Totally unplanned taco tuesday post 4 ur bodies ur minds ur spirits with something I’ve probably made 5 times with plans to shoot but something would always come up so I was just a man 5 batches of tacos rich. Obviously this leads to me eating 5 batches of tacos but I wasn’t mad about it.

Pro Tip: Never trust a man that’s mad about 5 batches of tacos.

The other day we were perusing the local Cardena’s for groceries when I walked past a *stunning* mountain of tomatillos, and my immediate reaction was to fill a bag and walk away from the mountain no questions asked no plan in mind just a bag of tomatillos and a life to live.

When I got home I was talking with Esteban about what I could do that wasn’t just salsa verde and then like a truck I was hit with the memory of this pollo verde and figured better late than never and here we are on this very day.

The recipe itself is actually from Anne Burrell with a much longer title of explanation but it’s basically a salsa verde braised chicken, and very similar to chile verde just assembled in a slightly different way. My only real change is the use of only thighs and shredding up the chicken so it can be used for a number of applications. The flavor is so insanely good, super limey, a little smokey, a little spicy, and perfect on a warm tortilla or bed of rice or other grain. It’s total weeknight dinner material while also being total weekend dinner party fare and you can make it 5 times without taking a picture and it doesn’t affect the excitement at all, not that I would know anything about that.

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The first time I met Lily Diamond was at a brunch a couple years ago with a few other bloggers up in LA where we talked about her just starting the book process and me half alive from finishing up mine. She told me the book was centered around herbs and edible flowers and each one had their own chapter and I was instantly sold (I always have half bunches of herbs I want to eat and with my luck I would assume a flower was edible then have diarrhea for a week). We talked about ideas for coping with the process, shared an eggs benedict pizza and talked about how underwhelming the dessert was.

We’ve been friends ever since.

One of my favorite things about Lily (besides how funny and charming she is without even knowing) is her ability to pair together foods and memories that somehow go so perfectly hand in hand when they in fact shouldn’t. Her writing is so thoughtfully done with bits of humor that let you know she is in fact a human and not some robot that’s trying to use the most flowery of words to sound smart. Her book is all of this and beyond, beyond being new ways to use herbs, face masks and sprays to help you chill out.

This is one of the first recipes I opened to and with both strawberries and basil coming into their own for the season I figured it was a perfect to share with you. It’s the perfect millennial pink (the actual shade of pink not just any shade that people have been attaching the title to, neon pink it’s not ur day) without any food coloring and it showcases how to use an herb in a way you wouldn’t really expect and gives me ideas for other infused whipped cream combos.

Mission accomplished, Lily.

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Hello I made you this beautiful bundt cake that’s actually been living inside my head for a while now he is no longer imaginary but v real show him some love.

I’m a sucker for a good classic fine crumb pound cake, and by sucker I mean I will suck up half the slices like a vacuum cleaner within 5 minutes because I am an animal, but also a machine. So the fact that this is  a good classic with the addition of the nutty tahini/chocolate combo #blessed just makes it that much more dangerous for me to be left alone with it.

We’re keeping this post extra short this time around because I’m currently up in Fort Bragg visiting my mom/sister/brother in law/grandma/shiny new nephew and it’s time to go make breakfast. Whatever you’re celebrating this weekend this pound cake is perfect because it comes together so easily, feeds 10 people without batting an eye, and if the chocolate isn’t your thing then you can leave it out and this cake would be perfect with some sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

And bonus for all of us! The same day I finalized the recipe Erin Jeanne McDowell (one of my favorite instas) blessed us with all the tips you need for a perfect bundt.

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It’s almost Easter which means Peeps season is almost over. I know there’s like this very divided train of thought where you’ll either eat an entire package in one sitting or throw the whole thing out the window because you’d rather choke on a piece of old egg. I just happen to be in the eat the entire package in one sitting camp.

Now I know what you’re thinking:

“Billy there’s packs of peeps at the store for a dollar and change and you want me to make them?”

And my answer is “Yes, did I stutter?”

Now, we’re not going to make the classic vanilla ones because technically yes you can buy those (but these would still be an improvement because those taste like a sweet plastic). Instead we’re actually going down the path of Strawberry Ginger, two words used to describe someone with red hair and now the flavor of these peeps.

I got the inspo from this v relevant post last year where I made strawberry top vodka and threw it in a Moscow Mule. The ginger strawberry combo move was so perfect and it translates insanely well with these peeps. You still have time to grab a mold before Easter (easiest thing for diy peeps) and show off your sugar skills, and if this combo isn’t for you then maybe you can try Esteban’s twist on mango con Tajin (did you really think we were spending $15 on a peeps mold and it not getting more than one post into the world that is the internet?)

Now that would be crazy.

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We’re having a dip party!

A few bloggers are getting together to throw a dip party with Good Health Snacks, involving actual dips and not the bean dips where we run around and flick man boobs.

Hopefully that is a reference that everyone gets and not just me growing up in the mountains.

I’ve been wanting to make a roasted carrot dip for a while now because I love the idea of roasted carrots blended with a bunch of spices to make me feel like the bag of chips I’m eating is healthy. I know at first glance this is just a baby food for babies with advanced palettes but it really is the perfect thing to serve at a party or a dinner where it’s just you standing in a kitchen alone.

The flavor combo of this is really kind of perfect. The sambal oelek gives a nice after kick while the bitterness of the tahini cuts the sweetness of carrots with the lime. I don’t want to call it hummus because there aren’t any chickpeas in sight but the combo of the tahini and citrus and olive oil we’re landing on hummus adjacent.

For the full list of dips you can head over to the dip party hostess with the mostess Chicano Eats! Continue Reading

Happy Monday, Happy start to a new week, Happy trying not to let all the news make you want to fall into a sleep that lasts 4 years/angry cry into your Special K.

Steve and I have been back from Colima, Mexico for a week now and these past couple of days have been me actually being able to catch up on and function what is real life. The trip was great, quick, exhausting, all of the above, and all I want right now is to be laying on a beach drinking too many beers and eating all the ceviche.

Obviously that won’t be happening soon (for at least a few months) so we’re back in the real world of work with some newish book happenings!

This shakshuka comes from Molly Gilbert‘s new book One Pan & Done. If you’re not familar with Molly she’s also the author of the book Sheet Pan Suppers, another ingenious book, and it’s even got her the title of sheet pan queen. I guess that’s one more queen title I will never be able to snatch.

The book is great though because it focuses on as much one pan cooking as possible. Of course with some baking there’s multiple bowls, but the majority of the book is all one pan and my all time favorite of the haus of one pan is shakshuka, or really any form of eggs baked in an egg sauce and served with a huge chunk of crusty bread, and this twist of adding artichoke hearts is so genius. I think it helps bulk up the whole thing to make it a little more filling and it adds this nice briny bite that makes the dish that much better.

Go out and get Molly’s book and get to making all the one pan meals for everything rn.

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