Small Dice Challenge: Chocolate Cookie Pie

Easter is not Easter without the story of a fall and rise of a being.  This is such a tale.  We were getting ready to visit our good friend, Rina.  I had promised her a hollow Easter bunny because she likes to break their heads off and put ice cream into them.  It is quite…

Small Dice Challenge: Buttermilk Salmon

Let me tell you a little story.  It involves love, betrayal, and possibly….muuuurder.  It was a chilly night.  My husband ran to the corner store because alas we were out of milk. I wouldn’t be going to our regular store until the next day, and it was a milk and cookies emergency. After dinner, I…

Rites of Spring

Although I wasn’t particularly thrilled about “springing ahead” and losing an hour of precious sleep (yeah, who’s lame idea was it anyways and why are we still doing it when it’s universally acknowledged to being rather pointless in the modern world?!), I was, nevertheless, done with Winter.  And you know what really puts me in…

Irish eyes are smiling…after you’ve stuffed yourself with food

Visions of shamrock shakes, minty Oreos and green bagels are dancing in our heads once again, all of which has us thinking about our favorite Irish-themed movies.  If you’re looking for tour de force performances, there’s always that award-winning one-man powerhouse known as Daniel Day Lewis–My Left Foot (1990), In the Name of the Father…

Small Dice Challenge: Semi-healthy Shrimp and “potato”soup

A couple of weeks ago, I had my anniversary dinner at a French restaurant called Liaison Bistro.  I can’t remember the last time I ate so well.  Actually, I can’t even remember the last time my husband and I went on a date without a child.  I ordered a sole stuffed with crab drowned in…

Cheeseburgers, badass chicks and cocktails

Rainy weekends always give me a great excuse to do two things–cook and watch television–not that I necessarily need a rainy weekend to do either.  In fact, I often find inspiration for my culinary experimentation just from channel-surfing.  A case in point, the other night I happened upon an episode of Best Bars in America…

Small Dice Challenge: Sushi Rolls

The challenge this week is to see if I can make sushi rolls without all the necessary components that most sushi chefs have.  For one, I don’t have one of those fancy bamboo mat rollers and, two, I’m not exactly sure how their rice is made or what kind of rice they use.  I could…