Spaghetti with Chunky Cherry Tomato Sauce

I am in love with the sweet, colorful baby heirloom tomatoes that have been popping up at my farmer's market. They are nearly perfect on their own or tossed into a simple green salad but I also like warming them up with some garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil and tossing with hot spaghetti. By cooking them at a low heat, the tomatoes retain most of their shape, color, and sweetness so that the dish tastes really fresh and light. This is barely a recipe since it's so quick and easy, but it proves that you don't need to do much cooking when you start with really great ingredients.


Spaghetti with Chunky Cherry Tomato Sauce:

• Heat 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add in 3 smashed, whole garlic cloves and cook in the oil until they start to sizzle.
• Add in 1 pint of whole grape or cherry tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes, removing and discarding the garlic with a slotted spoon once it gets golden brown.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook 1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti until al dente.
• Once the tomatoes are soft, use the back of a wooden spoon to light smash them and release some of their juice.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 c. pasta cooking liquid.
• Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and pour in most of the cooking liquid, 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil leaves.
• Toss to combine, adding more pasta water as necessary to moisten the sauce.
• Check for seasoning, then divide onto plates and serve with more Parmesan or basil, if desired.

Serves two-three

BBQ Ribs

My husband and I are realizing the true meaning of the phrase "the honeymoon is over" and dealing with all the ups and downs of real life. While some things have been difficult, we are lucky enough to enjoy the beginning of a Southern California summer and have been taking advantage of the warm weather with weekends spent in the sun and at the beach. I decided to make ribs to usher in the outdoor eating season with an all-American classic. The recipe, based on a favorite from the Barefoot Contessa, calls for baking the ribs in a delicious homemade BBQ sauce until they nearly fall off the bone and then finishing them on the grill. It's a great dish for your next barbecue with friends and will easily feed a crowd.

BBQ Ribs:

For BBQ Sauce

• Heat 1/4 c. vegetable oil in a saucepan and add in 1 finely diced onion.
• Cook onion for 10 minutes, or until soft but not brown, then add in 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.
• Add in 6 oz. tomato paste and stir to combine, allow to rust in color for a minute or two.
• Stir in 1 tbsp. chili powder, 1/2 tbsp. cumin, 1/2 tbsp. mustard powder, and 1 tsp. red chile flakes and cook for 1 minute.
• Add in 1/2 c. cider vinegar, 1/2 c. honey, 1/2 c. hoisin sauce,* 1/4 c. Dijon mustard, 1/4 c. soy sauce, and 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce.
• Bring sauce to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.
• Let sauce cool.**

For Ribs

• Season 2 racks of baby back ribs*** generously with salt and pepper and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• Pour 1/2 of the barbecue sauce over the ribs and cover loosely with foil.
• Bake ribs in a 350F oven for 2 hours, or until very tender.****
• Brush ribs with more barbecue sauce and cook on a hot grill for 10 minutes, turning ribs halfway through.
• Slice ribs and serve with remaining BBQ sauce.

Serves four-six

*Available in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.

**Sauce can be made several days in advance, cooled, and kept in the fridge.

***About 2.5-3 lbs. total.

****Ribs can be cooled and kept in the fridge at this point. Just let stand at room temperature before grilling.

Honeymoon: Paris & Venice

I’ve taken a long break from writing to get married and go on my honeymoon to Paris and Venice. It’s been extremely difficult to adjust to “normal” life post-wedding and I’m just beginning to process the fairy tale three weeks I’ve shared with my husband, family, and friends. Words can’t begin to convey the deep emotions, love, and joy, I felt on May 18th. These are some of our most memorable meals and moments on our two week trip to the most romantic cities in the world but only scratch the surface of our once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Paris:

We stayed at Le Grand Paris Hotel across from the Opera House in the 9th arrondissement but managed to make it to most areas of the city. My favorite neighborhood was the St. Germain area, which we visited several times during the week.

• L'Avant Comptoir - Extremely tiny wine bar with outstanding small plates and daily specials. They don't take any reservations and there are no seats so we waited outside for fifteen minutes before they opened to get the best spot at the bar. Everything we had was mind-blowing, but some of our favorites were the ham and cheese croquettes, the whole shrimp, and the pork belly (especially when eaten with their free crusty bread and spicy mustard). This was our favorite meal of the trip and we can't stop talking about it.
• Verjus Wine Bar - Their sit-down restaurant is one of the hottest reservations in town, but their no-reservations wine bar is also excellent. It's owned by an American couple and the staff is super friendly. We met a friend here for dinner and had some great wine and split a bunch of plates. Our favorite was the fried chicken (we ended up getting three orders).
• Pascade - This was one of the most unique experiences of the trip. We came here for lunch and split two pascades, which are similar to a dutch baby or light pancake that's stuffed with a bunch of sweet or savory ingredients. We had one filled with duck, foie gras, duck egg, and greens and one with mango, banana mousse, and ice cream.
• Pramil - We made reservations for this meal well in advance and treated it as one of our fancier meals of the trip. It has a Michelin star but the prices are extremely reasonable for their three-course offering. Everything was very rich and indulgent, including the foie gras with smoked eel, the white asparagus soup with foie gras ice cream, and the scallops with morels and potatoes.
• La Fontaine de Mars - This is a cute, typical French brasserie that serves classic dishes in a very Parisian setting. It's a great spot for Americans looking for old-school French dishes, which seem to be disappearing off of most menus. Our favorites were the eggs baked with red wine and bacon, the duck confit, and the isle flotant ("floating island") dessert.
• Rue Mouffetard - I had been dying to go to an authentic Parisian open market and this was a dream come true. The street is lined with farmers selling fresh produce, fish markets, bakeries, and all types of street food. We split a roast chicken and potatoes that we ate of a bag with our hands and it was one of the best food moments of the trip.

Venice:

We had the best time staying at Hotel Ai Reali, a beautiful new hotel conveniently located between the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square. My husband lived in Venice for five months in college and was able to take me to all of his favorite spots around the city.

• Pizza Al Volo - This was my husband's favorite pizza place when he lived here and we ate here nearly everyday of our trip. It's nothing fancy, but the pizza is excellent and locals are always stopping by to get a slice to go or to eat in Campo Santa Margherita. I tried a bunch of flavors, but my husband swears by the tuna and onion pizza (sounds odd, but definitely give it a try).
• Mille Vini - Great wine shop down the street from the Rialto bridge. The owner was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and treated us to some generous glasses of free wine, homemade salami, and olive oil tastings. We took a bunch of products home with us, including a local red wine, limoncello, and a few bottles of olive oil.
• Al Covo - Beautiful atmosphere, impeccable service, and delicious food made this one of our favorite meals of the trip. We both got the three-course option, which we felt was a great deal considering the quality. All of our dishes were outstanding, but some of our favorites were the clams and white beans, the monkfish, the vanilla panna cotta, and the buffalo ricotta cheesecake.
• Da Fiore - This is the most elegant restaurant in Venice and the service and atmosphere was truly exceptional. It's a splurge to dine here, but the risotto with shrimp, zucchini, and squash blossoms was the best rice dish I've ever had. The John Dory with grapefruit sauce was also a favorite.
• Alle Corone - This restaurant is located in our hotel but turning into one of the best restaurants in the city. Prices were very reasonable, portions were large, and the service was extremely accommodating (they even gave us complimentary glasses of limoncello to end the meal). They offer a good mix of traditional Venetian dishes and classic fine dining. We especially enjoyed the sardines in sweet and sour sauce, the steak, and the rack of lamb.
• Ostaria Boccadoro - We stopped here on a whim after noticing several locals dining out front and  it turned into one of our favorite meals of the trip. The restaurant is family owned and the food was all spectacular. The linguine and clams were the best we ever had.

Grilled Honey-Lime-Sriracha Wings

It's nearly summer here in L.A. and we've been firing up the grill at our house. These wings are the perfect thing for a casual dinner on a warm evening or for a backyard barbecue. Dump all the ingredients for the marinade in a bag, add in the chicken, and forget about them. When you're ready to eat, just toss them on the grill until they get nice and charred and then pile them onto a platter. The sticky spicy-sweet sauce turns into a light glaze on the wings and adds tons of flavor. They'll be a huge hit with all your family and friends.


Grilled Honey-Lime-Sriracha Wings:

• Whisk together the juice of 2 limes, 4 tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce, 3 tbsp. honey, 3 tbsp. canola oil, and 2 minced garlic cloves in a bowl.
• Season 1 1/2 lb. chicken wings* with salt and place in a large resealable bag.
• Pour in the marinade and massage into the wings. Seal the bag, squeezing out any excess air.
• Marinate wings in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Thirty minutes before you're ready to cook, heat your grill to high and take the wings out of the fridge.
• Grill wings for 7-8 minutes, then flip and cook for another 7-8 minutes, or until charred in some places and cooked through.
• Let rest for a few minutes, then dig in.

Serves two (entree)

Serves four (appetizer)

*I like to use the drummettes only since they have more meat.

Breakfast Tacos

I'm a huge fan of Mexican food for breakfast (like these huevos rancheros or chilaquiles) and recently threw together some breakfast tacos with ingredients I had around the house. The nice thing about this dish is it can really be customized to whatever you have on hand or personal preference. This version has crispy bacon, a spicy potato and pepper filling, and scrambled eggs. You could easily make these vegetarian by omitting the pork and adding avocado or black beans. It's also a fun brunch dish - just set out all the toppings and let guests customize theirs with a make-your-own breakfast taco bar.


Breakfast Tacos:

• Place 2 Yukon Gold potatoes into a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
• Drain potatoes, let cool slightly, and dice into cubes.*
• Meanwhile, dice 4 slices of bacon and cook in a hot skillet until crispy and fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.
• Remove bacon and keep fat in the pan.
• Add in 1 diced onion, 1 diced bell pepper, 1 diced jalapeno, a pinch of salt, and pepper. 
• Cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
• Increase the heat to high and add in the diced potato. Cook, without turning, for 5 minutes, or until brown.
• Flip and cook potatoes for a few more minutes, or until crispy.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. butter in a pan and scramble 3 eggs until your desired doneness.
• To assemble, sprinkle warm tortillas with some grated Monterey Jack cheese, spoon over some of the scrambled eggs and some of the potato mixture, and top with some of the bacon.
• Serve with salsa or hot sauce and enjoy.

Serves two-three

*Can be done a day in advance, cooled, and kept in the fridge.