Lemon Bars

We're 3 days out from the official start of Fall, but, apparently, nobody gave L.A. the memo.  The sun's still blazing away out there while we puny humans huddle around our fans and air-conditioning vents in the shade of the indoors.  Well, if summer's going to overstay its welcome, then I'm going to make the most of it.  Make lemons into lemonade, if you will.  Or, in this case, lemon bars.  

5 Ingredient Nutella Mini Brownie Bites

Nutella is a dangerous thing.  Sure, it looks innocent with its cute little jar and its use of "wholesome" ingredients like skim milk, but let's not kid ourselves - this is pure chocolate-y, sugar-laden, spreadable indulgence.  And it's far too easy to keep a jar in the pantry for use on toast, fruit, pretty much anything you can get your hands on.

Green Bean Fries with Ranch Dip

Eating your veggies is hard, even when you're an adult.  Sometimes you bring home a pound of something raw, fresh, and green with the purest of intentions.  You'll steam these with some chicken stock, or maybe just blanch them and make a nice salad.  But then you get ready to make dinner and a little voice in your head says, "hey, let's make something fun and tasty and fried."  

Now, as a rule, I try not to listen to disembodied voices.  So, as I munched on crispy, salty green bean fries I thought to myself about what a stupid rule that is and how I should break it more often.

Thick & Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

Like many bakers, I'm constantly in search for The Perfect chocolate chip cookie.  I make batch after batch of cookie dough, varying the ingredients by degrees each time in the hopes of one day biting into a fresh cookie and knowing - this is The One.  I'm starting to think that day may never come.  I'm also starting to think that might not be a bad thing.  It just means I'll never stop making chocolate chip cookies.

Baking Bad

The Cook

Sometimes, I'm really reminded of how awesome it is to live in L.A.  Sure, it's expensive and smoggy, and you can't go to a Starbucks without hearing some douchebag broadcasting his conversation to the whole room as he takes a "business call".  But it's also a city of perfect weather, with nearly every landscape you can imagine a short drive away.  It's filled with great food and plenty of culture.  Especially pop culture, which, not gonna lie, is my favorite kind.