Welcome to the weekend! I hope that your weekend plans include fitting in a big hearty breakfast. If you were able to catch Kelsey’s Essentials last week you know that the episode was dedicated to all things breakfast/brunch. This was one of my favorite episodes to film and the recipes are some of my best from this season. I feel like breakfast is incredibly approachable. For me, the ingredients, techniques, and tools used to make classic breakfast foods are all essentials. Growing up my dad didn’t EVER cook…unless it was breakfast. It was the one meal that he could tackle and he always did a great job. For many years we had the tradition of making breakfast for a late night dinner every Sunday night. Breakfast is comforting, nostalgic, and by darn it’s deemed the most important meal of the day for good reason.
I’m looking forward to the upcoming weekend because we’ll be hosting my in-laws and sharing some of our favorite city spots with them. I’m also looking forward to the finale of Food Network Star. I’ve been addicted to this season and feel very invested. I had the chance to meet some of the finalists at the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival a few weeks ago and it was a great experience. It is such an exhausting process to be on the show and once you are alum…it’s like you’ve joined a club. I know exactly what it feels like to get so close to obtaining your “dream job” and then be sent packing. Your emotions are so invested in the experience and making your next move after being on the show can be overwhelming as well. What I do know is that whether you win or lose, an experience like Food Network Star will benefit you for the good. Melissa D’Arabian wrote a fantastic blog post about The Art of Losing in regards to the show and I couldn’t agree with her more. “Losing” was the best thing that ever happened to me on the show. If you’re a fan of Food Network Star, you should definitely read it. Have a good one!
Cooking breakfast this weekend?
Stuffed Potato Skin Skillet Hash, Stuffed French Toast, Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches
photos: cookingchanneltv.com
If I had to list recipes that remind me of summer most, corn salad would definitely be in the line up. My mom has been making Ina’s famous corn salad for years and it’s one of my favorites. Inspired by one of Ina’s best recipes, I wanted to take a whack at writing my own corn salad recipe. I tested this recipe a lot. In fact at one point I think Robby specifically asked me to stop making corn salad. He’d had enough! After rounds of testing and compiling some of my favorite summer ingredients into a salad, I had found a winner. My Charred Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette will be featured in an upcoming BBQ episode, but I highly suggest that you get a sneak peak at cookingchannneltv.com. I love this recipe and have made it at least half a dozen times already.
One of the main goals for me on Kelsey’s Essentials is to inspire home cooks to get creative in the kitchen. Once you learn an essential technique or recipe, the options/variations are endless. I implemented my advice this weekend as I made a variation of my own corn salad. I made this exact same recipe but just swapped the basil for cilantro. We had tacos for Sunday dinner yesterday and by swapping out the basil for the cilantro it ended up being the perfect flavor profile for the meal. It was so simple and I loved the opportunity to play with the recipe a little bit. I had Robby pat me on the back.
Do you find yourself taking risks with recipes in the kitchen? Are you willing to cook from the hip and experiment a bit here and there? This is one of my favorite things about cooking and I hope that I can inspire viewers to do the same!
p.s. Do you love my ghetto fabulous way of charring corn sans grill?! I’m not sure about the safety of the method, so take my tip with a grain of salt.*
Joy was kind enough to feature me in her {oh joy eats lunch with} series today. I love this series that she features on her blog and I’m always fascinated by the interesting people she (and Joanna!) spotlight. If you’re interested in what I ate for lunch last week and what my lunch schedule is like, have a looksie.
Because I’m so in love with this recipe, I want to elaborate a bit and try and convince each of you to make this for dinner ASAP. For the record this is Robby’s favorite meal I’m making at the moment. It’s very filling and has a nice balance of richness and bright flavors. I’ve been recipe testing for season 3 of Kelsey’s Essentials and this recipe has most definitely secured a spot in the lineup!
Print & Download the recipe for my Tortellini with Snap Peas, Lemon & Dill
There is no question that it is still hot hot hot. I can’t seem to get enough of the Watermelon Granita recipe that I shared on the Summer Desserts show a few weeks ago. To me, this is the perfect summer dessert. Sweet summer watermelon infused with tart lime juice that transforms into freezing cold icy goodness. Surprisingly I’ve found myself in several conversations lately with friends who saw this recipe on the show, but aren’t convinced that they can actually pull it off. I’m hear to tell you loud and proud that this is one of the most fool proof/easiest recipes that I’ve ever written. The most challenging part is that it takes a bit of planning and patience as you need to give your granita time to “slushify” in your freezer. If you’re looking for the perfect recipe to cool off this week- this is it!
Cooks note: My recipe calls for watermelon, lime, and ginger. The pairing is unique and delicious, but if ginger isn’t your thing…it can easily be eliminated from the recipe without any problems.
