August 2016

Quick pickle

A perennial favorite and the star of the latest craft revolution, pickling is making a comeback. Whether adding crunch and spice to your brown bag sandwich, or standing in front of the fridge (with the door wide open) eating them right out of the jar, there’s nothing better than a good pickle. You can spend an afternoon in the steamy kitchen boiling a brine and dealing with hot, sterilized quart jars or if you are short on time, take the quick pickle route. It’s easy to make your own briny, salty, goodness to top all kinds of things: avocado toast, fish tacos, or… Read more

Satisfy Your Cookie Cravings

Early this year, we had an entire working lunch completely dominated by discussion about the latest season of Making a Murderer, and a few of us non-Netflix people (yes, they exist) sat there nodding politely because we had no idea what anyone was talking about. So this summer we have remedied our lack of Netflix knowledge, much to our coworkers’ delight, and can now confidently speak about any of the recent seasons as well as the classics. We also learned binge-watching an entire season of a show on Netflix requires snacks, and lots of them. After the giant bowl of… Read more

Extend your summer nights with soup

As the lazy days of summer begin to wind down, we want to maximize our time spent enjoying it. Spending less time in the kitchen means more time for outdoor pursuits, or perhaps relaxing on the patio with a glass of wine watching the sun dip below the horizon. However you spend your summer evenings, a quick meal can get you where you want to be in no time. Sure, you could get takeout on the way home. But what if you could make something in the time it takes to stop at the local deli? Our culinary team came… Read more

The salad inspired by a sandwich

Everyone has a favorite sandwich, from the crisp, salty Reuben to the classic, gooey grilled cheese, and kid-friendly PB&J. We have found from taking the bread out of the picture (thanks Paleo and gluten-free friends) there are certain components of sandwiches that can stand on their own as a side dish or meal. Taking our favorite part of a sandwich and turning it into a summer salad was a no-brainer. This fresh and vibrant cabbage salad was inspired by the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, which always includes crunchy, tangy vegetables, some heat from a chile, and the pop of fresh… Read more

Zaru Soba with Chilled Watermelon from Betty Liu

During these hot and humid days, I want nothing more than something chilled, whether it be a quick tossed salad or more likely, cold soba noodles. Traditionally, soba noodles are served cold with an umami-packed dipping sauce, and they are perfect for summery days. The dish is simple, refreshing, and my choice meal during the summer. The dipping sauce can be a mentsuyu sauce, made from seaweed and bonito, and it works because of its intense umami flavor. Chilled it has so much flavor that soba noodles need simply be dipped and slurped up. I decided to make another dipping… Read more

Cozumel Courtyard Fish Tacos

Vacation memories frequently include meals enjoyed in a beautiful setting. There’s a place in Cozumel with the most amazing courtyard of lush, tropical plants (and live music on Tuesdays). You perhaps know the one. Everyone seems to order fish tacos and margaritas. There’s definitely some magic happening in the kitchen, the tacos are so good! After coming back tanned, rested, and yearning for a return trip, we tried to create the recipe here in the kitchen. We analyzed what exactly made these tacos so amazing. We obviously can’t recreate the setting but maybe by having a couple tacos and a… Read more

Get Creative With Your Summer Harvest

  Avid gardeners usually have more than one zucchini plant. Around this time of year the bounty of garden goodness is reaching its zenith. The word overabundance can describe the harvest happening in some neighborhoods. I have been the recipient of a large paper bag of zucchini and summer squash left on my porch by an “anonymous” neighbor (looking at you, Veronica). The office freebie table sees more vegetables than doughnuts this time of year and there comes a point in early August when kids are no longer excited to see a plate of zucchini muffins at breakfast. Besides the… Read more