Inspired: 10 Strawberry Recipes

Salmon on Strawberry Tomato Salad

Next week is the 4th of July. Although Ramadan and fasting would have started, it does not mean I won't still be excited about food. If anything, I think only eating two meals a day would make it more of a special experience. I am really looking forward to all the berries and cherries going on sale for this big summer event.

Inspired: Garlicky Pasta with Shrimp

Garlicky Pasta With Shrimp Topped with Crunchy Panko Breadcrumbs

Today was going to be a great day. I pretty much had it planned out. Wake up early in the morning, take a shower and go to the movies. I planned on seeing 'Chef' by Jon Favreau. I had kept up with reviews for the movie during the release week. I even read a profile on Mr. Favreau in the NYTimes a few weeks back. The movie was definitely on my radar and I really did not want to miss an opportunity to see it in theatre.

Cue MBTA's craziness this morning. There was construction on the redline so it took me much longer to get into town than I had estimated. I was running 15 minutes late. I got into the movie theatre just as the Coca-cola ad that ends the preview session was finishing up. I was so relieved. And the movie started...and I was in awe. I loved the movie so much. It is very much a homage to the creative life, in my opinion. I loved the way food is treated with awe-inspiring amazing shots of foods being cooked and plated. It all looked so real.

Inspired: Cast Iron Steak

Cast Iron Steak. Image belongs to, and is owned by NYTimes

With the Memorial Day weekend around the corner, summer is officially about to start. One of those things that I associate with summer is a good steak. The juicy tender steak with a salad is for one of my perfect summer meals. The thing  though is I don't own a grill. I am at this stage of life where I am still sharing a house with people so I can't accumulate too much cookware. Cooking for me is really about making do with what I have at hand. This can make things slightly difficult but I have learned to get around it.

The limitation on tools in the kitchen is something the average home-cook has to deal with. That is why I loved reading this New York Times article about how to cook a steak at home. I felt like it acknowledged the limitation of being a home cook so well. I might be writing about food but I am certainly not one of the really seasoned bloggers that have tons of equipments. Lots of people that love food are just like me (some write...some don't).

Now I feel inspired to start planning my Memorial Day meal. Maybe I might give myself a treat and buy a lovely juicy steak, just to try out this simple recipe for cast-iron steak. Although I must confess that I don't own a cast iron pan so this definitely will be done in my lovely non-stick pan.

Inspired: Ricotta Dumplings

The Faroe Island Salmon with Ricotta Dumplings. The photo was sourced from People.com.  

I have been craving ricotta lately since spring approached. My sudden craving for ricotta started because of an article in the April edition Bon Apetit on how to make it at home. Soon, I found myself boiling milk and cream together to make cheese at home. However, what is a girl to do when she makes too much ricotta?