By Ari, on February 13th, 2012%
Remember that time I made soft pretzels? They were good. They were really, really good.
Some of my friends had the genius idea to turn them into pretzel bites. And who doesn’t love finger food?!
So when I came across this recipe - pizza pretzel bites – it would not be an exaggeration to say that I squealed a little with delight and quickly informed John that I had to make them. Like now. And by “now”, I meant the upcoming weekend.
And I did.
And they were delicious!
These definitely require a bit of prep, but it’s so worth it. Again, not exaggerating. Continue reading Pizza Pretzel Bites
By Ari, on February 10th, 2012%
Are you ready for the simplest salsa recipe ever?
Not only does it call for canned tomatoes (don’t be a skeptic — this makes your life super easy!), but other than a little knife work, everything gets thrown into a food processor, pulsed a few times, and that’s it.
That’s the whole recipe. Combine ingredients, pulse, chill for an hour, eat.
Continue reading Salsa
By Ari, on January 20th, 2012%
I nailed this, guys.
The assignment was to eat more veggies, right?
I wouldn’t go substituting these fritters for fresh greens every day of the week, but a little indulgence (read: oil) once in a while is never a bad thing!
Also, they’re damn tasty.
Continue reading Zucchini Fritters
By Ari, on December 1st, 2011%
I know what you’re thinking. “Baked wings? Finally! Something healthy after all the holiday gorging from Thanksgiving! I should make these immediately!”
Well, maybe…
These little guys look innocent enough. They smell like buffalo wings. They taste like buffalo wings. But much to my dismay, they contain calories… just like fried buffalo wings.
Apparently we forgot that tiny little detail as we inhaled these bad boys. I will admit that we purchased a family pack of wings for two of us. I will not admit, however, that we finished said family pack. In one night.
It is miraculous that I’m not 20 lbs heavier.
But listen, just go ahead and make these. You’ll only regret it if you, like me, have a problem with portion control when confronted with ridiculously delicious foods.
Continue reading Baked Buffalo Wings
By Ari, on October 12th, 2011%
Do you ever have days where everything that can possibly go wrong does go wrong? I was having one of those days. In my kitchen.
To start, the cippolini onions I purchased a few days before were either soft and squishy or had a nice layer of mold on them. (I began with 12 onions and, after weeding through them, was left with 2 1/2.)
Furthermore, the puff pastry dough I placed in the fridge to defrost was still completely frozen when I opened it.
And while I can’t remember what the third thing was, it really upset me.
I almost gave up on making lunch. Hubby jokingly suggested I have a glass of wine (that’s never a joke!) and calm down. With wine in hand, I just threw a bunch of stuff together. You could say the inspiration for this was an hors d’oeuvre that was served at our wedding: raspberry and brie wrapped in phyllo dough. I’ve substituted apricot for raspberry, St. Andre cheese for brie, puff pastry for phyllo, and added some fresh thyme. Other than that, they’re basically one and the same.
 
Continue reading St. Andre and Apricot Tart
By Ari, on August 30th, 2011%
Looking for other ways to use up leftover pesto? This is the perfect side dish.
Looking for other ways to use up beautiful summer tomatoes before the season ends? This is the perfect side dish.
Do you like Parmesan cheese? This is the perfect side dish.
 Continue reading Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula Pesto
By Ari, on August 13th, 2011%
As we get further into August, the nights begin to cool off and the sun sets sooner. Fall is literally just around the corner. Before you know it, I’ll be posting recipes featuring winter squash and brussels sprouts. There’s no denying my happiness over the change of seasons, but I’ll admit I’m going to miss the summer’s produce terribly.
Are you a fan of Greek salad? This guilt-free version is perfect for a light lunch, which is how I consumed it every day this past week. Perhaps this wouldn’t be ideal in the dead of winter, but for summer, it’s a home run.
Continue reading Greek Orzo Salad
By Ari, on July 22nd, 2011%
My cohort in grad school had a slight love affair with pepper jelly. Whenever we’d get together for dinner or drinks at someone’s house, a few items always appeared: wine, pepper jelly with a wedge of gruyere cheese, and more wine. (I think that’s pretty accurate!)
We love this stuff, and with good reason. It’s spicy, it’s a little sweet, and it begs to be eaten before every meal.
 Continue reading Spicy Red Pepper Jelly
By Ari, on July 19th, 2011%
First, and perhaps most importantly, this is Tasty Retreat’s 100th post! I started this blog right before my birthday last year, and I’m so thankful that I did. Not only has TR given me a place to chronicle my kitchen triumphs and disasters, but it has proven to be a cathartic release for everyday stress. I love writing here, and I hope to continue as long as possible.
Additionally, yesterday marked my one year anniversary living in New York City. Things are going well, thanks for asking, and we don’t plan on ending the relationship any time soon. Fear not, John is very supportive.
And last, but by no means least, I recently accepted an internship that I’m hoping (fingers crossed) will lead to some amazing networking opportunities. I’m still searching endlessly for a full-time paid position, but for now, I’ll network my tuchas off and hope someone likes what they see. First stop? Food Network’s Atlantic City Wine and Food Festival. It’s only a week and a half away, and I’m so thrilled to be a part of it! Continue reading Zucchini Fries (and some good news)
By Ari, on April 6th, 2011%
Sorry for my prolonged absence! There’s this little thing – my Master’s thesis – that I’m frantically trying to finish. Between that (my day job) and wedding planning (my night job), one could say I’ve been busy. Gourmet, home-cooked meals are the farthest thing from my mind right now, and although I’m dying to test some recipes from my newly purchased bread cookbooks, I just don’t have the time.
What I do have time for are quick, easy meals. These days, I’m sporting a pescetarian (fish and veggies only) diet during the week, and saving poultry and red meat for the weekends. It’s part of my active goal to be healthier, and eating less meat and more veggies can’t hurt, right? I’m hoping I can make this change permanent, because I really love how I feel when I go for that “roasted veggies wrap” at the coffee shop instead of a sandwich with “turkey and chipotle cheddar.”
No, I do not plan on becoming a full-on vegetarian. There’s just no way I could turn down a good piece of seared foie gras, or beef short ribs that fall apart like butter, or (gasp!) pork belly/lamb belly/boar belly/anything-belly. I love these things too much. Thus, my “weekday pescetarianism.”
What? It’s totally a thing.
Continue reading Shrimp Cocktail
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