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Holiday Gift Guide!
The holidays are here! I love the holiday season and think its such a fun time to be surrounded by family and friends, eating good food, drinking wine, and going a little crazy with dessert. Gift giving around the holidays can be a little stressful, I know, so I thought I’d resurrect a few ideas from my blog and the internet, of holiday gifts! Homemade gifts: 1. Holiday cookies 2. Cookies in a jar 3. Homemade pesto: here or here 4. Infused olive oils 5. Banana bread 6. Cranberry Scones
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Cranberry Scones
November was a really busy month- between a work trip to DC, applications, my sister’s wedding, etc I feel like I’ve been running around nonstop. I guess I feel that way most winters though and with the holiday season approaching, the to do list is not getting any shorter! I made these scones last week to take to a Santacon pre-party. For those of you that don’t know, Santacon is basically a day where most of the 20-somethings in SF dress up in santa outfits and run around the city. I wanted to make something that people could snack on amidst the festivities and scones seemed morning appropriate. Plus, who…
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Pull apart cheesy bread
It’s football season. Yes, let’s say that again. It’s football season! The best time of year ever. YAY! And with football season, comes lots of tasty tasty snacks. I’ve made a few football friendly dishes before and feel like its time to add to the list. This recipe for pull apart cheesy garlic bread is right up that alley. Enjoy! Some other easy gameday recipes: 49ers sugar cookies Corn jalapeño salsa Homemade Hummus Slow cooker veggie chili Superbowl six layer dip Ingredients: 1 loaf of sourdough bread 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced 5 T butter 1 bunch scallions, sliced 3 C mixed shredded cheese (cheddar works great!) Recipe: 1. Preheat…
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Mushroom & Spinach Risotto
Risotto used to be one of my go-to meals after work, but for some reason it fell off my radar for a while. Well, it’s back in full force and has made a strong resurgence in my life. I know risotto can seem intimidating, but honestly, if you are patient, it makes a wonderful fall meal. A few notes: 1. BE PATIENT: risotto takes time, and if you add stock too fast, it will get sticky and gross. Add stock one ladle at a time, and make sure to wait as long as possible before the next ladle. The first few will take a while to absorb, but as you…
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Lateralization and Face Perception
So excited! For the first time ever today, I had a first author publication come out in the Journal of Neuroscience. It’s pretty special to see your work be published for the world to see, especially when you’ve dedicated a lot of time and energy towards its completion. I’m happy to email anyone a PDF if you can’t access it directly from the journal.
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Asparagus Emmentaler Tart
Last week, while perusing twitter for new recipes, I came across a recipe for a goat cheese, bacon, and asparagus tart. I absolutely loved the idea of using asparagus in a tart recipe. Since I don’t eat bacon (yuck), I thought it might be fun to create a version with asparagus and substitute the goat cheese with a different, saltier cheese. I choose Emmentaler- a hard, swiss, lightly salty cheese that melts well when heated. This tart would make a great party appetizer and was really delicious and easy to make! Ingredients: 1 C shredded emmanteler 1/2 T olive oil 1 puff pastry sheet (8.5 x 11 inch) 30 spears…
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“PF Chang’s” Lettuce Wraps
PF Changs may not be authentic Chinese food, but I must admit, I really really love it. I’m a HUGE fan of their veggie lettuce wraps and hot & sour soup. The wraps are warm, a little spicy, and filled with yumminess that you don’t have to feel too guilty about enjoying. Plus, lettuce wraps make an easy party appetizer! I’ve been making lettuce wraps for years, so I was surprised when I realized I had never posted the recipe. Ingredients: 1 T sesame oil 2 minced cloves of garlic 1 t grated ginger 1/2 onion diced 1/2 bell pepper diced 1/2 C diced mushrooms (I used shittake) 6 ounces…
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Rainbow Birthday Cake
My best friend Margaret turned 26 on Saturday so naturally we needed to celebrate with a fun and tasty cake! I made her a whimsical rainbow cake with buttercream frosting and candy decorations. I baked each layer of cake with food coloring to create the rainbow effect. Then surrounded the cake with frosting and created a border of kit-kats and top layer of m&ms. It looks complicated, but I promise it’s easier than you think!
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Tzatziki Dip
Tzatziki is like middle eastern raita… No wonder I’m obsessed with it. It’s really refreshing to dip pita or veggies into on a hot day and is SO easy to make. I’m pretty sure this doesn’t constitute cooking. It’s basically just an exercise in mixing things together, but it’s so good that I needed to share! Ingredients: 2 C greek yogurt 1/2 large cucumber, peeled & grated juice half a lemon 2 cloves garlic minced 1/4 C chopped dill 1 t each cumin, salt, pepper Recipe: 1. Great the cucumber finely. Some prefer to de-seed first. Allow the excess water to drip off so the dip doesn’t become too runny.…
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Muhammarra Dip
Muhammarra is a dip originally from Syria. Its a delicious mix of pomegranate, red pepper, and walnuts and really is a great combination of sweet and tangy with an amazing textural composition. My friend Christina (& her mom) make an amazing version of this dip that I am absolutely obsessed with. I created a recipe based on the recipe they shared and this recipe; I feel that this is the perfect make up for this dip in both texture and flavor. It’s a great party appetizer to serve with veggies or pita! Ingredients: 1 large red bell pepper 1 C walnuts, finely chopped 1 T pomegranate molasses 1/4 C breadcrumbs…
