Content
Moving from California there is a lot to miss, this being the peak of citrus season (reading a recent blog post by "White on Rice Couple" - ? www.whiteonricecouple.com and becoming envious of their backyard citrus fortune did not help me), I am missing my weekend visits to the farmers market with tables piled high of just picked oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and clementines.
Happy New Year 2013!Another New Year and a sigh of relief that I made it through the holidays. The beginning of every New Year I pause, catch my breath, take time to reflect on the previous year, and look forward to possibilities of a New Year. The week after Christmas and before New Years is that time I take to spend with my new cookbooks, this year's favorites - "The Canal House
?Every season brings new flavors to the table. Summer, sadly is in my rear view mirror. I confess, letting go of tomatoes is difficult for me. But how many tomato salads can one truly enjoy, before you crave a change. Welcome FALL and a market full of new produce: squashes, hearty greens, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears…. it is a good list to work with in the kitchen! With a new produce “pal
This is my seventh summer living in the south. Summer gets HOT here and the temperatures are soaring over 100, not to mention the humidity. I am stubborn, but growing wiser and have learned to turn off the oven in my summer kitchen (at least as much as possible). My new summer southern mind set is to channel my love of Mediterrrean cooking and with Mediterranean food on my mind and memories of a S
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!? What's not to love about summer?! The current bounty of seasonal fruit is at its peak, this year seems to be over flowing with fruit that not only looks beautiful, but tastes of summer sunshine. Usually I am more focused on the vegetable harvest, however, in the last month the fruits of summer have caught my eye like never before. A plate or bowl is like
Olive oil in ice cream is not something I had considered or craved. But on a recent visit to ECCO Restaurant - Atlanta, GA I did take pause when I came across Chocolate Olive Oil Ice Cream on their dessert menu. I am a HUGE chocolate fan and extra virgin olive oil; let’s just say I go through liters when cooking…but in ice cream? I did order the Chocolate Olive Oil Ice
Cheers It’s Friday! Post Memorial weekend, the kids are out of school, temperatures are sizzling in the mid 90’s AND it’s Copper River salmon and Rose wine season – all signs of SUMMER!When I spy the first Copper River salmon of the season in the store, my dinner plans immediately change and Copper River salmon is on my dinner menu that night. The season for this salmon is limited usually ranging
Behold the beauty of an artichoke Artichokes announce the arrival of spring and thanks to the White on Rice Couple (http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/) for hosting “Spring Fling” and highlighting artichoke recipes.My first taste of artichokes as a 7 year old on vacation in California was boiled artichokes served with lemon butter and mayonnaise. For a long time I thought that was the onl
I am on a quinoa kick; it is my favorite refrigerator backup snack to have on hand. (You know the healthy alternative that is ready at hand when you get a hunger pain or need to munch.) The quinoa kick started with a Trader Joes frozen quinoa that I make (actually reheat) for my daughter’s school lunch. She takes it in a thermos and adds soy sauce. (She is not a sandwich k
Slightly early for "Cheers It's Friday," but a must savor combination for the weekend ahead. The focaccia is EASY to make, but needs time for the dough to rise, I suggest starting in the morning (maybe Saturday or Sunday) for a perfect mid to late afternoon snack treat - PURE BLISS! The grapes are soaked in Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine, before baking the fo
What a week, on the heels of a Royal Wedding to good news on the international front (no more Bin Laden) to the celebration of my youngest daughter's birthday. I am toasting the end of this week with one of my favorite aperitif.I was first introduced to this drink at the Getty Restaurant in Santa Monica while celebrating one of my now many past birthdays. The drink was listed on t
Less than 10 hours and counting until the Royal Wedding of William & Catherine. I will try to get up at 4:00 a.m. to be among the first to see the dress and any and all other highlights streaming from across the pond. I must admit, thanks to the media, I am rather curious and excited.So if I am going to drag myself out of bed, I thought a British inspired breakfast would be ap
Monday through Friday lunch is usually a solo act for me – at least during my daughters' school year. Sometime after my morning routine of internet-ing, exercising, grocery shopping and occasionally cleaning; I start to get hungry and my mind wanders to lunch. Since I am alone I can create what I want and experiment with no one dictating what I should make or asking how much longer until it’
Curiosity got the best of me. After tuning in to multiple television features of Kathy Freston and her book, "Veganist," I decided I had to read it! Me Vegan? I never really considered adopting a vegan diet, because giving up all animal products - no meat, cheese, fish or eggs just wasn't what I wanted to do- or was willing to do. HOWEVER, food as a means to avoid or even reverse
It started with the WINE. A few months ago, I was at a wine tasting and sampled a 2009 Barista, a Pinotage from South Africa. The wine had a very distinct coffee finish. The story I was told at the wine tasting goes something like this - in the process of making the wine, the winemaker detected flavor characteristics of coffee and hence called the wine "Barista." I wa
Wandering through the cookbook section of Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com does wonders for my mood and inspiration triggers. Last week was one of those weeks when I needed a jolt of inspiration, a sort of spring awakening. Besides the "Winemaker Cooks," I came across another book, "The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook" by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. It isn't all that new, it was
Spring has arrived in Atlanta. Actually I think we went right to summer, the current outside temperature is 82 F and no one is complaining - the humidity has not arrived ~ yet. With Spring, thoughts of outdoor dining come to mind and today is the perfect evening for dinner on the deck.My "foodie radar" scoped out two new finds this week. First, a new cookbook, "The Winemaker
Cheers ... or should I say - Prost or - Happy Post St. Patrick's Day ...It's Friday! Okay not what you expected to see here today, but well, I am a day behind. This was going to be my St. Patrick's Day dinner, but life was lived and time escaped me. My family really really liked this panini style Reuben and if you have left over corn beef from your St. Patrick's da
Well it is Friday, but a Friday like no other, not like last Friday or probably not like next Friday. We all are thinking of Japan today - glued to the news in disbelief. My thoughts, prayers, and heart goes out to the people of Japan. This Friday I have only listened to news reports, but after I post will move to the television to actually view what I have heard. For me, i
Cheers It's Friday!This week I was having wine flashbacks - remembering my first real wine memories. My very first was the tear shaped "jug" of Almaden RhineWine that my parents drank when I was young. (Almaden wine has quite a history, I did google it - they are now in the business of the BOX.) Next down memory wine lane were my college days - Bolla Soave. I thought I was
Because it's Monday...and I am a cookie monster...and last week when I made these they were too hard for my taste...and I knew if I used a smaller pan they would be softer...and well I needed CHOCOLATE!Yes, I love cookies especially cookies made with CHOCOLATE. Sometimes, even though I want to make cookies, I don't feel like being tied to the oven - putting and taking cookies
Cheers It's Friday! I am celebrating the arrival of Friday evening with a 2008 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir and an appetizer rehearsal for the Oscars on Sunday - take one. The wine is a WINNER. It was a rough week and I splurged on the wine ( I told myself I deserve it). Just when I thought $15-20 got me a great wine, I spend $10 more and this one not only WOWED m
Chocolate has become the food of love, the gift of affection so, why not start Saint Valentine's Day with Chocolate Bread Pudding? The loves in my life totally embrace the idea of chocolate for breakfast (and not only on Valentine's Day). Okay add some fruit and I am quite sure this breakfast qualifies as heart healthy! I do believe it will get the love factor started for a Lovel
Happy "Cheers It's Friday" and yes, it is still winter in most parts of the United States. Yesterday Atlanta got another taste of snow, thank goodness only a dusting and no ice this time...business as usual. Since winter is still around, I have decided to "embrace it" at least with a comforting pasta and a winter worthy wine. The wine is a 2008 Incognito Red, a Rhone blend of 21%
I try to keep a well stocked food pantry of non perishable staples. Sometimes my food pantry overflows with seasonal perishable produce that I just can't resist even though it may not have been on my shopping list. I must admit this "problem" usually happens more in the summer and fall not in the middle of winter. Recently I did find myself in "that position" where I saw som
I am still happily working my way through the Wine Spectator's top 100 list. I carry this handy list with me wherever I go and also my iPhone with the Nirvino app, between the two, I am a wine consumer with confidence~ that I wouldn't come home with an overpriced dud. Today #79 on THE LIST, Elk Cove Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2009 - score 90 points - cost $19. Another wine I t
