When I was a kid summer seemed like it was half a year long. There was this seemingly endless supply of lazy days to enjoy, and if something didn’t get done today, well there was always tomorrow. When did that all change? I suppose this means I’m “getting old”, right? When I lived in California, most cities in my area … Read More
My, What Lovely Melons You Have…
When was the last time you said this to your produce manager or farm stand owner? Heck, would you even know if their melons were “lovely”? I frequently have people ask: “what should I look for when choosing…._______(fill in the blank)?”. This is the height of melon season and with so many flavorful and sweet options to choose from, it’s … Read More
Take a Dip or Dress it up: Romesco Sauce
Here are a couple of ideas for using the recipe for Romesco Sauce which I recently posted. These are just a few of many uses. After seeing my post, Jeff Parker a chef friend and fellow blogger, said he was thinking of using it as a pizza sauce…olives, cheese, anchovies…good stuff just waiting to happen! Suggestion #1: Use as a … Read More
Orange Flower Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is Italy’s answer to creme brulee, except that it’s not as rich, nor is it bruleed. Other than that, it’s exactly the same! Well, not really…. Panna cotta translates as “cooked cream” in English. It’s heavy cream that is sweetened and flavored and set with gelatin rather than eggs or egg yolks. The gelatin is what keeps it … Read More
Romesco Sauce
Heavily influenced by the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula from 711ad to 1492AD, the cuisine of Spain incorporates many influences from both the Arab world as well as the new world. Moors (a collective term for both the Arabs and Berbers that invaded and ruled the Iberian peninsula) are credited with introducing many of characteristic ingredients to this region … Read More
Here’s What’s Shakin’…
We’re Bakin’ Bacon! You betcha…no fakin’! Ah, bacon…. delicious, glorious, beautiful, crispy, crunchy pork flesh! Just thinking of it make my mouth begin to water. The smell of it could drive a dog to get it himself…if only he had thumbs! The mess it can make when cooking is another story…not so pleasant. If you’re still cooking bacon in a pan on … Read More
Easy As…Tomato Pie!
In the grand Southern tradition of using what is fresh from the garden and mixing it with some form of fat…I present to you: Tomato Pie. Okay, to be truly “southern” you’ll have to work on the pronunciation of “pie” (draw it waaaaaaaay out) but we won’t get hung up on that. If you aren’t familiar with Southern cooking, tomato … Read More
Roasting Peppers
In my last post I explained a couple of options for smoking tomatoes. Today I thought I’d show two options for roasting peppers. Both roasted peppers and smoked tomatoes can be easily frozen in either zip-seal bags or other storage containers so you can enjoy them year round. Great cooking year-round is dependent on having great ingredients at the ready. … Read More
Smoked Tomatoes
Red Ripe Tomatoes…Get ‘em while you can! This time of year I love tomatoes on and in everything. The deep intense red of a plump bulging tomato simply screams “summer” to me! Unfortunately my early spring challenge of trying to keep deer from dining on my roses made me realize that the effort put into a vegetable garden would likely … Read More
Perfect Flaky Pastry
One of the most common frustrations I hear in regards to baking is how people can’t seem to make a nice flaky pie crust. This is exactly what happened with Jason, a recent guest of mine earlier this spring. He and his fiance had joined me earlier in the year and we had started trading emails about cooking questions. When … Read More