The Naptime Chef

What’s Going on Today: Sunday at home; time to grill!

Tonight’s Menu: Super Duper Guacamole Burgers, sweet corn, grilled Parmesan asparagus, white wine

Naptime Goals: Prepare burgers, shuck corn.

Every year my husband and I like to come up with a new burger recipe or two. A juicy grilled burger is our personal version of summer comfort food. Last weekend we were enjoying a little downtime and decided to start thinking of a new variation for summer 2012. After all, it is just around the corner and we would hate to start Memorial Day without at least one new burger recipe in hand! This year we drew inspiration from a Cinco de Mayo celebrate we’d attended and decided to try deconstructing our favorite guacamole dip and presenting it as a burger topping instead.

1. Asparagus Breadsticks
2. 7 Ways to Save & Eat Well at the Grocery Store
3. Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes for Mom

I am so excited for my book signing in Georgetown tonight! While I get ready I thought I’d stop in with a favorite recipe from Thailand. As you’ll see in my posts on The Seafood Spot, my friend Nicole and I instantly fell in love with Tom Yam Goong, the national dish of Thailand, upon first sip. We were so infatuated by the spicy, sweet, citrus flavors that we made up our own version of soup wars for the bulk of our trip. We ordered it nearly every where we went comparing recipes from restaurant to restaurant!

Just a reminder I have two exciting book events coming up next week! On Tuesday, May 1st I’ll be at the JMcLaughlin store in Georgetown, DC from 6 – 8pm. On Thursday, May 3rd I’ll be at JMcLaughlin in Wellesley, MA from 3 – 5pm. I hope everyone will come out to say Hi and get their books signed!

May 1st in Georgetown, DC from 6 – 8pm!

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

I have been a longtime fan of Elizabeth Bard’s romantic foodoir, Lunch in Paris. Elizabeth’s friendly voice is so enjoyable and her Paris adventures, both foodie and romantic, make for a delightful read. Naturally, I gravitate toward any book containing recipes, especially contemporary French ones, which is why I’ve cooked my way through half the book over the past year. One of the recipes I’ve been turning to again and again is the simple french yogurt cake. I know the yogurt cake is ubiquitous in many french cookbooks, but this particular recipe is especially moist and I like it better than all the other ones I’ve tried.

What’s Going on Today: Grilling Season kick-off!

You know you live in the Northeast when the first day of grilling is a family event. My husband and I are grilling fanatics and although we technically could grill all year long (frostbite is no biggy, right?), we save our tried and true grilling days for summer. This year our first grilling feast happened to coincide with the beginning of asparagus season so we decided to combine two of our favorite spring food events for a little grilled experiment.

During my travels over the past three weeks I’ve been catching up on some of my favorite websites and discovering a few new ones as well. I’ve even (finally!) been able to start some new books, including The Hunger Games and Spoon Fed. Both have been on my list for at least a year and I am excited to be able to crack their spines.  I thought I’d take a break from recipes today and share a few of these new favorites with you. Who knows, maybe you’ll have some unexpected downtime soon too, here are some things you might enjoy!