Grillin & Chillin

There is nothing better on a warm day, than to cook out.  Seriously, in my opinion, everything tastes better on the grill.  My husband has always been good at grilling, but this past week, we found a new favorite meal.  It is so easy it is practically criminal.

I'm In Love...

I'm in love... with the Boro Restaurant!!!  I can't even explain how good their food is but I'm sure going to try.  Since our Anniversary falls exactly one week before Valentine's Day, the hubs and I decided to celebrate both over the weekend between the two.  Tonight, he surprised me by suggesting we eat at Boro.

Eastern NC Places to Eat Out

Instead of recipes today, I thought I would outline all of the awesome places I've been able to eat Gluten Free in Eastern North Carolina.  After all, a person can't cook every night.

Viva La South!

Well it is early February and contrary to my former home in NY being under multiple feet of snow at this time of year, lovely NC is 70 degrees!  So in honor of the amazing South, I am posting a southern favorite... Shrimp & Grits!

Chicken Fried

Zac Brown Band sang:

"You know I like my chicken fried
And cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up"

Which just about sums up this evening,

An Old Favorite

I decided to go back to my Italian palate tonight and cook an old favorite of mine, Chicken Cacciatore.  It is so simple to make and just the smell of it cooking takes me back to my childhood, in the kitchen while my grandmother made this.

Happy Valentine's Day

Every Saturday morning, I do household chores, like stripping and remaking the bed and vacuuming the carpets.  Most days I put music on, but today I was trying to figure out what to do for dinner, so I had on the Food Network.  They did not let me down!

Back With Mac

Sorry folks.  The Holidays came and went and then work became completely insane, so I haven't had time to blog for a while.  I was working 80 hour weeks and things got crazy. When life gets hectic, you really want some comfort food.  Something you can make and keep reheating for a few days.  My go-to comfort food was always Mac & Cheese.

A Taste of the Carribean at Home

I went to St. Thomas (USVI) back in 2012 and based on a recommendation from the locals, we took the ferry out of Red Hook Bay over to Cruz Bay on St. John.  While meandering through town, we found St. John Spice, which is this amazing store that sells spices of course, but also coffees, teas, and random touristy things.  We brought home a small container of St. John Jerk Seasoning, used it up very quickly, and had to order more.

Christmas Eve Planning

So, my best friend's husband called me last night.  He's cooking a Christmas Eve feast, and since yours truly is invited, he wanted to go over the menu with me.  What an awesome guy, right?

Well the conversation started out with "So, what can you eat?"  What a loaded question.  I can eat tons of things.  I pretty much told him that.  So he followed up with, "OK, well then what can't I cook with?"  Another loaded question.

I tried to break it down for him, so folks it goes a little something like this...

Coconut Curry Chicken

Sometimes you're just craving a nice, warm curry.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I did some google searching since I don't know how to do curry on my own, and then added my own twist with some sauteed kale.

Chicken Soup for My Soul

I don't know what I did.  Either I accidentally got cross-contaminated or I have a stomach bug.  I've been sick since yesterday.  There is only one thing to do - make soup!

Chopped: Using What You Have

I am a big proponent of using what you have around.  When I got out of work today, I was talking to a foodie friend about what he was making for dinner.  He and I were both in the same boat.  Neither of us had anything in our kitchen that looked like it could be made into a cohesive meal.  We started joking about the Food Network show, Chopped.  So we decided to embark on a journey to see what we could make for dinner with random items in our kitchens.

Prostitutes Make Delicious Pasta

I'm half Italian.  Half of my entire family is 100% Italian, from Naples, straight off the boat into New York.  I grew up on Nonna's recipes.  My grandmother was a phenomenal cook.  However, it is ironic that one of my favorite sauces is not one that I ever remember her making for me, although I guarantee she knew how, given that this sauce originated in her home city.  Puttanesca Sauce is amazingly rich in flavor and surprisingly easy to make, even though it has a list of seemingly complex ingredients.   Also, apologies for the title, but there is no other way to put this because that is literally what the name translates to.