Mildly piquant Poblano peppers add kick to this full-bodied black bean beef chili recipe with a cooling cilantro and avocado cream on top. We woke up in Narnia. Snow had cascaded down from a dark midnight sky and left a soft white blanket that covered the ground and coated the trees. The grey mountains of snow at the ends of driveways had been washed clean and sparkled. Footprints and ice crusts were covered with nothing but pure, unadulterated white. The weight of it muffles sound and makes everything... more

Soft, pillowy biscuits are touched with a slight sweetness from syrupy honey and the distinct orange of sweet potatoes baked in. In that waking moment between the dream world behind your eyelids and reentering consciousness, your body becomes aware. Slowly, the darkness fades as your mind crawls across your body, searching, and you start to feel again. A small electrical current reaches your limbs, exploring where they are at present, noticing the small pain on your toe from where you stubbed it... more

Dark Irish stout and sharp cheese come together around bits of salty ham and soft boiled potatoes in this recipe for a chunky, satisfying soup. I’ve had this post open for five days now. For five days the white space between the HTML of the images has haunted me and begged me to tell a story, to write an essay, to sum up an anecdote into a few short paragraphs. At the end of each of these five days there has been one consistent constant: I have failed. Today is really no different. I feel... more

Succulent steak spiced with fiery cayenne is accompanied by a cooling, tangy chimichurri made with parsley and cilantro both, as well as the sharpness of a fresh-squeezed lemon. Temperatures dropped this week. If you live to the east, you’re feeling it now. A wicked wind cut through gloves and coats, stinging any visible skin with its razor-like edge. Hats became mandatory, sometimes left on indoors to keep a small bit of heat from escaping as the wind howled at the doors and shook the window... more

Sweet caramelized onions dance with creamy Gruyère in velvety egg custard with a bit of tangy yogurt all nestled inside a flaky rosemary crust in this easy quiche recipe. That hour when the sun starts to whisper its goodbye sends pinkish rays streaming through the kitchen window, bouncing off the surfaces and bottles, casting sharp shadows across smooth surfaces. The room becomes bright and darkened all at once, the light playing and dancing with each passing moment. The subtle stinging of fresh... more

Shallots and thyme create an aromatic cauliflower soup that is just the right amount of creamy and indulgent with this easy recipe. Warm mittens have been pulled over tiny fingers to protect from the winter wind under a star-filled sky. We’ve scurried across the frozen driveway and climbed in the car, which is now gliding down the driveway, backing out into the quiet blackness of a winter’s night. “Mom?” “Yep.” “So, when everyone gets in their car and turns... more

A recipe to make your own homemade Irish cream using Irish whiskey, coffee, chocolate, and of course, cream. A delightful toast to the New Year. So we head towards the close of another year on the Gregorian calendar. The end of the year and the beginning of a new one always seems like a good time to become that introspective person reflecting on life and its purpose, the meaning of it all, why we exist, and where we are headed, to reorient our personal path, make difficult choices or changes, and... more