My pantry essentials : pickled jalapeños, tabasco, olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar and rolled oats
(reminder: I live in Houston, TX with my Greek dad as a major source of food inspiration.)
My favorite grocery store: Central Market
I love this store so much I once wrote a full personal essay about my time there for school. My teacher was very surprised; my parents were not.
My go-to comfort food: my Dad’s bean soup, eaten with toasted bread, feta and olives
Even in peak summer weather (100 degree weather + 100% humidity: YAY Houston!), this soup is fantastic and super simple.
My favorite vegetable: white asparagus
I spent a week with a host family in France last summer and came home with an enduring love for this extremely underrated vegetable. People love its green cousin, but white asparagus is perfect, especially served cold with a shallot and mustard sauce.
My proudest cooking moment: using the grill for the first time to perfectly char tamarind glazed baby back ribs
Using a Bon Appétit recipe (their recipes are reliable and really, really good), I attempted grilling for the first time with some of my friends. The result was five pounds of absolutely beautiful baby back ribs (better than my Dad’s barbecue ones) that three of my friends and I decimated in 20 minutes. If you’re looking to shake up your summer barbecues, these ribs are the ones for you.
Food, Friends, Odds & Ends 