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The Kitchen Without Borders
“There is a famous Middle Eastern saying: Sar fi beynatna khobz wa meleh, meaning ‘Now there is bread and salt between us.’ This idiom is used to illustrate how eating together will cement the relationship between two people,” The Eat Offbeat Chefs. For me this saying is how I live, I love to cook or enjoy a meal with others to grow our relationships. As a child all of my close relationships with my family grew from the times we sat and ate together as we still do today when we are together. Last year I heard about The Kitchen Without Borders cookbook and was immediately intrigued. Having lived in New York City…
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What’s In Season?
Do you find yourself struggling trying to remember what produce is in season when? I know I go through this all the time. Going to the local farmers market is something I love to do as it doesn’t require me to remember what’s in season, but sometimes it’s not an option. Our farmers market doesn’t open for a few more weeks so I am always thinking about what’s in season when in the grocery store. Below is a breakdown of the different produce that is in season by season. Remember in some areas growing times are much longer or much shorter so you may have less or more availability of some items. I…
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Cooking light Cooking Through the Seasons
“Choosing the season’s best foods for taste and freshness alone is reason enough to cook seasonally,” The Cooking Light Editors. I love to go to the farmers market and get fresh in season produce as it makes my dishes taste amazing. Cooking Light Cooking Through the Seasons focuses on what to cook when. I’m not sure about you but I don’t always know what is in season when I am at the grocery store. A lot of our produce is trucked in here in the United States and we are able to get almost every type of produce or fruit year round. While I enjoy this sometimes I just want to eat what…
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Recipe Measurement Guide
Have you ever found a recipe you want to make and realize it makes enough for four but you only need enough for two? Or do you have the opposite problem the recipe is for two but you have a family of six? If so I am sure you have googled the measurements you need to convert to make the recipe work for your family. I used to find myself doing this all the time. Most recipes can easily be adjusted to fit your family. The big exception is for recipes that call for an odd amount of eggs – if you are trying to reduce the amount it is impossible to accurately…
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Cooking with Zac
“I hope your cooking adventures are rich and delicious and fill your kitchen and dining room with laughter, smiles, and great joy,” Zac Posen. As long as I can remember I have been a fan of Zac Posen, his designs are amazing. When I found Cooking with Zac I had to own this beautiful cookbook. The cookbook is full of amazing recipes that range from decadent and complex to simple and beautiful. I found so many recipes that spoke to me and had a hard time narrowing down what I was going to make. Cooking with Zac with be a cookbook that I use regularly especially to make the Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake!
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My Cooking Journey
Since I was a little kid I have always liked to be in the kitchen – sometimes helping to bake or cook and sometimes just to eat. Until 5th grade I lived in Florida close to my Nana, Grandma and a lot of other relatives. As a child you don’t realize how much you are learning when you are just having fun helping in the kitchen. I have such vivid memories of my Nana helping her bake everything from chocolate chip cookies to snickerdoodles to the most delicious fudge I have ever eaten. Those recipes are still ones I make today and always take me back to her kitchen in Florida. At my…
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Eat Better, Feel Better
“In Eat Better, Feel Better, I share my personal journey, as well as the recipes I’ve relied on to keep me feeling better at fifty than I did at thirty-all without giving up the foods I love,” Giada de Laurentiis. I have been eagerly awaiting this cookbook as I love all of Giada’s previous cookbooks. As someone who tries to eat healthy most of the time I am always searching for new recipes. Eat Better, Feel Better offers so many recipes for you to choose from that are flavorful and filling. The cookbook also offers great health and wellness tips. There is even a 21 day meal plan if you are looking to…
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My 5 Worst Cooking Disasters
Everyone who cooks or bakes has those disasters they can remember like it was yesterday. The most experienced chefs can still experience a kitchen disaster. I have had many disasters of the years and below are my top five disasters and tips to help you prevent them. 5. Set bread on fire toasting it with the broiler. I have always been a little skittish when using the broiler as I never wanted to set anything on fire. Well one night it happened – I put my bread to close to the broiler and all of a sudden I could smell it burning. I looked in the oven and my bread was on fire.…
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French Macarons for Beginners
"As you read through this book and make what are perhaps your first batch of macarons, I hope to help you avoid the mistakes I made at first and instead bake beautiful, delicate cookies,” Natalie Wong. I waited until I was in Paris for my birthday to try French Macarons and a love affair was quickly born. They are one of the most decadent and delicious treats I have ever eaten. Baking is my first love and I was so excited to try French Macarons for Beginners when I found it. To make macarons you need a few specialty items: a silicone macaron baking mat, sifter and a kitchen scale. I had everything…
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Vitamix: My Favorite Blender
Over the years I have owned many different blenders all in search of finding the best blender. I have bought them from many stores including Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy and Sur La Table. Every brand claims to have the best blender at their price point. I have realized that you do really get what you pay for. When you buy an inexpensive blender you don’t know if it will blend your smoothie completely or be able to really blend hot soup. Most of the time it doesn’t work very well. I spent some time when living in St. Louis working for Sur La Table and it was there that I…



























