My BF-editor and I owe you an apology. We missed a blog. While pathologically inexcusable, we actually have a wonderful excuse, namely, a family reunion for the ages. They came from far and wide (we're talking from Boston to Bangkok, Thailand) for a beautiful unveiling ceremony for our mother in Portland, Oregon (complete with glitter and a wonderful Rabbi), as well as a burial for my dear auntie in the small town where I went to high school. If you've ever had one of those perfect days that you replay over and over in your mind, this was a week of perfect days. Friends, family, and of course copious amounts of good food. Goodbyes were difficult.

It was a week that couldn't be beet.

[Ed. note: Oh no you didn't. No one will ever buy this transition for the love of G—]

Beets! With spring in full swing, they're at their peak at all stores and farmers markets. This salad is so easy to put together, is a vibrant alternative to a leafy green salad, and pairs well with chicken or fish. Feta or goat cheese makes a nice optional addition, and if you're adventurous with oranges, you can't go wrong with the Cara Cara red-fleshed navel variety.

Of course, it must be noted that red beets stain easily, so if you want to avoid that, you can use golden beets. If you go that route, you might want to try blood oranges for contrast.

NOTES:

• Don’t throw out your beet greens! Wash them well to remove any grits, discard any tough stems, and sauté with garlic as you would spinach or kale.
• If you’re short on time, Trader Joe’s steamed beets is a quick alternative. Do not use canned, cooked beets.
• Mix this salad up by using yellow beets (bonus: no staining) and blood oranges for contrast.

Hello from the fam.

Adapted from: A Beautiful Plate and Gjelina, Cooking From Venice, California, Travis Lett
Number of servings: 4 small or 2 large

Ingredients

• 7-8 small or baby beets, roughly 1½–2 inches in diameter (*see notes)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2 oranges + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice. (I use Cara Cara or Blood Oranges)
• 3 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1 ripe, yet firm avocado, sliced lengthwise, then horizontally into ½-inch slices
• Small handful of micro greens (optional)
• 3 thinly sliced radishes
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions
Beets

1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Trim any beet greens (set aside), leaving roughly half an inch of stem on the top of the beets. Do not remove the root. Scrub gently with fingertips to clean, without piercing or removing the skin.
2. Place gently scrubbed beets in a small roasting pan. Fill with cold water until beets are halfway submerged. Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Cover dish with foil, securing around the edges to prevent steam from escaping during the cooking process.
3. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (this will depend on the size of beets). Carefully fold back the foil (be careful of steam) and check done-ness by piercing the center of the beets with a paring knife—if the knife meets no resistance, the beets are finished cooking. If the knife meets resistance, allow the beets to continue cooking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, transfer beets to a large bowl, and allow to cool until beets are able to be handled (they will be easier to peel while still slightly warm). Hand-peel gently (I wear latex gloves to avoid staining). The root and tail should be easily removed.

Hazelnuts

1. Toast hazelnuts by putting them in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Allow to cool before chopping.

Oranges

1. Meanwhile, prepare the orange segments. Trim both ends of the oranges. With a sharp pairing knife, and using the edges of the orange as your guide, remove the peel, and be sure to remove all of the white pith. Then carefully segment the orange by slicing between the membrane and the fruit. Set the orange segments aside. Use remaining orange core to squeeze out the juice.

Assembly

1. Cut peeled beets into quarters, and toss into a bowl with the remaining olive oil, sherry vinegar, and orange juice.
2. Spoon the beets on a large platter and drizzle on any remaining dressing. Add avocado slices, and season with salt and pepper. Top with orange segments, hazelnuts, radishes and a small handful of micro greens. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

New Year's Eve is a perfect time to pop open a bottle of bubbly, but here you can have your cake and drink it too.

The BF and I love our new year's resolutions [Ed. note: I promise to get out and run as soon as I can fit through the door], and January will be a chance to reboot the holiday-sweet mode to eat cleaner and leaner. However, for tonight let's celebrate with this citrus champagne bundt cake. Have it with bubbly when the Times Square Ball drops, or with coffee while you watch parades and football the next morning.

Thank you all for reading, commenting, liking, and spreading the word about the blog! I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2018.
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Adapted from: Tutti Dolci
Number of servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh citrus zest (blend of tangerines and Meyer lemons were used here)
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup champagne or prosecco
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed citrus juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F and spray a 10-cup bundt pan generously with nonstick spray (you can butter and flour if desired). Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Combine sugar and citrus zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute; combine with butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour mixture on low speed until almost incorporated. Add champagne, citrus juice, and vanilla; mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
3. Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles. Bake for 40 to 44 minutes, until cake is golden, springs back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; carefully invert onto rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

NOTE: For baking pan, I used this 10-cup Heritage Bundt Pan

​

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Traditions are discussed a lot here, and everyone has their must-see Christmas movies. For us, it's not December if we haven't watched Bad Santa, A Christmas Story and holiday-themed episodes of South Park, Family Guy and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. [Ed. note: Grow up? You fool!] This year my BF surprised me and found the 1964 Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which I haven't seen since I was a child.

On Christmas Eve we hosted our annual traditional dinner with a small group of dear friends. In previous years I'd made seafood paella, but this year I veered away from that tradition and made cioppino. Although it was delicious, my guests took a vote and it's back to seafood paella in 2018. (Am not complaining. Note to self: don't mess with tradition.) I also made a delightful sugar-free low-carb peppermint cheesecake, and bought a chocolate layer cake wrapped like a gift, because I didn't think all the guests would go for the sugar-free option. Of course, the sugar-free cheesecake won out (and will certainly be featured in a blog post next year).

Christmas day was gloriously relaxing. For me, a rare day off. Music and movies playing all day, a leisurely breakfast, gifts to open [Ed. note: I got Joker socks and you didn't], taking our chocolate lab Marlowe for a long romp, and a Christmas Story-inspired Chinese take-out dinner of Peking duck and Chinese greens.

The aforementioned "leisurely breakfast" was this gorgeous, colorful, refreshing, jewel-toned citrus salad. Blood oranges and citrus are at their peak right now, so it's the perfect time to make it.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and adventure-filled 2018.

NOTE: I cut the sugar amount in half from the original recipe as my preference is to not over-sweeten, but if that's not of your concern, stick with the original recipe. I also added two Cara Cara oranges, which look like regular navel oranges on the outside, but the inside is red-fleshed, juicy and sweet. You can make this one day in advance. Keep chilled.

​Number of servings: 8
Adapted from: Gourmet (December 2008)

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup sugar (as mentioned, I used 2 ½-3 tablespoons)
• ⅓ cup water
• 3 whole star anise
• 5 large ruby red or pink grapefruit
• 4 blood oranges
• 2 Cara Cara oranges 

Directions

1. Dissolve sugar in water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring. Add star anise and simmer 5 minutes. Let stand off heat 30 minutes.
2. Cut the peel off, including white pith, from fruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments free from membranes into a bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl.
3. Add syrup with star anise to fruit, juice and stir gently. Remove star anise before serving if desired.