Grubarazzi

Ya’ll! I named a cookie after myself. The name, Grubarazzi, elicits really good feelings about food. It also explains the feeding frenzy that takes place when you mush a lot of yummy things in to cookie dough. So I named these cookies filled with Snickers, Reese’s, M&M’s, and all things chocolate after me. Grubarazzi Cookies: a new treat using classic ingredients. The cookie dough is perfectly soft and chewy a la Martha Stewart. She knows a thing or two about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I’m going to refrain from sharing my opinion about Martha as a human being, but I will say I hope my food pictures are better than hers, and I hope my cookies turn out like hers. It’s a love/hate relationship.  These cookies are a great way to get rid of the leftover Halloween candy you are having a hard time resisting. Bring them to the office, or reserve them for your husband who never gains weight. They are great served warm and dipped in to a tall glass of cold milk. Gru...

I want cookies lots and lots of cookies. I want the pie in the skyyy. I’m channeling Calloway and the Cookie Monster today. It’s a half delusional notion, but please hang in there with me. I started a new job two weeks ago and I’m feeling winded from climbing the corporate ladder. This means less time at home, and less time doing the thing I really love to do; cooking. Besides last weekend’s catering gig, this weekend was the first time in a long time that I utilized my kitchen to nourish mind, body, and soul. I dug it. I missed it. I danced all up on it. Life felt right again. I made chicken noodle soup from scratch, and baked about 4 dozen cookies in an attempt to reclaim my sanity. It worked… I think… At least these cookies worked. In my mouth. Chunkin Punkin Cookies are soft and slightly chewy, and the crushed up graham crackers running through the batter provide a sweet crunch that will make you happy on the inside. I added graham crackers because I like cookies s...

You might be expecting a Halloween recipe from me today. It would make sense considering I’m a member of the food blogging community and it’s almost a law to participate in candy making. Marshmallows made to look like ghosts. Maybe a cake that looks like witch.  Please don’t make me.  The party must stop.   Just give me a few days to detox. Cleanse. Breathe. Srsly.  My body is craving everything green and purifying after months of partying, eating, and drinking like I was contributing to the downfall of the decadent Roman Empire.   Many sins were committed to this vessel, and until the holidays completely take over I will be doing what I can to reverse the damage.  Let’s start the day with a delicious Green Detox Juice. Sure, it’s green. This might not be your ideal color for breakfast. But I will tell you this. It’s good. It’s sweet from the pears and a little spicy from the ginger.   Oh, and it is jam-packed with really ...

There are rare moments in life when someone is set free from an overload of obligation to step back, soak it all in, and have an adventure. Florida sunrise on the way to deep sea fishing After graduating in May, all of my energy was focused on saying "yes" to every travel opportunity put in front of me. The plan was to 1) have fun 2) find some great food and 3) rediscover my eternal optimism which had depleted after a few set backs along the way. Eating lobsters in Maine For weeks now, I have been bouncing on to trains, buses, planes, and automobiles. Thousands of miles from here to there and back. I went to Florida on an exciting  family road trip to Austin, stuffed myself in to a car for a road trip from Baltimore to Maine with great friends, devoured New York City on foot, and I just got back from Charleston, South Carolina. NYC! I have so much to share it is almost overwhelming. Each city I visited is speckled with history and has their ow...

The day I discovered Tate’s Bakeshop Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies was the day my life started anew. They are thin, crispy, chewy, buttery perfection.  And want to know a secret? They are better than regular chocolate chip cookies. For serious. I don’t know how they did it, but they did it hard.  I recently had a BBQ for friends and one of them was gluten intolerant. Instead of torturing her and making ice cream cookie sandwiches with regular cookies, I decided to use Tate’s gluten free cookies for everyone to rave reviews. The comment heard most "I would have never known these were gluten free! They are the best cookie sandwiches I've ever had." And who doesn't want to feel like a kid again and chow down on an old fashioned ice cream cookie sandwich? I know I do. If you don't, well, maybe you should go back to where you came from. Mars, most likely.  I rarely post recipes I don’t make from scratch...but they were just so good! Take...

I'm holding on to the last legs of summer and cooking with fresh ingredients as long as I possibly can. That means I'm eating lots of salad and grilling outside as much as possible. Let's talk about using the grill to create a salad built to satisfy. If I'm going to eat salad as a main course, it better be filling, super flavorful, and loaded with protein. The grill helps to char and soften deliciously hardy vegetables to layer with spicy arugula, meaty walnuts, and perfectly juicy chicken breasts. It's layered with crunch, spice, and smooth textures creating a perfectly balanced dish. A salad made with flame? Good. A salad built to satisfy a hungry bear? Even better. Grilled Vegetable Salad with Chicken Servings: 4 Prep Time: 1 hour Time in Kitchen (or by the grill): 30 minutes Simple Dijon Vinaigrette ingredients: 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup e...

Do you like learning how to cook while drinking copious amounts of wine, and meeting new people in a beautiful setting? Then you will love the cooking classes taught by Chef Jerry Pellegrino at the Waterfront Kitchen in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood. For the price of a three course meal, you can learn new techniques from a Chef who knows a thing or two about cooking. J erry Pellegrino , consulting chef and menu developer at Waterfront Kitchen, teaches the classes with ease and humor. He allows his “students” to get their hands dirty or just drink wine and watch. It’s up to each person how much they want to participate, creating an interactive and comfortable experience. My husband and I were meeting close friends for a new take on date night when I first stepped in to Waterfront Kitchen to take a class called The Art of Baking Pies and Tarts. The expansive harbor views are a breathtaking backdrop and caught me a little off guard. I was expecting the class to take place i...