I’ve spent most of my life sampling crab cakes on the Eastern Shore and crafting what I think is the best representation of a Maryland-style tradition. I’ve made these more times than I can count and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Read MoreListen, I’ve been avoiding beans for a majority of my life. To me they have no taste, and typically a less than appealing texture. But during this quarantine period, I did some reading from Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen and decided to give beans another chance - my way. Below is my first success story of flavorful brothy beans and a riff on them for a marinated cold bean condiment option. Both are delicious and I ate them all within three days. Let me know what your favorite ways to eat beans are!
Read MoreI love carrot cake. It’s always been my mom’s favorite, and I’ve discovered it’s my favorite, too! I made one for my birthday this year, which I shared with my twin brother, Thomas (safely and distantly). We’ve only been apart for one birthday when he was studying abroad in Australia. I hope we can continue to celebrate together for the rest of our lives. Check out how to make one for yourself below!
Read MoreHangry Husband and I announced last week that we are expecting our first child, our little dumpling, in October! I couldn’t wait to share the news, and I can’t wait to be a mom. I had a feeling I might be pregnant when I started experiencing extreme HANGER pains in the morning. I typically am a coffee for breakfast kind of person, but it was not an option to skip a filling breakfast during the first few weeks. One of the things I crave most is hearty toasts! I equally love buttery egg toast and avocado toast, so I starting making a hybrid of both on one toast! Here’s how I do it:
Read MoreI saw this cake on Instagram and could not stop thinking about it. Then I realized, “Hey, I could probably make this!” So I did. Hangry husband forgot the funfetti cake mix on the grocery list, so I adapted this recipe from Tasty and made my own! Separating the marshmallows from the grain cereal in the Lucky Charms is a fun activity for your spouse or your children and the reaction from this cake is sure to bring smiles and laughter. I presented my nephew with this colorful creation for this eighth birthday and his eyes were aglow, his toothless smile wide. I hope you and your families enjoy it as much as we did.
Read MoreJust because we’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy seasonal eats! Most farmers markets are still open, and you can even source directly from some farms in the area. Check out Future Harvest’s interactive map of both options here. The markets are practicing safety by enforcing social distancing in lines and picking the items for customers instead of the serve yourself method. Grab some spring things and make a big bowl of this pasta salad to have for lunch during the week, which gets even better the longer it hangs out in the fridge!
Read MoreWell, we are two weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic self isolation in Washington, DC. It’s been a very traumatic time for the DC food industry, and the food industry worldwide. I urge you to order take-out or delivery from your favorite restaurants, if they are offering it, or consider buying a gift card to those restaurants and businesses forced to close. Additionally, you can find an online tip jar for our service industry friends here, and an aggregated list of all food and beverage delivery/take-out options in your area here.
Read MoreAh, chicken soup. It’s a comfort classic with powers of healing and nostalgia. I grew up on Campbell’s Chicken and Stars, and I still find myself reaching for the can when cold season takes me victim. Better than Chicken and Stars? Homemade. If you set yourself up for success, homemade chicken soup is simple and oh so satisfying. I always have homemade stock and some kind of chicken in my freezer, and some sort of hearty vegetables in my crisper. I replaced noodles with zucchini for this version because I find that when I store chicken noodle soup in my fridge for leftovers, the noodles soak up all the broth and I’m left with mushy pasta and no broth. More on this later.*
Read MoreThis recipe was inspired by something I read or watched and when I gazed into my refrigerator one evening I realized I had all the makings for this scrumptious Tuscan soup. Just take some vegetables, some sausage, some bread, and some liquid - and voila - dinner is served. Don’t be afraid to mix and match vegetables, herbs, and bread varieties. It really is the perfect dish to use up all those odds and ends collecting in the crisper drawer.
Read MoreAt first glance, butternut squash is super intimidating. Your knife isn't big enough to slice through it; the amount of skin you have to remove is overwhelming - and there are seeds to remove, too!? But really, once you get the hang of it you will be able to prepare butternut squash in your sleep. My secret? Microwave the squash for one minute and then slice off the top and bottom to expose the flesh. Your (sharpened!) knife will slice right through it, and skinning and de-seeding will be a breeze. Here’s how I do it…
Read MoreI recently teamed up with one of my favorite local distilleries, Catoctin Creek, and my favorite local mixtress, Gina Chersevani of Buffalo and Bergen, to bring all of you hangry readers the very special recipe for the 🛷Sleigh Ride 🛷 - a cocktail to make all winter long while you’re curled up by the fire watching holiday flicks on FreeForm. If you want to skip the shakin’ and stirrin’, you can sidle up to the bar at B&B and whet your whistle while you people watch.
Read MoreHow the heck is it mid-August already?! Wasn't it just January!? The older I get, the faster time flies by. To slow time down a bit, I really like to spend my evenings cooking. I'm not the type to make "quick and easy" suppers, because I just enjoy it too much. One thing I'm kind of obsessive about is keeping my fridge clean. By clean I mean that I like to use all of my fresh ingredients in the fridge before I buy anything else. I hate wasting food, and I hate a cluttered fridge. Because of this, my style of cooking is what I like to call "MacGyver Style," where I take what I have and create something delicious from it. This is almost always seasonal, and sometimes it turns out better than others.
Read MoreAre you sick of my summer recipes yet? I just can't get over my love for fresh summer produce that I can pick right outside my door. This year we have tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, strawberries (someone help), and herbs. After the BIT of rain we've had, haha, my eggplants all of a sudden exploded and I was able to grab the first few of the ripe tomatoes and peppers as well. With zucchini from my CSA share at Three Part Harmony farm, I figured it was the perfect time to make my quick stove-top ratatouille. You can find the baked version here, if you're trying to impress someone. I've discovered that I like eggplant more when it's peeled - it gets caramelized and roasty and it's just delicious in this recipe. Defrost a few salmon filets and use up the rest of that pesto reserve for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Read MoreOne of my most favorite things my mom ever made for me growing up was chicken salad. It was made with chicken from a can, Miracle Whip, celery, and lots of salt and pepper. She always shredded it so fine and piled it high between two slices of warm toasted bread, crisp iceberg lettuce and a slathering of some mayonnaise product. I lived for this. It was one of the first things I learned how to "make" haha, and I'd make it all the time in college.
Read MoreIs anything peak summer more than warm tomatoes and cucumbers fresh off the vine? Combine that with just picked basil and some Asian flair, and you've got my favorite salad of the summer. What gives this salad it's Asian panache? Yuzu Kosho. It's a traditional Japanese condiment that packs a powerful salty-spicy-citrusy punch, and I'm completely obsessed with it thanks to Alison Roman and her book Dining In. Anyway, this is my own recipe and I hope you love it.
Read MoreHEY FRANDS! If you live in the District and happen to source locally (cough, cough), you'll probably find yourself with an abundance of kohlrabi and cabbage. Especially now, after all of this gosh darn rain, these cruciferous edibles are growing like weeds. I'm a huge fan of the cruciferous fam, so wanted to create a recipe that really highlighted the flavors of these products, rather than hiding them. Behold my light and snappy kohlrabi and green apple slaw made completely out of my haul from the Three Part Harmony CSA share. It's bright, crisp and refreshing - using minimal ingredients that just get better the longer they marinate in the fridge.
Read MoreI love shrimp. I always want it, I always order it at restaurants, and I wish I could eat it every day. There's just something luxurious and sweet about them, I will never get sick of shrimp. One of my favorite things about shrimp, is that it cooks SO quickly. If you buy deveined, peeled shrimp, you can whip something up with those suckers in a matter of minutes. Keep reading for my quick and delicious shrimp dinner!
Read MoreOk, folks, it’s 2018 and you need to learn to roast perfect f#$%ing chicken already. The time has come for you to put down that dry rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (yes, even the one from Costco…and I LOVE Costco), and learn how to roast your own bird. It takes literally 15 minutes of prep and will taste SO. MUCH. BETTER.
Read MoreFor some reason, I used to be extremely intimidated to make my own pizza at home. However, since meeting hangry bf, his mom has sent us all the tools necessary to create America's favorite food. With her recipe in hand I tackled the challenge of making pizza at home. Guess what? It's INCREDIBLE easy and not scary at all!
Read MoreI'm all about a flavorful recipe that utilizes affordable cuts of meat and healthy-ish accompaniments, especially for week-night suppers. I stumbled across this Bon Appétit recipe that highlights the splendor of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs -- a favorite protein of mine. Upon discovering it was a one-pan meal with minimal items to prep, I was hooked.
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