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!

The first thing I'm going to say is that you will NOT miss the bun. Honestly. Seriously. Literally. You won't. How do I know this? Because I didn't miss it. And this is coming from a person who would much rather have a piece of crusty bread over a cookie. As in, I like bread. A lot. But in the vein of healthy eating, I decided to lighten up my dinner some by getting rid of it. And I wasn't going to be the girl who ate her burger with a knife and fork, so the lettuce as bread was perfect. I know this isn't exactly a novel idea, but it works for me. And it's a great way to cut out extra carbs, especially in your kids diets! And the best part? I made it in 10 minutes...

The only pre-planning is to take your meat out of the fridge for about 10 minutes before you touch it. This is because you never want to shock cold meat in a screaming hot pan. Start by heating up a pan on med-high heat. Then, form your beef (Since I was nixing the bread, I used beef with a little higher fat count than I typically do: 80/20) into two, flat, 3 oz patties about 3/4 inch thick. Like dough, meat becomes tougher the more you work with it, so no kneading here; just be gentle. In one patty, create a small well in the middle, and add 1 oz of shredded cheddar cheese (use more or less depending on how cheesy you're feelin'). Then lay the other patty on top and seal the edges as securely as you can with your fingers. Place it in the pan and don't touch it for three minutes! If you move it around in the pan, you'll lose the crust on the surface of the burger. While it's cooking, assemble your plate with whatever toppings you like. I was going for simple here, so I mixed 1/4 tsp of paprika with 1T of mayonnaise and spread that on one piece of romaine lettuce, sliced a tomato and onion and placed them on the other piece of lettuce. 

After three minutes, flip your burger and cook for another 3 minutes for medium rare, 4 for medium, and 5-6 for well done. I did mine medium rare. (TayTip: NEVER press down on your burger with your spatula because it releases the natural juices from the meat. Natural means flavor!) Set it on top of your lettuce and dig in!

This is an ideal way to still be satisfied while eating low-carb. You can also use ground turkey or bison which are even leaner meats, but like I said, you have to indulge somewhere, right? I use extra sharp cheddar because it doesn't get lost in the mix of juicy meat, crunchy onions, or bursting tomatoes. The spicy mayo is a nice kick and the lettuce is deliciously crisp. Kid friendly, and Taylor approved. I'm not ashamed to say I licked my fingers...and part of the plate. Buon appetito!

I. Love. Coconut. It is seriously delicious. If you've ever had coconut soup from a Thai restaurant, you know that no matter whether it's served sweet or savory, the flavor is very mellow and has an incredible aroma. This is the perfect lunch or light summer dinner. Lots of vitamins, protein, and the good fats from the walnuts. So, away we go...

The first step is to preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Then take aluminum foil and put 1 cup of walnuts and 1T of sriracha hot sauce right on the nuts. Wrap up the foil, place it in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes. BUT keep an eye on it; nuts burn very easily. 

Then heat a pan at med-high with 2tsp coconut oil, add 2 lbs of raw (peeled and devained) shrimp and 1T of ground cumin. Cumin has a very pungent smell and a peppery, spicy flavor that goes a long way. Cook until the shrimp is pink and firm. Then add a 16 oz. can of coconut milk, 1tsp salt, and reduce the heat to medium. 

Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half. (TayTip: halfway through the reducing process, remove the lid for about 2 minutes to let some steam and moisture out. The sauce will reduce faster) The coconut sauce will turn a light golden color.

Then slice 10-12 medium strawberries and assemble them on top of a bed of baby spinach or your favorite lettuce. Scatter the shrimp and spicy walnuts around, dress with the coconut sauce, and serve slightly warm. 

There isn't much to say here, folks. You just have to try it to know! The balance of sweet coconut shrimp, spicy walnuts, and tart strawberries is divine. Baking the walnuts in foil cooks out their bitterness and the sriracha is not as spicy as right out of the bottle (if you want more spice, add a couple drops to the walnuts when they come out of the oven). The spinach is the perfect vessel and adds a nice crisp crunch as opposed to the crackly crunch of the walnuts. And last but not least--what I consider the star of this dish--is the silky coconut sauce with perfect pinch of fiery cumin. Simple, spicy, sweet, and summer. 

Comment below with questions, thoughts, and suggestions! I'd love to know what you thought if you made this. Buon appetito!