ingredient combination wasn’t lost on me—but I pushed ahead, mixed the yolks anyway, and came out with finger-food gold. You won’t be embarrassed to show up at your next party with these babies—even if they are in one of those ridiculous pastel-colored deviled-egg carriers.  Uovas Diavolos (Italian-style deviled eggs) You’ll need: A dozen hard boiled eggs…

  • Holidays,  Recipes

    Happy birthday boof

    Today is Merle’s (aka Boof, Boofie, Nugget Face) first birthday—and the perfect excuse to dress him in a humiliating but painfully adorable little cone-shaped hat and feed him lots of T-R-E-A-T-S (my fellow dog-owners catch my drift). In honor of our spoiled little piggy, I whipped up a cake with puppy-tested, mom-approved ingredients—and the results were drool-worthy (at least for the canine set).   Pumpkin-peanut-butter puppy cake You’ll need: 1 cup flour 1 egg 1/3 cup peanut butter (natural, lower-sugar varieties are better) 2/3 cup pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin-pie mix as that has sugar and other ingredients in it) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup…

  • Entrees,  Recipes

    Beer-battered perch

    Delicious as the may be, it’s a wonder that people eat perch. They are notorious for swallowing the hook; they have sharp, spiny fins that will slice your hand open when you try to release them from said hook; and you have to catch dozens of them to get a decent meal out of it. Not to mention how tedious they must be to filet. I, myself, have no firsthand knowledge of that last part, since, fishing for them as a child during summers on the St. Lawrence river, I actually didn’t think they were edible. We’d catch them, yell for our dad or uncle to come release them and…

  • Entrees,  Recipes

    Chinese, minus the takeout box

    The only reliable thing about Chinese food delivery is the fortune cookie at the bottom of the bag. Wait, no, I take that back. I recall a traumatizing meal in which, after finishing my mediocre orange chicken dish, I reached into the takeout bag only to feel napkins and chopsticks. The memory is burned into my brain. Assuming you do get your prophetic little treat, your meal isn’t totally ruined. But everything else is a crapshoot. Soggy egg rolls, chewy mystery meat, limp veggies, dry rice: all potential land mines packed neatly in gleaming white takeout boxes. Forgo your next round of Chinese Takeout Roulette, spring for some real chicken and…