Baltimore Magazine: Potluck Fête

As some of you may know, I am currently interning at Baltimore Magazine, in the fashion and lifestyle department, assisting the editor Janelle Erlichman Diamond. It is such an amazing experience with much to learn... We shot a holiday potluck inspired story for the Fall Entertaining Guide that came out in this month's issue. The shoot turned out beautifully, with real models (a family and friend of Janelle's) and actual home cooked meals by various local food bloggers. You can only imagine how tempting it was working around all of that food!

Shabdiece (amazing co-intern that is the other half of my brain these days) and I were frantically trying to keep the hundreds of home items/clothes organized during the all day shoot, in a two-story townhouse in Roland Park, on one of the hottest days that occurred in late September beating down on us (the items were organized outback on the patio in order to conserve space on the first floor!). Needless to say the hard work paid off, and the images are gorgeous. I even got a credit for my Ya-Ya's Stuffed Peppers! Recipe to follow... And don't worry, although my cooking is sometimes questionable this is a fool-proof recipe I got from my boyfriend's grandmother... Delicious.

Ya-Ya's Stuffed Peppers:
6 green bell peppers
1 lb ground turkey OR ground beef
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 onion
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup rice
2 cubes chicken buillon
2 bay leaves
parsley
salt & pepper
1 tsp garlic

1. Cook rice. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In large pot caramelize onions over medium heat until translucent. Add meat and brown until completely cooked through. Drain excess juice if desired.
3. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes with juice to the pot, chicken bouillon, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and salt & pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
4. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow mixture to slowly cook while completing the next process. 
5. Boil large pot of water with salt. Clean out the inside of each bell pepper and keep the tops. Boil each hollowed out pepper for approx. 30-45 seconds, until bright green and slightly softened.
6. In a casserole baking dish, pour 1/2 of the canned tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Arrange cooked bell peppers so that each is able to stand up on its own. 
7. Fill each bell pepper with a generous portion of the stuffing. Cover each with remaining tomato sauce and finish with the saved bell pepper tops.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 2 hours.

BON APPETIT!