All of the contenders, ready to go

Some time ago, Lay’s started a promotion that allowed consumers to choose their new chip flavor - the options were Cheesy Garlic Bread, Sriracha, and Chicken and Waffles. Michael Symon talked them up on TV commercials while Eva Longoria ate them in colorful gowns and crowed about how tasty they were. It was very exciting and made me think of the contest M&M’s ran when I was a child to choose the new color (tan M&M, we still mourn you with every bag of candies).

Thai basil turkey meatball spring rolls

Do you ever try a recipe that sounds delicious and end up totally disappointed? Not that the finished product is bad, it’s just … underwhelming. This is doubly unfortunate if you are testing said new recipe on a dinner guest (I almost always use my dinner guests as guinea pigs. As of the publishing of this article, none have ever complained about this practice). Last night I had a friend over for dinner and had just that experience. I made Thai basil turkey meatballs with a spicy garlic dipping sauce and … we were less than impressed. They were edible, and we weren’t hungry anymore afterwards, but I wasn’t really looking forward to finishing them up.

Saffron lemon yogurt mixture

This, in my mind, is the ultimate in comfort food. I crave this dish at all times. If given the opportunity I will shamelessly eat the entire pan. It’s also a showstopper at dinner parties and a great “entry level” Persian dish. Everyone likes tachin once they try it; it’s exotic, but the flavors are just close enough to home that they are still accessible to less-adventurous palates.

Summer vegetables ready to be grilled

May is a big month in my family – we have 3 birthdays to celebrate, plus mother’s day. Since we all have busy schedules and I don’t live in the same city as everyone else, we have started celebrating all of the holidays during one big weekend bash. And if you’ve learned anything about me by now you should know – my family celebrates with food!

Orange nog ingredients

There is a cookbook in my mother’s home that she received as a wedding gift in 1970,The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook. She’s been using it all these years, and I’ve been cooking from it since I was about 6. It is stained, torn, floury and all together well loved. This is my baking bible - it’s measurements are exact and classic. But outside of the baked goods sections, some of these recipes are weird and from another era!