This cider brined turkey with cider herb gravy is the ultimate holiday turkey & gravy combination and will be the absolute star of your table

This is the ultimate turkey & gravy recipe. A bold statement, I know. But this turkey and gravy combination changed the way I felt about turkey 18 years ago. And this cider brined turkey with cider herb gravy has graced our holiday tables every year since… My aunt Susie was never allowed to host holiday… Read more

Honeynut squash are the darlings of the pumpkin world. Out of all of the squash and pumpkins I have ever tasted, honeynuts are, by far, the most flavorful. Their deep natural sweetness becomes rich & caramel-y, when roasted at high heat. Which means you don’t need to add much to them to create a delicious… Read more

GREEK APPLE BREAD – MILÓPITA

GREEK APPLE CAKE - MILÓPITA

It’s hard to believe that such a long time has passed since my last blog post. And SO much has transpired in our life since then. But I finally feel like I am in a place to share here once again. The predominant concern of the last 2+ years of our life has been my… Read more

SIMPLE SAUTÉED PLUMS

One of the greatest joys of summer is the produce, hands down. And this summer, our multi-grafted plum tree is literally bursting with fruit! We are all about easy recipes that require little to no cooking right now (thanks to daily 100°F+ weather). So these simple sautéed plums were born from the need to easily… Read more

Summer is the ultimate season for salads. There is no better time of year to feast on bountiful platters brimming with fruits and vegetables. During my weekly visit to the farmers market, I always start off with a slow stroll to take in what each farmer is offering. Last week tomatoes, peaches & habanero peppers… Read more

PICKLED RED ONIONS WITH HABANERO PEPPERS

Pickled red onions are a summer staple in our kitchen. Bright and zippy, they are the perfect addition to tacos, salads, sandwiches and so much more! Recently we tried cochinita tacos from a local Mexican restaurant that were topped with pickled red onions with habanero peppers. We absolutely loved the depth of flavor that the… Read more

Stuffed vegetables are a beloved food to so many different cultures in the Mediterranean, Balkans & Middle East. In Greece, we call them gemistá (pronounced: yeh-mee-STAH) and they are a warm-season staple. Out of all of the vegetables that get stuffed and baked, red peppers are our absolute favorite. Gemistá typically have a rice-based filling… Read more

A favorite dish in Greece, these dolmades gialantzi - stuffed grape leaves are flavored with fresh herbs, onion, lemon, tomato & pine nuts.

Dolmades (pronounced: dohl-MAH-thes) are the Greek version of stuffed grape leaves. Stuffed grape leaves are a beloved food consumed all throughout Greece, the Balkans and the Middle East. This recipe for dolmades gialantzi is from my friend Peter Minaki a.k.a. Kalófagas. I first discovered Peter’s Greek food blog many years ago while learning more about… Read more

Traditional Mexican Tortilla Soup

I was eight years old when I first visited Mexico. It was an especially significant trip for me, as it was the first time I ventured outside of the US. I have several vivid memories of my experience in Mázatlan. But nothing pervades my memory quite like the traditional Mexican tortilla soup I ate during… Read more

LOCAL HAWAIIAN STYLE CHILI

Hawaiian-style chili

This recipe is a tribute to a place with a food culture that deeply impacted me. Hawai’i is a sacred place that has a complex history of colonization & immigration. The intersecting trajectories of Hawai’i’s history have contributed to the fusion of local culinary culture in Hawai’i (referred to as local Hawaiian food). My hope… Read more