Cooking For Two

Top of my New Year’s Resolution list this year was to move out. Being 26 years old and living at home is just not a sustainable state of affairs. And yet, all of a sudden, it was 2012, and I realized I had sustained the situation for seven whole months.

After a week of literally doing nothing but climb fourth-floor walk-ups only to discover that the apartment at the top had a dorm-style mini fridge and no dishwasher, I lucked out and found an adorable studio in Chelsea. When I signed the lease less than 24 hours…

» read more

BIRTHDAY-WORTHY BREAKFASTS: Apple Pancakes; Toasted Pecan Oatmeal Scones; Oversized Chocolate Chip Muffins; Grits with Old Bay Frizzled Shallots and a Fried Egg; Sweet Almond Pancakes with Fresh Raspberries

When your birthday falls on a weekday (as birthdays so often do), high expectations can fall a little flat. Answering emails and going to meetings do not constitute a celebration. The simplest way to avert birthday disappointment, and one I think I learned the hard way after years of birthdays that left me a little let down, is to lower expectations. When you’re over…

» read more

BEANS FOR DINNER: Cheesy White Bean Dip; Moroccan Chickpeas; Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili; Stewed Greens with White Beans

One of the earliest recipes I wrote for the blog was called Squash and Sweet Potato Pancakes and was essentially a chickpea burger made with mashed-up sweet potatoes and squash. Soon after, I wrote about the joys of eating a just-made lunch in my apartment, and these black bean burgers, inspired by those at a now-closed Nolita cafe, became one of the most sought-after vegetarian recipes on our site.…

» read more

Our first-ever BGSK gift guide highlights eight days of presents we know you want to give and receive. To cut through the cluttered shelves of kitchen-oriented goodies, we’re spending eight days showing you the best of the best of the kitchen goodies to wrap up for or unwrap on Hanukkah and Christmas.

Today is Day #2–Breakfast in Bed.

The breakfast-in-bed experience-as-present somehow gets pigeonholed as a mother’s-day-only affair. But why, really? With all the rush-rush-rush of daily city life, a homemade breakfast really is a gift, perfect for those you live with, whether friends, family, or significant others. Make…

» read more

HOLIDAYS MEALS FOR TWOSOMES: Vegetarian Pot Pie; Cilantro Chicken Milanese; Coconut Curry Mussels; Turkey Burgers with Beet Relish

Bad latkes are like bad pizza slices. It’s completely obvious from the first time  you lay eyes on them–you don’t even have to take a bite–and you know that the crust will be soft and oddly sweet, the cheese gooey yet tasteless, the sauce from a can. Pitiful, perhaps, but still enjoyable. Bad pizza is still pizza!

Likewise, bad latkes can be bad in a number of ways, but in the end they’re fried…

» read more

OTHER ANTI-THANKSGIVING MAIN COURSES: Asian Baked Tofu; Chard & Chickpea Toasts; Vegetarian Tortilla Soup; Southeast Asian Shrimp Paella; Chicken Tikka Masala

I once wrote a post here where I compared leftovers to clothes on the sale rack. Of course I then went on to explain how to turn the bits and pieces in assorted tupperware from lame-o mark-downs to haute couture.

All that may apply 363 days of the year. But on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving’s big giant American feast, leftovers take center stage. I think they…

» read more

Big news to share!

I’m marrying Alex!

He surprised me with a ring a few weeks ago over chili and cornbread (the cornbread said “marry me?”). Homebodies that we are, we took a few weeks to bask in our excitement ourselves before sharing the news. He’s since started calling me wifey (a bit premature, I know). And I’ve tried to keep cooking him delicious food like this and this and this, so he wouldn’t feel, you know, misled.

We’re hoping to get married next fall. Wedding plans naturally revolve around food,…

» read more

Check out some more dishes that are perfect for a table for two

I’m a ways behind Cara in the relationship department. Josh and I just celebrated our 1-year anniversary a few weeks ago, and for the first time, I finally made it to the second level of the dating game. What does that mean? Dodging speeding taxi cabs, calendars of doom, and roommates lurking around every corner for long enough to actually have a successful relationship. Some people call it a juggling act. But the day to day of dating…

» read more