ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Sichuan Bonanza Edition

About a year ago, I stumbled upon Fuchsia Dunlop’s Sichuan cook book Land of Plenty on some blog out there on the Interwebs. I was intrigued by whatever the dish was and did further research. It turns out the British-born Dunlop spent extensive time in the Sichuan province of China studying the local foods and …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Bread Machine Bonanza

A few months ago, I received a free gift card from CSN Stores, and I asked my Twitter followers if I should use it for an ice cream maker or a bread machine. The debate was fierce, and ultimately I opted for an ice cream maker (actually, I opted for a slow cooker first, and …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Spicy Pepino Edition

For the past week, I’d been trying to corral a friend or two to join me in making another Cocktail of the Week (a feature on this site which I must rename because quite frankly “Cocktail of the Week” is entirely too unoriginal. I’m open to suggestions). Anyway, it turns out my friends all had …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Josh Curtis Edition

As part of my new and ongoing quest to sample inventive and tasty cocktails, I’m very excited to announce the presence of a guest mixologist here on B-Side Blog. He’s none other than Josh Curtis, one of the top mixologists in Los Angeles. In the past, Josh has been a libation guru at Jar and …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Smoked Shrimp and Peppers

Not only did I receive a salad spinner from CSN Stores this week, but I also nabbed a smoker too. It was a random purchase, and quite frankly, I don’t know what had inspired the decision. I wouldn’t call myself someone who yearns for smokey cuisine on the regular, but the deed was done, and …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Snap-Pea-Irinha Edition

Once again I’m back with yet another cocktail, courtesy of Organic, Shaken, and Stirred by Paul Abercrombie. This time I come to you with a curious yet wonderful beverage named the Snap-Pea-Irinha, which employs — you guessed it — snap peas as its surprise ingredient. I actually made this latest concoction last week with my …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Jessica Rabbit

Last week, after having purchased Organic, Shaken, and Stirred by Paul Abercrombie, I decided I would slowly make my way through the book, endeavoring to make at least one new cocktail a week. I started with a delicious basil margarita, which I’ve since made two more times to equally rave reviews. For this week’s cocktail, …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Basil Margarita Edition

As readers of this blog may know, my friends and I are ardent fans of gathering and making drinks together, specifically of the handcrafted variety. It’s a ritual we creatively call “Fresh Cocktail Hour.” I’ve only documented a few of these forays into mixology on this blog (see examples here, here, and here), but I …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Bundt Seriously, Folks

Once again, CSN Stores gave me a gift certificate for me to use in return for some reviews of whatever I purchase with it. For my latest batch of housewares, I ordered a Bundt pan because, well, why not? I wouldn’t say that I’m an avid Bundt maker, but it’s nice having the pan, and …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: My First Slow Cooker Experience!

Recently CSN Stores gave me a $40 gift certificate to use at my discretion, as long as I reviewed whatever item I purchased from them. After taking an informal poll on the blog, I opted for a slow cooker (just barely edging out the ice cream machine, which has been out of stock anyway). I …