Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts

Simple Baguette French Toast

I love a good baguette.

Last summer I got into a really bad habit of buying a baguette several times a week because there happened to be an awesome bakery located right next to the pottery studio where I was taking classes.

(And yes. I DO realize this sentence makes me sound like a movie starring Diane Keaton.)

While my favorite way to eat baguettes is really just ripped right off with my hand, perhaps with a bit of soft butter and salt, I do also love when a day-old baguette can be turned into something lovely.

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Pomegranate Rose Champagne Cocktails

Here's what you need to do:

Get a bottle of champagne. A decent one! Or at least some good dry sparkling wine.

Get a pomegranate, too.


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Smashed Watermelon Rum Cocktail

On Saturday night, Eugene and I went to a show followed by drinks at a bar. Technically we went in looking for food, but the kitchen had closed early at 10PM. We decided to stay for a drink anyway, and each picked out something from the seasonal cocktail menu.

My choice was a watermelon cocktail that combined muddled watermelon, citrus, and dark rum.

One sip and I got excited. "I love this drink! I love it!"

I drink a lot of watermelon cocktails during the summer, but for some reason, I've never paired watermelon with rum before. With tequila and vodka and gin, yes, but never rum.


My mistake, because it turns out that watermelon + good dark rum is cocktail magic!

This is my version of the drink I had that night.

You start off with cubes of chilled, seedless watermelon and mash them down in the bottom of a glass.

This is the important part--you don't want to puree--you want there to be chunks of watermelon, because then the fruit absorbs the rum and once you drink the liquid part, you can dig a spoon down to the bottom and enjoy spoonfuls of boozy fruit while you wait for the bartender to pour you another one.

(If you've ever had a drunken watermelon, it's a similar idea, except that it's in the bottom of your cocktail.)

Some fresh lime juice, a bit of brown sugar if you'd like, crushed ice, and a good golden or dark rum (NOT spiced). I used a Venezuelan rum called "Diplomatico," but I also love "Flor de Caña" rum from Nicaragua. Go ahead and pick your favorite!

This is the time of year when people start moaning about how summer is almost over, which is a lot of nonsense. We still have nearly a full month! And with fantastic watermelon rum cocktails like this, I intend to enjoy every single second of it!


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Loved this recipe? Here are a couple other watermelon recipes you might like:


And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!



Smashed Watermelon Rum Cocktail
Makes 1 cocktail, multiply as needed

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups diced seedless watermelon, chilled
1 fresh lime, juiced
1 teaspoon raw brown sugar (optional)
2 oz. gold or dark rum (not spiced)
Crushed ice

Directions
Combine watermelon, lime juice, and sugar (if using) in the bottom of a tall cocktail glass. Use a muddler to mash the watermelon. Add the rum, stir, then add crushed ice and stir again before serving.

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Spicy Chipotle Salmon Tacos

It's been at least two months since my last taco recipe so we are WAY overdue, friends.

This time around it's all about these spicy Chipotle Salmon Tacos with an easy Cumin-Lime Mayo sauce.

Salmon is already packed with tons of great flavor, so you really only need a few other simple ingredients to pull these together in record time.

They're an ideal weeknight meal, or great for a lazy weekend when you have mouths to feed, but not much motivation.


You start out by prepping the salmon. I like to get a big gorgeous piece of wild salmon as it's the best in terms of flavor and nutrition, but definitely pick your favorite kind.

I pat it dry then brush with the adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo.

I literally just scoop out a few spoonfuls of it straight from the can to the fish and brush it on evenly. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and some oregano, and you're done!

Pop this under the broiler for about 7 minutes. (You can also bake it in a hot oven for about 15 minutes, or cook it on a grill.)

Let it cool slightly then use a fork to flake it into large chunks.

The sauce is just mayo with some fresh lime juice and cumin, whisked together.


Do NOT forget to warm up the tortillas on a hot skillet or right over the flame. Don't just use tortillas straight out of the package--that's like eating a hot dog straight out of the package. It's cooked, technically, but...it's just not ready to eat, yet.

The rest people can do themselves!

Serve the salmon with the sauce and tortillas and your favorite toppings. I keep it simple with sliced radishes and cilantro. Chopped onions, avocado, cabbage slaw or any other number of classic taco toppings would work here, too.


Taco perfection!


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Loved this recipe? Here are three other taco recipes you might like:


And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!




Chipotle Salmon Tacos
 Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds wild salmon fillets
1 can chipotles in adobo sauce
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Corn tortillas, for serving
Fresh cilantro, sliced radishes, limes, and other toppings for garnish

Directions
Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place salmon fillets on top.

Spoon out three tablespoons of adobo sauce from chipotles (reserve the peppers for another use). Brush sauce over the top and sides of the salmon.

Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and oregano. Broil about 6" away from broiler for about 7-10 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness.

While the salmon cooks, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice and cumin.

Remove salmon from oven and let cool slightly while you heat tortillas on a skillet or over a gas burner.

Use a fork to flake salmon into chunks.

To assemble tacos, spread warm tortillas with mayo sauce and top with salmon and desired toppings. Eat immediately.
 
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Travel Diaries: A Weekend in the Hamptons

As much as I love New York City, I also adore the occasional weekend escape out of the city...especially during the summer!

A few weeks ago, Eugene and I dropped Hudson off at my parents' house, packed our bags, and drove a few hours east to Sag Harbor for a little Hamptons beach weekend in the sun.


The highlight of our trip was getting to attend a couple fancy foodie parties at the gorgeous Tasting Table Hampton's House. I was invited by the team at Coca-Cola Life to experience and share about the parties, which featured gorgeous food, drinks, backyard games, and lots of other goodies.

Here are a few pictures from our weekend, plus some of my favorite things that we ate and did in case you're planning your own Hamptons trip this summer!

Since a few of the parties we were attending were going to be in Sag Harbor, I logged onto Airbnb and found a great beach house located steps from the water. It was stunning! I was in my bikini and running toward the water within about 4 minutes from arrival.

On Saturday, morning, I woke up around 5AM and ran out onto the chilly beach to watch the sun rise.

It was so perfect...nobody else was out and the only sound was that of the water and birds. I'm so envious of people who get to enjoy that gorgeous peaceful view every morning.


When Eugene finally woke up a few hours later, we headed to Estia's Little Kitchen--a farm-to-table Mexican restaurant for breakfast. It was fantastic! They made their own homemade salsas with fresh local herbs.

We even had a minor celebrity spotting; Isaac Mizrahi and his husband Arnold Germer were having breakfast there, too. I made the mistake of subtly and quietly pointing him out to Eugene who loudly shouted back, "THE DESIGNER?! WHERE?"

(That was the last time I will ever point out a celebrity to him. Ever.)

After a few hours wandering and shopping in town, Eugene and I picked up some local goodies (cheese from Cavaniola's Cheese Shop, bread, wine, cookies from Tate's, etc.) and had ourselves a little beach picnic.

Later that afternoon, we attended a rosé wine tasting at the Tasting Table house, where we were greeted at the door with cocktails, then entered what is basically the house (and backyard!) of my dreams.


(Oh the parties I could throw!).


We sipped rosé, enjoyed little fancy sandwiches and raw oysters, and chatted with new and old friends.

The chefs in the kitchen were creating fun treats to share, including these delicious frozen rosé slushies, which took about 30 seconds to make and were so fun.

(Stay tuned for that recipe!)


The next morning we slept in (it was gray and rainy and cold!), then headed back to the Tasting Table house for brunch featuring a DIY Bloody Mary bar with all the fixin's


Eugene took full advantage of the bloody mary bar, but I just stuck with the bacon because I have priorities.


It was candied bacon! And I definitely had at least three slices of it, plus one more "for the road" before we left.

No shame, kids. No shame.

The brunch menu was gorgeous, including dishes like this wild smoked salmon salad with charred citrus, a very cool green bean salad with cherries, chorizo omelets, and bottles of chilled Coca-Cola Life.


(I also fell in love with these mini avocado toast appetizers with preserved lemons. So great!)

After brunch, Eugene got me to join him for a game of ping pong, but I'm very bad at ping pong, so he swiftly regretted that.

After a few hours of relaxing, we reluctantly got back into our car for the drive home to the city.


(Though we did stop in Southhampton at Sant Ambroeus for ice cream, first!)

Thanks to Coca-Cola Life for inviting me out for this lovely weekend! I tried out Coca-Cola Life before agreeing to partner with them, and can honestly say I'm a fan!


It's sweetened with a mix of real cane sugar and stevia, but has that great fizzy nostalgic taste that's perfect with pizza or while watching a movie.

If you love the taste of Coke, but are thoughtful about things like calories or what kind of sugars you consume, I think it's a great choice!

Disclosure: This is sponsored collaboration with Coca-Cola Life. I was compensated for my time and social shares, but all opinions are my own. Follow Coca-Cola life on Instagram and Twitter for more fun summer inspiration!

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Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Pico de Gallo


The first few days of summer weather were the inspiration behind these spicy Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Pico de Gallo.

Quick and easy shrimp tacos are a go-to meal on those glorious long days when all you want to do is lounge around or be outside as much as possible.

Because summer is all about things that are easy.

The shrimp marinate in just a few minutes while you prepare the simple watermelon pico de gallo (helping yourself to several bites of cold sweet watermelon along the way).

And then all you have to do is cook the shrimp and assemble the tacos!


Or, better yet...just serve everything in individual bowls and let your family or guests make their own tacos! Everyone loves DIY tacos!

You're...um..."encouraging creativity and self-sufficiency."

Definitely not being lazy! Nope.

But this watermelon pico de gallo, tho!

Basically this is a super-simple twist on the fresh Mexican salsa made with diced watermelon, onions, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a sprinkle of chile flakes.

You dice and toss and then let it sit for a couple minutes until all the flavors get friendly with each other.

Honestly, all you're basically doing here is swapping watermelon in for the tomatoes.

It's not rocket science, but they add just a tiny hint of sweetness that works beautifully with the spicy shrimp and make the whole thing seem so clever and trendy.

So trendy.

Note that if you have jalapeño or serrano peppers on hand, you should definitely dice one up and add it to the mix.

I didn't and was feeling lazy creative, so I just went with dried chile flakes. A sprinkle of cayenne works just as well.

You get your spice. You get some flavor. It's all good. It's summer. Don't stress.


It's so flexible and easy to customize. See what you have in your fridge and play around! This is basically my number one cooking rule.

Honestly...this is my number one life, rule. Improvisation is my game.

Note that the shrimp can be seasoned and the salsa can be made a few hours in advance--then just cook the shrimp right before serving. It's perfect for parties or busy weeknight dinners.

The only other thing you need is a chilled glass of wine or an icy tequila cocktail--or two! Rum works, too.

No judgment from me, folks.


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Loved this recipe? Here are three other taco recipes you might like:

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!



Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Pico de Gallo
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the shrimp
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the watermelon pico de gallo
3 cups seedless watermelon, diced into small 1/2" cubes
1 large red or white onion, diced
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 fresh limes, juiced
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes OR 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin

You’ll also need
12 small soft tortillas (corn or wheat)
Additional lime wedges for serving

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, olive oil, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Toss well to combine and set aside while you make the salsa.

Make the salsa: In another bowl, toss together the diced watermelon, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and chile. Sprinkle with kosher salt and toss again. Cover and chill until serving.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, and cumin to make the sauce.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté about 5-7 minutes, or until shrimp are fully cooked and slightly charred on the edges.

Assemble tacos by spreading tortilla with a bit of the sauce, layering on the shrimp and spoonfuls of pico de gallo. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
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