Living the Culinary Life, Every Day.

Seriously Decadent Almost-Raw Chocolate Truffles Recipe

2012-05-12T21:20:57Z

If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, then my ongoing battle with sugar isn’t news. My body really, truly hates refined sugar. It gives me headaches, joint pain, acne, mental fog, and a cornucopia of other unsavories dramas that I don’t really like to talk about. As someone who comes from a long line of sugar fiends — as well as being the girlfriend of a particularly avid sweets lover — sugar is an especially thing to avoid in my life.

You would think that after years of battling a sugar addiction, it would get easier to avoid. Not true. There are entire months where I’m good, and then I’ll spend a week on a Boogie Nights-esque sugar bender, leaving a trail of cookie crumbs and chocolate sprinkles in my wake. (Thankfully I have yet to wake up in the morning to find a layer of cocoa powder from under my nose) I’m good at avoiding sweets, but if there’s a dessert right there in front of my face, staring me down, my carefully cultivated self control shatters like the glassy top of a creme brûlée. I’ve even avoided going out to eat with those I know are likely to order a parade of desserts, because there are days I know I won’t be able to turn down a bite. And we all know what one bite turns into. ... Read the rest of Seriously Decadent Almost-Raw Chocolate Truffles Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Desserts, Recipes, Vegan, Wine on May/Sat/2012
Post tags: chocolate, dessert, raw, vegan
© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

2012-05-05T02:34:56Z

I’ve been eating a lot of macaroni and cheese lately. Between huge, heaping spoonfuls of real cheese, I’ve been pining for a less milk-heavy version that would appeal to my vegan friends. (and my former vegan self – yes, I was vegan many years ago!) But, vegan cheese leaves a lot to be desired. Career vegans, I know a lot of you are with me on that. ... Read the rest of Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Macaroni and Cheese, Recipes, Vegan on May/Fri/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Copycat Recipe: Stacks’ Granola Pancakes Recipe

2012-05-05T02:33:34Z

I’ve been on a pancake kick lately. I want pancakes all the time, and not just in the morning. Over the past few weeks I’ve made soufflé pancakes, sour cream pancakes, Dutch Babies with apples, Dutch Babies without apples, buttermilk pancakes, and baking soda griddle cakes. I think it must be Thad’s influence, because I’ve never devoured carb-laden breakfast foods like I have since we got together.

While we usually make breakfast at home, Thad and I occasionally walk down to the local pancakes house, Stacks, after visiting the Sunday farmers market. He always gets the same thing: granola pancakes. At first I thought the idea was ridiculous. Granola? In pancakes? Why? Then I realized these pancakes must be a product of the Borg, because once they arrived at the table, I was assimilated. ... Read the rest of Copycat Recipe: Stacks’ Granola Pancakes Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Recipes on Apr/Fri/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Apricot, Cherry, Cranberry and Cardamom Hot Cross Buns Recipe

2012-05-05T02:33:50Z

When I was a little girl, my grandma lived to drive out of her way for something she loved to eat. A food lover above all else, she would drive twenty miles north for her favorite enchiladas, half an hour south for the best gingerbread, and over two bridges to find what she considered a superlative bowl of soup. She appreciated the process of seeking out dishes that made her happy, and the adventure was a savory extension of the flavor she was so looking forward to.

Like any teenager in a hurry to get away from home, I turned 16 and promptly earned my drivers license. Then I because my grandma’s chauffeur, driving in circles around the Bay Area to ease her cravings. I ventured to Hayward for French bread, got lost in Half Moon Bay looking for Christmas cookies, and on a near-weekly basis, braved traffic down 101 to Palo Alto for smoked ribs from a very specific butcher at a very specific Lunardi’s. ... Read the rest of Apricot, Cherry, Cranberry and Cardamom Hot Cross Buns Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Holiday, Recipes on Apr/Wed/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Souffle Pancakes – The Ultimate Comfort Fluff

2012-04-04T17:15:14Z

This has been the winter of my virus-fueled angst. When I haven’t been felled by a cold, I’ve been wallowing in NyQuil-soaked influenza goodness. My sinuses are the devil’s playground, with a plethora of microorganisms acting as his loyal minions.

I’ll spare you the grim details, but let’s just say that what I’ve lacked in energy, I’ve more than made up for in post nasal drip. As such, I haven’t been cooking very much.

But, as illness would have it, the infirmed occasionally need to eat. When hunger is high and energy has long since sunsetted, you reach for whatever is easy and close at hand – in my case, it’s an emergency ration of soup that I keep in the freezer. That quickly ran out, and I was left with eggs, flour, and butter in the fridge. A single banana languished on the counter, turning that unique color of brown that only bananas possess when they’re somewhere between banana bread fodder and bound for the compost bin.

Equipped with the basic ingredients to make something tasty but lacking any sort of creativity, I floundered. A copy of The Pancake Handbook rested on a shelf nearby, a great little book by Bette Kroening, owner of Bette’s Oceanview Diner – also known as The Pancake Capital of Berkeley. I flipped through the pages, weary with starvation, finally settling on Bette’s recipe for a soufflé pancake. A banana soufflé pancake sounds good, I thought. And easy. ... Read the rest of Souffle Pancakes – The Ultimate Comfort Fluff on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Recipes on Mar/Thu/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Fat Tuesday! Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe – Stand Mixer-Free

2012-03-28T00:38:08Z

It’s king cake day! Or rather, today is Fat Tuesday, which means it’s time to get your grub on before the Lenten fast begins. Ok, I’m not really going to fast – that tradition died out in my family ages ago. But, in celebration of Mardi Gras, I did dig out my favorite king cake recipe.

If you’re not familiar with king cake, you might be surprised to read that most recipes require you to knead the dough. Dough in a cake recipe, you may ask yourself? ... Read the rest of Fat Tuesday! Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe – Stand Mixer-Free on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Desserts, Holiday, Recipes on Feb/Tue/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

A Sweet for Your Sweetie: Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Parfaits

2012-02-14T00:01:05Z

Just in case you’re not aware: tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. If that sentence suddenly put you into a panic, relax! I’ve got you covered. Sure, you might not have flower delivery or a dinner reservation set up, but your local grocery store has plenty of gorgeous bouquets on offer, and dinner is only a few quick steps away.

But, what about dessert? On Valentine’s Day, the sweets course is the whole point of dinner, isn’t it? Since you’ll already have your hands full, your best bet is a quick and easy Valentine’s Day dessert recipe. And here is where I introduce Hervé This. ... Read the rest of A Sweet for Your Sweetie: Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Parfaits on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, Recipes, Vegan on Feb/Mon/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Happy 5th Birthday, The Culinary Life!

2012-02-13T18:27:32Z

When my calendar popped up to remind me that today is the 5th birthday of this blog, I just about fell out of my chair. In so many ways, it doesn’t feel like it’s been five years, but in other ways I feel like I’ve gotten 20 years worth of experiences out of this little site, which I started on a whim while procrastinating in a UC Berkeley English class. I’ve made many incredible friends, spoken at some of the country’s best blogging and writing conferences, landed an amazing cookbook deal, and even done a complete site rebrand – complete with a new name. It’s been a wild ride.

I’ve come a long way in the past five years, and so has The Culinary Life/Wasabimon. I’m cringing just thinking about it, but if you take a look back at the archives from 2007, you’ll see that things were very different five years ago. Blogging was still new and very off the cuff for a lot of us. Over the years blogging has matured, and as a result, so has this site.

Thank you all for your love and support. Without my readers, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this ride nearly as much.

Hippy Crack Muffins

2012-05-05T02:34:05Z

You might be surprised about the title of this post. “Hippy crack” isn’t exactly what one thinks of when wanting something warm and cozy to eat, especially since, where I come from, the term is reserved for the curious little nitrous canisters that recently took down Demi Moore. Back in my younger days, Whip-its were all the rage for anyone looking for a quick buzz – and even as an adult, I occasionally see someone hiding in the back corner of a party, passed out on the floor and drooling on themselves, surrounded by little silver bullets of laughing-gas love.

But this blog isn’t about inebriants, and least not of the illegal sort. Let’s get to the tasty part, the part about the raspberry flax and almond flour muffins. ... Read the rest of Hippy Crack Muffins on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Recipes on Jan/Fri/2012
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© Stephanie Stiavetti for The Culinary Life, 2012.

Introducing The Culinary Life Newsletter Giveaway

2012-01-18T19:23:39Z

For me 2012 is going to be a year of growth, and a big part of the growth I hope to cultivate is better communication with others who love the same things I do. Namely, good food. That’s where you come in.

Lately I’ve been wondering how to communicate with my readers beyond this blog. While I’m really enjoying interacting with you all on Pinterest and Twitter, I want to share more than just pretty pictures and 140-character snippets. I want to share information, details, useful resources. You know, the meat and potatoes of life in the kitchen. And, the occasional narrative essay.

So, I’m excited to announce something I’ve been working on the past few weeks – ... Read the rest of Introducing The Culinary Life Newsletter Giveaway on The Culinary Life.