Welcome to Hill Reeves, a blog where I write about the things I cook and bake in NYC.
Reach me at Hill.Reeves@gmail.com
All in Recipes
Risotto is a food that I love to eat when other people make it for me. It's not the challenge of getting it just right that intimidates me; if I happen to turn away from the rice for a bit too long to answer a text message, and the mixture gets a little dry, I'm still happy to eat it. Generally, though, the attention risotto requires doesn't justify the taste.
I don't have a lot to say about this recipe because Dan did the cooking. While I'm the kind of cook who likes to wing it (even if I've never cooked something before, I like to maybe look at a recipe or two and then just try to figure it out, tasting along the way) Dan is a very deliberate and thoughtful cook who does tons of planning before he gets into the kitchen. That probably tells you a whole lot about our relationship.
In our new neighborhood in Queens, there are lots of little shops to explore. Our old 'hood on the Upper West Side definitely had a lot to offer—from Central Park nearby, to the best bagel shops a girl could ask for—but I'm really enjoying all of the ethnic alcoves tucked away into Sunnyside and Woodside. From Peruvian chicken joints, to some of the best Thai food in the city, to authentic Irish pubs with a selection of roasts on Sundays, it's easy to get lost in the flavors of Queens. You're less likely to find the trendy spots you'll see in Brooklyn, or hit on the bustling Manhattan feel, but in terms of food quality and diversity, there's nothing like this borough.
I have a lot of really great friends and sisters, but at the center of that venn diagram lives Candice. (To all my other best friends and sisters, remember "best friend" is a tier, not a person.) Having a best-friend-sister is one of my favorite parts of life.
If there's anything I love more than an incredible meal at a James Beard Award-winning restaurant or a home-cooked meal made with fresh, seasonal ingredients from the closest farmer's market, it's a Whopper Jr. or a dessert made out of a box. This recipe, for example, can be made entirely with ingredients found at a 7/11.
My issue of Food & Wine last month was all about eating better, including pages and pages about the benefits whole grains. Ugh, I love white bread and pastries made with refined flour. But I welcomed the advice and decided to get started by finishing up the year-old package of Quaker Oats in my cabinet. (I hate oatmeal...) To be clear, I covered the oatmeal in honey and sugar and butter before eating, though.
