I guess matzo kind of stops being the bread of affliction after you drizzle it with gooey caramel, melted chocolate and flaky salt and serve it for dessert, but that is a risk I am willing to take.

Just melt semisweet or dark chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.

Make a quick caramel with butter and brown sugar (margarine, if you're cooking pareve)

 

Then drizzle away.

When the matzos are completely covered, top with coarse salt. I like the pink kind.

Passover dessert or Jackson Pollock piece? You decide.

 

Grilled cheese has played a bigger role in my life in the past year than it ever did before. 

I've always been a fan, but it wasn't until the production of the first episode of Young & Hungry, wherein Gabi Diamond scores her dream job by cooking her would-be employer, Josh Kaminski a killer grilled cheese that I began to see what a magical sandwich it really is. In an instant, that grilled cheese changed both of their lives, kind of like how the show has changed mine. Now halfway through filming season two, I am in disbelief that things made it this far. And so, so happy.

Tonight, I'm excited to tell you, the premiere of season two airs on ABC Family at 8/7 Central. 

To honor the humble comfort food, and celebrate this exciting night, I'm making grilled cheese.

But of course, I can't make just any grilled cheese. This one is fancy.

Behold: Trader Joe's Italian Truffle Cheese.

 When you want black truffle flavor for as little money as possible, don't reach for truffle oil (which rarely contains actual truffles). Instead, go for this delicious cheese, studded with real black truffle pieces.

Since the cheese is so sublime, my goal with this sandwich was to celebrate it and not try to add any other flavors that might overdominate it. Just good bread and butter.

I decided to use sliced sourdough, since it get so gorgeously crispy when buttered and heated.

It's always good to get your ingredients together before you begin assembly. Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it spreads easily (just leave it on the counter for 20 minutes or so).

Also, it's so important to shred your cheese. This ensures that it will melt evenly and quickly.

 Assemble the sandwiches.

And don't be afraid to be generous with the butter. If you put enough on the sandwiches themselves, you don't need any for the pan.

A quick pan-fry on both sides yields a beautifully golden-brown and crisp exterior.

Then slice, eat, an seriously contemplate making another one.

 

I've been wanting to get into sardines for awhile, but I must admit, I've been a little scared. 

I'm not the biggest fan of canned tuna (though I do like the kind that comes packed in oil), and intense fishiness tends to be off-putting to me. But I've been reading about how heart-healthy sardines are, thanks to their rich Omega-3 content, which helps lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, curb joint stiffness and promote overall heart health. So when Season Sardines offered to send me a few sardines varieties to try, I decided to take them up on it.

I was immediately inspired to make something akin to my smoked tuna salad--something I could eat on crackers or with salad greens for a healthy lunch. Sardines have so much natural flavor that they need only need a few brightening elements to highlight them.

I went with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and flat leaf parsley. Classic fish pairings.

The resulting pâté was delicious on crackers and celery, but it would also be good on toast, as the filling of a sandwich (it's like tuna salad but much creamier and smoother), or as the protein component of an entree salad.

I'm excited to try making this again with different herbs. Cilantro and chilies would be tasty, as would tarragon and minced shallots, for a more classic French flavor profile. But meanwhile, I'm pretty darn pleased with this super-quick appetizer/snack. And I'm happy to report, I'm no longer afraid of sardines. Delicious things are never scary.

Note:  I was compensated by Season Sardines for this post and for developing the recipe. However all opinions are completely my own.

I worry.

I worry about the physical and emotional health of the people I love.

I worry about the future, both near and far, mine and yours.

I worry that the city I love so much is becoming probibitively expensive to just about everyone.

I worry that it's really not supposed to be this warm in early March in San Francisco. 

I worry that the path I have chosen is flawed.

I worry that, actually, it is perfect, that it is I who is flawed.

I worry about those flaws.

And worry, and worry.

Sometimes, we need a break from the worry.

A sweet, tangy, cold, creamy break. 

This is my break.

It couldn't be easier to make, so that's good. 

You just need frozen strawberries (though frozen raspberries, plums, mango, or peaches would be tasty, too).

Some thick yogurt.

And a touch of honey (though you could skip it, for a lower-sugar result--I worry about sugar sometimes, too).

Just blend it up in a food processor.

Pour it into an airtight container with a fitted lid. 

And freeze, until it firms up (usually about two hours).

Then scoop a bowl of worry-free bliss.

For a few moments, your only worry will be locating a spoon. 

 

I actually first posted about a pasta recipe with a creamy, eggy lemon sauce the first week this blog was live, back in 2009. The recipe was inspired by one by Dave Lieberman, whose boy-next-door good looks, and proclivity for challah bread pudding and stuffed cabbage caught my attention when he was briefly on Food Network, hosting his fantastic show, which focused on fresh, affordable, simple foods, Good Deal with Dave Lieberman. 

When the San Francisco-based pasta company, Three Bridges sent me some fresh pappardelle (a wide, tender noodle), I knew I had to break it out again. 

The key to getting really rich, lemony flavor is a one-two punch of both lemon juice and lemon zest.

Though there is a little bit of technique involved, the dish is actually pretty simple. The main work is in whisking the sauce, which is cooked over boiling water, so the eggs cook gently with the half-and-half and lemon without scrambling.

If you have a double boiler, this is a great time to use it, but if, like me, you don't, just make your own with a bowl and a pot.

All that whisking really pays off though, because the sauce is utterly decadent. I top the sauced pasta with more lemon zest, plus parsley and coarsely chopped, lightly toasted almonds for crunch.

Serve this with a crisp green salad and Prosecco or another crisp white wine. 

 

Oooooh yeeeaaaahhh.