Now that Project Runway is over, I’ve taken to watching Food Network Challenge. Oddly enough, it always raises one specific challenge for me: resisting the urge to bake after I watch an episode.

I spend the commercials brainstorming new concoctions with ingredients I have on-hand. The other night I decided that white chocolate chips would compliment my sugared pecans to a tee in an oatmeal cookie.

I was right.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lately a lot of radio stations have been doing bits on life’s simple pleasures. I don’t know if it’s the lighthearted feeling of springtime that’s got them all going on the same subject or if it’s just something radio hosts tend to cover this time of year.

In any case, it got me thinking “What are my simple pleasures?” And when I found a package of beautiful green grapes for just $.41 in the Daily Specials bin at the grocery store, I realized that grapes rate high on my list.

Photo by Julia Boyle

You see, I generally consider grapes too expensive to buy every week (they weigh in at about $3.99/lb). So when they are on sale, I snatch them up and feel frivolous and joyful that I get to enjoy the sweet, juicy, refreshing bursts of goodness. Read the rest of this entry »

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I’ve been under the weather and thus not eating/cooking much. I did, however, discover a tasty little snack in one of the most unexpected fruits–the humble avocado.

Don’t get me wrong; I love a good, ripe avocado in a salad, as guacamole, or mixed with roasted corn and spices; dolloped on a layer of crisp, salty tortilla chips; and topped with grilled shrimp. But by itself? I’d never even thought to try it.

Turns out, simply sprinkling an avocado half with salt and pepper is a healthy yet filling snack Read the rest of this entry »

I make almost all of my food and rarely eat out because doing so saves me money. Call me cheap if you want, but yesterday I bought a fried egg, a piece of scrapple, and a bottled water for around $7. Had I made it myself, the cost would have broken down about like this:

1 egg: $.30
1 slice scrapple: $.35
Filtered tap water: free
Total cost: $.65
Total savings:$6.65

Um, CA-CHING! So why did I eat out? Because it was convenient, I was too lazy to scrounge around my kitchen looking for something to eat, and I didn’t expect it to add up to almost $10 for one breakfast. If I ate breakfast out five days a week, I would spend nearly $40. And that, my friends, is why I have so many cooking single tips up my sleeve and why I share them with you.

So my tips today are ones to help you save you money and eat well Read the rest of this entry »

Cooking single servings isn’t just about scaling down recipes. It’s about having the right sized equipment, too. But because most recipes are made for more than one person, the dishes needed to prepare them are also made for more than one. No problem; us single cooks just have to get creative. Here are a few suggestions to make your kitchen equipment work for you Read the rest of this entry »

Any good cook prefers to use fresh herbs instead of dried. They’re more fragrant, more flavorful, and more colorful. But single cooks run into one major dilema: They usually spoil before we use up even half of what we’ve bought. Drats!

As the fresh food season is upon us, many food blogs are giving tips for how to store or use up leftover herbs. Cookthink has ten great tips, and Cook & Eat spotlights a lovely little recipe and cookbook A Handful Of Herbs. My contribution to this herbal theme is to suggest you try your hand at gardening. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night I splurged on dinner from Noodles & Company, which I have unofficially dubbed “fresh fast food,” because it’s fast but lacks the unhealthy stigma that accompanies traditional fast food restaurants. One of the signs advertising a dish reminded me that asparagus is in season. And of all the ways to prepare the fresh, crisp, green spears of springtime, simply roasting them is my all-time favorite.

Read the rest of this entry »

Not only did I feed my craving for sugared pecans this weekend, but I created a new favorite salad: Baby spinach tossed with a homemade sesame-plum vinaigrette and topped with grilled salmon, strawberries, chevre, and sugared pecans. Can you taste springtime yet?

Photo by Julia Boyle Read the rest of this entry »

Since I was out of town Wednesday and Thursday, I didn’t cook a lick. However, I did practice a bit with my newly purchased digital camera, a used Canon Rebel XT. I bought it as an investment not only for this blog, but also for some freelance magazine writing I picked up. I bought the camera last Saturday from Service Photo, in Hampden (Baltimore, Md.), and since it was used and therefore cheaper than a new Rebel XTi, I was able to exchange the kit lens for a higher quality 17-85mm lens with stabilizer (score!). Read the rest of this entry »

After my failed attempt at making gnocchi, my friend and I headed to a place where I knew I wouldn’t be let down again: Baltimore’s Little Italy.

Read the rest of this entry »