Made in Indy
Local food bloggers share their kitchen know-how
Click the photo to read in the zMag.
We’ve prepared a sample platter of the freshest food bloggers Indianapolis has to offer. If you’re stuck in a food rut, these local writers can pull you out with accessible, flavorful and fun recipes like simple grilled paella, classic granola or gooey, melt-in-your-mouth caramel brownies. We’d like to introduce you to the people behind the blogs: A couple who cooks wholesome food together; a baker who loves the intricacies of the kitchen; and a self-taught cook and mother of three who savors storytelling.
A Couple Cooks – [More Info]
Sonja and Alex Overhiser
Technical writer/projects manager and graphic designer at Avalon Group.
Q: Describe your cooking in three words.
A: Simple, natural and seasonal.
Q: What’s your favorite dish to make?
A: We love to cook in the Mediterranean style. We do a lot of pizza. We love experimenting with different, new flavors with that. We love to do Mexican/Latin American food. It’s a cuisine that’s pretty flexible for vegetarians. We try to create recipes that are really simple and easy to execute. Sometimes we branch out into food projects that take a little more time and are fun to do — like pickling and homemade pasta.
Q: What have you learned about cooking since starting your blog?
A: The importance of organization. Understanding what recipe you want to do, thinking ahead, knowing how you want to execute it before you get into it — because you have one thing on the stove, a thing in the oven and a thing in the sink. We’ve gone from needing to use recipes to understanding the processes of how recipes work and creating our own. We believe that you don’t need fancy diets to be healthy — just focus on eating real food and the rest will take care of itself.
Q: What inspires you?
A: We’re just very inspired by the farmers market or what’s in the garden — having something fresh and deciding what to make with it. We’re passionate about cooking and eating with all natural ingredients. Cutting out processed foods seems difficult at first; we’ve found it to be easy and delicious.
Lentil Tacos
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 1⁄4 cups brown lentils (8 ounces)
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning mix
1 1⁄2 tablespoons ketchup
Whole-grain tortillas
Toppings of your choice: Lettuce, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream
In a medium saucepan, bring 13⁄4 cups salted water to a boil. Add 11⁄4 cup lentils, cover and reduce heat. Simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed.
Blend together the taco seasonings. Prepare the toppings by washing and chopping the lettuce and fresh tomatoes.
Finely dice a red onion and two garlic cloves. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet; add red onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute more.
Turn off the heat and add the lentils. Stir in 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix and 11⁄2 tablespoons ketchup to taste.
To serve, add lentils to a warmed tortilla; top with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream. Fold and enjoy.
Katy She Cooks – [More Info]
Katy Carter
Stay-at-home mother
Q: Describe your cooking in three words.
A: Whole, simple and, hopefully, accessible.
Q: What’s your favorite dish to make?
A: Well, one of my favorites is not one of my particular favorites, but it’s a favorite because I know my kids will eat it. Especially in fall and winter, we weekly make homemade pizza. Homemade everything — homemade dough, homemade sauce, we top it different every week. I like it because I know that’s what I’m going to do on a Saturday, and I know my kids are going to love it.
Q: What have you learned about cooking since starting your blog?
A: Cooking is a lot harder, the bigger the family you have. Time really is a luxury that you don’t have. Cooking for a family gets much more complicated as your family grows and your children grow.
Q: What inspires you?
A: Seasonal flavors.
Carrot-Dill Salad
Makes 6 to 8 servings
4 cups shredded carrots
1⁄4 cup fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Toss together the carrots and dill in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey and salt until an emulsion forms.
Pour the dressing over the carrots, tossing to coat. Season to taste, adding more lemon juice or salt if necessary.
It’s best served the day it’s made but will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Annie’s Eats – [More Info]
Annie Marshall
Resident physician at the Indiana University School of Medicine
Q: Describe your cooking in three words.
A: Fearless, fun and flavorful.
Q: What’s your favorite dish to make?
A: I really do a wide range from simple to complex. I like multi-stepped recipes; anything that’s challenging. One of my favorite things is French macaroons. They’re known for being finicky, so every time I make them and they turn out, it’s an accomplishment.
Q: What have you learned about cooking since starting your blog?
A: Oh, so much! I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is just to not be scared. I think people are really intimidated by things in the kitchen, but I’ve found that the worst thing that can happen is the dish won’t turn out. If you try, you might succeed, and that’s really fun.
Q: What inspires you?
A: I get inspiration from all over the place. I think mainly the food blogging community as a whole is so inspirational — people who come up with their own recipes or take really good pictures.
Caramelized Scallops
Makes 3 to 4 servings
12 large sea scallops
4 tablespoons clarified butter
1⁄2 cup white sugar, spread on a flat plate
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon flat parsley, finely chopped
8 chives
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Rinse and dry the scallops well. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.
Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add the clarified butter and swirl to coat the pan. When the butter begins to foam, it’s ready to add the scallops. Coat one side of each scallop in sugar. Place the scallops in the skillet and sauté for 1 minute on each side. If the sugar starts to brown too quickly, reduce the heat. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a platter or serving dishes.
Pour the pan juices over the top and garnish with chopped parsley, chives and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Recipe from Big Bowl of Love by Cristina Ferrare.
