Archive for » June, 2011 «
30
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
If you want to add some sizzle to your summertime side dishes, serve this Bourbon Creamed Corn at your next cookout. Sure beats the canned “cream style sweet corn” we’re all too familiar with. It’s also a pleasant change from the grilled or boiled corn on the cob that frequents most backyard bashes.
This recipe is my best attempt at recreating a restaurant side I ate many years ago. I had to make it a couple of times before I got the cream-to-bourbon ratio just right. But I think I’ve finally nailed it. I also faced the challenge of balancing out [ ... ]
24
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
Are there certain foods you love but haven’t had in years? It could be a favorite childhood dish or maybe one of the first things you learned to cook on your own. If your answer to that question is yes, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? I do that Q&A thing throughout my daily ritual of “recipe diving” (the fine art of digging through years and years of recipes for inspiration and sustenance) and meal planning. That question is also one of the reasons I started this blog–to protect “endangered” foods. You know, the ones on [ ... ]
21
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
I have another yummy basil recipe for you to try. It’s Basil Chicken Salad. Think big chunks of chicken coated in a creamy mixture of fresh basil, pungent garlic and sharp Parmesan. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s a nice departure from the chicken salad we ate as kids. There’s no celery, no fruit and absolutely no pickle relish. Just a handful of bold ingredients that become more delicious over time.
To take full advantage of these wonderful flavors as they develop, I’ve come up with a three-day plan for eating this chicken salad. On day one, after the salad has [ ... ]
17
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
Roasted fingerlings are all the rage in my house right now. My whole gang loves munching on these odd-shaped potatoes. They have thin skins and are perfectly portioned too. So nothing goes to waste (every mom has to love that). I pop them in a hot oven for twenty-minutes and boom! Tiny tender tubers. I usually serve them as a snack straight out of the oven. Although tonight, I’m preparing a robust Romesco Sauce to dip them in. I thought that would make a great dish for a Finger Food Friday fete!
Romesco sauce is a relative newcomer to my recipe [ ... ]
10
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the family veggie garden is off to a promising start. Our herb garden is thriving too. This year we’ve planted rosemary, lemon thyme, pineapple sage and basil. The rosemary and lemon thyme get ample attention in my kitchen in dishes such as Barbecue Shrimp and Grilled Lamb Chops. The pineapple sage is new to me and my garden–I’m exploring ways to use it with pork and incorporate it into cocktails and maybe even ice cream. I’ll let you know if I have any success with that. [ ... ]
07
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
One of the many things I’m proud of is my kids’ affinity for fruits and vegetables. Among the three of them, they eat almost all of them. Unfortunately, though, they don’t all favor the same ones. That means some days I’m preparing two or three different fruit bowls or vegetable sides. But that’s okay. While I will not succumb to the demands of different meals (thankfully, that has never been an issue in this house), preparing two or three different fruits or vegetables a couple of days a week is no big deal. Most of my fresh fruit [ ... ]
03
Jun 2011
Jun 2011
Although the calendar has not yet recognized the season, it’s summer around here. Temps are climbing close to 100, rain is scarce and the mosquitoes are hungry. And while the oppressive heat tends to diminish appetites, I think we’d all agree that it has quite the opposite effect on thirst. This warm weather eating and drinking issue had me at a crossroads for today’s Finger Food Friday. I couldn’t decide if I should share a crisp and cool picking food or something a bit more substantial to help absorb all the extra brewkies that may be [ ... ]
