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by Emily

Food Porn of the Day: Jamaican Pizza

I’m not usually the world’s #1 pizza craver but when I’m in the mood I’m IN THE MOOD, and lately I’ve been in the mood thanks to the discovery of my boy Macaulay Culkin’s pizza-themed Velvet Underground cover band. (WHAT? Yes. Culkin will always hold a special place in my heart and VU is my all-time favorite band, so this bit of breaking news is extremely relevant to my interests.)

A few days ago I fulfilled my cravings with a funky pizza party and I just had to share it with everyone. This combination is truly a Christmas miracle that I think everyone should try for themselves immediately:

Jerk chicken, pineapple, red onion, jalapeño, habanero, and avocado. AVOCADO. Its cool creaminess is the perfect foil for all that heat. I got this sucker from East Side Pies here in Austin. I wrote about their lil smokies & egg creation last year, but I figured this revelation of flavors deserves another mention. Macaulay should write a song about this.

by Emily

ES-Approved Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers

Still looking for that perfect gift for the epicurean in your life? Try one of our suggestions! Thanks to the internet, there’s no shortage of cookbooks and kitchen goods out there, but we’ve cut through the boring stuff and picked out a handful of ideas that are sure to please. Stick one of these under your tree and treat yourself to a drink – holiday shopping is hard work!

From Scratch: Inside the Food Network
We love some Food Network as much as the rest of the country, but we’re also suckers for a good celeb chef snark sesh, and this new book from Allen Salkin looks like it will provide plenty of ammo.

HomeMade Gin Kit Holiday Blend Christmas Refill
I reviewed the HomeMade Gin Kit last holiday season (and gave it two thumbs up, I think it’s a super fun project and makes a great gift for any cocktail lover). Now they’ve released a special holiday edition. According to Gin Kit co-founder Joe Maiellano, “We’ve toned down the citrus and summery flavors in the original gin infusion blend and laced the new one with cinnamon, clove, ginger, and rosemary. We came up with a cocktail recipe for the new gin using cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and a rosemary sprig that testers say looks and tastes like Christmas in a glass!” The refill is only $10, so it makes a nice stocking stuffer for anyone you got the original kit for last year.

Magical Unicorn Salt
Truth time: part of the reason we picked this one is because of its majestic name. Besides that, though, this stuff sounds great: a mix of pure ocean salt, smoked paprika, garlic, rosemary, and celery seed. The seasoning possibilities are endless! The manufacturer, Beautiful Briny Sea, doesn’t have a full online store, but you can check out their current offerings and contact info on their Facebook page, and right now, just in time for gift-giving, Magical Unicorn Salt is selling on Fab.

by Emily

Top 5 Post-Holiday Detox Drinks

I realize Thanksgiving was almost a full week ago, but I”m still in full-on recovery mode. Everyone knows a good streak of Thanksgiving-level eating stretches all the way through Black Friday and into the weekend. After all, those leftovers aren”t going to devour themselves! Anyway, after an accomplished 4 days of pigging out, I usually feel pretty sluggish and ashamed (also proud! But also, there is some shame).

Wondering how to get back on track, or at least wean your body off the idea of getting stuffed with gravy and butter every second of the day? I have a couple secret weapons and tricks up my sleeve that I use to help me (and my poor, poor digestive system) feel better in no time. That photo above is a snapshot of my desk on the first day back to work after my large weekend. My living area basically looked like the beverage aisle at Whole Foods.

1. Coconut Water
Taste the tropics, y”all! This stuff is so great for refreshment and rehydration! It has just as much potassium as bananas plus tons of important electrolytes. You can basically think of it as nature”s gatorade. I first gave coconut water my official ES endorsement back in January 2012 and this miracle drink retains my loyalty to this day. My favorite brands are Zico (try the pineapple flavor!) and O.N.E.

2. Kombucha
Oh my dear, sweet kombucha! This fermented tea drink might sound funky, but just give it a try. It will help you balance your pH, cleanse out toxins and impurities, and really move your digestion along. Plus kombucha has trace amounts of alcohol! So it”s not like you”re completely depriving yourself, just trick yourself into thinking it”s a health cocktail or something. If you”re freaked out by the idea of fermented tea, try a bottle of GT Dave”s Synergy, which comes in delightful juice-blended flavors like guava, • individual health insurance companies could drop you for being sick or stop treating you when you reached annual or life-time limits. gingerade, and my personal fave, trilogy.

in Drinks / Holiday / Lists 0 comments

by Emily

Leftover City: Pumpkin-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yet another recipe involving pumpkin from yours truly. What can I say, it’s Thanksgiving time! If you’re wondering what you’re going to do with all that leftover pumpkin puree from your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe, I have one for you. It’s easy, cheap, tasty, and healthy without tasting particularly like a health food. You can serve a couple of these as a main course, or use one as a nice, hearty side with your turkey leftovers. Either way, you’re looking at a complete protein, fiber, veggies, and a little bit of savory indulgence (blue cheeeeeese!) all at once. Win win win.

Pumpkin-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

in Cheese / Holiday / Recipe / Veggie 0 comments

by Emily

Overnight Oats: Morning Glory or a Snooze?

I’d been seeing overnight oats all over the place (and by “all over the place” I mean “Pinterest” of course) and I was intrigued. I’ve always been used to making my oatmeal the traditional way – hot! – so the thought of mixing my oats with a bunch of goopy stuff and letting them sit in the fridge for hours was a bit strange. But I figured that I love cookie dough and mixing oats with wet stuff would be kind of like cookie dough, so I should at least give it a try, right? You really can’t get any more simple than this. Start with oats (duh), add some moisture (almond milk, yogurt, peanut butter, mashed banana, etc), choose your favorite mix-ins (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, protein powder, spices, fruit) and just go wild! I decided to get into the spirit of the season and make my first batch a pumpkin-y treat.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats

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by Emily

The Best Ever Pumpkin Cheesecake. Period.

Are you scrambling to figure out the perfect dessert recipe for your Thanksgiving? Your problem is about to be 100% solved.

Last year was my first Texan Thanksgiving and first holiday with my boyfriend Rob’s family. They make a gigantic feast (feeding 30+ people) full of Thanksgiving favorites and traditional southern treats. I wanted to contribute by using my culinary skills to make a statement. A delicious statement. A statement that can only be made by the best pumpkin dessert I have ever found: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping and Gingersnap Crust.

I originally discovered this little slice of heaven through my food loving pal Chris, but it originated in Bon Appétit magazine a few years back. Usually I don’t like to share recipes I didn’t create myself, but there is no way I could top this cheesecake, so why bother? I promise it is the BEST. I’ve been making it for… oh, four years now, and every single person who tries it falls in love. People ask me about my pumpkin cheesecake year-round. Bring it to a holiday party and it will disappear before your eyes. Be warned, though, if you make this once, your friends and family will beg you to make it again and again every year.

And yes, that includes Rob’s mom, who asked me to bring the pumpkin cheesecake to Thanksgiving again this year. Stamp of approval from a Texan mother? Now that’s worth its weight in gold (or cream cheese).

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping and Gingersnap Crust

in Desserts / Holiday / Recipe 4 comments

by Emily

Butternut Blue Cheese Bison Chili

Welp, it’s chili weather. Chili is basically the best fall/winter dinner ever. It’s easy to throw together, super cozy, and you can really feel good about it because it’s chock full of fiber and protein (and SPICE!) Also because it makes me feel like I’m watching football, even if I’m not. (What, is that weird?)

I usually make my chipotle sweet potato chili but I was in the mood to mix it up this week. I had some butternut squash to use up and figured it’d be a great chili ingredient, along with your requisite beans and meat (in this case, ground bison—it has a sweet, meaty taste with tons of protein and it’s way leaner than ground beef. Thanks, bison!).

To keep things interesting, I decided to top this one with a sprinkle of gorgonzola crumbles and Louisiana hot sauce—blue cheese and butternut squash is lovely together, and obviously hot wings have taught us that blue cheese and hot sauce are also a match made in heaven. I’m pretty proud of this flavor combination, y’all!

Butternut Blue Cheese Bison Chili

in Recipe / Red Meat 0 comments