Recipe Index - Page 11 of 15 - Shared Appetite

All Biscuits All Day at Empire Biscuit

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

In a country where more and bigger is often celebrated (have you seen the menu at The Cheesecake Factory lately), I'm totally down with micro-focused restaurants. Do one product...really well. Forget the 22-page menu and just focus on perfecting that one thing. Become known for that one morsel of goodness. Become legendary at your micro-focused craft.

Empire Biscuit. I want to like you. I really do. Biscuits are delicious. And when you hear about a new restaurant that's solely centered on the art of biscuit goodness, you get excited.

Say Yum To Sugar Plums {plus a $200 Visa Gift Card Giveaway}

By Chris Cockren 229 Comments

Compensation for this sponsored post was provided by KitchenAid^® and BlogHer. As always, all views and opinions, as well as the recipes herein, are my own.

I've always been down for a good challenge. Unless it was in P.E. class when they did that whole presidential fitness award thing. Mile run? Uhm yea, no way. I hate running. Pull-ups? Haha, I didn't stand a chance.

But a challenge in the kitchen? That I can do. I'm all over it. I was super excited when the cool people over at KitchenAid^® challenged me to SAY YUM WITH SUGAR PLUMS. Absolutely. Let's do this! Just wait, uhm, what exactly is a sugar plum?

Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

A look at one of the greatest burgers available in all of Manhattan. The one, the only, $28 Black Label Burger at Greenwich Village's Minetta Tavern.

If you are into the whole NYC dining scene at all, this is nothing new or revolutionary. People have been raving about the Black Label Burger at Greenwich Village's Minetta Tavern for years now. But for one lame reason or another, I joined the party late.

I knew about the burger. I dreamt about the day we would meet.

And finally, the day came.

There are meals that are easily forgotten. Enjoyable, but not remembered. But then, once in a while, there are those rare moments that you take a bite and instantly realize this is a moment you will cherish always. A taste that will linger in your memory for your entire life. And that's exactly what will happen at your first Black Label Burger experience.

Caramel and White Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Blondies

By Chris Cockren 13 Comments

Blondies are great all on their own. Why add caramel, white chocolate chips, and cookie butter? Because we can. A creative cookie butter recipe worth every calorie.

I know. I have a problem with cookie butter recently. That's kind of not my fault though. Can you blame me? You open up the jar and you just can't stop! I blame Trader Joe's for offering such a habit-forming product.

Pretzel Coated Cookie Butter Truffles. Check.

Cookie Butter Puppy Chow. Check.

Although I technically made this Crack Pie with Speculoos (which is the same as Cookie Butter) last year, I'm counting it as part of my recent cookie butter obsession because I actually made it this past weekend for a Christmas Party Asheley and I went to at a friend's house. It was attacked and enthusiastically devoured through no merit of my own. It's the cookie butter.

And just as I finished up all the cookie butter in the house with these recent baking projects, something within me forced my fingers to frantically respond to Asheley's text the other day when she asked me if I wanted anything from Trader Joes ... "get four jars of cookie butter".

Cookie Butter Puppy Chow (aka Sandy Buddies)

By Chris Cockren 19 Comments

What to do with Trader Joe's cookie butter? How should I eat cookie butter? What can I make with cookie butter? Look no further. Here's an alarmingly addictive snack of cookie butter coated Chex cereal dusted with powdered sugar. Quick and easy to make, and even quicker and easier to eat the whole batch.

Nutella is so 2012. You want to be current? You want to be trendy? Cookie butter is where it's at. And I'm just kidding... nutella is still pretty darn good and I have a half-eaten jar of it in my cabinet right now. But cookie butter has been getting a whole lot more love in our household lately. It's made appearances in this Crack Pie with Speculoos. And then in these Pretzel Coated Cookie Butter Truffles. And if Asheley has the house to herself all day, it's not unusual for her to fix herself a glorious breakfast (and lunch) of animal crackers dipped in cookie butter. I'm a proud husband.

I have been seeing a lot of puppy chow and muddy buddies floating around the food blogosphere lately. Not being from the Midwest (where apparently the stuff is most readily consumed), I had absolutely no clue what they were talking about. But it looked sinfully good and something I needed to consume immediately. I'm just going to warn you know. It's habit-forming. You will have a growing dependency on this Cookie Butter Puppy Chow. Don't blame me. I'm just the messenger, bringing good tidings of great joy.

First Look: Iron Chef Morimoto's Bisutoro

By Chris Cockren 7 Comments

A first look at the food and atmosphere at Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's new TriBeCa restaurant, Bisutoro.

I miss my wife. We kind of work opposite schedules as of late. My week is full of after-school concerts and meetings, teaching private lessons during the evening, and spending a couple nights at the church for a photography community group I co-lead with Tyler and helping out with our middle school youth group. Weekends are typically wide open. Asheley pretty much has the exact opposite schedule.

We get to spend a few hours a week together, maybe even get to eat a meal together once or twice. Other than that, it's me kissing her goodbye as I leave early for work and she is trying to get some sleep after working a late shift at the hospital. Oh, and texting. That's how we communicate the vital info to each other since who knows if we'll remember to tell the other the next time we're actually face to face.

Sometimes the whole opposite schedule thing is nice. I get to develop recipes, photograph, and blog without feeling like I'm neglecting Asheley. But honestly, I miss my wife. So when she purposely asked for a weekend off a few weeks ago, we made it a point to just spend the entire time together. It was amazing.

Pretzel Coated Cookie Butter Truffles

By Chris Cockren 15 Comments

The sweet, addictive flavor of cookie butter gets a salty sidekick in these Pretzel-Coated Cookie Butter Truffles.

How did we go from Thanksgiving being just last week to all of a sudden having less than 3 weeks until Christmas? I'm freaking out a bit, mostly because I want to enjoy a whole lot of quality holiday baking time (well that and I need to start Christmas shopping immediately). Good news. The butter and sugar is already stockpiled in my kitchen. The recipe ideas are all floating around within the scary abyss that is my head. Now it's just a matter of having enough time to get baking. I can do this. Tell me I can do this.

Cookie butter has been on my mind. Big time. I love the stuff. It's addictive quality is pure sorcery. And ever since my first experience with cookie butter at the Wafels & Dinges food truck here in NYC, I've been hooked. Only they call it speculoos. Which is also the same as biscoff spread. Three names... same ridiculousness.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey and Hash Sandwich with Cranberry Aioli

By Chris Cockren 20 Comments

A creative recipe to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into one unbelievable sandwich: a crispy hash patty made with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and corn, topped with turkey, cranberry aioli, and a fried egg.

Well, that's a wrap. Thanksgiving is over. But before we totally abandon all things autumn and enter the glorious world of Christmas recipes and holiday desserts, let's just savor one more morsel of Thanksgiving leftovers. Let's (cranberry) relish in this one last leftover turkey recipe.

People. This sandwich is so freaking good. It's the epitome of all good things Thanksgiving, stacked neatly between a single bun. Except the sweet potato casserole. I couldn't figure out how to squeeze that into the mix. But you better believe I has some of it on the side 🙂 Oh how I love sweet potato casserole. Side note: I made a big tray of it for Asheley to bring to work on Thanksgiving to share with her coworkers (yup, she had to work on Thanksgiving) and everyone devoured it. Apparently everyone loves sweet potato casserole. 🙂

But anyway, back to this sandwich. It might have a super lame name -- sorry, I couldn't think of anything better -- but you better believe it more than makes up for it in the flavor category.

{Slow Cooker} Honey Soy Chicken

By Chris Cockren 12 Comments

This Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe featuring slowly braised chicken thighs coated in a sweet and spicy sauce of pineapple juice, honey, soy sauce, and sriracha.

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Eat way too much? Have to unbutton your pants to squeeze in dessert? ...or were you one of the smart ones that wore sweatpants or stretch pants to the table? And if that's the case, you are a Thanksgiving pro. Good work.

Asheley had to work on Thanksgiving, which was a total bummer. It's one of the "perks" of working in a hospital I guess. People don't take off from going to the ER just because it's a holiday unfortunately. But since she worked Thanksgiving, that means she's going to have off Christmas Eve and Christmas. It's a good trade-off, right?

Well, the Thanksgiving leftovers are all (sadly) gone at this point. I did a good job of making those bad boys last all weekend long. And although I totally love all things Thanksgiving, I've now happily started rocking out to my Christmas tunes in the car and have the house (halfway) decorated for the big day.

Kimchi - Bacon Quesadillas

By Chris Cockren 14 Comments

You can never go wrong with quesadillas at dinner. Adding in authentic Korean kimchi and thick-cut bacon? It's a whole new level of flavor awesomeness and an easy way to introduce your family to Korean flavors!

I've never had a bad quesadilla. I mean, even bad quesadillas are still good quesadillas. It's pretty hard to ruin a beautiful sandwich of flour tortillas, melted ooey gooey cheese, and whatever other fillings are crammed inbetween. Am I right or am I right?

Of course some quesadillas are better than others. I've grown pretty close to the Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas with Avocado Ranch Sauce. We're BFF's. And although I kind of feel bad for sneaking around behind its back with these Kimchi-Bacon Quesadillas, I kind of don't. Because there's plenty of quesadilla love to go around in this house.

Easy Homemade Peppermint Mocha

By Chris Cockren 14 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

Peppermint season is almost upon us. In four short days (the day after Thanksgiving, for those counting), let all things pumpkin terminate and may peppermint reign down upon me. I love it. It just screams Christmas to me. Candy canes. Peppermint-flavored desserts, hot chocolate, and coffee. Uhm actually, wait...

I feel like we're pretty close at this point. Not share our toothbrush close (Asheley and I aren't even at that point yet... and really, gross). But we're close enough that I can tell you a secret and it'll stay between us, right? Okay, here it goes. I have never tried coffee. Nope, never. Well, okay, I've eaten coffee-flavored things, but that doesn't count. I'm talking any sort of beverage varietal.

That normally shocks people when I tell them. How have you never tried coffee?! I don't need the caffeine (I'm one of those annoying people that actually likes the morning), I'm not really a fan of the smell of coffee, and I think deep down I'm afraid of liking it and beginning a daily dependency on it.

That being said, my wife is an addict.

New York's First Le Creuset Signature Store

By Chris Cockren 9 Comments

This post brought to you in conjuction with Le Creuset. Thanks to Le Creuset for giving me a personal tour of their newest signature store and a cool little gift bag of a few Le Creuset goodies! All views and opinions, as always, are completely my own.

Random fact. I am slightly obsessed with Le Creuset. Specifically, I'm a healthy hoarder of their flame orange products. Cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools and gadgets... I'm a proud owner of many (many) of them. And here's some music to my ears: Le Creuset has opened it's very first signature store in New York. And where is that store, you ask? Oh, only a short drive from my home. This could be dangerous.

When Le Creuset invited me to take a look at their inaugural NY signature store, I jumped at the chance. Hey, if nothing else, I can get some good ideas of what Asheley can get me for Christmas 🙂

Pass the Prosciutto - Sage & Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken {Gluten Free}

By Chris Cockren 6 Comments

Compensation for this sponsored post was provided by the Parma Ham - Pass the Prosciutto campaign. As always, all views and opinions, as well as the recipes herein, are my own.

Vinaigrette. The word I can never seem to spell right, no matter how many times I look it up. And yes, I had to look it up to spell it correctly here. It frustrates me greatly. Am I the only one who always resorts to spell check on this one?

I almost didn't even use the "v" word in the recipe title because I didn't want to spell it wrong, again. Sage & Prosicutto Stuffed Chicken with Orange-Sage Vinegrette. Vinagrette. Vinegraitte. ahhhhhhhh... Vinaigrette! See, get's me every time. Even if I can't spell it, this dressing (see what I did there) is absolutely delicious, healthy, and quick to whip together.

And you know what I love about this healthy and gluten-free stuffed chicken recipe? It's easy enough to make for those busy weeknight dinners, but totally elegant enough to serve on the weekends too.

Korean Steak Tacos with Kimchi and Gochujang Aioli

By Chris Cockren 11 Comments

Here's an easy way to introduce the flavors of Korea to your family. Give your next taco night a creative twist with these Korean Steak Tacos with Kimchi and Gochujang Aioli!

I grew up eating an awesome variety of different foods. Indian. Thai. Korean. Japanese. No, not really. My dad is pretty much the epitome of picky eaters, so the craziest we got come dinner time was ordering the most inauthentic food possible from the lame Chinese takeout place down the road from our house. Sesame chicken, anyone?

When Asheley and I have kids, it's pretty much my number one mission to get them eating an eclectic mix of ethnic foods as early as possible. If they eat a big variety of foods early on, they won't be picky eaters, right? I hope it's that easy. Is it that easy? Probably not.

But anyway, these Korean Steak Tacos with Kimchi and Gochujang Aioli is a pretty gentle transition into the world of Korean food. Your kids will be way too busy thinking about the word taco to even notice they are experiencing new, exciting flavors. Well, that's the plan at least.

Korean Steak Kimchi Rice Bowl

By Chris Cockren 7 Comments

A hearty and flavorful Korean burrito rice bowl filled with bulgogi-style steak, kimchi, pico de gallo, avocado, and a homemade gochujang aioli.

Growing up, if you asked me what my favorite foods were, I'd most likely tell you all things Mexican and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Specficially, mint chocolate chip ice cream from Friendly's. Now that I'm older and am blessed with a more refined and dignified palate, I'm more drawn to... oh heck, I still love Mexican food and Friendly's mint chocolate chip (with caramel... seriously, try it). But more and more, if you ask me what I want for dinner, it'll be some variation of Asian food. Korean. Sushi. Thai. Indian.

So do you know what's super awesome? When I can get all wacky and crazy at home and combine my nostalgic and familiar love of Mexican food with the flavors of Korea. And rice bowls are just pretty darn awesome in general, aren't they? I mean come on, it's a complete meal in a bowl! [Read more...]

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

By Chris Cockren 13 Comments

An indulgently delicious and perfectly moist Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookie recipe. Seriously, these creative gluten-free cookies are addictively good!

So I know at this point we are supposed to be 100% focused on all things Thanksgiving (and Christmas apparently*, as the massive bombardment of t.v. commercials are telling me), but Halloween is actually still on my mind. My good friend Kristie apparently enjoyed a healthy dose peanut butter cups at our little Halloween soiree a couple weeks back, as evidenced by the pile of orange wrappers conspicuously stacked where she sat most of the night.

I was a bit surprised by her impressive peanut butter cup consumption, but not for the reason you may suspect. She's intolerant to gluten and needs to follow a pretty strict diet. Could it be that peanut butter cups are gluten-free? Indeed they are, as Kristie confirmed for me (and I reconfirmed on their website).

*side rant: Advertisers, I get it. You want to get us thinking about Christmas as early as possible. But can't we enjoy and celebrate one holiday at a time? Don't even get me started on hearing Christmas songs on the radio. I'll boycott your station until the day after Thanksgiving, at which time I will happily surround myself with the sounds of the season. But until that time, let's enjoy the season we're in. Phew, thanks for that vent-fest. Back to these cookies.

Kimchi & Bacon Fried Rice {plus MIL Kimchi Giveaway!}

By Chris Cockren 35 Comments

A quick, easy way to jazz up that boring old rice and get a whole lot more fun and flavorful with this Korean-inspired Kimchi and Bacon Fried Rice.

Do you remember your earliest memory of food? Mine was as a toddler, when I stole a bagel from the kitchen table and hid in a closet, hoping no one would find me until I was finished devouring my doughy contraband. That's right, I was a bit of a rebel. Once my bagel bandit days were over, new food traditions slowly came about. My mom's weekly batch of her killer chocolate chip muffins (ones that to this day, even with the recipe, don't taste like hers... I swear she left something out on the recipe card so that we have to rely on her for all eternity). Her chicken fajitas for life's most celebrated events. And yes, although I'm not proud to say it, Dunkin' Donuts for every birthday breakfast.

We all have some sort of traditions or early memories tied to food, don't we? It especially rings true when it comes to holiday dinners. Anyone else need to make those mashed potatoes precisely like Grandma used to or make darn well sure that Aunt Edna's famous sweet potato casserole makes an appearance every year for Thanksgiving ?

Grand Tasting and Culinary Demonstrations at the NYCWFF

By Chris Cockren 5 Comments

The people on over at the New York City Wine and Food Festival were nice enough to grant Shared Appetite (i.e. me) access to their annual signature event, the Grand Tasting and Culinary Demonstrations. Big thanks to you, NYCWFF.

As you already know, Asheley and I are big fans of the festival. We go every year to two events, typically one smaller more intimate cooking class or seminar, and then a big tasting event like this one or this one. They are always a lot of fun and we consider it money well spent. Some people spend their hard-earned dollars of fashion or gadgets, others on their children and other responsible stuff, and us, well, it's typically food-related.

I've been wanting to check out what this gigantic Grand Tasting & Culinary Demonstration event was all about for a couple of years now. It always sounded like a bunch of fun. Lots of food vendors, both local and national, handing out samples of their products, as well as a full day of cooking demos and book signings by a long list of celebrity chefs. All-day, all-inclusive. Sounds great, right?

Well let's take a look around, shall we?

Pizza Making 101 with Jim Lahey at the New York City Wine and Food Festival

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

A photo recap of the New York City Wine and Food Festival's Pizza Making 101 with Jim Lahey, featuring his revolutionary no-knead dough recipe.

First off, can we agree to call the New York City Wine and Food Festival "NYCWFF" from here on out. My fingers and wrists thank you. So every year I look forward to the day when the schedule of events is released for the annual NYCWFF. It's totally like Christmas morning. So many classes, talks, seminars, and tasting events... what to choose, what to choose?!

It's kind of overwhelming for someone who wants to go to pretty much every event.

Apple Crisp Ice Cream

By Chris Cockren 11 Comments

My favorite fall dessert gets a makeover with this Apple Crisp Ice Cream recipe. Apple Crisp with Ice Cream? Delicious. Turning Apple Crisp into Ice Cream?! It just may be my favorite creation yet.

There was a time in my life (pretty much from birth through my early 20s) where I was a strong proponent of the fact that any dessert containing fruit could not be classified as a dessert. It was a snack. No matter how much sugar or chocolate it contained or how bad it was for me, if fruit was involved, I called it a snack. Who knows why. I was weird back then.

I pretty much refused to eat anything with fruit in it at dessert time. I was a pretty annoying kid. But then one day I decided to finally try my mom's apple crisp. It was nothing overly unique. In fact I think she uses the recipe from her old beat up Betty Crocker cookbook. But at that moment, my life changed forever. Apple Crisp. Where were you all my life?!

Sunday Slices at the NYC Wine and Food Festival (plus an Adam Richman Signed Photo Giveaway)

By Chris Cockren 6 Comments

An arsenal of wood-fired pizza ovens took over Pier 92's gigantic rooftop overlooking Manhattan's picturesque West Side this past weekend for the NYC Wine and Food Festival's Sunday Slices, a walk-around tasting event hosted by Man vs. Food's Adam Richman and Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell.

And team Shared Appetite was there. And by team, I really mean just Tyler, myself, and our two beautiful wives. Tyler is a well-known pizza fanatic, so much so that he is literally building a wood-fired oven in his backyard as we speak. I'm not complaining, though. Those things can cook a pizza in 90 seconds. It's pretty awesome.

Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Greens, and Ricotta

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

It's fall. The leaves are changing, pumpkins are popping up on almost every doorstep in the neighborhood, and shockingly enough, the weather has stayed on the pleasantly warm side. Asheley just came home with a measely six bags of Halloween candy. Six! We'll defintiely need more. There is a small army of children in our neighborhood, and I've been known to have a small addiction to fun-size candy this time of year.

She thankfully came through with my requested Kit Kats and Twix, although I'm not sure if they will last through next week. Her attempt to hide the candy from me was quite futile, as I quickly found it and devoured a couple (okay, four) pieces.

With all that candy in the house, a healthy fall pasta recipe is welcomed at dinnertime. This butternut squash that we obtained through our weekly CSA program has been staring at me for days on the kitchen counter, as was the bunch of spinach sitting in our fridge. Looking out our back window, I spotted some cherry tomatoes that braved the fall weather and were begging to be picked. Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Greens, and Ricotta... dinner was born.

My Top 12 Places To Eat In San Francisco

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

One of my most popular travel posts on Shared Appetite is the The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat in Paris. So I figured, hey, if that kind of post is helping people plan their trips to Paris, why not do the same for San Francisco. I know when I plan a trip, the first thing I do is look for "where to eat in..." and "the best foods in...". I mean, really, who cares about doing the touristy stuff anyway. I'm there to eat 🙂

So if you're planning a trip to the Bay Area, I hope this list can give you a pretty healthy starting point of where to eat in San Francisco. And the links throughout will take you to a more detailed write-up of each restaurant. Just do me a favor and wrap me up and send on over the leftovers, okay?

Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

This final installment in the Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken saga just might be my favorite. The Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Avocado Ranch Dressing were pretty darn great. No one can deny the decadent deliciousness of Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas . But these Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers... besides being a mouthful to say, well, they are pretty epic.

I actually had grand plans to serve these creative jalapeño poppers this past weekend at my church's annual men's retreat. Every October, 40 or so of us men take a weekend trip to a retreat center/inn/cabin/hobbit house in Pennsylvania. It's a great time to spend getting to know some new faces in the church, grow in our faith, and do manly things like poker (not me), smoke cigars (not me), go to a shooting range (not me), and play golf, Settlers of Catan, and eat way too much junk food (me, me, and me).

So anyway, I was going to make these for the guys with the leftover Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken I made for our opening feast Friday Night, but there was literally none left. They ate it all. Every last morsel. Devoured might actually be the more correct word. Moral of the story. Save some of your buffalo chicken to make these, because it's totally worth it.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

You are down to the last little bit of Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken. Definitely enough to warrant a snack, but it's totally not going to cut it at the dinner table. Or will it. From afar, just when you abandoned all hope and are dialing for take-out pizza, comes your knight in shining armor. The one that can transform the dregs of all your leftovers into a complete and utterly fantastic meal that everyone at the table will be excited to devour.

That's right people. Quesadillas are our best friend. I always make sure to keep the fridge locked and loaded with flour tortillas and some shredded cheese for just these types of occasions. And you totally should too.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Avocado Ranch Dressing

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

So you have a big old pot of Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken. Now what? Well, if you're like me, you try to stretch it out into as many weeknight meals as possible. With a full time job as a music teacher, plus the many private lessons I run around doing until the late evening, the last thing on my mind is making some elaborate dinner. That's reserved for my days off 🙂

Once you've got your buffalo chicken, assembling these sliders literally takes all of 5 minutes. That, even on a crazy busy weeknight, I can do.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

Why would you want to make a quick and easy meal when you could instead spend all day in the kitchen? ...said no person ever.

Don't get me wrong. I love hanging out with my arsenal of cooking gadgets, and enjoying a relaxing day cooking is pretty fantastic in my eyes. But honestly, sometimes you just need to get food on the table with minimal effort. And when life gets a bit hectic (especially during those busy work weeks), or just when I'm feeling a little lazy, my slow cooker and I are great friends.

How To Make Your Own Food Photography Backdrops

By Chris Cockren 10 Comments

Taking photos of your food on the same surface over and over again gets boring. Trust me, I know. You get bored with it, and your readers get bored with seeing that same countertop day in and day out.

I'm actually at the point now when I need to expand my backdrop repertoire, since I'm growing tired of the few I currently have in my arsenal. I figured I would share some really easy ways you can make your own food photography backdrops. They are cheap, simple, and a great way to add depth and creativity to your food photography.

Our Top Secret Eating Adventure

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

Apparently your secrets are safe with me. This one was really tough to keep for so long, but now that it's out in the open (it's even "Facebook official"), I can finally share with the world...

Our great friends Steve and Valerie are engaged! Asheley and I are beyond thrilled for them. They are both really amazing people all on their own, but together, well, they are extra amazing.

I was really honored and blessed to be with Steve to offer my support and stand beside him as he went through the nerve-racking (and ladies, it is nerve-racking) adventure of purchasing the ring. The piece of jewelry to end all jewelry.

We ended up going to the same jeweler where I found Asheley's ring just a couple years back. Can you believe she still remembered my name? That lady has some serious memory. Anyway, since we were already in the city, it only made sense that some food had to be involved. And it was tough not to tell you about all the food, because I love sharing NYC's good eats with you. But I know you understand this was for a good cause.

5 Reasons To Go To Umami Burger

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

Umami Burger. It was kind of like a love at first sight, err taste, for me. We first met under a sky full of gray in a lush, open field at The Great GoogaMooga Festival this past May. There were hundreds of other people around and tons of other food to choose from, but our eyes locked. There was a definite indescribable chemistry. But it was only a fleeting moment. A brief meeting, then gone.

When Asheley and I went to San Francisco this past summer, I made it a point to reconnect with the one of several Umami Burger locations throughout California. As that Truffle Burger was placed down in front of me, it was like no time had passed at all. We picked up our beautiful relationship right where we left off.

And now, finally, we no longer have to try to navigate the whole "long distance" thing. Umami Burger has found it's way to NYC's Greenwich Village, and it's here to stay.

The Model Bakery in Napa Valley

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

English Muffins and I go way back. The were repeatedly offered to me and unenthusiastically accepted as a form of breakfast nourishment as an adolescent. They even made random appearance at dinner, under the guise of English Muffin Pizzas.

Personally, I'm not really a fan of them. Smothering it in sauce and cheese and calling it a pizza did help a bit, but still. Who are they trying to kid. You're not a muffin. Muffins are delicious, especially my mom's famous Chocolate Chip Muffins. You, English Muffins, are not muffins.

As an adult, I am proud to say that I've literally never had another English Muffin. But then The Model Bakery happened, and I had another encounter with the wanna-be muffin.

Mustards Grill in Napa Valley

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

When I announced to the world (the couple friends I have on Facebook) that Asheley and I were going to San Francisco and Napa Valley this past summer, there were two restaurants that people were adamantly passionate about. The first was Mama's, the amazing breakfast joint in San Fran that serves up some ridiculous French Toast.

Our friends Tom and Julianna were really excited to tell us about Mustards Grill. It was here Tom said he had the best pork chop of his entire life. Now that's a bold statement... or maybe he just hasn't had a lot of pork chops in his life. But I trust Tom, and it peaked my interest enough to make a lunch reservation and get over there between our daily morning and afternoon wine tours. It's a tough life in Napa Valley...

Stone Fruit Salad with Avocado, Ricotta, and Salsa Verde

By Chris Cockren 2 Comments

If you're thinking to yourself, This Chris guy has totally lost it... this sounds like a really weird combination of ingredients, you may be half right. I may be losing it. But this unusual pairing actually works, and it totally was not my idea. I can't even take a glimmer of credit.

Ever since dining (twice) at San Francisco's Flour + Water, I can't stop thinking about Chef Thomas McNaughton's insanely delicious stone fruit salad. It was phenomenal. Utterly mind-blowing. And like you, I was skeptical at first.

Bouchon Bakery

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

Do you know what would be really cool? Imagine this. Opening up a 3 Michelin starred restaurant that is basically known as one of the top restaurants in the world, a casual dinner spot with an always-changing menu, a bistro serving up classic French fare, and a kick-butt bakery that immediately transports you back to the familiar smells of Paris' many patisseries and boulangeries.

Oh, and it all has to be in the same small town, on the same little block, in some of the most prime-time real estate in all of Napa Valley. Wouldn't that just be lovely? Yea, that's a reality for Chef Thomas Keller. The dude has the market cornered in Yountville. He basically owns it.

Bouchon Bakery is a great little spot for a casual breakfast or lunch, or for those looking for a little midday snack in order to soak up the massive amounts of wine pumping through their veins.

And fellow New Yorkers, we can get our hands on Bouchon Bakery as well. He's got one hiding in the Time Warner building overlooking Columbus Circle, and somewhere in the maze of Rockefeller Plaza.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Caramel-Candied Bacon

By Chris Cockren 6 Comments

I know what some of you are thinking and no, I don't need an intervention. This is the last corn recipe, I promise... for this year at least.

The first time I encountered sweet corn ice cream (well technically, it was gelato) was at Chef Mario Batali's casual pizza and pasta joint, Otto in NYC. Most people see corn and ice cream in the same sentence and probably think mildly unpleasant thoughts. But I know you're not most people. You're better than that. You recognize the possibility of dessert magnificence.

Ad Hoc (Since We Couldn't Get Into The French Laundry)

By Chris Cockren 1 Comment

I have good news and bad news. Let's get the bad out of the way. We really wanted to go to Chef Thomas Keller's world-renowned The French Laundry while we were in Napa Valley this past July. It's a once in a lifetime meal. Once in a lifetime experience, really (although we have dined at a couple other 3-Star Michelin restaurants as well, but still, it's THE French Laundry). I called up two months prior like I was supposed to, at the required time posted on their website (actually 10 minutes earlier than that), and the phone lines were already busy! They started taking reservations early! The nerve. The horror. Well, fast forward 45 minutes when I finally got through, and yea, of course they were solidly booked for that day. No problem, I'll just call back tomorrow and try for another day. Then the hammer fell. Nope, they would be closed for vacation during all the remaining days we planned to be in Napa!

I tried pulling the card you don't understand, I have a food blog. No, not really. Because that never works. Anyway, I dried my tears, picked up the phone, and did the next best thing a guy could do. Reservations at Chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc, it is.

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

By Chris Cockren 4 Comments

People. I'm pretty upset. My timing totally stinks. So you already know that the school year has started and back to work I went. But what I might have forgotten to mention was that when I tried to get back into my work pants after 2 months of apparently a-little-to-good summer eating, those puppies weren't even coming close fitting. So I had to go buy fatter pants. Yup. I reluctantly decided it would probably be a good idea to lose some of that extra poundage.

And on that same day I vowed to start eating healthier, who made a super delicious, decadent, thick and creamy corn chowder? Yea... so Asheley got to eat real good for a few days, while I was and still am restricted to oh so fun healthy eating. But just because I'm watching my waistline doesn't mean you can't indulge a bit, right?

First Look: Tokyo's Bassanova Ramen Open in NYC

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

I wish I could say that I'm well-versed in the current wildly-popular ramen culinary scene. But I'm not. The only real experience I've had with it, embarrassingly enough, are those lousy packets in the supermarket that promises an authentic experience with the simple phrase just add water! Oh, you too?

When Asheley and I got to spend last Saturday with our friends Steve and Valerie in the city, we knew ramen... like, real ramen... had to be a stop on our day of eating adventure. Steve mentioned that this new place Bassanova Ramen had just opened a few weeks ago. To Chinatown we went...

Danish Apple Pork (Æbleflæsk) Bites for NORTH Festival 2013

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

Compensation for this sponsored post was provided by NORTH Festival 2013. As always, all views and opinions, as well as the recipes herein, are my own.

Okay, I honestly have no idea how to pronounce Æbleflæsk. But the A connected to the E is pretty fancy, isn't it? What I can tell you, though, is that apple and pork always makes for one heck of a classic flavor combination, no matter what language we're talking.

No wonder why pork chops and applesauce was my favorite meal as a kid, even if the pork was cooked until it was completed obliterated of any moisture and flavor (remember those good old times when our moms were super concerned about trichinosis?). Leave it to the Danish to take this pork and apple pairing to the next level with... drumroll please... bacon.

Chef Michael Chiarello's Bottega

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There are basically two things to do in Napa Valley. Eat food and drink wine. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Wine tasting. Eat lunch. Wine tasting. Eat dinner. Well, and relax a whole bunch. So I guess that's three things. I digress.

One of the first restaurants that came to mind once Asheley and I decided to take the Napa Valley plunge this past summer was Bottega. I've heard great things about the place, and the fact that it's celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello's restaurant surely doesn't hurt.

Chilled Corn Soup

By Chris Cockren 3 Comments

Another corn recipe? No, no, you're saying it all wrong. It should be, another corn recipe! That's much better, thanks 🙂

You know when you bite into a piece of perfect corn on the cob. Like, it tastes like everything corn wants to be, should be, and yearns to be. Corn so amazing that you almost are afraid to eat it again because it will probably just disappoint and pale in comparison?

This chilled sweet corn soup tastes like that corn perfection. It's basically corn flavor overload in a bowl, which as you probably know by now, makes my tastebuds quite happy.

Lunch at Del Posto

By Chris Cockren Leave a Comment

So you've probably already heard how the new cool thing to do is to eat at a restaurant and then wait a month before telling everyone about it, right? Oh wait, no? Yea, so listen. Apparently I forgot to tell you about my amazing birthday lunch at Del Posto way back at the very end of July. Oops.

Asheley and I love to celebrate our birthdays with a fancy schmancy dinner. You may remember back to Asheley's birthday when we splurged big time on a meal at Eleven Madison Park. And you're probably thinking, wait, why didn't you go to dinner at Del Posto? Why lunch?! Well, because 1) on the night of my actual birthday we were invited to the NY Botanical Gardens for an event called Family Dinner with Mario Batali's Chefs and 2) I'm going to let you in on a little not-so-secret about the amazing lunch deal at Del Posto...