Food – Page 2 – life after five

spaghetti squash pizza crust

January 26, 2020Allie Zerby

Vegetable crust pizzas have been popping up for the past several years. Replacing the usual yeasted flour dough base with shredded vegetables like zucchini and cauliflower, these low-carb, gluten-free alternatives fulfill your pizza craving without the wheat.

I’ll be honest, I was skeptical about this trend for a while. Don’t get me wrong- I love vegetables, and of course, I love pizza. I just felt that pizza was one of those things that shouldn’t be messed with. However, I decided to give the trend a try and am glad that I did.

cucumber & avocado salad

January 6, 2019January 6, 2019Allie Zerby

This is my favorite salad of all time. That may not be a powerful statement to those who know me well since I don’t actually like most salads (I’m a sautéed vegetable kind of girl). However, you’ll have to trust me and try this salad. Somehow, simple ingredients like crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, and a simple balsamic dressing come together to make something wonderful.

taco skillet bake

August 7, 2018August 8, 2018Allie Zerby

I like to think that I do a pretty good job managing my spending habits. I rarely impulse shop, I plan out big purchases, and have a monthly budget that I typically stick to. However, for some reason I lose all self control when I get near a cookbook. Somehow the rational side of my brain gets taken over and I end up buying cookbook after cookbook. Don’t get my wrong I use all of the cookbooks that I own but did I really need to add 8 cookbooks to my collection this year? Absolutely not.

One of my favorite recent cookbook purchases is Gaby Dalkin’s What’s Gaby Cooking cookbook. I’ve been a fan of her blog for a few years so I eagerly awaited the release of her first cookbook. It did not disappoint. Since buying the cookbook, many of her recipes have been added to my weekly rotation including this taco skillet bake.

cacio e pepe

May 15, 2018May 15, 2018Allie Zerby

I’ve made and failed at making cacio e pepe more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve created several dishes worth of watery pasta with clumps of cheese that refused to melt. Even after the first, second, and seventh failed attempt, I kept trying because some years ago I ate a wonderful plate of cacio e pepe and dreamed of recreating it.

However, it was also a matter of pride. How hard could it be to make a dish comprised of cheese, pasta and pepper? Unfortunately, I found out this simple dish can be easy to mess up. Making a silky sauce from dry cheese and water is a skill that needs to be learned. Read more →