Stacey Snacks

05/15/2013 07:00 AM

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Spring Halibut w/ Lemon, Caper & Anchovy Butter Sauce

Here's the halibut story. I love it. It's one of my favorite fishes (fish? fishes?, sounds wrong). It is only in season and available in the spring here in NJ/NYC, sort of like soft shell crabs and wild salmon. My fish market only gets thin halibut fillets in the spring that look like flounder, and I always take a pass. I want the meaty, thick, beautiful big white pieces of halibut, w

Stacey Snacks

05/14/2013 07:00 AM

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Simply Asparagus Soup

There's not much to this soup except some good ingredients to start with. At first glance, you might think this is boring, no curb appeal. A bowl of light green liquid, nothing special. However, when you take a sip, it is anything BUT boring. It is wonderful and tastes like spring. I only made a small batch, but next time will double it for sure, because it was that good. Just a fe

Stacey Snacks

05/13/2013 07:00 AM

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Pleasures of Spring: Leek, Ricotta & Asparagus Tart

It's asparagus week, so buckle your seat belts. What kind of food blogger would I be if I didn't make a spring tart with my homegrown asparagus and some spring leeks? We had our first al fresco neighbor dinner and this tart was a part of it. You will only see 2 asparagus spears here, because that's all I harvested that day, so feel free to add more if you can spare them. Very simple

Stacey Snacks

05/10/2013 07:00 AM

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My First Harvest: Asparagus w/ Peas, Shallots & Mint

I hope you won't get sick of my asparagus posts, if you do, then feel free to turn the channel. You've heard it here before. It's the only time of year when I LOVE asparagus, in the spring, when it's fresh and local. This is my first real harvest of asparagus, since it takes 2 years for the plant to get strong, then you can harvest it in the 3rd year. It's a long wait, and you have to

Stacey Snacks

05/09/2013 07:00 AM

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Mother's Day Tartines: Smoked Salmon w/ Avocado & Dill

What a nice combination. Smoked fish w/ avocado. Who da thunk it? The biggest challenge here is finding avocados that will be ripe for Sunday! I like to use a nice whole grain bread for these, but you can use flatbreads if you like. Toast up some whole grain bread and cut them in halves. Not sure how many people you are having on Sunday, so can't tell you exact measurements. M

Stacey Snacks

05/08/2013 07:00 AM

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Poach your Mother a Fish!

Brunch, shmunch. Why not just call it an early lunch? Pet peeve: When people review a restaurant on YELP based on a brunch meal they have had instead of dinner. "The eggs and French toast were amazing.......5 stars!". "Terrible meal, the coffee was cold and the waffles were dry, 1 star". Mother's Day is the brunch holiday, it seems. Every restaurant that serves brunch is packed on

Stacey Snacks

05/07/2013 07:00 AM

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Early May Random Bites

It's salad time: Bathing suit season is right around the corner. I'm trying to eat less bread, sugar and pasta and eat more fish and salads. I feel less bloated and more energetic. Here is my favorite Cobb Salad recipe. Avocado, grilled chicken, egg, red onion, tomato, bacon, lettuce & blue cheese. What's not to love? Salad #2: Leftover orange glazed salmon over ar

Stacey Snacks

05/06/2013 07:00 AM

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Torta di Carote del Veneto (Venetian Carrot Cake)

If you google Venetian Carrot Cake, Nigella Lawson's recipe is the first to come up. The rest of the recipes are all in Italian. But this recipe is from a very special cookbook called Cucina Ebraica by Joyce Goldstein. It translates to Hebrew Cooking in Italian. I believe it's out of print, but you can preview some of the recipes here. It's really a history book about the Jews who liv

Stacey Snacks

05/03/2013 07:00 AM

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Mexican Chocolate Cake for Cinco de Mayo

Why is this cake called a "Mexican" chocolate cake? Because Mexican chocolate has cinnamon in the recipe. It's absolutely delicious, if you can find it, it comes in little round discs. It can be quite pricey in the gourmet shops, unless you can find it in a good Latino grocery store. This cake has a nice kick to it, not your typical chocolate cake. I used ancho chili powder from New Mex

Stacey Snacks

05/02/2013 07:00 AM

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Dandelion Greens Frittata

No, I don't want any yellow dandelions growing on my front lawn, thank you, but I will happily eat their spikey bitter greens. My girlfriend's grandmother makes her daughter pull over on the side of the road so she can pick these yummy spring greens. Free salad! In this case, I paid for a bunch of organic dandelion greens. Not really sure what to do with them, since I enjoy my arug

Stacey Snacks

05/01/2013 07:00 AM

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Springtime Jeweled Quinoa Salad

This is so pretty, it looks like candy. It was created from leftovers, really. I always make roasted beets at the beginning of the week, yellow and red. It allows me to be creative during the week for lunchtime salads and other fun things, and half the work is done. Same thing goes for the sweet potato. I always bake an extra one when making dinner, so I can have it for lunch the ne

Stacey Snacks

04/30/2013 07:00 AM

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Special Places: Stockton Farmer's Market

I know most of you think New Jersey is a pit. We are the brunt of many jokes. Lots of industry, overpopulated, pollution, high taxes, rude people, we are defined by what exit we live off of, and just basic big attitudes. Well, most of this is true. I won't lie to you. However, we are also the "Garden State", and there is a reason. We have tons of beautiful open spaces and farmland.

Stacey Snacks

04/29/2013 07:00 AM

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Arugula Pesto

I won't have any basil in my garden until July, so I will have to make do with what I have. Arugula seems to do best in the garden during late spring, early summer, before the heat and humidity knock it down (same goes for cilantro around here). It can stand a cool night. It is by far, my favorite green, I eat it everyday. It is spicy and peppery and needs nothing more than some good o

Stacey Snacks

04/26/2013 07:00 AM

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Good Food

Good food is hard to find, so when a woman in my town opens up her backyard cottage to some hungry housewives, you can imagine the happy faces. One of my readers emailed me last week "do you know that a woman in your town is selling lunch and treats out of her gorgeous "shed"? (I would happily live in her shed, it's so nice.....)" I did not. Every Thursday, Carolyn opens for lunc

Stacey Snacks

04/25/2013 07:00 AM

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3 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug after 10 p.m.

I know, I am 5 years late to the party. Every single food blogger has made this silly (but genius!) chocolate cake in the microwave. First and foremost, let me say I do not cook in my microwave oven. I use it for melting butter and reheating my 2nd cup of coffee in the morning. Pinky swear. I have never baked a potato in the microwave, and I have never baked a cake in the radioacti

Stacey Snacks

04/24/2013 07:00 AM

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Asparagus & Ricotta Flatbreads

By next week I should have a big bounty of asparagus spears, but right now I have only 4. I am loving pinterest lately, and pinned this pretty picture from Bon Appetit waiting to use my own, fresh picked asparagus. Well, here it is (a little light on the asparagus). You can use packaged Naan bread if you like, or buy some ready made pizza dough, like I did. Shape your pizza dough i

Stacey Snacks

04/23/2013 07:00 AM

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The Tuesday Tart is Back with an Onion Tart!

I don't know why I dropped the ball and forgot about Tuesday Tarts. Well, I had better get back on track. I've been making too many frittatas lately. Here we have the classic onion tart w/ bacon. If you want to get technical, this is really a quiche, because it has cream and eggs. But there is no weekday that starts with the letter "Q" so we will stick with Tuesday and Tart. I k

Stacey Snacks

04/22/2013 07:00 AM

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Grilled Salmon w/ Red Quinoa & Pistachios

It's a 2 for one day. I'm giving you this healthy, delicious side dish from Bon Appetit's Cleanse, along with a nice grilled fish recipe from The Kitchn. This was a simple weeknight dieter's dinner, which we both enjoyed, dieting or not. Red Quinoa w/ Pistachios & Mint (adapted from Bon Appetit): 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped kosher salt and freshly ground

Stacey Snacks

04/19/2013 08:11 AM

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Ancestry: Pickled Herring & Beets

I must be getting old. I remember as a kid going to my paternal grandmother's house in Brooklyn and watching her and her 9 sisters (there was 1 brother, the poor thing) eat pickled herring and beets. I was repulsed and swore I would NEVER eat this. Disgusting. The Jackson sisters (strange name for a Jewish family, must've been changed at Ellis Island) all lived in either Brooklyn or Qu

Stacey Snacks

04/18/2013 07:00 AM

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Roasted Carrot Salad w/ Cumin Raisin Vinaigrette

Fresh carrots taste different from the plastic bag supermarket variety. I don't expect you to grow your own, but buy them at the farmer's market, and you will see the big difference. They are sweeter and spicier. Loaded with flavor! Cumin and raisins go beautifully with carrots, very Middle Eastern. Here, I made a sweet and spicy vinaigrette to dress over roasted carrots tossed with

Stacey Snacks

04/17/2013 07:00 AM

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Linda's Lemon Drizzle Cake

Here is a recipe to brighten your day, and I don't know about you, but I can really use it today. Who doesn't love a lemon cake? Anyone I speak to, always says they love a lemon dessert. Lemons are bright and sunny and when mixed with sugar, they become syrupy and wonderful. I think I love any citrus in a cake. This recipe is from Paul McCartney's daughter Mary, who has a new cookbo

Stacey Snacks

04/15/2013 07:00 AM

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Asparagus Pesto

I haven't had asparagus all winter, trying to be a good locavore, and only eating it when in season (same goes for tomatoes, I have not had a single tomato since last October! can't wait!). Well my garden will be bursting soon with my own bounty, but I wanted to get the party started, so cheated and bought my first bunch of spring spears at the grocery store! You can scold me, I can take it

Stacey Snacks

04/12/2013 07:00 AM

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Good Morning Sunshine: Greek Yogurt w/ Toasted Quinoa & Dates

"Wake up, wake up, you little sleep head, get your little buns out of bed............." (it's a song). Truth be told, I don't eat breakfast until 11 a.m. Some would call this an "early lunch", or brunch, except "brunch" is usually reserved for weekends. I just can't eat anything before that hour with my 2 cups of Goya coffee. You have seen my breakfast of champions. Whole grain

Stacey Snacks

04/11/2013 08:32 AM

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Sour Cream Choc Chip Muffins

I love a Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake more than any cake (Jewish Apple and Carrot Cake are a close second). Here I made the cake and decided to top it with a nice streusel topping and bake them in muffin tins. These were as good and decadent as the original cake, only nicer to wake up to. Warning: These crispy muffin tops will definitely cause "muffin tops" over your jeans! Sour

Stacey Snacks

04/10/2013 08:14 AM

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Jerusalem: Swiss Chard Fritters

I just want to preface this post by saying that I really liked these fritters, but no one else did. Just had to let you know that. My husband said these were "too healthy tasting and tasted like a green juice", but he could see how other people might like them. OK. Well, I agree, though I like green juices, kale or chard juices w/ some raw beets and ginger added. Good stuff. If gre

Stacey Snacks

04/09/2013 07:00 AM

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Bacon Fig Jam

This is a special treat. I made bacon jam about 2 years ago here. It was amazing with English farm house cheddar on crackers, we devoured the entire jar in 2 days (great on a burger too). Here is another story. This recipe takes bacon to new heights, as if bacon couldn't get any better. It pairs dried figs with the smokey bacon, and uses garam masala and strong coffee for the deep

Stacey Snacks

04/08/2013 07:00 AM

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Lentil & Quinoa Salad

This is a 2 for 1 day. Healthy for you lentils, and yummy good for you quinoa. Friends forever. This is a nice side dish but was missing something, so I added some lime juice to go along w/ that zest. Why didn't Melissa D'Arabian think of that? This was best served at room temperature an hour after it was made. The recipe calls for microwaving the quinoa, which I found kind of odd,

Stacey Snacks

04/05/2013 07:00 AM

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Early Spring Random Bites

I bet you didn't know that I collect aprons. Well, now you know. I have a ton of sexy, frilly vintage aprons, but I always wonder how you cook in them, without splattering your top, since the old style aprons only go around your waist. I prefer a full body apron, one that goes around your neck and ties in the back. Williams Sonoma makes the nicest and sturdiest aprons for my daily cookin

Stacey Snacks

04/04/2013 07:00 AM

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Broccolini w/ Pancetta, Walnuts & Lemon

I have a been a follower of Australian blogger and photographer Katie Quinn Davies for sometime now. Her food photos are amazing and my personal favorite. She is a recipe writer as well as a food stylist for many cookbooks and Aussie magazines. I love that she always uses antique kitchen items in her photos. Her new book What Katie Ate, is equally as beautiful, filled with recipes, pho

Stacey Snacks

04/03/2013 07:00 AM

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What's for Lunch? Grilled Cheese w/ Spinach & Pickled Onions

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? Do we really need a holiday to celebrate Nutella, grilled cheese or licorice? I get "Pi" day (3/14), but we are really taking this Hallmark thing a bit too far. Who doesn't love melted cheese on bread? I grew up with Kraft American slices grilled open faced under the broiler with tomato. Sounds a bit boring, but it really was g

Stacey Snacks

04/02/2013 07:00 AM

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Roast Chicken & Bread Salad

If you are a fan of the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, then you know their Roast Chicken & Bread Salad is the most popular recipe in the book. It is loved and admired by all. I have been making it for years, but my own way. Since I roast a chicken weekly, this is usually what I do the next day with the leftovers, however, feel free to roast the whole bird especially for this recipe, it's that

Stacey Snacks

04/01/2013 07:00 AM

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Good Morning: Nutty Magdalenas

I'm invited to someone's house for lunch. Quick, what can I bring? Wine? Too early in the day. Hurry, think. Cake? I could stop at the bakery, but the bakery is always closed on Mondays. Next idea. I was lucky that I was reading David Lebovitz's blog this a.m. because he made these Magdalenas for breakfast. Magdalenas are traditional Spanish tea cakes, swiped with butter, o

Stacey Snacks

03/29/2013 07:00 AM

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Mini Swiss Chard Quiches

That muffin tin thing is so addictive. For some weird reason, I want to make everything in a muffin tin. This is a nice addition to your Easter Brunch menu, and it's gluten free, and no carbs, and tasty. Win Win. You can swap out the Swiss Chard for Spinach, and use any cheese you like. I used Dubliner, because I had it leftover from St. Patrick's Day, but little pieces of goat cheese

Stacey Snacks

03/28/2013 07:00 AM

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Salmon & Avocado Tartare w/ Horseradish Cream & Cilantro Oil

I love a tuna or salmon tartare and any crudo, as long as I know the fish is uber fresh. I order it any time I see it on a menu. Thin, delicate slices of fluke or hamachi. Hail to the beautiful ceviche, marinated in citrus with fresh herbs is such a treat, as long as the fish is FRESH. There is nothing wrong with asking your fish monger what is fresh, and what came in THAT DAY. I hav

Stacey Snacks

03/27/2013 07:00 AM

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Pretty Pink Pickled Eggs

I have this habit of posting pink eggs once spring is here. I buy pickled beets in a jar for this reason only. You can make your own pickling juice from roasting beets and adding vinegar and sugar, but I like to eat the beets from the jar, then instead of spilling out the red juice, I pour it on top of warmed hard boiled eggs. The longer you let them sit in the beet juice, the pinker

Stacey Snacks

03/26/2013 07:00 AM

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March Gardening

Even though it's still March, and 35F degrees outside (the "F" is not for Fahrenheit, by the way), we went to the Militant Community Garden to plant our seeds, spread woodchips on the paths (mandatory) and till our soil. Spring, can we get going already? The Militant garden managers were out and about with their clipboards, but I stayed undercover and kept quiet (rare for me). We used

Stacey Snacks

03/25/2013 07:00 AM

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Chocolate Almond Macaroons for Passover

Tonight is the first night of Passover. Passover (Pesach) is the story about how Moses lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt (bible lesson for the day!). There are 2 ceremonial dinners, which are known as "seders". Click here to see past year's seders. During the week of Passover, observers do not eat leavened bread or anything made with barley, wheat, rye, oats, or spelt. Basically, you

Stacey Snacks

03/22/2013 07:00 AM

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Antique Collecting Series #4: Monograms

Meatless Mondays; Tuesday Tarts; Antique Fridays. I am such a type A personality. I always have to have plans. Here is post #4 in my antique collecting posts. It's all about monograms for me, especially other people's fancy antique monograms. Whether it be silver, china, linens or boxes, I love monograms and personalization. It showed ownership and meant that someone had the item

Stacey Snacks

03/21/2013 07:00 AM

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Skinny "Fried" Pickles for the Birds

You must think I've lost my mind. Fried pickles? No, I'm not pregnant, but I sometimes crave pickles. This is a popular Southern recipe, however I found a low-fat version on a lowfat cooking site, and instead of frying the pickles you bake them. I was quite excited to try this crazy recipe. You make a lowfat dipping sauce with Greek yogurt instead of mayo and use cooking spray inste

Stacey Snacks

03/20/2013 07:00 AM

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Spring Soup: Tortellini w/ Leeks & GOOD stock

Spring is here, but it's in disguise. I know it's out there somewhere, but I can't feel it yet. Too cold here. Miserable March. I decided to do a spring cleaning anyway, and use up my stock that has been in the freezer for 8 months (you can keep stock frozen for up to a year). This one said "Rich Chicken Stock w/ Fennel & Dill" on the lid. I think it was from the Tagine I made tha

Stacey Snacks

03/19/2013 07:00 AM

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Lemon Yogurt Scones

When I think of scones, I think of a dry biscuit that is heavy like a rock. The secret to enjoying scones are EATING THEM WITHIN 2 HOURS OF BAKING THEM. Otherwise, don't bother. Scones go stale very quickly. They truly are amazing to wake up to. A nice hot buttermilk scone w/ your morning tea or coffee. Am I in England? These scones will change the minds of scone haters out there.

Stacey Snacks

03/18/2013 07:00 AM

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FOOD LOVE: Farro w/ Chickpeas, Currants & Leeks

It's amazing how in the 5 years of blogging, I have learned to love quinoa, farro, kale, beets and everything else that's been around for hundreds of years. If you've never tried it, how do you know if you like it or not? Kale. Swiss Chard. I did not grow up with fresh vegetables, or a garden, so Path-Mark frozen was my source for green, and oh yeah, iceberg lettuce. Who knew about wond

Stacey Snacks

03/15/2013 07:00 AM

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Chocolate Guinness Cake for St. Patrick's Day

I love beer in stews and chilis, but beer with chocolate? YES. If you've ever tried Guinness Stout before, you will know it's not really beer anyway. It's got a rich, dark chocolately flavor to me, and I can only drink one pint of it, since it is SO FILLING. There is a secret to pouring it, so make sure you find a bartender who knows what he/she is doing, or just go to Dublin. Inste

Stacey Snacks

03/14/2013 07:00 AM

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Easy Dinner: Spinach & Chorizo Frittata

I love eggs. Couldn't live without them. Fried, hard boiled, egg salad, omelets, quiches, souffles.........they are my favorite cooking ingredient, and my go to for an easy quick weeknight meal (with yummy leftovers tomorrow). There is no cream in this recipe, so not a quiche, more of a frittata. There are only 5 ingredients, not including the s&p, making this the perfect quick meal.

Stacey Snacks

03/13/2013 07:00 AM

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What's for Dinner? Provencal Chicken Breasts on Rosemary Orzo

This dish has been in my repertoire for years. The original recipe calls for chicken breasts w/ the skin on (which I like the best). I know some of you are against skin (fat). Well, it gives the dish much more flavor than dry bland boneless chicken breasts, because of the added fat. So, don't be afraid to use chicken w/ SKIN. JUST TAKE THE SKIN OFF and throw it away after you plate it

Stacey Snacks

03/12/2013 07:00 AM

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More Loaves: Chocolate Chip Ricotta

Some people love bundts, some love layers, others like cupcakes (not me), and some like loaves. I am a loaf cake kind of girl, in case you've noticed. Loaf cakes are nice in the morning, feels like you are cutting a slice of bread, instead of cake. They are easy to bake and I have had the same loaf pan for 26 years, I feel comfortable. Loaf cakes make nice gifts wrapped up in parchme

Stacey Snacks

03/11/2013 07:00 AM

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What's for Lunch? & Trader Joes

Hello. I want to start this post by talking about what I don't like buying from Trader Joe's, and 2 products that I can't live without... First off, I NEVER buy frozen fish from Trader's (it's mostly from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh.....), and I don't like their produce at all. I don't like it because it's not fresh, it's always in a bag, which is great in a pinch, but TJ's produce seems t

Stacey Snacks

03/08/2013 07:00 AM

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Let's Talk Salt

When a recipe calls for salt, there are dozens of choices these days. When I grew up there were 2 kinds of salt. Morton's Iodized ("when it rains it pours") in the blue container w/ the little girl and umbrella. Or Diamond Kosher Salt. This was reserved for salting or "koshering" a chicken. Now that I am a grownup I can make my own salt choices, and there are so many to choo

Stacey Snacks

03/07/2013 07:00 AM

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Best Chicken Fried Rice

Once again, I got 4 different meals from one 5 lb. potted chicken. I got 5 cups of delicious chicken stock for future soups; chicken salad sandwiches for lunch; chicken quesadillas for another lunch; and tonight, Chinese Fried Rice from one poor unlucky bird. This is SO good, and SO easy. They say it's best to use leftover rice for fried rice, but I never seem to have it. So, I mak

Stacey Snacks

03/06/2013 07:00 AM

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Great Salad: Avocado w/ Bagna Cauda

Ah, bagna cauda. Such a delicious treat. Bagna Càuda means "hot bath" in Italian, and is a Piemontese dip made with good anchovies, good olive oil and garlic. Mario Batali adds milk to his recipe, but I have not tried it that way. I posted this recipe years back to serve with raw vegetables, cauliflower, fennel and celery being the verdura of choice. Melissa Clark recently posted

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