(Paleo) Rich ‘n Creamy Hot Chocolate

Is it too early for hot chocolate?

The answer is who cares, hot chocolate is forever.

OK, OK, OK...I know it's still summer. Hot, humid, sweaty, smelly, glorious summer — with temperatures sitting firmly planted near the triple digits.
But I woke up last Saturday morning and needed hot chocolate.
If I crave something, I make it, and eat it (or drink it in this case). It.Just.Has.To.Happen.

My Top 10 Favorite Kitchen Tools

To be honest, I’m not really a “Buy this gadget!” kind of guy.
Sure, I’ve told you a couple of times to get a spiralizer or a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet; but I’m a firm believer that if you really want to make something, you can make it happen. No.Matter.What. There’s always a way to MacGyver together a solution to the problem of not-the-right-gear.
That being said, I’m a big fan of the right tool for the right job — especially when it makes my life in the kitchen easier and more efficient.
So I’ve put together a list of my Top 10 Favorite Kitchen Tools.

Tools that I use every day, that are exceptionally good at performing their given task, yet are rarely, if ever, found in a “regular” kitchen (every time I go cook at a friend's house, I'm always disappointed to discover very lousy cookware.)
Chances are, you already have a couple of these: maybe you have a cast iron skillet that was your grandmother’s, a Crock-pot you got for your wedding, a very old vegetable peeler you bought ages ago but rarely use.
But you might not have all of these. If you like cooking though, they are all worth having.

Skillet Paprika Potatoes

While tomatoes are getting most of the glamour these days, we mustn’t forget that this is also the height of the new potato season.
I want more people to realize how special new potatoes are — they’re one of the least celebrated foods, even in this positive era of seasonal, local produce.
There’s something amazing in enjoying a bowl of just-cooked new potatoes. And I feel you should know that.

Easy Baked Garlic Mushrooms

Let’s start with what matters most: this is absolutely my favorite quick and delicious way to prepare ‘shrooms.
It’s an incredible, quick, easy side dish that’s ready in less than 30 minutes and that it’s so delicious it will outshine the main dish — unless the main dish is Spicy Basil Lemon Chicken, then we might call it a draw.
These Easy Baked Butter Garlic Mushrooms will make you drool in a way that only butter and garlic can, well that and sweet potato fries, chocolate chunk cookies, pulled pork, and quesadillas. Just to name a few.
It’s seriously the one side side I keep making again and again.

Cauliflower Noodle Spinach Lasagna

This, this is my culinary Himalaya.
This fifteen-layer striation of cauliflower noodles, tomato, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese, repeated three times, is so delish you won’t even believe it.
Saturday night my friends L+L couldn’t believe how delicious it was, you probably wouldn’t either.
You must though, because this Cauliflower Noodle Spinach Lasagna is homey, comforting, and a total winner.

Green Goddess Turkey Burgers

I’ll say it before you do. Turkey burgers can be pretty blah.
Sure, they’re lower in fat and calories compared to the traditional ground beef burger; but it takes just one bite of a lifeless and dry turkey burger to make you miss the beef counterpart so very much.
I’ve been there many times — more than I’d like to admit.
But when turkey burgers are spiced excellently and tender and juicy, they’re awesome in their own right.
Add zucchini or apple to ground turkey and you’ve got something really good going on. So good you ever wondered why you doubted turkey burgers in the first place.

Bloody Mary Meatballs

I was situating myself with my Kindle in seat 32C (classic “easy out” aisle seat) on my recent trip to Berlin, when the flight assistant unveiled behind the curtains the path-to-the-bathroom-blocking drink cart.
As I was spying from behind my ebook, I couldn’t help but notice that a lot of people ordered tomato juice/Bloody Mary (including myself).
The old lady seated in front of me, a mom and her teenage daughter, even the hipster dude with handlebar moustache sitting next to me.
I never drink tomato juice/Bloody Mary at home, restaurants or bars. But when the flight assistant asks “What would you like to drink?”, rest assured there’s tomato juice to be had.

Creamy Tomato Soup + Cauliflower Crust Grilled Cheese

Eating soup in the summer is an act of defiance — especially during a heatwave.
I’m not talking about eating cold soups such as gazpacho or vichyssoise. I’ve never been a fan of gazpacho. It makes me wish I had tortilla chips while at the same wondering why I am eating salsa with a spoon.
I’m talking about hot soups what warm you from the inside out. Soups you crave when the wind is howling outside, snow is falling, and all you want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a warming bowl of homemade soup.
But when outside it’s 95º and humid, with not even a hint of breeze, and clouds of mosquitoes hum looking for breakfast, eating hot soup means disobedience.
That’s the kind of rebel I am.

Wandering in Berlin

There are a lot of reasons why I fell in love with Berlin.
It’s a vibrant city, with an eclectic mix of culture, urban life and history, a legendary nightlife, a culinary scene that rivals NYC, and always something new interesting happening.
Berlin literally has it all: vibe, art, music, food, fun, endless possibilities.

Sesame-Soy Salmon with Ginger Honey Glaze

Today we have a new entry in the much-overlooked seafood category on this blog.
I know this didn’t get past most of you: That I personally don’t love fish (I mean, I’ve confessed it here and here). Still I won’t consider myself a fish-averse person, but normally I would never choose fish over steak. Never.
Sure, I’ve come around shrimp, tuna (but almost only canned, please; I have limitations) and I’ve been known to make some limited advances in the areas of sea bass, sole, and octopus.
But for the most part, my fish appreciation remains modest.
I’m not proud of it. Actually, it feels more like a failure. It irks me to not be able to rave about sushi like the rest of the world does. I fight it. I often succumb.