Over the past month, I have not done as much traveling as normal so I’ve taken this opportunity to dive into several great books, discover new podcasts, and have a few good Netflix binges. Here are some of the things that I’ve read, watched and listened to recently.
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.
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.
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
You’ve probably eaten cantucci before but you likely called it by a different name. Typically, in the US we see these cookies labelled biscotti, which is what they were called back in the Roman times. The Romans made biscotti (meaning “twice-cooked”) to be eaten as a convenient and durable snack for travelers. They were first baked in order to cook the dough, and then a second time in order to dry them out for long journeys.
After the fall of the Roman empire, these cookies were not made for centuries until they made a comeback in Tuscany around the Renaissance period. While biscotti can be any kind of twice-baked cookie, cantucci specifically gets it flavor from almonds. It is composed exclusively of flour, eggs, sugar and almonds, without any yeast or fat.
life after five 