Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)? Here are four, simple-to-make dishes along with wine pairings that are sure to show your loved one(s) how much you care. Savory Cheese Tartlets with Blackberries paired with La Marca Di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco ($12) Cream of Asparagus and Vermont Sharp [...]
I take no credit for this BBQ beyond buying the cookbook and trying it. It’s the legendary BBQ sauce by Joe Beef restaurant in Montreal, Canada. Without exaggerating, I want to bathe in this stuff, it’s that good. Sweet, spicy, full of depth and simple to make. This BBQ sauce would be great over grilled [...]
Among my circle of friends, I’m typically the one cooking and baking (and loving it). This weekend, my two girlfriends from Florida, Eileen and Gloriann, came to visit me to help celebrate my 40th birthday. To their surprise and my amusement, I put them to work to make me a birthday pie. The recipe below [...]
When I was growing up in Quebec, the family would gather at Grandma’s house for baked beans breakfast several times a year. She’d bake fresh loaves of bread and the aromas would be divine. Grandma would soak her dry beans overnight then cook them slow and low overnight, with Grandpa adding a little water throughout [...]
This is the first Christmas the family will spend without Grandma. I’ve mentioned in past posts what an amazing cook and baker she was and that she had a huge part in my love of food. One of the items that belonged to Grandma that I was fortunate enough to get was a small 3-section [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
Last night, I had some friends over for fondue night. We don’t fondue as often as we should because when we do, it’s a great time. There’s no better way to stretch out a meal than to fondue. I served a cheese fondue made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Vermont and Victory Headwaters. Sharp [...]
I’m always looking for new themes for the dinner parties I host and this weekend, I decided to do a lobster party for some friends. Although a perceived luxury item, lobster can be relatively affordable if purchased in season. I made sure I held this party while lobsters were on sale at my grocery store [...]
