Hot Crab Dip with Shishito Peppers

It’s summertime and the living is easy or at least the entertaining is. Now, it’s probably obvious that I am a year-round dinner party enthusiast. But summertime parties have got to be the easiest and, paradoxically, the best. I mean, in what other context does “minimal effort” and “maximum payoff” intersect? Outside of August, it’s pretty much the equivalent of finding a unicorn waiting in the check out line at Target. And to capture these unicorn-esque vibes, I give you this Hot Crab Dip with Shishito Peppers. It asks of you little more than stirring and it is only elevated by the presence of cold beer. Basically, it’s the makings of an impromptu summer gathering covered in gooey, gooey cheese.

Continue Reading

Fried Chicken Bao with Black Vinegar Pickled Plums

Okay, I realize frying chicken isn’t exactly a summer-friendly activity. Come to think of it, neither is steaming a basket of buns or anything for that matter. So yeah, maybe these Fried Chicken Bao aren’t going to “summer vibes” or the break from the heat you’re looking for. But they do taste a treat when you’re sitting on the grass on a sunny summer evening. So, are they worth the sweaty sheen and the smeared mascara they impose? Of course, they are! We’re talking about fried chicken here. And what’s more, we’re talking about fried chicken tucked into pillowy bao. The dehydration is temporary, this eating memory is forever.

Continue Reading

Baked Alaska with Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream & Pistachio Cake

Okay, so this was a stressful undertaking. But about 50% of that stress was completely self-imposed and unwarranted because I expected it to be stressful. From the moment I learned what a Baked Alaska was, it seemed people were lining up to tell me not to make it. Not in a “your thighs will never forgive you” sort of way, but in a “you’ll have to scrape your self-esteem off of the kitchen floor” way. It’s been relayed in a hundred different ways and through a multitude of mediums: Baked Alaskas are difficult. So, naturally, I was a hair afraid of this dessert.

Continue Reading

Beer Can Chicken Nachos

Jump to Recipe

Today’s recipe is a twofer. Yes, these Beer Can Chicken Nachos are obviously nachos, but you’re looking at two meals here if you live in a two-person household. Bae and I ate roughly half of the beer can chicken with a few sides one night and a mountain of nachos the next. Yes, we know we are incredibly hard done by. The best thing about this recipe is it is very much a choose-your-own-adventure kind of deal. Not so much about nachos, just make the chicken. Nacho-loving vegetarian? Forget about the chicken and double down on the pinto beans. Whatever your heart desires, today’s recipe has it…provided your heart wants Tex Mex.

Continue Reading