easy to make
Homemade Limoncello
This recipe is 4 years in the making! When we lived in Bangkok, we heard about a new Italian restaurant that had recently opened down the street from where we lived. Yay! Eager to sample the menu Mr S. and I made our way there. OPUS Wine Bar was open only a few days when…
Read More3 Easy Appetizers
Entertaining is fun or at least that’s my view but for some, though, it can be a dreaded task. Why? The ‘idea’ of having friends over for a bite to eat is simple enough until one starts to ‘think’ about what to serve, the timing, and execution of each dish. I believe that when you…
Read MoreMake Your Own Spice Rub
Chefs and home cooks from the southern part of the United States take pride in their spice rubs. Some are passed on from one generation to the next so it comes as no surprise these secrets are heavily guarded. To be honest I have never used a spice rub. It was while watching shows about…
Read MorePear and Blue Cheese Pizza
What to do with overly ripe pears? A few things come to mind: fruit leather, smoothie, crumble, juice. But it’s Friday night and I’m looking to make pizza so why not incorporate pear and blue cheese. I’m into the culinary balancing act of sweet and salty and pear is magical with blue cheese.
Read MoreCranberry and Pistachio Biscotti
Biscotti (twice-baked), is an Italian cookie that is formed into a log shape, baked, sliced and then toasted to a crisp texture. This has to be one of the easiest desserts to make. Cranberry and pistachio are a perfect duo for this biscotti recipe by balancing the sweetness of the dough with a bit of…
Read MoreDIY Rosemary Salt
I love gearing up for the Christmas holidays as it’s one of my favorite times of the year. People seem a bit kinder, smile more and the feeling of mutual respect resonates more during this time of the year than any other. Not to sound the alarm bells, but there are only 46 days before…
Read MoreButternut Squash Soup
I affectionately call my husband the fridge police and he doesn’t mind. He’ll come into the kitchen, usually when I’m getting dinner started, and go through the contents of the fridge. “What about this?” he’ll say, or “do you think this is going off?” and “how long has this been here?” All of which…
Read MoreCrab Pasta with Lemon
Pasta is one of my go-to dishes when I am either pressed for time or not in the mood to cook. There are oodles of dried pasta varieties available, including a good selection of gluten-free, making it a versatile staple most cooks have in their cupboards. I had a package of cooked imitation crab meat…
Read MorePicnic Bread
I absolutely love the way the kitchen smells when bread is baking in the oven. It transports me back to a time when I was a young girl. My siblings and I would take turns delivering mail to our grandparents who lived down the road from us. My paternal grandmother was always baking something, especially…
Read MoreParmesan Crisps
Entertaining can seem like a daunting task whether it’s your first time or 100th! The key to any successful party is in the planning. When I plan a dinner party its roots are usually based on a country we have been to and have enjoyed the food. From there I start thinking about what I’d…
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