New recipe, February 4, 2016

Shawarma Spiced Chicken Pita with Tahini Yogurt Sauce from Epicurious. It took almost twice as long to cook the chicken as they suggest, but it was worth the wait! Layer after layer of delicious flavors. We give this a 5!

New recipe, February 5, 2016

Harissa Spiced Cassoulet from the January 2016 Food and Wine. This takes a few hours, so best suited to a weekend or a vacation, but it is wonderful! We give it a 5.

New recipe, February 2, 2016

New York Steak with Roasted Chiles from the January 2016 Food and Wine. This has only 5 ingredients, but they are delicious together! We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 1, 2016

Cheesy Grits with Poached Eggs Greens and Bacon from the February 2016 Bon Appetít. The sherry vinegar ties this together beautifully! We give it a 5.

New recipe, January 31, 2016

Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts Parmesan Lemon and Leeks from the February 2016 Bon Appetít. Simple ingredients, and really tasty! The lemon peel ties it all together beautifully! We give this a 4.

New recipe, January 30, 2016

Seared Duck Breasts with Blood Oranges from the February 2016 Bin Appetít. We liked the flavors a lot--it gets a 4. The technique is interesting--putting the duck breast skin side down in a cold pan, then heating on low til the fat is rendered and the skin is crispy. This took much longer than expected on low, and the skin never quite got crispy. We are thinking the heat needs to be closer to medium to pull the crisping off--we will have to try it again!

New recipe, January 29, 2016

Another cocktail (it has been a busy week). This is the Daiquiri from The Cuban Table by Ana Sofía Peláez and Ellen Silverman. The addition of Maraschino liqueur is something we haven't seen before. Also, it is better if you shake the ingredients first, then add the ice and shake again. We give it a 4.