It is that time of year when braised meats and stews just sound wonderful. This week, my local grocery store had beautiful cubed veal available, so I created this simple-to-prepare, make-ahead, one-pot stew that is great reheated on a week night but elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. Ingredients: ¼ cup all-purpose flour [...]
Growing up, my Grandma made jelly roll cake all the time. A favorite was the vanilla cake with raspberry jam tucked inside and confectioner’s sugar lightly dusted over. Every Christmas, our family shares a Bûche de Noël, in recent years, it has been purchased because nobody has wanted to tackle making it from scratch. This [...]
My friend Lisa is a huge caramel fan and I’ve designed this simple-to-make frosting with her in mind. Great used as icing on a cake or as frosting on cupcakes. Ingredients: 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract 1 pound box confectioners’ sugar 1/4 tsp. [...]
This weekend, I was asked to bring dessert to a potluck dinner. The hostess is a caramel fanatic, so I knew that my Dulce de Leche Cheesecake would be well-received, but I wanted something more portable. This recipe yields 24 two-bite cheesecakes, but can easily be halved if you only need a dozen. Ingredients: 24 [...]
Cambozola blue cheese has the rich flavor of Gorgonzola with the lovely gooey texture of Camembert. The off-white interior offers striking blue veins. It’s a cheese that’s growing in popularity because of its creamy texture and buttery, slightly tangy flavors. This grilled cheese sandwich uses fig jam to compliment the delicious sharpness of the blue [...]
My grandma used to make my sister and me peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches in a cast iron contraption when we were kids. This contraption, an early version of a Panini press, had long handles that could be flipped on the stovetop until the bread was perfectly browned and gorgeous. I miss those days [...]
This comforting soup is perfect on a cold day and it is super simple to make. Ingredients: 3 one-pound bundles of fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/2 inch dice 1/2 tsp. each dried thyme, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper [...]
I’m sort of picky about cookies. Some cookies I like crispy and crunchy and some I enjoy soft and chewy. This past weekend, I decided to combine two of my recipes to create a crispy AND chewy cookie. My tasting panel (ten warehouse workers at my office) really liked the results. Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose [...]
I recently attended a berry virtual tasting hosted by Driscoll’s and WineTwits and created the following recipe to share with the group. The results are just as tasty when blackberries are used. Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream 2 cup half and half 6 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 4 [...]
This simple reduction is perfect on both grilled steaks and drizzled over desserts. Ingredients: 1 pint of fresh blackberries ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar Directions: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the blackberries, the vinegar and the sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook for 10 minutes, mashing [...]
