Earlier this week we gave you a sneak peak of Ina Garten’s new cookbook, How Easy Is That? We hope you enjoyed Ina’s wisdom as much as we did, and we’re thrilled to give one of you lucky readers the opportunity to win a copy of your own!

EVENT: Sunday Morning Breakfast
VENUE: Cara’s New Apartment, Prospect Heights
PARTY SIZE: 2
OCCASION: None at all
MENU: Pumpkin Pancakes with Honey-Nutmeg Butter, Coffee, Maple Syrup

If the responses to our Grill Pan Giveaway (about your favorite fall foods) were any indication, autumn makes us crave pumpkin like summer made us yearn for tomatoes. Come October, pumpkin gets stirred into cheesecake, quickbreads, muffins, pies, and more-even if it comes from a can we could technically have opened at any time of year.

To note, you can

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Call us nerds (Cara is actually considering dressing up as one), but we never get sick of celebrating Halloween. Our costumes may have transitioned from ghouls and princesses to Russell Brand and Katy Perry, but when it comes to the food, the kid in us comes out, and we stick with old school favorites like Monster Mash and One-Eyed Zombies. Whether you’re having friends over for a cocktail pre-game before a big Halloween party, hosting a low-key dinner for friends, or saving all the festivities for Sunday’s brunch bash, see below for our ideas on orange and black eats,…

Earlier this summer, we were lucky enough to interview one of our cooking mentors (and friend), Ina Garten, about her new book How Easy Is That? which comes out tomorrow! This installment of the Barefoot Contessa cookbook series is a must have for twenty-somethings like ourselves. It’s all about meals that are easy enough for everyday dinners but simultaneously special enough for company.

We don’t make a whole lot of restaurant-style recipes in our small kitchens. But when we do, we’re going for the ones in The New Brooklyn Cookbook. We gave away one here!

HAPPY BRUNCH: Quinoa Muffins; Eggplant-Chard Frittata; Mixed Greens with Baby Radishes and an Asparagus Drizzle

Leftover quinoa can turn into any number of things. It makes a fabulous side dish if you simply reheat it and toss it with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and thyme. You can mix quinoa with veggies and bake it-a makeshift pilaf. You can even mix in onion and egg and make little croquettes. All delicious. And all savory.

We’re proud to announce a new food writing gig: as the new “Eat for Eight Dollars” column on Serious Eats. Our super cheap (i.e. less than $8) and totally delicious meals will be featured on the site each Tuesday.

You can check out our first post, about Cara’s Spinach Strata with Sage and Gruyere, here.
From our kitchen, albeit small, to yours,
Cara and Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOKS

DISH: Eggplant Parmesan Rigatoni
TYPE: Simplified Classic
MAIN INGREDIENT: Eggplant, Pasta, Mozzarella

Having grown up with many a vegetarian at our high school potluck table, I became very accustomed to eating serving upon serving of Eggplant Parmesan. When dining en masse, this vegetarian meal is a perfectly serviceable option, especially for vehement carnivores, who seem to think few other vegetarian dishes can pass as a filling entrée.

I dabbled in tofu and seitan and other veg-friendly vehicles. But when it came to group dining, I too fell…

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Fall Indoor Grill Pan Giveaway courtesy of Le Creuset.

We chose a winner randomly from the list of commenters. Congrats to reader Kate!

Here’s what Kate had to say:
Anything pumpkin (or squash)!! Pumpkin rissotto, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin martinis (hey, I work at a bar!), butternut squash soup, pumpkin seeds, and of course, pumpkin pie!!

Many of you agreed that nothing says fall like our favorite gourds. We’ll have plenty of these recipes to come in the next few weeks, including Cara’s…

EVENT: Jessie’s Wedding!
VENUE: Tarrytown House, Tarrytown NY
PARTY SIZE: 60
TYPE: Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding
MENU: Whatever’s in the book! Must include Grilled Cheese Sandwiches; Brownies; Avocado Quesadillas; Hot Raisin Bread; Black Bean Dip; Blum Family Bagels & Lox; and much, much more.

On Christmas 2008, as we were all sitting around eating chocolate cake, my sisters and I noticed a ring on our cousin Jessie’s finger.

“Is that an engagement ring??” we asked.
She blushed a lot. Finally, she answered

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