The Portlandia Cookbook + a bulgur bowl recipe

Portlandia-Cookbook-FT

Portlandia is a weird show. Correction, when I first saw Portlandia, I thought it was a weird show. But now that I’ve faithfully watched three seasons, I realize it is absolutely brilliant. If you’ve never seen it, it’s a sketch comedy TV show created by (and starring) Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. Together, they play… 

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Whole wheat waffles with cinnamon-sauteed apples

When Etta James sang “I want a Sunday kind of love,” no doubt, she had a luxurious waffle breakfast in mind. Because what is better than enjoying a lengthy weekend breakfast at home with your boo? That’s right - nothing. I’d been planning all week long to cook an indulgent breakfast, and when the time… 

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Beet Cake

Beet-cake FT

The New Greenmarket Cookbook was going around my office a few weeks ago and landed in my hands. I spotted this gorgeous, rustic beet cake on the cover and immediately took note of the recipe. Being an avid lover of carrot cake and beets (especially beet juice), I knew this recipe was meant for me…. 

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Croque-Forestier from the Buvette cookbook

Buvette is a French word meaning refreshment stall, cafe or bar, and the West Village restaurant of the same name has become a sanctuary for francophile New Yorkers over the last few years. The trendy hole-in-the-wall is open for service all day, and is popular for its morning coffee and croissants, afternoon cocktails, uncomplicated suppers,… 

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Picadinho de Carne (Brazilian beef stew) from Falling Off The Bone by Jean Anderson

Starches like pasta and side dish vegetables like broccoli are easy to improvise recipes for. They cook quickly and are hard to mess up. But preparing a luscious meat dish requires much more finesse, especially when dealing with tougher, wallet-friendly cuts. Fortunately for us home cooks, Jean Anderson (James Beard Award-winning author of over 20… 

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Lemon Bars from The Brown Betty Cookbook

Remember this post where I told you about the incredible Brown Betty Cookbook? Well, when I was looking to bake something in celebration of Women’s Day (I’m Ukrainian and this day is not taken lightly in Eastern European cultures), I returned to its pages in search of another great recipe. I didn’t have to look… 

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