Egg and Spinach Sandwich

This is a super easy meal that is healthy, flavorful, and quick to prepare.  It's a great lunch/brunch item that doesn't require a lot of time or fancy ingredients.  You can also substitute the spinach for any vegetables you happen to have in your kitchen.  I made this as a lazy, rainy day lunch, but it can be enjoyed anytime.

Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is one of those things that is simple to make, but also very easy to screw up.  The most common issues are not cooking it enough, or cooking it too much so the eggs scramble.  Pastry cream is very versatile and you can flavor it however you want.  This is a recipe for basic vanilla pastry cream that I made with vanilla beans I bought from a farmer while walking along the rice paddies in Ubud, Bali (sounds romantic doesn't it?).

Pasta Dish for One

Oh hey there.  Long time no see.  My most recent sabbatical from this blog can be explained..really! I swear!  I just returned from a trip to the distant land of Indonesia, and yes it was amazing.  I'll be making some food inspired by my trip at a later date, but for now I thought I'd post my dinner from tonight.  Sometimes you're by yourself and want to eat a delicious meal, so this is a solo dish that may sound strange but is very yummy.  Treat yourself!

White chocolate, Black sesame, and cardamom cookies

I had an extra bag of white chocolate chips lying around and decided to make some cookies.  I didn't want to make the default "white chocolate macadamia nut cookies" so I started looking around for something more interesting.  A bag of black sesame seeds caught my eye and I decided to give it a try.  The result is a cookie that is crunchy from the seeds, gooey from the chocolate, and has a pinch of spice from the cardamom.  I made these in mini cupcake pans so they came out like little 2-bite cookies, but you can scoop them and bake like a normal cookie as well.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

To me, one of the quintessential treats for the fall season is the ever-popular pumpkin spice latte.  Call it cliche', but nothing welcomes fall quite like the first sip of this spicy drink.  It's seasonal and makes me want to jump in the air and click my heels whilst proclaiming "it's fall!"  Yes, I just used the word "whilst".  The problem with this delicious drink is a) it's too freaking expensive b) they add all these artificially flavored syrups and c) it tends to be too sweet for my liking.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and the result is delicious.

Machu Picchu Energy Bars

A couple of weeks ago I was contemplating where to book my annual trip and ideas like Thailand, Colombia, and an American road trip were all top contenders for the job.  After reading an article on Machu Picchu I promptly booked a ticket to Peru and started planning my adventure.  There are a lot of ways to get to Machu Picchu and I decided on a 5 day/ 4 night hike that is most assuredly going to kick my ass.  Several reviewers and sites said you should be sure to bring snacks to help maintain your energy and keep you alert along the way.  I came up with these energy bars to be a part of my snack inventory for the long and challenging road ahead.  They are delicious and healthy and I can see myself consuming them while lying on the floor of my tent in the fetal position contemplating why the hell I ever decided to do this to myself.  All jokes aside, I'm really looking forward to the trip and I'm sure the trip will be well worth the challenge of getting through it.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Fall is one of my favorite seasons both from a culinary standpoint and otherwise.  The crisp days, the warm colors, and the spicy flavors evoke an overall warmth that makes me truly enjoy this season.  It's been years since we've had a true fall in New York, and so far the weather this year has been perfect.