Good food feeds the soul
The best part of any meal is often what comes before it. These appetizers, snacks, and small bites are inspired by the tapas culture of Spain, the petiscos of Portugal, and the Southern spreads I grew up with — food meant for sharing, grazing, and lingering over.
June is festival season in Portugal which also coincides with the start of sardine season. And Portugal becomes one giant street party. Streets draped with colorful streamers, pulsing with music, laughter, and the irrestiable scent of fresh sardines sizzling over charcoal grills until the early morning hours. Which is …
Strawberries are in peak season here in Portugal. So, I couldn’t resist popping some in the oven to make Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Pink Peppercorns. I served it over a no-bake lemon cheesecake for dessert over the Easter holidays. This recipe is so freaking easy. …
Growing up in the Southern US, fried green tomatoes are often on the menu. So, when a gentleman in the local community garden shared some tomatoes from his vines, I couldn’t resist making a batch. Although this recipe is nothing like the fried green tomatoes …
Back in Denver, one of the hubby’s and my favorite places was an Italian restaurant, called Panzano, where they made a lovely fried eggplant resting in marinara sauce that was to die for. So, this week, I’m bringing you my version of the dish – …
Have you ever made your own crackers? I hadn’t until recently. It’s always been one of those things on my list to do but I couldn’t be bothered because you can always buy such wonderful flavors in the store with no effort. BUT making homemade …
My lovely friend Jacky got me HOOKED on Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. After eating these SWEET babies at her place a few times, I HAD to start making them at home. And share them with you because you don’t need to miss a treat like this. …
Originally published 2021, updated June 2026. It’s almost impossible to find a tapas bar in Spain that doesn’t serve patatas bravas. Not that I blame them because who can resist crispy roasted potatoes dipped in a smoky, slightly spicy bravas sauce. They are genuinely one …
TACOS! Whether you’ve been following me through my food blog or my business, you KNOW by now, how much I LOVE tacos. Yes, I talk about tacos in my business. While evenly tied as my favorite with pizza, tacos are a huge part of my …
Originally published August 2021, updated April 2026. I’ll be completely honest… I didn’t think this recipe was going to work. The inspiration came from a food photo I stumbled across on Foodgawker years ago. It mentioned Swiss cheese in a zucchini quesadilla and my immediate …
If you’ve spent any time at all in Portugal, you KNOW Portugal loves thinly sliced meat sandwiches. There’s the bifana (pork), the prego (beef), and the Francesinha (pork with cheese smothered in sauce). And everyone has their own recipe, including me. Today, I’m sharing with …