I can’t take full credit for the in-a-lime-half idea because I saw them here, but regardless, they are awesome.

I made them for a day trip to Tomales Bay with some friends and of course everyone loved them. They are really fresh with tons of lime juice with just enough flavor from the tequila too. I shouldn’t have to really sell you on them… just do it.

Juice and remove the insides of 16 limes. I inverted the squeezed rind, and peeled

labor of love, folks – it took me about an hour for all 32 halves

prepare jello, pour and let set – mini muffin tins hold the halves PERFECTLY

let them chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours – when solid cut each lime half in half

ENJOY!

Margarita Jello, recipe inspiration here:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 packets powdered gelatin
• 1 cup lime juice
• 1 cup tequila

Heat water and sugar until simmering and sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle over gelatin, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until dissolved, about 1 min. Add lime juice and tequila.

Pour into lime halves or other container(s). Makes about 32 lime halves + maybe a little extra.

Let set in the fridge at least 3 hours. If using limes halves, cut them in half again after they’ve set. Now it’s time to have a party!

Note: 32 limes will yield more juice than you need, so make limeade!

Limeade for 1:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (or more to taste)

Thoroughly mix or shake the ingredients and serve over ice – yum!

Naturally, I decided to host a Mr. Tibbs Meet & Greet. Of course, based on his coloring I decided that only ginger and orange foods would do. Obviously, I made ginger beer from scratch and mixed it with Pimm’s for Tibbs’ Cups cocktails at the party. Without a doubt, I made home made gingersnaps too. The party, ginger beer and assorted treats were a HUGE success! Mr. Tibbs stayed out the whole time and loved all the attention, people loved the cocktails, and I had a great reason to have a party!

Now I’ll tell you, the ginger beer took a little more time and testing than I originally anticipated spending. There are SO many recipes, tips and tricks online. I wanted something simple, that I didn’t need a juicer or micro plane for; and a recipe that was big enough to quench a crowd’s thirst – who is going to all that effort just tomake 1-2 bottles of ginger beer? I finally had to combine several recipes and came up with my own method that yielded a tasty spicy concoction, which was a hit with everyone. I’m so happy people enjoyed the drinks and I’ve been pressed to blog about this sooner rather than later – so here we go!

Ginger Beer 101:

1. Ginger Beer is NOT alcoholic. It’s like ginger ale, but usually stronger in flavor and yeast is used for flavor and carbonation instead of CO2
2.  You can make it as spicy as you like by adding more ginger, steeping longer – people actually really enjoyed the spicier versions.
3. I know those glass bottles look really cute and trendy, but I loved the ease of using plastic! You know exactly when it’s carbonated enough.
4. Champagne yeast is the way to go. Some recipes say regular dry active is ok too, but make the effort for the champagne. It makes a difference.
5. Add the lemon juice right before bottling. If you add it while the ginger is steeping, the liquid will turn pink.
6. When you finally are ready to open your bottles, DO IT SLOWLY, or you’ll have ginger beer all over your kitchen. Yes, this happened to me. Twisting off the top a little bit at a time is the way to go.

Ingredients for Moderately Spicy Ginger Beer:

• 6 oz fresh ginger, cut into large chunks (8oz if you want it really spicy)
• 1 1/5 cups white sugar
• 8 cups water
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 tsp Champagne yeast, you can get by with 1/8 tsp too.

Directions:

Using a food processor, mini chop or immersion blender chopping attachment to briefly pulse the ginger into a fine chop (see picture).

In a large pot with a lid bring water to a boil. Add sugar and ginger. Stir to dissolve.

Let it cool to ~100 degrees Fahrenheit, so you don’t kill your yeast. Once it’s the appropriate temp, add yeast, stir it up and cover with the lid. Let it sit for 24 hours. NOTE: If you let it sit just overnight ~12hrs you will have a milder flavor, if spicy isn’t your thing.

After 24 hours, strain the mixture through cheesecloth/fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add lemon juice and stir to distribute.

Fill your vessel. This is what you’ll serve out of, so use what you like. You can see I have a mixture of glass, plastic and mason jars. That’s right, I made A LOT of this stuff. Leave a little space at the top, but too much air will take longer/prevent carbonation.

Let sit 24-48 hours at room temp until the plastic is rock hard, like a soda you buy in the store. THIS is why I like plastic, you know when it’s done! NOTE: If using glass, you can just wait that long, and maybe twist the top a bit to see if pressure comes out. For one batch I used just 1/8 tsp yeast, which worked too, I just had to leave it out closer to 72 hours to carbonate.

Once reached desired carbonation, refrigerate it to stop the yeast, or drink right then! If you refrigerate for a while, you may want to take it out a day or so before serving to make the yeast active again at room temp, to ensure proper carbonation. Also, no harm in giving the caps a little twist every now and then to make sure they don’t explode.

Comments:

As you may be able to tell, I made quite a few versions, and the above is what worked best for me. Each time is a little different, which is exciting, and makes you feel like the possibilities are endless.

The guys at San Francisco Brewcraft, where I got my yeast, got all technical on me about how over time the yeast might eat the sugar making it dry, so time sitting and quantity are important, etc. I got overwhelmed being an amateur, but it’s actually really easy and I didn’t mess it up. They also got me excited about how this is where the creativity comes in! You can sweeten with whatever you want (white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, agave nectar), use whichever citrus you want (lemon, lime, grapefruit) – so many options!

Also FYI: We’re talking carbonated, but not CRAZY carbonated – it’s way more bubbly right when you open it, though it doesn’t really make a difference when you’re mixing a Tibbs Cup (see below).

Tibbs’ Cup:

• 1 part Pimm’s
• 3 parts ginger beer
• squeeze of lime

Mix the above over ice and enjoy! Feel free to adjust ratio to your liking. Video for how to make a real Pimm’s Cup here.

Gingersnaps:

This recipe was great! David Lebovitz and Alice Waters didn’t let me down. I added 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Best part is, you can make the dough ahead of time and just slice & bake the day of.

I try to take advantage of all that is offered around me whenever I can (albeit not as often as I should), so I took Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to check out Pescadero -a sleepy town just inland from the coast, south of Half Moon Bay. I lured my mom and sister into this day long adventure with the promise of baby goats, fresh cheese and some pretty scenery, which is exactly what we got.

I love this drive down Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz, which I learned is called the ‘Slow Coast’ and this day was no exception. The views are breath taking and the ocean is always intense, alive with different colors, tons of breaks and often times surfers or kite boarders. In Pescadero, Harley Farms was really charming and the town itself has a few cute shops – all in all, a trip worth taking!

• Drive: Hwy 1 from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz
• Visit: Harley Goat Farm - amazing chevre with herbs de provence in the middle!
• Eat: Artichoke and garlic bread from Archangeli Grocery Co. at Norm’s Market in Pescadero. So so so good.
• Pick: Swanton Berry Farm – you pick, and house made baked goods and jams, with a really cute store with payment on the honor system

I love all sorts of potato salads from creamy, like this one, to vinegary and tart like German Potato Salad. I had intended to make a German style potato salad a while ago, but it never happened and I was re-inspired after having one at Heyday (this new awesome lunch spot by my office) that added artichokes to the mix. I’d picked up some smaller spring artichokes at the farmers market and did a little research about how to make a true German potato salad. I loved the sound of the recipe in Luisa Weiss’s My Berlin Kitchen (great read BTW, I highly recommend it) but it was a little more complicated than I had time for on a week night, so I simply made a salad dressing. I know. Go figure.

The result was GREAT. Nice and vinegary, with a touch of mustard and sweetness coming from every bite of artichoke. Be sure to dress the potatoes and artichokes while they are still warm so they absorb all that goodness. The salad is great both warm and cold.

Potato & Artichoke Salad:

Those of you who have been reading for a while, probably know I’m not the best recipe developer or direction-hand-holder so I hope you’ll bear with this ‘recipe’ as it’s really just a list of recommendations.

• Prep your artichokes, I used about 3 medium sides one and quartered them. If yours are smaller buy more and just halve them. Great prep advice from Bon Appetit here
• Cut and boil a handful of baby red new potatoes, until tender. I love the flavor, texture and color contrast of these.
• Saute the artichokes until tender – use a medium heat and keep and eye on them, as you don’t want them getting too dark. I would do this while the potatoes are cooking because it’ll take a little while 15 min or so.
• Make your dressing! You know the drill: Vinegar+Dijon mustard+shallot+herbs+oil – I used champagne vinegar, but white wine, red wine, apple cider, or whatever is your go to would work well! Though I do feel that balsamic would be out of place here. I used oregano too, because it’s what I had on hand.
• While the potatoes and artichokes are still warm, dress with the salad, salt and pepper and taste for adjustments. YUMMY!

A while back I had a similar appetizer to this at The Tipsy Pig and was inspired to try it on my own. I’m pretty sure there was mint and some salad mixed in, which would be a nice twist to this dish as well, and I was further reminded this was a good combination of flavors, when Bon Appetit featured a recipe for Snap Pea Salad with Burrata from April Bloomfield in the May issue. I was pretty sure that I couldn’t go wrong making these Spring crostini with out using a specific recipe.

They were a HUGE success. Everyone at dinner club loved them (because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love something with burrata on it?!) and I loved them too. If you don’t know already, burrata is mozzarella with a cream and cheese mixture inside the ball. In this dish it is the perfect creamy texture and rich flavor against the crispness of the toasts and fresh veggies. Next time I would use a little more balsamic reduction and maybe rub a little raw garlic on the toasts when they come out of the oven, but for the most part, the simplicity and freshness of this dish is what makes it amazing.

Spring Crostini:

• 2 smallish handfulls snap peas
• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• 4-6 scallions, thinly sliced or mandolined, white and light green parts
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano (or mint, if that’s your thing)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 12 slices baguette, sliced on the diagonal
• 1 ball of burrata

Snap off the end of the peas, and slice diagonally into 3-4 slices. Cut through the outer shell and peas all in one. Snap of fibrous ends of the asparagus and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute unit bright green and barley tender. Slice into 1 inch pieces on the diagonal.

Mix peas, asparagus, thinly sliced scallions and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer balsamic vinegar in a shallow pot or pan, until it starts to thicken slightly. I just used a couple of tablespoons because it was all I had, and it only took a couple of minutes. I don’t imagine it would take that long for 1/4 cup, but keep an eye on it!

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet. Bake or broil until lightly toasted, approx 3-4 min on each side. The dinner club oven was set at 400 and I did 4 minutes on each side, so really you can just pop in with whatever you are already cooking for dinner- if you have garlic, you could cut a clove in half and rub the cut end on the warm toasts when they come out of the oven. This is common practice with most bruschettas and would have been a great added flavor here.

Cut the burrata into 12 wedges. Place one wedge on each crostini. I left the creamy side up so I could press the peas/asparagus on and they would stay. Top with pea/asparagus mixture. Drizzle with balsamic reduction, to taste. Season with more salt if needed.

• 2 cups cream
• 3 oz. chocolate (semi sweet or bitter sweet, I use 2 oz semi and 1 oz bitter)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar + extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Set water on to boil and preheat oven to 325

Heat the cream in a separate sauce pan, until bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat and add chocolate, or pour over chocolate in bowl. Let it sit for a minute to heat chocolate, then stir to dissolve. Add cinnamon and chili powder and stir well to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk yolks and sugar until thoroughly combine, but do not over beat – you don’t want too much air in the mixture. Slowly whisk hot chocolate milk mixture into yolks/sugar. You can temper it a little but will be straining it anyhow. Add vanilla extract.

Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl or large measuring cup. Then fill ramekins. Place ramekins in baking dish and pour the water you’ve let come to a boil into the baking dish. Make sure it comes halfway up the side of the ramekins. Carefully place in oven and bake for 20-25 min (will depend on how deep your ramekins are). I would start checking at about 15 min and go back in 5 min intervals to see how it’s set.

Remove from hot water and let cool to room temp. They may still be a bit runny in the middle. Refrigerate a few hours to fully set. Remove from fridge right before serving, sprinkle sugar on top and use a cooking torch to caramelize the sugar. Serve when melted sugar is set.

During my trip to Europe last summer, I had a healthy amount of time with friends and family, but still toured around a lot of the time by myself and had to good fortune to rent an entire apartment in Brussels for a weekend. I took full advantage of having a nice terrace and even a full kitchen as I cooked an impressively simple steak dinner one night. A single piece of filet mignon called my name in the grocery store and I swear I was out the door for under 10 euros with that, a few potatoes, green beans and a bottle of wine in my bag. After a little research, I decided to cook the steak with some red onion, finish it in the oven and reduce some of the wine down for sauce. So so so good.

It may seem that it’s a bit weird to be posting my ‘steak for one video’ for Valentine’s Day, but I think it’s good to remember on this funny little holiday that even if there is no special someone, there can still be pleasure found in doing things alone or treating yourself to something nice. Not to mention that while the video does showcase a meal for one, it is easily adapted for two and would make the perfect simple weeknight Valentines Day meal to show your someone you care.

Steak recipe inspiration here ,tips:

• I used red onions instead of mushrooms, both would be great.
• My piece of steak was thinner than in the recipe, so it would have actually been cooked after a sear on both sides, gauge if your piece is thick enough to warrant a trip to the oven.
• I don’t generally have demi glace with me on vacation, so I just used red wine to deglaze the pan and reduced it thicken, use a good amount, not just a splash like in the video
• Finishing with butter is always the right thing to do.

Potatoes: place in cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Mash into a chunky mixture with cream, butter, salt and pepper.

Beans: boil until tender, finish with garlic, butter and salt in a saute pan.

Anyhow, this weekend I had an extra day off of work and soaked in as much home time as possible. Saturday I organized my closet, prepped for a project that I’ll be sharing shortly and strayed out only for a couple of hours for an epic trip to Target. Sunday was slightly more adventurous with watching the 49ers game with friends (SUPERBOWL!!!!), grabbing drinks with a new friend and starting my day with the below parfaits.

I saw these parfaits on the Bon Appétit site and have had them on my mind for a couple of weeks. Such a curious combination of red wine, sugar, citrus and yogurt, they are gorgeous, and pretty tasty too! The red wine flavor is much stronger than I anticipated, but somehow seems to work. I’d recommend not getting too much orange juice in your layers and using quite a bit of caramel to balance out the tart yogurt. Definitely an interesting idea that seems appropriate for dessert or breakfast – as I learned in my cook the book project, it can sometimes be a very fine line.

It always feels good to be back in the kitchen and trying new things. The knife and camera feel so right in my hands, that I promise to try to make the next post not so distant.

Orange and Red Wine Caramel Yogurt Parfaits original recipe here

• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup dry, fruity red wine
• 2 large oranges, I used a variety of Navel, Cara Cara and Tangelo
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds and pistachios, coarsely chopped

Stir sugar, cream of tartar and 3 tbsp of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, swirling occasionally (do not stir) until sugar is caramelized and the color of dark maple syrup, about 8 min – this happens FAST keep your eyes on it. Remove from heat and carefully add 1/4 cup red wine (will bubble vigorously) stir to dissolve. Add remaining 1/4 cup wine. Boil for 30  seconds stirring to make sure all sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely. Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm slightly to loosen before using.

Using a sharp knife, remove peel and pitch from oranges. Segment between the membrane and set aside.

Layer a few pieces of orange in the bottom of small glass jars – make sure to drain or pat dry slices. drizzle with red wine caramel and top with a spoonful of yogurt. Sprinkle with nuts and continue to top of jar.

This year we took a family vacation to San Diego for the holidays and got to stop to see some extended family on the way down, which was great. We toured around during the day; read, watched movies, and played games by night; we fashioned a Christmas tree out of a fake plant on a tall stand in the apartment living room; and I made cinnamon rolls (by hand) on Christmas Eve to ensure we’d have as much of home with us as possible on Christmas morning. I wasn’t quite the champion sister I was on Thanksgiving, as this is most definitely not a gluten/dairy free dish, but it is oh so tasty. The flaky dough is rolled with a layer of sugar, cinnamon, pecans and butter in between, coming out ooie, gooey, and very very tasty. I typically frost these with a standard powdered sugar frosting, but could apparently only remember so much for the trip out of town. Nonetheless, these were just as good and easy as ever, and so long as I can help it, will continue to be a King family tradition.

Some of the places visited, in order of photos below:

• Botanical Garden at night time
• The very first California Mission – highly recommended
• San Diego Safari Park – a 4 mo. old baby elephant!
• Cabrillo Point – amazing views, highly recommended

Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Recipe here

and a silly photo for good measure