In the Kitchen Now - Hasselback Potato Gratin / March 27, 2016 by Amy Cantu

In my search for a potato recipe to grace our Easter table, I stumbled upon the Hasselback Potato Gratin from The Food Lab cookbook by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. These potatoes are a twist on Swedish Hasselback Potatoes, which are essentially fanned baked potatoes, and Potatoes Au Gratin - layers of thinly sliced potatoes baked with cream and cheese. Hasselback Potato Gratin gives you the best of both worlds: crispy potato edges encrusted with cheese and soft, creamy potatoes waiting just underneath. Genius. Simply Genius.

Hasselback Potato Gratin

In the Kitchen Now - Hot Cross Buns / March 26, 2016 by Amy Cantu

Easter is tomorrow, and I had Hot Cross Buns on my mind - soft, pillowy, lightly sweet rolls, studded with little nubs of dried fruit. Doesn't that sound heavenly? This recipe is a little bit traditional and a little bit different - traditional in that I stuck to the flour-water paste to make the crosses on the tops, but a little bit different in that I added vanilla and cardamom and sticky honey tops to these spiced buns. Happy Easter!

Hot Cross Buns

The Shared Thai Food / March 22, 2016 by Amy Cantu

Pineapple Fried Rice and Tom Yum Soup To-go

At some point, everyone always asks me if I cook Thai food, to which I say, why would I need to to? My dad makes me awesome Thai food whenever I want! (And better Thai food than I would ever make, too.) I asked my dad, Audy, to make a couple of his favorite Thai food dishes with us, so Cynthia and I could revel in his Thai cooking prowess. He worked his way around the kitchen with such deft speed, that it was hard to keep with him! We were constantly trying to stop him to weigh or measure out his ingredients, because like many wonderful home cooks, my dad cooks by “feel” or “sight”. Oh yes, this looks like the right amount of rice (after scooping a few heaping spoonfuls into a bowl) or just a few more shakes of fish sauce. All I can say is that after a whirlwind of chopping (lots of chopping), frying, and simmering, Cynthia and I were gifted enough mouth-watering food to feed both our families, plus extra for my dad and mom to enjoy for dinner, as well. It was worth the kitchen sprint!

Audy's Pineapple Fried Rice

Audy's Tom Yum Soup

The Shared Winter to Spring Meal / March 15, 2016 by Amy Cantu

This meal came about as Cynthia and I looked out the window at a crisp, but sunny day. The leaves were still glistening from the recent (much needed) rain, the grass was tinged a bright green, and the rose buds hinted at a bit of color. It’s was still very much winter, but just a few hints of spring were starting to poke through the gray din to cheer us up. We wanted to cook and eat a meal that would give a nod to the briskly cold air but also bridge the gap to the brightness of approaching spring. I think this meal of citrusy roasted chicken legs, paired with a heavily herby, yet hearty farro salad, is just the thing.

Roasted Chicken Legs with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, and Honey

Chopped Herb Salad with Farro

The Shared New Baby Meal / March 8, 2016 by Cynthia Raub

harissa grilled pork chops and chickpea carrot salad

There's no experience in the world as transformative as becoming a mother. A mother has spent nine months housing and nourishing a body that is not her own; then, somehow, she is more whole after the delivery of her long-awaited gift. The first few weeks after delivery are a whirlwind of recovery, joy, visiting friends and family, and worry. Bringing a friend or family member a thoughtful and nutritive meal after delivery is more than a kind gesture, it's a lifeline during an important transition for a family. When a sweet friend at preschool delivered her second little girl, a meal train was set up to provide several weeks of meals for her family. There's a lot of advice out there about bringing meals to new parents, like: asking about dietary restrictions or preferences, bringing meals in disposable containers, coordinating the best time to deliver the meal, and making sure the food is ready to eat with no prep or cooking required. But mostly, it's the generous and thoughtful act of love and community that counts the most.

When it came to this friend, she said her family was not particular and open to all foods so I felt comfortable branching out from soup or pasta. I wanted to bring her family a meal that was easy to eat, easy to warm up, and a little bit of a departure from other meals she was provided. They were grateful and gracious to receive the food. I was happy to give them one less thing to worry about and fill their tummies with a wholesome and delicious meal at the same time.

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Harissa Grilled Pork Chops

Chickpea Carrot Salad

In the Kitchen Now - Mussels with Tomato and Fennel / March 3, 2016 by Amy Cantu

Cynthia and I were busy cooking up a brunch to bring to a family who just had a baby and also another family who recently lost a loved one. (More on that meal in another post.) Our friend, Grace, stopped by to help and also brought her two little ones to join our group of kids running amuck in the backyard with Grandpa Audy. We cooked all afternoon, but still needed to feed ourselves and the kiddos. These mussels took only 15 minutes to cook, and tasted as good as anything you'd eat at a nice restaurant. The kids loved prying the shells open and using them as "funny spoons" to scoop out the insides. It was a beautiful feast to end our productive and chaotic day!

Mussels with Tomato and Fennel

The Shared Birthday Dinner / March 1, 2016 by Amy Cantu

My husband is one of those impossible-to-buy-for people. He’s a minimalist and prefers to get rid of stuff, rather than acquire more stuff. There is, however, one thing that he can never get enough of: cheese! (Okay, that’s not entirely true - he also never tires of carne asada burritos.) He is a serious cheese lover - all day, everyday . . . cheese. On our honeymoon to Europe, we had cheese with every single meal. I thought I loved cheese, but by the end of the trip, I had hit a wall. My husband? He wanted to know if we could have cheese fondue for our last meal before heading home. So it came as no big surprise when he requested fondue for his birthday dinner. And what about the cake? (I bet you’re thinking cheesecake . . . ) Nope, he requested his favorite - ice cream cake!

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Three Cheese Fondue

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake

In the Kitchen Now - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes / February 28, 2016 by Amy Cantu

I might have a small obsession with lemon. So, if you see me cooking up a lot of lemon recipes, you'll know exactly why. I love the light, fruity tang that lemon adds to everything it touches. This morning, I woke up knowing exactly what I wanted to make for our Sunday breakfast - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes! These are ridiculously light and fluffy, but also soft and custardy from the ricotta. It's delicious!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes