Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce and Capers

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce and Capers

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce and Capers, Garlic-Roasted Asparagus and Boiled New Potatoes

Sometimes you need a flavorful meal that’s quick and easy. This salmon with lemon-dill butter sauce and capers is just that! Recently, Corey and I moved from Chicago to Atlanta; while exciting, it was also exhausting.

Despite a weekend of driving across the country, unloading and unpacking boxes, and setting up a new apartment, I was determined to break in my new kitchen with a home-cooked meal. To find a quick recipe, I turned to the Splendid Table’s Weeknight Kitchen (an excellent resource for busy cooks). This delicious salmon recipe is one-pot meal that only uses 5 ingredients (not including salt and pepper). read more

Halloween Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies + Bleeding Candle

Halloween Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies with Bleeding Candle and Spiders

Halloween Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies with Bleeding Candle and Spiders

I love Halloween—it’s my favorite holiday! I’m always excited when October comes around and I can start making scary Halloween treats, like my blood-splattered cookies or these jagged glass cupcakes.

Halloween Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

This Halloween on Flavorful Journeys I wanted to feature a dessert that isn’t as macabre as in years past (don’t worry if you like the dark side of Halloween as much as I do—I’ve also included instructions for making the bleeding candle pictured above). So I made Halloween chocolate sprinkle cookies with dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses. read more

2015 Dragon Con Masquerade Costume Contest

Female Jedi Cosplayer at Dragon Con 2015 with Lightsabers

Female Jedi Cosplayer at Dragon Con 2015 with Lightsabers

Every Labor Day weekend, Atlanta hosts Dragon Con—one of the largest fantasy and science fiction conventions drawing over 60,000 attendees. One of the coolest things about Dragon Con are the cosplayers, people who dress up in costumes and represent characters, often inspired from tv shows, movies, video games, manga, comic books, or their own imagination.

Some of the most spectacular and elaborate costumes can be seen at the Dragon Con Masquerade Costume Contest. There’s a children division, as well as an adult competition, and a master’s category (for contestants who have previously won “Best in Show”). The costumes featured often take months to make and show true craftsmanship, dedication, and passion. In addition, to the awe-inspiring costumes, the contestants are also judged for their performance on stage. This is a fun show and a true highlight of Dragon Con! read more

Spicy Harissa Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus with Olives and Homemade Pitas

I’ve been a fan of harissa ever since my honeymoon in France where we ate Moroccan olives flavored with the Tunisian chili paste. I love how it spices up a dish and gives it a nice, smoky flavor. Today I made a spicy harissa hummus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chili flakes. It was amazing!

Lately, I’ve been making more of an effort to incorporate beans into my diet and hummus is a great way to do this. It’s perfect for snacking and is a wonderful way to transform chickpeas into a delicious dip. You can serve it with celery, carrots, fresh pitas, pita chips, or any other tasty chip or vegetable. read more

Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry

Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry

Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan

Recently, the Splendid Table podcast taught me about Blue Zones. These geographic areas contain the healthiest, longest-lived people in the world. Dan Buettner studied the cultures and diets in these places, seeking to discover their secrets. He ultimately determined that, while many factors affect health and longevity (such as community involvement and exercise), diet–particularly one rich in beans–is a primary contributor. On this basis, he recommends eating around one cup of beans a day. read more