This is my first-ever attempt to make sushi. Not bad!

Before I opted to bake a cherry clafoutis for dinner guests yesterday, I considered making a blueberry galette (via my neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth and her Relishing It blog).

I did not have the right kitchen equipment for the galette, so I was left wondering what that delicacy tastes like. As it happens, Laurie was making more galette today, and she offered me some.

This one has a different dough and a different filling (with raspberries and peaches as well as blueberries) and is unbelievably yummy.

I shot the photo above before digging in. I somehow save half for tomorrow instead of devouring the entire thing.

Thanks, neighbor!

I made this crazy-delicious dessert using a recipe provided by my neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth and her Relishing It food blog.

I wanted something yummy for dinner guests as an alternative to the usual Kowalski’s carrot cake, yet simple to prepare. This cherry clafoutis was perfect.

My version of the clafoutis turned into sort of a messy crumble on the plate, compared to Laurie’s elegant pie-like execution, but who cares? It tasted awesome!

Tonight I made this delectable Brazilian moqueca (from a recipe in Leticia Moreinos Schwartz’s celebrated cookbook The Brazilian Kitchen). This was my second time cooking the chicken dish.

The stew calls for green plantains in place of tubers (such as potatoes or yuca, a common South American ingredient). That’s how I made the moqueca the first time and it was a hit with my family.

Today I didn’t have plátano handy, so I substituted a bunch of ripe bananas. I ended up with a milder, sweeter, oh-so-satisfying dish (though I may add a splash of sriracha next time to give it a bit of kick).

The recipe isn’t online, but here’s a similar one (using shrimp) on the author’s blog. I gather seafood moqueca is more common than the poultry kind.

This is my dessert tonight, courtesy of my awesome neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth (you may have seen my post about her Relishing It blog).

Thank you!

I’ll have to keep you in suspense on the details of this decadent delicacy because a Relishing It post about it is coming soon.

I’ve lately been trying to cook more — using local or locally adapted recipes whenever possible.

One inspiration for this is my neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth, who posts amazing recipes for soups, salads, entrees and desserts on her Relishing It blog. You can’t not want to cook after she has whipped up a dish and shot stunning pictures of it with her DSLR.

Relishing It recipes I’ve tried and like include a lentil dish and a to-die-for lemon cake (which I baked twice but scarcely sampled since packs of kids devoured it each time; next time I’ll make it when I’m alone 🙂

My fun with Relishing It recipes has prompted me to look for other awesome local food blogs — and I’ve found a few promising ones. I’m digitally clipping recipes for entrees to try in coming weeks.

I just cooked one of these dishes, a chicken and banana curry, via a blog called A Good Appetite.

The curry isn’t a difficult recipe, which suits me fine since my kitchen prowess is not great, and the end result is delicious (I shot the photo above just before digging in). Try this dish!

More to come.

Yours truly at Unsummit 5, the latest installment of the fab local unconference focused on technology, social media and more.