Broccoli Casserole

February 10, 2014January 30, 2014 by Jessica | 4 Comments

For some reason, our family always made the traditional Green Bean Casserole with broccoli. I really can’t tell you why, but that’s how we had broccoli. So, when my husband requested this for dinner one night, I accepted the challenge. Instead of using canned soup and canned onions, though, I knew I had to make the whole dish from scratch. Of course, Alton Brown came to the rescue this time, and while reading his rendition of the American classic, I decided it’s easy to make this dish in three steps. And I did. Continue reading …

S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches

December 17, 2013January 25, 2014 by Jessica | 14 Comments

Every year I make a big deal out of choosing and baking a special birthday cake. And for a good reason. Every year on December 17th we celebrate two special birthdays, so of course the cake has to be extra amazing! I don’t only do this for my birthday, though. I like baking for everyone’s birthdays! My specialty is delicious layer cakes, not decorated cake mixes or sheet cakes with too much icing. Last year, we had a maple crunch layer cake, which we made by hand and was a hit at our birthday party. This year, though, I thought just baking one cake would be a little boring. So I racked my brain until I figured out what the perfect birthday dessert would be, and settled on these ice cream sandwiches. Chocolate, ice cream, and cookies all in one! What could go wrong?

Carrot Cake, take 2

August 6, 2012 by Jessica | 4 Comments

Carrot cake is one of the best cakes out there. It’s not because of the healthy vegetable hiding in it, either. It’s because of the cream cheese frosting. Everyone knows cream cheese frosting is the best. So even though we’ve made carrot cake before, I saw this recipe in Cook’s Illustrated and thought it would be a perfect Shavuot treat! Thin layers of cake, nuts only on the outside, and something I could bake ahead of time and freeze, how could you go wrong?

Split Pea Burgers

July 17, 2012 by Jessica | 7 Comments

I’ve been on a veggie burger kick lately. They’re just so easy to heat up for lunch. Served on a homemade bun, or on top of a big green salad, they make the perfect midday meal. And while I love store bought ones, they’re expensive and full of preservatives. So I have a repertoire of different veggie burgers in my freezer and pull out whichever one I’m in the mood for. It’s a good system, I suggest trying it.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

June 18, 2012 by Jessica | 7 Comments

I love the taste of roasted garlic. And the smell. So, when years ago I heard of this crazy 40-cloves of garlic chicken, I knew I had to try it. And I did. Very early into my marriage. The problem? My husband hates garlic (how crazy is he?!) and did not like this chicken. Turns out, he’s not a big fan of chicken, either. So I didn’t really get the chance to make this much. Continue reading …

Beef Stock

March 30, 2012 by Jessica | Leave a comment

I decided I needed to make my own beef stock! Not because I had any particular recipe to make with it, but just because I always make stocks and broths, so why not try this one? Plus, if I made this I could make beef barley soup, or even some pho like Steph made! And what better recipe to use than Alton’s? What would you make with beef stock? Continue reading …

Turkey Potstickers

March 6, 2012 by Jessica | Leave a comment

We really have to thank our good friend and culinary school graduate Adam Mimran for this recipe. He’s the one who’s tested it many times and took the time to make them for a crowd during the Superbowl. Funny thing is, this has been on mine and Steph’s to do lists for quite some time. Oh well. Sometimes you have to rely on friends to cook things for you. If you plan on making them for a crowd, double the recipe. Continue reading …

Chiffon CUPcakes

February 20, 2012 by Jessica | 6 Comments

Ever wonder why they’re called cupcakes? Well, probably because you bake them in cups!

Seriously. Once I found out that my dairy dishes are oven-proof, I knew I had to make these. I watched Alton make them a few times, and once my Good Eats 3 arrived, it made me want to try it even more. So when Stephanie came over and we made dinner for some friends, we knew his was the perfect dessert to make. Each of us would have a mug, and we would freeze the cupcakes we made in tins. Yum! These came out light, fluffy, and overall delicious, especially with Alton’s buttercream spread on top.

Vanilla Ice Cream

May 9, 2011 by Jessica | Leave a comment

Or, the best ice cream base ever.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? I’m sure we can make it work…

May is ice cream season! Of course, that means that summer is around the corner and baby and I will be frequenting the Lighthouse for soft-serve strawberry ice cream. But it also means that I can serve ice cream for dessert whenever I have company. And although I love going out for ice cream (even though Zeke doesn’t, despite his love for cake batter ice cream), homemade ice cream often tastes better, especially when you use as many egg yolks as I did in this recipe. Plus, I know exactly what the ingredients are. That’s always a plus for me. Continue reading …

Orange Sherbet

March 4, 2011 by Jessica | Leave a comment

I don’t know why sherbet is spelled like this but pronounced sherbert. I do know that it is different than sorbet because it has dairy in it – in this case, whole milk. I’ve made many different flavors of sorbet before (my favorites being raspberry and cranberry), but I’ve never tried to make sherbet. After buying the citrus juicer for my kitchen aid, I decided I needed to make some recipes with juice, and orange sherbet was the perfect thing to try! I love freshly squeezed orange juice, so combining it with sugar and milk and freezing it must taste good, right?! Continue reading …