Give Me Some Sauce Tuesday or Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas

 This is the whole enchilada. Well, not really. One could write a book with a recipe each day for a different enchilada. There are beef enchiladas and chicken enchiladas. Cheese enchiladas (my fave) and black bean enchiladas. New Mexican enchiladas, Tex-Mex enchiladas...  I have a recipe for a shitake enchilada that I can't wait to try. Cover them with red chile or green chile, mole

Coconut Rum Tres Leches Cake and A Special Request

 I'm really good at special requests. And they make me feel so special. I mean no one asks you to do something unless they think you can do it- right?  And that, to me, is flattering. I get it all the time in my small business because all I do is custom work. Now that wedding season is upon us I am doing lots of custom gifts for people needing special gifts. Generally, I take

Quinoa with Chimichurri Sauce

Today finds us in Argentina being served an enormous grilled steak doused in chimichurri. The grill is burning, the smell of meat is in the air and this green, herby, garlicky sauce is being poured liberally over my meat and served to me by a handsome gaucho with massive arms and a cute tush. Don't I wish? Truth is, I don't eat meat anymore but I can assure you that if I was being served

Strawberry Spiral Biscuit Pie and Which Road to Take

 Sometimes it is hard to start a Monday.  Other weeks I can wake up raring to go. But sometimes it is just hard. Choosing the right direction in life isn't always about the compass. It's about passion and love and common sense. And learning how to stand on your own two feet. It's the common sense that makes our choices so tough. Some days common sense just slides right on by, but our

Amazing Black Pepper Strawberry Jam or Mrs. Ingalls, I Am Not!

 My dream life requires me to have an open pantry lined with jars of  glassy preserves and shelves of  dill garlic pickles and canned red heirloom tomatoes. And last but not least; fresh honey.There is something about that vision of neatly stacked, colorful jars that makes me feel so orderly, so secure, so well taken care of. That same dream also has loaves of fresh, warm bread

Give Me Some Sauce Tuesday or Lemon Oregano Pesto

I'm ready for a little joy and hopefully this pesto will do the trick. Oros ganos, a Greek word meaning joy of the mountain, defines the mountain sides of Greece where oregano and marjoram flourish. The sweet, spicy scent was created by Aphrodite as a symbol of happiness. Marjoram is in the same family as oregano and not quite as strong in flavor. Bridal couples were crowned with garlands of

Teriyaki Shrimp or Glaze and Grill

Teriyaki is the Japanese cooking technique of marinating, and then grilling and glazing, usually chicken or fish. It is believed to have originated in the States, though the word teri  means luster and yaki means broil or grill. Originally it contained four ingredients-mirin, sake, sugar and soy sauce. A worthy combination but one that has been somewhat Americanized as it has become quite a

Triple Berry Hand Pies and What a Girl Must Know

I love pie because I love crust. I love pie because I love filling. But there are certain pies I just don't like. I don't like lemon meringue. I don't like lemon and I don't like meringue. Double whammy. Horrors. And I don't think I'm a big fan of cream pies. Never had a banana cream pie. Think I've had a coconut cream pie. Of course I do like anything chocolate but don't put meringue on it.

Give Me Some Sauce Tuesday (Remoulade or Tartar with Old Bay)

There appears to be some discrepancies when it comes to deciding what to call this sauce. You can call it what you want, but I'll just call it good. French fry dipping, good. Crab cake topping, good. Fish sandwich topping, good.  Grilled fish topping, good. And even steak tartare topping, good. I've been making this for years without writing down  the recipe and every time I make it

White Beans and Red Peppers

 Where for art thou, my bottle of wine? Chilled and light and green, my favorite Pinot Grigio or perhaps my Portuguese Vino Verde with your tiny, teeny, bubbles of sparkles? I need you for this appetizer. I need you for this appetizer which is really dinner on a hot summer's eve. I need you because you help me relax and enjoy the slowness of the season.  I need you because with you I