liv bites

I recently went home to Jackson, Mississippi for a long weekend to celebrate a friend’s recent engagement, and I ate the whole time I was there. Friday night we went to my favorite restaurant, Walkers, where no less than two desserts were shared. Saturday I picked fresh basil from my dad’s garden and made a [...]

My assistant and I just shelled out some cash to join Costco. It seems a little ridiculous since I live within a one-block walking distance of no less than three grocery stores (truly), but when I heard that I could buy a whole quart of Fage yogurt for $5, I was sold. I eat a [...]

While considering an easy, Sunday night dinner for two, I settled on lettuce wraps. My assistant and I made them a while back with success, which turned out to be just the confidence I needed to take the basic recipe to the next level — but this time, I was cooking for a girlfriend instead [...]

The first time I attempted the bacon and brussels sprouts combo, the sprouts were hardly cooked, but the bacon turned out more like bacon bits — fail. The second time, I introduced red wine into the mix and loved the result. But I got a little cocky about the small success and decided it’d be [...]

I was craving a burger a few nights ago, but I decided to buy ground lamb instead of beef to make things more interesting. With the lamb came the opportunity to turn an all-American classic into a Mediterranean meal, so I went with it. Except that I think hamburgers are actually originally German. Sigh. I [...]

My assistant sagely dubbed the following recipe — Homemade Pappardelle with Quail Ragu — “second-generation” pasta, because version one met a sad fate. But let me back up. For my birthday this year, a very close family friend thoughtfully gave me a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma. Since I can never afford anything there on my [...]

My assistant and I were lucky enough to spend the majority of the past week with his mom in Miami, where it’s perpetually 80 degrees, sunny and all-around beach worthy. And while the produce we get in Northern California is hard to top, Florida does a pretty good job of competing — and not just [...]

I turned 24 yesterday, and I spent a big chunk of the day doing exactly what I wanted to do: overseeing a huge pot of gumbo to serve some friends who stopped by for the festivities. I chose gumbo for the birthday meal because I wanted something that would feed a group of 8 to [...]

Nothing says light, springtime tapas to me like a flatbread, which have been popping up on appetizer menus for the past several years. After sharing a stand-out one with my sister, mom and aunt in Denver recently, I grew excited about trying to make one on my own.  After having done it, I’m convinced flatbreads [...]

This weekend my assistant and I went camping in Big Sur. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks stocking up on gear like a sleeping bag, new sneakers and the biggest backpack I’ve ever carried, but I can sincerely say it was worth every minute. We were blessed with a gorgeous three-hour drive, flawless weather [...]