Guest Bloggers: Michelle & Steve with Bison Sweet Potato Chili

My dear friends, Michelle and Steve, are amazing cooks.  They've made fajitas that make even the best Mexican restaurants envious - among other incredible dishes - and I always look forward to dinner at their apartment.  That's why I'm thrilled they fully documented their most recent kitchen adventure:  Bison Sweet Potato Chili.  While I haven't tried this recipe, the ingredients list is fresh and bursting with flavor.  I'm sure this chili would be perfect on a crisp Sunday afternoon watching football. 

P.S.  The good news is that this dish doesn't discriminate between the Redskins (Michelle's favorite team) or the Ravens (Steve's favorite team).  :)


Michelle & Steve being adorable.

Lemon and Fennel Risotto Balls

My last post on the Lemon and Fennel Risotto was a bit negative, I'll admit.  The risotto was delicious but not a quick dish; however, it completely redeemed itself when I made these Lemon and Fennel Risotto Balls with the leftovers!  Nothing like getting two meals out of a fairly complicated first round.  I especially enjoyed the risotto balls because they still contained the tartness of the original recipe while gaining the crispy fried outer layer from quickly searing them on a cast iron pan.

To make this into a quick and healthy weeknight dinner, I placed the risotto balls over a bed of fresh spinach with avocado and red pepper slices.  While I'm not sure these will be a regular in my kitchen due to the total time it required to make, I'm sure I'll be using the general technique with other rice-based dishes looking for a quick pick-me-up.

Lemon & Fennel Risotto

Ah, risotto...you have such a spotty reputation:  on one hand, you're delicious and flavorful; on the other, you're time consuming and patience-testing.

And this lemon and fennel risotto is no different.

For years, I've only heard negative feedback on making risotto and because of this, I've steered clear of ever attempting it.  In my opinion, it falls in the same category as roasted beets - good in theory, but perhaps not worth the effort and should be left to the professionals.  In any case, I was making a special dinner one night and decided to take the plunge and make risotto.  The result?  As expected...but it complimented a roasted herb salmon dish and even yielded a second meal of risotto balls.

Parmesan Kale Chips

Searching for another way to get your greens?  Look no further than these crispy parmesan kale chips.  They're actually quite versatile - they're lightly salted like a snack food but made out of healthy kale ensuring you get another serving of veggies for the day.  And, a light topping of fresh parmesan cheese makes for a unique twist that just can't be found on the shelves of your local grocery store.

Give them a try - it's a quick and healthy treat that's sure to be in regular rotation.

Sweet Potato Soup

Well, my faithful blog readers, I've returned to the blogosphere in (hopefully) full force.  I've been traveling a ton and that's had a huge impact on my cooking.  Let's just say that my meals have been average at best but I'm looking forward to an uneventful October to get back on track.

I work in downtown Washington, DC and, every Friday, my building hosts a fantastic farmer's market with tons of seasonal produce.  I picked up five sweet potatoes and wanted to make a soup instead of the more traditional mash or casserole.  Plus, I just bought a Cuisinart immersion blender and what better way to try it out than to make a creamy soup?

Food Photography and Thoughtful Communication

Ahh, something I love to hate:  photos of food.  With an iPhone.  I'm completely guilty of it; every picture on this blog is taken with my iPhone 4.  So convenient and so simple...why use anything else?

With the advent of instant communication, it's easy to advertise what you're doing, where you are, and who you're with.  Technology is continuously changing to satisfy our urge to flaunt our personal lives and many Facebook or Twitter posts seem to be without intent or purpose beyond in-the-moment satisfaction.  I'm guilty of it.  My friends are guilty of it.  But at what cost?

As I've gotten older, technology and social media have evolved to capture every moment, every feeling, every encounter.  Nothing is personal or private; our world is getting smaller but it's naive not to consider whether these developments are actually driving us apart.  Since joining Facebook in 2004, the product has changed from being a place to connect with friends both new and old to a haven of our best foot forward. As much as I'd like to consider myself a happy, confident and able person, I've found that it's nearly impossible not to compare my life with others.  I've been very fortunate in many facets of my life but I'll gladly admit that the constant infiltration of "perfection" on my Newsfeed has, without a doubt, taken a toll on my romantic relationships and, perhaps more importantly, my own self worth and values.  I want what others have even if it's not in my best interest or if the timing is off.

Technology and social media beg us to walk the fine line of staying connected or feeling devalued in our own reality.  Instead of focusing on our own journey, our own path, we see the paths of others and it becomes a life of the have and the have nots.  The simple solution is to power down, sign off, and generally disconnect from the world, but with that comes the risk of losing relationships.  Of course, old school options of communications exist, but quick, instant connections reign supreme.  I'm still trying to strike the balance between maintaining relationships in an online world while being comfortable in my own skin.

But, I digress.  This is a food blog and the intent of the post is to reflect on our obsession with food photography.  I don't believe that food photography is a new development; we've documented food for centuries in artwork, as a means of peace, and as a way of separating the have and the have nots. However, the major difference between past and present day food is the change in medium and the intent in which it's documented.   Just like any other post showing happiness or perfection, it's all in the message and I believe it's crucial for us to actively consider what we're posting before it goes live, such as what is the intent of my message?  Why am I posting this?  Is it to spread happiness to others or to merely show off the happiness I've found?  I'd like to believe that with strong, more identifiable and obvious intent, comes meaning and thus a more satisfactory life, whether it's with food or anything else.

I'll leave you with a fantastic quote from Stephen Furtick:

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.

Soft Pretzels

It's not very often I make snack food (although the Crescent Rolls were a bit hit) but when an event as special as watching the women's Olympic marathon rolls around, it's time to turn on the oven and cook accordingly.  A few friends and I got together to do what only nerdy runners do - record an entire marathon and swear off Facebook,  Twitter and the news for the day to avoid learning results - so I made these soft pretzels to help celebrate this special occasion and/or lack of internet contact.

I always crave a good soft pretzel, whether it be from my personal favorite Dayton Farmers Market in the Shenandoah Valley or the more commercialized Auntie Annie's version, they've always had a special place in my taste bud's heart.  Surprisingly, these soft pretzels aren't very difficult to make.  They're time consuming, yes, but oddly simple considering the warm fuzzy feelings they elicit.  Give them a try - you'll be very pleased with the results.