Citrus and California are like peas in a pod, so whenever I am visiting my family there I make sure to bring home some fresh meyer lemons from my parents' tree. I have blogged before about my love for meyer lemons, and if you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen photos of me making lots of things with lemon since my return from California a couple weeks ago. I wanted to share the last thing I made with them: salt-preserved lemons. I love using these lemons to liven my c

Food lab is a recreational cooking school located in Boulder, CO. The founder, Casey describes the space as a community culinary hub, which means that food lab doesn’t have any professional chef programs - they are focused on bringing food classes to everyday cooks like you and me. Their motto is gather. learn. cook. eat. and there is an emphasis on fun! Casey really emphasized that home cooks should give themselves a break in the kitchen, which opens up the opportunity to ha

Nature really is amazing. Right when cold and flu season starts to hit everyone, nature offers up plants that we can use to help keep us well! Elderberries are a great example of this. I've talked before about the health benefits of the elder tree, but in a nutshell elderberries have long been known as an immunity booster, rich in vitamins A, B and C. They are also used to lower blood sugar in diabetics and they help to reduce inflammation. Overall, these little black berries

It may technically still be summer, but this last week has felt pretty chilly around where I live. The chill in the air doesn't mean that I can't take advantage of all the late summer produce, though! Last weekend my parents sent me home with some of their homegrown tomatoes and peppers and I was able to nab some squash blossoms from the farm, so I decided to make a summer soup with baked and stuffed squash blossoms to bring some extra freshness to the soup. This recipe is re

As you might have guessed based on my recent blog posts, one of my favorite things about summertime is all of the exciting fresh produce. It seems like every time I open my eyes this time of year, I see something that I want to cook with. Recently it was the cherries that caught my eye when I was at the farmer's market where I live. I've always loved cherries, especially when baked with flaky pastry. But this year, I really wanted to figure out a way that I would be able to e

Rhubarb is one of my favorite spring/early summertime things. It's best known mixed with strawberries and while that is super yummy, that's not why it's my favorite. I love it for it's tartness that can be made into something either savory or sweet. This unassuming stalk can be used to bring an unexpected zing to just about anything, and since it's harvest season is so short I find myself eating it with nearly everything this time of year. This year, I decided to see if I cou

Summer solstice is one of my favorite days of the year. It marks the official beginning of summer, and is the longest day of the year (as opposed to the longest night of the year during winter solstice). Because of the long daylight hours, this solstice lends itself to amazing outdoor parties, and serves a great time to reflect on the power of the sun. I think it's a perfect time to have gratitude for all the energy that has gone into growing food, not only because the sun pr

Frittatas are a staple meal chez The Modern Domestique. They are so easy to make, great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and are a perfect way to use up either leftovers or forgotten veggies that are on their last leg. I like to think of them like a quiche, but without all the effort! A frittata is a great meal when friends come over for a meal, and it makes great leftovers to be eaten warm or cold. I like to serve it with a simple side salad, but asparagus or even potatoes wo

Whenever I see Meyer lemons in the store, I am instantly reminded of warm California sunshine. I can actually almost feel the sunshine on my face when I see Meyer lemons. Maybe that's because I grew up surrounded by these delicious citrus fruits in California, where it seems like nearly every house has a Meyer lemon tree in the yard. If you aren't familiar with Meyer lemons, they are a sweet variety of citrus with low acidity which makes them perfect for baking since you don'

Today I am feeling sick. And it's snowing. So I decided to make myself some chicken and dumpling soup. While I was pulling out the ingredients I realized I could make the dumplings sourdough which goes along quite well with my last post on how to make your own sourdough starter! This is a perfect way to "feed" the starter. Make something small and then replenish the starter with more flour and water. So, without further delay, here is the recipe! -----------------------------