The best thing I ate today - 11/10

The best thing I ate today was a delightful surprise.  My friend Ildi was coming in from NYC and I planned to have her over for tea.  I found a box in my pantry called "Nana's Apple Cake Mix" from Tastefully Simple.  I honestly have no idea how it got there, but figured I'd give it a whirl.  And a whirl it was because this cake is the BOMB.  Warm, gooey, cinnamony, appley...basically this tastes like Fall home baked goodness.   Makes you feel like you are 6 years old, back in your mom's kitchen.  Go Nana!

The best thing I ate today - 11/8

The best thing I ate today was the Ginger Beef & Pad Thai salad I made for dinner.  This was a unique recipe - ginger marinated flank steak, served over a bed of greens, pickled vegetables, rice noodles, spicy soy ginger dressing and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. The rich flavor of the beef was a nice contrast with the vegetables and the soy ginger dressing was a flavorful way to bring the noodles to life.  I only call this a "pad thai salad" because it is somewhat inspired by Wow Bao's pad thai salad - there is no classic pad thai curry in this dish.  The dinner was light, delicious and satisfying all at once.

The best thing I ate today - 11/7

The best thing I ate today was the greek grilled tuna steak we made for dinner.  The marinade was simple and fresh - a rub made from oregano (from our neighbor's garden), fresh thyme, EVOO, salt and pepper.  The steak enjoyed a spritz of fresh lemon just before serving and was bursting with so much flavor, I was actually surprised.

The best thing I ate today - 11/4

The win today goes to the Beef & Butternut Chili I made for dinner.  I am a first-timer chili maker and proud to say that the first time was the charm.  The beef was tender and savory and the butternut squash added a nice starchy texture with a hint of sweetness.  I balanced out the chili powder, cinnamon, coriander  and cumin and spice blend with some cocoa powder, brown sugar and chipotle chili powder.  The result was a nice balanced savory, smoky flavor with a touch of sweetness.  Accompanied by cornbread (so delicious it might as well have been cake), this was a great cold weather Fall dinner.

The best thing I ate today - 11/1

The best thing I ate today was a winter squash and corn chowder that I made for dinner.  This turned out to be a wonderfully creamy and filling (yet guiltless) chowder.  Made with pureed corn, skim milk, squash, celery and some spinach the chowder had the perfect duality of silky texture with satisfying chunks.  We topped it with bacon, green onions and cheddar for some extra flavor and and appetite appealing artistry garnish.

The best thing I ate today - 10/31

The best thing I ate today was the Asian meatball bahn mi I made for dinner.  I used a recipe for Basil Chicken Meatballs with Ponzu Sauce from my friends at Cooking Light, and served it on warm and toasty multi-grain French bread.  I am a sucker for a meatball.  Really, I think this pedestrian food is actually incredibly inspired because if done right it can combine a number of delicious ingredients and serve them up in one savory bite and uniquely delicious (a la the trend in gourmet hot dogs, like Hot Doug's).  These Asian meatballs did not disappoint, and did deliver a sweet and savory Asian flavor made with gems like coconut, basil and sweet chili sauce.  It was the perfect homey, comforting dinner remade with a bit of flair.

The best thing I ate today - 10/30

The best thing I ate today turned out far better that I could have imagined.  Feeling inspired by the season, I decided to do something with Pumpkin. You should know that this blogger is NOT a pumpkin pie kind of gal, and pumpkin is usually not my dessert ingredient of choice.  Alas, I made a pumpkin chocolate chip loaf figuring it would be just enough pumpkin to give me my fix, but not so much that I would feel compelled to go back for seconds.  Well, I was WRONG.  The loaf was unbelievably moist and the contrast of the dark chocolate chips and the sweet pumpkin made for dessert perfection.  So much for self control.