I know it's been too long. I feel guilty. I feel ashamed. It feels like we've taken an awkward break in our relationship. But mostly, I feel more excited than ever to tell you about what I've been doing for the past (shudder) 11 months. Wow, has it really been that long?

Ok enough. So since September I have gotten a new job and promotion, moved in with boyfriend to the heart of the city, cooked up a STORM, and eaten a lot of new, interesting food too. Here's what I've been up to...

Let's first start with what new kitchen gadgets I've gotten since we last spoke. Well, boyfriend got me the Bowl Lift KitchenAid for Christmas. When he was picking the color, he said he didn't know which one I would like best, so he got the color of my eyes. *Insert swoon-worthy comment here.* I know, isn't he a keeper? 

Which I used to make these. Clearly, you can see desserts aren't my forte. Also, I'm going to chalk the unfocused pictures of the Black Forest Cake to the cherry liqueur that I soaked the cherries in...

Boyfriend also coordinated with one of our close friends to also get me the matching ice cream maker for the mixer. Which I used to make this banana bread ice cream.

I also got this cool juicer. 

This mezzaluna knife. 

And various and sundry other gadgets and gizmos. Like these adorable Le Creuset ramekins and olive wood salt keeper from my aunt. And that cheerful oil carafe from my grandma. 

Oh and we also bought a Berkey Water Purifier. Drinking clean water is so important, especially when you have city water like we do. If you don't already have some sort of house filtration system, I'd recommend this. It's amazing how differently the water tastes. We also got the shower filter (not pictured.)

Oh, I'm also cooking with gas in our new apartment. For the first time. In my life. It's been a blessing and a curse to say the least. But oh, the things I've roasted over the open flame....

So that's what's new on the machinery front. Now onto the more exciting important things. Food. Here are some pictures of what I've been cooking this past year. Please excuse the horrible picture quality on these, as most were taken with phones.

So we'll start with what I've cooked:

This was last summer. Pretty basic grilled steaks, corn, and asparagus.

 This was my take on a low carb version of Eggs Benedict. I sauteed zucchini and summer squash with bacon instead of the English muffin.

Mashed turnips, collards, and baked ham. 

Eggs in Nests with sundried tomatoes, cheddar, and scallions.

Red cabbage slaw with apple cider vinegar (which I love) and whole grain mustard. Also, note the makeshift spoon rest. That's what we call farmer ingenuity. 

Smoked Mozzarella and Rosemary Grilled Cheese with Aloo Matar

Mango and Avocado Salsa

Sausage Craft Della Nonna Sausage with Sauteed Peppers and Onions served over Parmesan Risotto

Roasted Honey and Dijon Mustard Pork Medallions, Polenta Cakes with Rosemary and Cayenne, Red Cabbage Slaw, and Red Beans with Yellow Onions and Rosemary

Nectarines Sauteed with Brandy-Creamed Honey, Cinnamon, Raw Peanuts, and Finished with Cream

And the endless table. 

This was by far, the best photo of the trip, though.

Needless to say, boyfriend eats a lot of them. 

This was just a basic scramble with dill, Meadow Creek Appalachian Cheese, onions, cherry tomatoes, and served with some buttered Ezekiel 4:9 Sesame Sprouted Whole Grain toast points.

Here we have some more Ezekiel toast with smoked mozzarella, a pan sauce of blistered cherry tomatoes, butter, cumin, and garlic, served with a fried egg.

And lastly, my take on Huevos Rancheros

Now onto what I ate...

Our new favorite breakfast spot is Lamplighter Roasting Company. Mmm lox and a latte.

In March, boyfriend and I went to Texas de Brazil with a couple friends. Ok, I know, I know, not local. And I pride myself in trying to support local restaurants 99% of the time. But if you're going to go to a chain, this is the one. All of the amazing, over-the-top meat aside, the salad bar was actually my favorite part. I could eat that and be perfectly satisfied; this really is a steakhouse for vegetarians. Oh also, three words: goat cheese terrine.

The beginning of June brings the Greek Food Festival to Richmond. It's a tradition we never miss. Pictured are Souvlaki, Moussaka, Pastitsio, and Spanakopita. Also, how cool are my Shield's Tavern Plates from Colonial Williamsburg?

On Father's Day I took my mom out to The Pig and the Pearl, which centers their menu around, yes you guessed it, pork and oysters.

We both started with the St. Pearl, a cocktail made with St. Germaine and a candied hibiscus flower. For our appetizer, we got the Cap City Fried Oysters which are served with their house-made Chimichurri sauce. We had the Southern Gentleman's Burger and Sethna's Pork Palooza Burger, respectively, for our main course. And for dessert, mom got the Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake and I stuck with the pork theme by choosing Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding, which they serve with a piece of bacon on top. Needless to say, I would recommend going here seldom, as the food is very rich.

Look at this gorgeous salad my friend Chloe's mom made earlier in the Spring. I die for these colors.

In July we went to The Savory Grain for my mom's birthday. This is a fabulous farm-to-table restaurant located on Broad near the Fan. Pictured from left to right are 

Fried Green Tomatoes with Pimento Cheese; 

Crab Cake Entrée and Green Beans Sautéed with VA Country Ham and Goat Cheese with Sweet Potato Salad; 

Smoked Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Bourbon Molasses Barbecue Sauce; 

Chocolate Espresso Tart with Salted Caramel Drizzle; 

Spaghetti Squash Tossed in a White Wine, Grilled Lemon and Roasted Garlic Sauce with Succotash, Roasted Carrots, Mushrooms, Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers, Shallots, Yellow Squash and Zucchini, finished with fresh Thyme and Brown Butter;

Red Snapper served over Pork Belly and topped with Orange Fennel Salad and Sliced Jalapeños and finished with a Coconut Curry reduction.  Served with Crab Citrus Orzo and Bok Choy medley.

Shrimp and Charleston Grits topped with fresh Shrimp, Sherry Cream Sauce, White Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta and Applewood Smoked Bacon.  Served with Toast Points.

Brunch at Millie's. A nice Bloody Mary on the patio while we waited for our table.

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Lobster (bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, and puff pastry topped with hollandaise). And Chocolate Cake with Espresso Whipped Crema for dessert.

And finally, one of my favorite restaurants all-year-round, but especially in the summer: Can Can Brasserie. Some of the best French food in Richmond.

Blackberry Truffle and Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese, and Apples. Quarter Braised Chicken on top of a Strawberry Arugula Salad with Polenta Cakes. And by far one of my favorite desserts in Richmond: Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Strawberry Basil Sorbet.

So that's my year, folks. It has been a whirlwind, and I know Food, Baby! has fallen to the back burner. Ha! Food humor... 

Anyway, it is my intent to make up for my absent year by posting three recipes this week. Maybe four if you're lucky. So keep cooking, keep eating, and as always, Buon Appetito!

Next, brown 3oz. of sage sausage (my substitution for the traditional ham in a croque madame) and half of a medium yellow onion over medium-high heat. While that's browning, cut the edges off of three slices of sourdough sandwich bread. Then place them on your cutting board, and use a rolling pin to thin them out. This makes the bread denser, and will help make the slices crisp in the oven. Melt 3T of butter and brush onto both sides of the bread. 

Next, line a 3-inch muffin tin with the sourdough (one slice per hole). In each "basket" add 1/3 of the sausage and onion mixture, one tomato half, and crack one whole egg.

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Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 20-35 minutes depending on how you like your yolk. Since I'm squirmish when it comes to eggs, I cooked mine all the way through. 

Ok seriously? Look at that down there. I'm a fan of anything that does that. 

Buon appetito! Bon appétit!

Most mornings, I make breakfast for my family. Let's face it, I usually make lunch and dinner too! My mom is particularly a fan of eggs--scrambled, omelettes, fried, frittatas, etc.--so I typically make some sort of egg dish with our breakfast for her. I, on the other hand, have an egg intolerance. I'm not sure if it's mentally or physically rooted, but they make me feel sick to my stomach if I eat them. As a cook, that's a double bummer for me because they're such a versatile ingredient, and I don't get to enjoy the fruits of my "labor." Besides, cooking is not only about nourishing your body and having a creative outlet, but is also mostly about the love you put into it for the people you cook for (even if it's just for yourself). 

So anyway, there's this running joke in our family that when my mom cooks, she's very free with whatever ingredients she has, putting things together that you wouldn't normally expect to be in a dish. When I ask her what she made, she'll usually reply with "Uhh I don't know, it's a crazy little mix." And 9 times out of 10, it's fantastic! I have to say that I admire her for that, and am so thankful that she did that while we were growing up because it taught me to not be afraid of cooking. It taught me to be creative in the kitchen, and to just make things up and see if they taste good; try two things together that you wouldn't typically pair with each other and just go for it! Like dark chocolate and brie, for example (Which I've done...go try it now. It's delicious.). Those are two ingredients you wouldn't expect to taste good when combined, but let me tell you, the creamy and slightly salty brie with the strong and partially bitter dark chocolate is ridiculously delectable. So the trick to this recipe is to get a little unconventional. Change it around to your liking and add one ingredient you wouldn't normally use! Ok, here we go...

Start by melting 1T butter in a pan over med-high heat and adding 1/4 finely diced red onion. Grind a couple cracks of pepper in the pan. (TayTip: don't add salt to your onions when sauteing. This makes the water seep out of the onions and you won't get a good browning, but rather they will steam in their own liquid.)

Then grab two large handfuls--about 4 cups--of mesclun greens or baby spinach and add it to the pan. I know this seems like a lot, but they will wilt down to almost nothing, so you need a lot. 

It will look like this when finished...see all wilted!

Then add 4 cleaned and sliced button mushrooms. 

Next is 1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes, and 2  chopped slices of Smithfield ham. The best ham comes from Virginia, and the best ham in Virginia is Smithfield. This is one of those no-skimp ingredients. Get the deli counter to slice it thick for this dish. 

Cook until the mushrooms have softened and the ham is browned in spots. Mmmm steamy!

Now go to town on 'em. Hold the bowl at a 45-degree angle with your non-dominant hand and whisk away from yourself for about a minute and a half until everything is incorporated and you have a little froth on the top.

Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the eggs. Cook 'em low and slow until they form little golden clouds. (TayTip: Never rush your scrambled eggs. Cooking them under lower heat and taking your time will produce a softer egg.)

It's right at this moment that I add my secret ingredient for this particular dish: a couple shakes of ground cinnamon. It's bitter, so a little goes a long way, but it really increases the smokiness of the dish, and gives a hint of spice.  

Top with shredded gouda and wait...patience is key here because that mild tangy cheese needs time to melt. 

See aren't you glad you waited? Top with a couple shakes of hot sauce if you like, and serve.  

Little, soft, blond egg pillows interwoven with perfectly cooked veggies, topped with a creamy melted cheese, and shaken up with a little spicy cinnamon. Protein, fiber, and it'll make your taste buds soar. What could be a better start to the day? Buon appetito!