Semiserious Chefs

This recipe hails from the Amazonian edges of Peru where hammocks and fires reign supreme. It would be no surprise then to discover a very clever way to turn very ripe plantains into a warming and energizing beverage. Okay, so it isn’t the same kind of energizing as coffee, but with plenty of carbohydrates it […]

Yes, that is a spoof off barbecue, but no, I did not make it up. It is indeed a real thing, and a really popular thing! Also known as banana-Q, it’s actually quite funny in that these simple sweet treats are not actually barbecued, but rather fried and then served on barbecue skewers. This faux […]

This recipe partly came about because I like breakfast food and I like cooking breakfast food – especially for dinner. We even have a special name for it around here. We call it BBFD or “big breakfast for dinner”. What’s funny however, is that I rarely if ever actually eat pancakes. I might take a […]

This recipe was inspired by two things. One, the desire to cook something Peruvian with my new found favorite chili, aji amarillo, and two, the wild caught Kodiak scallops I bought at our local farmers market. True to Peruvian style, this recipe uses potatoes and ground aji amarillo. Next, I topped this creamy chowder-like dish […]

Mr. Nathan found a pasta he really wanted when we visited the charcuterie in Napa, and I was able to find the same kind (mezzi rigatoni) at our local grocery store for his Christmas stalking. He was very excited to make a cream sauce for his pasta so I asked him what kind of cheese […]

Not too long ago, when the snow hadn’t flown yet but the doldrums of winter were definitely here, I asked Andrew for some ideas for the next preschool theme in our daycare. Black Smithing. That’s what he decided for a group of 2, 3, and 4 year olds. “Maybe in the summer?” was the politest […]

Who doesn’t love the classic ‘pigs-in-a-blanket?’ There are two renditions that I am aware of. One being breakfast sausage links wrapped in actual pancakes, and the other, seemingly more common option, little smokies rolled inside crescents. I can, in fact, remember what is probably the first time I ever had the pancake type of ‘Pigs-in-a-blanket.’ […]