Pasta Party!

Mama and Papa got me an imperia pasta machine a few years ago. With just a few ingredients my imperia creates fresh, fluffy, quick cooking pasta. This pasta machine makes tagliatelle, spaghetti or lasagna sheets, and you can also buy the ravioli attachment. Brent, Alaina, Jared and I had a Friday night in and made this fresh semolina egg pasta topped with Alaina's secret family recipe meat sauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this post. Be prepared to drool. Looks amazing, right? Although I can't share her family secret, this pasta will taste awesome with any sauce, or even just some olive oil, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Tonight I am making this dough, and attempting a spinach, mushroom and ricotta ravioli with parmesan rosemary oil drizzle. If all goes well, I'll be posting on that soon!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1. Sift together whole white wheat flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides . When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
2. Knead dough either by hand or with a mixer for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth. Dust dough with semolina to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out dough with a pasta machine to whatever shape you like. I like the tagliatelle best! You can always use a roller if you don't have a pasta machine.
4. Bring water with salt to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 1 to 8 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and toss with sauce.

Portobello Penne with Caramelized Onion and Goat's Cheese

Portobello Penne with Caramelized Onion and Goat's Cheese is an onion lovers dream, calling for three large caramelized onions. I am also a mushroom fanatic, so I like to double batch this recipe, and have extra in the refrigerator for busy weeknights and lunches. If I am feeling extra fancy, I use Ritrovo corn penne pasta and throw in a mixture of wild mushrooms. Portobello Penne is not the most attractive meal in the world, but it tastes pretty good to Brent and I :)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 pound penne
3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with extra Parmesan.

Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish

College football season is here.  Time for wings, nachos, hot dogs, and men sitting on the couch for hours. I get cheering for your alma mater, but why are men so passionate about games featuring teams with which they have no connection? I am currently watching Arizona vs. Oregon. Brent and I don't have any friends or family who have attended either school, but we've got to watch the game. Football Saturday's are perfect for playing in the kitchen. This recipe is a fresh and creative take on hot dogs, and a great idea for a football viewing party. Bobby Flay caught my attention with his genius idea of putting caprese salad on a sausage. Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish is spicy, yet refreshing. Although this meal is a little hard to eat, it is worth the mess.

Ingredients:
6 Hot Italian Sausages
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pound fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the bread
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 large hot dog rolls
2 cloves garlic, halved

Directions:
Heat the grill for high direct grilling. Grill the sausages until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the sausages to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before removing to a plate.

Toss the tomatoes with the cheese, basil, parsley, capers, onions, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Slice the bread open and put on the grill, cut-side down, and grill until lightly golden brown. Remove and rub the surface with the garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Put a whole sausage on each roll and top with the caprese relish.

Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

It's time for a cookie recipe! Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies have great texture and a nice balance of sweet & salty. They are best right out of the oven, with gooey chocolate and peanut butter chunks and the crunch of broken up pretzels. I made them for a friend's labor day barbecue, and sadly there were none left over :( I guess I'll have to make more soon. I'm thinking of mixing a batch, roll the dough into tablespoon balls and freezing them. Homemade cookies in less than 15 minutes anytime I want, with no extra dishes to clean, and no need to bake the entire batch. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzels

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the vanilla extract and egg. Beat to combine.
Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and broken up pretzels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough. Leave about 2 inches between each scoop. Bake for 10 minutes (11-12 if you like crispier cookies.) Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before enjoying.

Makes 24 cookies.

Farro Pizzichi Lasagna Soup

A recent trip to Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica perfected my Lasagna Soup. Bay Cities is an Italian food lover's dream. I visited intending to browse and left with six different types of pasta. Bay Cities has every cut and grain imaginable, putting any grocery store variety to shame. Rustichella d'Abruzzo Farro Pizzichi caught my attention as the perfect pasta for Lasagna Soup. I love lasagna, and crave the flavor but rarely have the patience to build the layers and bake the dish. Thick lasagna soup gives great lasagna flavor in half the amount of time. I've tried making lasagna soup by breaking apart large lasagna noodles, and it just didn't work. Using penne or fusilli makes for a tasty soup, but doesn't resemble lasagna. Pizzichi looks like a baby lasagna sheet, and the farro variation is nutty and nutritious. Farro pasta is more delicate, so do not stir the pasta for the first two minutes after dropping it in the boiling water. Expect more Bay Cities pasta recipes in the next few weeks. Training for a race + this new find on Lincoln Blvd = lots of hearty pasta meals!



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.5 teaspoons oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound pasta, Farro Pasta Pizzichi by Rustichella d'Abruzzo is perfect!



Toppings:
Parmesan, grated
Goat's Cheese, crumbled
Basil, chopped



Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, breaking it apart as you go. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flake and oregano and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomato paste, and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes and remove from heat. Top with parmesan, goat's cheese, and/or basil.

Chorizo Tacos with Pickled Red Onion

More tacos! Living in California, I crave tacos all the time. I love chorizo, and wanted to put it in a taco, but without the egg that I usually cook chorizo with. Store bought chorizo, however, is gross. I enjoy occasional greasy food, but store bought chorizo takes oil to another level. It usually results in grease running down your chin, and a pool of drippings on your plate. I'll stick to burgers, fries and pizza for my indulging meals. I've also cooked with soyrizo, and that is definitely a healthier alternative, but the amount of salt makes super thirsty for the rest of the day. Over the past few months I've experimenting with several chorizo recipes, and this one is the best. It is has that strong paprika flavor, without all the extra salt. It is meaty, but not greasy. I topped my tacos with quick pickled red onions, and my tomatillo salsa (recipe coming soon). Chorizo tacos are inexpensive, yet have that gourmet feel.  

Turkey Chorizo

Ingredients:
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dried ancho chile powder
4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 yellow onion, minced
3/4-1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6 corn tortillas

Directions:
In a medium bowl, throughly mix the turkey with the spices; mix in the vinegar.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
Pan fry the mixture in a small amount of oil, crumbling. Spoon onto warmed tortillas, and top with pickled onions and your favorite salsa.

Pickled Onions

Ingredients:
1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
Mix first 3 ingredients and 1 cup water in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion in a bowl, and pour the vinegar mixture over. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.  Can be stored in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Vegan Taco Bar

Cleansing and nourishing meals don't have to be boring and anti-social. Invite your friends over for a nutritiously delicious taco party. Who doesn't love tacos? These vegan, gluten free tacos are fresh, colorful, and natural. Choose your favorite taco bar toppings from the list below, prepare and present them in colorful bowls, and warm up corn tortillas in the oven. Despite how long this collection of recipes may seem, this meal is easy to prepare, and can be done in advance. Toppings can be prepared in larger quantities to compliment meals throughout the week. Also, most grocery stores sell fresh, all natural guacamole or pico de gallo if you're really pressed for time. This nutrient packed taco party will leave nobody feeling deprived. 

TACO BAR TOPPINGS:

Corn Tortillas
Sautéed Mushrooms and Kale
Sautéed Bell Peppers
Mexican Brown Rice
Black Beans
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole (Regular or Pomegranate Mango)
Cilantro Sprigs

Sautéed Mushrooms and Kale
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch kale, trimmed, stems removed and chopped
1 tablespoon Salt-Free Taco Seasoning Mix
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat a medium skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic. Once the garlic starts to heat up and sizzle, add the mushrooms. Cook on medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add the chopped kale, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of taco seasoning mix. Be sure to coat the kale with the oil in the pan. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until the kale has become soft.

Sautéed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

2-3 bell peppers, any color (I like to pick a color that I don't already have in my meal to add more color)

1 yellow onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive iil

Directions:
In large skillet, heat oil. Add peppers and onions. Sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Salt-Free Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons black pepper

Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
2 cups ripe tomatoes seeded and diced (about 4 medium tomatoes)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos (stems and seeds removed) diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
A pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Dice and mix all ingredients.
2. Stir, let sit for thirty minutes, and enjoy!

Mexican Brown Rice
Ingredients:
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups brown rice, uncooked
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped white or yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low sodium diced tomatoes
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and saute the rice just until golden (about 5 minutes).
2. Add 1/2 cup of broth. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes (including juice), the rest of the broth, and bell pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the broth is absorbed.

Pomegranate Mango Guacamole
Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
1 cup finely chopped onion
1-2 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped (depending on how much spice you like)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (add more if you wish)
1 cup pomegranate seeds (plus some more to add on top of the guacamole)
1 cup diced peeled mango (plus some more to add on top of the guacamole)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Halve, pit, and peel avocados. Mash in a bowl. Stir in onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt. Gently stir in pomegranate seeds, mango, and cilantro. Season with salt and additional lime juice if you wish.

Berry Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

I don't usually crave salad, but when my cousin Lucille posted her strawberry salad on facebook, I couldn't resist recreating her refreshing and summery lunch. I tweaked her original recipe based on what I had in my pantry, and experimented with making my own vinaigrette. This Berry Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette was perfect to enjoy while watching Wimbledon. Wimbledon and strawberries. They go hand-in-hand. Thanks Lucille for inspiring this post!

Berry Salad
Ingredients:
3-4 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1/4 cup blackberries
1-2 tablespoons toasted pecans
1-2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1-2 tablespoons feta cheese

Directions:
I really hope you don't need directions. Start with the mixed greens, and sprinkle everything on top. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Smoked Gouda Grits and Sausage

Back in 2009 I made the New Year's Goal of following a new recipe to the T on a weekly basis. I wanted to build a collection of meals I could create from scratch. My whole life I had been a sous chef, helping my family out in the kitchen, but I didn't really know how to prepare entire meals. Over the years I have learned a variety of techniques and food combinations by following Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten and other celebrity chef recipes. Many of my initial posts were modifications of their work. I now have been more focused on creating recipes that are 100% my own. A few weeks ago I was craving creamy food, rummaged around the kitchen and found grits, some onions, and sausage in the freezer. I ran to the store to buy some chicken stock, cheese and tomatoes, and this is what I came up with. I've made the meal for several dinner guests, all resulting in bowls being licked and requests for the recipe. I think you'll enjoy :)

Ingredients:
5 Italian Turkey Hot Sausage Links
1 Yellow Onion

2 Garlic Cloves, slivered

1 can Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes

1 Cup Stone Ground Grits (now avaliable at trader joes!)
4 ounces Smoked Gouda, shredded
4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup water
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Bring water, salt, and 1 tablespoon butter to a boil in a heavy saucepan, then add grits gradually, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and cook at a slight simmer, covered, stirring frequently, until water is absorbed and grits are thickened. This should take about 15 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally to keep grits from sticking to bottom of pan, 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and grits are thick and tender, about 35 minutes more. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese and pepper. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the pan. Keeping the pan over medium heat, onions and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Last, add the tomates and stir. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve grits in a bowl, topped with the tomato sausage mixture and enjoy!

Other 100% thirdculturefoodie recipes:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Oatmeal

Pappardelle with Hot Sausage and Mushrooms 

Quinoa Burrito Bowls 

Nutella Bundt Cake

Five years ago I packed up my car, and drove from Michigan to California to teach in Los Angeles. I wanted to impact the lives of inner-city students, and put them on a path to college. I was warned of the challenges that lay ahead, but nothing prepared me for what I face in the classroom. After five years, most stories don't even faze me. I used to come home overwhelmed because of books being thrown across a room, forced urination on the floor as an act of defiance, students swearing at me, teachers quitting halfway though the year, or mice running interrupting my lesson. Five years of experience has not only taught me to be unemotional when ridiculous things happen, but has given me the tools to manage and lead a classroom to high quality work. Years 2, 3 and part two of year 4 were especially rough, but it feels so good to be at a point where I can teach and kids will listen to me! My classroom is far from perfect, and there is still much growth to be made. I don't, however, have daily panic attacks on the way to school, my heart doesn't start racing when I see my students walking down the hallway to my class, and I don't hold back tears in class because the entire class refuses to sit down and be silent. Sometimes I just stop and smile when I see all my students silently reading, working collaboratively, or listening to me while I speak. It seems silly to appreciate focused students, but it is a reflection of four years of hard work.



This year was my first year teaching reading, and after the mentorship of Lelac at KIPP DC, I was ready to recreate her structure in my classroom here at KIPP LA. Alaina tested all 105 of our students to determine their reading level, as a school we rallied them around the goal of making more than one year of reading growth during this academic year, I stocked my classroom library with high interest books, and committed to the reading workshop model of teaching that included thirty minutes of reading in class everyday. It took time, but our apathetic readers turned into avid readers. As a final event to celebrate our hard work, and class average of more than two years of reading growth, we planned a reading marathon for students to take on the challenge of reading two hours straight without looking up. We were mean, and tried to distract them periodically during the marathon. Below is a video of them reading to The Beach Boys. The event concluded with a victory party. I made this Nutella Bundt Cake for the party, and kids were going crazy over the cake. Some of my favorite cake quotes include, "This is better than cakes from five star bakeries," and "Can you make recipe cards to hand out in class? Nutella cake is the bomb." I have to agree with them. Fluffy, nutella-ie, moist. This stuff is good!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup Nutella
1 cup milk (whole milk will make the cake super moist)
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan. In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a mixer cream sugar into the butter until light in color and fluffy in texture, about three minutes. Add one egg at a time, then the Nutella. Pour in half the dry ingredient mixture, half the milk, the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the milk; mix until just combined. Spread the thick batter into a prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Top with powered sugar.

Sesame Peanut Soba Noodles

I love Runner's World magazine for keeping me up to date with running news and trends, but they don't usually wow me with their recipes. No hard feelings. It's not like I read the magazine expecting food blog inspiration. Their April issue recipe, however, caught my attention. Recently I've been thinking I need to experiment with more Asian flavors. I spent four years of my life in Japan, and have not blogged a single Japanese inspired recipe! My poor wok had been hiding in a dark corner of my kitchen, waiting to be used. Luckily Runner's World provided me with this "you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry" sesame peanut sauce recipe. This sauce, along with soba noodles and stir-fried mixed vegetables has become a staple in the Lowry household. Depending on our mood we add chicken, or keep it vegetarian. Besides the versatility, what I love most about this dish is it takes twenty minutes tops to prepare. My personal record is fifteen minutes. Sesame Peanut Soba Noodles definitely do not look, or taste like they were thrown together in fifteen minutes. 

Directions:
Sesame Peanut Sauce-
6 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-2 tablespoon unsweetened peanut butter
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced

Everything Else-
10 ounces soba noodles
2-3 cups fresh mixed vegetables (I use the Trader Joe's Asian stir-fry mix of bok choy, snap peas, peppers, broccoli, water chestnuts)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts, optional
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, optional
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped, optional

Directions:

Boil three quarts of water in a large pot.

In a large, shallow bowl, whisk the tamari, sesame oil, peanut butter, vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.

Then, using a wok, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add vegetables and cook until tender, yet still firm. About 5 minutes.

Add noodles to the boiling water and stir. Cook until tender (5 minutes). Drain in a colander; run warm water over the noodles until the water runs clear. (If the noodles aren't washed, they'll be starchy and sticky.) Drain thoroughly again. Add sauce to the vegetables in the wok and toss to coat evenly. Add chicken and noodles; toss again. Garnish with sesame seeds, peanuts, and/or cilantro.

Zingerman's Deli

This post is less about food, and more about family. What a joyful weekend celebrating the marriage of Carmen and Jim! Friends and family reunited in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the city where Carmen and Jim met and fell in love. Carmen and Jim are beautiful, and their enthusiasm for life and sense of humor is contagious. The day was filled tears of joy, laughter, and of course, lots of dancing. (I had at least three people compliment me on my Papa's dance moves. He's good!) It sounds cliche, but the weekend was a strong reminder of what is most important in life. Through frolicking across the diag, rubbing Alicia's baby belly, invading the Michigan Daily newsroom for photographs, improvising when aisle runners break, slow dancing with Grandpa Johnson, and spending the next morning recounting the reception with in-laws, I was reminded that there is nothing better in life than family. I don't think it is possible to love a family more than I love mine.

“Ahh Zingerman’s… my temple of deliciousness…a national treasure. It is the center of my gastro-deli universe” – Mario Batali


On to the food. An Ann Arbor wedding weekend would not be complete without a visit to Zingerman's Deli, “The coolest small company in America,” according to Inc. Magazine. I was lucky to enjoy the foodie heaven as catered lunch on Saturday while we got our hair done and brunch on Sunday morning. Carmen was also generous to treat guests with magic brownies in our hotel gift bags! You'd think a deli market selling bread, meat, cheese, gelato, cakes, pies and truffles would be mediocre at best. They might seem scatterbrained, with no real focus, but they are able to perfect anything they create. You will not be disappointed with any food item from this deli.

I'll leave you with three closing words of advice.
1. You have not lived until you've eaten the classic reuben and a slice of pecan pie.
2. If you live in this hippy haven, hang out here late night. Zingerman's prides itself on the freshest ingredients, meaning you might leave with a dozen bagels that would have otherwise been tossed.
3. Bring your family along for the ride.

“One of the top 25 food markets in the world.”- Food & Wine Magazine