I have an announcement! Each Friday I’ll be posting a brief round-up of cooking tips, tricks, revelations, and experiments to keep everyone up-to-date on what’s happening in my kitchen. I hope you enjoy!

The past two weeks have been incredibly hectic. I don’t ever recommend starting a blog during finals week and just before a move! I have been packing boxes and writing final assignments like a fiend. Unfortunately, most of my cookware is already packed, so please forgive the lack of pictures in this first edition of ‘The Dish’. (I know nobody wants to see me eating chambord berries off of a paper plate!) However, I’m finally done with this semester and will be settling into my new apartment next week, so things can only get better from here. Here’s a few of my culinary musings for this week:

• I made a big ol’ pot of three bean turkey chili in my slow cooker this week, and naturally, I found myself having to chop quite a bit of onion for the recipe (and some extra for topping). Onions always frustrate me. I know that there is a nifty, professional chef-type way of easily slicing and dicing them, but my knife skills aren’t exactly top-notch. However, I finally gave it a try, and it was well worth the experimentation. (And there was no blood involved!) Here’s a how-to video from chef Jamie Oliver:
  
• While I was home for spring break this year, I swiped a pretty peculiar piece of kitchen equipment from my mother—a spiralizer. In all honesty, the contraption looks like a Play-Doh machine that has been given a chef’s makeover, but after fooling around with it for a few weeks, I am in love! I don’t think my mom’s ever getting this thing back… Here’s a link to the one I have stole: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/paderno-sprializer/?pkey=e|spiralizer|12|best|0|1|24||4&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules
• Lastly, strawberries are in season and I have been absolutely craving a recipe my mother used to make with macerated berries and pound cake, topped with liqueur-infused whipped cream. Sounds heavenly, right? Sadly, since I don’t currently have a mixer, this heavenly whipped topping is out of the question. However, I did decide to tackle my own version of this dessert on my own and it couldn’t be easier. The best part is you can’t really mess it up!
  
  Chambord Macerated Berries
  • 1 pint of strawberries, hulled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • ¹/₃ cup Chambord Liqueur

Mix cut berries, sugar, and Chambord in a bowl, cover, and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour. Depending on the tartness of the berries and your personal taste, additional sugar may be necessary. (I like my berries quite fresh and not overly sweet.) You can also try this with other kinds of berries or a mix! Serve atop ice cream, pound cake, or both!

That’s this week’s ‘Dish’! What’s been going on in your kitchen this week?