The Complex Amateur Food and Drink Blog

Bouchon Bakery never ceases to amaze me. When Thomas Keller was thinking about adding a new scone, he wanted a savory one to add to their repertoire. Typically scones are sweeter and traditionally eaten at breakfast, bacon was a natural addition given its rich flavor and breakfast history, white cheddar, and chives for the onion flavor and the color it adds. The great thing about these is they can be eaten at basically anytime, makes for an amazing breakfast and goes great at dinner time as well. Oh, and your house is going to smell great while you are making these because of the bacon, and then during the bake…

Tacolicious calls this their “lazy salsa” because it is so simple. It is very delicious and fresh as well! There are two ways to make it, depending on the ripeness and season of your tomatoes. It is currently November, therefore I decided to make the salsa the roasted way. However, you can also make this recipe just by chopping all of the ingredients (use 1 jalapeño instead of 2) and combining them. I am looking forward to doing this in the summer when tomatoes are back in season! When this is not pulsed in the blender, the salsa looks more like a pico de gallo. It is a classic salsa…

This is a beautiful, decadent cake perfect for any celebration! The pairing of raspberry and chocolate is quite delicious and melts in your mouth. The chocolate sprinkles add a very fun element as well, do not skimp out on this part. Each slice is a full of rich, silky smooth ganache combined with three layers of light and fluffy chocolate cake and fresh raspberries, what more could you ask for! Making the cake is not too complicated, but do allow for extra time for the various cooling stages. Have fun with decorating and your family and friends will surely be impressed. Ingredients 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 2…

Squash blossoms are in season! And they are pretty tough to find, even at some farmers markets. So if you do see them, make sure to grab them while you can. They also have to be very fresh, ideally picked that morning and then used that same to day to get the most flavor. The triangoli (triangle raviolis) with the burrata and the crunch of pistachios and squash is refreshing and memorable. This is a must try recipe! Ingredients – Burrata Filling 1 cup of burrata 2 tbsp parmesan 1 tbsp fresh mint 2 tsp salt lemon zest from 1 lemon black pepper Sauce 8-10 squash blossoms 3/4 cup butter…

Refried beans for my breakfast huevos rancheros, my taco lunch, and my enchilada dinner, please! I add these on to anything when making Mexican food and they are such an amazing flavor booster. This recipe will not disappoint! Note that the recipe is similar to the Nopalito braised bean one, but there are a few differences such as the addition of oregano and the food processing. Ingredients – 2 cups dried pinto beans 8 cups water 1 tbsp salt 1 dried guajillo chile 1/4 of white onion 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano Cookbook – Nopalito Tools – Large deep dish pan, pot, or dutch oven Food processor Step 1 –…

This is a tasty appetizer or lunch with interesting flavor combinations. One of the recipe uses three different cheeses, so what could go wrong! The other uses fresh basil, parsley, and lemon which you potentially can grab from your garden. Both galettes came out beautifully and were eaten very quickly when they came out of the oven and cooled. A note on the recipe- the below quantities for the galette dough is for one galette. If you plan on making both, double the dough recipe! Ingredients – Galette Dough 2 cups of all purpose flour pinch of salt 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter 4 tbsp water 1 egg yolk Cheese,…

Corn tortillas are a great staple food to have on hand. They can go in a variety of dishes, like tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, taquitos, flautas, chips, or quesadillas, to name a few. This recipe is delicious and you do not need a tortilla press, we are going to improvise! Once you make them, you will never buy corn tortillas from the store again. Cookbook – Nopalito Ingredients – 2 cups of maseca flour (this is what I used and is most commonly available for instant corn tortillas) 1 1/2 cups of water Salt Tools – Tortilla press or large pan or large pot Mixing bowl Parchment paper Frying pan Step…

If you have a lot of ripe lemons from your lemon tree, this is a perfect recipe for you! If you don’t have a lemon tree, this recipe is still perfect for you! These bars are crisp and buttery; guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. I will warn these are big, but that is ok because they are delicious and refreshing. The addition of pine nuts in the crust makes these unique, and I love it! Their earthiness contrasts well with the lemon and they add a nice texture to the bars. Ingredients – Crust 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup unsalted butter at…

Braised beans are a nice staple to always have on hand. This is a great, fresh recipe that is so much better than anything canned. It is also fairly straightforward and makes a lot of braised beans! These would be great to go with tacos, rice, carne asada, enchiladas, and so much more. Feel free to top them with cilantro and cotija cheese as well. Ingredients – 2 cups dried pinto beans 8 cups water 1 tbsp salt 1 dried guajillo chile 1/4 of white onion Cookbook – Nopalito Tools – Large deep dish pan, pot, or dutch oven Step 1 – Prepare the beans Add the pinto beans, water,…

Biscuits are one of those treats that can go with just about anything. Sweet or savory, breakfast or dinner, spicy or syrupy, take your choice! These biscuits are light, fluffy, and simple to make. In addition to being a great side, some ideas for things to put on them are: butter and syrup, jam, honey, eggs and bacon, gravy, fried chicken, pimento cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or anything else you can get creative with! Ingredients – 3 cups of all purpose flour (and more for rolling the dough) 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup…