This week I went tart crazy! I had an opportunity to cook for a friend who had surgery recently and who also happens to have a gluten intolerance. I cooked a full meal of stuffed bell peppers and rice, and for dessert I made these fruity tarts. The crust is gluten-free and made with almonds, [...]
Plantains, bananas, and banana leaves are deeply ingrained in Latin American cuisine. Plantains are more dense than bananas and mostly used in cooking whereas bananas are eaten as fruit. Bananas and plantains have an interesting origin and are perhaps one of those fusion ingredients brought by the explorers to the new world from Asia in [...]
On days when I'm feeling under the weather, there is nothing more comforting than my mom's sopa de res. The ingredients are simple, but highly nutritious. It's made with vegetables that are just "roughly chopped" and beef shanks with bone and all. Bone broth seems to be all the rage nowadays, but using the bones [...]
May is the month of birthdays in my family, including my own. Her birthday is on May 1st and this year is the year of multiple events for us: graduation parties, baby showers, etc. So, we decided that for all the May birthdays we would keep it simple, at least for us adults. Well, simple doesn’t mean [...]
Spring is here and one thing I look forward to is our rose garden. My daughter was so excited to set the table for Easter and the roses looked gorgeous. She's such a little party planner. Our roses have survived many droughts, but this year we saw some hints of El Niño and a little [...]
It is so refreshing to finally write a new blog post. Life has been a little crazy lately but for a good reason. We are currently expecting our third baby and this time, it’s a high-risk pregnancy. The baby and I are doing well at 31 weeks, however, I won’t be able to resume my [...]
There's chicken soup for the soul, but this chicken stew deserves a high rating on the comfort scale. Chicken stew is one of those homey dishes that everyone loves. It's so rustic and warming and most cultures I know have their own versions. From curries to Ethiopian doro wat, and let's not forget chicken and dumplings, [...]
Consider this post a sequel to Farmer's Market & Stuffed Bell Peppers. I stuffed these meaty beefsteak tomatoes I got from the Farmer's Market with leftover meat filling that I had previously prepared to stuff bell peppers. I guess I was on a rellenos kick. I love stuffed vegetables because the flavors get all infused into the [...]
Pork chops can be a little intimidating. The main problem is obtaining juicy, done right pork chops. I have to admit, I'm not brave enough to grill pork chops mostly out of fear of ending up with rubbery, dry meat. But I've come up with this recipe that works every single time. It has become [...]
I love the farmers market at the Irvine Park. The produce is so beautiful and fresh. The fruits and veggies just pop with color. It's nature at its best, especially because it's edible. You also find unusual vendors and all kinds of delicious, gourmet treats, like Welsh meat pies. My daughter Bella loves sampling all the [...]
