Common Ground Kansas City

Panzanella made almost completely with Brookside Farmer’s Market ingredients. It is so good, I’ll be surprised if it makes it to dinnertime.
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Favorite parts of our date night at Earl’s Premier we’re the oysters, the ambiance and my cute date, of course. ❤️ Also, Yoli Tortilleria tortillas on the menu were delicious as always!

Common Ground Cookbook Club will be featuring our most beautiful cookbook and arguably our most adorable Chef, Rick Martínez for May and June. The cookbook will be released on May 3 and I cannot wait to get my hands on my copy! 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
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Tonight Common Ground Cookbook Club took a step away from cookbooks and had a book-club-style discussion of “Home Made” by Liz Hauck. Two members (my mom, Paulette and Megan ) graciously and excellently facilitated the discussion. None of this would’ve happened without my friend Don who gave me this book and his friendship, which I treasure. Feeling the love for humanity tonight. 😊 I’d absolutely recommend this book because it centers around showing up for others and how good things happen when we cook and eat together.

The virtual letter board I was using doesn’t exist anymore, so I am revisiting my elementary school doodling days for the March/April Common Ground Cookbook Club announcement. 🖍🖍🖍 Club members loved Ottolenghi, but didn’t find his simple cookbook particularly simple, so we are trying again for the spring. here we come! 5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣5️⃣

Delicious homemade gyro 🥙 night provided almost completely by the Common Ground Cookbook Club field trip to .market.kc in early February. Pita, labneh, gyro meat, pickled vegetables, cheese spiral pie - so, so good! 🫒🥬🫓🥙

As we wrap up our time with Yotam I am celebrating all that we ate and all that I learned from this culinary mastermind. A few weeks ago I made these Braised Eggs with Leeks and Za’atar and they were great for breakfast that morning then in some pita for lunch the next day. 🫓 🍳🫓🍳🫓🍳

Fancy pants, Ottolenghi-themed Friday night dinner. Spinach and Gorgonzola-Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Chicken Marbella and a simple salad. Yum! 🥔🥗🍗🥗🥔🥗🍗

Ottolenghi-themed field trip next Saturday! You’re invited, but you have to be a member to know the details. 🥙🫒🍆🍋🧄🥙

Proud mama hen bragging time! 🐓 Look at all the amazing dishes Common Ground Cookbook Club members have been whipping up throughout January! It’s a good thing members don’t register with their home address or I might turn up on their doorstep! 😉😊 If you’d like to join us, we have all of February with Ottolenghi too. Sign up link in my bio. 👩🏽‍🍳🧑🏼‍🍳

Common Ground Cookbook Club is always welcoming new members. Join us or learn more at the link in my bio. 👩🏻‍🍳🧑🏿‍🍳👩🏽‍🍳

I have three intentions/resolutions for 2022:
1. Eat more fish.
2. Give away my cart (no quarter exchange necessary) when done shopping at Aldi.
3. Keep a gratitude jar.
Yesterday I did 2/3 (no trip to Aldi needed) and it was a satisfying day to say the least. Two Ottolenghi Simple recipes in one meal - what a treat! The Baked Mint Rice with Pomegranate and Olive Salsa (basmati rice, pomegranate seeds, mint, olives, walnuts, garlic, olive oil and feta) was one of the better recipes I’ve cooked in all of cookbook club. 🫒 The Pan Fried Salmon with Pine Nut Salsa was good, but I wouldn’t say I’d rush to cook it again. Ottolenghi is a mastermind in the kitchen and I will forever be a fan. 🫒🧄🍚🫒🧄🍚🫒🧄🍚🫒

Anyone care to make a guess as to what’s happening in this picture? 📸 Perhaps I will try and take a food photography class in 2022. 🤔😂

Today the Pattersons started a gratitude jar. ❤️ Effy said, “I am grateful for cucumbers.” Definitely our kid. 🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒🥒

My sister’s cookbook collection is fantastic. There are even more upstairs in their kitchen. What are your favorites amongst these? Mine are “Simply Julia” by and “The Art of Simple Food” by but I haven’t cooked from all of them, so I’m sure other gems are in there. Also, quick tip: if you don’t own “The Food Lovers Companion” I’d recommend it 100%! It’s a food dictionary and it is FASCINATING! 📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

✨Big and exciting changes are in store for 2022 like:✨

•A new cookbook will be featured every other month. Meaning we will cook from six cookbooks throughout 2022.

•We will explore cookbooks from authors and chefs that are male and non-binary as well as females. It was inspiring to feature women only in 2021, but it’ll be fun to open it up to others.

•Food facts, hacks, tips and tricks will be shared at the end of monthly emails.

“Off months” will feature food themed activities such as:

• Field trips to culinary businesses like Pryde’s Old Westport, Ambrosi Brothers Cutlery Co. and specialty grocery stores like Pan-Asia and Local Pig Butcher Shop. We’ll also visit farms, farmer’s markets and more.

• Virtual gatherings for cooking classes and “cook together” nights.

• Reading books that are food themed, but not cookbooks like “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan and “Blood, Bones & Butter” by Gabrielle Hamilton.

• Volunteering at local food banks like Harvesters in Kansas City or the Oregon Food Bank in Portland.

• In-person gatherings (subject to Covid safety) like potlucks, parties and happy hours.

Appreciation post for my sweet Effy. 💕 This fun, tender-hearted and remarkably patient fella stuck it out with me for over 20 hours of travel time to get to his cousin Silas in Portland, Oregon. I had several meltdowns (cried at the bagel lady who was very kind and yelled at the man who shamed Effy while we bought last-resort diapers from him at his sh*tty airport store) over 9+ hours of being stuck in the Boise, Idaho airport. Through all that, Effy held it together and even soothed me when I was overwhelmed. I am so fortunate to be his mama. 💕💕💕

Got a head start on Common Ground Cookbook Club 2022 with this beauty from Yotam Ottolenghi. A honey and yogurt cheesecake with thyme and white chocolate. ✨✨✨✨✨

Grandma and Grandpa Hansen came over this weekend, so of course lots of cooking and playing was had. This “Drunken Spaghetti” recipe by was great. You par-cook the pasta in salted water, then cook it the rest of the way in an entire bottle of red wine ‘til every drop is absorbed. Paired with mushrooms sautéed in butter and balsamic vinegar and topped with basil leaves and parmegiano-reggiano, I’d definitely make it again. Being me I’d add sautéed onions and maybe roasted walnuts or pine nuts on top next time. Perhaps I’ll write a cookbook someday called, “Put an Onion In It” 🧅✨🧅✨🧅✨🧅✨🧅✨🧅✨

Common Ground Cookbook Club is in the midst of exploring “Nadiya Bakes” this December by Great British Bake Off 2015 winner, Nadiya Hussein. Break out your Kitchenaid mixers and join us! 🍰🥧🧁🍪
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I’d never made Pasta e Fagioli (Italian for pasta and beans) before, so I studied about ten recipes and made up my own. Hot damn, it was good! Which means, it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to replicate it. Anyone else have this issue? 🇮🇹

Date night 💕 a handful of nights ago. 💕 I had scallops over brussels sprouts. There was some kind of butter sauce over the top with capers, pomegranate seeds and a sprig of dill. It was absolutely fantastic. Major props to Michael who loves me enough to sit outside when it’s 45 outside. There were heaters, so I’m not a total jerk. 😊

Grew my own lemongrass this year. 🍋🌾 Tom Kha G*i here we come! 🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾🍋🌾

Common Ground Cookbook Club is exploring “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” this November by blogger/cookbook author, Deb Perelman of Join us at the link in my bio! 👩🏻‍🍳 🔪🍴🍳 🍽
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Exploring “Love Real Food” by author Kathryne Taylor was a vegetarian-themed treat throughout October. I’ve never had a cookbook that delivers perfect recipes 100% of the time and this one does. Here’s a sampling of some of the dishes I cooked with my adorable sous chef, “Cheffy”

Common Ground Cookbook Club is going vegetarian in October with blogger/cookbook author, Kathryne Taylor of and it is delicious!! 🍅🥑🍳🥕🧀🥝🍇🍊🍆
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Like a proud mama hen, I am showing off pictures of dishes a group of Common Ground Cookbook Club members whipped up together in September when we featured “The Jewish Cookbook” by Leah Koenig. 🐓❤️ Here is what Rachel posted in our private Facebook group, “A couple weeks ago a few of us gathered to prepare and learn about some Jewish culinary classics. Amanda and Emily turned out two beautiful loaves of challah bread. The sweet noodle kugel was such an intriguing dish. I chose the Yerushalmi version and served with the recommended pickles. We combined forces to make the Lemon Ginger Brandy Matzo Ball Soup. Finished off with a little cucumber and tomato salad to break up all the carbs 😊”

Made this unBRIElievably easy appetizer for the Chiefs game today. 😂🏈🤓 I baked this wheel of brie in my beloved Descoware at 350° for 12 minutes then added thyme and drizzled honey over the top. Busted out some crackers and voilà!

✨✨Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich Baking Class ✨✨

Join me this Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. CST for a fun and easy-going virtual class where I show you how to say goodbye to hot weather one last time with Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Free for Common Ground Cookbook Club members. Join us at the link in my bio.✨✨✨