Keep Calm and Carry On: The Diary of Foodie and Gourmet

Tonight for dinner, I experimented with a recipe that my boyfriend has used a couple of times. Last week, he asked me to help him find a pork recipe and it was then that I stumbled upon this parmesan baked pork chops recipe. Not only did this recipe look delicious, it also looked really easy to make. R has made it twice and has told me that he really liked it. With that in mind, I felt that it was time for me to give it a try. I didn't have any pork in my fridge, so I decided to substitute chicken breast. I mean, how different could it be --- right? Following the original recipe, I made the changes of using chicken, as well as other seasoning.  Not only was this dish super easy to prepare, it was very easy to make and tasted stunning! I loved every mouthful. The crunchiness of the crust, the succulent meat, and the balance of seasonings really made this dish a winner. I would definitely recommend this as an easy weeknight dinner or something to enjoy on the weekends. I kn...

This weekend is July 4th and in the USA, that means Independence Day! Everyone celebrates this holiday differently, but it usually involves fireworks, BBQs, and parties. For this July 4th, I will be spending it with my best friend E and her family in Brooklyn. She is hosting a small get together with friends and family. I am very excited!  I don't want to be a rude guest, so I have offered to bring some goodies. E asked me to made a side salad, which I am more than happy to do, but I felt that wasn't enough. I did some internet searching and stumbled upon a very cute and tasty looking recipe on the internet. The recipe? Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats ! I couldn't resist. Since I won't have time to bake tomorrow and the party is on Saturday, I thought I'd get a jump start and try this recipe today. I've always wanted to make rice krispie treats, so this really was a perfect opportunity for me. I was pleasantly surprised to learn just how easy this rec...

Last Friday night, R and I kicked off the weekend with a really lovely dinner of oven roasted lamb, potatoes, and buttered haricot verts. We had been discussing making lamb for quite some time, so when I went to Ottomanelli & Sons for pork belly, I thought that was the perfect place to buy a rack of lamb. I wasn't looking to do anything too crazy or elaborate. I'm a fan of simple flavors and straight forward cooking. My marinade was easy to make, but delicious. I was also pleased to learn how easy it was to cook the lamb.  Guess-timating the exact cooking time for that my lamb came out pink in the center, but not raw, was a bit tricky, since I didn't have a meat thermometer or temperature gun. Still, R and I did our best and the lamb cooked perfectly. Not only was it pink in the center, the meat was really succulent and flavorful. Yum! Ingredients: - 1 rack of lamb, frenched (about 8 individual chops)* - 1 tbsp olive oil - 1 tbsp chopped rosemary (and...

A few weeks ago, I tried my hand at roasting some pork belly. I love this cut of meat because it's so tasty and soft. I've never actually made pork belly, so I thought this could be a fun experiment.  The pork belly was super easy to make, however, I quickly remembered why restaurants only serve small pieces of pork belly. I made this for dinner and although it was really yummy, it was so heavy and very filling! After only a couple bites, I was completely full! Still, I had a lot of fun preparing, cooking, and eating this dish. This recipe was slightly modified, but taken from " Pinch and Swirl ."  Ingredients: - 1 lb skinless pork belly - 1 tbsp salt - 1 tbsp sugar - ground black pepper Directions: 1. Prepare your seasoning by mixing sugar, salt, and ground black pepper together. 2. Season pork belly and let the pork sit in the fridge overnight.  3. Preheat your oven to 450F. 4. Roast pork belly for about 20~30 minutes or unti...

A few weekends ago, my boyfriend and I decided to make the pizza-sized cookie. This was either one of the best ideas we've ever had or one of the worst. We had a really fun time baking together and the cookie was really scrumptious. That said, it was very filling and after getting hyped up on sugar, the both of us came down with the "itis." So much cookie! In total, our pizza sized cookie --- filled with chocolate chips, dark chocolate M&Ms, and twix --- was 14 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick! Yep, it was a massive cookie. This is a great family activity or couples activity! The cookie came out absolutely delicious and baked to perfection! I definitely look forward to baking this again, but perhaps for a bigger crowd.  Ingredients: - 14 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp - 1/2 cup granulated sugar - 1/2 cup brown sugar - 2 large eggs - 2 cup flour + 2 tbsp  - 1 tsp baking powder - 3/4 tsp salt - 2 cups chopped halloween candy (We used ...

In season five of the legendary sitcom Seinfeld , there is an episode called "The Dinner Party." Basically, the gang (Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer) are invited to a dinner party and they decide to bring wine and cake. Geroge and Kramer are tasked with buying the wine, whilst Elaine and Jerry go to Schnitzer's Bakery to buy a chocolate babka. While they are there, Jerry gets the urge to buy a black and white cookie. He proceeds to give Elaine a philosophical lesson in the art of enjoying a black and white cookie. (Click here to see a clip of this). In this scene, Jerry's mantra is "look to the cookie." Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because my boyfriend is a MASSIVE Seinfeld  fan and a lover of black and white cookies. A while back, I was telling R that if he ever wants me to bake something, all he has to do is ask. He instantly told me of his love for black and white cookies and showed me the clip that I have posted above. I was recently in...