Pecan and Dulce de Leche Brownies

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Pecan and Dulce de Leche Brownies

Happy New Year everyone! I've finally decided to come out of hibernation; the past week was brutally cold. Like throwback to college cold. There are definitely parts of college I want to relive but I can do without the -10 weather. I once read somewhere that you should start the New Year off with something sweet for good luck. Sure, we could all use a little luck this year but with the plateful of brownies sitting in front of me, I think I'm due for a lucky decade. And maybe a cavity or two, eek.

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Frank-ly Darling, I Don't Give a Clam

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Frank-ly Darling, I Don't Give a Clam

Hi everyone! I wanted to get in one last post for 2014 about my first time ever at Frank Pepe's Pizza. Yes, that, Pepe's pizza. The one that is on every "Best Pizza" list ever penned. Nationally renowned, Pepe's has been serving the Connecticut population and beyond since 1925. What took me so long to get here, you ask? I'm kind of scared to admit this but here goes: I don't really like pizza.

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Holiday Wrap Up!

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Holiday Wrap Up!

Hi there everyone! I'm back after a two week holiday hiatus. If you follow me on Facebook you'd see it wasn't so much of a break; I was up to my elbows in trout dip and candy cane cookies. After all the eating (there was SO much eating, I know people say that but I mean it), I came away with some spectacular foodie gifts and found my new addiction #somuchforresolutions. Now, let's talk about some of the new additions to my kitchen. Every year my aunt buys my parents a cookbook. Every year I steal said cookbook from my parents. In order to remedy this my aunt gifted me with my own copy this year, hooray! There was also a rectangular present that I thought might be pottery (my aunt is a genius at the pottery wheel) but it was too light. Once the tissue paper was discarded, a handsome wooden serving board lay before me.

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Chipotle Rosemary Nuts

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Hi everyone! I've been plenty busy in the kitchen this weekend with my holiday baking. One of the most well received items to come out of my kitchen this time of year are the Chipotle Rosemary mixed nuts. They are sweet, smoky, crunchy and literally everyone loves them. Example: my mother generally avoids foods with even the slightest bit of heat but she raves about these nuts. I handed her a bag last night, "The nuts!" she joyfully exclaimed, genuine delight spread across her face. "I was just about to ask you when you were making them!" See? Everyone.

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Frohe Weihnachten!

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Welcome everyone! I've spent most of the last week putting final touches on Christmas decorations and writing out holiday cards, which means I can stop licking envelopes and start licking my fingers/plate/spatulas. Christmas is celebrated differently throughout the world and every culture has its own variation of Christmas eats. East coast to West, arctic to tropical, I'm a fan of global Christmas cuisine. I am particularly fond of German Christmas sweets and traditions (Krampus, now that's a tradition) If you have a hankering for some German Christmas specialties, well then you barked up the right Tannenbaum. I'm not sure how or why I became so interested in German food and holiday traditions but I'm going to attribute it to having a German best friend for the last twenty two years. Thankfully, the Upper East Side of the city still continues to host a smattering of German shops where I can find some near authentic items, including some Christmas specialties. My first stop was Schaller und Weber with the hopes of picking up some fine condiments and sausages but I was a tad a late in getting there, alas, I was locked out. I'll be back for you, wurst.

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The Short List

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Hey all, check those calendars, it's December 1st! Most of us will incur a great amount of stress these next few weeks trying to find the perfect gift for each person on our list. At the end of the day, play to their interests or you'll be up to your elbows in (very uninteresting) Visa gift cards. If you've got a foodie in your life and need some gift ideas I've provided you with the short list of my wishes and wants.

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Chipotle Cranberry Barbecue Sauce

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Hi everyone! Still looking for a spotlight side dish this Thanksgiving? No problem, I've got you covered. Well, Spoon Fork Bacon has got you covered. I had a Friendsgiving game night over the weekend to show thanks and appreciation for my volleyball friends, here's a sample of what I served,

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DBGB: OMG It's a Whole H-O-G

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Bustling crowds, glittering light displays, soul warming comfort foods. No, it's not Christmas in the city just yet but with temperatures hovering around freezing it may as well be. One of my best friends/college roommate was in New York this weekend so we had a very chic, albeit cold, day about the city on Saturday. Since I anticipated quite a bit of walking in our future I gave in and begrudgingly put on the hat/scarf/glove ensemble. I wasn't wrong; between our shopping and eating we covered a significant amount of ground: Bloomie's for some bargains, Maison Kayser (again) for the best French onion soup ever,Laduree to sample some outrageous macaroons, and the gist of our post and my favorite Boulud institution, DBGB. There's something about this place that has captured my heart (and stomach). The full name is DBGB Kitchen and Bar. not restaurant. Not bistro. Not cafe. Kitchen and Bar; a sentiment that echoes from the open kitchen to the dimly light corners of the dining room and is infused into every dish. And what dishes they serve. The food is superb and the combinations are creative and intriguing. Really though, wait until you see what I had for dessert.

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From Paris With Love

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This has been a fairly exciting weekend; two good friends got married and I went to Paris! Well, almost.

I went to Maison Kayser with Steph for an impromptu lunch and it was the most elegant recovery food I could have asked for. I say "recovery" because, let's be honest, on this side of twenty five "hangover" is just vulgar. Maison Kayser is the creation of Eric Kayser; a renowned baker who now has a handful of locations in the city. Judging by online comments and reviews I am not the only one who seems to have been whisked away to Paris for a couple of hours. I've actually never been to Paris but I imagine a bakeshop there looking something like this Third Avenue location. The clean lines and neutral color palette keep it chic yet warm. The servers are in stripes and suspenders but it's natural, not forced. And then there's the food.

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A Cozy Night In: Stuffed Acorn Squash

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This past Saturday was a cold, drizzly, gray kind of day and I had a craving for all things cozy. With no plans, which is unfortunately more common than not, I decided to do some comfort cooking. I know that type of food is usually reserved for Sunday's but  I've had a major carb craving since the middle of the week. I channeled my inner nonna and tried my hand at homemade pasta sauce and a (separate) sausage and apple stuffed squash. I was impressed with the pasta sauce I made, it had a bit of kick but I should have let the meat brown longer for more depth. The squash stuffing was a delicious harvest mix of apples, pecans, sausage and mushrooms but I forgot to season the squash before adding the stuffing resulting in the squash itself being a bit bland.

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