My friend and neighbor, Jeanie, recently asked for a good recipe for Panang Curry, which I happily provided her. Only problem was that then I was craving Thai food. I didn’t have all the ingredients needed for the Panang on hand, but I did have what was needed for these easy chicken satay – problem solved! [Read more →]

Do you know what this is a picture of?

It’s the Girl Scout cooking badge.  I’ll be working with 10 young ladies, helping them earn their badges today. A recipe will follow from the class, once I’ve cleaned up the kitchen, that is…

OK, class of over. The girls have their badges. The kitchen is clean and I’ve had my enchilada for dinner. Life if good! One reason I like to use this particular recipe for Girl Scout cooking classes is because it is a real family-pleaser. The enchiladas are creamy, mild, and cheesy, what’s not to like?

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You’re gonna want to make this! Really! I don’t usually say that about my own recipes, bragging is not flattering.  But really, you have to make this… it’s that good!

The creation of this recipe comes from all sides. First, I was digging through and cleaning out cupboards and freezers and I came across this Pineapple-Ginger Sauce I made a year ago in February.  A year ago! Oh my, this must be used now! Second, I need to make a meal for dear and long-time family friends who just suffered a devastating loss. I want it to be something other than the standard casserole that loving friends and family provide in such a heartbreaking situation.  Not that there is anything wrong with casseroles, but something different and fresh is always nice.  Next, my friend and the mother of this wonderful family, is gluten-free.  And lastly, it needs to be something I can make partially ahead and that travels well.  That’s quite a lot to ask of one dinner, but this fits the bill.

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Here is another of the recipes, along with a little history, that will be on the menu of my dad’s 80th birthday party.  You can use standard (big) size croissants or cocktail (mini) size, depending upon the occasion you plan to serve these delicious and classic sandwiches.

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I’ve posted the recipes for regular chicken stock and for rich duck stock here before, but I just realized that I’ve not put up recipes for beef stock or brown chicken stock yet.  This recipe is for brown chicken stock, but the recipe for beef stock is exactly the same, just sub in beef bones for the chicken pieces. Having these two stocks in your freezer, ready when you need them, will make you feel very rich indeed, as there in nothing better than homemade stock!  I’m including nearly a dozen pictures to make it as easy as possible to follow along.

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Here is the salad I made on the Valley Dish show yesterday. I created it especially for Tram after I was on the last time and made crisp mozzarella slices to go with a risotto dish. She’d mentioned that she loved the crisp warm cheese and I asked if she’d had warm goat cheese done the same way. She said that she had and would love to learn how to make it, this is how this salad came to be. I’m sure most of you have had something similar while dining out.  It is easy and delicious to re-create at home. Eliminate the shredded chicken to make a lovely vegetarian main-course salad. Here is THE LINK to the intro for the segment I was on, the salad and pudding making are not up up, so this is just a bit of a tease.

Tip: One of the best tips around; use dental floss to slice the goat cheese. It makes a perfectly clean cut, something a knife just can not do!

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Turkey-Day is only 5 days away!!! Complete Thanksgiving Planning Guide and Timeline.

OH MY GOODNESS!  I stumbled upon the easiest (we’re talking 4 ingredients – two of which are olive oil and S&P), most decadent, most delicious, most wonderful, richest, and probably one of the most fattening roasted chicken recipes – purely by necessity and accident. You see, I had a 3-pack (from Costco, of course) of Boursin cheese in my fridge. The entire thing was unopened and the expiration date was a few days ago… why the heck did I buy it? I don’t remember, all I can think is that I must have read the date wrong and intended to use it during the holidays. Boursin is too good and too pricey to waste, so I needed a way to use most, if not all, of it up – NOW!  I went to FoodNetwork.com and searched “Boursin” and this recipe, from the adorable Emeril Lagasse, was the first one I saw – plus it uses 2 packages – Perfect!

I had the pleasure of working with Emeril in 2001 when I was the producer of the Culinary Concert for the International Association of Culinary Professionals and he was one of the Star Chefs.

When I say he is adorable, I mean it! He is one of  the nicest, most genuine, sincere, warm, and sweetest guys around. Emeril dear, my taste buds and I thank you for this recipe, but my waistline and cholesterol levels curse you!

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My dear friend, Kim Howard, brought me a wonderful gift a few nights ago when she came over for a little party I had. From one cook to another, a gift of a pretty squash is just the most perfect gift. Kim found the red kuri squash at Whole Foods. She correctly knew that I would love to try something new and then share it here, with you. Thank you, Kim, love you!

Red kuri squash has a delicate chestnut flavor and is smooth and creamy. Like pumpkin, kuri is perfect for both savory or sweet dishes. It is thick-skinned, brightly colored a red-orange, and has the appearance of an oblong pumpkin without the ridges. It is available year round and can be baked, braised, pureed, or steamed. Served as a side dish, soup, or even dessert. Red kuri is a good source of fiber. It also provides vitamin A and vitamin C, some of the B vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, riboflavin and thiamine. Low in calories and sodium, this deep-colored squash also contains beta-carotene.

When you see the name of the recipe, you may ask yourself, “What is a mélange?”  Mélange is a synonym for stew, you see, both Marissa and I have a nasty image in our heads when we hear the name “stew”, so I went a bit French on you and change the name. It sounds so much more gourmet, doesn’t it?! [Read more →]

This is part 2 of our recipe that began with yesterday’s slow-roasted tomatoes and the tomato water produced from seeding the tomatoes.

The sandwiches are rather complex, for a sandwich, anyhow. The various components may be used separately for a huge range of different dishes. Use the dressing for a salad or pasta; the chicken will stand on it’s own or may be chopped into a salad or pasta; and the peaches are fabulous on their own or chopped into a salad or topped with ice cream for a sweet and savory dessert. Plus those tomatoes from yesterday … well the sky is the limit with those beauties!

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I will be making this fall inspired dinner on an upcoming Valley Dish program. It’s so difficult to even imagine beautiful, cool, crisp weather when it’s still 100+ degrees out there, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! To tell the truth what inspired me was a huge bag of carrots, from “you know where” in my fridge.  That said, I’ll be making a carrot soup too. In the recipe I suggest using purchased pre-julienned carrots for convenience; but feel free to peel, slice, and julienne your own – if you already have a bag of carrots hanging around at your house. By the way, I’ll be on Valley Dish tomorrow (9/30/10), where I will be judging a seafood cook-off instead of cooking! So if you have any desire to see me eat instead of cook, tune in at 3:30 PM, NBC channel 12.

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