The Fanciest Turkey Burger I've Ever Had

Last month, I went to visit my sister who is currently doing a study abroad program in Paris.  Since it was her spring break, and since I've already been to Paris, we decided to meet up in London and explore the British Isles.  While in London, we visited the Borough Market for lunch.  Besides the usual produce for sale, a few vendors were cooking up food for the local lunch crowd.  This is a recreation of a delicious chicken burger we had.  I was quite impressed by the simple yet flavor-packet street food London has to offer.

The Rules about Pasta

Italy is very much about tradition and protocol.  Most people find that odd considering the very laid back Italian lifestyle.  But they are pretty strict on this!

Sopes

In the words of my boyfriend: "why does fried corn taste so good?!" Sopes are no exception. They're a little more complicated to make but much more fun.

Mexican Kitchen Staples

To make sure your endeavors in Mexican cooking go as smoothly as possible, there are a few things you should have in your kitchen. I was fortunate enough that my mom made sure I had all these (except one which is hard to find) before I moved into my house.

Picadillo

A little known Mexican dish that is oh so yummy. This is the recipe my paternal grandma taught me. I've found other versions in cookbooks but they have way more ingredients that don't make sense to me (Cooking sherry? Really?). But this is so simple and delicious you don't need any of that mumbo jumbo.

Ragu Sauce

When we Americans think of pasta, usually spaghetti with a red sauce comes to mind.  Maybe a fettuccine alfredo. And that's it.  Friends say that after having lived in Italy I've become a "pasta snob," but when I've tasted so many amazing sauces and combinations, how can I not be?!  Since coming back, I find American Italian pasta dishes to be bland sauce on top of mushy pasta.  In Italy, all sauces are made fresh and delicious... nothing is canned or pre-made.  

When I was living in Italy, my Italian teacher has a friend of hers who was a chef teach us some real Italian recipes.  I'm still looking for the gnocchi recipe in my email somewhere, but here's the ragu.  

Kale & Spinach Smoothie

At the young age of 56, my mom started a health food kick. More so than she was already on. She came to visit last week, and brought a bag of spinach with her.  When I asked her what it was for, she said her morning spinach smoothie, which just sounds awful.  Don't get me wrong, but pureed spinach does not sound enjoyable.  But between all the weight she's been losing, and my boyfriend trying to lose weight too, I thought I'd give this a try.  That and the fact that my rabbit eats more veggies than I do.