Entertaining Ideas | Taste Bud Diaries

30
Dec
2020

Top 5 Dinner Recipes on Repeat for 2020

2020 has pushed us to cook & plan more meals than ever before. Here I have compiled a list of my Top 5 dinner recipes on repeat for 2020. These are on “the rotation” – tried and true, easy-to-make and delicious recipes from some of my favorite food blogs and websites. Hope this gives you a little inspiration if you are looking for something good to cook!

These recipes are listed in no particular order – it all depends on what you are in the mood for. These are ALL 5-Star recipes in my book! If anything catches your eye, try it out and let me know what you think!

BONUS: I’ve also listed a couple of my favorite Spotify playlists at the end that are great background for cooking!

Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki – Pinch of Yum

Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki

I make this recipe at least once a month – I love the combination of flavors – salty, sweet, acidic and savory. I usually serve these with naan bread that I’ll crisp up on the grill or my air fryer. The secret ingredient is the curry powder- don’t skip it! Also, be sure to make the homemade Tzatziki sauce – all the flavors work together. This is just plain tasty.

2. Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch – Half Baked Harvest

This recipe is fun because you can make crispity-crunchity tacos out of regular corn tortillas by adding a little bit of oil to the tortillas and putting the tacos in the oven. The process of baking them will crisp them up!

One tip that I learned by experience is to be sure to cover the tortilla with a wet paper towel in the microwave so that they don’t break when you put the filling inside and then into the oven. I also make this with ground turkey instead of chicken – I like the ground turkey from Trader Joes (Get the one that has the most fat content for the most flavor). The Cilantro Lime Ranch is delicious and worth making – it makes the dish.

3. Turmeric Salmon with Coconut Crisp – Bon Appetit

This recipe caught my attention because I’m all about food as medicine, and Turmeric is good for you. I also like salmon and I was intrigued by the coconut crisp. This recipe has all kinds of flavor combinations that are somewhat uncommon – and SO delicious. I got the unsweetened coconut flakes from Trader Joes. Don’t skip this part – this is where the flavor gets interesting.

4. Spicy Chipotle Turkey Burgers – Allrecipes

I tend to make this recipe more during warmer months, as it’s great on the grill – but I did put it in my air fryer and it was delicious. This seasoning blend with the Chipotle pepper is very flavorful and keeps you wanting another bite. I like to serve this on a pretzel bun with Swiss or Havarti cheese on top. If you are ever making burgers, DEFINITELY add this one to the list.

5. Best Vegan Lasagna Recipe – Cookie and Kate

This recipe is a stunner – a guaranteed crowd pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike. It’s the cashew cream for me. You can eat this as a side item with meat, or as the main course. See my blog post below for more details – I absolutely loved this recipe.

So there you have it – hope that these make your life a little easier and a lot tastier!!

In the meantime, below are a couple of Spotify playlists that I like to play in the background when I’m cooking:

Check them out – I think you may like them!

Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beats: This is chill with a little beat that’s great for the background & won’t distract you from concentrating.

Serotonin Playlist on Spotify – Feel-good music to lift your spirits.

Enjoy! Here’s to good food and good music!

06
Jul
2020

(Socially-Distanced) Cookout-Approved Tiramisu Banana Pudding Cake – Recipe Review

categories: Entertaining ideas, Recipes, Taste Bud TV

Hi everyone!

I have another recipe review for you that I highly recommend. I made the Tiramisu Banana Pudding Cake by Grandbaby Cakes, and it did not disappoint. The creator is Jocelyn Delk Adams, who is a national TV personality and creator behind Grandbabycakes.com where she takes classic recipes from her grandmother and gives them a modern twist.

Check out my video review below:

This is a classic Banana Pudding recipe with the twist of Tiramisu, where it calls for Ladyfingers as an ingredient. This was my first time working with Ladyfingers, and you can find them in the Italian section of the grocery store.

The special part about this recipe is the RUM SAUCE! Once I tasted it, I wanted more of it, so when I make this recipe in the future, I would add more sauce to the layers. The ladyfingers definitely make this more of a cake vs. the traditional banana pudding, and I liked the sturdier texture.

The other update I made was to chop some pecans and sprinkle them on the top of my portion. Not everyone may like pecans, so I didn’t sprinkle it all over the cake, but as a person that loves pecans, I thought that this was a great addition! It adds another layer of texture with the crunch, and of course the flavor is fabulous.

One modification that I made was that I put mini Nilla Wafers on every-other row for the second layer. I felt like I might miss the Nilla Wafer flavor so I added them in for a little bit of nostalgia – I enjoyed this and would do it again the next time I make it.This recipe is a crowd-pleaser, and since you make it in a 9” x 13” pan, it will feed a lot of people. If you have a big family, this is great, but if not, be sure to have some people in mind to share it with.

I would absolutely make this recipe again and I highly recommend that you try it this summer. You NEED to go ahead and add this to your summer rotation. Taste Bud Diaries Approved! Enjoy every bite!

Since COVID is still out in these streets, I have not been frequenting restaurants as much, so instead I’ve decided to do more recipe reviews until I’m more comfortable with dining out. That said, if you have any other recipes that you would like me to review, let me know and perhaps your will see them featured in the future!

Until next time!

17
May
2020

The Easiest (and most delicious) Homemade Bagels EVER!

categories: Entertaining ideas, Recipes

I decided to start doing recipe reviews since restaurants are closed for dining in due to COVID. This first review is for the 5-ingredient NO YEAST Everything Bagels that everyone is raving out. For good reason! These bagels are easy to make & absolutely delicious and there is no turning back after you taste them. You need these in your life. I give these 5 stars and two thumbs up.

I found this recipe on Skinnytaste, and I’ve listed the recipe below for your convenience:

Skinnytaste Easy Bagel Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (5 oz) unbleached all purpose flour, whole wheat or gluten-free mix*
2 teaspoons baking powder, make sure it’s not expired or it won’t rise
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, use less if using table salt
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt, not regular yogurt, it will be too sticky
1 egg white, beaten (whole egg works fine too)
Optional topping: everything bagel seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well. Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles.
Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 15 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).
Divide into 4 equal balls. Roll each ball into 3/4-inch thick ropes and join the ends to form bagels. (or you can make a ball and poke a hole in the center then stretch it slightly)
Top with egg wash and sprinkle both sides with seasoning of your choice. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Also take a look at my video to see how I made them along with my reaction to how they turned out.

If you make these, let me know how you liked them and be sure to share these with other people! Front line workers are some great people to share these with and you can even make mini-bagels – just cut them into smaller sections. Enjoy!

02
May
2020

Brunch Inspiration: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!

categories: Entertaining ideas, Recipes

These Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes are a great brunch recipe and so easy to make! I modified a recipe by Grandbaby Cakes (one of my favorite food blogs) by putting the recipe in muffin cups & used crushed pineapples instead of the rings. I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the batter as well. Fun, tasty & easy recipe! You can eat leftovers with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert or along with your coffee or afternoon tea.

Below is the modified recipe:

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
About 1 cup of crushed pineapples (either canned or fresh)
Maraschino cherries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Liberally grease your muffin tin with vegetable oil or cooking spray.

For the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla extract, eggs and pineapple juice until well mixed. Set aside.

Next melt butter over medium heat.
Once melted, whisk in brown sugar and cook for 1 minute.

Put one tablespoon of the brown sugar/butter mixture into each of the muffin cups.

Add about 2 teaspoons of crushed pineapple on top of the brown sugar mixture in each muffin cup. Be sure to spread the pineapple evenly.

Add a maraschino cherry if you so desire (I like to cut the cherries in half instead of using a full cherry. If you use half a cherry, be sure to place it upside down so that it looks nice when you flip the muffins)

Pour cake batter on top of the pineapples/cherry mix.

**Only fill the muffin cups 3/4 full so that it won’t create a “muffin top”. This will make it easier for them to release from the muffin tin after baking.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes then invert the muffins onto a cooling rack or serving plate and serve.

*Note – be careful when you are inverting the cupcakes – this can get a little bit messy as some of the cupcakes release faster than others.

Tip- before you invert the cupcakes, run a knife along the ring of each of the cupcakes to help them come out of the tins easier.

Enjoy!!

21
Jan
2020

Easy, Healthy & Delicious – Turmeric Salmon with Coconut Crisp

categories: Entertaining ideas, Recipes, Uncategorized

New Year, New Blog Posts! It’s a new year and I decided to jump back into my blog! I took a little break but I’m going to continue using my blog as a creative outlet. You’ll see me experimenting with some different posts and content. I’m going to keep it simple and share my love of food with you! My first post of the year features this DELICIOUS recipe.

I made this Turmeric Salmon with Coconut Crisp recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine and it was SO delicious and full of bold flavors. Ginger, turmeric- which is good for you, and I used rainbow chard which I cooked for the first time – tasty. I got the coconut flakes from the bulk section at Whole Foods, and Trader Joes also sells small bags of coconut flakes. I took this picture just before putting it in the oven. Gorgeous!

I HIGHLY recommend it- easy to make and it tastes like something you would eat out at a restaurant. I’m adding this to the rotation.

Here’s the link – If you make this, let me know what you think!

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/turmeric-salmon-with-coconut-crisp

28
Oct
2015

Take a Break from “Fakebook” & Reconnect with Friends one Sip at a Time

categories: Entertaining ideas

One reason I love food is that it connects us with people. It’s easy to get caught up in social media, and not be truly connected to people. Facebook can sometimes be more like “Fakebook”. You don’t really know what’s going on in your friend’s lives, and it can represent a false sense of reality. It’s important to invest in and nurture the friendships that really count – The friends that you could call in the middle of the night, or that would help you move if you needed help. You know what I’m talking about!

One fun way to reconnect, especially as this weather is getting cooler outside is to open up your home and host a tea party. It seems as if home entertainment is not as prevalent these days – so it’s always nice to have this personal touch. There’s no need to spend $50+ at a fancy hotel or restaurant. Tea is growing in popularity, and it’s sugar free, calorie-free, it has antioxidants, and you can get it with or without caffeine. Plus, there is something about tea that makes people feel special – like royalty.

Below are some tips for hosting a fabulous DIY Tea Party:
– Keep it Casual: You don’t have to be perfect, have fancy formal teaware, etc. Just use what you have, have your guests bring their favorite teapots, and teas. Have a tea tasting or vote on the cutest teapot.

– Less is More: Keep the guest list smaller and more intimate to really connect. You can do an easy one-on-one tea or have up to 5 guests to keep it more intimate.

– Have fun with teapots: Ask guests to bring theirs, or you can even find some at specialty tea shops, and even thrift stores. David’s Tea has really unique accessories, like this cute sweater that goes around the teapot. Here in Chicago, Chinatown has some ADORABLE tea pots in many of the stores.

Cute sweater teapot from David's Tea — Cute sweater teapot from David’s Tea

Add tags on your teapots to describe the tea inside

– Don’t Skim the Fat: No tea party is complete without scones. If you choose to make them from scratch, and the recipe calls for cream, be sure to get cream with a high fat content (at least 40% fat) for the best flavor. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle in some fresh raspberries or blueberries for some nice presentation.

Add raspberries or blueberries for garnish and presentation

– Offer Variety: Offer a few different tea options to choose from, i.e. Black, Green, Herbal or Roobios. One of my favorite tea brands is the Republic of Tea. They have a lovely Earl Grey, and I have literally bought multiple canisters of the Limited Edition Downton Abbey flavor from World Market. It has a nice sweetness to it that makes it really pleasant. Target also has a delicious Cinnamon tea called Hot Cinnamon Sunset by Harney & Sons that tastes like a Hot Tamale Candy – you don’t even need to add any sugar. It’s very comforting and if you like cinnamon, you will LOVE this tea.

When it comes to friendship,”analog” offline connections have so much better quality than the digital world like “Fakebook” and Instagram. Hopefully these tips will spark some ideas for reconnecting with good friends to warm your heart and your soul.

For more inspirational content, check out my friend Jamie’s blog at http://www.mygr8estlove.com. It’s all about inner beauty and there are some amazing fashion tips. Enjoy!

Tea_Time_at_The_Palmer_House_Hotel_Chicago-35(1) — Me & Jamie (right) enjoying tea

14
Jun
2014

Adventures from Duck University (Not to be confused with Duke University)

categories: Entertaining ideas, Events

Duck is not typically a go-to, everyday food that people eat. In fact, most people don’t even think about duck as an option, except for the holidays. This all changed for me when I attended Duck University for food bloggers, sponsored by Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana. I was excited about this opportunity because I knew very little about duck, and had certainly never cooked it.

Me outside of the Maple Leaf Farms HQ - About to head in for class! — Me outside of the Maple Leaf Farms HQ – About to head in for class!

This experience was set up like a real university. The first stop was a tour of the feed mill, where we saw how they make duck feed from scratch. They take incredible care of what goes into the feed, including protein, vitamins and minerals so that the ducks can be healthy and strong. They go through rigorous testing to make sure that the feed is safe for the ducks.

Duck Feed - Full of vitamins and minerals — Duck Feed – Full of vitamins and minerals

We then visited a duck farm where the ducks were raised. Biosecurity is a major initiative for food safety and disease prevention, so we were instructed to wear special suits and dip our feet into a foot bath before walking near the ducks.

The conditions are clean, and the ducks have plenty of room to frolic about. Maple Leaf Farms partners with over 150 local farmers to raise their ducks, which is great for the communities. The last stop on the tour was the duck processing plant, where they say it is as clean as a hospital. It was reassuring to see the USDA inspectors right there on the line.

Afterwards, we had a classroom-style session.

Did you know….

– Duck Fat is a good fat – It compares favorably to olive oil in terms of the mono-unsaturated fatty acid oleic, and the poly-unsaturated fatty acids linoleic and linolenic acids

– There are various breeds of duck with different flavor profiles. Maple Leaf Farms raises the White Pekin duck, which is more mild and less gamey than some of the other duck varieties.

– Maple Leaf Farms is the #1 producer of duck in the U.S. with about a 75% market share, producing 13-15 Million ducks annually? (They are like Tyson Chicken, but for Duck)

– Duck is a red meat – It has a different muscle structure than chicken, and it is cooked more like steak vs. chicken. It’s not prone to salmonella, so it can be cooked to medium/medium rare for the best flavor and texture.

My favorite part of the evening was the 5-course duck dinner, where every course had duck, including the dessert (with Duck Bacon). I told chef Dale Miller that I could die right then and be happy, because the food was so creative and tasted AMAZING!

The menu:

Appetizer: Duck Tenderloin with Balsamic

Seared Duck Carpaccio, Horseradish Aioli, Crispy Capers and Reggiano Parmesan Shards

Roasted Eggplant Tomato Bisque with Duck Confit and Frizzled Leeks

Salad with Smoked Duck, Compressed Watermelon, Heirloom Tomatoes

Grilled Duck Breast with “Ramp Charmoula”, Warm Tuscan Potato Salad, Roasted Sweet Corn Crema and Seasonal Vegetables

Warm Peach and Blackberry Crisp with Almond Duck Bacon Streusel & Vanilla Gelato

A lot of people have had bad experiences with duck in the past, saying that it has tasted oily or gamey, but I did not have this experience at all – the flavor is mild, and I did not have any oily aftertaste from anything I ate. It truly depends on the breed of duck, and how it is prepared.

Celebrity Chef Sara Moulton (from Sara’s Weeknight Meals on PBS) also gave a cooking demo on how to cook duck breast, which was much easier than I had originally thought. It really is as simple as scoring the breast, cooking it with the skin down, flipping it over, and cooking it to the desired temperature. It needs to be a little bit pink for the best dining experience. Sara joined us on our tours, and it was fun to hang out with her – she’s very smart and talented, and we were honored to have her accompany us.

Celebrity Chef Sara Moulton providing a cooking demo on how to cook duck breast.

In addition to this amazing experience, I was able to network with about 19 amazing food bloggers that were inspiring and a boatload of fun!

Now that you are a little bit more familiar with duck, I would highly encourage you to experiment with it. The easiest way is to try some of the pre-cooked products, like the appetizers (potstickers, spring rolls, quesadillas), or the roast half duck. Then you could move to cooking some of the other items on your own, like the duck breast, and if you are ready for the big leagues, you can roast a whole duck. If you can’t find the products in the store, you can always order online http://mapleleaffarms.com/shop and they will ship it on dry ice to your house, or you can ask the meat department manager to order it in for you.

I’m happy to say that I’m a proud graduate of Duck University, and I have a diploma to prove it!

Attending Duck University has broadened my horizons and I now consider duck to add to my current cooking routine – I hope you will too. Stay tuned for future posts with recipes and ideas.

To learn more about duck, cooking videos/tips, and Maple Leaf Farms, visit http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/consumer

31
May
2014

Summer Wine with a Story Line

categories: Entertaining ideas, People You Should Know, Taste Bud TV

I tasted the Sweet Riesling from Love Cork Screw wines at a dessert event and knew that I needed to feature it on my blog. This wine literally tastes like summer in a glass, and instantly transported me to memories of fabulous evenings at Ravinia, fun times with friends on rooftops, and outdoor summer concerts at Millennium Park.

Erica and Chrishon at Love Cork Screw/Taste Bud Diaries video shoot

Not only is the wine tasty, but there is an inspiring story behind it. Love Cork Screw was launched in part by Chrishon Lampley, who previously owned the popular Three Peas Art Lounge, an art and wine boutique in Chicago’s South Loop. The boutique was abruptly closed down due to an unfortunate sewage issue in the building, and after a few years, Chrishon re-emerged, launching Love Cork Screw in December 2013. The wines are now in +30 locations, and the brand is taking off. Chrishon’s marketing strategy positions this wine as not just a brand, but a lifestyle – complete with eye catching labels, a popular radio show and events, all which have helped to propel this brand to success.

Love Cork Screw Riesling and Pinot Grigio - ready for summer sipping! — Love Cork Screw Riesling and Pinot Grigio – ready for summer sipping!

The “Head Over Heels” Riesling is naturally sweet and crisp with a hint of lemon and grapefruit. This wine is versatile, and would pair well with chicken (i.e. orange chicken, chicken and pear salad) fish, cheeses and desserts.

Click here for an easy-to-make, delicious dip recipe that would travel well for a picnic and would pair quite nicely with the Riesling – it has Feta and Cream Cheese and is filled with flavor.

"Dip for the Stars" recipe from allrecipes.com Photo: allrecipes.com — “Dip for the Stars” recipe from allrecipes.com Photo: allrecipes.com

The “Good Times Good Friends” Pinot Grigio is another wine that is great for Chicago summers. It is medium-bodied with apple and pear flavor notes. This wine is excellent for seafood, and would pair nicely with foods like sushi, oysters, clams, mussels, or pasta.

Chrishon’s story is inspiring, and it’s a story that I want to tell when I share the wine with friends. Check out the video below for my interview with Chrishon to hear more about her story, and after watching it, I think that you will want to tell her story too.

Cheers, and enjoy!

27
Dec
2012

Sweet Winter Treats: Homemade Marshmallows and Chocolate Spoons

categories: Entertaining ideas, Recipes

Season’s Greetings!!

Below are a couple of sweet winter treats that I made over the holidays that I wanted to share:
– The first is a mint marshmallow recipe by Martha Stewart. A lot of people tell me that they didn’t know that they could make marshmallows from scratch – and you can…and they taste WAY better than anything that you have ever purchased on a grocery store shelf. I was inspired to make my own marshmallows after visiting a delicious restaurant called Hot Chocolate in Chicago. They include a homemade marshmallow in their hot chocolate creations, and I decided to give it a try. After one failed attempt at making vanilla bean marshmallows, (they ended up being too rubbery), I came across this delicious and fluffy recipe from Martha Stewart. It’s not hard, but it does require you to pay attention and move quickly. It also helps to get a candy thermometer:

Below is the link to the recipe:
http://www.marthastewart.com/355781/candy-cane-marshmallows

I served these marshmallows at a party as a part of my hot chocolate bar and they were a hit! I highly recommend that you try them and experiment w/other flavors.

– The next item is extremely easy to make, and can serve as a nice touch for any winter party. These are chocolate spoons, which can be used for stirring into hot chocolate or coffee for an extra chocolate boost. They are incredibly easy to make, and could also be wrapped in cellophane w/a ribbon for a gift. I also included these in my hot chocolate bar. I had both milk chocolate spoons and white chocolate spoons, and drizzled the alternate color on top of each by putting the warm chocolate into a sandwich bag, and cutting a small corner of the bag to drizzle chocolate over the spoons. Very nice presentation, if I must say so myself.

Below is the recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-spoons/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=chocolate%20spoons&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

These are great recipes to add a special touch for any occasion.

Enjoy!

14
Nov
2012

How to Freeze Cookie Dough for Cookies on Demand!

categories: Entertaining ideas, Recipes

I wanted to post a video about how I freeze cookie dough. I like to freeze the dough for my signature Chocolate Chip and Pecan cookies (I’m going to keep that particular recipe to myself), and other chocolate chip types of cookies (I haven’t tried this on sugar cookies).

The beauty of freezing the dough is that you don’t need to let it thaw out before you bake it. You can put the cold, frozen dough right on the cookie sheet and bake to your heart’s content.

This method is nice because you can make dozens of cookies and then bake them whenever you need them. Sometimes, I’ll cut off only 3 cookies, and make those just for myself.

Hope this is useful to you, especially for the holiday baking season.

Below is a link to a delicious recipe that I will share. Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. You can freeze this recipe too – I have done it many times:

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Category: Entertaining ideas

INSTRUCTIONS