i've been trying to broaden my cooking repertoire by including whole chicken. don't get me wrong, i definitely eat meat, i just have a tendency to feel completely overwhelmed by the idea of cooking it. but, thanks to poncho (aka, my dad), i've been taught the ways of the fool proof chicken. nevermind the fact that it uses a half box of kosher salt, as this was/is the juiciest chicken i've ever had. let me reiterate that last point once more -  THE juiciest chicken i've ever had.

salt-baked chicken (or as i like to call it, "cocaine chicken") recipe can be found here. but if you're adventurous, i highly recommend taking some ingredients from sunday supper's chicken + ramps recipe. namely, the inclusion of butter and additional herbs.

what was made barefoot for last week's july 4th bbq...

+ my mom's sweet pickled dill salad
+ roasted corn with manchego + lime from here

here's what we all made with our fresh fruit...




i made a tiny batch of strawberry jam. there were big plans to do some mass production canning but upon learning of the numerous gadgets and tools needed, it just seemed simpler to go with a smaller albeit perishable batch. leave it to martha stewart's quick strawberry jam recipe to save me from a possible state of overhelm.




erica and alex made the most delicious trifle - a first for me! i'm not sure how i've gone this long without trifle in my life, but i've been craving it all day and dreaming of the hearty slice sitting in my fridge. thank goodness for leftovers and generous friends who happen to be stellar bakers.

roasted beets with avocado, sliced radish and grated carrot topped with sunflower seeds and a homemade honey vinaigrette



sliced comice pear with freshly grated parmesan and walnuts on a bed of mixed greens

viva salad season!

i'm a terrible morning person so breakfast is often the last thing on my mind. thankfully, granola can always be made the day before. ah, but which recipe to use? there are so many granola recipes out there, and i feel like i've tried them all. this recipe by stephanie + mav is pretty yummy. i especially love it because it doesn't use any oil, which i find overwhelms the oats.




/ flaxseed, coconut, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin + sunflower seeds







/ brown rice syrup poured over brown sugar




the finished product aka this week's breakfast. add some milk, bananas and i'm already on my way to work.

taking a cue from ashley and adding greens (in my case, some rainbow chard) and a poached egg to my lentil and kielbasa soup.

(happy thanksgiving m! and happy anniversary c + j!)

mmm, sometimes the unveiling of leftovers (in this case, ina garten's scalloped tomatoes with croutons ) is the best thing to come home to. have you read smitten kitchen's rendition of the recipe?

i was inspired by popcorn plays to make some end of summer ratatouille. lots of chopping as evidenced in the above pic (hello herb stems), but super easy and completely worthwhile.

i tried out this recipe from my new cookbook plenty by yotam ottolenghi. perfect end-of-summer fare.

bocconcino mozaarella

+



cherry tomatoes

dressed in red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper w/ crushed garlic

above, the key elements to making this recipe. i highly recommend.

i've been eating a ton of greens lately because in my mind, it's definitely summer. the sad reality is that it's cold and rainy here in oakland, and it would probably be more suitable for me to eat soup. now you know why i'm knitting socks... because my feet are actually cold.

the components of my dinner...





roasted peppers marinated in balsamic vinaigrette with capers + herbed goat cheese on sliced country bread (though best with ciabatta) topped with fresh basil

who says you have to look like schlump when you cook? thanks for the apron mimsy!

today's farmers market loot... kind of seems like i'm carbo-loading. so i guess my secret is out: i love bread.

dinner: this salad + roasted asparagus done up Alice Waters' way + sandwich of black forest ham, fig jam, and brie.

easiest dinner: primavera tamales.
steam for 15 minutes, then devour.