tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52506240418701277952012-02-01T14:13:36.226-05:00original recipes,<br> restaurant reviews,<br> and other food-related adventuresOlgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.comBlogger8081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-20971815414634826352012-01-30T12:24:00.002-05:002012-02-01T14:02:53.957-05:00

I love scones. So far, however, I've only made sweet scones: the ones with dried cherries and orange zest are my favorite. But guess what? They can also be savory! I've been meaning to make savory scones for a while, but for one reason or another haven't gotten my act together. Then, a few months ago, I pinned a recipe for Cheddar, Parmesan, and Cracked Pepper Scones on my Cooking

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-48212992625738368752012-01-27T14:25:00.000-05:002012-01-29T18:15:15.571-05:00

Happy Friday!!! To finish the week of easy recipes, I bring you Winter Fruit Salad with Sparkling Wine & Apricot Juice Dressing. It will take you longer to say the name of this recipe than it will take you to actually make this recipe...almost :) I love salads, but the types of salads that I love have more in them than just lettuce and dressing. I like stuff in my salads. In the summer, I

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-88864005982038188172012-01-25T11:59:00.001-05:002012-01-25T13:42:52.681-05:00

Today I bring you another incredibly easy, almost-no-recipe-required dish: Potato Balls in Tomato Sauce. Whenever I have a choice of pasta, rice, or potatoes, 99 percent of the time, potatoes win. I love them in salads, soups, mashed, fried, or roasted. I could eat potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I was little, my paternal grandmother made knishes with a filling of boiled

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-13828746842564174662012-01-23T12:13:00.001-05:002012-01-24T10:19:11.993-05:00

This past Saturday, a few friends came over to my place for a cooking date. We planned to make baked pockets with different types of filling, have some bubbly drinks and catch up. Since I was playing hostess, I decided to serve a few snacks/appetizers while we were making our main dish. I bought hummus, brie and olives. The hummus was served straight up, the brie was paired with pepper jelly,

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-68979761408223093112012-01-20T16:30:00.001-05:002012-01-23T11:37:39.831-05:00

When I received an invitation to dine at the relatively newly reopened The Federalist in DC, I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to say yes. Here's the thing: whenever I travel and stay in hotels, I rarely eat at the hotel restaurants. Instead, I prefer to check out free-standing restaurants; they somehow seem more authentic. But then I've really liked some of the hotel restaurants in my own city

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-15743495198457122942012-01-19T13:33:00.002-05:002012-01-19T13:33:54.723-05:00

First, thank you to all who left such nice comments on my previous posts: I'm feeling better!! Now to this post: Salmon Fillets on a Bed of Peas. A few months ago I received a copy of Sunday Roasts cookbook for a preview. I love when such things happen: I come home to find a yellow envelope sitting by my door with a gorgeous cookbook inside! This book is stunning. The pages are smooth and

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-76511902673079746362012-01-17T10:41:00.001-05:002012-01-17T13:50:51.376-05:00

You guys! The three-day weekend turned into a five-day weekend. Do NOT be jealous. I've been home sick since Friday. Thankfully, I have enough sick hours and don't have a job where I must come in even when I'm not feeling a hundred percent. I've been coughing, sneezing, taking long naps, spending countless hours watching TV, and of course tweeting. Unlike most people, luckily, my appetite

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-41379667172380491392012-01-14T14:41:00.000-05:002012-01-14T18:46:03.867-05:00

I love brunch. You get to sleep in, dress up a bit, and meet your friends for good food and sparkly drinks: what's not to like? Last Sunday, I met my friends Melissa, Nikki and Jenna at District Commons for brunch. Although Melissa and Jenna have had brunch there before, it was Nikki's and my first time. After a night of salsa dancing, I was hungry and hurriedly looked at the brunch menu

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-27875091634154035672012-01-11T10:36:00.002-05:002012-01-11T19:06:03.789-05:00

Last month I had a chance to try out a new beverage called bai. Bai is a new all natural antioxidant beverage that contains one gram of coffee fruit. That's the same fruit from which coffee beans come. Each bottle of bai delivers the same antioxidant as a cup of blueberries! Currently, bai is available in the DC area at CVS and Dean & Deluca stores, but two lucky readers of Mango & Tomato

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-66144264453559108362012-01-09T14:45:00.000-05:002012-01-09T15:12:04.499-05:00

Do you love Indian food? Are you a vegetarian? Do you want some bright colors in your bowl when it's dreadfully gray and cold outside? If you've answered yes to any of these questions, you are going to like the Paneer with Tomatoes and Spinach recipe I developed for you this past weekend. A few weekends ago I had a chance to check out an Indian grocery store and, among other things, I picked

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-61502521731079718912012-01-07T13:00:00.000-05:002012-01-09T12:22:35.939-05:00

Happy Saturday! This post has been at least  a month in the making. I want to share with you a few new things in my kitchen. Here's a collection of some new dishes I picked up at Goodwill and Crate & Barrel Outlet, as well as a pretty place mat. You've already seen some of these appear in my food photographs. The flowered tea cup didn't have a matching saucer, but luckily I found one on eBay

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-55604766696398207912012-01-05T11:40:00.000-05:002012-01-05T13:52:25.858-05:00

This year for Hanukkah, I decided to buy myself a gift with the money my parents sent me. Yes, I'm 32 years old and my parents still give me Hanukkah money. I'm lucky. One of the things I purchased is a beautiful yellow oval baking dish by Emile Henry from Chefs Catalog. I was hoping to receive this baking dish in time to make Portobello & Leek Gratin, but alas that did not happen because I

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-8157244414961600142012-01-03T12:40:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:10:41.598-05:00

Happy 2012 and welcome back to Mango & Tomato! For my first recipe of 2012, I present to you Scallop Salad with Oranges & Persimmons. This is a good representation of my cooking: colorful, quick, delicious, and imprecise. You can make this recipe on a whim, it's great for one or a crowd, and there aren't really precise measurements. It won't take you any longer to make this dish than it will

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-46295622400443458312011-12-31T10:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T12:27:13.743-05:00

When I saw a recipe for Mushroom & Leek Gratin in Everyday Food Magazine, I knew I would make it. I found a perfect occasion for this dish when my friend Cindy invited me to dinner at her house. Cindy LOVES mushrooms, so I knew she would appreciate this dish. Alas, I wasn't able to find an oval two quart baking dish this recipe calls for. Instead, I used a round Pyrex dish and one mini

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-8298149812582404112011-12-29T11:20:00.000-05:002011-12-29T14:10:32.116-05:00

Last week I was submitting my photos to Foodgawker (in hopes that they will accept them and increase my blog traffic), when I saw a photograph of adorable little cakes they posted from another food blogger. I clicked on the photograph to find a beautiful blog called the little kitchen and a recipe for Mini Meyer Lemon Bundt Cakes, inspired by a recipe for Tangerine Cake from Everyday Food. I

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-41118506516419981002011-12-27T12:00:00.000-05:002011-12-28T14:59:14.165-05:00

Rugelach. Huh? Rugelach are Jewish cookies typically made with jams, cinnamon or nuts. The filling is rolled in a cream cheese dough and baked until the dough is golden brown. I've had these cookies multiple times. My favorite filling is apricot jam with walnuts; I'm not a fan of cinnamon/sugar filling. When I received a preview copy of Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook and found a recipe for

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-73892146124433032572011-12-23T10:30:00.000-05:002011-12-28T15:00:53.770-05:00

Earlier this month my friend Stacey gave me the latest Everyday Food magazine. I paged through it and ripped out three different recipes that appealed to me. Today, I'd like to share with you a recipe for Chicken and Lentil Burger. Of course I had to put my own spin on this by adding sundried tomato and goat cheese spread. Other than that, I pretty much followed Everyday Food's recipe, and it

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-16585829834358895192011-12-21T13:30:00.000-05:002011-12-22T17:08:17.581-05:00

I love Brussels sprouts. I typically roast them with different spices, or add shallots, bacon, balsamic vinegar, or a fried egg on top. Go ahead and type "Brussels sprouts" in the search box to the right and you'll find many ideas. This time around, I decided to make Zesty & Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes. I love the combination of bright green Brussels sprouts with the orange

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-62905110234688170092011-12-19T13:20:00.000-05:002011-12-19T13:29:23.877-05:00

This past Saturday I met my friend Cecilia for brunch at Zaytinya. I've dined at Zaytinya many times over the years, but have never tried their brunch menu. It was time to change this! Instead of ordering a standard mimosa, both Cecilia and I {let me just clarify that she copied me ;) } chose Istanbul, Not Constantinople cocktails. The cocktails had Maker's Mark bourbon, apricot eau-de-vie,

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-62903847100276709832011-12-16T10:30:00.000-05:002011-12-16T10:44:00.361-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm so looking forward to the weekend: I'll be painting my kitchen, going dancing, getting together wish some friends for fun and food, and of course cooking. Since this is the holiday season, there is a lot of entertaining taking place. I am not a huge fan of throwing big dinner parties: they  stress me out, and how much fun is that? Instead, I like getting together

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-32000847088715423362011-12-14T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-14T14:14:47.090-05:00

Earlier last week I was invited to taste test a relatively new menu at Poste prepared by Chef Dennis Marron. I have been to Poste several times in the past. In fact, DC Food Bloggers held their first Happy Hour at Poste: that's where I met a few bloggers who are now my friends. I was joined by another area blogger who is now a friend: Stacey. To round up the lunch crew, Stacey brought her super

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-77641281715673432722011-12-12T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-13T16:50:09.982-05:00

Lately, I've been trying new things in the kitchen: canning, attempting to cook a goat's neck, and making falafel {the last one is one of the benefits of freelancing for Robyn Webb: I get to try new ingredients, recipes, and products}. Today I'm sharing a recipe for Beef Stroganoff with you: another first for me. According to my mom, she made beef stroganoff many times when we lived in Moscow

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-39169205910306862262011-12-09T16:30:00.000-05:002011-12-09T16:33:18.572-05:00

This is a story of a girl, a goat's neck and a sweet potato ragu. Let's start from the beginning. In April, I was contacted by Bonnie Benwick of Washington Post to see if I'd be able to take a few photos of Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce for the Food Section's blog. How often does Washington Post contact you? In my case, the answer is not so often, so I happily accepted the assignment.

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-90151100748513370872011-12-07T08:30:00.000-05:002011-12-08T15:21:48.605-05:00

Canning. Have you done it? Were you scared? Thrilled? Successful? When I was growing up in Moscow, my dad built a huge pantry for my mom where she kept jars filled with canned tomatoes, peppers, carrots, garlic, cherries, jams, etc. For some reason, I don't actually remember her canning: maybe I was told to stay out of the kitchen for fear that some of the boiling water would scald me.

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-24316804885075671302011-12-05T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-05T13:36:38.605-05:00

How about a picture of a super cute-two-year old to get you to read the entire post? :) This is B, my friend Cindy's son, eating a dessert Cindy and I made over the weekend. And here's the story: Because my friends know how much I love food, they often call or email me with questions about recipes, ingredients or the best restaurants for a particular occasions. I'm always happy to help!

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-20800029359158584942011-12-02T12:30:00.000-05:002011-12-04T14:44:19.936-05:00

Whoever said that too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup wasn't entirely correct. It's true: I typically cook better when I'm the only one in the kitchen and Latin music is blasting from my computer. However, there is a part of cooking process where I love: collaboration, which  involves combining different culinary inspirations into one recipe. This  Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo,

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-60946542988774074222011-11-30T12:45:00.000-05:002011-11-30T13:32:56.457-05:00

I spent this Thanksgiving with Cindy and her family. We've known each other for ten years. Wow, time flies. I can't remember how many times we've spent Thanksgiving together, but if we are all in DC for the holidays, it's a given. Cindy and her family are my surrogate family--I'm the adopted older cousin ;) When asked what I could contribute to the meal, I was told I could bring a potato

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-5272346463620208812011-11-28T13:40:00.000-05:002011-11-28T13:44:46.830-05:00

On Saturday, my friend Stacey came over for breakfast with her 6 month old son, Myer, and brought home made challah! I made challah French toast and served it with boozy cranberries I made earlier that week. But with a little boy in my condo, there wasn't too much time for arranging and photographing the food. So yesterday, I decided to make Challah French Toast Stuffed with Boozy Cranberries

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-44764540301940754062011-11-25T14:30:00.000-05:002011-11-25T14:38:26.936-05:00

Earlier this month, my friend Sangeetha, who does PR for Bourbon Steak, amongst a zillion other amazing restaurants in DC area, asked if I would like to come to Bourbon Steak, take a few photographs of the new items on the menu and be treated to a lunch for two in return. Since Sangeetha and I have known each other for a few years, I felt no need to wait more than a few minutes before saying

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-82138874614691609822011-11-23T13:40:00.000-05:002011-11-23T13:41:31.107-05:00

Remember the Lamb Pizza with Arugula, Goat Cheese & Pepperoncini I wrote about? Well, after making the pizza, I still had a pound of raw ground lamb leftover, not to mention the goat cheese and pepperoncini. Of course I could have simply made another pizza, or frozen the ground lamb, but I wanted to do something else. I decided to make Lamb Shepherd's Pie with Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes. I

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-49210837158230480102011-11-21T11:45:00.000-05:002011-11-21T12:55:33.155-05:00

Last month I came home to find yet another copy of a cookbook for my preview. I'm not one to complain: it's fun having surprise packages waiting by my door. Plus, there is no pressure: I look through the book, mark the recipes I want to try, and then grocery shopping. Today I'm happy to share with you a recipe from the latest Trader Joe's cookbook from Ulysses Press: The I ♥ Trader Joe's Around

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-46930455975489819672011-11-18T15:30:00.000-05:002011-11-18T15:30:50.562-05:00

This is the second installment in the Lamb Supper Club series {one more to come}. To refreshen your memory, here's the first part: Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb. I'm participating in this supper club hosted by the Tri-Lamb Group, a collaborative initiative of lamb producer organizations from the U.S., New Zealand and Australia which focuses on educating Americans about lamb. {Note: although

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-75459971438062110952011-11-16T13:45:00.000-05:002011-11-16T15:44:41.999-05:00

As part of Foodbuzz's Tastemakers program, I occasionally have a chance to try new products. This time, I received a coupon for a free Sabra product: I could choose from multiple varieties of hummus, fresh salsa, natural guacamole or Greek yogurt dips. Of course I'm capable of making any of the mentioned snacks by myself. In fact, I love making hummus in my mini food processor and flavoring

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-30827800619404191552011-11-14T10:00:00.000-05:002011-11-14T10:13:04.580-05:00

When I was growing up in Moscow (Russia, not Idaho), my dad took my sister and me swimming on Sundays. Occasionally we'd also go to the gym prior to swimming. I was never a fan of either activity (to this date I don't like gyms). Going swimming on Sundays meant Anna and I would miss out on American cartoons shown on TV: another childhood sadness. As a reward for swimming, however, my dad let

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-48341474710602322222011-11-11T16:45:00.000-05:002011-11-11T16:58:32.842-05:00

It's been a while since I've put my ice cream maker to use. After all, it is no longer Summer. But then, I saw a recipe for Roasted Rhubarb Buttermilk Ice Cream on Lorelei's blog. I decided it was time to take my ice cream maker out of its hibernation. Before the seasonal police comes to arrest me, yes, I know rhubarb is no longer in season. But I swear I saw it at my grocery store a few days

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-48640486421840742792011-11-09T11:04:00.000-05:002011-11-09T11:23:02.108-05:00

Some people do "wordless Wednesdays" and post photos without any text, others do "wine Wednesdays" and discuss wine related things. This post will be a little bit of each: a bunch of wine related photos and a some wine information. A few months ago, my friend Cecilia told me she was invited to attend a wine tasting event at Boordy Vineyards in MD. Guess who got to go with Cecilia? This past

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-85961871425538172912011-11-07T10:19:00.000-05:002011-11-07T10:19:35.316-05:00

Have you ever had Green Goddess salad dressing? It's usually made from herbs (such as basil, parsley, and/or tarragon), mayonnaise or sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, anchovy fillets and green onions and/or chives. What I like most about the Green Goddess dressing, is its bright green color. That's why when I concocted the sandwich to the left, I decided to call it Green Goddess Sandwich.

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-68674975302341718322011-11-04T12:36:00.000-04:002011-11-04T12:36:30.144-04:00

One of the things I love most about blogging is the people I get to meet. Some I meet in real life, others I want to meet in real life, but for now stay in touch through twitter, facebook, etc. Simone, the woman behind JungleFrog Cooking, is one of the people I'd love to meet in real life. Who knows if it will ever happen? I live in the States, she lives in Netherlands. I've "known" Simone

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-65733297582501533742011-11-02T11:39:00.001-04:002011-11-02T22:29:28.059-04:00

A while back, Lisa, aka Event Junkie, asked if I'd be willing to spread the word about The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction happening in DC. Since I don't do event promotion on this blog, I thought of a compromise: I will feature a recipe by one of the chefs participating in The March of Dimes event and tell you all a bit about the event. As it happened, a few weeks ago I had lunch at

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-58264580706355947332011-10-31T10:41:00.001-04:002011-10-31T10:41:55.171-04:00

Morning, girls and boys. The calendar shows that today is Halloween! Of course I don't need a calendar to tell me that. Although I've been in the States for 18 years, Halloween has never been a holiday I've celebrated. I might have dressed up once or twice, and I do enjoy the candy, but that's where it ends. And so this year, like many years in the past, I haven't planned on doing anything

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-51240895989093889182011-10-28T11:55:00.000-04:002011-10-28T13:51:07.430-04:00

Happy Friday! It's cold outside and there is talk of possible snow this weekend. Hard to believe! It is the perfect time, however, to make "Three Sisters" Stew. This is the second recipe I've made from the Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. The first one, Mixed Greens with Green Apples, Beets, and Pistachios, was a delight: great ingredients, simple directions, and a very satisfactory result

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-13518738488326558942011-10-26T11:38:00.001-04:002011-10-26T11:38:26.094-04:00

Over the weekend I made Mixed Greens with Green Apples, Beets, and Pistachios from a Vegan Holiday Kitchen cookbook I received for a review.   What I liked most about the salad, was the combination of beets, toasted pistachios and cranberries. I decided to use the same ingredients, but in a side dish: this Brown Rice with Beets, Leeks & Maitake Mushrooms would be great for anyone who is vegan

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-342471266904634062011-10-24T11:48:00.000-04:002011-10-24T12:05:09.175-04:00

Last week I came home and noticed a small package waiting by my door. Inside, was a preview copy of Nava Atlas's Vegan Holiday Kitchen from Sterling Publishing. Let me just say that I love meat, cheese, eggs, ice cream, etc. I'm not going to turn into a vegan, or even a vegetarian. However, perhaps I should start giving my eating habits more serious thought: once again, my cholesterol levels

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-63050851713345020052011-10-21T12:04:00.002-04:002011-10-21T12:04:26.809-04:00

Fall is finally here. The leaves are changing colors, the air is cooler and crisp, and I find myself craving simple, warm dishes. The photo on the left is of the Southwestern Squash & Leeks Soup I made for Robyn's blog last weekend. The touch of curry added warmth and spice to an otherwise typical butternut squash soup. You'll have to click on the link to find out what Robyn used to top off

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-42925096755474028612011-10-19T15:13:00.000-04:002011-10-19T15:13:06.477-04:00

Happy Wednesday! I'm pretty sure this is the last full Asheville post you will find on my blog (unless I take another trip to the lovely city). Are you glad? I'll be back to recipe posting very, very soon: I promise. Here's a question for you: what do you like as snacks? Are you a savory girl/boy and tend to pick up potato chips, pistachios, or maybe Cheetos? Or do you crave chocolate, ice

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-24657742800684242372011-10-17T12:32:00.002-04:002011-10-17T12:32:41.800-04:00

Welcome to another "Eating out in Asheville, NC" post! Hope you are enjoying vicariously traveling to Asheville through reading my posts and looking at the photographs. If you've read the super long title of this blog post, you know that in the end I'll share a recipe for tomato jam...but you have to wait a while ;) My first official meal in Asheville was at the Market Place Restaurant & Lounge.

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-11918861484772794912011-10-14T11:51:00.003-04:002011-10-14T11:51:51.875-04:00

Welcome to the 2nd post from my Asheville weekend getaway. If you haven't yet read about my brunch at Curate, you are missing out on learning about egg 63 and one of the best mimosas I've ever had. This past Monday I had till 3 pm to hang out in Asheville before going to the airport for my flight back to DC. Sunday night I ordered Indian food and spent the night in bed watching all my regular TV

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-36788205135623928682011-10-12T13:42:00.001-04:002011-10-12T13:42:26.117-04:00

I'm back from a long fun weekend in Asheville, North Carolina. The weather was spectacular, my hotel was gorgeous, and I did a lot of eating, relaxing and walking around. When I started researching what to do in Asheville, I turned to three sources: 1) my Twitter friends 2) Eat Write Retreat: they are gathering in Asheville next month, and I was able to use multiple recommendations from their

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-4368840112899953822011-10-10T09:00:00.000-04:002011-10-10T09:40:49.368-04:00

Last weekend, as I was standing next to my stove, whisking a custard that would soon become pistachio ice cream, my mom called. We chatted quickly about new things in our lives, I told her how much I was loving the Le Creuset her and my dad sent me for my birthday back in March, and then she told me that she was once again making a marinated eggplant dish one of her friends, Sveta, shared with

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-85287099347767261152011-10-07T10:29:00.002-04:002011-10-07T10:29:36.885-04:00

Back in February, I shared with you some of the photographs I took of Domenica Marchetti. One of those photographs is now in Domenica's latest cookbook, Rustic Italian, published by Williams Sonoma. I'm so excited: this is the first time my work is in print. {squeal} A few weeks ago, my friend Cecilia called me to let me know she received a preview copy of the book and made one of the recipes

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-79719126185316766522011-10-05T13:25:00.000-04:002011-10-05T13:50:26.234-04:00

Last week, my friend at work, Danielle, brought me yet another bag of onions. The first time Danielle brought me a bag of onions, I made Onion Jam. The next time I made Pickled Onions. This time I thought maybe I should make French Onion Soup.  I've had French Onion Soups a few times and have always liked the soft onions, the beefy broth and the warmth and comfort of the soup. My favorite

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-62130150902888577992011-10-03T12:39:00.001-04:002011-10-03T12:39:38.479-04:00

When it comes to Brussels sprouts, people either love them or hate them. I'm definitely a lover of Brussels sprouts. Growing up, my mom made a vegetable soup with Brussels sprouts in it and I really liked it. Plus, when my parents placed food in front of me, I rarely had a choice. They weren't short order cooks: everyone ate the same dish. Once I grew up, however, my favorite way of preparing

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-53133747914113252612011-09-30T12:15:00.001-04:002011-09-30T12:19:57.600-04:00

When I was at the grocery store last weekend, I noticed a spaghetti squash. Without giving it too much thought, I picked one up. To be honest, I had no idea what I would do with it. It seems like in the US, people love roasting squash with butter and brown sugar. That is so NOT my idea of what I want to eat for lunch or dinner. Instead, I make all my squash dishes savory. After getting home

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-49853531251946311762011-09-28T13:00:00.000-04:002011-09-28T13:00:03.873-04:00

First, I want to wish everyone a very happy Rosh Hashannah. Hope this year is sweet for you and your families and friends! If you are still looking for something sweet to bake for tonight's dinner, try this Honey Cake with Almonds and Orange Zest. And now let's return to our regular programming. It seems like it's been at least a year since I've heard of kale chips. You basically buy kale, rip

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-81005592806950105872011-09-26T14:11:00.000-04:002011-09-26T14:11:44.998-04:00

I would never get an award for the best Jew. I eat pork. I love shellfish. After a dinner of steak, I don't mind eating a dessert that has dairy in it. Several years ago I gave up fasting for Yom Kippur, because instead of having a reflective day, I'd be miserable because all I could think about was not being able to eat and drink. I have only dated one Jewish guy...and even he was only 1/2

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-19627389424455538882011-09-22T17:44:00.001-04:002011-09-22T17:44:38.709-04:00

It has been about a month since I've come back from a long weekend vacation in Denver. I've already shared with you my thoughts about a meal in Watercourse, photographs from a farmers' market and some non-food related activities. Below are a few other restaurants I visited with Kenny in Denver. Alas, some of the ones we wanted to check out just did not happen: not enough hours in the day for all

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-19424226058359719322011-09-19T16:49:00.001-04:002011-09-19T16:57:02.044-04:00

What happens when people find out you have a cooking blog? They expect you to cook for them...because after all, you love food and cooking, right? Oy the memories of certain ex boyfriends who did not understand why I did not want to buy the groceries, make the meal and then clean the kitchen...no wonder they are ex. But then there are occasions when cooking for someone is really appreciated and

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-472280770986481782011-09-15T18:58:00.000-04:002011-09-15T18:58:04.199-04:00

Just a quick "HI" from Seattle! I'm having a good time hanging out with my family and friends, dancing, eating, making a few jewelry projects for my mom and sleeping in. Since many of you liked my "recipe" for Fig salad with goat cheese, arugula and pickled onions, here's another idea for what to do with the same ingredient PLUS French baguette: Fig & Goat Cheese Baguette. This is an

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-50699847478983952462011-09-12T12:34:00.000-04:002011-09-12T12:34:03.345-04:00

What do you the day before or the day of travel? I pack, water my plants, charge my computer, phone, camera, and clean out my fridge. This Saturday I had a 5 pm flight to visit my family in Seattle: this meant breakfast and lunch at home. For breakfast, I had coconut lentil soup with pickled onions: there was just enough soup leftover to make a small meal. Plus, it was already 11 am: I slept

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-22445721529260301592011-09-09T11:00:00.000-04:002011-09-09T11:30:05.753-04:00

Last month I was asked if I wanted to review Rachael Ray's non stick meatloaf pan set and garbage bowl. Here are the things that went through my mind: 1) ooh, I love trying out new gadgets/dishes/tools in the kitchen 2) my current meatloaf pan is slightly scratched and it'd be nice to have a replacement 3) garbage bowl: can't any bowl be a garbage bowl? 4) I only watch RR's show when I'm

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-36166735892746190392011-09-07T12:30:00.000-04:002011-09-07T12:38:59.034-04:00

It's grey, raining and a bit chilly out. Perhaps the weather gods are getting me ready for a week in Seattle? But then my mom said that in Seattle it's sunny and supposed to be 90 degrees! What's going on? But let's get back to this post: I feel like it's perfectly timed because today is the perfect day to make this Coconut Lentil Soup from Marc Samuelsson's blog. I originally saw the recipe in

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-3895014302250751152011-09-05T10:40:00.001-04:002011-09-09T10:35:09.416-04:00

Remember when a friend at work gave me a bunch of large onions and I made onion jam? Well, Danielle did it again: last Friday she brought me a bag of red onions and beets. I wasn't complaining :) Although the beets are still sitting in my kitchen, I knew right away what I would do with the red onions: Citrus-Pickled Onions from Joe Yonan's Serve Yourself cookbook. This is the second recipe

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-84149721451650079672011-09-02T11:00:00.000-04:002011-09-02T11:01:29.809-04:00

A few months ago I received an interesting email. Here's what it said:  I’m writing to gauge your interest in being a supper club host for an inaugural series hosted by the Tri-Lamb Group, a collaborative initiative of lamb producer organizations from the U.S., New Zealand and Australia which focuses on educating Americans about lamb.  I was intrigued. First, I love lamb. Whenever I am eating

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-21885973648863120342011-08-31T10:00:00.000-04:002011-08-31T10:07:28.361-04:00

This past week my grocery store had an amazing sale: 1 pint of grape tomatoes for 97 cents. That's pretty much unheard of. And yes, of course, these tomatoes weren't nearly as good as the ones you'd find at a farmers' market, but I love tomatoes and bought 6 pints and was excited about all the possible ways of cooking/eating them. In the end, I used some tomatoes in a corn/tomato/avocado salad,

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-40656847692746544442011-08-29T10:00:00.003-04:002011-08-29T10:58:59.070-04:00

This recipe is inspired by Amy of Word Kitchen. Earlier this month Amy tweeted that she was making Basmati rice with pistachios. I was intrigued and asked for directions. Amy replied with the following: lemme see: 1c basmati in 2 c water, fluff. Add 2T chop'd pistachios, 2T chop'd currants, thread of OO, some parsley, s & p... I added this tweet to the list of my favorites and was looking for

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-24543191175324822012011-08-27T12:05:00.001-04:002011-08-27T12:09:10.271-04:00

 

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-54562299172235803382011-08-25T11:00:00.000-04:002011-08-25T11:14:10.087-04:00

I'm back from Denver. Did you miss me? :) Hope so. In the next week or so I'll share with you some of my favorite meals from Denver, Colorado. Let me just say this: the food was incredible and the service everywhere was genuine and attentive. It was as if the chefs, waitresses and the front of the house staff actually loved their jobs and were excited to have you in their restaurants! After

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-62162832674286843282011-08-23T14:45:00.001-04:002011-08-23T14:49:31.268-04:00

I'm back from a fun long weekend in Denver. The food scene there was amazing and the service was unbelievable. All the eating was balanced out by walking, sightseeing and two nights of salsa dancing. Other than a 6 hour delay in Kansas City on the way back to DC, it was a great time. While I'm editing photos from Denver, I want to share with you yet another food filled afternoon I've had with DC

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-65833930064450625032011-08-19T07:30:00.000-04:002011-08-19T07:41:53.686-04:00

As you are reading this, I'm having a fabulous time in Denver. Don't hate. But while I'm out and about, I thought I'd share with you a salad I made several weeks ago on a total whim. Here's what happened: I have been obsessing with watermelon. I love eating it as is, or pickled or in a salad with feta and basil. Then someone mentioned grilling watermelon. I love grilled peaches, nectarines and

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-9851557685934963252011-08-17T10:25:00.000-04:002011-08-17T10:28:54.422-04:00

About 90% of the time I just make up my own recipes. I go to the store, find what ingredients look appealing, see what I have in my pantry and make things up as I go. Most of the time I'm quite successful. Other times, I just want someone to hand me a recipe, go to the store to get all the necessary ingredients, follow the directions and make a dish as the recipe's author has intended it to be.

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-80960415528752381972011-08-15T10:30:00.001-04:002011-08-15T10:36:56.255-04:00

Last weekend I got a chance to do something incredibly cool and something I've been wanting to do for years. I was invited to attend the 9th Annual Clyde's Farm Dinner at Willow Creek Farm: one of the Slow Food DC events. I will be the first one to admit that my refrigerator and pantry are not full of organic and local produce and staples from farmers' market. The convenience of shopping at my

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-28307594491936753452011-08-13T21:09:00.000-04:002011-08-13T21:09:30.186-04:00

The first ever digital camera I had was a Kodak. This was almost 10 years ago. Here's the story: my mom asked me if I wanted a camera. I said no. Then when I came to visit my parents in Seattle for New Years and opened my New Year present, amongst towels I found a Kodak digital camera. I lost my sh*t. Seriously! In fact, my reaction, a full-on meltdown, was recorded by my dad. Trust me, it's not

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-63381843134787755792011-08-11T12:40:00.001-04:002011-08-11T13:31:57.570-04:00

A few weeks ago I received a package from PastaPrima with several varieties of ravioli and was asked to come up with a fun recipe that would not be your typical ravioli with sauce dish. I was up for the challenge! Who knows, maybe I'll even win the grand prize of $1,000 worth of must-have kitchen tools? One can dream, right? About PastaPrima: "Pasta Prima is both American owned and family

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-30656746139877846222011-08-09T13:00:00.000-04:002011-08-09T13:07:25.522-04:00

Meatballs weren't a typical item on a menu in my house in Russia. Instead, we ate kotleti: sort of similar to burger patties, they were made from beef, garlic, onion, salt & pepper with an addition of an egg and some bread. These kotleti were formed into patties and cooked on a pan till the outside was crispy. Instead of eating them on a bun, we had them with mashed potatoes, rice, pasta or

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-25336609563360157862011-08-05T15:50:00.000-04:002011-08-05T15:55:41.491-04:00

In the past I've mentioned how completely impressionable I am. If I see something on TV, on someone's blog or in a restaurant, those things/ideas get stuck in my head and constantly bug me to make them. This is especially true if those things/ideas remind me of something awesome from my past. Case in point: last month Anna, my twin, told me she was making Sour Cherry and Pecan Cookies with

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-22495925794501545272011-08-03T11:00:00.000-04:002011-08-03T11:14:46.603-04:00

Apparently today is Watermelon Day. I'm more than happy to celebrate. Watermelon is one of the things that screams summer to me. I remember growing up in Moscow (not the Idaho one) and eating watermelon in the hot summer months both in the City and whenever my family took Summer vacations by the Black Sea. Oh, those were the times. Our watermelons back then had seeds. Of course as a child it

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-13009276445092548602011-08-02T14:15:00.000-04:002011-08-02T14:15:05.552-04:00

Last night I had a great pleasure of dining at Oyamel, one of Jose Andres' many restaurants in Washington DC. This was not my first time at Oyamel, but the first time to experience the menu specifically prepared for the Squash Blossom Festival. Big thank you to Heather Freeman PR for the dinner invitation! From the restaurant: Join us this August for the annual celebration of the this most

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-69814236372441987782011-08-01T11:00:00.000-04:002011-08-01T11:07:37.382-04:00

A few weeks ago my friend Danielle asked if I'd like some onions she got from a CSA and did not want. I said sure. So the next day Danielle brought 6 HUGE white onions to work. I had no clue what to do with them, but I was happy to try and figure it out. Of course the first thing that came to mind was French Onion Soup. You might find it hard to believe, but although I love the soup, I've never

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-80761705022266600772011-07-29T10:40:00.000-04:002011-07-29T10:44:03.966-04:00

Here's another post about my adventures with an ice cream maker. This time around I decided to give frozen yogurt another try (check out my Mango Peach Frozen Yogurt). I had a few bags of frozen sour cherries on hand and some fresh sweet cherries. I decided to combine them with tangy yogurt for a refreshing, pretty and relatively healthy summer treat. Since my last frozen yogurt turned out

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-11055552944604304592011-07-27T10:30:00.000-04:002011-07-27T10:30:55.525-04:00

If the first thing that pops into your head when I say salad is lettuce, you will be quite surprised by the ingredients in this Grilled Peach Summer Salad. The entire salad came together randomly, just as many of my recipes do. I saw some peaches on sale at the grocery store. Washington State cherries were also on sale. As were the figs and prosciutto. My original idea was to do something with

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-11958732325233698462011-07-25T12:45:00.001-04:002011-07-25T14:40:38.204-04:00

A few weeks ago I randomly bought a package of extra firm tofu at the grocery store without really having any idea of what to make with it. In fact, it's been sitting in my refrigerator all this time, and I've been doing a great job ignoring it. Yesterday I decided to make Sweet, Sticky & Spicy Tofu. The "recipe" is just something I came up with on a whim by looking at what I had on hand. If I

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-47950233329834780342011-07-22T12:00:00.004-04:002011-07-22T12:02:26.963-04:00

A few weekends ago I went over to my friend Sangeetha's house for brunch, followed by what else: shopping! It was great to see her new house, catch up, and taste some wonderful Indian food that she prepared for me. One of the dishes at the brunch table was a bowl of puffed rice with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and a few chutneys. One of the chutneys was made with cilantro, mint, chili,

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-89844468923250884472011-07-20T13:00:00.000-04:002011-07-20T13:21:17.415-04:00

Oh, beets, how I love thee! In cold months of winter, roasted in the oven, sliced and topped with goat cheese, you are divine. In the fall, mixed in with citrus, blue cheese and toasted nuts, you warm me up. In the summer, peeled and shredded with carrots, daikon radish and mixed in with sesame oil, cilantro and soy sauce, you invigorate me. And you make me jealous when you appear in the

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-29368129349427011282011-07-18T11:00:00.001-04:002011-07-21T15:09:20.680-04:00

Last Thursday I went to the Penn Quarter farmers' market and strolled around while catching up with my friends Melissa and Daphne, and trying to figure out what I should buy. Sometimes I can be oh so very indecisive! At the end, I picked up a big bunch of basil, a bag of arugula and a bunch of Swiss chard. I did not really have any specific ideas in mind for what to do with any of my purchases

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-51281922098000737892011-07-15T14:50:00.000-04:002011-07-15T14:52:23.576-04:00

How hot is it where you live? In DC area the temperatures have been near a 100 degrees. Add to that the humidity, and sometimes it's almost unbearable to think about cooking. But cooking is still something I do when it's hot out because 1) I like to eat 2) Robyn makes me :) I should explain the second reason: I do freelance cooking and photography for Robyn's Fabulous Food Finds blog, so most

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-82914866332352830132011-07-13T11:30:00.001-04:002011-07-21T15:09:58.081-04:00

A while ago I decided to treat myself to dinner at Bibiana. This was no ordinary dinner: it was a celebration for Domenica Marchetti's new cookbook: The Glorious Pasta of Italy. The night included tasting some of the dishes from the book prepared by the Executive Chef Nicholas Stefanelli, sipping on wine, and listening to Domenica describe the origins and the stories behind some of her favorite

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-8236956546282285802011-07-11T13:10:00.002-04:002011-08-04T11:25:55.346-04:00

We all lead such busy lives. Sometimes it takes almost a month {or more} before I'm able to come up with a date for a get together with a friend that works for both of us. One such get together finally happened last month with my friend Jenna, who has been especially busy lately ever since she's opened up Whisked! with Stephanie.  But back to our get together: Jenna and I decided to go see

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-10873656231409836512011-07-07T11:25:00.003-04:002011-07-07T12:43:42.470-04:00

Earlier last week I tweeted a question about what kind of ice cream to make to go with the sour cherry compote I've made earlier. I've received several suggestions, but the one I decided to follow was to ask @jenisicreams for a recipe of her goat cheese ice cream. Jeni was kind enough to sent me a link to Epicurious, which featured her Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Roasted Red Cherries. I followed

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-76572459157776706682011-07-05T12:00:00.001-04:002011-07-21T15:14:15.722-04:00

Remember my trip to pick sour cherries a few weekends ago? I ended up picking 10 pounds, giving 2 to my friend, freezing a bunch and at the end had about 7 cups of pitted cherries to deal with. Of course many suggested I make a cherry pie or cobbler; my mom said I should make Russian sour cherries turnovers, but I wanted something a lot simpler. Last year I made a 5 minute jam using black

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-5098964293964030122011-07-02T10:30:00.003-04:002011-07-21T15:11:07.148-04:00

Inspiration for recipes comes in all different forms for me. This time, the Fruit, Berry & Yogurt Trifle  was inspired by Gina's Red, White and Blueberry Trifle.  Although I have two trifle dishes, I did not want to use them: they are just too big for one person to handle. Instead, I used a round short vase I bought at a discount store. Love things that are multipurpose: right now it's

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-35439558556456885202011-06-30T12:00:00.001-04:002011-06-30T12:16:45.338-04:00

Last Saturday, Cecilia, Laetitia and I headed out to pick sour cherries at Butler's Orchards. The weather was pretty much perfect, the sour cherries were plentiful and easy to pick, and we had a great time hanging out, lunching out and shopping at Ikea and Costco afterwards. What a perfect day with fun girls! Below are photos from our adventures. I ended up picking 10 pounds of sour cherries: I

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-16282780592419987492011-06-29T10:30:00.003-04:002011-06-29T10:45:36.941-04:00

Sunday was a busy day. I was baking mango, pistachio & crystallized ginger muffins, pitting nearly 10 pounds of sour cherries (I promise to post photos from the cherry picking and one of the things I did with them so far soon), making a berry/fruit/yogurt trifle, taking photos and avoiding doing the laundry. Yes, avoiding doing the laundry counts as an activity. Amongst all of my cooking

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-75953291467722381912011-06-27T09:50:00.000-04:002011-06-27T09:58:04.544-04:00

When I read Monica Bhide's tweet about baking mango bread, I knew I'd have to do it. Monica adapted her recipe from from Sweet Hands by Ramin Ganeshram. But you know me: I had to make a few changes myself! Instead of making a mango bread, I decided to make mango muffins: cuter and easier to control the portions. Plus, they make a great portable breakfast or snack. I thought that just using a

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-1555353775361117812011-06-24T11:25:00.000-04:002011-06-24T11:29:33.447-04:00

It's Friday and I'm feeling tired and a little lazy. So I'll simply share with you a few things I picked up at a local farmers' market last week. When I go to a farmers' market, I rarely have an idea of what I want to buy. Instead, I stroll around, try a few samples, and see what sparks my interest. Last week, instead of strolling from one stand to another, I was walking really quickly,

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-12956050715474337002011-06-22T15:30:00.001-04:002011-06-22T15:40:55.770-04:00

If Penny De Los Santos and Mark Bittman had a baby, this would be it. Confused!? Of course you are. I'm talking about breakfast ;) A while ago, there was a recipe by Bittman going around the blogosphere that used leftover rice, combined with ginger, leeks and topped off with a fried egg. I made it. I loved it. Then, last week, my friend Cecilia tweeted a recipe by Penny De Los Santos for Sexed

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-31452288679021461262011-06-20T10:10:00.002-04:002011-06-20T10:20:15.954-04:00

One of the coolest things about having a twin sister is that you get to share friends. What does this have to do with a recipe for Mango, White Peach & Crystallized Ginger Frozen Yogurt? Well, Anna introduced me to her friend Erica about 3 years ago. We took a trip to Montreal together and had a great time. All of us love food, fashion exhibits at museums, botanical gardens, etc. When Erica

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-72269609610006289252011-06-17T12:30:00.003-04:002011-07-21T15:18:46.402-04:00

Last Saturday I surrendered control. Now, if you know me, you know this is not something that I do easily. I'm a control freak when it comes to many situations: I freely admit it. However, when my friend Wendy joined me in the kitchen last weekend (we made pistachio cookies and borscht together), I actually let her create two snack dishes all on her own. After all, she did go to the CIA and has

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-45812196029254812272011-06-15T11:30:00.000-04:002011-06-15T11:35:28.890-04:00

When I'll fly to Seattle in September to visit my family, I'm nearly a 100% sure there will be a large pot of borscht in the refrigerator. What can I say? Growing up in Russia, we ate a lot of beets, and I've always loved them. In salads, soups, or simply roasted, not only do they have a vibrant deep purplish/pinkish color, but they have a natural sweetness to them that pairs so well with many

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-29403728399129082612011-06-13T11:20:00.001-04:002011-06-22T21:25:52.733-04:00

Earlier last week I came home and found a thick envelope sitting by my door. I impatiently opened the envelop and found a copy of Joe Yonan's Serve Yourself cookbook for my review from Ten Speed press. I sat on my couch and turned the pages of the book, marveling at the gorgeous photographs by Ed Anderson and trying to figure out what I'd like to cook from it over the weekend with my friend

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250624041870127795.post-707214081347739442011-06-12T10:05:00.000-04:002011-06-12T10:05:15.647-04:00

This past Friday I attended a talk with Jose Andres at the National Archives for the opening of the America Eats exhibit. Here's the description of the program: AMERICA EATS OPENING PROGRAM:  Chef José Andrés Friday, June 10, at 7 P.M., William G. McGowan Theater Join us for the inaugural program of "America Eats," a series developed in conjunction with José Andrés, who is Chief Culinary

Olgahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272849981052077296noreply@blogger.com9