While regular couscous is one of our household staples since it cooks so quickly, I love the chewy texture of Israeli couscous just as much. It's great warm and cooked like a pilaf, but it works just as well in a salad. Dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and shallot, the salad is rounded out with white beans, crunchy cucumber, and lots of fresh dill. I like to mix in smoked salmon since it plays so nicely with dill, but tuna would be a tasty, inexpensive substitute. This salad comes together in less than 30 minutes and keeps well, making it a perfect thing to pack for a picnic, barbecue, or satisfying lunch. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)

Life has suddenly moved back to a hectic pace. Funny how going back to a full-time job will do that to you! I'm going to try my best to still give you delicious recipes to make, but you can always keep up with me at my new gig with The Kitchn. And for those busy, hard-working parents out there, this one-pan roasted chicken dinner is dedicated to you. 

The last time I tested Thanksgiving dishes, my team came up with a brilliant idea: roast a butterflied whole turkey right over the stuffing. It was easy, delicious, and you ended up with 2 dishes in one.  My version mashes up roast chicken, stuffing, and chicken parm into one dish: toss together cherry tomatoes, bread cubes, and Parmesan cheese, then top with chicken thighs and bake. The cherry tomatoes get sweet and pop open, and the juices from the chicken drip down to moisten the stuffing. When the chicken's ready, take it off to rest and bake the stuffing with a layer of mozzarella on top because, well, it's not chicken parm without ooey, gooey cheese. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)

To celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary, we had a rare night out after recruiting the grandparents to babysit and got to check out Dirty Habit, the new bar/lounge in the Palomar Hotel. Besides an enticing heated patio, it has an awesome cocktail list and a small plates menu we plan to check out on a future visit. While the barrel-aged old-fashioned I had was great, what really impressed me was the desserts by Frances Ang. The churros were warm and crispy, but the miso caramel dipping sauce they came with stunned me into silence. Instead of the now commonplace salted caramel, miso was whisked in for a salty, umami-rich counterpoint to the sweet creamy sauce.

I kept thinking about the caramel, so with Mother's Day coming up, why not surprise my mom with soft caramel candies flavored with miso? Although this recipe requires a candy thermometer and close monitoring, the process itself is quite easy and you're left with dozens of soft, toasty, sweet chews to give away or hoard for yourself. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)