happy saturday!  i hope you enjoyed my spice girls reference as much as i know you will enjoy this recipe.   i am a sucker for a good snack and on the weekends outside of brunch, i tend to just nibble here and there.  i also tend to gravitate towards foods with a kick and this dip is no different.  anjelica (or my twin as i call her) served this to me one day at her house and i was hooked.  there isn’t an official name for the dip/sauce because it is one she just created in her kitchen but it deserves to be named, bottled and mass produced.   visit her blog for other great recipes and all things lifestyle oriented.

 

first things first, let’s start with ingredients (which are fairly simple):

1. chobani nonfat greek yogurt (plain, 32 ounces)
2. minced garlic (in water – 3 teaspoons)
3. bundle of cilantro (hand chopped finely)
4. chili paste (start with 3 tablespoons – i tend to use 5 tablespoons but i like things that are very spicy)
5. limes (3 limes – if they are really juicy, 2 will do the trick)
6. kosher salt (to taste)
7. black pepper (to taste)

 

 

i typically put the greek yogurt in a large mixing bowl first.  then, i add in the cilantro.  next, i add in the garlic and the chili paste.  afterwards, i squeeze the limes into the mixture.  and i finish it off with salt and pepper.  i had my godsister over as a taste tester yesterday and felt like it could be a bit more spicy so we added some additional chili paste.  afterwards, i usually put some into a pyrex and the rest into a squeezable condiment bottle.

 

i serve this with tortilla chips (the ones pictured are the jalapeño ones but i also love the lime ones) and/or raw veggies (like carrots, celery, broccoli or grape tomatoes).  i also use it as a dressing over salads or in place of sour cream on shrimp tacos (the recipe will be on the blog next week!).  if i want a different flavor on my breakfast potatoes, i will melt cheese and drizzle this over it.  if i am being honest, i can probably eat this with a spoon all by itself but hey, i do have some self control.

 

 

 

if you are looking for a good appetizer or trying to have a healthier version of one of your favorite condiments, then this is the dip for you.  once you make it, let me know what you think!

 

hope you are enjoying your weekend – i certainly am enjoying mine.

 

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

i don’t know if there is a better way to spend a summer sunday than with a chilled bottle of rosé.

 

with me being a member at nocking point, i already get these awesome boxes every couple of months with three bottles of wine, a bag of coffee (something the pacific northwest is known for) and an article of clothing.  when i found out that some of the cast members from one of my favorite reality tv shows (vanderpump rules on bravo) was launching a pinot grigio with nocking point, that inspired me not only to become a member but to try out that pinot grigio once it was back in stock.  i was absolutely obsessed once i got my hand on basic witch potion no. 1 – it is literally the best pinot grigio i have ever had.  it pairs well with anything under the sun but i love it with my savory southwest salmon salad.

 

now, let me introduce you to basic witch potion no. 2 – the basic witch rosé.  it is light, floral and fruity.  it has a 13.5% alcohol volume so you get the perfect little buzz to make your sunday a fun one.  it is perfect on its own but i am excited to pair it with my shrimp tacos (which i promise to put on the blog sooner rather than later).

 

 

can we talk about how cute the bottle is? basic witch potion no. 2 can be purchased here.  you have the option of purchasing two, three, six or 12 bottles at a time.  i purchased two to start and immediately regretted not getting at least six.  learn from my mistakes!  while it is going to be tough, i am saving the second bottle for my next bravo night in with my fellow bravoholic and rosé lover, carolynn. “the only way to start the day is with this basic witch rosé” couldn’t be a more accurate quote to describe my mindset, especially on the weekends.

 

you may have noticed some writing on the stemless glasses – i was trying out my wine glass writers from my fellow aquarian sister, hillary.  if you are like me, when i host, i prefer everyone having the same glasses/stemware.  these metallic markers make it easy to identify everyone’s glass.  the wine glass writers come in a pack of three, are easy to use and even easier to wash off once you are done.  for today’s post, i had to shout out #witchesofweho and #roséallday on the wine glasses.

 

 

have you tried basic witch potion no. 2? have you tried basic witch potion no. 1? do you have a favorite? as of now, i can’t seem to choose.

happy sunday!

xoxo,

k. tap

 

 

over the weekend, a dear friend of mine from childhood turned 30. leighia and i are both big on birthdays. i wouldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate her. so, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that i absolutely adored the place we started off our saturday – the parlor.

the parlor is in la on melrose and is technically a sports bar. the cute covered patio, neon signs and to die for cocktails definitely made me forget i was in a sports bar. them taking reservations just made it seem less like a sports bar. now for those of you who care about college football, they open early on the weekends when there are games on, there are signs and flags of dozens of teams and about a trillion screens to watch the game on.

now, onto the fun stuff.

i am a sucker for a slushy drink, especially on a summer day. this one is called “peach don’t kill my vibe” and is gin based. what i liked about it was that it still felt light and refreshing. even though i love frozen drinks, sometimes they are too sweet. that wasn’t the case here.

next, we decided to do some cocktails on the rocks. the one on the left is “summer breeze” and the one on the right is “sweet melrose” – both are vodka based but summer breeze was a bit sweeter whereas sweet melrose was more tart. the birthday girl loved summer breeze!

for my entree, i had the eggs benedict florentine and added avocado. it was scrumptious and there was not a bite left on my plate. i think it will be impossible for me to try anything else on the menu at this point. i have included the menu below – it had just enough variety to choose from without being totally overwhelming.

i will definitely be back. i thought our server did a great job balancing a party of nearly 20. he even offered to do separate checks which just made the boozy brunch even easier to navigate. the location makes it easy for it to be one of the stops during a day of day drinking. i can’t wait to go back with some of my girlfriends who are visiting from the bay soon.

whenever i have friends in town from various places, i really do my best to try and meet them (for a meal, a drink or both) close to wherever it is they are staying.  la is not the easiest to navigate, and i say that as someone who has only ever lived in california.  so when my friend taylor told me she was going to be in marina del ray over labor day weekend, i quickly scanned my mental rolodex and knew just where to take her…wildcraft.

 

wildcraft is this amazing modern italian restaurant in culver city (which is just a few miles from where tay was staying).  i have been for brunch, happy hour and dinner and have a great experience every single time.  from the food to the drinks to the ridiculously knowledgeable and friendly servers, i cannot recommend it enough.

 

we went for brunch and instead of going crazy with their bottomless mimosas (which i would recommend if you do not have plans directly afterwards), we had the le grand courtage with brut rose.  it is an infusion carafe with fresh fruit and mint – you get to choose what sparkling goodness you want inside (prosecco, brut or brut rosé).  as tay said, we are all about the rosé all day life so it was a no brainer.

 

 

while their brunch menu is online, the brunch cocktails are not included so i have added a photo below for your convenience.  i know for me, the cocktails being served at brunch are just as important as the food.

 

 

we started started with the rosemary bread and wild arugula salad.  naturally, i had to get a side of avocado for the salad.  i will admit, i thought our server may have been exaggerating about how much her mom loved the rosemary bread but once i had it, i understood the obsession.  i mean, who says no to honey ricotta and homemade jam?  the flavor profile was unreal.  tay and i both loved the salad and i just feel like a meal is incomplete if there is not something green being consumed.

 

 

for our main course, tay and i were both struggling between a couple of the pizzas.  so we decided to each get one the other liked enough to swap a slice or two.  she got the burrata pie and i got the bacon fontina.

 

 

what sets their burrata pie apart from others are definitely the squash blossom and orange oil.  their bacon fontina is just perfectly done and the crust is thin, crispy around the edges and doughy in the center.  i ordered a side of garlic aioli to dip it in and was in heaven.

 

if you want to go to wildcraft, i would suggest making a reservation via opentable.  you will be happy you did.

 

xoxo,

k. tap