vegetarian

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, and Crispy Garlic

[heart_this] · Sep 7, 2017 · 2 Comments

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, and Crispy Garlic: Made with fresh ingredients and garlic-infused olive oil, this simple dish is full of flavor.

Hello, friends!

I’ve got something really good for you today. So good! It’s my new favorite and I’m really excited about sharing it. It’s a simple pasta dish with crumbled goat cheese, tomatoes, and crispy garlic. Also, there’s fresh basil.

The crispy garlic is made by infusing olive oil (with garlic, obviously), which is also used in this recipe because of course it is.

But here’s the shocking twist: you won’t find the recipe over here! GASP!

I shared this tasty dish over at my friend Brita’s blog, B.Britnell….

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Puff Pastry Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Mascarpone

[heart_this] · May 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

This tasty puff pastry pizza is made with garlic-infused olive oil, caramelized onions, baby bella mushrooms, freshly shredded mozzarella, and a few dollops of mascarpone. Garnishing with fresh thyme adds a nice finish.

Happy, happy Monday to youuuu.

How’s it going, friends? It’s been a little while! Every time I thought life was calming down, it decided to get a little crazy instead. The last several weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster to say the least. I haven’t really had a chance to tell you what’s been going on in the last couple of blog posts, so I’ll give you a quick lowdown now!

I’ll start with the bad things first to get that out of the way.

March, for the most part, was not a great month. My uncle had passed away and my mom was handling all of the funeral arrangements. My sister and I helped. It was all emotionally draining. I hadn’t seen or spoken to my uncle in a while and it made me just really sad. It didn’t hit me until the day before the funeral. We used to be close when I was growing up.

On top of that stress, Jason was laid off from his job. I’m pretty sure the timing could not have been worse on that. Especially because I was still without a full-time job myself. I wonder how many new gray hairs grew in during that month. ????

In the midst of all that craziness, there was a sign of something good; I was interviewing for a job! When I said “emotional roller coaster” up there, I wasn’t really joking. The company I had applied for had responded to my application the same week of my uncle’s funeral and it was a multi-step interview process. Right after completing the third step (which involved submitting a written exercise), Jason texted me to let me know he had lost his job. I literally sent the email, grabbed my coat to head out to my part-time job, and Jason sent me the text….

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Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranates and Walnuts

[heart_this] · Feb 20, 2017 · 4 Comments

A simple salad of baby greens, fried goat cheese, pomegranates, and toasted walnuts that’s topped with a Mediterranean inspired spiced honey vinaigrette. This salad makes an awesome main or side dish.

Fried goat cheese, you guys. Have you had it? If not, you are missing out. I’m thinking about eating it right now as I type this, but I have no more in the house to eat. This is problematic.

Fast forward a minute: After writing that sentence, I decided I would just hop in the car for a quick goat cheese log run and would resume this post after eating. I got up to get my shoes and quickly realized I don’t have a car today, so here I am! No longer procrastinating this blog post.

You are welcome….

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Olive Oil Fudge Brownies

[heart_this] · Jan 13, 2017 · 7 Comments

Fudgy, delicious, and moist! These olive oil brownies are made with extra virgin olive oil, adding a deep and distinct earthier flavor to the brownies, which makes a great complement to chocolate.

Happy 2017, friends!

I hope you had an awesome holiday season. My extended holiday break is over and it’s now back to the blogging grind. It feels great to be back!

It’s a common thing for many people to start off a new year with goals, resolutions, etc – and one of those many popular goals include eating healthier and/or getting fit, which is great and I am all for it.

However, 2016 – at least for me – was a pretty crappy year, to which I say, “good riddance!” I’ll be damned if OMGfood doesn’t start off 2017 on a sweet note.

I actually have a blog post in the works where I get a little personal about my ups and downs throughout last year. I’ll be publishing it soon, but until then, we have something much more important to discuss. It’s these brownies. These fudgy brownies. These olive oil brownies! /swoon…

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Melitzanosalata (Greek Eggplant Dip)

[heart_this] · Oct 16, 2016 · 6 Comments

Melitzanosalata is a Greek dip made with eggplant, crushed garlic, grated onion, chopped parsley, and extra virgin olive oil. It can be flavored with red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, depending on preference. It’s typically served as a meze with crusty bread.

Happy Monday, friends!

I’ve missed you. How are you doing? I’ve been super busy lately, but in a good way, I think!

If you caught my last post where I reviewed Rumiano Cheese, I talked a little about how I picked up a part-time job and it involves working with lots various cheeses! The plan for the Rumiano review came before I found the job, but it seemed rather fitting the two ended up tying in together in some way. In addition to the cheesy part-time deliciousness, I also picked up some freelance work. It’s all been very awesome and exciting because it’s nice to work again. You know what else is nice? Making some money. Now, instead of ripping all of my hair out, I’m only ripping out a small portion. Things are still slightly stressful, but only slightly at this point. So you know. Progress!

With all of this excitement going down, I should have more stability and consistency in my life, which hopefully means more recipes for you! I’ve been so sad about not being able to share as much as I’ve wanted to on the blog lately and I really, really want to change that. Thanks for always coming back to my little home, especially when my schedule gets so ridiculous and I don’t publish anything for a whole month. You’re insanely awesome and I wouldn’t be doing this without you. I appreciate you. <3…

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Dulce de Leche Filling

[heart_this] · Sep 21, 2016 · 5 Comments

This blog post is part of the “Bake a Difference with OXO for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and Dorie Greenspan” campaign. This tasty Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Dulce de Leche Filling recipe comes from Dorie’s upcoming book, Dorie’s Cookies (which is slated for release later in October).

Happy Wednesday, friends!

I was recently invited by OXO to partner up in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization founded in 2008 by two OXO employees who were inspired by their son’s battle with pediatric cancer. Childhood cancer claims the lives of more children in the U.S. than any other disease and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is committed to raising funds for research to develop new and improved treatments.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer this month, OXO felt inspired by Dorie Greenspan’s upcoming book, Dorie’s Cookies, which contains over 200 cookie recipes. The Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Dulce de Leche Filling recipe I’m sharing with you today comes straight from her book! Dorie’s Cookies will be released on October 25th….

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Dulce de Leche

[heart_this] · Sep 20, 2016 · 2 Comments

Dulce de leche is a creamy caramel sauce made from simmering milk and sugar.

It’s sugar time, friends. Dulce de leche is one of my many weaknesses when it comes to sweets. I love it by the spoonful, over ice cream, in a cake – you name it. So many noms. <3

If you’re not familiar, dulce de leche is a milk-based caramel-like sauce, made by combining milk and sugar and simmering for a couple of hours on the stove.

I needed some dulce de leche for another recipe coming this week and was planning to go with store-bought to keep it simple. It turns out, none of the stores I went to wanted to have it in stock, which was a little surprising because I’m usually able to find it pretty easily. I considered it a challenge accepted and decided to make it instead. Making the sauce is actually pretty easy, but it takes a little bit of time and patience. Also, occasional stirring. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is slightly adapted from Alton Brown….

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Blueberry Yogurt Parfait

[heart_this] · Sep 7, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Happy September, friends!

I almost can’t believe that summer is almost over. Yes, I said almost. Many people will say summer is over the moment Labor Day has passed and that is just silly to me. The first day of fall isn’t until September 22nd, so you better believe I’m going to ride the summer train until then! Also, it’s supposed to be 90 degrees this Friday in the Boston area. I’m already planning on camping out at the beach that day.

I have to admit, I’m a little bummed I didn’t get to share more recipes with you over the last couple of months. My schedule got a little hectic as I’ve been putting more focus on things outside of blogging; the main thing being “find a job!”

Finding a job is basically a job in itself. It’s tiring. It’s stressful. I mean, nobody loves the process of searching for a job, do they? I get super anxious just thinking about it….

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Grilled Zucchini and Tinkerbell Pepper Wraps with Tzatziki

[heart_this] · Aug 1, 2016 · 17 Comments

Inspired by the classic gyros and souvlaki wrap, this grilled zucchini and tinkerbell pepper wrap is a great summer meal.

Καλό Mήνα σε όλους!

And in the off-chance you don’t speak or read Greek, here’s your mini lesson for the day:

kαλό (kah-LOH) means “good”
μήνα (MEE-nah) means “month”
σε όλους (seh OH-loose) means “to all”

Among many pleasantries Greeks will use to greet others, on the first of every month, the one you will hear the most is “Kalo Mina!” It’s a way of wishing others a good month ahead of them and it’s one of my favorites.

I find it especially fitting today because this is my first blog post in one whole month. I last shared a recipe for garides souvlakia on July 1st! It’s nice to be back, though the little break was necessary. I had to shift my focus to things outside of blogging for a bit and when I wasn’t doing all of that, I opted for relaxation. And when relaxation lines up with summer, that means hitting up the beach!

So here’s to a fresh start and a good month! Kalo Mina to all of us!…

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Open-Faced Grilled Caprese Sandwich

[heart_this] · Jun 20, 2016 · 10 Comments

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Stella® cheeses. All opinions are my own!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER, EVERYBODY.

All caps were highly necessary for that greeting because, in my opinion, summer is the raddest season and while we’ve had mostly summery weather in Boston lately, it is now officially the best season of the year. Yassssss.

I feel the happiest and most motivated during the warmer months and aim to live somewhere where winter is non-existent…eventually. I love beach days, BBQs, outdoor dining, and not having to wear huge snow boots and coats. Also, summer cocktails.

Jason and I actually purchased a new gas grill last week because the one we had was very sad and just had to go. We debated on just using our charcoal grill for a while to save some cash, but we ended up finding a super awesome deal on a new grill and decided to go for it. I love having both options for grills handy, especially with the hot weather! We’re planning to use the stove and oven less frequently this summer.

So we’ve got summer officially here and a new grill to break in this season. What better way to welcome both than to make something fresh? Summer foods are where it’s at, no?…

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Za’atar

[heart_this] · Jun 16, 2016 · 5 Comments

Za’atar is a blend of herbs and spices that’s popular throughout the Middle East. There are many variations of za’atar, with thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt commonly being the staple ingredients used.

Oh, heyyyyy.

Happy Thursday to you, friends! It feels like it’s been forever since I shared a new recipe. I’m glad to be back at it today! It seemed like such a mission to get here.

I took photos for this post well over a week ago and I ran into the most ridiculous issues all over the place since.

My computer decided it would just overheat and crash when I was using Photoshop and Lightroom to work on said photos. Jason fixed it because he’s a friggen magician (or maybe he just knew what to do because he built this PC for me in the first place, but I’m still going with magician).
I forgot how to edit photos, I guess? On average, a blog post takes me 4-6 hours from cooking to publishing, but this post had me working for days. The problem was I overexposed these photos like whoa during the shoot and it was a bit of a struggle to edit post-shoot. I ended up retaking some photos a few days ago to balance it out. That said, I’m pretty sure they don’t look quite right, but sometimes you just gotta stop being a perfectionist and move on.
My blog broke, but just for me. I started to write up this blog post on Tuesday and ran into issues trying to upload the photos. Seriously. These photos had already given me so much trouble and now I couldn’t even upload them? They quickly became the bane of my existence (but then I remembered za’atar is so delicious and stopped being mad at the photos). I tried a couple of things to troubleshoot and proceeded to upload again. Apparently, I pissed something off because I quickly lost access to my own site. And I panicked. I thought it was down for everyone and I broke it somehow and it was the end of the world. Turns out, all of my friends had no problem accessing the site and I didn’t have an issue as long as I wasn’t connected to my home network too. I spent yesterday doing more troubleshoot fun and figured maybe my internet provider blocked my IP address, so I contacted them and nothing. Then I contacted my host last night and they were the ones who blocked my IP, but they quickly unblocked it and fixed the error I was getting on file upload all in about ten minutes. Apparently, the firewall decided to become strict for no reason, causing the error to occur. And me being a stubborn Greek trying to overlook the error by repeating failed uploads caused the IP block because my host was basically all “BAD NEWS BEARS.” Great story, right?

Thanks for indulging me by “listening” to my rants. You’re the best. Let’s move on to tastier subjects, yeah?…

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Chocolate Espresso Pie Bars

[heart_this] · May 24, 2016 · 9 Comments

These no-bake chocolate espresso pie bars are made with an almond and walnut crust and a creamy filling of chocolate and coconut milk. They’re paleo and vegan friendly!

Updated on May 24th, 2016: New content, new recipe instructions, and new photos. Get hype!

Originally published on March 11th, 2015.

Chocolate > everything else. True story.

I have a sweet tooth. It’s a problem. I want to eat cakes, cookies, and anything with chocolate all the time. ALL THE TIME. It’s why I try, and I really emphasize the word “try,” to keep sugar out of the house a lot of the time. Because if I always have it on hand, I will bake a dozen of cookies and eat all of them and love and hate myself at the same time for it. I’m not saying that’s something I did recently. But I’m not saying it’s something I didn’t do either.

You know what I always keep in the house, though? Maple syrup, honey, and a variety of chocolates. So really, who am I kidding here?

Oh, is this why I haven’t been losing much weight? LOLOL….

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Roasted Asparagus with Feta

[heart_this] · Apr 7, 2016 · 10 Comments

Fun fact: My dad has a thick Greek accent and when he says asparagus in English, it sounds like “Spartacus.”

Growing up, I’m not sure if I liked asparagus. I don’t recall eating it all that much, but at some point in my adult life I became a fan, though that was the case for a lot of vegetables. I really didn’t like brussels sprouts as a kid and now they’re commonly eaten around here (I especially love brussels sprouts with bacon).

Even though it just snowed a couple days ago and I had to shovel the driveway, spring is pretty much here and with that, comes tasty vegetables in season, like asparagus! When I saw fresh asparagus at the store the other day, I knew exactly what I wanted to with it and that’s share this recipe of roasted asparagus with feta with you….

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Cauliflower Fritters (Kounoupidi Tiganites)

[heart_this] · Apr 4, 2016 · 3 Comments

It’s April and it snowed in Boston last night. Ain’t that some ish? It’s 26 degrees as I write this and just a few days ago, it was nearly 70. New England, man. It just keeps toying with me! We just recently put away the snow brushes for the car, so of course it would snow, right? That’s how it works.

The good news though is this was (hopefully) the last snowfall for the season and warmer weather will be here for longer than a day or two. So we’ll consider today’s post of delicious cauliflower fritters a send-off for the dumb, cold weather. Bye Felicia! …

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Spicy Shredded Cabbage

[heart_this] · Mar 9, 2016 · 24 Comments

Raise your hand if you love cabbage! *raises hand*

I do. I friggen love cabbage and it’s become a staple in this house. My usual go-to for something quick and easy has been unstuffed cabbage because it’s so tasty! One of my other favorites is actual stuffed cabbage, which isn’t on the blog yet, but that will change one of these days.

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for spicy shredded cabbage! A Greek inspired braised dish spiced with cinnamon and cloves! It’s super easy to make, healthy, and delicious!

…

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Skordalia (Greek Potato and Garlic Dip)

[heart_this] · Dec 1, 2015 · 19 Comments

Skordalia is a traditional Greek dip made with a potato base, lots of garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. It pairs really well with fried fish and/or vegetables.

Opa!

Are you planning on kissing anyone today? I’m asking because I got a delicious, garlicky treat for you and I just want to make sure you plan accordingly. I got your back.

Today, we are talking about skordalia (skor-thal-YAH)! When pronouncing it, you want to make a hard “th” sound, as if you are saying “the,” but with the letter L at the end of it. Now, you try it. See? Greek is easy.

Skordalia is a Greek dip that has a few variations when it comes to the base of the dish. Some are made with potatoes (which is the recipe I’m sharing with you today), others are made with bread, almonds, or walnuts. And some variants call for a combination of the ingredients. You might be asking how a dip with a bread-base works: it’s made with stale bread that has been soaked in water. I plan to explore different variations in the future, but I’m happy to share the potato one with you today!

Whether the recipe is made with potatoes, bread, nuts, or a combination, the remaining ingredients don’t differ all that much. It’s made with raw garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt; a combination that marries together so well.

I’ve had both the bread variant and potato; my yiayia always made it with potatoes growing up, so that is the flavor and texture I remember and enjoy the most. When I first tried skordalia, I was probably about six or seven years old and I didn’t love it. I remember my dad had some as a side with some fish and I wanted to try it. It’s made with a decent amount of raw, crushed garlic; maybe not a young kid’s favorite….

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Spanakorizo (Spinach and Rice)

[heart_this] · Nov 11, 2015 · 40 Comments

Raise your hand if you love giveaways! *raises both hands*

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to Michelle K!

I’m really excited, you guys. Like, SUPER excited. Because of giveaways! I love them. I teamed up with some bloggers a while back for the first giveaway on the blog and this time, I teamed up with even more bloggers to give away an even awesomer prize. How does a $650 Amazon gift card sound?

The holidays are coming up; there’s no denying it. This giveaway will be running up until the day before Thanksgiving, which means one of you lucky people will get to shop in your pajamas while stuffing your face with Thanksgiving leftovers. You animal.

If celebrating the holidays isn’t your thing, that’s cool. Cause you could still use this gift card to buy things for others if you’re feeling nice. Or you can just treat yo self.

To celebrate this awesome giveaway, I’m sharing a classic one pot Greek dish called spanakorizo (spah-nah-KOH-ree-zoh), which is a tasty dish made of rice, spinach, onions, dill, and lemon. I like to include leeks in mine because leeks are the best. Some variants call for some tomato sauce, which is also good, but I admit this way is my favorite and how I grew up eating this classic Greek dish….

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One Pot Greek Eggplant and Rice

[heart_this] · Oct 15, 2015 · 71 Comments

You guys!

Sunday was a big deal for me. And I didn’t even realize it was a big deal until a couple of days ago! I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t paid much attention to the dates.

Sunday marked the four year anniversary of me quitting smoking. I last bought a pack of cigarettes on October 11th, 2011, smoked maybe a couple cigarettes from that pack, and got rid of the rest. And I haven’t looked back since. Yay for smoke-free living!

I think I missed it because I was too busy playing catch-up on blog stuff along with everything else. With working overtime the last couple of weeks, it’s been a little tough keeping up with life!…

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Tourlou Tourlou

[heart_this] · Sep 25, 2015 · 18 Comments

I love when healthy tastes good. I don’t mean just good, but goooooood. You know what I’m saying?

Today, I’m sharing a tasty recipe called tourlou tourlou! It’s one of my favorite things to say. You gotta know how to roll those Rs to say it properly. It’s basically pronounced like “toodaloo,” but a little quicker than you might say toodaloo and also, you would say it twice because reasons.

Actually, tourlou tourlou basically means “all mixed together” (in Greek, duh) and it’s a medley of vegetables roasted in the oven long enough for them to soften and sweeten. And I find it tastes even better the next day. Whenever I visit home and my dad happened to make this, he offers me a bunch to take home and I never say no. Cause it’s too good to say no to. <3

…

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Horta Vrasta (Boiled Dandelion Greens)

[heart_this] · Sep 21, 2015 · 16 Comments

Okay, guys. I have a confession to make. I’m slowly re-branding my blog.

I don’t know; does that really make it a confession? A little dramatic, maybe? Either way, tiny changes are happening and I’m excited!

First: the bigger change: I’m going to start focusing more on Mediterranean food, especially the Greek stuff! I’ll still share recipes outside of that because really, I love all food (duh), but I can’t deny how passionate I am towards Mediterranean cuisine. Being a first generation American, I grew up in a typical old school Greek household and had a strong connection with the food and culture. So while you’ll see recipes like homemade marshmallow sauce and bacon and egg lo mein from time to time, you’ll be seeing a lot more Greek food and such, like this psari plaki! I hope you’re hungry. I know I am….

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Homemade Marshmallow Sauce

[heart_this] · Aug 10, 2015 · 45 Comments

I’ve been waiting for this day for WEEKS.

I like to think I’m good at following my own rule on how often to post sweets on the blog. That said, I have been blogging for well over a year (though not consistently until December hit) and I only have a very small handful of desserts posted and most of them need to be updated with new photos badly.

So last week I posted blueberry mascarpone pie and today, I’m sharing homemade marshmallow sauce! I can’t promise I won’t post something sweet next week. Just be sure to balance out all the delicious sweetness with something healthy and we’ll all be okay. It’s all about moderation or whatever.

So anyway, yeah. Marshmallow sauce. HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOW SAUCE! CAPSLOCK. I made this four different times over the last two and a half months with various results, with the last attempt being the best version yet and I’m so glad to be sharing it with you today. <3…

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Kale and Avocado Salad

[heart_this] · Jul 10, 2015 · 16 Comments

Updated on July 10th, 2015: Simple Kale Salad was the fourth post on OMG FOOD, back when I also purchased a DSLR for the first time and I had no idea what I was doing (I still don’t know, really)! I’ve updated this post with a new photo, new title: Kale and Avocado Salad, and a “new” recipe with instructions that make better sense.

Originally published on February 26th, 2014.

Kale has become a staple in our kitchen the last few months. If you were to look in my fridge each week, you are almost guaranteed to find some in there. I can’t guarantee that 100% because there’s always the chance it will all have been eaten before the next trip to the grocery store.

Anyway, I’m trying to tell you here that I’m really into kale and one of my favorite things to make with kale is this kale and avocado salad. Moving on.

Sound boring? Only if you make it so! Whenever I cook with kale or make salads, I make sure to dress it include properly. Because, yeah. Kale as is? It is kind of boring in my opinion! It can also be a tough and bitter to eat raw without preparing it the right way. How do you prepare it for raw foods such as salads? You massage it!…

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Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese

[heart_this] · Jul 5, 2015 · 14 Comments

Okay, guys. OMG FOOD has a new meaning: “Oh My Greek Food.” Cool? I’m into it.

Today, my friends, we are having spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese. I tried calling my mom to tell her I was posting this recipe, but she didn’t answer her phone. Typical mom. Ignoring her daughter’s phone call. THANKS A LOT, MOM. NO, REALLY. IT’S FINE. I’M NOT MAD. (Nah, it’s cool.)

Anyway, I’ll tell her the next time I do talk to her and she’s going to get so excited. Because she made this SO MUCH when I was growing up. I loved it then and I love it now. It’s one of those meals you can make without thinking about it much, you know? I mean, it involves three ingredients and the flavor is anything but boring. The brown butter is the secret ingredient and the mizithra cheese packs a unique punch….

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Tzatziki

[heart_this] · Jun 15, 2015 · 10 Comments

Oh, hey! I’m writing to you from a plane! I’m headed to Los Angeles for work. I’m pretty excited about it.

A lot of you know this already, but when I’m not working on this food thing, my full-time-40 hour-per-week-money-making-job is in video games and I’m headed to E3 to show off Rock Band 4 to the world with a bunch of co-workers! You should pre-order it because it’s going to be awesome. Just saying.

Also, I love technology. Writing a blog post from a plane while flying somewhere over Kansas is pretty awesome. Especially because I’m going to publish immediately! Just like that; a recipe to be shared with the whole world via Virgin America Flight 363. I’m into it.

My original plan was to write this ahead of time and schedule it for Friday, but I figured Fridays are already exciting on their own for the most part, right? It’s the day before the weekend, so you’re already stoked for that! And that’s why I’m sharing this recipe with you today. Monday needs to live a little.

So anyway, today, I’m sharing tzatziki! One of my favorite Greek dips. It’s great for dipping whether you have pita bread or pita chips and of course, a huge reason why gyros and souvlakia are delicious. …

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