Spicy Margarita

Jalapeños give this spicy margarita recipe a delicious kick. Tart and refreshing, it's perfect for a happy hour or summer entertaining.

Meet my go-to spicy margarita recipe! Like a classic margarita, it’s tart and refreshing, but jalapeño peppers give it an extra kick of heat. This spicy margarita recipe is easy to make. You only need 6 simple ingredients, and it comes together quickly in a cocktail shaker. Enjoy it with tortilla chips, guacamole, and/or salsa at a happy hour, Cinco de Mayo, or summer gathering. Cheers! Spicy Margarita Ingredients To make this jalapeño margarita recipe, you need 6 simple ingredients: Tequila – Use any good-quality blanco tequila (aka silver tequila) in this recipe. We like Espolon tequila, but feel free…

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Breakfast Tacos

These healthy breakfast tacos are my favorite way to start the day! Filled with eggs, pico de gallo, and avocado, they're flavorful and easy to make.

If you asked everyone in Austin where they get their favorite breakfast tacos, you’d get a different answer from every person. Austinites have opinions about breakfast tacos like Chicagoans have opinions about pizza. When I lived in Austin, I ate more breakfast tacos than I could ever begin to count. Most I loved (some I didn’t), but after sampling them all over town, I learned that my favorite place to get breakfast tacos…is at home. This breakfast tacos recipe is my favorite way to start the day. It features an egg scramble made with pico de gallo and cheddar cheese, plus…

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Baba Ganoush

This easy baba ganoush recipe is smoky, savory, and creamy. Made with eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it's a delicious dip for pita and veggies.

Have you tried baba ganoush? If you like hummus, I have a feeling you’ll love this Mediterranean eggplant dip too. Made with grilled or roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it’s creamy, smoky, nutty, and bright. I’m sharing my easy baba ganoush recipe below. It pairs perfectly with crisp veggies and pita bread, but I love it so much that I’ve also been known to eat it straight off a spoon. I hope you enjoy it too! How to Make Baba Ganoush This baba ganoush recipe is simple to make. It starts with 6 basic ingredients: Baba Ganoush Ingredients Eggplant…

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20 Easy Summer Cocktails

Cool off with these refreshing summer cocktails! Perfect for a summer party or BBQ, they include frozen drinks, fruity margaritas, spritzes, and more.

Hot days call for summer cocktails! Maybe fruity, maybe frozen, and definitely refreshing, these drinks will help you cool off and celebrate the season all in one. Below, you’ll find the easy cocktail recipes I’ll be making all summer. Perfect for any occasion from a neighborhood BBQ to a laid-back evening at home, they include fruity margaritas, bubbly spritzes, non-alcoholic refreshers, and more. I’d have a hard time choosing a favorite from these festive summer drinks. I hope you love them too! Our Best Summer Cocktails Paloma Cocktail Jack and I make this tequila cocktail every summer. We might be…

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Watermelon Salad with Feta

This refreshing watermelon salad recipe is meant for hot summer days. Made with feta, cucumber, and mint, it's a perfect mix of savory and sweet.

This watermelon salad recipe is everything I want on a summer day. At this time of year, I can’t get enough of salads made with peak-season fruits and veggies. I especially love a good sweet and salty combination. This watermelon salad with feta, cucumber, mint, and a tangy lime dressing is exactly that. The recipe takes minutes to throw together, and it’s incredibly refreshing. Try it once, and—if you’re anything like me—you’ll have it on repeat for the rest of watermelon season. Watermelon Salad Recipe Ingredients If you’ve never tried watermelon in a savory setting, you have to make this…

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How to Boil Corn on the Cob

Learn how to boil corn on the cob! Sweet, juicy, and golden, it's the BEST summer side dish. Top it with butter, salt, and pepper, and dig in!

I think my love of seasonal cooking comes from all the corn on the cob I ate as a kid. In the summer, my mom served boiled corn on the cob with dinner almost every night. She’d pick it up from a farm stand nearby, so it was always super-sweet and fresh. I couldn’t get enough of it – the juicy, golden kernels coated in butter and sprinkled with salt. To this day, the thought of that summer sweet corn makes my mouth start watering. I’ve posted recipes for steamed corn on the cob and grilled corn on the cob…

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Easy Gazpacho

Beat the heat with this easy gazpacho recipe! Made with summer veggies, vinegar, and olive oil, this cool soup is rich, tangy, and refreshing.

It’s no secret that I love gazpacho. Over the years, I’ve shared a gazpacho recipe with watermelon, one with corn, another with carrots, and still another with tangy tomatillos. What can I say? On a hot summer day, there’s no better way to cool off than with cold soup. If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it’s a chilled soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread, which thickens the soup. This recipe isn’t entirely authentic, but it has a lot in common with Spanish gazpacho. Tomatoes, cucumber, and…

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Ranch Water

This ranch water recipe is the perfect cocktail to sip on a hot day. It's easy to make with sparkling water, tequila, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

A ranch water cocktail is the perfect drink for a hot summer day. We’re leaving for a quick trip to Austin tomorrow, and I know I’ll order a ranch water (or two) while we’re there. This combination of tequila, lime juice, and fizzy Topo Chico over ice is the best way to beat the Texas heat. When we’re not in Austin, I love to make this ranch water recipe at home. Made with 3 ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler, and it’s cooling, refreshing, and not too sweet. Try it once, and it might just become your favorite summer drink! Ranch Water…

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Grilled Corn on the Cob

It wouldn't be summer without grilled corn on the cob! Learn how to cook it 2 ways—in and out of the husk—so that it's sweet, juicy, and nicely charred.

Grilled corn on the cob is one of the highlights of summer. It’s sweet and juicy, with a satisfying crunch and smoky char from the hot grill grates. It’ll be on the menu at every BBQ and cookout I host for the next few months, and I hope you’re planning to make it for all your get-togethers too. Fresh corn season will be gone before we know it! Let’s enjoy it while we can. Below, I’m sharing two methods for how to grill corn on the cob—in the husk and out. The first method yields super-juicy, bright yellow kernels, while…

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Red Sangria

Learn how to make sangria with this easy recipe! This wine punch is cool, refreshing, and serves a crowd, so it's perfect for summer entertaining.

This red sangria recipe is perfect for summer entertaining! It’s cool, fruity, and refreshing (and it makes a whole pitcher). As cocktails go, it’s inexpensive and easy to make. What better drink to share with friends on a hot day? Red Sangria Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy sangria recipe: Red wine – I use a Spanish red wine such as Tempranillo or Garnacha. Read more about the best wine for sangria in the callout below. Fresh fruit – Oranges, apples, and lemons are the fruits most commonly added to classic red sangria. I sometimes use lime…

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Grilled Potatoes

These easy grilled potatoes are crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and filled with smoky flavor. They're a delicious summer side dish!

Grilled potatoes belong in your summer side dish rotation! Just like oven roasted potatoes, they’re crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, but the grill infuses them with an extra layer of smoky flavor. Delicious is an understatement, if you ask me. Many grilled potato recipes instruct you to grill the potatoes in foil packets. After using that method for years, I finally tried putting the potatoes directly on the grill grates. Once I did, I never looked back. These grilled potatoes have crispier skins and a smokier flavor. When I’m making grilled potatoes, that’s exactly what I’m after.…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.