Lamb Sliders

During the holidays, my mom brought home some brioche slider buns from Macrina bakery. After eating one plain, I decided I needed to make sliders to do the buttery, soft rolls some justice. When my sister and I went to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for our Christmas brunch and dinner, I became inspired to make some lamb sliders as an appetizer. Some kalamata olives, feta cheese and shallots later, we had a full burger!

Cardamom Buttermilk Pie

For our Holiday Dessert Party, I wanted to make a pie, but I knew most of our guests would be pie-d out from Thanksgiving, so I nixed pumpkin and pecan pie. I saw this recipe for a cardamom pie, and buttermilk pie apparently is an "American Classic", but I've never once had it or seen it on pie menus. I also LOVE, repeat, LOVE cardamom flavored dishes, so this American Classic sounded just right for our Holiday Dessert Party.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

This year, Marya, my sister and I hosted our second annual cookie party, but this year, we decided to go big and include all kinds of dessert.  We all know I love dessert parties! Since we were holding it the day after Thanksgiving, we wanted to make it a simple process (i.e. no stress baking), and I've been dying to decorate sugar cookies, so here was my chance!

Sweet Potato Pie With Marshmallow Meringue

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I started to research what kind of pie to make for our Thanksgiving meal.  Last year, the pumpkin pie was a winner, except that my sister doesn't really like the taste of pumpkin pie, so I had to find something new. When I saw a posting on Bon Appetit's facebook page about this pie, it looked too delicious to pass up. Each bite was a balanced mix of super-duper sweet (the meringue) AND Thanksgiving in your mouth (sweet potato mixed with cinnamon/nutmeg). HOM! 

Chocolate Molten Lava Cupcakes!!!

My baby thsister was coming home from COLLEGE! This was her first Thanksgiving holiday back from school. When I would come home from school or work, she would bring snacks to the airport so I could eat something home made on my way home in the car.  This time, since the tables had turned, I decided to bring her a snack.  I saw a cupcake cook on our dining table, and immediately found the molten lava cupcake recipe.  Yummy and portable? Done!

Astrid y Gaston

A long, long time ago, when we started planning our two year friendiversary trip, I suggested we eat at Astrid y Gaston.  Unfortunately, due to trip logistics, we actually didn't allot for any time in Lima.  Yeah, poor planning, I know.

In a twist of fate, our flight from Lima to Newark was delayed.  By 14 hours. We briefly considered switching onto other flights out of Lima.  Instead, we quickly opened up my Lonely Planet to read more about Astrid y Gaston.  In a matter of 10 minutes, we had located a hotel closest to the restaurant, secured a table, and were well on our way into Miraflores.  Yes, people, we have PRIORITIES.

Unboliviable!

The next half of our friend-iversary took us to Bolivia.  We crossed overland via Lake Titicaca enroute to La Paz. In between Cusco and Lake Titicaca, we were on a local bus.  The local bus was a very interesting experience. Every stop along the way, someone new got on with some kind of treat to sell. Since I was feeling hot and cranky, I didn't actually buy a single thing. But, maybe Bolt bus should consider picking up hitch hikers who sell snacks along the way to DC. We finally arrived in La Paz after a border crossing and a Oregon-trail style river crossing (we chose to ferry across, not ford across). The only thing I knew I had to do in La Paz was to eat a salteña.