Grubarazzi

Before I started Grubarazzi back in September 2011 I had no idea there were so many other chefs and home cooks doing this food blog thang. I thought I would surely post unnoticed, but I did it anyway because I was finally passionate about something.  Well, my obsession was set ablaze when I found actual readers and a HUGE food blogging community. Each and every one of you is so kind, thoughtful and supportive.  I mean, just look at these awards you have given me during my first year of blogging!  I am always impressed by other food bloggers and their supernatural abilities to play with food. So, thank you Beetle Buggy , Curry and Comfort , Cookin’ Cowgirl , and Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner for showering me with reader awards since I started this fun food filled journey. It is my turn to spread the love.   First, 10 things about me that you might not know: My birthday is in 3 days (wooop wooop). I will be 32. Not a day goes by I don’t wonder wh...

(PappaRazzi guest post)   I love Rachael Ray's Week in a Day where in one day she makes 5 dinners for the coming week. Great show concept, but nothing we family chefs haven't done for years, am I right? The kiss of death to culinary creativity is trying to pull it off 5 days a week after coming home exhausted from giving your 110% at work, and that rush hour commute. I take Rachael's challenge one step further and make it 5 brown-bag lunches too! Take *that* Rachael! ...but wait, I go even one step further and make it all one dish. How could this not get boring? Or worse yet, fail in the nutrition department? I mean, most folks enjoy 21 meals in a week, and I am proposing I can make you happy when 10 of those meals are the same, *and* I can make it in just over an hour? "Yes, yes, yes!" Stick with me and I'll tell you the secret(s) to 10, yes 10(!) meals in a day, heck in just over an hour. Taste? Nutrition? Excitement? Oh yeah, Rachael just got P0wne...

I am a sucker for fun knife cuts. If a recipe involves playing with knives and slicing vegetables, count me in. This isn’t to say I am entirely comfortable with my skills although I have been taught my entire life how to clean, sharpen and respect a chef’s knife (thanks, Daddy). It has more to do with the feeling I get when I focus on a repetitive creative undertaking. When I was a child my parents were folk artists who worked diligently to pump out their hand crafted art like machines. My mother used to sit behind this tall wooden work bench listening to talk radio while she painted hundreds of beautiful little cottages, pretty letters, animals, and trees. Sometimes, depending on the holiday, every surface would be covered with tiny hand painted Santas, bunnies or turkeys. I learned at a young age how to meticulously paint small wooden objects, and made a game to see how many I could paint in an hour. It was tedious, consistent, and amusing work much like chopping vegetables. These d...

Salmon is the super man of the sea. Loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids it is proven to be a natural way to fight against far-too common diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity. But that isn’t the only reason salmon is making an appearance in my kitchen lately. Super salmon is also super delicious which makes it a go to protein. Unfortunately, the majority of farm raised salmon is fed a poor diet including corn (huh?) and a whole lot of other nonsense which makes it far less nutrient dense and not as tasty. Many salmon “factories” are putting red food coloring in the poor little fishes to make them appear super nutrient rich. I don’t know about you but I want my food to taste good… and real… like it should. So, I only purchase wild salmon whenever possible. This recipe highlights a beautiful piece of wild salmon laced with southwestern spice. The pistachio is a Middle Eastern nut, but hopefully you trust me by now. Pistachios in the rice pilaf and lemon in the guacamole giv...

The weather in Baltimore is the schizophrenic sort. Mother Nature keeps taunting us with spring-like sunny days only to pull it back the next day with brisk cold winds. Winter never really came this year which I am okay with, but the garden begs to differ. Crocuses and daffodils are flowering in the warmth then quickly shriveling in the cold, leaving very little color in a usually flamboyant garden.  Recipes have been vibrant in my kitchen to make up for it. Creamy Sweet Potato Ginger Soup is strikingly auburn, sweet and savory with tropical undertones.  With every mouthful I am whisked away to better weather while enjoying my absolutely favorite food, sweet potato, in soup form. It doesn’t get much better than this. This soup would be wonderful paired with your favorite grilled cheese, but certainly stands on its own for a healthy lunch or dinner. Creamy Sweet Potato Ginger Soup Time in Kitchen: 60 minutes Servings: 8 (1-cup servings) Nutrition Info...