Making Thanksgiving dinner on your own can be a daunting task – even for your more experienced cooks. Just because I’m a cooking blogger doesn’t mean that all my meals turn out perfect, or that I’m an expert in all things culinary, or that I have some awesome Viking professional kitchen…. And the Thanksgiving dinner […]
She's Cookin'
A New Twist on Banana Bread
Beloved banana bread with an autumn twist along with the health benefits of fiber-rich oatmeal and flax. My 18 year old devoured this bread with peanut butter for breakfast and lunch for three days straight and her BFF declared it the “bread of the gods”. A powerful endorsement from an age group whose four main […]
Just Another Excuse for Pinot Noir
The Bon Appétit Challenge was something I dreamed up after seeing the movie “Julie &Julia” in August. Basically, I have set out to cook the cover recipe of every Bon Appétit magazine that I have. My archives go back to 1990; fortunately, I did recycle a few here and there 🙂 This is the cover […]
Only 17 Days Until Thanksgiving!
With Thanksgiving just weeks away, I’ve been thinking about side dishes to accompany my favorite turkey recipe which I’m going to share here and on OC Family next week. I find inspiration in the oddest places – this time it was within the pages of American Way magazine on my flight to Northwest Arkansas last […]
Do you need an excuse to open a lovely Cabernet on a fall day?
Filet Mignon with Cabernet Sauce * Simple * One Skillet 4 T. butter (divided use) 4 filet mignon steaks 1/3 cup chopped shallot (optional) 2/3 c. Cabernet Sauvignon 1 T. drained capers 1 T. Dijon mustard Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. […]
How I got my kids to love vegetables
My daughter’s love of vegetables can be directly traced to the fried rice I used to make for her when she was a toddler. I can see the kitchen of the house we lived in at the time and remember whipping up fried rice from leftover rice and adding lots of bite-sized broccoli, carrots, and […]
Bon Appétit Challenge: Mario Batali’s Chicken Parmesan
A mouthwatering, cheesy Chicken Parmesan recipe from Mario Batali’s restaurant, Otto, in New York City satisfies the Italian food lover in us all. Using fresh tomatoes instead of canned and cutting the amount of cheese by a third for a lower sodium version, Mario Batali’s recipe for Chicken Parmesan is a family favorite. Jump to […]
Bon Appétit Challenge – Five Spice Apple Pie
The challenge: cook every cover recipe from the gazillion Bon Appetit magazines I have saved over the years. The idea struck me as I contemplated cooking the cover recipe of the September 2009 issue “Chicken a la Mattone” or Chicken under a Brick – I smiled inside at the thought of posting a recipe that […]