For the holidays this year I wanted to serve a side dish that I could make ahead of time and that would look a little different on the plate – not the usual slippery casserole or dollop of mash. I wanted a potato dish that would hold its shape well but still produce a powerfully tasty punch. I got everything I wanted for Christmas with this Scalloped Potato Pie. Continue reading
Last night I wanted to make a nice meal, but I didn’t feel like going to the store, and I hadn’t been food shopping in quite a while. You know how it goes – the busy days fly by and you find yourself running to the little market nearby for just a pint of half & half, or just a loaf of bread, to tide you over. And later that week, it’s time for dinner and there’s nothing to eat. Here’s what I made last night in that exact situation, pulling it all from the freezer and the pantry: Shrimp & Couscous in White Wine Sauce. Continue reading
Any food with the word “lush” in it is going to get my attention. Not just because I happen to enjoy my vino a little excessively at times, but because it’s such a sexy sounding word, isn’t it? And this is a sexy-smooth little cake. It takes 5 minutes or less to make (if you are a cheater like me) and produces some nice ooh’s and ahh’s from the crowd you’re feeding. You’ll feel guilty, but don’t. Instead take a bite, close your eyes and enjoy your lush… Continue reading
I’m so fascinated by this recipe in the way that some folks are fascinated by car wrecks or roadkill. Now, maybe I’m being a little harsh, but the idea of wedging the 3 AM-grease-fest words “White Castle” next to wholesome “Thanksgiving” sends shivers down my spine. Yes, this is coming from the girl who simply must have the dreaded green bean casserole on the table next to the turkey. We all have our weaknesses, and perhaps the White Castle Holiday Stuffing will become your next guilty pleasure. It just won’t be mine… Continue reading
I’ve had some phone calls and emails recently from folks noticing that I haven’t posted in a while. Don’t worry, chickens – I’m still eating in the name of Science and All That Tastes Good. It’s just been a whirlwind of activity that’s kept me from having the time to blog, so here’s the Cliff Notes version of my recent foodie adventures – dig around and you might find something good to try next time you go out. Continue reading
When I hear the words “rice pudding“, my mind flashes to images of home and hearth (okay, we didn’t actually have a hearth), of my grandmother smiling at 5-year-old me while I ate rice pudding in our favorite diner, of cold wintery days somehow warmed by a cool pudding treat at the end of a filling meal. While some may regard rice pudding as something that should be confined to the nursing home, the rest of us appreciate a well-made pudding such as the one I enjoyed while visiting my friend Brenda in North Carolina. I received a request for this recipe from one of my readers and Brenda was happy to share it with all of you. Continue reading
Once in a while I come across a recipe that makes me change my mind about a dish. Historically speaking, I don’t like pecan pie. Too gelatinous and overly sweet, I avoid it at all costs. Of course this just happens to be Meatlovin’ Man’s favorite pie. So when I read a recipe for Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie in the October issue of Southern Living, it inspired me to bake a “welcome home” pie for the husband as he returned back from a business trip. Not only was he happy, but I found a new appreciation for pecan pie with this gem of a recipe created by the Hungry Texan. Continue reading
One of the benefits of having your Grand Aunt (Grandma’s sis) stay with you for a few days is that you get to experience some of the cooking traditions that may have fallen by the wayside. My Aunt Helen is with us this week and yesterday she cooked us up a batch of Fried Oatmeal. Continue reading
I grew tomatoes for the first time ever this year. No doubt some folks may be rolling their eyes right now and thinking “big deal!” but as any plant who has ever had the misfortune of calling me Mommie Dearest can tell you, I’ve got a big ole’ black thumb. So when Meatlovin’ Man’s uncle gave me a baby tomato plant this May, my nervous reaction was not completely unfounded. The poor plant almost died twice in the first month due to neglect. But in the end I got the hang of it and eating that first ripe tomato off of the vine I had nurtured was a wonderful experience. When the weather turned cold this week I picked off the last remaining green tomatoes, put them on the sill, and asked green thumb guru The Yarden for help on how to eat them. She supplied me with a list of interesting options and it was the Green Tomato Bread that caught my fancy, so I gave it a whirl. Continue reading
Coco likes quick breads too!
This one goes out to @NorthForkd- a quickie post for a quickie bread! I myself was about to make a Green Tomato Bread (similar concept, different veggie) when I saw the Tweet go out saying, basically, “need a recipe but terrible with baking measurements”. I laughed out loud since I’m the same way and was already trying to “guesstimate” the measurements in the Green Tomato Bread (more on that later, after it’s been baked). But for now, on to my go-to zucchini bread recipe, for Non-Bakers Like Us. Continue reading
There’s something about the name “Tullulah” that attracts me. Maybe it whispers of something sultry and Southern, or perhaps it reminds me of that plucky character Towanda from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Whatever it may be, I wanted to eat at The Eatery at Tullulah’s the minute I heard about it (which, incidentally, was via a light blue postcard floating around a local cheese shop. So those things really do work…). Continue reading
Yesterday I celebrated one of the last hot days of summer by participating in a timeless Italian tradition: the making of the sauce. I’m not talking about grabbing a can of San Marzano tomatoes and sticking your immersion blender into your Grandmother’s old pot. I’m talking about three generations of women standing outside for hours under a hot sun while triple-washing then cooking then jarring fifteen bushels of plum tomatoes. Continue reading
A traditional Spanish tapas snack, tortilla is served hot or cold and at its very basic level consists of potatoes, onions and eggs cooked together to form a sort of omelet or quiche. A few weeks ago my Beloved attempted a very complicated tortilla recipe that involved two whole cups of olive oil and several hours to create. That’s too much time for me. I simply do not possess the patience for a breakfast that soon becomes lunch. Which is why I was thrilled this morning to find myself with leftover roasted potatoes and a free half hour slot in my day. I was going to try to make this dish again in my own Leftover City-style. Continue reading
Maroni Cuisine is the first restaurant I went to after moving to Long Island where I knew everything would be okay in Foodie Land. We went with our friends The Newlyweds a year and a half ago on the night of a major snowstorm and pretty much had the Northport establishment to ourselves. We went back there with them again this summer on the verge of Hurricane Irene and apparently everyone else had the same idea: eat well while you can! We happily shared the small space with other Maroni lovers, indulging in their multi-course tasting menu and rolling out into the night several hours later with full bellies and smiling faces. Continue reading
Asked to bring a dessert to the very last of the summer BBQs, I was, to put it mildly, sick and tired of the stuff I’d been making all season (Nutella Rice Krispies, Stuffed Strawberries, etc.). So when Mom said she’d been watching Rachael Ray and Paula Deen make Mini Cheesecakes that looked delicious and cute, I knew I’d have to give them a try. Continue reading
One would think that with a nickname of “Meatlovin’ Man” my husband would have been the first person to want to save our supply of frozen meats from defrosting during our power outage, courtesy of Hurricane Irene. However it was me who was making calls and pimping myself out with promises of future meals for any nice soul who could spare some space in their freezer until our power returned. Our friend MT happily offered her completely empty second freezer, our meats were harbored safely through the storm, and once power was returned MT even drove them over to return them home. After the meats were safely back into their own frozen bed, we turned our attention to dinner. And there was one place I’ve been dying to try: Huntington Social. Continue reading
When you meet a fellow Foodie, a person who can wax poetic and obsess about food the same way that you do, it’s a wonderful feeling. (It can also make the non-Foodies around you groan and roll their eyes, but hey – they’re probably not reading this post anyway, so let’s get back to Us, shall we?) It was with some surprise that I found out this summer that I have a local cousin by marriage who’s also a Foodie and has her own blog called Odd Jobs Mama. When OJM and I get together, there’s little talk of anything else besides the Where & What of food we’ve recently enjoyed. So when OJM rapturously raved about the Kobe beef sliders at Mirabelle Tavern, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d be rapping (er, wrapping) my lips around those juicy beef spheres. Continue reading
Medford’s newest eatery, Long Island Ale House, is more than it’s name suggests. Sure, they have over 30 beers on tap featuring many local brews, and they’re sold at an attractive price of just $4 or $5 a pint (plus $1 off that during Happy Hour). And yes, you could come here just to belly up to their long bar and shoot some pool while mingling with old friends or chatting up new ones. But take care not to miss out on what we think is the other star of the show at this place: wonderful, innovative, locally-sourced food that goes well beyond the standard pub grub you might expect. Continue reading
Strawberries were buy one get one free at my local supermarket the other day so I grabbed two containers and put them on my kitchen counter for future juicy eating. But the next day when I peered into the plastic clam shells I noticed that several of the berries had already started the process of decaying (so much for my bargain!). I threw the bad ones away, washed the remaining ones, and knew that I needed to do something with them immediately or risk throwing them all away in the next 24 hours. Not being a gal that makes jam, I remembered seeing the lovely Giada make a Strawberry Granita on TV a while back and decided that this easy, icy treat would be the perfect final resting place for my strawberries. Continue reading
Every year I visit friends & family in Phoenix, and every year my good friend CM and I go to my favorite Mexican place: Frank & Lupe’s. Nestled in touristy Old Town Scottsdale amongst pretentious art galleries and overpriced jewelery stores, Frank & Lupe’s is small and authentic, with a great little patio and killer margaritas. They also serve a dish that’s now the only thing I order when I go there: Chicken Enchiladas. Before you envision a dish straight off the Old El Paso box on the supermarket shelf, let me set the record straight. These enchiladas are not rolled (they’re stacked), there’s not a red sauce in sight (they use green chile sauce) and let’s not forget what really sends me over the edge: a fried egg on top! When I found myself last night with all of the ingredients of this dish just hanging out in my NY fridge, I treated myself, Mom and Meatlovin’ Man to a wonderful Mexican dish of Stacked Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce & a Fried Egg. Continue reading
