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Bourbon + Pecan Bon Bons
I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I am sure you’ll agree that when you put these earthly pleasures in your mouth, you’ll be tempted to sell your soul like Faust. Each bite explodes with bourbon-spiked pecan pie filling slathered with chocolate. Sweet, sweet magic in your mouth. And because they are so diminutive, they are practically guilt-free one-bite treats. Many of you know my mother’s family is Greek. What you may not know is my papou made chocolate confections. At any given time, there were vats upon vats of chocolate melting on the stove in his basement-turned chocolate factory workshop. Let that sink in. Imagine an…
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Frozen Key Lime Pops
Frozen Key Lime Pops—because summer isn’t over yet! I was 7 years old the first time I had Key Lime Pie. It was actually in the Keys—Marathon, to be exact—when my family + 2 other Augusta families (6 adults + 7 kids) squeezed into ONE deluxe-ish Winnebago for a vacation to Florida, fishing boat in tow. (Meanwhile the boat trailer lost a wheel somewhere around woodsy Millen, Georgia, never to be recovered). Thirteen people + Winnebago + 1,400 miles round trip. Sounds crazy, right? Yes, but it was one of the BEST vacations ever. Amidst the crowdedness and having to share one bathroom while on the road (god forbid we…
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Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Have you been outside lately? I am sitting indoors at the computer with the AC blowing full blast. Just looking out the window makes me glisten. How do I remedy this thermal warfare? Cucumbers. Cucumbers are magical. They have the power to cool you in the deepest of heat. But in this salad, paradoxically, they are also the source of deep heat as they are drenched in piquant oils and chiles. The vinegar + red pepper flakes provide a surprisingly potent punch of fire + tang to the cucumber ribbons, making this Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad one of our favorites. About cucumbers: The recipe calls for either 1 large cucumber…
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Tipsy Watermelon Ice Lollies
Did anyone else’s mother require that popsicles be eaten outside? It was one of those “because I said so” things we heard when we were growing up. We were so excited to have freezer pops that we didn’t even question the why. We just did what we were told. This week I had a flashback to those childhood moments of popsicle bliss, of how damn happy popsicles can make us. I was also reminded why Mom’s rules were such a good idea when on an intolerably hot day my Tipsy Watermelon Ice Lollies started dripping down my arm. I do not love July’s heat, but I do love summer, because…
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Panzanella Salad
It was bloody hot today. Too hot to hold hands with The Man. Too hot to walk barefoot in the grass (even the grass was hot). And def too hot to cook. AmIright? So here’s what we’re gonna do. Stay inside, strip down to our skivvies, pour some wine, turn on our favorite music (Justin Timberlake, Outkast, Beck, Nina Simone…whatever gets the hips swaying) and make Panzanella Salad. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it? Panzanella. Pane (bread) + zanella (soup bowl) = panzanella. Saying it feels like a silky + floral Chianti is trickling down your throat. Pan-za-NEL-la! Calling it by its name— Panzanella Salad, a Tuscan bread salad—is much more…
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Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad
When I walked outside this morning to fill the bird feeders, I withered like a delicate flower. Seeing as how I am not a flower (nor delicate), this is my poetic way of telling you it was already scorching hot at 8AM. So how does a withered flower combat a hot day that will only get hotter? Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad, of course! This salad is 200% awesome. 50% because cool + creamy Caesar dressing 50% because piquant + spicy blackened shrimp 50% because crunchy + garlicky croutons 50% because rich + sapid Parmesan cheese Actually, it’s probably more like 300% awesome. (You’ll agree once you dive in.) It’s a…
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Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA
On its own, pasta aglio e olio is deliciously simple: pasta + garlic + olive oil. Life doesn’t get much more pure than that. But we are going to shake things up a bit, go beyond garlic and olive oil. This recipe takes that classic dish of pasta glistening with oil, loaded with caramelized garlic and swanks it up a bit with a toss of crushed red pepper + fresh parsley + (among other things) zippy lemon zest. Mediterranean confetti, if you will. We’re taking an age-old recipe for pasta aglio e olio and giving it a plot twist of our choosing. Hence Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA (Choose Your…
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Warm Goat Cheese + Bruschetta Spread
Warm Goat Cheese + Bruschetta Spread is quite possibly the most delectable thing to ever kiss your lips! It’s creamy + piquant + pungent + aaaahhhh! It’s the perfect app for a dinner party, but it’s also perfect for a quiet date night in. And by date I mean me + this cheese dip. I’m okay with that. I am dating food. If you do invite people over, make two of these recipes because you will want one all.to.yourself. Then hide in the closet for your date with this spread to muffle the animalistic noises you’ll make. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of guests. This Warm Goat…
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Viva la Caesar Vinaigrette Dressing
My dear friend CC is passionate about her love of good food and sharing it with friends. I recently sat in an organic cooking class where she made the following announcement: Ladies, go to Victoria’s Secret and buy some nice lingerie, then buy a pack of cigarettes, because you are about to have a love affair with this food. I felt she was speaking directly to me because I love good food—quality food that has been prepared deliberately + creatively. I LOVE GOOD FOOD. That being said, I struggle with bottled salad dressings. One case in point is Caesar salad dressing. I am underwhelmed by what I find on…
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Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
Do you have 30 minutes? Good! That means you have time to throw together this refreshing Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad! It’s a rainbow of colors + textures bolstered by a silky peanut dressing—a flavor explosion, I guarantee. I have compiled a scrumptious conglomeration of typical Southeastern Asian ingredients including sesame oil + cilantro + ginger (for flavor) and chopped peanuts + cabbage + carrots (for crunch). You could always add crispy wontons for extra toothsomeness. I’ve also included a zinger: green papaya. Most Asian markets carry green, or under ripe, papayas either whole or shredded in a bag. Adding green papaya among this salad’s gorgeous vegetables + flavors…
