Toasted Treats for Biscotti-Haters: Russian Sukhariki

I’ll never forget the first (and last) time I made biscotti.  I was a budding young bakestress of 16, eager to whip up some of those exotic-looking cookies I’d seen at the new Starbucks in my town.  I slaved all afternoon, digging out the anise seeds from the pantry depths and laboriously stirring the thick dough, toasting [...]

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Feed the Dog that Bit Ya…Bacon

You could chase away a hangover (temporarily) with the “hair of the dog that bit ya,” but some scientists (apparently not cardiologists) suggest another remedy.  The Daily Telegraph reports that a bacon sandwich is just the right elixer to boost amino acids, speed up metabolism, and whet your queasy appetite. 

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Shortcut Pasta alle Vongole (with Clams)

Credit: Jean Allsop
I’ve been trolling the internet for low-cholesterol recipes and recently discovered that clams are heart-healthy, especially if you’re not restricting your sodium.  The following is a quick recipe that hits the spot when you don’t have $20 to drop on a restaurant dish.  It could be improved with a splash of white wine and fresh [...]

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Today: Free Frozen Butterfat (mmm, butterfat)

That’s right—today, April 21, is free cone day at Ben & Jerry’s.
“Around the world, Scoop Shops are opening their doors from noon to 8:00 pm, to serve up a free scoop of your favorite flavor.”
Stop by for your share of Chunky Monkey or Cherry Garcia.
Credit: Ben & Jerry’s

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Guess the Dish

A D.C.-based friend of mine sent in this shot of dish he recently enjoyed.  Any guesses on what it is and where it was served?

Thanks, CK!

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Passport D.C.: Taste Your Way through Embassy Open House Day

My lovely cell-phone “action” shot from the Polish Embassy last year.
For a few weeks every spring, the embassies in Washington, D.C. open their doors and invite visitors to sample the music, dance, crafts, and food native to their countries.  Yours truly has attended Passport D.C. twice and always enjoys the quickie tour around the world.  One of the [...]

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Julius & Rachel’s Fennel Sausage Pasta

I’ll be the first to admit: this is not the most photogenic dish to ever appear on Culinspiration. But although it’s not much to look at, this sauce is so good it had me pestering my friends Rachel and Julius for the recipe for weeks. Weeks! I couldn’t get the perfect melding of flavors out of [...]

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Tuxedo Strawberries

My colleague, Tammy, is super-creative and made an adorable twist on chocolate-covered strawberries:

Better yet, she brought them into the office to share!  Did I mention I love my job?    Tammy agreed to share her recipe here:

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Sweet + Spicy Brown Sugar BBQ Rub (Wedding/Party Favor Idea)

My fiance and I both love to cook and, especially, to grill.  We wanted to give personal, handmade favors at our wedding next month and agreed that jars of homemade grilling rub, personalized with cute stickers, would do the trick.  We come from families that are passionate about food (imagine that!) and are psyched to [...]

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Worse Than Bacon Bits

I don’t have much to say about this, except, “Ew!”*

You can read more about “The World’s Perfect Food” at ThinkGeek.   Looks like Baconnaise has some competition.  [Shudder]

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Minimalist Brussel Sprout Salad di Parma

Credit: allotment.org.uk
My fellow blogger, Eric Hason (of I Am What I Eat) finally relented and gave me his über-simple recipe for brussel sprout salad, pictured here.
1.  Grate raw brussel sprouts
2.  Dress w/ olive oil, lemon juice, S&P,
3.  Grate in lots of Parmesan cheese

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