It's been so long since I've posted a dessert here! I've always been a pie girl, but this summer has been so hectic that I haven't dedicated a whole lot of time to baking. With a holiday weekend on my hands, I was all geared up to take advantage of the wonderful fruit Michigan has in season - then remembered I forgot all of my pie tins back home in Virginia. Damn. So, a galette became the move instead. Not that it's a lesser alternative at all. They're basically free-form pies, so you won't need anything more than a heavy-duty sheet pan for baking. Think rustic, messy in a good way, and don't bother aiming for perfection because it doesn't exist. As far as the fruit goes, I went with blueberries today. I totally prefer blueberry galettes over making blueberry pies, because there's less filling to give you problems with thickening properly. Have you ever taken all the time required to bake a blueberry pie and then discovered that it turned into a puddle when you went to cut a slice? Yeah... same. Trust me, galettes are the way to go for blueberries. (Same for cherries by the way, but unfortunately sour cherry season was over before I could grab enough to retest my last galette recipe.)


Galettes are an easy, breath of fresh air as far as desserts go. It's still 100% worth making the crust yourself, so at least plan to knock that out the day before or the morning of, so you'll be in good shape. Galettes have a higher crust-to-filling ratio, which is great if you're more into that part anyway, but also the main reason why I think it's worth taking the time to make a dough that yields a buttery, flaky crust. The quality of the crust makes or breaks any galette, in my experience - I recommend my buttermilk pie crust here. This is a very straightforward recipe so I won't hold you up any longer from getting to it!

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus time to cool
Yield: Makes 2 galettes (Serves 4 to 8 depending on how greedy)
Special Equipment: You'll need 2 heavy-duty sheet pans*, parchment paper or silicone mats, a rolling pin, pastry brush, and a dough scraper.

Stuffed peppers have always conjured up sad memories from the nineties for me. You know the stuffed peppers I'm talking about: green bell pepper boats filled with plain white rice, ground beef, and tomato sauce, blanketed with mozzarella cheese. They always proved to be rather unremarkable. Despite knowing from experience that better dishes exist - chiles rellenos for example - I've spent much of my adulthood avoiding cooking any kind of stuffed peppers myself, because of this association. But one day, in need of a way to jazz up leftovers, I stumbled upon a much more interesting approach to stuffed peppers and never looked back. I'd made beef picadillo the night before so it was fresh on my mind when I spotted some gorgeously bright green cubanelle peppers at the grocery store the next morning. I'd never worked with them before, but a quick Google search informed me that they were perfect for stuffing. I grabbed a few peppers, a block of pepper jack cheese, and went home excited to test out my idea.


My first attempt bombed somewhat - nearly every recipe I read simply mentioned splitting open the Cubanelle peppers, stuffing with some sort of ground meat mixture, and baking. Against my better judgment, I went along with it but wasn't crazy about the raw bite of the peppers that still remained by the time the filling was hot and bubbly. So on my next attempt, I broiled the peppers first until they were charred and blistered, peeled them, and ripped out the softened core inside. Then I stuffed and baked. Voilà. The mild Cubanelle peppers had transformed into something smoky and tender, yielding effortlessly to my fork. Combined with the savory-salty-sweet rollercoaster ride that is picadillo, and spicy, oozing pepper jack cheese, it was truly a magical bite. I'd finally overcome my aversion to stuffed peppers, and now they're somewhat of a treat for weeknight meals.


Of course, this entire recipe rests on the premise that you've already made a batch of picadillo to use. While you could do this all on one day, that's a lot of work that I frankly wouldn't spend just to make stuffed peppers. Consider it your bonus meal for day two of leftovers, after you've already enjoyed your traditional plate of picadillo with rice. Stuffing options are limitless - I included some leftover cilantro coconut rice because that's what we had on hand, but this could just as easily work without the rice, or with the addition of black beans. Any other grain, like quinoa or farro, could also be subbed in for the rice here. Look for Cubanelle peppers on the larger side that aren't so twisty as those tend to be a little harder to stuff without tearing.


4 large Cubanelle peppers
Olive oil, as needed
2 cups beef picadillo
1 cup cooked rice
8 oz pepper jack, or other melting cheese
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Special Equipment: You'll need a large oven-safe heavy skillet or sheet pan.

When I'm craving a taste of the Cuban cuisine from my old stomping grounds in South Florida, I cook up a big pan of picadillo with white rice and fried plantains. If I'm feeling super ambitious, a pot of black beans seals the deal. Tonight, I decided to just focus on the picadillo - with some plans in mind for leftovers that I'll share in a future post. (Update: my stuffed peppers recipe is posted!) The mix of savory spiced meat, briny olives, and sweet raisins may seem unusual but it's what makes picadillo so interesting and intoxicating. Traditionally it's made with ground beef or pork, and usually includes potatoes - although it doesn't hurt to leave them out if you're cutting carbs. I originally included my Whole30 compliant version of this recipe in The Kitchenista Diaries: Volume 1 digital cookbook. This rendition stays truer to authentic recipes with the inclusion of white wine. The spices are a bit more heavy-handed here, but the bold flavors can definitely stand more garlic, cumin, and cinnamon. So as with any dish, make it your own by tasting and seasoning to your personal preferences.
1 lb ground beef

Two important announcements: It's fig season! I moved to Detroit this summer! Wait, what? You read that right. I'll get back to the figs in just a minute. It feels a bit late to formally reveal this to my blog readers, but for those of you who hadn't seen the updates on social media, yes - the kids and I are officially living in Michigan! After five and a half years in Haymarket, Virginia, it was time for a change in scenery and some really great business opportunities made it possible for me to take a gigantic leap forward. As most of you know, a big part of my Kitchenista Diaries journey was moving back home due to a job loss in 2013. After the birth of my daughter the following year, I monetized my blog and started exploring freelance culinary opportunities. Needless to say, self-employment turned out to be a long, challenging road with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I've shared many of those ups and downs in my digital cookbooks over the years. Fast forward to 2019, when a long-time client brought me on his team to develop recipes for his next restaurant in Detroit! I'm also back to working part-time as a personal chef for his family, and as soon as I get my bearings around this city I'll be taking on dinner party catering and hopefully some ticketed events again. Meanwhile, I'm able to maintain all of my digital work under the Kitchenista brand. I'm not even going to apologize for tooting my own horn here: I'm really proud of myself for sticking things out and getting back on my feet without giving up on my culinary dreams, no matter how long it took. It feels amazing to have a place to call my own again, plus the house I found is a major upgrade from my past apartments. I was afraid I'd have to compromise on the kitchen but it's a dream come true. Even got my gas stove and oven!


What does all this have to do with figs? Not much, but it felt weird returning to the blog without mentioning the big move! If there's one reason I'm excited about having my own place again, it's the ability to entertain. I'm already itching to throw a dinner party once my first floor is reasonably furnished and presentable for company.  Figs make absolutely perfect appetizers for adult crowds. They feel fancy and special, even without much adornment. Figs come into season for a hot minute in the early summer, and for a longer season that runs from the late summer through early fall. If you're lucky enough to find them fresh at the grocery store, look for ripe figs that give a little when gently pressed. Avoid figs that are too firm, indicating they're underripe, and those that are weeping, moldy, overly bruised, or otherwise past their prime. Make sure you plan to enjoy figs within a day or two of purchase as they're extremely perishable. You can leave them out on the counter at room temperature. Storing in the fridge is not really recommended as it dulls the flavor, but if you must hold on to your figs for more than a couple days refrigeration can help.


Sliced figs make a wonderful accent to any cheese board, served alongside honey and nuts. They pair especially well with bleu cheese but also with soft cheeses like ricotta, brie, and goat cheese. I'm a goat cheese fanatic, so it wasn't hard to choose a direction for this dish. It simply pulls all three elements into one glorious bite. I pan-seared the figs first because I love the way it develops a sweet, caramelized crust and turns the insides jammy, which also warms the goat cheese. But if you have super ripe, sweet figs already, you could skip that step and serve them raw. Any variety of figs will work here. The recipe is incredibly simple, so let's get to it.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
2 tbsp butter
6 ripe figs, sliced in half from stem to bottom.
4 oz softened goat cheese
2 tbsp honey
Pinch of cracked black pepper

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Special Equipment: Nonstick skillet