It was a matter of weeks ago, I was in Peru, exploring the Andean landscape and discovering new foods like choclo and kiwicha. In the Sacred Valley, there are many crops, like quinoa, fava beans, corn, and many kinds of potatoes. I found a new appreciation for quinoa, as I tasted my way through many dishes using the grain in interesting ways. On the last day, at lunch, I ordered a quinoa risotto with local vegetables and pesto. It was so creamy and rich but also nourishing and bright and full of flavor, I knew I had to recreate it at home (but under the assumption it would not be as good :/ ) This is a variation on that meal...

I posted these breads a while back on Instagram. Everyone seemed to love them so much and want the recipe, I decided to finally share it! This recipe is adapted from the Breaking Breads cookbook by Uri Scheft. I love this book so much. It’s full of delicious and inspiring breads, from savory to sweet, that can be done at home. This book takes you step by step how to make babka, or stuffed breads, or no-knead focaccia as you see here.

I am drawn to bread - its taste, texture, variety, and history. Each bread comes with a story...

Happy Spring! I thought I’d share with you a delicious and quick recipe to celebrate the upcoming season. This is my whole roasted eggplant: two ways. This recipe actually came up the day before the big snowstorm a few weeks back. I had been at my grocery store picking up food to cook for the snow day and when saw these beautiful graffiti eggplant. Maybe I was drawn to these vegetables because of what they symbolize to me — summer, warmth, family, good cooking— or maybe...

After the first major snowstorm, seems like we are in the midst of winter. I woke up the other morning to a whiteout outside my window. White flurries dancing in the air and a white fog encapsulating the city. The day prior to the snowstorm was a warm 60 degrees, unusual for a northeast winter, but hey, it got me thinking about spring and that in almost a few weeks we’ll be in march, the month of the spring equinox.

I may be jumping too far in excitement, but...

Let’s go back 8 years when my friends and I first went to a local vegan restaurant. On the menu were chickpea fries. Intrigued, we ordered them and instantly returned to the restaurant, to the menu, for those fries. They were earthy and spicy and served with an aioli of sorts. I never thought to make them, maybe because I was unsure of the ingredients and I don't normally like to deep fry. So when the thought emerged that I might set out to make these crispy fries, I intended to do so with a healthy twist (and without sacrificing flavor)...

It’s been hard for me to write these past few weeks. In the past, I like to keep posts cheerful and uplifting. To make food fun and invite the reader to participate in my sugar-free adventure. But these last few weeks have been particularly difficult given the climate. I don’t normally write about these things, but somehow it feels wrong not to acknowledge what’s going on...

I just got a new juicer for the holidays! I am so excited about this one. It’s a slow juicer, which is believed to extract more juice and retain more nutrients from the fruits and vegetables. It also takes up practically no kitchen space and only murmurs a slight hum when juicing. So of course a new juice recipe in light of the many juices I’ve been making is due.

This recipe, I originally called Ruby Red Juice for its rich and deep-red color, is full of vibrant seasonal fruits and vegetables. You’ll find beets, parsley, ginger, carrots, Swiss chard, oranges, lemon, celery and apples in this juice. With a swath of ideas, I’ve been reliably turning to these rich and nutrient-dense red juice. You'll find along with the seasonality of produce, this juice is an ode to the one of my favorite winter colors (re: my past post on the colors of season)...

Happy New Year! January seems like the appropriate time to make resolutions and goals. But alongside change, comes reflection. Looking back at the past year, one of the biggest changes I made was cutting out sugar. I mentioned a few blog posts back why and how I made the decision. With something sounding drastic and restrictive has been liberating and spiritual. It became less of an experiment and more of a lifestyle. It made me reexamine the foods I was eating and realized that sugar is in practically everything. In fact, it would be quite difficult to fully exclude sugar, especially going out to eat, you never know if someone has added a teaspoon of sugar here or there. But here are some of the few things I’ve noticed:

Holiday season has been craving carbs, warm + crispy. So a potato pizza must be in order. This is a classic dish made in Italy. Thin slices of potatoes are layered onto homemade, springy dough. At high heat, the pizza develops a golden brown crust and a crispy potato layer. Typically yellow potatoes are used in this recipe, because they are soft and creamy and easily develop a golden brown crust. But if you saw in my last potato recipe, I love combining different...