One morning, I sat at my grandparent’s kitchen table and watched as my Pop-Pop put a few slices of bread in the toaster and slathered them with butter when they were golden brown– not a notable breakfast by any means. He then grabbed a shaker filled with a combination of cinnamon and sugar, sprinkled it on the buttered, crunchy toast and put it in front of me. I can distinctly remember thinking I was beating the system because I was essentially eating dessert for breakfast and, from that day forward, cinnamon toast became one of my comfort food staples.

One of the most basic breakfasts I make, cinnamon toast is effortless and practically impossible to mess up. It can, however, get better with a few extra ingredients, a couple extra steps and way more butter.

The man who introduced me to cinnamon toast deserves lots of kisses.

Read More…

Candy corn: you either love it or you hate it. In a recent poll of friends and family, half of the group said they were fond of the Halloween snack while the others either reported they couldn’t stand it or made a face like they were disgusted.

While I fall on the “love it” end of the candy corn spectrum and could mindlessly pop back kernel after kernel, I set out on an internet quest to find another use for it. I came across recipes for cookies, cupcakes and fudge, but none that would mask the appearance of the orange, yellow and white candies in an effort to throw off the candy corn haters.

Thanks to a few clicks of the computer mouse and a trusty search engine, I came across a recipe using candy corn as a main ingredient to make a copycat version of another candy. These homemade Butterfinger bars will blow your mind, convert the candy corn opposition and give you something to bring to the Halloween parties you were invited to.

Clever, right?

Read More…

Perfect for sharing.

Have you ever had trouble deciding between multiple menu items at a restaurant? I’m constantly stuck between two or three entrees, so much so that I attempt to manipulate my dinner companions into ordering the items I’m choosing from, just so I can have a bite. Occasionally, my persuasion backfires and I wind up with a serious case of “food envy,” not as impressed as I had hoped with my selection and wishing I had ordered what someone else has.

The easiest way to avoid the dreaded “food envy” is to order and entire meal of small plates or appetizers to share. I’m never more satisfied than when I can have a little bit of everything on the table. This recipe for a homemade, healthier version of a favorite finger food is so tasty, you may not want to share. Read More…

A busy Friday night at The Pickled Heron.

Our Friday night dinner at The Pickled Heron felt like a giant, warm hug; we hadn’t been there in an unfairly long time (we canceled our July 19th reservation to have a baby instead) so there was no better place to commemorate our first date without the little one. Everything was impeccable, of course, and now that I opened Pandora’s box of French food I plan to cash in on the grandparents’ request to cuddle with their grandson at least once a month to eat anything Todd and Daniela are making at our favorite French BYOB.

What we ate: seared foie gras with Concord grape jam; lobster cavatelli with hazelnuts, roasted cauliflower and crème fraîche; moules frites; seared black bass with Lyonnaise potatoes, broccoli and espagnole; chocolate pot de creme. Read More…