Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Who doesn't love homemade birthday cake?

Dorie Greenspan’s Salted Butter Break-Ups

When I received Dorie’s Around My French Table Cookbook for Christmas, this shortbread cookie was one of the first that I flagged to try.  The beautiful photos and simplicity of the recipe won me over almost immediately.  Of course, I was on Christmas cookie overload, so the recipe was placed on my to bake someday list. 

Barbari Bread Pizza

I stumbled across a loaf of barbari bread at my local market next to the fresh pitas.  Having never seen this style of bread before, I was intrigued.  With lunch time approaching quickly, I was inspired to try the bread as a pizza crust. 

Chimay Short Ribs Empanadas

Remember the Short Ribs – Braised in Belgium Style Ale Recipe  that I made a week or two ago?  The leftovers were terrific stuffed inside store bought frozen empanada shells (discos).   

Grilled Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

Whenever pork loin goes on sale, I find myself with at least one whole loin that I quick turn into a week’s worth of dinners including my Chile Verde.  After chopping, stewing and packaging up the week’s meals, I am left the burning question of with what to serve for dinner.  Marinade Pork Chops on the grill with a simple sauce are a frequent choice.

Tortellini with Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

For a quick side dish with grilled meat and steamed veggies or full meal.

Almond Cheese Bars Recipe

Another super simple, last minute dessert recipe that uses crescent rolls.  This is a variation of the basic Pillsbury recipe for sweet cheese delights which I first had at a holiday party.  These bars were the biggest hit of the dessert bar.  They beat all the other homemade holiday treats, hands down. 

Tomato Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe

I often find that I have a few tomatoes and an avocado or two that are ripening faster that I can come up with a plan to use them.  I will toss them together and add a splash of oil and vinegar and anything else I have at hand. 

Spaghetti with Cabbage, Chicken and Sausage Recipe

We loved this new recipe, simple and easy for a work night dinner using rotisserie chicken, cabbage and whole wheat pasta.  A total experiment based on what was at hand in the refrigerator.

Chile Verde

Recipes slowly change and get updated based on what is available at the time.  Here is a great example of an updated version of green chile and pork stew that Irecently made for my son’s Spring Break homecoming.  You'll notice that I had more time and more fresh produce available in my kitchen than I did in December of 2004 when I first made this stew. 

Grandma’s Skinny Pancakes

Growing up, these pancakes were legendary in my house. While the rest of the neighborhood was making big, thick, fluffy, (and in our opinion, dry) box mix pancakes, my mother was making these creamy, buttery crepe-like gems. My brother added skinny to the name to insure that he would get the butter smothered pancakes that he loved. (note: skinny has nothing to do with the calorie count.)

Kitchen Sink Granola

Granola has become a kitchen staple for in our house.  I have been working on the recipe for some time, increasing the nutritional value and flavor while trying to keep  calories within reason.  I  now include "everything but the kitchen sink" in each batch. 

Original Green Chili and Pork Stew Recipe

This recipe is from my notebook dated December 2004.  My youngest son was 12 at the time and quite the picky eater.  He loved this simple stew and requested it often. 

Salsa Verde

This green salsa is a house staple, slightly sweet, salty and just enough heat to tingle the tongue.  I serve it as a side for fajitas, nachos, tacos or just about any other Mexican dish, as well as add it to many soups and stews. 

Mushroom & Leek . . Frittata? . . Bread Pudding? . .Savory French Toast ?

This meal was an experiment. First, let me say that it was very good, but it wasn't what I was craving when I made it. Hot out of the oven, it reminded me of an upscale, goat cheese version of a pot luck Bisquick pie --in a really good way. Although tasty, it was not going to make my list of go to recipes. But then . .

Short Ribs – Braised in Belgium Style Ale Recipe

This recipe uses strips of short ribs cut across 4 short rib bones.  I found the recipe in the Zuni Café cookbook and it reminded me of one of my favorite beef and Stout stew.  Once I realized that my Trader Joe Holiday Vintage Ale was from the Unibroue Brewery in Canada mentioned as a source in the recipe, I was sold. 

Sage Fontina Grilled Cheese with Pickled Red Grapes

I  found the recipe for Sage Fontina Grilled Cheese with Spiced Zante Grapes while I was flipping through a copy of  The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant by Judy Rodgers.  I quickly found myself on a mission to try this curious combination.  I found beautiful small red grapes at the market the following day and raced home to prepare the pickles.  A little over a week latter, I was all set and just waiting for a meal when everyone is eating at different times. 

Pickled Red Grapes

Fennel, Apple and Walnut Salad Recipe

Crisp, thinly sliced fennel paired with an apple and some nuts is a great change from a standard lettuce salad for any night of the week.  I recently served this salad as an early first course to stop pre dinner snacking.  It was an overwhelming success. 

Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese

A Simple and Elegant Recipe for a first course or easy snack using pickled red peppers of previous post.     

Pickled Roasted Red Peppers

I been making Deb’s pickled garlicky red peppers from Smitten Kitchen for some time.  I love refrigerator pickles and these are the best I have found.  Deb recommends using within a week, but I get much longer refrigerator life by sterilizing jars with 5 minutes full boil in microwave and boiling caps in pot for 5 minutes too.  I have made only slight changes to the recipe.  I use 10 cloves of garlic and will use only half a recipe of pickling liquid for 10 large red peppers.  I can pack 5 peppers torn into 4 or 5 strips into two 26 ounce glass jars.  I save extra picking liquid in a sterilized jar and usually have enough for another batch of 5 or 6 peppers.  

Nega Maluca – Brazilian Chocolate Cake

 

I first had this cake at a small Brazilian restaurant in NYC about 5 years ago.  It was excellent.  Once home I checked online and found a few recipes, all used chocolate drink powder (such as Nesquick !)  I was intrigued and filed  a few recipes away for another day into the great recipe beyond . . .
Jump to 2011 and the great recipe clean up and low and behold . .  Nega Maluca.

  

Strawberry Cheese Tart

My Strawberry Cheese Tart..  Hmmm, what can I say. . ..  A pound of berries and a few frig staples and you're done.  It's an easy-peasy dessert that always impresses at a casual family dinner and wows at a dinner party or potluck.  The key hear is not to tell anyone how easy it was to throw together. 

Chicken in a Pot Recipe

OMG -  All I can say is to make this dish as soon as you can.  It is Soooo  Good.  This recipe is my take on Chicken in a Pot from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. My boys got me this book for Christmas and I couldn't wait to try the cover recipe. Oh my goodness, was it good. 

I know when I have a "keeper" recipe when my husband is still talking about the meal a week later to anybody and everybody that will listen to him.    I can't wait to try some of the other recipes.