Kristine Cocchiarella
Classically trained Cordon Bleu chef turned anti-GMO, pro-organic, food hippie blogger with a passion for REAL food.
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Decadent Chocolate Pudding with Peanut Butter Whipped Cream
Have you ever had a culinary epiphany? I had one tonight and it sort of started out with me replaying old Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials in my head. I was all “You put your peanut butter in my chocolate” and “You put your chocolate in my peanut butter” except for some reason I was doing that in a British accent, and then I considered that this decadent chocolate pudding would taste amazeballs if instead of using a plain whipped cream garnish, I added peanut butter to the whipped cream! KABOOM!! …Mind. Blown! Yeah, that epiphany made me a little light headed, as brilliant revelations often do. So there I stood thinking, who…
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The Quest for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
You know that episode of FRIENDS where Phoebe misplaces her grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe (which happens to be the famous Nestle Tollhouse recipe) and Monica spends an entire day in the kitchen making like 23 different chocolate chip cookie recipes so she can try and duplicate the taste and texture of that one amazing chocolate chip cookie that Phoebe gave her? Well, that’s me. I’m in search for a chocolate chip cookie that doesn’t make me grumpy. I’m looking for the best chocolate chip cookie. A cookie that has some depth of flavor to it, subtle nuances, something more than just sugar, butter, flour and chocolate. I want a cookie that makes…
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Chocolate Depression Cake in a Mug
We have 11 weeks until we pack up our entire home here in MN and move down to SC. I’m starting to panic. Just a little. I have to have a somewhat major surgery in a few weeks, I have a house to sell, I have a moving/garage sale to organize, there is packing and deep cleaning that still needs to be done and I’m starting to wonder if one 26 foot U-Haul is going to be enough to hold all our stuff. Because I have no idea if that U-Haul is going to hold everything, I decided to start using up as much of my pantry baking staples as I could so…
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Not Yo Mama’s Potato Salad
I have a sensitive palate. It’s easily assaulted, intensely opinionated and it rarely fails me when trying to predict all the ingredients in a dish from a restaurant that I wish to duplicate at home. Because of this, I sheepishly admit that my homemade potato salad was rather simple and unassuming. I am a firm believer that simple food is good food. Taking a basic potato and using a few simple ingredients to enhance the flavor of the potato and make it shine is the mark of a good chef. While in culinary school I learned about a Student Culinary Competition Team that competed on a national level for the American Culinary…
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Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce
Let’s get, let’s get, let’s get, let’s get sauced! Let’s get, let’s get, let’s get, let’s get sauced! Does anyone else think Def Leppard may have chosen the wrong word for that song? I do. They could have had a #1 Summertime BBQ song had they chosen to sing about sauces vs. rocks. But I digress. I believe I’ve shared with you guys that finding condiments that taste good, have a decent mouth feel or texture, and don’t have a funky aftertaste has been somewhat of a struggle since starting our Real Food journey. I did find a great sauce from Outta The Park BBQ and I was able to make some really yummy BBQ Pulled…
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Mayo The Force Be With You
Life without Mayo? Pish- utter blasphemy if you ask me. When made with organic, pastured eggs, and fresh, organic ingredients, mayo can and should be a regular guest in your kitchen. Homemade mayo will elevate even the most basic of sandwiches and will delight your senses and excite your mouth. In short, you need to make this. It’s much easier than you think, and learning some basic emulsion making techniques will take you far in the kitchen. It will also come in handy when I start working more French recipes into this blog. Before I get into everything mayonnaisey I have to thank 7-year old Noah A., for coming up with the fantastic…
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Conquering Milk Kefir
I did it! I really did it! I seriously have no idea what I was so afraid of. Making milk Kefir was probably one of the easiest things I’ve ever done in the kitchen. If you can pour milk, you can make Kefir! In fact, you could do this with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back. Yeah, you’d make a mess but who doesn’t enjoy a good mess in the kitchen? A fellow food blogger was nice enough to mail me some Kefir grains. When they arrived in the mail I freaked out, and tossed them in the fridge. Admittedly I have no idea when I was planning on…
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Real Food Girl Presents: The Aliso Kitchen
Happy Monday Food Hippies! I hope you guys had a spectacular weekend and you’re all rested up ready to take on the adventures of a new week! Today marks the last guest post for a while here at Real Food Girl: Unmodified. I believe I’m feeling well enough to manage posting at least 3 times per week myself. I wanted to extend another gracious Thank-You to all the Food Bloggers that stepped up to help me out when I became ill. Your kindness and willingness to help truly blessed me and I know the Food Hippies got some great recipes and learned some new things from all of you! Thank you. You ladies…
