Now that I’m addicted to roasting my own whole chickens, I’m also pretty attached to making Homemade Chicken Stock. I can’t even imagine tossing a chicken carcass in the trash… what an incredible waste that would be. Making homemade stock is very simple. The carcass goes in a big pot with water, vegetables and a [...]
Category Archives: Dinner at 6
After reading Ruhlman’s post “America: Too Stupid to Cook” I decided that it was ridiculous that I wasn’t roasting my own chicken. The convenience of buying a chicken already roasted by the market had become habit. But that was lazy and (stupid) and there was really no reason why I wasn’t taking on this task at [...]
This might sound quirky and whacked, but spending an entire Saturday in the kitchen preparing multiple dishes for a dinner party is my idea of a good time (truly). When Sunday rolls around though, I’m pooped and I’m ready for the couch… ready to watch my tivo’d episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County [...]
On a trip to my local produce supplier last week, I asked them to show me what was in season… what they had that was looking really great. They walked me right over to the citrus and pointed out the blood oranges. “They’re extremely juicy and delicious, and they’re gorgeous inside too,” I was told. [...]
My brother has always had quite a fond attachment to Fritos. As a kid he chose Fritos over any other type of chip-like snack, popping them into his chili and tucking them underneath the tuna in his tunafish sandwiches. I never understood the appeal of Fritos, really. A handful of them leaves you with a [...]
Pork tenderloin is the cut of pork that I stick with the most since I’ve destroyed every pork chop I’ve ever made. If you use a remote thermometer (the kind where a little wand gets stuck inside the meat and the temperature recording device sits outside your oven- like this one), pork tenderloin comes out [...]
I understand that many folks are in the midst of a deep freeze at the moment. I’m sorry for you. If I could send you a bucket of our Southern California sunshine, I would. We really have it good here in California. We have more clear, warm & sunny days here than you can count, and we [...]
I’m cooking lighter in 2010. That’s not to say that I won’t post evil baked goods and decadent dinners… I’ll still do that of course, but I’m also mindful of the fact that my thighs are rubbing together and my non-existent love handles seem to be making an appearance again. It’s time to eat a [...]
This contest is now closed. Congrats to the ten winners listed below- all chosen randomly via www.random.org!
#51 Molly “I love Pioneer Woman cooks. But, if I can’t find a recipe I am specifically looking for, I usually go to allrecipes.com. I like reading the reviews.”
#66 Fran www.FrantasticFood.com “My 1st resource is my Google Reader feed [...]
Still have your Thanksgiving turkey carcass? Don’t let it go to waste. Use it to make Next Day Turkey Soup. Let the carcass simmer in broth for a couple of hours and it’ll help you make an unbelievable, rich-flavored stock for this light and hearty soup.
It’s a perfect, lighter dinner choice after a couple of [...]
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you’re looking for something fun to do with your leftover turkey. Everyone makes soup (that’s a must), and I’ll show you my favorite in tomorrow’s post, but for now I’ve gotta share a recipe that is perfect for utilizing a couple of your Turkey Day leftovers. I know what you’re thinking. [...]
You’ve probably had it before, and more than likely it’s typical Thanksgiving fare in your house. You know… the cranberry sauce that you pry open with a can opener and then attempt to nudge it out carefully so it slithers into the serving bowl in one large, cylindrical, gelatinous blob. I grew up with the stuff, and [...]
I don’t have the privilege of hosting Thanksgiving this year (yippee! Hallelulah! and Phew!, right?). Actually, I don’t really feel that way at all. I enjoy hosting. Being in control of the menu means I get to include all of my Thanksgiving favorites, and it’s an opportunity to rescue my ginormous dining room table from collecting dust. [...]
You may have noticed that I’ve created a couple of recipes lately using Puff Pastry. There were those Caramelized Apple Waffle Pastries, and then there were the Peanut Butter S’Mores Turnovers. Puff Pastry is so easy to work with, and it’s been a lot of fun coming up with new recipe ideas for using it. [...]
Admittedly, I’m not a regular reader of The Pioneer Woman’s food blog. I’ve read it more than a handful of times, and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen, but I don’t read it daily. Clearly, Ree Drummond is witty and fun and her personality easily shines through in her writing. She is adored by thousands (maybe millions) [...]
Here’s a great recipe for my favorite fall vegetable: Roasted Butternut Squash with Garlic, Sage & Pine Nuts.
Here’s the How-To:
Cut the butternut squash in half directly down the middle lengthwise. It’s gonna be kinda tough to do… use your sharpest knife and be careful (this is the hardest part). Scoop out the seeds and stringy [...]
There’s a spot in my kitchen that is always reserved for a special cookbook. It’s a wrought-iron stand next to my stove, where I regularly switch out seasonal cookbooks (my favorites) from which I draw recipe inspiration. Currently displayed… Eat Feed Autumn Winter: 30 ways to celebrate when the mercury drops by Anne Bramley.
I picked up [...]
I recently attended the BlogHer food conference in San Francisco, where I had the opportunity to meet loads of other bloggers that I’ve known forever via Twitter & blog visiting, etc. It was truly exciting to meet face-to-face so many fabulous and talented food writers, bloggers and cookbook authors all in one place (far too many [...]
There are hedges upon hedges of rosemary growing wildly in our backyard. It competes with thyme, lavender and mint growing nearby, but its scent almost always takes the lead in our hot, dry air. I’ve learned to love it and use it often in the kitchen. It’s wonderful in cookies, cakes and breads, but I [...]
As soon as I got wind of David Leite’s new cookbook, The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe’s Western Coast, I knew it was going to have to be an immediate addition to my ever-expanding cookbook collection.
David Leite definitely did his homework on this one. He spent several years traveling and eating his way through Portugal, [...]
We’ll still have summer for quite some time here in Southern California as our September and October are sometimes our hottest months. But I thought this was an appropriate salad to post on this seemingly last day of summer…. while vegetable gardens are bursting with produce that is begging to be used up. And while [...]
I came upon the “perfect” recipe for a New England dinner. It caught my attention since I knew I’d be spending the summer in that particular region. Well, okay… so maybe it’s not really perfect. Because my idea of truly the most perfect dinner ever while hanging out in Massachusetts in the summertime is Steamed Lobster dipped in melted butter. [...]
There are some vegetables out there that are not loved as much as others. They sit in their tiny, lonely bins in the produce section, and eventually a shopper who needs an obscure ingredient or someone who is more familiar with that vegetable will pick it up and toss it in their cart. I think [...]
I’m entirely grateful for Martha Stewart (and her team). Some folks think of MS and think, “Oh, that lady is far too fancy for me.” Not so. She offers the fancy but she also covers the practical recipes too. I often gain inspiration from both of her magazines and her entertaining cookbooks. Her Cookies cookbook is just [...]
Quick, easy and summery fresh. Pull out the corn on the cob and pick a zucchini for this one: Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas.
These are fixed in the oven… but the good news is that you don’t have to have the oven on for long in this hot summer heat. Just give them a quick broil to melt [...]
I sent my husband to our local Specialty Produce place the other day and instructed him to, “Pick up anything that’s red, white and blue.” He came home with loads of berries (which I made the Cheesecake Bars with) and then some red, white and blue potatoes.
Blue potatoes? Yes, blue. Sometimes they have a [...]
My Gourmet group had a fabulous Cuban-themed dinner last weekend. I’m excited to share the entire menu with you, which I’ll do in my next post, but for now I’ll share the recipe that I was assigned to make:
Plantain- Wrapped Crab Cakes with Avocado Aioli.
I had picked up a big bunch of plantains from my [...]
It’s that time of year that I begin to feel like entertaining more. The weather is warmer, the ingredients are fresher, and the desire to invite people over to share in a meal is inescapable. My husband flips on the fountains in the courtyards, selects outdoor mood music, hoses down the outdoor patio furniture and fires up [...]
Sometimes my husband gets really lucky. And by lucky, I mean that he gets a hot-cooked meal at lunch He works from home much of the time, and with that hovers the expectation that something other than pb&j might grace the table at lunchtime. Often, I adhere to that expectation. I figure I [...]
I had a serious craving for Mexican food last night. Good thing it’s quite easy to satisfy those Mexican food cravings here in Southern California. We have little Mexican fast food shacks, you see… pretty much every mile or so down the road. They’re quick and they’re good and they’re a little bit greasy, but [...]
I’m not really a cocktail kinda gal… but mojitos are my favorite. If there’s a good lookin’ mojito on the Happy Hour menu, I’m all over it. That’s why this recipe title caught my eye, and I simply had to give it a go: Mojito Marinated Chicken. Yep, it’s all of your favorite mojito ingredients [...]
Asparagus…
I’ve roasted it, tossed it into salads, and stuffed it in enchiladas. But truthfully, I don’t usually do much with asparagus besides steam them and dunk ‘em in mayonnaise.
My neighborhood’s Gourmet Club had our monthly dinner last weekend (Tuscan-Themed) and Asparagus Risotto was one of the dishes served. It was so delicious with our Lamb [...]
It’s pretty much summer (in the middle of April) in Southern California right now. According to my car’s thermometer, it was 98 degrees F. today. The weather feels fabulous… the shorts and flip flops are out, windows are open all night, and dips in the pool are a must. So it seems a bit ironic [...]
I’ve had many an orange carrot, and even a white carrot or two, but never have I had…
…purple carrots!! I stopped by Specialty Produce the other day to pick up a normal bunch of carrots with fronds attached. They insisted I try the white and maroon varieties too.
I love carrots that have that just-picked look… [...]
Although my child is VERY good about trying new foods and loves to be my number one taste-tester for my baked goods, I still most often hear the inevitable disappointed sigh when I tell him what I’m making for dinner. My husband is grateful for whatever I put in front of him, but my son…he [...]
I’ll admit that I’m somewhat of an adventurous eater. I think most food bloggers can say that. At restaurants I try to order things that I’ve never had… or at least things that I haven’t yet tried making myself. It keeps things interesting, I think.
Greens are one of those foods I’ve been having fun experimenting [...]
Wary seafood eaters sometimes view salmon as that fish with the other color (and thus, avoid it). I can’t even relate to this line of thinking since our whole family devours salmon made every which way, and we have it for dinner at least three times a month. If you’re of the mindset that you [...]
There’s a gem of a place to visit close to downtown San Diego called Specialty Produce. I had the pleasure of touring their produce warehouse last week. The place is amazing… I was in foodie heaven discovering all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that they carry. Unless you go directly to the farmers themselves, [...]
A visit to the Farmer’s Market last Sunday had me chatting with some organic hippies who were selling their beautiful vegetables. They sold me on Swiss Chard and a large bunch of beets, and then I inquired about the purple vegetable that was prominently on display for $1.00.
“That’s Kolrabi,” they explained.
“What the heck would I [...]
One of the reasons that people ultimately fail when beginning a healthy-eating lifestyle is that they choose foods to eat that don’t give them a feeling of being full. And let’s face it… when you feel like you’re starving, you’re going to blow it. I’ve been trying to choose foods that are high in fiber, [...]
Herbs can grow outdoors year round here in Southern California. I have good luck with sage, mint, rosemary, lavender, chives & thyme. They all grow like weeds, and I feel so sustainable when I’m able to utilize what is growing on our land. The thyme happens to be planted right underneath an area where our [...]
One of the things I truly miss on my healthy eating venture is pizza. I miss being able to order it up on a Friday night, eat piece after piece without much thought and gulp it down with a couple of beers. Oddly enough, that sounds rather gluttonous to me now… and rather unappetizing. If [...]
Today concludes the first week of my newfound healthy lifestyle change. So far so good. I’m exercising like a mad woman, I’m eating well (but not depriving myself), and the best part is that I feel excellent. One of the major changes I’ve made in our house is to stick with whole wheat flour, whole [...]
Recently, I’ve made the mushroom appetizer, the Coq au Zin, and now this soup. Clearly I enjoy mushrooms. Give me your Portabellos, Shanterelles or Porcinis… I’ll happily eat them all. Luckily, my husband is equally happy with all things mushroom, and my son… well, he’ll eat them only if they’re pulverized and hidden inside of [...]
Our holidays were spent in Washington state this year… where we were met with loads of fluffy snow but flew out amidst fits of rain. It was fun to see weather of any sort as we don’t usually have much of it here in Southern California.
A snowy Christmas Eve called for a special dinner. This [...]
We cooked up some turkey a little early this year and came up with a wonderful soup for the leftover turkey meat: Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup.
It starts with a simple saute of carrots, celery, onion & garlic. The veggies are then simmered with chicken (or turkey) broth.
The addition of milk, flour and spices make the [...]
My husband was at Starbucks on a business trip recently and ordered a Mocha. When he reached into his pocket to pay, the cashier told him it was taken care of. “Really?” he asked. “By whom?” The cashier pointed to an older lady standing off to the side. My husband approached the woman and thanked [...]
I’ve made this Martha Stewart, fall-themed salad twice now… both times to rave reviews: Maple- Roasted Pumpkin Salad.
But whatever you do, don’t tell your dinner mates that you’re making a dinner salad with pumpkin in it. Most people don’t think to eat their pumpkins and only go with canned pumpkin puree for recipes, so the [...]
I quietly celebrated my birthday recently with a trip to visit my sister in Washington. I always so enjoy traveling to the Northwest in the fall. It reminds me of the East Coast with all of its colorful trees and other seasonal sights like pumpkins on doorsteps and endless piles of leaves.
On a morning walk [...]
Happy Halloween!Sweet treats have been abundant to celebrate the fun of Halloween, so I decided to incorporate a bit of the gross-out factor that Halloween usually encompasses into our dinner last night. Martha Stewart’s folks came up with this icky-but-yummy soup idea that I re-named Eyeball Soup with Bugs.
Before you get too weirded out by [...]
This month’s Daring Baker challenge involved experimenting with the Basic Pizza Dough from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. It was a fun challenge, and my family enjoyed the month-long pizza recipe trials.
Since I already have a go-to pizza crust recipe that is very simple, I found the directions for this one to be rather [...]
It’s seriously pumpkin season in full swing. Pumpkins have arrived at our markets, and the makeshift pumpkin patches are getting ready to set up their little scenes in empty lots here and there around town. We’ll be making our annual trip to Bates Nut Farm sometime soon to pick out the best pumpkins in the [...]
Peanut butter lovers… this one’s for YOU!
Ah, Tyler Florence… he’s one of those chefs that I actually *watch* on Food Network… sometimes because he’s just easy-on-the-eyes, and sometimes because he’s making something droolworthy like these Cold Sesame Noodles.
Chinese egg pasta is tossed with a peanut buttery sauce to create a creamy Asian-style noodle dish. Cool, [...]
Salad can make for a rather boring blog post. But three salads have to be a bit more intriguing and droolworthy, right?
Here are three salads I tried this summer that have made it onto our *keeper* list.
Five Minute Salad: Goat Cheese, Herb and White BeanTrue to it’s name, this salad is simply mixed greens, cherry [...]
I received a little free product-goodie in the mail recently from a company in Illinois- Country Bob’s.
Here’s a little snippet from their company’s site:
How does anything really good get its start? Where do great products come from? Usually they are the result of much time being exerted and a tremendous amount of love being invested. [...]
Even in the dead heat of summer, I’m still fond of roasting vegetables. Turn on the air and turn on the oven. My favorite veggies take on a new flavor when roasted, and I’m addicted.
Green beans tossed with garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and a little S&P are roasted to perfection. But when you add [...]
I’ve had a lifelong fear of figs. I blame it on my Swedish grandmother who lovingly baked sweets that she wanted her precious only young grandaughter to try. Among these treats were cookies with fresh fig filling. Though I loved grandma and appreciated her spoiling me endlessly, I couldn’t stand the texture of the fig [...]
Here’s a great chicken recipe… moist and flavorful and all that good stuff: Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Oregano. This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s EveryDay Food magazine. If you’re not familiar with this publication, it’s really a pretty good one… filled with simple recipes that have few ingredients. I’ve tried a bunch and I’m [...]
In keeping with the “blueberry”/vacation theme, I’ll share the wonderful pork tenderloin recipe that we grilled on our vacation thanks to Oprah’s O Magazine: Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce. I don’t really know why I get O Magazine. Though I’ve always been an Oprah fan, I rarely actually read the magazine but instead flip [...]
Well friends, I’ve been holding out on you… but I return today from a month-long vacation in New England. That explains my MIA status in visiting not a single blog in the last 30 days. We stayed in a beach house north of Cape Cod where we enjoyed the sun and sand, visiting relatives, evening [...]
Phew… that’s one long title of a recipe. A little bit TMI in IMHO. I hate acronyms. But sometimes you just have to use them and hope that most of the general population ‘gets’ it.
I first saw this recipe on Laura’s blog: The Spiced Life. As her blog title indicates, she tends to pick delicious [...]
Although I promised that I would be making that peanut butter and jelly salmon sometime soon, I came across a salmon recipe that was more appealing to my husband. And since he’s kind of a big deal, I gave into his wishes.
It’s a bit of an inside joke, but I got this T-shirt for him [...]
The summer season demands that you eat watermelon. Nibbling chilly watermelon slices saturated with sweetness seems indulgent as you devour slice after slice on a heat-drenched summer day. Its juicy nature and bright color make it a natural superstar at an outdoor barbecue. But have you ever thrown it on the grill? Watermelon caramelizes ever [...]
A hot, steaming bowl of comforting chili isn’t something that usually comes to mind as a summery sort of meal. Grill up a few fresh vegetables though and you will turn this vegetarian chili recipe into one that is warm-weather friendly: Grilled Vegetable Chili.
Grilled veggies are chopped up and added to garlic, jalapeno, black beans, [...]
Have a long day coming up? Won’t feel like cooking? This was the perfect recipe for that sort of thing: Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos (shredded pork tacos.) It doesn’t get any easier than this. And before you turn up your nose at a crockpot recipe, you should know that this comes from a recent issue [...]
In honor of the new movie that my son is dying to see (Kung Fu Panda), we made Asian last night: Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus and Cashews.
The Asian flavors come from a mix of fish sauce, oyster sauce and basil (and just a teeny bit of oil.) No fishy flavors… I promise. At least [...]
Mexican food is on our menu at least once a week… and mostly a couple of times including a trip through one of our awesome fast-food Mexican shacks sometime during the week. Our local fish taco place has “Fish Taco Tuesdays” (fish tacos for $1), so we take them up on that once in a [...]
As far as regional favorites go, Italian has to be my number one favorite (sorry Peter.) Start me off with some prosciutto- wrapped melon and a nice prosecco, feed me a terrific homemade pasta dish, and top it off with a dabble of creamy, rich gelato or a cannoli. I’ll be satisfied and 2 pounds [...]
Side dishes don’t get the recognition they deserve on most blogs. They’re often shoved aside to make room for the main dish star or the baking masterpiece. Well, here’s a side dish not to be looked over: Oven- Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice.
Even if you’re not typically a fan of this [...]
A dinner to remember: Sauteed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons- modified a little bit from Food and Wine.
My new favorite roasting venture: Lemons. Wonderful lemons.
Ever try roasting these golden gifts from nature?
With a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of kosher salt, they caramelize and transform into flavor-powerhouses that are unlike any [...]
Thin is in…. for asparagus, that is. Though I read somewhere recently that its thicker counterpart is more desirous of chefs and actually has more flavor to impart. The objection is that much of the good part is lost when people snap off the fuller stems and throw them out. Sure, you have to use [...]
HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!(that’s the 5th of May for you non Spanish-speaking folks!)
In San Diego today, there will be multiple opportunities to eat a terrific Mexican feast, and for some… it’s an excuse to partake in the consumption of multiple margaritas and tequila shots! Things can get pretty crazy in the bars today. So I [...]
Does your family ever look at you funny when you tell them that you’re preparing something out of the ordinary for dinner? Do they give you that skeptical look when you share the recipe title with them? In my ongoing effort to provide variety and flavor to our weekly meals, I often receive these sorts [...]
I realize that there are likely many people of the USA (and the rest of the world) who don’t recognize this Mexican holiday called Cinco de Mayo. Since I’m located in Southern California, I observe this holiday as very much celebrated- if anything- as an excuse to party, drink margaritas, and consume exhorbitant amounts of [...]
I wish the weather would make up its mind around here. It’s 94 degrees one day, and then we’re snuggled up in blankets watching little league games the next. I have to admit that it’s nice to have the variety. Some stretches have us waking up to sunny days, blue sky and no humidity for [...]
I tested my luck with another Ina Garten recipe: Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. This was a nice side to our Rack of Lamb.
Oh yeah. This was a good one all right.
Slow roasted eggplant, peppers and onions turned into tender, caramelized morsels. I could have eaten this right off that pan.
The veggies were added to cooked [...]
Lamb is one of those nostalgic scents for me. I spoke a bit about this when I posted on Basque Lamb Stew. My dearly loved Grandma used to make roasted lamb. She and Grandpa lived on a ranch, which was an amazingly fun place to visit as a kid. After a day of swimming with [...]
I’ve been making this Avocado- Pine Nut Salad for YEARS. First discovered at my sister’s house eons ago while plowing through her loads of cookbooks, this has since become a classic family favorite. Need a great salad for a potluck? This is it. Need a salad that most people will eat? This is it. Need [...]
I found this recipe for Crazy Goat Cheese Salad in an old Bon Appetit magazine. What makes it crazy? The explanation was that in France a salad is usually simple mixed greens with a vinaigrette. The addition of green beans, avocados and goat cheese is apparently what makes this one “crazy.” So I went wild [...]
If you’re like me, you get tired of chicken recipes. Same old thing. Boring. Sometimes dry. I like chicken, but I’m always hunting for the next new thing to do with chicken to make it appealing. I’ve seen some great recipes for Mojito Chicken that I’d like to try. And I’m always up for some [...]
In the cookbook where I found this recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers, the author suggests that “portobello mushrooms are so meaty that many people mistake them for beef.” Hmmm. Wonder if that would work on the kiddo?
A conversation ensued:
Kiddo: Mom, what’s for dinner tonight?
RG: Burgers.
Kiddo: Yay!!
They looked like beef burgers. The mushrooms are chopped up [...]
Today was the epitome of Spring in San Diego. Not a cloud in the sky. And flowers blooming like crazy! So I grabbed my camera and went on a *flower-walk* this afternoon. Here are some flowers that I spied on my walk…
Many people don’t think of San Diego as desert, but you can tell by [...]
Ahhhh… it’s Spring in San Diego. The flowers are blooming away. The days are warm enough for short sleeves. The frogs are croaking in the canyon at night, prompting begging from my 6 year old to go frog hunting in the evenings. The neighbors are beginning to put their yappy little dog outside so it [...]
If you have a chilly day, you must eat comfort food. It really and truly is a must. Agreed?
Hopefully my new nutritionist isn’t reading this post. He might be a bit disappointed seeing as how we just met to discuss my nutritional plan last week. Since he hasn’t officially given me his designed plan yet, [...]
We celebrated St. Patty’s Day a wee early this year. And while I’m not a master at making corned beef from scratch, I do have to say that our corned beef turned out to be amazing this year- moist, fall-apart-in-your-mouth and super delicious. I purchased what looked like a good slab of corned beef (not [...]
Looking ahead to the big Irish day… I can’t officially call it a tradition in my house as I’m of Swedish/Portuguese ancestry and not Irish. But my husband is just about as Irish- Catholic as they come (and he enjoys his beer) so that gives us reason to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Here are a few [...]
Looking for a light Mexican-style dinner, this recipe in my ever growing to-try pile caught my eye: Pan-Seared Shrimp with Chipotle-Lime Glaze.
Easy, fresh, and super-quick. Not spicy. The “glaze” is a simple mixture of chipotle chiles in adobo + some of the sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and cilantro. The whole recipe requires minimal prep [...]
1. Rainy, wet day.2. Hungry family.3. Wanted something hot and comforting.4. Didn’t feel much like cooking.
This soup was the perfect choice: A super quick (on the table in less than 30 minutes) Cooking Light recipe for Chicken Corn Chowder. And as an added bonus… it was low fat too!
This recipe takes some liberties that might [...]
Ahhhh, alone time as a couple. Enjoy the quiet. Watch something on TV that isn’t related to superheroes. Savour the time together. Prepare a romantic dinner for two!
When my son was safely tucked away at his grandparents house earlier this week, it gave my husband and I the opportunity to spend two “kid-free” nights to [...]
“Arugula. It’s a Ve- ge – ta- ble” – it’s a famous quote from Steve Martin in the movie My Blue Heaven – when his Italian character is having difficulty locating the vegetable in a small town grocery store. I only know this because dear hubby is a “movie line guy” – one of those [...]
This sounds fancy. It’s not. While it presents like it took great effort to prepare, it doesn’t. This was about the easiest dish I’ve prepared in a while, and the “effort” was worth it! This recipe of Caramelized Scallops with Smoked Chili Cream hails from a cookbook that I’m rather partial to… The Black [...]
Talk about an easy recipe…!
With the big romantic day looming ahead, I’ve baked myself silly. Time to move on and make things that one should like to eat even if they’re not heart-shaped and covered in frosting and sprinkles. I stuck with red for Valentine’s Day. Gotta keep with the holiday spirit, ya know?If you’re [...]
More favorite recipes from last year… next up are Side Dishes- my restaurant- quality favorites from 2007!
Roasted Cauliflower with Tomato and Green Olives was my very favorite vegetable side dish of last year. When you roast cauliflower… it gets this wonderful smoky flavor. We just couldn’t get enough of this. It was terrific with grilled [...]
Growing up, I had the good fortune of visiting grandparents who made their home on a Ranch. I have wonderful memories of exploring acres and acres of land filled with cows, sheep, chickens, a glorious garden, a fresh spring, a creek filled with crystal rocks and fools gold, and a mad rooster. But most of [...]
Ah, the search for a side dish that isn’t blah and uninspiring. Dinner was an extra hunk of Roasted Beef Tenderloin that I had marinated for a dinner party and ended up freezing when a couple of guests had to bail at the last minute. I really shouldn’t speak of this rare indulgence in such [...]
I decided to take part in the Monthly Mingle, a blog event sponsored by Meeta from the fabulous blog What’s For Lunch Honey? You can read about this fun event HERE. This month’s theme is “Comfort Foods.” Choosing a recipe for this theme was fairly easy, considering the chilly weather and the desire to [...]
Is there anyone else out there who is “pork chop challenged?” Every time I make pork chops, I just can’t seem to get them right. I can cook tenderloin no problemo, but the chops… most often are overcooked and dry.
Here’s my most recent attempt at making some good pork chops for the fam…
These are [...]
The task at hand: to turn these glorious, fresh golden beets into a beautiful salad…
I’ve always had a tough time locating golden beets. It seems as if they are nowhere to be found unless you’re at a well-stocked Farmer’s Market. So when I was contemplating vegetables to have with dinner at Whole Foods the [...]
For one of those days when you haven’t got anything better to do…
I discovered this recipe for Slow Roasted Plum Tomatoes while browsing through my Legal Seafoods Cookbook. They have great seafood recipes too, but this was the one that jumped out at me.
I love tomatoes. I usually buy the vine-ripened kind or the large [...]
Most likely you’ve ordered calamari (fried) with cocktail sauce for dipping at one happy hour or another… or at least a calamari sandwich (also fried) on some sort of beach vacation. But have you ever picked up a few calamari steaks and created a culinary masterpiece of your own? In the beginning of my foodie [...]
There’s some big- time excitement about football around here with the San Diego Chargers in the playoffs on Sunday. Of course, we have to get past those pesky *perfect season* Patriots but we’re all remaining optimistic. In any case, I’ve had football party food on the mind for a while now as we’ve been thinking [...]
I was browsing through an old Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine the other day and stumbled across a soup recipe that looked like something I would eat. Better yet, in true Rachael Ray form, it was simple. The recipe happened to be in a section called, “Good Deal” (translation= affordable dinner). Rachael claimed that this [...]
Salads are the staple of our existence in our San Diego home. If we don’t eat salad for lunch, it will most likely make an appearance at dinner. So you’ll understand when I tell you that I have more salad recipes in my to-try pile than I can count. I’m always on the hunt for [...]
Feared by some, devoured by many… behold the acorn squash! A smaller, acorn-shaped character in the winter squash family, this vegetable can be baked, steamed, boiled, microwaved or sauteed. Despite the “winter” designation, acorn squash is usually easily located year-round. One squash served two generously. A larger squash can be quartered to serve 4.
Like [...]
I found FIVE soup recipes this past year that deserve the spotlight. Each is rated as “restaurant quality” on the RecipeGirl.com website (and I’d be rather happy to find these on any menu!)
This soup was a delightful surprise this past summer when zucchini was at its peak… Zucchini- Fresh Oregano Soup. It’s a fairly simple [...]
We’ve had frigid temperatures in San Diego lately (darn near 55 degrees F.), and some pretty good wind and heavy rains were predicted too, so I decided to make a big pot of chili to get us through this last weekend.
These are all the fixins needed to make a big pot of Beef and Bean [...]
We’re talking about breasts here- chicken breasts, of course! I needed 4 bone-in chicken breasts for last night’s dinner and the breasts that I picked up were much bigger than they appeared to be in the package. The 12 ounce breasts I had hunted for turned out to be well over a pound each. I [...]
Taste testers in my house were in heaven this year as I baked up 25 brand-new cookie and candy recipes for the holidays. Many of those were given away to friends, but we managed to consume our fair share. I’m happy to report that they are now officially *gone* and we’re ready for de-tox! Everyone [...]
