Is there such thing as a life-changing salad? About seven years ago, on the date of my twenty-third birthday, I knew I had to make a change. I’d just eaten my way through a Brazilian steakhouse birthday dinner and felt terrible. I was heavier than I’d ever been and was just physically burnt-out. I’ve always been plus-size, but knew I wasn’t living well in that moment. Just a year and a half out of college, and living on my own for the first time, I was still learning how to t

Growing up, my perception of green beans was grim: they came from a can looking a sickly dark green and flopped when you touched them. Don’t even get me started on the smell. And in casseroles, they were even worse. I didn’t fall in love with green beans until my early 20s, during a meal at Trattoria L’Incontro in Astoria, Queens.  The greens were rich and nutty and snapped when I bit into them. They took on the delicate flavor of the butter and and balsamic glaze they were c

Mark my words: you’ve never experience paradise until you’ve had a bite of blue cheese paired with onion jam. I love strong, pungent flavors and the combination of the sweet, tangy jam and the sharp, fragrant blue cheese has literally caused my eyes to roll back in my head. It’s why I had to turn it into pizza. Now, pizza isn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever cooked. It looks like it should be – a little dough, a little sauce, a little cheese – what could go wrong? But it’s actua

If there’s one thing I can do consistently well, it’s chicken. It’s the main protein in our household – fairly light, easily flavored, and not too difficult to prepare. As long as you’re not doing a full roast, it’s the perfect dish for a busy weeknight. Which brings me to mix-and-match chicken. This is my foolproof recipe for a delicious, easy, and fulfilling meal, especially if you’re tired after coming home from work. The concept is simple, requiring six basic elements for