Perhaps slightly unorthodox. Maybe even a little weird. But, absolutely, positively, delightful.

A concoction of garlicky olive oil and anchovies (yes, anchovies again. thinking i should change blog name to okie dokie anchovokie. hm, doesn’t have the same ring to it. will ponder…) is slicked onto the naan bread with a brush before layering the cheese and clams on top. A drizzle of clam juice, even more garlic-anchovy oil, and freshly grated Parmesan finish the top before it gets tossed into a hot oven until gooey and brown. A forceful squeeze of lemon juice and spattering of red pepper flakes is all that is required before delivering into your mouth.

Every bite is bursting with umami flavor thanks to the trifecta of Parmesan cheese, anchovies, and clams. I don’t think I took a single breath until after finishing an entire pizza. Priorities, man.

You can definitely make these on a normal pizza, using homemade or storebought dough, but I’d up the ingredients a touch just in case. Especially cheese and clams.

// other aquatic things:

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One of my favorite ways to enjoy shrimp is just like this– bathed in a golden, aromatic elixir of olive oil and butter and infused with rosemary, garlic and umami-rich anchovies. As this poaches gently in the oven, the woodsy smell of the rosemary marries with the pungency of the garlic and the brightness of the lemon, creating an intoxicating experience.

You can eat this straight away after it’s done cooking– a mere 20 minutes or so, but if you have the restraint to stash this in the fridge overnight, the flavors of the rosemary and garlic will intensify and the shrimp will be that much more delicious. I promise you, you’ll be licking the remains of the olive oil with your finger long after the shrimp have been devoured. Olive oil is good for you, right…?

This can be eaten as is, alone, but with a glass of white wine. Also, and I’d argue, even better: spooned over a luscious pool of creamy polenta.

// other shrimp things:

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There is something about polenta that just begs to be topped with sumptuous, melt-in-your mouth delights. I infused the cooking water with dried mushrooms and bay leaf for the polenta while it bubbled away and thickened. Then, tendrils of fresh Parmesan cheese were twirled in. At this point, I would’ve been quite satisfied eating just a bowl of this but did I stop there? Oh no, no, no. A quick braise of artichokes in butter and cream finished this off, creating a melodious combination of rich meatiness and ethereal suppleness. This dish is best enjoyed with a full heart and an even fuller glass of white wine.

An easy and luxurious dinner to end the evening, this polenta with mushrooms and Parmesan served with artichokes braised in cream has a heavenly mouthfeel and deep, rich flavor. Wonderful with a glass of white wine.

// Other lavish meals: 

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I made this spur-of-the-moment, in a fierce mood to use up as many odds and ends I had laying about in the fridge one rainy afternoon. Lucky for me, I had a few links of chorizo to crumble up with leftover corn kernels and cannellini beans. While these three things mingled together in a pan, they created an alchemy so wonderful, I literally had to stop and stare; there’s something so incredibly sultry about the way food glistens when it’s tossed with chorizo fat.

A few minutes later, I was pouring this glorious mix into a glass pie dish and layering, layering, layering. With liberal spoonfuls of Garden Fresh Gourmet white bean hummus, Jack’s special salsa, and handfuls of crushed blue corn tortilla chips. There was cheese, lots of it. Into the oven it went and emerged ten minutes later, crispy and melty. Before I ate this, I drizzled it generously with Mexican crema and dotted with fresh cilantro. This tortilla bake was perfect as an afternoon snack (my definition of snack is a bit unconventional) with a dark beer.

A quick recipe for tortilla bake with chorizo, corn, and white bean hummus. This meal comes together in 20 minutes making it perfect for busy nights.

// More quick meals: 

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May is National Salsa Month, so when I got hooked up with awesome stuff from Garden Fresh Gourmet, I knew I had to make nachos. And nachos I made. Lots. Over the course of several days lots. One day, I think I ate them for every meal…

I have somewhat of an obsessive personality.

But guys, this was beyond good. I basically hunkered over my plate (well, “personal-sized” cookie sheet, really. minor details.) and inhaled this in no time at all. The avocado verde salsa is super flavorful and has just the right amount of kick to it when dolloped all over the chips. And I always favor blue corn tortilla chips over regular– I think they have a more interesting flavor, not to mention that gorgeous pop of color.

The idea for the smoked gouda bechamel was really more of a delightful convenience since I happened to have a leftover chunk of it in the fridge. And boy, it really came together wonderfully. The smokiness of the cheese really gave the nachos a nice depth, which was a great canvas for the zing of the avocado verde salsa to burst through.

Topped with fresh radish slices, queso fresco, avocado, and cilantro, these nachos were very much enjoyed with a cold beer. No regrets, man.

// more delicious appetizer things:

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Mayonnaise. Mayo. That creamy lusciousness we slather our sandwiches with and the stuff great aiolis are made from. For me, it is something that I cannot live without.

I just finished making my weekly batch of homemade mayonnaise and realized I didn’t have a standalone post on how ridiculously easy it is to whip up. If you’ve never tasted homemade mayo, oh man…I don’t think anything I say here can prepare you for the awesomeness that you will experience when you finally try it. It’s incredibly creamy, smooth, lavish. Nothing at all like the kind you buy at the store. Nothing. And with this technique using the immersion blender, it’s totally simple and kinda fool-proof. But, freak accidents happen. I know. I seem to be a magnet for those– don’t fret. I have harnessed the special juju necessary to save your mayo if it does happen to fall to hard times. Come with me, young grasshopper…

First, you will need provisions:

1 immersion blender

1 large, wide-mouth mason jar

Next, ingredients:

2 large eggs, local fresh ones are the best

1/4 teaspoon Coleman’s ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar (Today, I used rice vinegar and it blew my socks off)

Pinch black pepper

2 cups canola oil

Your mission, if you choose to accept it:

Crack the eggs into the mason jar, followed by everything else. Pour the canola oil in last, gently. Grab your immersion blender. Stick it at the bottom of the mason jar, turn it on, and watch as it slowly starts to create the mayo right before your eyes, emulsifying the oil with the eggs. Slowly, make your way up along the sides and up to the top, incorporating the oil. You may not be able to get all of the oil at the top. That’s okay. At this point, turn off the immersion blender and finish mixing it with a spoon. I have discovered that the mayonnaise does not break this way. I know this may sound foreign, weird, unclear to those that have never made mayonnaise. And a bit scary, too. So, I made a video on how to make it:

I hope the video clarifies some things and shows you how dead simple it is to make mayonnaise! Years ago, I posted a method on making homemade using a food processor. That works splendidly too, but requires just a teeny bit more work. Find it here! If you come across any trouble or problems making mayonnaise, please leave me a note at the bottom and I’ll help you out. Peace and love, mayonnaise lovers.

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Hi folks! I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve been a busy bee lately but the sun is finally shining today and it’s forecasted to be 70 degrees this weekend so that makes me feel happy.

My tastebuds and I just had the pleasure of trying out Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s newest menu item– the Cha Cha Sriracha Flatbread, a super delicious, super flavorful snack available for limited time only (until April 23rd!!!) that comes packed with juicy grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, pineapple salsa, cilantro, scallions, and an unworldly caramelized pineapple sriracha sauce. Every nibble was an incredible balance of savory and sweet.

It. Was. To. Die. For.

Alongside that, I sipped up one of their new Boosted Smoothies– the Chia Banana Boost. This, you guys, was heaven in a cup. They asked if I wanted strawberries or peanut butter in it. Um, I said peanut butter. Thing is dangerously good. And it’s good for you because chia seeds and stuff.

So because I want you guys to fall head over heels in love with all of the yum offered at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, I’m hosting another giveaway!

Two lucky winners will each get a $50 Tropical Smoothie Cafe gift card, a whirly cup, and a Sriracha bottle keychain! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below sharing your favorite thing to drizzle sriracha on– eggs? Noodles?? Smoothies??? This giveaway is open from April 7, 2017 – April 10, 2017. U.S. residents only, please. 

Good luck, everyone!

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Ensalada Rusa, or Russian Salad, is a Peruvian side dish my family always makes for holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. This fuchsia-forward salad is comprised of finely-cut jewels– potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, carrots and celery; but the main gem here is the beet.

Earthy and slightly sweet, beets bring life (and extreme color) to this salad. Composing all parts together in a bowl is nothing short of delightful, watching the purple stain grow from a whisper to a shout, bleeding dominance.

Ensalada Rusa is fairly straight-forward to make but it can take some time to prepare the vegetables. You can hunker down and do them all in one fell swoop or carry the load out over the course of a couple days, which is what I did. Either way will produce a wonderfully tasting salad that will feast your eyes and hunger.

// More Peruvian salads and things: 

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I’ve been thinking long and hard about spaghetti squash lately. Long strands of amber, delicately tangled; the soft chew before it melts in my mouth. This daydream was all-consuming.

Soon thereafter, I began formulating the plan for turning my spaghetti squash fantasy into reality. I wanted to preserve its’ natural earthy flavor but also pair it with something mildly sweet, like red garnet potatoes. And, without argument, it would all bathe in a luscious, ambrosial liquid of cream and cheese. What I wanted, what I really wanted, was a gratin.

When everything was said and done I took a bite.

It was. Incredible.

The spaghetti squash was tender, yielding effortlessly beneath the weight of my spoon. Deeper still were the soft layers of potato– a duo of red and sweet, submerged in an herby cream sauce, a luxurious layer of sliced triple cream brie separating the two. I’m going to say this at the risk of sounding very cliché, but…it was an orchestra of flavors. I think I cried.

// More gratins, quiches, and tarts: 

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I am fully prepared to receive any contempt for writing a recipe featuring corn in the dead of winter. And not just ordinary corn, but frozen corn. Am I digging myself into a deeper grave? *pauses shoveling*

Please hear me out.

I realize we are about 5 months beyond the pinnacle of fresh corn bounty, with its plump, sticky sweet kernels and messy strands of silk that we find irresistibly difficult to not throw into everything we eat in late summer. But.

I’m human. I have needs and desires. And sometimes, just sometimes, I bear a yearning for something that isn’t in season. That’s when I turn to frozen vegetables.

If you can find an excellent quality of frozen vegetable (hell, if you managed to freeze your own from summer’s harvest even better), and the recipe adapts to it, trust when I say the dish will turn out pretty fantastic regardless. Esquites, this Mexican corn salad, is a beautiful example.

Sometime last year I discovered that you can buy bags of frozen, fire-roasted corn at the grocery store. Since then, I’ve been buying them in bulk to stash in the freezer because they are absolutely terrific to toss in at a moment’s notice. They work wondrously for esquites– sweet and juicy with a definite bold, charred flavor.

I go crazy for elotes, Mexican corn on the cob slathered with garlicky, lime mayonnaise and rolled in Cotija cheese and chile powder. Esquites is basically that in salad, bowl form; it is less messy for sure (a good alternative for first dates because who really wants to exchange likes and dislikes with mayonnaise and corn kernels plastered on face…?) but no less delicious. The flavors in this thing are jolting in a great way.

The corn is tossed in a pungent garlic and lime laced mayonnaise sauce and then anchored together with the herby, bright flavors of cilantro and scallions. The morsels of queso fresco distributed throughout provide a welcoming delicate quality to the esquites that softens the bite some.

The flavors in this Mexican corn salad deepen and enhance the more it sits at room temperature, so restrain yourself from eating it for at least 30 minutes after preparing, difficult as it may be; the experience of tasting this will be worthwhile I promise you.

// Other corny things:

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