Monthly Archives: August 2011

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream with Warm Blueberry Compote

August 16, 2011

I’ve learned good desserts are all about planning. I can be an annoying planner, but believe if you orchestrate the right moments, they totally pay off when no one’s looking. So your friend showed up, he brought some tunes, you’re talking trash and having drinks. Dinner is over, there’re some new music discoveries with an impromptu dance party - and your friends keep calling, but nothing is quite as fun as the moment. Now, I don’t care how many cocktails you’ve had. If the company’s good, we’re still eating. Even if it’s 47 cocktails later. Lucky for me, before...

(Boozy) Bistro Saturday

August 15, 2011

I’m blessed with a few fabulous friends whom I’ve known for a lifetime. Fabulous is one of those words I hate, but it works with Adam (you two have met before?). He’s been a fixture for 15+ years, and we could write a book on our ridiculous adventures – partying at the Viscaya in Miami (when we were underage), working club doors in Atlanta, moving to NYC, dancing at downtown basement parties and making a million friends along the way. I would be remiss not mentioning most of our stories could only be repeated by having you sign a non-disclosure...

Roasted Garlic Broccoli Rabe

August 12, 2011

I love a good steak dinner as much as the next guy, but I always want a simple side to accompany a juicy steak. I don’t normally cook broccoli. My mom used to feed it to us all the time when we were kids, and I used to trade my brother the leaves for his stems. But broccoli rabe is the grown ups’ version. And I keep reading broccoli is one of the most nutrient-rich vegetables you can eat. So i took a stab at making my own broccoli rabe with a twist. And it was amazing. Roasted Garlic...

Roasted Zucchini and Heirloom Tomato Salad

August 9, 2011

Its been a bit since I’ve seen some maniac bite straight into a tomato, chewing at it like an apple and wondering why I’m staring at them as if they were strange. But lately, the heirloom tomatoes have been out of control (meaning, good). I’m able to fight the eat-it-like-an-apple urge, but I’ve been looking for ways to use them in everything. So, I picked up a zucchini, roasted it the night before and threw together a simple salad to accompany a lunchtime omelette. When I ate this salad, it was cold. I roasted the zucchini the previous night...

Kale is King

August 5, 2011

I love kale. But I’ve been having a hard time creating new dishes with it, and too many recipes cook the crap out of it. Typically, I cook it in a pot with a little bit of garlic, broth and pancetta, but I love using it in salads to make lighter dishes out of it. I had a lot of it in the fridge, so I thought I would experiment a bit. When I started prepping it, I realized there was far too much to make one dish, so I chose to make a kale dish two ways. Oddly...