The Annual Dilemna – Which Cookie to bring to the Cookie Exchange?

Holiday Baking: what a wonderful holiday family tradition! When my boys were little, it was one of our favorite activities – baking and decorating holiday cookies together. I just loved having a huge display of colors, shapes and varieties on trays for friends and family who came to visit. In those days, I didn’t know about “exchanges” where you could make a lot of one kind and come home … Read more The Annual Dilemna – Which Cookie to bring to the Cookie Exchange?

A New Technique opens up many new Ideas for your Brussels Sprouts!

Yep, I admit it – I’m a fan of brussels sprouts. Nope, didn’t used to like them. Anyone who remembers the days of old; boiled, rubbery round little balls with no flavor, know’s what I mean. I pan fry them, I roast them, I add all kinds of luscious things together with them like bacon and balsamic vinegar. I even make a dish with blue … Read more A New Technique opens up many new Ideas for your Brussels Sprouts!

A New Idea for your Butternut Squash!

When it comes to desserts, I don’t have a big sweet tooth. However, one of the things I do love is bread pudding. What’s also really nice about it, is that it doesn’t need to be made only as a sweet dish. A savory bread pudding is also a terrific idea as in this version with Butternut Squash, Leeks and Prosciutto! Super simple and easily adaptable … Read more A New Idea for your Butternut Squash!

Citrus adds a Fresh Taste to this Sumptuous Dessert!

My Talley Farms Fresh Harvest CSA box is a wonderful resource for making desserts. I usually look first to the fruit in my box when deciding on a sweet finish to my meal. Often dinner in itself is enough to fill you fully, but as the saying goes “there’s always room for something sweet!” When making your dessert center around fruit, at least you can be adding beneficial nutrients and … Read more Citrus adds a Fresh Taste to this Sumptuous Dessert!

Sunday Supper

A nice rainy day in California requires a warm home-cooked meal, especially on a Sunday night! With the afternoon ahead, I decided to marinate some chicken thighs for a Chicken & Sweet Potato Tagine. My recipe is for a Moroccan style chicken marinated with an herb mixture of cumin, cardamom, ginger and a hint of saffron. If you’re feeling daring, you can toast & grind … Read more Sunday Supper

Crisp, Farm Fresh Apples plus Salted Caramel Sauce equals YUM!

Ever since I made my first “free form” pie (think Galette, Crostata, Tart…), I have lost interest in making a standard style pie. Mind you, the ratio of desserts to food that I create is quite small. However, when it comes to pie style desserts, I find free form crusts to be much more rustic looking and fun to make. And it doesn’t hurt that they … Read more Crisp, Farm Fresh Apples plus Salted Caramel Sauce equals YUM!

My new Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie contains a Secret Ingredient!

I have been saving this recipe to try for quite a while now and I finally decided – this was the time! Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and I’ve even gotten copies of some that were so highly regarded that they were said to have sold for $250! Since I’m not a real sweet lover, I look for ideas that are a bit different and somewhat savory … Read more My new Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie contains a Secret Ingredient!

Black Garlic is one of the “Top Food Finds” for today’s Top Chefs!

Black garlic is a type of caramelized garlic that is created through a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its desirable flavor. The process of producing black garlic is sometimes incorrectly referred to as fermentation, however it does not involve microbial action. It is made by heating whole bulbs of garlic over the course of several weeks, a process that results in black cloves. The taste is … Read more Black Garlic is one of the “Top Food Finds” for today’s Top Chefs!

A Pureed Vegetable Sauce keeps the Calories Down in this Delightful Side Dish!

I love both the simplicity and creativity in Sara Moulton recipes. She really knows how to combine items in an appetizing way without creating a cumbersome or complicated process. This side dish of Israeli Couscous with Peas, Shitakes and Sweet Potato Sauce is so versatile, you can make it to go with almost any meal. I was so glad to have some fresh peas and … Read more A Pureed Vegetable Sauce keeps the Calories Down in this Delightful Side Dish!

Forget the Hassle of Rolling and Make this Simple Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage!

One of the first cooking endeavors I tried in my late teens was making “Stuffed Cabbage.” I remember it clearly because at the time I didn’t know what a garlic clove was in relation to a head of garlic. Yep, you guessed it! I used the whole head in making my dish and whoa was it garlicky! It was my first attempt at a “start from scratch” meal … Read more Forget the Hassle of Rolling and Make this Simple Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage!