her baking & his cooking: Archive

His: Salad & Risotto

This was dinner a couple weeks ago! Omar came over and as usual we made a good ol’ home made meal. Salad: I used a mix of romaine and arugula but feel free to use whatever greens you’d like. I also layered some shallots, heirloom tomato, and radish. I also topped it with some smashed mozzarella. Vinaigrette: Blood Orange Olive Oil Lemon Juice Salt & Pepper Easy. ...

May 20th

her: simple strawberry cake

there is something so rustic and beautiful about a simple cake. a little bit of butter, sugar, and flour. topped with fresh strawberries and a sprinkling of demerara sugar. bake. remove from the oven. cool on a wire rack. whip up a batch of fresh whipped cream. chiffonade a few basil leaves. make a cup of coffee. enjoy the understated elegance. recipe source:...

May 20th

her: meyer lemon & poppy seed buttermilk bundt...

happy birthday cake for my littlest brother, franco noel! he is 15 years young, but has always been kind of an old soul. that’s what i love most about him. cheers to 15, noel! recipe source: slightly adapted from bon appetit/march 2013 notes: i used meyer lemons instead of regular lemons i added 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter instead of glazing with the...

May 16th

her: mini banana bread loaves

this recipe is a regular in our home. honestly, i use the same banana bread recipe, every single time. sometimes, i think i want to get fancy and add stuff (nuts, booze, dried fruit, chocolate chips) but the reality is, less is more. this banana bread doesn’t need anything fancy to make it amazing. it’s already amazing. instead of a standard loaf, i made a few mini loaves....

May 11th

his: roasted poblano pepper & homemade tortillas

It was Cinco de Mayo yesterday and we really had no intentions of “celebrating” because we have no ties to it. Most people don’t even know the significance of it (I do, btw). It’s just a good excuse for people to drink cervezas and eat tacos. Anywho, we were going to eat sushi but Jenn convinced me to do otherwise because I’m rarely home anymore to make her a...

May 6th

her: rosemary & chocolate olive oil cake

i didn’t really know what to expect when i made this cake… i was drawn to the flavors, but i wasn’t sure if it was going to be overwhelming or underwhemling or just not really my thing. truth is? this cake is wonderful. it’s full of charm, a little savory and a little sweet. the perfect companion for an afternoon with cake and a vanilla americano. i kind of want...

Apr 8th

our: life, lately

the world’s smallest art gallery/anthem coffee sunny seattle bahn mi/tammy’s bakery lazy nights wedding dress shopping/the dress theory we dream of sushi/shiro’s art wall… in progress snack time no soup for you/infinite soups hello, spring

Mar 22nd

His: Cauliflower Soup

Simplicity at its finest! Cauliflower soup is super easy to make. Just boil or steam a couple of heads of cauliflower and a few cloves of garlic until extremely tender and then mash in the pot. Add about 2 quarts of chicken stock and purée with an emulsion blender or even in a regular blender until you get a nice, smooth, soupy consistency. Add a bit of heavy cream and give a good stir and...

Mar 13th

His: Steak Tartaccio

So Met Market had a coupon for a buy one get one free dry aged steak so of course we got some! This is what I made with a leftover one. I used it for the appetizer. It’s more of a carpaccio than anything. I quickly seared the steak on each side for about 45 seconds just to get a good flavor and still leaving the middle raw. Then I sliced it up suuuuuper thin and put in on a good...

Feb 26th

her: salted brown butter chocolate chip cookies

longest name, ever. no big, these cookies are totally worth it. i’ve been making these cookies consistently for the last few months. i think the first time i made them was for thanksgiving and i probably make a new batch once a week. they’re paolo’s favorite cookie, that’s saying something, because we eat a lot of cookies. they have been christmas presents, dessert...

Feb 18th

her: brinner

it’s no big secret around these parts that i don’t do a lot of cooking. baking? obviously. cooking? uhnotsomuch. it’s not really my thing. there too many options. too many things you can change. so much ambiguity. i like baking because there is a process. a system. it makes sense for my type A brain. but, paolo works until almost 11 most nights… and well, if you...

Feb 16th

her: vanilla bean bundt cake

hi friends! so, i know it’s been a while, but we have a good reason. we’re engaged! we’re looking at a september wedding, so we only have a few months for planning, which means that we’re already in the swing of things. ceremony. reception. wedding dress shopping. talking to caterers. flowers. flights. hotels. so. much. to. do. we’re hoping to have most...

Feb 13th

His: Brunoised Relish

First, forgive me for my horrible photo skills. I am unlike like lady who is really awesome with phone photography so hopefully it still looks appealing. (just joking. hello, new photo.) As you may or may not know, I’m in culinary school at Seattle Central Community College and it’s my first quarter so we’re learning basic things and one of those basics is knife skills. I...

Jan 25th

our: life, lately

happy 2013! we are officially seattleites and trying to get settled into our new place. hope your holidays were magical… we’ll be back soon! packing with mr. burgundy hazel wasn’t a big fan of moving our new little corner of the world happy 4th birthday party to our favorite little monster! wrapping presents baking chocolate chip cookies pieces of...

Jan 9th

her: Italian butter cookies

it looks like p forgot about the rest of our italian brunch from a few weeks back. i’m sure he’ll post everything else soon enough. it’s been a little crazy lately. p just started a new job (yay! for met market) and he got into culinary school (double yay!) which means that we’re moving (not so yay) and trying to find a new place in the middle of the holiday season...

Dec 8th

His: Rosemary Zeppole

MMMMMM!!!!! Omar came over the other day for brunch. Jenn suggested that it have an Italian theme…and that’s exactly what we did! These are super delish AND super light! I’m going to post everything I made in 3 parts as there were 3 dishes. We’ll start with dessert. Zeppoles are basically the Italian version of a beignet and they’re super easy to make. 1/2 cup...

Nov 19th

her: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

i’m a big halloween fan. usually, i get all dressed up. so does the dog. and we pass out candy. this year, we didn’t have any trick or treaters and i just was feeling kinda meh about the whole thing. so, i baked cookies. and then i ate a bunch. and then. like always, i felt better. emotional eating? possibly. but IJDGAF. pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup...

Nov 1st

our: life, lately

pumpkin spice latte with a pump of caramel siracha popcorn. i mean really? no words. her ba bar birthday lunch happy 3rd birthday to tini! fremont sunday market. open all year. rain or shine! pumpkin ale & hard cider. thee best fall beer combo, ever. lazy days. with ben & jerry. duh. fall flowers more treats for tini revel brunch. treatyoself.

Oct 31st

her: pumpkin and cinnamon cream cheese minis

if you’re tired of pumpkin already. then i don’t think we can be friends anymore… so you can stop reading. i’m not even *close* to being over pumpkin. i almost had a meltdown at fred meyer the other day bc coffee-mate decided that they done with pumpkin creamer and they’ve moved on to peppermint mocha. UMMMM HELLLLER coffee-mate?! it’s still OCTOBER!!! bring...

Oct 25th

His: Bruschetta Turkey Burger

This is like the equivalent of when you put peanut butter and chocolate together. Yup. It’s that awesome. If you think about it, this is just your basic burger…but better. 1. Turkey. It’s healthier for you. 2. Same ingredients (sorta), except stepped up a couple notches. 3. Great buns. The Turkey: 1lb of turkey Small bunch of oregano leaves S&P Mix together and...

Oct 24th

her: same same, but different

pumpkin spice cookies. fancy kine. top pic: add a little bit of crunch to your cookies with trader joe’s sugar chocolate coffee bean grinder… it’s magic. bottom pic: mini cookie drops & dress up the glaze with half a vanilla bean… sophisticated and cute cookies. recipe source: adapted from allrecipes.com ps. these cookies are a staple in our kitchen. they...

Oct 24th

His: Rustic Poulet a l'orange

I’ve been making a lot of gastriques as of late because they’re tasty and simple…sort of. It’s good for teaching patience and timing. This is a dish I made that reminded me of a dish I used to eat at a tasty little restaurant in Virginia Beach called Napoleon’s. Except it was duck…and I couldn’t find duck. So I went with chicken. Chicken: Chicken...

Oct 22nd

her: caramel apple minis

mmmmm caramel apple minis! this is the first time that we tried to make our own caramel. it’s stressful. all the bubbling and stirring and uncertainty. at the end of our homemade caramel endeavor, we had a half a pot full of glorious, creamy, caramel goodness. the bottom of the pot? rock soooolid. no big. i still jarred the good stuff we’ll try and try again. thank...

Oct 20th

her: cocoa velvet minis

so. basically… these are red velvet minis, minus the red food coloring. i love red velvet cake, i’ve posted red velvet minis before, but. red food coloring seems so unnecessary and i figured the cupcakes would taste delicious even without the red. i was right… they taste like they should. a tangy, moist, cocoa buttermilk cake. i loved them. and paired with vanilla bean...

Oct 19th

her: mini pumpkin pancakes

what’s the best thing about brinner? pancakes & bacon, of course! obviously, i’m obsessed with anything mini and well, let’s not even talk about my obsession with pumpkin right now. these were so good! they’re not exactly light and fluffy, they’re a little more cakey than you would normally expect from a pancake, but they were filling and the spiced batter was...

Sep 19th

her: pumpkin cake cookies

PUMPKINALLDAYERRDAYFALLFORTHEEWIN! i hope you’re not expecting to see anything except pumpkin around here for a few weeks (at least). otherwise, you’re going to be really disappointed. pumpkin has officially taken oven my life. pumpkin cookies, pumpkin creamer, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie lattes, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. that ish is my jam. fall is my fav season…...

Sep 18th

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her: treats for tini

treats for tini! even the pup is enjoying fall flavors. these were so super easy to make and hazel loved them. i have a big batch in a jar for her to enjoy for the next few months. peanut butter & pumpkin dog treats 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 2 eggs 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon preheat oven to 350F combine...

Sep 16th

her: hawaiian carrot cake

sometimes… the best cakes aren’t always the prettiest. i had high hopes for this cake to be rustic & beautiful. it sort of turned out to be a hot mess, because one of the layers buckled and the whole thing was on the verge of falling apart. never no mind all of that, because it’s probably one of my favorite cakes, ever. the nutmeg and cinnamon made me think of fall and...

Sep 11th

our: life, lately

taffy from a day trip to the ocean anthem thrifted globe read this. mini banana pancakes i spy a little dog hello, portlandia get this in your belly/the eleven eleven tacoma boys yellow solo cup happy september. <3

Sep 6th

His: Salmon dinner

Crispy skin salmon. Creamy sage cabbage. Honey roasted fig gastrique. This one is definitely a tasty meal! AND…easy of course. Season the salmon with salt & pepper. Simple. Here’s the trick to cooking salmon (or most fish really) in a pan is that you have to get the pan nice and hot first. Don’t put the fish in while your pan is still heating because then it’ll...

Sep 5th

His: Lobster Pasta

If you don’t know by now, I love making fresh pasta and fresh pasta dishes! This is just another one to add to the list. Simple once again. For the sauce: One 8oz. (roughly) lobster tail some cherry tomatoes of various colors scallions garlic basil heavy cream salt & pepper That’s it! On medium heat, toss all the garlic, scallions, and tomatoes in the pan with a bit of...

Sep 4th

His: Arroz ala Cubana; Filipino Style

This one is an ode to my Lola (grandmother). She used to make this one for me when I was still in grade school when they lived with us for a bit. And she would stack it just like this. She’s pretty awesome. I’ve actually never made this before and was pretty jazzed to make it on my own. It’s quite simple. I tried to make a small portion just for two but it still turned out to...

Sep 4th

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her: farewell to summer

one last hurrah before fall takes over and i’m completely captivated by pumpkin, crisp air, light layers, and changing leaves. blueberry lemon poppy seed minis yield: 24-26 regular cupcakes 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature 1 tbsp of fresh lemon...

Sep 4th

His: Pork and Potatoes

Another dinner that I’ve prepared. I was inspired by my boy Gordon Ramsay and one of his cook books that I bought when we went down to Portland. One of his recipes was a stuffed saddle of lamb. I didn’t really feel like finding a super expensive saddle of lamb so I decided to go with a more affordable pork loin. And from there, my palate took over! Sage smashed potatoes: I took...

Sep 2nd

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her: itty bitty cake

just something simple with sprinkles. cause they make everything better, right? spinkles and glitter? sign me up! i would be a walking disco ball if that was acceptable. instead i try to keep things subtle with just a little bit of sparkle all the time. really, this was just an excuse to try and use the 6” pans that i picked up. next time, i think i’ll add few more layers. ...

Aug 4th

her: vanilla bean snickerdoodle cookies

i’ve been making a lot of snickerdoodles lately. some plain snickerdoodles. some with chocolate chips. and these, with vanilla bean. oh vanilla bean. you know how much i love vanilla bean. evidence=vanilla bean cupcakes and creme brûlée. i also tossed some vanilla bean in carrot cupcakes not too long ago. vanilla bean adds a different dimension of flavor, a little bit more sophisticated...

Jul 31st

her: banana & dulce de leche cake

more bananas. and, a cake! an even, pretty, tasty, cake! the last cake i made. well, i already told you it was an uneven cluster*?!@ … the layers weren’t straight and the whole thing weighed like 10 lbs mostly, bc there was 10 lbs of frosting on it. this cake? check out those layers! check out that frosting action. hollllla. i still have some work to do… baby steps. but...

Jul 24th

His: Sticky Lemon Ginger Chicken

So we have a friend, Kate, she’s awesome. Long story short, she’s teaching at a semester-at-sea program and she moved all of her belongings to Jenn’s while she’s gone. In those belongings she also gave us her food, seasonings, and such. This dish was inspired by some frozen gyoza that she left as well as a Gordon Ramsay dish. It’s pretty simple to make and...

Jul 23rd

her: retro icebox cookie cake

remember that other icebox cookie cake? the one i said could totally be semi-homemade and no one would know? BOOM! check it to wreck it and let’s begin. party on party people let me hear some noise? no… maybe that’s just me then. no big deal. anyways. this cake. easy peasy. buy cookies+make fresh whipped cream+stack+more stacking+ refrigerate overnight=cake. deb has the...

Jul 22nd

His: Pork Belly & Leek Risotto

Boom! So I’ll say this. The first time I made it risotto didn’t end up too well, at least in my eyes. I didn’t like it at all, not risotto in general, just the risotto that I prepared (the last time a tried to make risotto was about a year ago). I didn’t like it because I didn’t take care of it. That’s what a risotto needs. TLC: Time, Liquid, a Chance. I say...

Jul 22nd

her: banana cream pie

i’ve made this dessert approximately 7 times since the 4th of july. i don’t really want to make anything else and i kind of want to eat a whole pie by myself. it’s a super basic recipe that’s kicked up a notch with the bruléed bananas. the pastry cream needs to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours, so give yourself some prep time and start this in the morning or the...

Jul 21st

His: Fresh Pasta and Sauce

I love a good pasta dish and it’s pretty cheap and easy to make. Really Really. Pasta: 2 eggs for every 1 cup of flour. Sprinkle some salt and a quick splash of olive oil and then mix it up. You can use a fork or your hand. Either way is fine. A good tip is to let the dough rest once it has formed for about 20-30 minutes. If you don’t have a pasta roller, no worries. Use a wooden roller or...

Jul 19th

His: Rosemary & Fig grilled chicken wings

Mmm mmm mmm! The summer time is always such a great time to be cooking, especially in Washington (I feel that the vitamin D boosts everybody’s energy for sure). I also get to take more advantage of the grill even though I grill year round, but in the summer I’m not fighting with mamma nature. Grills are so versatile and bring out such great flavor and depth to food that otherwise go...

Jul 18th

our: life, lately

every time i start to blog, i think, ugh. we kinda suck at this whole blogging thing. but, in all actuality, i’m okay with our blogging stats. we’ve been enjoying life, soaking up the sun, and hanging out with friends and fam. i’m an instagram whore, so i’m always posting pics… but, i want to make sure that we’re not living life to blog it. we have been...

Jul 16th

her: 1st layer cake

i made my 1st layer cake! it was just as exciting as the 1st time i made pie from scratch. except it was stressful. so stinkin’ stressful. y’all, there is a good reason why there is no picture of the inside of this cake. 1. i was too scared to look at the inside after i cut it and 2. there is a LOOOOOT of buttercream on this cake. by a LOOOOOT, i mean a LOOOOT a LOOOOOOT. lol,...

Jun 28th

her: ice box cookie cake

lawdhavemercy. this cake. it’s pretty much out of this world. and… shhhh, don’t tell. but it can totally be super semi-homemade if you’re short on time. and no one will have to know. i baked a bazillion batches of cookies for this thing. but you could totally pick up your favorite box of chewy cookies from the grocery store and whip this thing up in no time at all. ...

Jun 12th

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our: (forgotten) weekly dinner menu

remember that one time, i said that we were going to create a weekly dinner menu? and then post all the pics? oh right, me too. expect, we didn’t actually do that? ugh. blogging fail (x232902). apologies for the wait. we did make dinner that week. and it was sooooo good. we felt better. we stayed on track with our budget. and it was nice to be back in the kitchen with some consistency. ...

Jun 9th

our: weekly menu

we’re getting back to it, folks. cooking at home. saving money. and eating right. the boy likes to get caught up in fad diets. those aren’t really my favorite. i like food too much for all that paleo-i’m only allowed to eat sticks-diet nonsense. but, i’m totally down for making healthy choices and tasty dishes. on sunday, we went through a few of our favorite...

May 22nd

her: bourbon banana bread business

tonight. we bake with booze. dear bourbon spiked banana bread with chocolate chips & walnuts, you rock my world. love, jenn that joy the baker really knows how to make something amazing even better. if you don’t have her cookbook yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up. super cute stories, delicious recipes and fab photos. recipe source: joy the baker cookbook: 100 simple...

May 21st

her: lemon & poppy seed mini cupcakes

the little one turned 14 this weekend. 14. it blows my mind how grown up he is. makes me sad & happy all at the same time. he’s one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world. so when he asked for lemon & poppy seed cupcakes for his birthday… duh, i made it happen. ps. what kid asks for lemon & poppy seed cake for their birthday? this kid does. oh, franco. ...

May 14th