Feliz Cinco de Mayo. Today is the day for Margaritas, Salsa, Guac and Queso. I want to tell you that I have a great queso recipe for you, but the truth is I made 7 different versions last month and didn’t like any of them. So my quest continues. I did manage to make these delicious lamb tacos with fenugreek aioli and preserved lemons though. Fenugreek and lamb is my new favorite combo, it’s just right. So even though I don’t have a proper queso recipe for you, I hope you’ll accept the humble taco instead.

On Saturday afternoon my family will descend on our small urban cottage. We’ll spend the weekend celebrating new life and enjoying one another. Sunday morning we’ll join our church before returning for brunch and an afternoon Easter dinner of a Roasted Leg of Lamb with Mustard, Shallot and Wine and a Sunchoke Puree. At some point there will be an easter egg hunt and probably a nap. Hip hip hooray for naps!

A lot of fun food events happening this month: St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and my personal favorite, March Madness! Today I’m sharing how to make a double patty burger for when you start camping out in front of the TV come March 17 (or Wednesday night dinner if you’re more into gardening than the holistic competition of good old American basketball).

What is your go-to cut of steak to cook for dinner? Filet Mignons while high in tenderness have very little flavor. I love flank steak but the thinness and structure doesn’t give the same mouthfeel as the meaty flavorful prime rib. Rib-eyes are highly flavorful and fairly tender, but the price tag makes them more of a special treat than a standard Wednesday supper. Same goes for New York Strips. The answer to your Wednesday supper steak problem is the hanger steak.

Today I’m sharing one of my new favorite recipes: Kumquat Stuffed Porchetta with Crispy Sage Potatoes. It is different, versatile and basically just a massive bacon roast. Bacon makes everyone happy except my friend Hope, but that sounds like a personal problem to me. This dish is wonderful for feeding a crowd and most of the prep work can be down in advance. Also, the leftovers make great sandwiches!

Valentine’s Day is in 6 days. As a former bartender and restaurant server, the absolute worst day you can go out to eat is Valentines Day, (followed quickly by Mother’s Day). EVERYONE and their cousin (but hopefully not with their cousin) is going out to eat on Valentine’s Day. Don’t join that circus. That’s not love, that’s insanity! Why would you want to spend $300 on overpriced wine and steak when you could stay home, drink the same bottle of wine for $50 and make these red wine braised short ribs?

I made more food with citrus, because a) the oranges in California are SO amazing right now b)I believe food tastes better when you cook with the seasons c) my wallet likes it when I cook with the seasons. (Have you noticed how expensive raspberries are in January? Also how gross?).

I also included jerusalem artichoke because a)I read it in a recipe that I share below b)they are also in season c)It’s exhausting cooking rice, potatoes, quinoa or couscous for every meal. And apparently if I don’t cook a carb “I wish death upon my husband and my offspring.”

Today I’m sharing my go-to Pad Thai Recipe. I instagrammed a picture of when I cooked it for dinner a month or so ago and got a barrage of emails and comments requesting my recipe. Until now while I’ve wanted to share my pad thai recipe, I have not wanted to share it because I don’t have a recipe for the sauce, I use store bought. And I’m ashamed, because everything I believe in about food is not store bought processed food. But I also believe in family time, investing in one another and I believe in good food (duh). And this is good food.

What does your Christmas dinner consist of? I remember when I realized that you didn’t have to have turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now I love turkey and will happily eat it for both. But if I’m allowed to eat New York Strip Roast? I’m going to choose New York Strip Roast. Because steak.

I had planned on posting this later in the week and instead sharing an appetizer recipe today. But then I worried you were getting your last minute shopping in today and tomorrow and I wanted you to have all the information for the most important meal on Friday: turkey leftovers (which is breakfast if you’re a Barnes. You wait till lunch it’s all gone).