Pass It On Potluck with Le Creuset

My roomie signed on with Le Creuset to participate in a Pass It On Potluck and asked me to do it too. If I'm being honest, it brought back the best kind of nostalgia to simpler times... when people hand wrote mail and had pen pals in other states (sometimes even other countries! Oooo! Aaaahh!) and the only way you could get ahold of anyone was to pick up the phone and call (and risk long-distance charges) or send them a letter. Remember that? Anyone? No? Well, it was fun stuff.

Anywho back to the Potluck. Le Creuset is sponsoring the really fun concept of a Pass It On Potluck. It's really kind of awesome. This gorgeous Le Creuset Dutch oven in Lapis (that's the beautiful blue color you see on your screen) arrives at your doorstep eager for you to cook up something delightful in it! The only rules are you blog about it or document it in the journal that also comes with it, then pass it on to the next person (the brand will send you the shipping label to print)! So all you have to do is enjoy cooking!

Oh, and clean the pot.

Easy enough, right? Right.

Another truth. I've never cooked anything in a Dutch oven so this was 75% exciting, 25% scary. Fortunately the chilly weather in Chicago's been having has me all excited for fall so I opted to try a new recipe, something I've always wanted to do: a risotto. A baked mushroom risotto to be exact. With dried porcini mushrooms and cremini mushrooms and garlic and white wine... Mmm can you practically smell it? It was good stuff.

I found the recipe at The Kitchn, and it ended up being really easy! I opted to forgo the caramelized onions and craime freche on top like the recipe suggests - it tasted good enough as is. Will definitely be making this again come colder weather. Cozy up on the sofa with a blanket, a glass of Pinot Noir, and all the new fall shows.

SHOP THIS POST

Dutch oven | polka dot towel | gold flatware | white dishware | diamond napkin

Are you going to sign up for the Pass It On Potluck? What would you cook?

photography by Danielle Moss

Five Vegetarian Recipes (10 Meal Portions) for Less Than $50

Today on The Everygirl!

We were so thrilled with how well our first Ten Meals for Less Than $50 feature went, we thought we'd do again! The twist this week is that all of the recipes are vegetarian. I styled the shoot, which meant I got to taste test all of our contributing food editor Lara Matos' tasty concoctions after they were photographed. My favorite was definitely the goat cheese crostini! No... the black bean burger. No... the zucchini fritters. Shoot. I can't decide. Click on over to print of your shopping list and recipes for to make cooking this week easy-peasy.

photography by Danielle Moss for The Everygirl

Making Good on My New Year's Goal, Part 2

So you all remember my five new year's goals? Well, if you don't, just know that one of them was to cook a new recipe every week. It is now March, and this week was the first time I did. Oops. But I think I made up for these failings by making three (soon to be five) new recipes using The Everygirl's 5 Recipes (10 meals) for Under $50 guide! Last week, our contributing food editor, Lara Matos, came up with five tasty recipes that are as easy to make as they are delicious. And since I spend a ridiculous amount of money on take-out and dining in restaurants, I thought I'd accept the challenge in hope of saving a few dolla bills.

So Sunday night, I gathered together all the items I had on Lara's list of basics (foods you should always have on hand in the kitchen, things like flour, sugar, olive oil, etc). I am happy to say the only item I was missing was Italian seasoning. Shocking, considering I never cook. Go me!

Then I hopped on over to the grocery store, and after an hour of trying to find all the ingredients and meandering down aisles I didn't know existed, I walked up to the register scoffing at the thought that all this would cost less than $50. One by one, the items were scanned, and to my complete disbelief/joy, all of the items cost $47. WHAT?! I normally spend twice that and all I ever come home with is an assortment of Sabra hummus, Ak-Mok, bagels, and chardonnay. How is this possible?! Enough food for ten meals for $47?! Literally felt like the twilight zone. But moving along...

So I went home, feeling pretty good, and got to work on what has still turned out to be my favorite of the three recipes I've tackled so far. Lettuce chicken wraps and peanut noodles. Oh. My. Gawd. Delish. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I could whip up any type of Asian cuisine, but turns out, it's not so difficult with the right ingredients. Part of the problem may have been that it was my first time down the "Kosher/Asian/Mexican ingredients aisle" at the grocery store. I found it... invigorating. Like discovering a whole new world.

Monday night was "fancy mac and cheese." See that photo on the top right? That's goat cheese, my friends. Pure love in the form of goat cheese. My friend said, and I quote, "This is so good it's almost restaurant quality." Step aside, Giada. There's a new cook in town.

Tuesday I tackled the feta and turkey meatballs, which came out scrumdiddiliumptious even if they were a little dry. I definitely added too much onion to the orzo, but my roommate and I lapped this up anyway.

Wednesday I got off track from the recipe list and instead made a pot of my mom's chicken noodle soup for the boy who came back from a business trip very sick. I find homemade soup cures all.

Tonight I'll be attempting the chicken and artichoke flatbread, and tomorrow is eggplant sandwiches. I'll report back via Twitter, so make sure to follow along. On a final note, I have to say, I couldn't (or wouldn't) have done this had it not been for my new knife set from West Elm. Their basic set includes a chef's knife, slicer, and bread knife, and is currently on sale for $41! You can't beat that for a set of quality Schmidt Bros. cutlery.

So that's that! I encourage anyone looking to delve into the magical (albeit intimidating) world of cooking to take a stab at some of these recipes. Or cannonball right in, and do what I did, purchasing the entire list and making all five! Let me know how it goes!

Have any of you tried these recipes? Which was your favorite?

Tonight I'll Be Busy Creating Myself in the Kitchen...

And this shall be my stage....

It's no secret cooking is not my forte. I've tried on quite a few occasions - sometimes surprising myself with a delicious meal, other times scraping off the charred edges only to find out the whole thing is overcooked. But despite the successes, it continues to be a task I find myself avoiding for three reasons. One, I prefer cooking with someone else. The fun factor rises significantly, especially when enjoying good music and wine during the process. Two, in my opinion it's just not worth the time and mess that goes into it. You cook for 30 minutes to an hour, eat for 10, then clean up for 15. You do the math. Three, I work almost every night on freelance projects and quite frankly, I'd rather order in.

That being said... two recent events have me rethinking this. First, I am on a bit of a spending freeze given my recent romp around NYC and shopping spree. Second, my mom sent me home from Thanksgiving with an 8oz filet mignon that she wasn't planning on cooking and a russet potato. Two nights later, I once again returned to the kitchen, not wanting to waste such deliciousness. I pulled up a recipe for pan-searing steak and serving with a red wine reduction. Simple enough. Googled how to make a twice-baked potato. Ok, I can do that.... I thought. After a couple mishaps where I was convinced I destroyed both items, it ended up being absolutely FANTASTIC!

So with this new boost of confidence and a desire to spend less by eating at home, here's what's on the roster for tonight:

A big pot of French onion soup
With the Christmas tree up at my place and the temperatures settling in the 30s all week, I'm in want of a big pot of my favorite soup. The best part about making a pot of soup is that you'll have meals for the next several days! Win win! My mom always used Julia Childs recipe (which I looooove) - she uses Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere - but I think I'm going to pick up both cheeses at the store and decide once and for all which I prefer.

Shortbread cookies topped with chocolate and chopped walnuts 
(this photo is topped with sea salt and ginger)
I'm joining my best friends for a Christmas cookie exchange breakfast Saturday morning, and I plan on bringing my favorite cookie recipe. I've always helped my mom bake me these in the past, but I've never done it myself. I'll photograph the outcome and share the recipe at that time.

Ok, will report back. Wish me luck. Over and out!

LCY in NYC: To ABC Carpet & Home and Back!

Where to begin! I FINALLY made it to ABC Carpet and Home. And it is just as overwhelming and amazing as you'd expect. The six-floor mecca of interior design and home goods kept Danielle and I busy for hours last Wednesday when we arrived in New York. Nothing impressed me as much as the collection of Aquasilk rugs we were presented with when we stepped off the elevator on the sixth floor. I couldn't help but stop and laugh, it was that great. The colors and sizes of these hand-woven beauties were unlike anything I've ever seen. Even the famously beautiful Madeline Weinrib showroom couldn't quite compare to the dramatic Aquasilk pieces. Saturated pinks, yellows, and turquoises layered one on top of the other, with steep price tags ranging from $5,000 up to $30,000 (at least that was the highest one I saw - wouldn't be surprised if it went up from that). Still, it was pretty fantastic seeing Weinrib's black and white Endless rug that is captured on her homepage up close and personal.

A few other items of note:
1. Loved seeing the Tom Dixon copper globe pendants in person! They are large and in charge.
2. Oh, how I wanted those blush pink porcelain plates... especially loved them paired with the charcoal grey version of the same style. Alas, $40 for a salad plate just wasn't in the cards.
3. Until the day when my dining room table is surrounded by a collection of Wegner wishbone chairs, anytime I see one, I will sit in it and have my photo taken. That's love.

While there, we also dined at ABC Kitchen, an entirely organic offering of sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, and entrees. I had the portobello sandwich and Danielle had the margherita pizza. Both were delish. As were the fries. The place settings were simple and charming, a combination of rustic white pottery and vintage-looking gold-rimmed china. The best part was that all of the plates, linens, and furniture in the restaurant are available for sale in the store. I'd definitely recommend enjoying a meal there, but be sure to make a reservation at least a few weeks in advance. We got there right when it opened so we were able to get a walk-in table, but within 20 minutes the entire restaurant was full.

The remainder of the day was spent walking through the city in the rain, popping in and out of some of our favorite shops picking up new goodies. You can read all about that on last Friday's post!And you can view more photos from ABC over on Danielle's blog.

Have any of you been to ABC Carpet and Home? What was your favorite part of the store?

*Note: All of the super pretty photos were taken by Danielle. The others are from my iPhone.

LA Eats

As you all know, I spent this past weekend in LA with my best friends. The weather, the shopping, the hotel, and the scenery were all beautiful. But my favorite part about the sunny yet equally smog-filled city was the food. Everything we ate was so fresh! And colorful! And delicious! True, it was expensive beyond all reason - a beer would set you back $9 - but it was amazing nonetheless. Here are a few of the tasty treats I enjoyed while there. We also had dinner at Fig and Olive, which was beyond, but it was too dark to photograph anything. Of everywhere we went though, I'd have to say the Urth Cafe was my favorite. We enjoyed lunch there when we drove out to Santa Monica, and the portobello panini was out of this world. I highly recommend it if any of you are visiting LA some time soon!

 

Toast on Third

goat cheese, spinach and avocado omelette

cottage cheese and fresh fruit

granola and yogurt

The Ivy

swordfish with mushroom pasta

papaya and shrimp salad

Beverly Hills Hotel

soy latte with cinnamon biscuit

 Urth Cafe in Santa Monica

portobello panini (favorite meal of the trip)

grilled vegetable sandwich with a side of hummus

In-N-Out

cheeseburger with grilled onions and a side of fries