All posts tagged: food

Food: Potato Leek Soup

I had the best soup on Sunday. Ordered to-go from a restaurant that specializes in steak and seafood, which I wasn’t craving. So I ordered soup. It wasn’t potato leek as the title suggests. But more potato and cheese, topped with scallion shavings. I savored every spoonful and actually kicked myself for not ordering a second to-go serving. Anyway, in my household, homemade soup has been a hit or a miss. Because I have the worst food critic – my mother – to please while experimenting with a variety of ingredients. 🙂 She cracks me up, because when I serve her dinner at the kitchen table, she takes a minute to prepare her taste buds for what she is about to eat. Then she takes a bite, and from the expression spreading across her face, I can tell if the dish is a success or a complete flop. Long story, short. I have been craving Potato Leek Soup ever since Sunday. So I went out and bought fresh baked artisan bread and ingredients from the …

Food: Chicken Taco

I have been stuck on rotation lately, pretty much making the same meals every week. Too busy at work for sure, and not enough time to get as creative as I’d like for dinner. Also my craving has been off – mostly stress eating. So, tonight I am going for this awesome twist on tacos and naturally I feel the need to share. Disclaimer: Full photo and recipe credit here

Food: Easter Dinner

I am sure this may sound a bit cliché but throughout my life, I have experienced the best Mediterranean cuisine one can possibly imagine From my grandmother, to my mother, aunts and even a cousin who studied at Cordon Bleu in Paris. The meals, although the same staple, were served with a variety of flavors, spices and methods , depending on what part of the region one was from. What I do now in my own cooking is I combine all of the flavors and styles to create my own variation. I have to say it’s been surprisingly amazing. So what does my story have to do with Easter Dinner? Well it has lots to do with it. Lamb is the choice for the feast, rack of lamb, shredded or minced into a variety of dishes I will discuss in another post, we served it, along with a side dish or two. Nothing fancy, but very flavorful. I always say the best meals are the simple ones and those prepared at home. So tell me…what are …

recipe: banh mi bites

As you know I follow many bloggers, and always appreciate the wealth of information from the blogger community, here and there sharing the details with my readers. Being a San Franciscan, I must say we have the best Asian Kitchens, traditional or Asian infusion, and I swear every time I turn around, another one is popping up in the city, exciting me to try each and every one of them. Anyway, one of my favorite bloggers here, had a recipe posted on her site I couldn’t pass up since it tapped into my Asian food cravings. Which happens on a daily basis, right around the lunch hour. This recipe I decided to try last night, except instead of using pork – which I don’t eat, I opted for Sweet Italian style chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s, adding my own touch to the very perfect recipe.   Serves 6-8 as a side dish Ingredients Meatballs 1 pound ground pork 1 bunch green onions, diced 1 cup of cilantro, chopped 1.5 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon salt …

healthy eating: eggs and asparagus

I love fine cuisine, I don’t deny it, but once in a while I truly appreciate finding a recipe online that is not only healthy but has my favorite ingredients in it. Now the interesting thing for me about eggs and asparagus is that I  often made a frittata with them with a touch of parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, but the recipe here is a much simpler way of incorporating the two together and I have to tell you,  it was amazing!  I loved it and I know you will too. But I am always curious about what your take is on the recipes I provide, so please let me know how it turned out for you? Parmesan Roasted Asparagus Topped with a Poached Egg: Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net Olive oil cooking spray 5 spears of asparagus Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded 1 egg Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray then add the …

healthy eating: chicken au champagne

Oh my, how can this get any better. A chicken dish with my favorite alcoholic beverage – champagne from my favorite site here for me to share with my readers. Let me know how it turns out for you? INGREDIENTS 4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone) Salt and freshly ground pepper Chervil, tarragon, or thyme (optional) 1 shallot, quartered 1 cup Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut recommended)  Yield: 4 Servings RECIPE Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, and season them. Pour 1/2 cup of the Champagne over breasts. Make a slit in each breast and insert a piece of shallot.  Place the pan under the broiler, skin-side up, for 3 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and broil the other side for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broiler, baste with the pan juices, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Champagne. Adjust the oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, basting once or twice. Serve over brown rice. Sautéed mushrooms add a …

for the love of cupcakes

What is the craze with cupcakes? I mean they have been around for years but just in the last 5years or so, every woman I can think of considers cupcakes for their get togethers more so than cakes. I suppose they are more fun, less fattening and perfectly sized for most anyone and any occasion – in America that is – just in case everyone else is scratching their heads with what I am stating here. Anyway, I won’t deny it, I love them too and often search for cupcake specialty stores most anywhere I go in the states. My favorite is Sprinkles here and although quiet pricy, they are the best I have ever had, especially on the first day – not so much second day and after. So in light of this subject matter, I have included photos of some of my favorite cupcake decor for your viewing pleasure. Also, please drop me a line with your favorite cupcake speciality store.

healthy cooking: filet mignon with roquefort

Who doesn’t love a great piece of steak, except the non-meat eaters of course. I love steak and if it were up to me, I could eat one every day. But in trying to keep a balance with my healthy eating and cooking goal, I only eat steak once a month and it has to be a filet mignon. I am however, particular about the cut and often times would go to a specialty meat and poultry shop to purchase just the right cut and size. With that said, I have found a great filet mignon recipe (not that I really ever need a  recipe to prepare the steak)  here and have actually served it up by itself – without a side dish on occasion and then with the spinach sautéed with lemon and garlic and a wonderful french Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not going to recommend the wine because to each his/her own on that one. Anyway, enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turned out for you. Ingredients U.S. Metric Conversion …