Joy Phenix's Blog

Have you ever noticed that pizza dough costs about $1.25 at your local grocery store?  Given my family’s affinity for the Italian pie, that’s not just a bargain, it’s irresistible! Last summer my friend Erin told me how she and her family grilled their pizza during the summer and everyone was in charge of making [...]

” Inspector Clouseau:  A woman is like an artichoke, you must work hard to get to her heart.”  The Pink Panther There are few foods I enjoy as much as an artichoke.  Growing up, when they were in season my mom served them up to the family on a weekly basis.  Of course, whenever I [...]

There are a handful of dishes that immediately put me back in my grandmother’s kitchen, but this pasta dish is perhaps the biggest throwback to that era.  After learning to make it, I see why the dish made such frequent appearances on the table- there are only five ingredients! Here’s what you need:  1 lb [...]

When you grow up in Southern California, one of the first things you learn to make is homemade guacamole.  You need to know how to make the kind with “fresh” ingredients (fresh squeezed lime juice, cilantro, red onion, garlic, etc.) and with the “dry” ingredients (chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, etc.) AND you need to [...]

The weather in Atlanta is already warm, so I’ve got to stop roasting all of my veggies and find new, cold dishes to make.  Of course, it’s also helpful if I can find something that lasts a couple of days for lunches and snacks.  Thus, my current salad pursuit of a great broccoli salad. If [...]

Are you having company over tomorrow and you need a new appetizer?  Or maybe you have a home where people drop by and you always like serving a “little sumpin’ sumpin’” to nosh on.  Well, the appetizer below is pretty much the easiest appetizer I make.  It has a few more ingredients than my “two [...]

For all of you who consider yourselves “non-bakers,” listen up – this is THE dessert for you (courtesy of my friend Elizabeth).  In fact, you don’t have to mix or measure a single ingredient for this delicious dessert; assembly only required!  Here’s what you need to buy: 1-2 boxes ice cream sandwiches (depending on how [...]

Perhaps the thing I’m going to miss most about the winter vegetable selection is the easy access to fresh brussels sprouts.  As I’ve mentioned before, I am a recent convert to these lovely vegetables, and I’ve been roasting them ever since Thanksgiving.  However, before we say farewell, I have one last recipe for you to [...]

Learning to love new foods is an interesting process, because if you don’t KNOW what’s in a dish, usually you’re much more likely to enjoy it. That can be a bad thing if you’re eating chicken nuggets, but if you’re eating something healthy, ignorance is helpful. Such is the case with ceviche. In case you’ve [...]

If you’ve never had the pleasure of ordering corn on the cob from a street vendor in Mexico (or Los Angeles), not to fear!  You don’t have to buy a plane ticket to partake in this deliciousness.  This dish is easy enough to make and adapt to your own grill. For those of you that [...]