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Crispy Rosemary Parmesan Potato Stacks
I am salivating as I type this recipe. These are So.D@mn.Good! cheese + carbs + herbs + buttery crispness = a stack of ooey gooey potato awesomeness! And here is a BIG secret: they are sooooo simple yet soooo impressive. Your friends will think you are fancy even if in reality you are quite basic. Trust me—I speak from experience. AND…these potatoes will give you a good excuse to pull out your buy a mandoline. Yaaaay! This is the kind of recipe I ADORE—the kind where you do you and make it fabulously you. You can pretty much add any herb(s) and cheese(s) and this stack of yum will take…
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Dirty Party Nuts
Once you eat these nuts, you may never stop. These nuts will rock your world. Period. This is a fun medley of nuts daubed in a spicy + salty + sweet + herby butter. They are great to have on hand—perfect as a hostess gift, a go-to staple to have around for drop-in holiday guests, or as a little snack perched on your bar. Choose a variety of nuts. Each nut will bring its own personality to this mélange. hazelnuts (filberts) are distinctively sweet, buttery and crunchy cashews have a smooth, creamy taste almonds are chewy and sweet (Marconas? omg) pecans have a creamy, buttery flavor walnuts are oily and…
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Pasta with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
This dish is one of the most divine things ever. Another wild mushroom recipe, you ask? Absolutely, I say! And there are many more to come! I once thought cacio e pepe was the most heavenly pasta dish. Now I think it’s a toss up. My tastebuds were singing the Hallelujah chorus when I put this in my mouth. The Man (aka taste-tester extraordinaire) would agree. Damn delicious. But why so many recipes with wild mushrooms, Naked Epicurean? Because, inquisitive reader, wild mushrooms are delicious meaty (therefore a great meat alternative) rich in B vitamins…
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Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Chili
It is obvious Americans love chili. Cowboy Will Rogers referred to chili as a “bowl of blessedness.” Heck, Texas has even declared chili to be its state food. Our past is peppered with chili parlors; our calendars penciled in with National Chili Day (the 4th Thursday in February). We attend chili festivals by the droves and some of us are steadfast members of chili appreciation societies. Those among us who are regarded as chili deity have been ordained Famous Chili Queens. But why is our passion so fiery, almost borderline mania? Do we love it because it is the harbinger of cooler weather? Is it because we associate it with friends in…
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Cranberry Jubilee
Anyone who knows The Man knows that he has his fingers in everything—olive jars, cake batter, infused honey pots…. He loves to sample everything I am doing. And for this I am grateful. I thrive on critique in my pursuit of perfection. HOWEVER, there are times when certain things are off limits: Don’t touch the pots de creme until I photograph them. Don’t cut that block of cheese yet. Don’t use that thyme until I decide how much I need. It’s like keeping a kid out of the candy store. And for good reason—I have work to do! Sometimes he’s compliant. Sometimes not. But this past week he got a…
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Garlic-Browned Butter Potato Mash
Do you recall in history classes learning about the angry weapon-wielding mobs in France, storming the Bastille and shouting, “We have no bread!”? As a carb-enthusiast, that is how I feel about low-carb diets. I shake my pitchfork in the air and scream obscenities. Yeah, I get it. I’ve read anti-carb articles and blogs ad nauseum. Many of my friends subscribe to that philosophy, and with great success. But low-carb diets are the bane of my existence. They deprive me of my comfort foods—bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. If you enjoy that way of life, good. No judgment. You do you. I, on the other hand, will do me. So…
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Za’atar Spice Blend
Alright, everyone. Get out your mortar and pestle.* We are going to make za’atar! Za’atar literally translates to mean “wild thyme” in Arabic. Much like curry blends vary across geography, za’atar blends vary throughout the Middle East. This ancient spice combination typically consists of thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac. Sumac is the dried, ground drupes (berries) of a shrub prevalent throughout parts of Africa and Asia. This crimson spice has a tangy, lemony zip to it. At first I used thyme straight from the garden. The green leaves were so very pretty when fresh and whole, but I realized the za’atar would benefit from drying them, as the…
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Pasta with Wild Funghi Trifolati
There was a tremendous heatwave in Dolceacqua this summer–throughout most of Europe, in fact—so we sought shady respite from the angry sun at a family owned and operated osteria. Gorgeous freshly prepared rustic foods adorned the tables. Creels piled high with fresh, bulbous mushrooms awaited our order. I enjoyed the ravioli ai funghi, basking in a glimmer of olive oil—a perfect light choice for a hot day. It was love at first bite. I knew as soon as I returned home, I would have to duplicate the trifolati. Trifolati. The word dances from your lips. Beautiful to say, but what exactly is trifolati? According to Saveur.com, trifolati is …
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Blistered Olives
I often catch The Man around here with his hand in the olive jar. He is wild about olives! If you ask him, he’ll tell you they are a gift from the gods. Many people might agree with him. Especially olive farmers. Olives are handled with such care that they are gently caught in nets to keep them off the ground. (If an olive touches the ground, it no longer qualifies for virgin olive oil.) While my favorite is oil-cured black olives, his love for the fruit has no bounds. We have about 10 jars in the fridge. No kidding. He is more than happy with a bowl of olives…
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Chunky Mediterranean Hummus
This recipe is one of the reasons I am invited to parties. For years I thought it was my irresistible charm or my clever wit that was so alluring, but no. “Hey, we’re having a get-together Friday. We hope you can come! Around 7PM?” “Sounds great!” “Oh, and can you bring your Chunky Mediterranean Hummus?” My hummus. That’s the caveat. But who can blame anyone for loving this dish? My recipe takes hummus, a Middle Eastern staple, and loads it up with Mediterranean goodness. Hummus is like a beautiful neutral palette that complements anything that…
eat. drink. bemerry. repeat.
