Search Results

October 10, 2022 She's Bold, She's Warm and She's Fresh. "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad" - Miles Kington If I had to explain what it means to be a middle child, I would say it's a constant balance of give and take. The "take" is all the gifts, the wisdom, and lessons you take from your older sister and the "give" is everything you pass on to your younger sister as you experience life just a few steps ahead. I can remember giving a lot of myself to being an older sister from doing your hair and makeup for prom, to accepting the challenge of finding your perfect birthday gifts and picking you up from school during a snowstorm... But I have to say I've received a lot too and I've learned a lot from being your older sister. The best gift you've ever given me is the memory of laughter. I can still remember being stuck in the mini van on our 19 hour journey to Florida and the never-ending laughs as you so hilariously imitated Sponge Bob and Scooby Doo. Now that we're grown up and I look back at the life you're living, there's one lesson that I'm still learning from you; live life passionately. Ever since you were young you've done the things that made you happy. You've learned to ice skate, do karate, and play guitar. You had this dream of being a star and you decided to take things into your own hands and make your own videos; funny, dramatic and entertaining all at the same time. I think that's a life lesson that all of us should learn... to live a life that makes us happy and do the things we love. So this recipe is dedicated to my younger sister Amber. One of the things I love and that makes me happy, is cooking for you, especially all things pasta! Amber's Tomato Pasta Ingredients 10 to 12 tomatoes 6 to 8 garlic cloves olive oil salt red pepper flakes basil ricotta cheese parmesan cheese Directions Quarter your tomatoes and place them onto a greased baking sheet. Peel the garlic and place the cloves onto your baking sheet with the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Season the tomatoes with salt and red pepper flakes. Roast the tomatoes and garlic in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. In a saucepan, sauté a diced onion in some olive oil. Add your roasted tomatoes and garlic to the saucepan and cook down the mixtures with generous handfuls of basil. Blend all the contents of your saucepan in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot and add in spoonfuls of ricotta and parmesan to taste. Combine the sauce with your favorite pasta and enjoy! Cheers! ( I also added ground beef to mine at the end, protein is optional)

August 1st, 2022: He's the Sweet, He's Tangy and He's the Freshness of a cool summer night. "I don't drink anymore... I freeze it and eat is like a popsicle"- Dean Martin Confidence walked into the room. I watched you stride into my apartment without hesitation as if you knew the place like the back of your hand. You were wearing a vest with a short sleeve shirt. You took a glance around and without a second thought, hung your vest on the wreath hook on my front door. I had left it up there for months, 6 months to be exact, too lazy to pack it away. If you had taken a moment to look around, you would have noticed that my calendar was still in December and one of my Christmas trees was placed, still in its box, on my floor. I remember you helped yourself to a glass of water, again without hesitation. It was as if you'd reached into the cabinet, hundreds of times before, for the same glass. Then you started tightening the loose knob on my kitchen cabinet because you said it bothered you when things were broken in your home... yet this was my home. As the weeks went by, the weather got warmer and every single time you wore the vest. Every time you walked in and hung the vest without hesitation on my wreath hook. I found it so delightfully funny and charming, that I started taking mental bets. Would you wear the vest? Would you hang it on my door? Would you ever ask me if I had a coat closet that was in fact only one foot away from where you so confidently hung your vest? I enjoyed this not because it was quirky like you but because there's something so comforting about the feeling of normalness. It's the feeling of home; a calmness, a collectiveness, a peaceful relinquishment of control where I don't feel as if you're a guest, but I just feel like you belong. So if you see this, just know...as the summer goes on and the vests keep being worn, you'll always be welcome into my apartment for a midnight glass of wine and a popsicle. Lover's Popsicles Ingredients prosecco lemonade handful of strawberries 1 peach 1 tsp sugar popsicle mold Directions Dice up half a peach and strawberries into small pieces. Combine diced fruit with one tsp of sugar and mix. Set aside. Mix 3 parts juice with one part prosecco. I used lemonade but feel free to use your favorite juice. Combine the diced fruit with the prosecco and juice mixture, pour into molds and freeze for 6 hours or preferably overnight. Thaw with some warm water, pop them out of your mold, and enjoy. Cheers!

August 1st, 2022 She's Spicy, She's Flavorful and She's anything but Basic. "Never underestimate how much assistance, how much satisfaction, how much soul and transcendence there might be in a well-made taco"- Tom Robbins Sisters make the world's best friends. There is this unbreakable bond that is created from years of making mischief together and memories that go back a lifetime. Like being five years old and splitting a bowl of Kraft mac and cheese noodle by noodle so it would be perfectly even. Like being ten years old and gathering all the neighbors' kids to create a club under the backyard deck and proclaiming yourself as the queen. And like that time, we tried to sled down a snowy hill in our childhood moon bounce. I can imagine being the oldest sister comes with an added sense of responsibility which may be hard for you but was always a blessing for me. Even at my current age of twenty-seven, you still make eyebrows, paint my nails and let me borrow your clothes. I know I've tested your patience too, especially with all the times I fell asleep in the most beautiful places in the world. I slept my way through London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Miami and you waited each time. Maybe the hardest part about being the older sister is the hard lessons you learn and having to pass them along to your younger siblings. As I watched your life unfold and I saw you go through your trials and tribulations with brilliant resilience, you taught me one of the most important lessons in life; to value myself, to love myself, and to be a fierce woman in the face of adversity. I love you and I would make you fresh homemade tacos any day of the week. Malika's Birria Tacos Ingredients 2 lbs. bone-in beef shank 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp oregano 3/4th tsp coriander seed 1/2 tsp of whole black peppercorn 1/2 tsp cumin seed 1 ancho dried chili 6 cloves garlic 2 plum tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 jalapeños 2 white onions neutral cooking oil cilantro mexican cheese blend of your choice tortillas (corn is preferable) 8 to 12 cups of water Directions In a pot with water combine ancho chili, jalapeños, three whole garlic cloves, and two chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Pour the above mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. In a spice grinder, blend together coriander seed, cumin seed, and whole peppercorns. Brown off the meat in a pot with some oil and add one chopped onion, tomato paste, salt, oregano and ground spice mix. Add your blended sauce to the meat and mix well. Cook the meat in a pressure cooker for 22 minutes. Remove meat and shred with two forks. Pour the consume from the pot into a separate container and either quickly dip the whole tortilla into the consume and place directly onto a hot pan or, toast one side of the tortilla and cover the other side with the consume, flip when the first side is toasted and repeat. Add your cheese and meet and fold over the tortilla, melting the cheese and enclosing the meat inside. Remove from pan and serve with chopped onion, cilantro and extra consume for dipping. Cheers!

July 18, 2022 She's Sweet, She's Sophisticated and She's Comfort in a Bite. “In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips" - Salman Rushdie Always late. It's become a serious downfall I'll admit. I was late when I met you the first time... still uncomfortable with the layout of the city after being confined to the four walls of my apartment for two years. I remember I made the mistake of deciding to drive and suddenly found myself almost forty minutes late to our scheduled cocktail. The second time I met you, I almost canceled. I had drunk an entire bottle and a half of wine the night before and the thought of going to a winery with your friends made me want to puke. I remember the disappointment yet understanding in your voice when I said I wanted to cancel. The third time I met you, I got myself kicked out of your friend's party. I'd never stirred up so much trouble in my life and I kept asking myself... am I the drama? You assured me it wasn't my fault. Through all of this, you stayed. You stayed when I was late, irresponsible, and dramatic. You stayed when I called you crying again, and again and again when I thought the heartbreak couldn't get any worse. You stayed when I dumped my struggles on you and as time went on you became my most dependable friend. The one that would stand up to the bullies, and the demonic city squirrels and you became the city sister I needed and the California mom to give me a dose of reality. I don't know what I would do without you. You're sweet, you're thoughtful, you're fierce and you're my friend. So cheers to my Jenna for being patient and for being the kindness we experience with every bite of a chocolate chip cookie. Jenna's Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup of white sugar 1 10 oz bag of dark chocolate chips 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 stick butter Directions Preheat your oven to 375°F. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and butter. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in your chocolate chips. Refrigerate your dough for one hour. Using your hands form one-inch dough balls and place them 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow them to cool and enjoy. Cheers!

July 16, 2022 He's sweet, He's salty and He's the freshness of the summer day. "The biggest fish she ever caught, were those that got away" -Eugene Field I remember when you first walked into my family home. I remember how you walked in with an ease so perfect it was as if you were walking into your own place, with your own family that'd you known a lifetime. It was late at night, and you sat down surrounded by my family, which you would eventually call your own and you told us about a fish. Mahi Mahi was your favorite fish; beautiful, silly looking, tropical and most of all delicious. You sat there and told my Mom and Dad about how immaculate of a fish this was and how you prepared it two ways. Later you invited me to your tiny apartment on the edge of University City and you made me this dish. All you had to eat with it was sweet potatoes and mangos. I remember thinking it was an odd pairing but from you it was somehow perfect. It was the first dish you ever made for me and I was surprised to find out it was special to you too. Months later after the summer sun had fallen and the winter was cold the only gift you ever gave me was a 6in by 8in painting of a Mahi Mahi. You told me then how that first time sitting with family, talking about Mahi, was the first time you felt at home and how much it meant to you. And now that've you've left...all I have is a small painting of a silly fish and this recipe to remember you by. Heartbreaker Mahi Ingredients Mahi Mahi 5 six ounces fillets of mahi mahi 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon paprika 3/4 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 minced garlic cloves olive oil Mango Salsa one mango diced 1/2 cup of halved cherry tomatoes 1/2 of a small white or red onion diced large handful of cilantro lime juice salt Directions Preheat your oven to 400°F. Combine diced mango, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro and diced onion in a bowl. Combine the above mixture with the juice of one lime and salt to taste. Mix well and refrigerate until cold. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Combine minced garlic with salt, paprika, black pepper, and oregano. Rub the mahi mahi fillets with a generous amount of olive oil and massage the spice mix into the fish. Sear the fillets in a hot pan for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Finish the fillets in the oven for 5 minutes. Top the fish with mango salsa and enjoy! Cheers!

July 3rd, 2022 She's Sweet, She's Sour, and She's a little bit of a Twist. Welcome to Toasts From Elisa where every recipe is dedicated to a person or experience in my life. This first one goes out to me. “There's no lemon so sour that you can't make something resembling lemonade” –This is Us No one warns you about what life is going to be like in your twenties. No one tells you you're going to move out into your own place, for the first time, into a new city, with a new job, and no friends... only to watch the world shutdown around you. No one tells you how lonely of an experience it is to try to make meaningful connections with others. You just want friends to laugh with, play with, to eat with. No one warns you about how heartbreaking of an experience it is to fall in love during it all and watch yourself crumble in the process. But through it all you've still managed to laugh, to grown, to love, to play. To make something sour into something sweet, and you've done it in your own way. You've ran miles you'd never thought you'd run; you've splashed in oceans you'd never thought you'd touch, and you've made so many mistakes along the way. But it's okay, because you're exactly where you need to be, right here, right now. All your experiences have been exactly right; sweet, sour, complicated but always refreshing. So cheers to me, for taking it one sip at a time. Elisa's Spiked Lemonade Ingredients 4 large lemons (enough for 2/3 cup of juice) 1 8oz can sweetened condensed milk 1 8oz can of crushed pineapple (canned in juice) 1 cup of dark rum 8 cups of cold water ice lemon slices (optional) Directions Wash, Cut, and Juice 4 large lemons or enough lemons for about 3/4 cup of juice. Add your juice into a pitcher. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and pour the entire 8oz into your pitcher. Open the can of crushed pineapple and add the pineapple and juice into the pitcher. Measure out roughly 1 cup of rum and add it to your pitcher. Add 8 cups of cold water to your pitcher. Stir until well combined. Add ice and lemons slices for garnish. Serve cold and enjoy! Cheers! .