For a while now, I have been wanting to place a spicy spin on my classic macaroni & cheese recipe.  Specifically, I wanted to add some flavors found in Indian cuisine that I have tasted in the Morrisville and Cary area in North Carolina.  These NC cities are home to beautiful and diverse international eateries.  […]

None of our family BBQs are complete without a bowl of avocado salsa, better know as guacamole.  While my traditional avocado salsa is a fan favorite, I love playing around with flavors and introducing unlikely elements into my recipes.  Although the end of pomegranate season is fast approaching, I thought the delicious sweet and tart […]

This Cranberry Caipirinha only requires four ingredients.  Cranberry Simple Syrup and cachaça are two key ingredients in this festive holiday cocktail.  The deceivingly complex caipirinha gets its unique flavor from cachaça, a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice.  If you have never tried cachaça, its flavor profile is somewhat similar to rum.  Cachaça, however, […]

Candied cranberries are incredibly easy to make, but they will require a minimum of 12 hours to cool and set.  I make these sugared cranberries in the evening and let them set overnight.  After preparing these candied cranberries, you can choose to use them glossy, covered in sugar or a combination of both.  Regardless of […]

In preparation for Thanksgiving dinner, I purposely bought an excess of fresh cranberries.  I wanted to incorporate the deliciously tart fruit into more holiday recipes.  Not only do I use fresh cranberries to make a homemade cranberry chutney, but I also use them to make a simple syrup.  The following recipe may seem untraditional, but […]

When I think of grapefruit, I think of  South Texas.  The land and weather in the Rio Grande Valley makes it optimal for growing citrus.  My earliest memories of my grandfather include watching him tend to the approximately 25 – 30 Ruby Red Grapefruit trees in his backyard.  As such, citrus runs through my veins. […]

Not only does this Sausage Cannellini Stew take less than an hour of prep and cook time, but you may find that several of the ingredients are already in your refrigerator or pantry.  Items such as onions, garlic, chicken broth and chicken bouillon cubes are always in stock at my home. Tip: In the event […]

Over the past couple of years I have not only grown fond of Fayetteville, but I have also become acquainted with its International Cuisine Trail, Antiquing Trail and more.  Even if I have not yet fully explored the city, I always walk away impressed with each visit.  This particular trip surprised me in a couple […]

Ever since I started cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I have only used whole cranberries to make homemade cranberry sauces and chutneys.  This year, I fell down a creative rabbit hole and came up with two fabulous recipes for Cranberry Simple Syrup and Candied Cranberries.  After that, I could not stop my creative juices from flowing.  As […]

If you have read my bio, you know that a Paloma is one of my favorite cocktails.   While a classic Paloma cocktail incorporates tequila and grapefruit, my Spicy Thai Chile Paloma recipe has a couple of unexpected twists.  In addition to fresh grapefruit, I also add one ounce of my Homemade Grapefruit Simple Syrup in the […]

This lovely syrup has countless delicious uses! 4-5 grapefruits 2 cups sugar Juice 4-5 grapefruits. Each grapefruit will yield approximately ½ a cup of grapefruit juice. Sometimes grapefruits will have tiny seeds. That said, use a fine mesh strainer to filter the seeds. If you prefer, you can also remove the pulp. Personally, I like […]

All of the items shared in this holiday gift guide include products and experiences that I have sampled, purchased or have been gifted this past year.  While there are many more fantastic NC products and experiences that are not on this list, I highly encourage you to shop and gift local.  Keep on reading for […]

As an adult, I realized that I was under utilizing mint.  Growing up, I was quite familiar with this herb as my grandmother had several bushels of spearmint in her garden.  It wasn’t unusual for her to make spearmint tea during the winter or when one of her grandchildren wasn’t feeling quite well.  A hot […]

Diane Villa, the North Carolina Zoo’s Director of Communications and Marketing, refers to The Heart of North Carolina as “The best kept secret that does not want to be secret”.  Even if the beaches and mountains of North Carolina get the most fanfare,  The Heart of North Carolina boasts a provincial romantic beauty and intrigue […]