Category: Sides

burrata artichoke tartines with roasted lemon mint pesto

burrata artichoke tartines with roasted lemon mint pesto

Last Wednesday we were Husbands That Hike. Traci York, the talented woman behind Vanilla and Bean, invited us to participate in a campaign where bloggers all over the country would post nature photos on Earth Day to help spread awareness about the sale of public lands to private companies. For our contribution, we made plans to take pictures at Point Mugu State Park in Malibu, one our favorite spots in Southern California. Just over an hour’s drive, we wound through canyons and zipped through tunnels, finally arriving at the vista where your breath is taken away by the spectacular greeting of the Pacific Ocean. Adam’s brother Josh rode with us, and the windows were rolled down as we cruised along Pacific Coast Highway, finally arriving at the Ray Miller Trail. The three of us trekked over eleven miles through the beautiful Santa Monica mountains surrounded by wildflowers that blanketed the hillsides and lined the path with every color of the rainbow. It was a perfect day for a hike with pleasant temperatures, cool breezes, and ocean views nearly the entire time. On the way to the park, we picked up sandwiches from a local Italian deli for our lunch on the trail, but next time… we’re packing these babies. This outstanding recipe is from Lily Diamond’s new cookbook Kale & Caramel, so turn on the oven, and let us all say its glorious title together: burrata artichoke tartines with roasted lemon mint pesto!

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spicy garlic edamame

spicy garlic edamame

Our first kiss. September 23, 2001. Los Angeles, California. We had known each other for almost four months. Ryan had just moved back to USC for his sophomore year of college after a summer break in Portland, spent chatting together for hours every night over aol instant messenger. We had been on several casual dates since his return, and the only physical contact was a friendly hug at the end of each evening. But this night was different. Little did we know, as we sat nervously on the couch in Adam’s tiny Los Feliz apartment watching the Ken Burn’s Jazz documentary, that this night would be the beginning of a relationship that would eventually turn into a lifelong marriage. Neither of us ever had a boyfriend before, so this was all new territory and somewhat daunting. Ryan was feeling brave, and before getting together at the apartment that night he proposed a big question over the archaic dial-up internet connection, “What’s the deal with us?” And for good reason: we had been on a handful of dates, and didn’t go a day without speaking on the phone, sometimes for hours on end, but there was still no sign of a kiss. Well, cupid must have had perfect aim that warm Sunday evening, or perhaps there was some particularly romantic jazz music playing in the film, but whatever it was, we found ourselves moving closer and closer on the couch. Miles was wailing on the trumpet and Art Blakey pounded on his drums, while cupid pulled his arrow all the way back, further than he had ever pulled before, and using all his concentration and focus, he let go—never taking his eyes from the arrow as it shot through the air, pierced both of our hearts, and our lips touched for the very first time. Five years after that fateful night, we were married in front of 150 of our closest friends and family, and we have never looked back.

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crispy smashed potatoes with herbed yogurt

crispy smashed potatoes with herbed yogurt

Last night, Ryan was supposed to appear on television. When we are not cooking in the kitchen, he frequently goes out to audition for tv shows and commercials, and recently he booked a role on the new comedy Powerless on NBC. We alerted our friends and family to let them know the episode was airing, heated up some food from a photo shoot, got cozy on the couch, and waited the big moment. But by the end of the first scene, he realized it wasn’t the right episode, even though all the online tv listings said it was. We’ll figure out when it’s going to air, and let you know when you can see it. Over the years, he has played everything from a demon slave on Angel to a homeless thief on CSI who gets caught breaking into a stranger’s home and raiding their refrigerator. Hopefully, his sporadic audition schedule fits around our new weekly show on Instagram. Every Friday at 12pm PST, we have been going live from our kitchen and making a new recipe. Today is the fourth episode of Friday Live With Husbands That Cook, so please join us as we make this delicious treat: crispy smashed potatoes with herbed yogurt.

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broccamole

broccamole

Our relatives in Spain couldn’t stop laughing when we showed them the photo of our skinny young avocado tree. Just a year old and not even four feet tall, its trunk was as slender as a thumb. But it wasn’t the tree that was funny, it was the large pink umbrella set up next to it, protecting the poor thing from the blazing midsummer southern California heat. It hung on for dear life, but didn’t survive the brutal days of September when Los Angeles makes its annual transformation into a walk-in pizza oven. So we replaced the torched avocado with a tropical loquat tree that loves the sun and has been generously producing plump, juicy fruits these past two years. Eventually, we’ll find a shadier spot and plant another tree where it can flourish and make millions of avocados for us. Considering they sell for two or three dollars each in the store, one could save a lot of money owning a tree, especially if you’re a fanatic follower of this fantastic fruit like we. You may have questions at this point: Where is this going? And what the heck is broccamole? We promise this is leading somewhere… and of course, it happens to be somewhere incredibly delicious. To learn more, simply scroll down to the next paragraph…

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pan-seared artichoke with an aioli trio

pan-seared artichoke with an aioli trio

Everything is going to be fine. You’re cooking tonight’s Valentine’s dinner, but still haven’t decided what to make. First, take a deep breath, and realize you’re not the only one browsing the web for “romantic home-cooked meals” right now. We’ve gotcha covered, and have definitely been there before. There was the time we waited to buy champagne on our way to a New Year’s party, only to learn the store was sold out of everything bubbly. And the time we tried to buy eggs on Easter morning, finding the dairy case completely empty. Sometimes procrastination works, and sometimes it does not. But no worries: your Valentine will never know you were browsing our site at the last minute on this intimate holiday. In fact, from the very first sip of the evening’s cocktails, it will seem as though you’ve been planning this special night for a long time. And when you bring out this first course, pan-seared artichoke with an aioli trio, and see the smile on your date’s face, it can be our little secret that you just discovered it today.

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