Grilling your summer corn is a really good idea. Know why? Because when it’s hot and muggy outside any excuse to not boil water and to leave the stove turned off is a good thing. And also because grilled corn tastes so good! The smoky flavor and rugged char marks on the kernels make grilled […]
Chopped Taco Salad with Peppers, Beef & Sweet Corn
The salad is a hearty blend of fresh peppers, tomatoes, and corn plus seasoned ground beef and shredded cheese. Catalina dressing may sound like an unlikely sauce for this salad, but trust me – it is so delicious in combination with the taco-spiced meat and the crisp veggies. This dish has been a favorite of […]
Hearty Spiced Applesauce
A perfect fall afternoon feels cool and crisp, and has sun occasionally breaking through billows of charcoal clouds. The smell of a perfect fall afternoon is of chilly, damp earth and leaves, and the scent of a wood stove fired up nearby. And in the kitchen the spicy fragrance of applesauce. Apples right out of […]
Splendid Tomatoes! Recipes For Your Fresh, Sweet Tomatoes
A walk through the Farmer’s Market on a late summer day plainly shows that tomatoes rule! They fill baskets and crates at every vegetable stand: heirloom varieties in shades of green, purple, and red. Pint baskets of glowing yellow and red cherry tomatoes, and plump Roma tomatoes in sizes and shades that put typical supermarket […]
Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa
This salsa came about a few years back when my daughter and I spent most of the summer eating Margherita Pizza: a simple, summery combination of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and loads of garlic, together with mozzarella cheese on a pizza crust. Two locations that come to mind, where we indulged in this pizza are […]
The Dip Cook-Off: Our Latest Cook-Off Challenge!
The past few years have seen seven glorious cook-offs with our friends, including the summery Taco & Margarita Cook-Off, the carb-heavy Lasagna Cook-Off, the gluttonous Macaroni & Cheese Cook-Off and the controversial Chili Cook-Off. Continuing this delicious tradition, we gathered again for our 8th competition: the 2017 Dip Cook-Off! This theme was suggested by our […]
Easy Taco Dip
This Easy Taco Dip was shared with me by my daughter Haley, and it was shared with her by her roommate Sarah! Haley says they make it quite often in their dorm at college. She and Sarah must be on to something, because this Taco Dip netted Haley the win for the Best Hot Dip […]
Curry Cheddar Spread
This recipe for Curry Cheddar Spread is a family recipe from my friend Rebecca. It was passed down to her from her late stepmother, Linda who loved to host and entertain at their family camp in the Adirondacks. This recipe earned Rebecca the award for Best Savory Dip at our Dip Cook-Off! (Read more about […]
Taco Bean Dip
This recipe was the Dip Cook-Off entry from the Osman family, Audrey, Dan and Emma! This bean dip is layered full of flavor, including the surprising ingredient: peach salsa! It gives a sweetness to the savory taco ingredients. I confess to eating all of the leftovers of this dip myself in the days following our […]
¡Delicioso Cinco de Mayo Party Food Recipes!
It’s almost May 5th! Cinco de Mayo! I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like this celebration always sneaks up on me – often on the morning of the cinco de mayo. Sometimes there is a scramble to put together a plan for going out to a bar or local Mexican restaurant. Or […]
Haley’s Garlic & Lime Guacamole
As the recipe name tells you, this is my daughter Haley’s recipe for a superb guacamole. She throws this dip together pretty quickly for a snack with plenty of tortilla chips. All I have to do is leave some avocados and limes on the kitchen table… she cannot resist the lure of the lovely green. […]
Spicy Cheddar Beer Queso Dip
This Spicy Cheddar Beer Queso is a cross between two delightful, cheesy treats: traditional, smooth and spicy queso dip and the flavorful hearty snack that is Welsh Rarebit. ( I love calling it Welsh Rabbit but but I guess that’s a little silly. Still I would have been tickled to have named this recipe a […]