Grilled Stuffed Portabellos with Spinach and Goat Cheese

I’ll admit, I’m biased. I’m never going to think like a meat-lover. So when I plan a meal, I don’t usually think in terms of meat substitutes. A portabello mushroom, for instance, isn’t a “steak” – it’s just a portabello mushroom. And it’s delicious.
It’s extra delicious when you stuff it with spinach, goat cheese and [...]

Thanksgiving Recap 2008

I’m even later than last year with my Thanksgiving recap, but here it is. As usual, I tried out several new recipes this year. My Thanksgiving tradition seems to be that I always have to try something new, for better or for worse. Luckily, this year, it was for the better.
I made Cheddar Olives as [...]

Summer Braising, Had Me a Blast: Sherry Braised Onions and Apples with Raisins

OK, so I know I’m supposed to be relishing the last few weeks of summer, eating heaps of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, but what can I say? Sometimes a girl just wants to braise. I got back into my braising groove last week with a decidedly seasonal recipe: Melissa Clark’s Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes [...]

Spring Vegetable Cracked Wheat Salad

Spring vegetable and grain salads are popping up all over the place:
Spinach and Orzo Salad from Simply Recipes
Meyer Lemon Grain Salad with Asparagus, Almonds and Goat Cheese from The Kitchn
Spring Tabbouleh from 101 Cookbooks
Are you drooling yet?
You know, the Midwest is a really frustrating place to live this time of year, particularly if you are [...]

Thanksgiving Recap – Better Late than Never

In the weeks (OK, I’ll be honest – months) leading up to Thanksgiving, I was devouring every blog post with recipes and other ideas for turkey day. I’m so impressed with the people who were able to make dishes ahead of time, photograph them beautifully and post them in time to inspire other cooks.
I attempted [...]

Eggplant Stuffed with Rice and Roquefort

I only have one regret about this dish – that I didn’t take a picture of the eggplant before I cooked it. The raw version was beautifully stripped with purples and whites, and I had no idea it would turn completely brown while cooking.
I was reminded of Bea Peltre’s advice to par-cook dishes before photographing [...]

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

I’d been meaning to try this Barefoot Contessa coleslaw recipe for a while, and a picnic this weekend was the perfect opportunity. When I first did a search for it on the Food Network web site, I didn’t get any matches, but I knew it had to be there. And I remembered Ina Garten made [...]

Sweet Corn with Sun-Dried Tomato Butter

I was watching a cooking show recently, and the host was talking about sweet corn and how, even though it’s called sweet corn, it sometimes isn’t so sweet. And then she suggested adding some sugar to the water when cooking the corn. I remember thinking, “This person, or at least her corn, is obviously not [...]

Potatoes and Tomatoes with Corn-Two-Ways

I’d been meaning to try out several recipes from the July issue of Gourmet, but I hadn’t gotten around to it before this weekend. I was headed to Indiana to visit my parents, so I figured it would be a good time to try out some new dishes.
Saturday morning, my mom picked me and the [...]

Stewed Tomatoes, Corn and Okra

I seem to be very aware of daylight these days, and how it is slipping away earlier and earlier. I’ve been enjoying the long summer days, which allow me to take my time making dinner once I get home from work, and still have enough sunlight for a quick photo. But there’s one or two [...]