Vietnamese Crispy Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)

Snap. Crackle. Crunch. Quarantine.

Well, 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.

Garden Bowls: A Guide To Cleaning Out Your Fridge, MacGyver Style

Eat Your Veggies

How 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.

No Mayo Chicken Salad with Lots of Lemon

Lunch Bunch

One 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.

Quick and Easy Shrimp Bowl with Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula

Weeknight Recipe to the Rescue!

I 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!

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Harissa Schmaltz

Crispy AF

I'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.

Summer Salmon with Peach-Strawberry Salsa

Seasonal. Summer. Succulence.

This recipe is out of control seasonal with all of the happy summery things that are ripening up this month. For me, this bright, refreshing dish was sourced almost completely locally from my home garden and my CSA share with Three Part Harmony Farm, which is only three miles from my house. I utilized the juicy, sweet, fruits in a savory component as a salsa -- adding spicy jalapeño, zesty summer basil, crisp white corn, and tangy red wine vinegar. All of these summer fruits and vegetables work extremely well together, as do most things that grow together during a season. I topped some buttery salmon with the sweet and spicy salsa, but it's also great with chips, on a grilled cheese, or even as a taco condiment! The best part about this dish is that you only have to turn on your oven for 15 minutes and no other heat is needed, so you can stay cool in this insanely hot DC heat wave! Let me know how you like the salsa best using #hangrydistrict!

Oktoberfest!

Best of the Wurst

It's October! Time for trips to the pumpkin patch, haunted forests and most importantly - soups, squash and sweatpants! Summer in the swamp of DC was brutal, and I opted for dishes that required minimal heat. Since Fall is finally upon us, it's time to light a fire under my.....stove, and get cookin'! Last weekend I had a magical time in Disney World, where the Oktoberfest activities were in full swing. I wanted to keep the magic alive when I got home, so I created an Oktoberfest-style dinner complete with Bavaria Brass band playlist - nothing makes me hungrier than the sound of a tuba. Let the feeling of gemütlichkeit come over you by making this meal for yourself!

Crispy Chicken & Charred Cauliflower with Olives

Olive You

If you live in DC, then you've been experiencing quite the rainy week this week. There is nothing more relaxing or romantic to me than turning on some French music, pouring a glass of sparkling rosé and firing up the stove to cook a comforting meal, while listening to the pitter-patter of the rain on my windows. Rain is my favorite excuse to cook for hours. Keep reading to see what I came up with to warm us up and dry us off.

Beef Empanadas

A Hot Pocket I'm Not Ashamed Of

One of my favorite fellow foodies is Pamela Arriagada, a colleague of mine at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Despite being an astronomer on campus, our conversations always transition to food during the work day. Pamela is from Chile and has treated us more than once to traditional empanadas from her father's recipe. Since she is now embarking on a new adventure with her husband in Seattle, I asked her to come show me the ropes so I could keep the empanada tradition alive, and keep my hangry boyfriend happy :)

Caramelized Onion Chicken Salad

Hold the Mayo

I like to describe my style of cooking as MacGyver cooking. I typically lay a bunch of ingredients out that I need or want to use and come up with a creation. The inspiration for this chicken salad were the beautiful spring green onions I got from a CSA share and the fact that I had no mayo. Check out my take on a summer slam dunk with this savory chicken salad.

Tuna Sandwich with Broccoli Salad

A gourmet twist on the classic brown bag lunch.

I recently moved seven minutes away from my workplace, and lunch at home has become a new luxury of mine. Having just moved, my pantry and fridge were pretty barren. This is what I came up with...