Happy 4th of July y'all! 

In my opinion, corn is the quintessential summer vegetable/fruit/grain/whatever you want to call it. You can throw it on the BBQ, eat it straight off the cob, or make the kernels into a dish of their own. It's so versatile!

As you probably know, corn is naturally high in sugar (think corn syrup), so it takes on a really great dimension of flavor when caramelized. That's why one of my favorite ways of cooking corn is to take it off the cob and toss the kernels in a hot cast iron pan. It's also a quick and simple way to prepare it. 

(Note: this is not a sponsored post, I just honestly loved this next tool so much that I wanted to share..)...

Everyone loves a good salad dressing, right? Well this one isn't only good, it's REALLY good. This Mustard Balsamic Vinaigrette is tangy, a little salty, and super easy to make. With this recipe, you'll never have to buy dressing from the market again!

What you'll need: 

• 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt

• 2 Large Cloves of Garlic

• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice (sour)

• 1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar

• 2 Tbs Olive or Canola Oil

• 1 tsp Dried Mustard Powder

Chop the garlic and place it in a mortar with the salt. With the pestle, mash the garlic and salt together until it becomes a paste. 

Add the lemon juice, oil, vinegar, and garlic mixture, and mustard powder to a m...

Hummus is a lovely, healthy, and versatile dip, but I'm sure you already knew that. What you might not know though, is just how easy it is to make at home! With this Three-Minute Hummus recipe you'll be on your way to dip-ville in no time.

What you'll need:

• 1 cup Canned Garbanzos (Note: this is less than the contents of a can)

• 1 Tbs Tahini

• 2 Tbs Lemon Juice

• 1 Tbs Syrup (from the garbanzo can)

• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

• 1 tsp Onion Powder

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

• 2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed

• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus extra for a drizzle on top)

Place all ingredients into a food processor. I use and h...

In my opinion, wild rice is a highly underrated and underutilized ingredient. If you've never had it, the texture and taste varies greatly from your average white rice, as it's made up of four different grains (the most recognizable are the long black grains). Wild rice is also VERY high in protein and dietary fiber- it has about 6x as much protein as white rice and 9x as much dietary fiber! 

Personally, I love wild rice because of its al dente texture and how versatile it is. You can cook it on its own, add veggies to it, add sausage to it, you can serve it hot, or even as a cold salad. Many people also make wild rice stuffing for Thanksgiving (it's deli...

Friday's here, and it's a little (fine... a lot) cloudy,but don't let the June Gloom get you down! Just because it's been overcast along the Southern California Coast for a few weeks, doesn't mean we can't partake ina little tropical cocktail! Who's with me?

Well, today I bring you a little glass of sunshine to ease these gloomy skies. This Tipsy Pineapple cocktail is refreshing, tropical, and just takes a minute to make, so why not grab a glass and try it for yourself!

Let's get this party started!

THE TIPSY PINEAPPLE

Servings: 1

Time: 2 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• 3 oz Pineapple Juice

• 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc

• 1 1/4 oz Lemon Vodka (I recommend Ketel One...

Shopping at the local farmers market is a great way to venture outside and pick up some fresh ingredients you don't always see at your local supermarket. 

At this week's farmers market, I lucked out and snagged some broccolini from my favorite vendor. (Why are they my favorite vendor, you ask? Because they always have an awesome and inexpensive selection of unique asian greens like chrysanthemum leaves and mizuna... but I digress...)

Though broccolini is great simply roasted with some salt, pepper, and olive oil, I wanted to try something different. I just recently picked up some Coconut Aminos from Whole Foods and thought that this would...

If you've never had carnitas before, let me help- Carnitas are a salty, shred-y, crispy, porky treat that graces your tacos and burritos with its presence. It's the kind of meat that guys want to be and girls want to be with. It's what any good and honest human would do with a 5 lb pork shoulder. You catch my drift.

Even if you are lucky enough to already know all of this, what you may not know is that Carnitas are also deceptively easy to make. It pretty much involves throwing meat, onion, garlic, and a few other ingredients in a dutch oven for an afternoon and trying not to pass out from how delicious it smells.

So, if this sounds l...

Hello everyone! Happy Friday... or should I say, Happy National Donut Day!

Yes, here in America we have a day dedicated to out sugary, cakey little friends. Jealous?

Today I've prepared a cocktail that translates my absolute favorite kind of donut into an alcoholic form- SPRINKLE DONUTS! (Though I am also in love with cream filled donuts, coconut covered donuts, jelly donuts, donut holes, donut donuts, donut, donut donut, donuts...... I just really like donuts, ok?)

SPRINKLE DONUT COCKTAIL

Servings: 1

Time: 2 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 oz Cinnabon Vodka (I bought my bottle of Pinnacle on sale for less than $10)

• 3/4 oz White Rum

• 1/2...

It's summer, so you know what that means! Stone fruit! 

Peaches, apricots, and nectarines were always a staple during my summers growing up. Nothing makes me feel (or look) more like a giddy little kid than eating a ripe peach and having the juice run down my face and hands, so when I went to the farmers market a few days ago and saw the abundance of peaches, I knew I needed to swoop some up and make something great. 

We all already know that fruit and pies go together like, well, fruit and pies... so today's recipe is my spin on a more "grown-up" way to enjoy the fruits that I used to make a mess of as a child.

Here we go-

What you'll...

Pop quiz!

One of the below statements is false. Can you guess which one?

1. Kimchi is wonderful. 

2. Bacon is splendid.

3. Eggs are lovely.

4. **** Kimchi, Bacon, and Eggs should never be combined into something AMAZING.  *****

5. Food is awesome.

Congrats, smarty pants, you're right!! It's #4!

As you can hopefully deduce from the above pop quiz, I believe kimchi, bacon, and eggs are great, so why not mix them up into one of the most glorious finger foods on the planet; Deviled eggs! 

These deviled eggs are definitely an east-meets-west love connection. I must warn you, however, that these eggs are somewhat addictive and you may end up...