tasca da esquina

My husband and I were only in Lisbon for a couple nights during our recent travels, so we wanted to make sure we got the opportunity to dine somewhere memorable and delicious. Tasca da Esquina came highly recommended from a good friend of mine, and Eater even considers it one of the 38 Essential Lisbon Restaurants! We were sold, and decided to make our way there for a late dinner after going to a local Champions League soccer match (husband's priorities). Portuguese tapas, aka Petiscos, are apparently trending at the moment, and Tasca da Esquina does them exceptionally well. We loved the vibe here- modern but casual, with super flavorful eats. Some of the dishes offered were a little different for me (pork feet with coriander!), and there were some unique flavor combinations (octopus, sweet potato & peppermint!), but we ordered a nice assortment and everything was truly impressive. Scroll through the slideshow for more details about each unique dish! We finished with some delicious, aged port- when in Portugal, after all!

peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins

Not many things go together better than peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate. These muffins are the perfect combination of all three, and I love how easy they are to whip up. Because of the (mostly) healthy ingredients, they make for a tasty breakfast, sliced and served with an extra smear of peanut butter and sliced bananas. Or if you'd rather make them a bit more naughty, throw in some extra chocolate and peanut butter chips for good measure ;) I chose to bake these in a pretty rose-shaped muffin tin, but a regular muffin pan will work just fine. Whichever route you take, these muffins are sure to hit the spot. I hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or rose-shaped one!) with nonstick spray, and line with cupcake liners if desired. In a medium bowl, sift together both flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together bananas, brown sugar, honey, egg, peanut butter, greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. Then fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips, if desired. Divide batter evenly between prepared cups, adding about 1/4 cup to each. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20-24 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then move muffins to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

*For a vegan version, sub coconut yogurt or applesauce for greek yogurt, and flax "egg" for egg.

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kismet

Kismet was the restaurant I was most looking forward to trying once I knew we were coming to Los Angeles. This all-day café is totally up my alley- the menu reimagines Middle Eastern flavors for modern-day California cuisine- so basically everything I want in a meal. Before relocating to LA, chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson helmed the kitchen at Glasserie in Brooklyn, which is one of my husband's and my absolute favorite spots, so we had pretty high hopes for our meal at Kismet. I can say we thoroughly enjoyed the food, and although there are some similarities to Glasserie in that they both have Middle Eastern influence, Kismet is its own delicious beast. I love their focus on using small, responsible growers, and how much they value creating personal relationships with the farmers and producers. This passion really comes through in the food, as every dish really allowed the ingredients to shine.

My husband and I met another couple for dinner, so we luckily got to try a ton of different things, and honestly it would be hard for me to pick a favorite. The barbari bread by bub & grandmas was nicely doughy and chewy, but got even better when dunked into their super creamy tahini. Kismet creates some really flavorful combinations, like sweet potato with puffed rice and coconut vinaigrette, as well as kabocha squash with peanut and aleppo pepper, and I truly enjoyed all the unique flavors. Scroll through the slideshow to get details on all twelve (!) of our delicious dishes. I'm dying to return for brunch or lunch, as the Turkish-ish breakfast and broccoli toast are absolutely calling my name! The Kismet team also opened a more fast-casual falafel joint called Madcapra, so looks like I'll have to stop by Grand Central Market for lunch too!

golda kitchen

Okay, y'all- I'm going to go out on a limb and say I have a new favorite restaurant in Brooklyn. Golda Kitchen is an all-day New American café with the perfect touch of Middle Eastern flavors that serves some seriously tasty breakfast and lunch fare. Local, seasonal ingredients truly shine here, but one of major highlights for me is the beautiful case of freshly baked pastries! There are tons on offer each day, and the flavor combinations are equally unique and delicious. I wanted to try one of each on my recent visit, but managed to narrow it down to a pumpkin olive oil cake with labne frosting and a plum-soaked brioche with pistachios. Glory, were they scrumptious! Our savory dishes didn't disappoint either, and I loved my charred broccoli rabe plate with sweet potato, figs & soft-boiled egg. The sandwiches are pretty impressive as well, as you can see from the photos below. Talk about a mouthful!

Click through the photos to read more about our meal, as I honestly cannot say enough good things about Golda. Really dying to try some of their other goodies as well- how good does hot chocolate with malted tahini marshmallows sound?! Or romanesco & kale moussaka with egg & flax-pinenut streusel?? Or finally, how about persimmon & gingerbread cake with rye flour, whey caramel & labne?! I'm literally obsessed with all these flavor combinations, and cannot wait to go back to Golda again soon!

nomad

Food always plays a big role in any vacation we take- I might even go as far to say we plan trips around eating (perks of being a #chefswife)! On our recent travels to Portugal and Morocco, I have to admit I was most looking forward to the food in Marrakech! After doing some research on local spots in the Medina, I knew I definitely wanted to visit Nomad. The restaurant serves simple, modern Moroccan cuisine with a focus on fresh, local produce. I loved their updated take on traditional dishes, as well as global dishes infused with a Moroccan twist. There's truly something for everyone here, with plenty of options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!

Nomad opened a few years ago in an old carpet store just off the famed place de épices, and has a lovely rooftop terrace overlooking the square. You can even see the beautiful Atlas Mountain range during certain times of the year! My husband and I sat outside for lunch and enjoyed a truly fresh and flavorful meal- what a wonderful start to our trip it was! The lamb tagine with prunes and spices and the Moroccan affogato (I got mine with sweet pumpkin & saffron ice cream!) were highlights for me, but everything we ate really impressed us to be honest. Click through the photos for more details of each tasty dish. It was hard not to come back to Nomad for all our meals after this one, but we knew we wanted to see more of what Marrakech had to offer. I will definitely be back on my next trip, as I still think fondly of our perfect al fresco lunch!

- you may also be interested in -
al fassia
al fassia
nomad
nomad
moro
moro
juniper & ivy
juniper & ivy
cafe mogador
cafe mogador

six senses douro valley

My husband and I took a magical vacation this past fall to Portugal and Morocco. One of our first stops was the Douro Valley, the beautiful wine country in Portugal. I'd heard great things about Six Senses Douro Valley, and I bet you'll fall in love just by looking at their website. Unfortunately, we were booking a bit last minute, and the resort was fully booked during the time of our visit, so we ended up staying elsewhere. Lucky for me, though, I could still make reservations at The Vale de Abraão Restaurant, so my husband and I made plans for a beautiful fine-dining lunch out on the terrace. The restaurant serves classic regional dishes, but does so in a way that feels fresh and global by using seasonal, market-inspired fare. We were truly blown away by our meal, as each course was perfectly balanced with beautiful flavors. Not to mention completely picturesque! Naturally, being in Portugal, we sampled several aged port wines on our trip, and these were top of the line. Scroll through the slideshow to read details of our memorable meal- I can practically taste each dish again now! After lunch, we were able to spend the afternoon by the pool, enjoying the sun along with more local port. I highly recommend a visit to Six Senses Douro Valley, and now I'd love nothing more than to visit another one of their locations! Where to next???