fried cheese curds (oh baby!)
Move over fried mozzarella sticks, there’s a new kid in town! Fried cheese curds are the bee’s knees! What are cheese curds, you ask? When cheese is made milk is pasteurized and cooked until the whey separates from the curd. The curd goes into a mold and pressed to create a wheel or block of…
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edamame hummus
The first time I snacked on an edamame pod was when we lived in Asia (gosh, that’s over 11 years now!). Mr. S and I were dining at a Japanese restaurant and while we waited for our food, the waiter brought us a bowl of cool, salted edamame pods. We had heard this snack was…
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pecan pie bars with semi-sweet chocolate
Do you recall eating your first pecan pie? I sure do! I was a young kid traveling with my siblings and parents en route to see my grandparents in Florida (an annual winter vacation pilgrimage). The trip down wasn’t idyllic with 4 kids in the back of a station wagon along with two and a…
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escargot stuffed mushrooms
Escargot (ehs-kahr-GOH) is the French word for snail. This little mollusk is famously served baked in a shell with a bubbling sauce of garlic, shallots, parsley, and butter. As good as this sounds, there are other ways to utilize this humble mollusk. Use in a stir-fry with oyster sauce, soy sauce, red pepper. Or, toss…
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poppy seed pappardelle with sage & prosciutto
If you have eaten herbed laced pappardelle, then you’re gonna love it with poppy seeds. Making pasta is easier than you think and therapeutic, too! Kneading the dough helps to unwind from the day and acts as a vehicle to vent any frustration. From the time it takes to mix, knead and let the dough…
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pesto trapanese (pesto with almonds & tomatoes)
Pesto is such a versatile sauce and although perfectly suited for pasta, it’s also delicious with meat, vegetables or fish. For more uses click here. It also reminds me of summer which is a good thing as this winter seems to be unending and it’s only the middle of February! But I digress. Most are…
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sticky date pudding with salted caramel sauce
When serving dessert at a dinner party, the last thing I want is a complicated dish. Years of entertaining has me yearning for simpler recipes. If you come to our home for dinner, dessert can sometimes consist of fresh fruit with assorted cheeses and nuts. I have on occasion, purchased dessert from our local bakery. …
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tortellini bolognese soup
Do you own a cookbook and if so, what was the first one you bought or were given? The first one I purchased was the Fannie Farmer back in 1980 before I was married. My paternal grandmother gave me The Joy of Cooking as a shower gift for my wedding. Another I cherish is the…
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italian tonnato sauce
Well hello, 2020! It’s taken me to the middle of this month to finally post something. This is my fourteenth year with this food blog and lately, I have been wondering if I should stop. And then I find a dish that reignites the foodie in me and my love for sharing recipes. I started…
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pork sausage plait
On the kitchen countertop, I have a cubby hole (of sorts) where I stash recipe clippings or where scraps of paper with my scribbled recipes rest. Every once and a while I do a clearout. The other day I was tidying the countertop space when I saw my scribbled note on pork sausage plait.
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pickled radicchio wrapped breadsticks
Pickled radicchio is a perfect way to preserve and enjoy for weeks. Radicchio (ra-DEEK-ee-o) on its own has a bold and bitter taste but throw it in a hot bath of vinegar and that boldness subsides. It ends up with a sweet and sour taste. When the radicchio leaves hit the vinegar, they change a…
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parmesan tuiles
The other day I was all gung-ho to make parmesan tuiles. The recipe was from a trusted name in the cooking industry but as I was dishing out the ingredients, something inside me was saying the quantities, oven temperature and method seemed off. But, because it was from a trusted source, I shrugged off my…
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pork belly adobo
Adobo is a sauce that is indigenous to the Philippines. When the Spanish colonists settled in the Philippines during the 16th century, they saw this traditional Filipino cooking method and called it adobo (from the Spanish word adobar, meaning marinade). Spanish adobo, however, is not the same as it has a reddish hue due to…
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