Elderberry has become one of the cool kids on the block for its immunity-boosting benefits— but like many of the homeopathic health remedies that have become so popular in recent years, the European Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has been used in syrups and juices for centuries for its powerful properties. Nowadays, you find them as syrups, in lozenges, gummies, and in foods.

Whether you are an entrepreneur like me with an unpredictable schedule, a freelancer hustling at home, or someone at an office job, eating healthy meals during the weekday can be challenging. Nothing is worse than also buying a ton of fresh produce in good faith, not use them because of a particularly busy week, and then feel like you’re repeating the same cycle over and over again, right?

You guys know coffee is a lifeline of mine. My mom used to say every morning that she wanted to thank the person who discovered that you could brew this magical drink out of beans, and I wholeheartedly agree— it is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and the smell alone is dizzyingly alluring to me. I may be a coffee nerd, but I’m also non-discriminatory-- I appreciate a classic drip, french press, espresso, cappuccinos, and pourovers. I’m also not an uptight prick about coffee, because everyone appreciates it for different reasons and has their own preferences! I show my daily pourover every morning on my Instagram Stories, and I still get questions about technique, beans, equipment, etc. all the time, so I put together this guide with everything you need to know!

Happy Friday, everyone! 

We are officially in the single-digit countdown to Christmas! And it is FRIGID outside in NYC today, oh boy. But I'm trying to embrace that "Hygge" feeling, regardless!

If work and life have been keeping you busy and unable to join in on holiday activities like holiday baking, I've got a perfect roundup of festive holiday recipes for you guys today to jump right in.

Many of these recipes are super easy and don't require much advance cooking or baking skills, so there's no intimidation factor here! Also most of these are gluten-free and vegan optional for those with dietary restrictions....

It is crazy pants that it is only 3 more days until Thanksgiving! 

Most everyone is probably finding themselves in a frenzy, trying to prepare for this holiday, so today, I've got my best tips for Thanksgiving and a roundup of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes to help you out. Whether it's your first Thanksgiving you're in charge of or a guest responsible for one or more dishes, I've got all the tips and tricks I've learned over the years to help you out.

This year is a year of firsts for me personally, as we used to always celebrate my Dad's birthday on Thanksgiving, so this makes my heart ache that it's the first Thanksgiving and holiday without him. Secondly, I won't be in charge of making a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time in I think about 5 years, as I'll be at my boyfriend's family's for Thanksgiving. 

So, it's a little strange not preparing menus and making pie crusts to put in the freezer, but I'm kind of enjoying it this year. First up, here are some of my favorite signature recipes I've made throughout the years for my family's Thanksgiving:

Whether we want to think about it or not, Thanksgiving is only a little over 3 weeks away! Trust me, I'm just as confused where time has gone this year. 

Even if you aren't involved with Thanksgiving cooking and simply want to enjoy fall's bounty of produce, I wanted to go over how to peel and cube a butternut squash without losing a finger (or two). I first put a little guide together in my recipe for Roasted Brown Butter and Sage Butternut Squash, but I figured I should do an entirely separate guide for this for all my new readers and for those who might have missed that recipe! 

Squash can be oddly intimidating, especially for someone who doesn't spend too much time in the kitchen. Breaking one down can seem too difficult, and a lot of us resort to using the canned stuff.

While I have no qualms about taking my shortcuts where I can and using the canned stuff sometimes, using a fresh squash while in season is so worth the extra 5 minutes to break it down. 

Happy Monday, everyone!

We had a gooooorgeous fall weekend with sunny weather in the low 70's with an amazing breeze. If only NYC was like this year-round!

The farmer's market is full of fall goodies now, lots of kale, apples, dahlias, and of course, an abundance of winter squash and gourds...

Truth be told, I've been rather unimaginative in the kitchen. And I'm not giving myself a hard time about it. I've been challenging myself to cook all my meals (except social occasions) at home, and I've been doing really well! The catch is, is that I've been so busy lately that I am sticking to the basics and pretty much eating the same foods everyday. There have been...

The weather is getting warmer and it's feeling like spring in NYC! This time of year always puts me in the mood for spring cleaning (I guess that's why people call it that), so I have been foraging through my closets and shelves to clean out everything I don't need...

After having so many of you guys request the recipe and instructions for how I made my handpies I posted on my Instagram awhile back, and also the pie I made for my family's Thanksgiving- I am finally sharing it with you guys! 

This post will cover my Raspberry-Lemon Chia Hand Pies, as well as how to make the fun crust I did for my Apple Cider Caramel Pie from Food52 that I made for Thanksgiving...

Luscious reds, golden oranges, and green leaves scattering the sidewalks, cool and crisp air, mugs of hot coffee, snuggling up in cozy knit everything, scented candles, fireplaces, riverside sunset runs, baking, and warm comforting foods...

This is not a typical recipe post, y'all- it's more of a forgotten menu item that I wanted to throw out there for you guys to have more lunch and dinner options. As I've said before, I'm a big fan of "upcycling" dishes...

I'll be posting quite a few holiday cookie recipes in the upcoming days, so I wanted to do a quick little post on how I made my gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for cookies. To be honest, I was...

When the NYTimes posted up their map of 101 Places to get good coffee, I was mildly alarmed realizing I had been to nearly every downtown coffeeshop location in the city, and then some...

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering

The weather is frigid, your social media is bombarding you with glorious Christmas cookies, your collective office freebie food stash is getting cluttered with treats, you have ugly Christmas sweater parties and ten other holiday parties to go to. Yes, you're not...

As you all know, I love the culinary arts for all the wonderful elements it brings together- family, culture, love, and food. So naturally, I love all movies with foodie themes such...

T-7 Days until Thanksgiving! That means it's game time for your big festive dinner prep. I am cooking my family's meal and it can definitely be a daunting thing to plan what food you want to serve, and how to juggle preparing all those different dishes. To help you out, I put together this roundup of...

I've had a couple readers and friends ask me recently where or from whom I learned to cook. Truth is, I just learned as I stumbled along. I am the oddest self-made cook. My culinary-loving friends all look...