No longer updating, but hope you enjoy the recipes!
Unfortunately, I got too busy to go back to blogging, after I was forced to take a break from it in 2015 because of tendonitis.
But you can still follow my cooking, eating, and travels on instagram: (@spontaneoustomato)
Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Puree & Pumpkin Ginger Cookies with Walnuts
It’s still pumpkin season, right?
I know the answer to that. The answer is yes. It’s just that the food blog world moves on quickly. According to the rules of food blog culture, I should have posted this pumpkin puree recipe back in October, or maybe even September…
You know, when I was still busy posting summery recipes for black sesame ice cream, and heirloom tomato tarts.
At least I got it right with my Octobery Japanese Pumpkin Soup recipe post. But seasonal blogging is hard. (Not to be confused with seasonal eating, which is not.)
Chayote Mango Salad with Avocado
Today I’m delighted to contribute a dish to the Virtual Vegan Potluck!
Thanks to Annie of An Unrefined Vegan and Somer of Vedged Out for organizing this vegan feast, featuring 105 different bloggers in 14 countries!
If you’d like to join the party, you can follow the links backward (through the breads, drinks, and appetizers), or onward (through the rest of the salads, as well as the side dishes, soups, main dishes, and desserts). Look for the forward and backward links at the bottom of this post, or– if you like things in their proper order– start at the beginning.
Gluten-Free Halloween Cupcakes (Guest Post)
You might have noticed by now that I don’t often write holiday-themed posts, but Halloween is my girlfriend Paula’s favorite holiday, so she asked if she could write a guest post. Two things I won’t say no to: guest posts and cupcakes. Happy almost Halloween! ~Allison
I love Halloween, and nearly everything about it. I love the crisp autumn air– though Allison will argue that it’s just as hot in Santa Barbara in October as it is in August– but I can tell; the air just smells different. I also love the spooky element. I love horror films, reading scary stories, and seeing people in their scariest costumes. I love decorating for Halloween and seeing other people’s decorations in their offices and around the neighborhood.
We didn’t decorate our apartment because Allison just doesn’t like Halloween that much, but when we moved in together, she let me hang up some of my old horror posters. I have an ancient movie poster for The Lost Boys (which I bought in San Fernando, CA for a dollar when I was 17) and a 30 Days of Night poster (which a friend helped me “acquire,” mat, and frame).
My vast collection of horror films and books are taking up space in our living room and guest room. When Allison’s writing a blog post, I often watch scary movies on my computer– using headphones, so I don’t add a soundtrack of screams, zombie moans, or werewolf maulings to her work.
South Indian Green Bean Curry with Shredded Coconut
Apparently we are suffering from a curry leaf shortage in Santa Barbara. Or rather, a curry leaf quarantine.
That’s right: no curry leaves (or their relatives– citrus trees/fruit, for that matter!) are to be transported in or out of Santa Barbara County.
(Of course, there’s no shortage of citrus trees or fruit, because we have so many wonderful local farms around here, but this has just pushed fresh curry leaves off the Hard-To-Get list and onto the Impossible-To-Get one.)
Almond Coconut Granola with Dried Bing Cherries
My roommate of two years (who moved out this past June) used to make the best homemade granola.
Come to think of it, I’m not sure I actually ever tasted her granola. Maybe once I tried a bite…
Once a month or so, I’d come home to the scent of roasting syrupy oats, nuts, and cinnamon drifting throughout the whole apartment– or to the sight of two cookie sheets of crunchy oat clusters cooling on the stovetop.
This always put me in a temporary state of granola envy.
Baked Brie with Fig Jam in Phyllo Dough
%20The%20perfect%20holiday%20party%20appetizer. "Pin it!")
Prepare yourselves: this is the most scrumptious of appetizers (slash desserts?!) and one that I usually associate with winter time… But let’s face it: it’s always the season for cheese.
(Unless you are vegan, in which case, hold tight for another vegan recipe on Monday!)
This recipe comes straight from the genius that is my little sister’s brain in the kitchen. Or maybe she got this recipe from someone else originally; I’m not sure.
I just know that she’s been making it for years now, usually for our family’s winter solstice party, and it might– at first glance– seem like the kind of decadence that should be tucked away safely, where it can do no harm to anyone, and deliberately reserved for only once a year:
spontaneous tomato 