So awesome...

This makes me want to learn to knit. Especially this one and this one.

It was like magic!

Grant and I can typically be found in the cheese section of our local grocery store, restocking our infinite supply of feta cheese for salads or branching out into something new for a cheese platter I typically offer at diner parties. I have been very impressed with the selection at our store that, although is a lovely store, can't hold a candle to Whole Foods or Andronico's. The other day, Grant handed me a shrink wrapped package of dense, yet soft, cheese and said, "What do you think this means?"

Grilling Cheese, it said.

"I don't know." I said. "Goes well with grilled foods? Or do you grill it...the cheese itself?"

We put it back and didn't think much of it. The next day, Grant sent me this article from seriouseats.com. So we went back and bought some and gave it a try.

Just salt, pepper and a little olive oil brushed on each side, a few minutes on the grill and enjoy. Admittedly, it feels very wrong to place slices of cheese onto a hot grill and visions of a dripping, oily cheddar-like mess will cross your mind but I swear to you, it will not melt. Instead it will be warm and chewy on the inside and deliciously salty and crispy on the outside.

Mint: The new basil?

Call me crazy, but sprigs of fresh basil seem to be popping up in my food no matter where I turn. In my omelets, in my salads -- I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Starbucks starts marketing the "Pesto Frappuccino®."

No matter what dining establishment you may find yourself in, you're sure to find a pasta dish with fresh pesto sauce, a sandwich with Roma tomatoes and pesto "aioli," or a mixed green salad drizzled with creamy pesto dressing. All delicious for sure. Don't get me wrong; I love basil fresh and in all its forms. I mean, what's the point of eating fresh mozzarella caprese if you don't have basil chiffonade beautifully sprinkled on top? I'll tell you: there is no point. However, I feel that the overuse and trendiness of this leafy herb has frankly made it quite boring. Not to mention that basil has been completely overshadowing its less popular but equally versatile and delicious cousin, mint. Today, I say no longer!

I admit it. I ignored mint for a very long time. The overpowering smell of the fresh basil sitting next to it in the grocery store attracted me like a moth to a flame. I'm sure the same happens to you, but resist the temptation, I say, and pick up a bunch of fresh mint! Much like basil, mint is very culturally diverse. It works perfectly in Greek and Mediterranean cooking, such as in a garlic and mint yogurt sauce for chicken and/or lamb kabobs or spread on Greek burgers. It's also a fresh addition to Asian cuisine like Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Try a mint chiffonade added to a seafood salad with an Asian style dressing.

I recently had an amazing fruit salad (courtesy of my dear friend Toni) that took your mama's bowl of mixed melon chunks and purple grapes to a whole new level. She tossed peaches, grapes and blackberries together with a sweet mint dressing. Hello! You can find the recipe here. And how beautiful does a pitcher of raspberry lemonade look with fresh green mint leaf circling around inside. You can't do that with basil! Well, I mean you can but....no, no you can't. Because that would be gross.


Garlic and Mint Yogurt Sauce

(Remember, I really don't measure, so...good luck!)

Ingredients:

2 parts plain yogurt (One individual container will be fine. I prefer the fat free version. The consistency of the fat free version seems to work better. Also, it means you can eat more dessert later.)

Roughly 1 part sour cream to yogurt (if I had to guess, 1/2 cup more or less)

2 cloves fresh garlic (more or less to taste) minced

Zest of one lemon

About half the juice of that lemon

Handful of fresh, chopped mint leaves (I found that dried mint actually does work with this recipe but the fresh tastes, well, fresher)

Handful of fresh, chopped parsley (flat leaf)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and put in the refrigerator for a couple hours before serving with kabobs or Greek burgers and...that's it. Enjoy!

Breakfast Lessons

When I was 8 years old, I asked my mom if I could make pancakes for breakfast. I don't remember if the pancakes were good. I do remember burning the hell out of one of my fingers on the frying pan. Live and learn, I suppose.

The other thing I remember is that when I asked my mom for the measuring cups to measure out 2 cups of Bisquick, she said, "Just guess. Pour some in the bowl and put in two eggs. Add some milk. If it's too thick, add more milk -- too thin, add more Bisquick." (At least I think it went something like that -- remember, my finger was throbbing at this point.) Apparently this is how my grandma makes pancakes, my mom makes pancakes, and would become how I make pancakes.

The beauty of teaching this method to an 8-year-old is that it does two things:

1. Instills a sense of confidence. I have the power over these pancakes and I don't need any silly measuring devices.
2. Leads to many weekend breakfasts with piles of pancakes that could have fed the neighborhood (too thick, add milk, too thin, add Bisquick, too thick, add milk, too thin...you get the idea).

The first of these things is what I carried with me through adulthood. I have confidence in my cooking. I am not a professional and would never claim to be. There is a lot I don't know how to do. There are many things I am still cautious about trying. But I know that I like to do it. And the people who have shared meals with me that I've cooked seem to enjoy what they are eating, and that makes me happy.

So I invite you to read about my hobby. Maybe you will learn something from me, gain a little confidence in the kitchen or just try making pancakes without a 1-cup measure. I look forward to posting photos, recipes, stories and guest posts by some of the foodies who are closest to me.

And I'll end this post with the same thing I say to my husband every night before we're about to eat the dinner I've just prepared: I hope it's good.