Poor Man's Tea to Chase Away the Winter Blues

As we speak freezing rain is falling on the 2 feet of snow we received over the weekend. Despite a wool sweater, scarf, and hat, I must admit it's a bit chilly in here. Having left the "Sunny and 70" that is Los Angeles for the cheesesteak-y frigidness that is Philly, I am still getting used to this thing called snow.

Though a nice cuppatea is my go-to for keeping the winter chill at bay, I can only justify going through so much of it in a day. Also, as I like my tea as I like my men (tall, hot, and super sweet) I have quickly gone through enough honey to make Winnie the Pooh seem miserly.

So, in the interest of preventing adult onset diabetes, I have been mixing it up with a simple slice or two of lemon and a lot of boiling water, otherwise known as poor mans tea. It's piping hot, refreshing, and a touch bitter....just like me.

Return To Beauty - Now Available

Pardon the moment of shameless self-promotion (what else is a Blog but one giant self-promotion... but I digress) Roughly a year ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a series of images for renowned skin care expert Narine Nikogosian. This was an exciting and challenging project for me that culminated with some of my best work to date.

The book is finally available, and features the ability to make both you and your coffee table or library look beautiful. Check it out here and here

Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir Fry

I have always loved the idea of stir fry, throw some veggies and maybe some tofu or chicken all together in a hot wok, stir it up a bit and you've got dinner!  Amazing!  The reality however has never been so dreamy.  Rubbery mushrooms, painfully wilted veggies, and you don't even want to know about the culinary sins I have created involving toasted sesame oil.

All of this culminated to make me believe that it was simply beyond my grasp to properly cook bok choy.  It was a mysterious freak of the vegetable world that I just couldn't crack, until now.

The problem was exactly what I described above as my idea of a stir fry - throw everything in a pot - together - at the same time.  Of course, the result of this method is that some things will cook faster and be overcooked, while others will barely be cooked at all.  Even my nemesis the Bok Choy needs to be divided up and cooked in stages.

Pumpkin Custard Mini-Pies

October is my favorite month by far.  Not because I love Halloween, but because I love Fall and all things "Pumpkin Spice".  Unfortunately however, my partner Noah detests all things pumpkin, including pumpkin pie which he finds "repulsive". So, faced with the reality of baking a pumpkin pie only to have the daunting task of eating the entire thing myself (my stars! what a tragedy THAT would be!) I devised a way to make my pie and eat it too.

Blueberry Almond "Good For You" Muffins

I know that "Good for You" is not exactly synonymous with muffins. This recipe however is loaded with protein, antioxidants, and tastes like happy - so hopefully it will make you think twice about the supposedly evil little muffin.

Longing to bake something in my new apartment last weekend with little more than some flour, eggs, and frozen blueberries at my disposal I whipped up (quite literally) these little guys. Substituting almond meal and protein powder for some of the flour in this recipe actually adds to the texture without compromising the flavor.

Pomegranate Applesauce!

So you go to the store, trying to be good, trying to follow that whole "apple-a-day" thing, and buy a sack of apples only to bring them home and find that they are mostly bruised, mealy, and unspectacular. Or, you've got some apples that have maybe been lying around a bit too long and fall into that unspectacular category. Well, in the spirit of waste not want not, when life give you crappy apples - make applesauce!

The Filthy Martini

By merely posting about Martini's I am creating (stirring up?) controversy. Controversy between the Gin Martini vs. Vodka Martini set, the shakers vs. stirrers. Vermouth lovers and haters. Even the amount and kind of olives used are debated amongst purists.

To this end I would like to defend myself by stating that I am neither a bartender nor master mixologist. I like what I like, and I like dirty, nay, filthy martinis. And garlic stuffed olives, and gin.

What makes this martini filthy is the liberal addition of olive brine, and yes, a garlic stuffed olive. This is less drink and more appetizer, and oh so good.

I refuse to lecture you on shaking vs. stirring, the benefits of a vermouth spritzer, etc. The following is an account of how I, prefer my martini, and I demand you enjoy it too~!