Beef Stew with Charred Rainbow Carrots
Oh Top Chef you've done it to me again. I swear I watch that show and just am blown away but the creativity that comes out of those chefs on the fly and under stressful conditions. On a recent episode one of the chefs charred carrots on a wood smoker and then used them as the star of his vegetarian dish. The judges went wild for it and, for me, it reinforced the idea behind how I like to cook - highlight one simple ingredient to make a twist on a classic dish.
While this isn't Top Chef ...
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Buttermilk Blue Cheese Coleslaw with Jalapeno and Cilantro
Coleslaw, for me, was never that exciting. Sometimes goopy. Sometimes bland. Sometimes downright questionable on how long it's been sitting out and therefore easily passed over. I mean is that just me? I don't think I can ever recall someone saying, "Oh good you brought coleslaw." But I wanted to change that and give this simple side dish a chance in the limelight.
So for this Labor Day, to go alongside my slow cooked ribs, I set out to make a coleslaw that has some real bold ...
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Fried Green Tomato Caprese Stacks
Fried what? If you haven't lived in the south a fried green tomato may sound like crazy talk. But trust me when I say they are strangely appealing and even down right delicious. They are more acidic than regular tomatoes, even a little sour which is why it pairs so nicely in this dish with fresh, sweeter tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
So what is a fried green tomato? It's actually traditionally a tomato that didn't ripen at the end of the growing season and, instead of wasting it, some ...
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Blistered Pepper and Heirloom Tomato Sauce
Summer heirloom tomatoes. I think that may be all I need to say about this post. I mean, right? The colors and flavor of summer. And when it all comes to a screeching end it's so sad. That day when you walk into the grocery store and there is one little overripe heirloom tomato left on the shelf. Then it's back to those flavorless winter tomatoes that make me want to cry and run from the grocery store. Oh wait - that may have happened once. Don't judge.
Well I'm getting ahead of it ...
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Steak Bites over Bacon Wrapped Potato
with truffle mushroom and horseradish sauce
Steak and potato. Yeah, it's been done about a million different ways so there's nothing new under the sun here except we are just going to go for it in the decadence department. I'm throwing it all in. Juicy New York steak, bacon wrapped around a slice of potato and then crisped to perfection, mushrooms sautéed in butter and then tossed in black truffle oil. Oh and to top it off there is a creamy horseradish sauce and of course a few chives ...
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Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad
Summer peaches. Firm yet sweet and ripe. They are the quintessential nostalgia of summer days gone by when the weather turns cooler and we are faced with peaches that - let's face it -are nowhere near as good. Not sun kissed. Not tender. They almost never seem to fully ripen. Am I right? So let's get down to a summer salad that sings the praises of the perfect summer peach while we still can.
This salad is so simple and elegant and can be either an appetizer for four or a dinner ...
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Crab Stuffed Mushrooms over Fresh Summer Corn Puree
I don't know about you but I've kind of got a weakness for stuffed mushrooms. And I don't care what they are stuffed with I tell myself they are healthy because it's basically just a veggie. My mind skips right over that part about the cream cheese or cheddar or bacon and settles firmly on little bites of veggie that taste ah-mazing.
I love just simple parmesan and herb stuffed mushrooms or the classic sausage with cream cheese. But I'm always looking to up my game in the kitchen and ...
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Greek Kebab Skewers
If you can't travel to Greece this year then bring the flavors and aromas of Greece to you. We are all missing travel right now and looking for ways to stay connected to the world around us. I love watching cooking travel shows on Netflix like 'Feed Phil' and 'Chef's Table' for inspiration and to feel like I've actually been somewhere!
When I was a young twenty something I had the chance to go to the Greek Islands and let me tell you it was an experience I'll never forget and, especially now, ...
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Cheesy Cornbread topped with Jalapeno & Sour Cream
This recipe I made with my cooking club girls in mind. We all love cheese and we all love spice and this little bite of heaven has both of those. The jalapeno part is optional if you don't like spice just leave it off as a topping. The dollop of sour cream adds a little more moisture but you could also do warm honey and butter and that would be delicious, too. So make the cheesy cornbread as base for what you like on top.
When I lived in Berkeley, California - oh so many years ago now ...
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Caprese Cups with Blackened Shrimp
It's summertime and that means lots and lots of summer tomatoes and classic Caprese salads right? Well....it used to. A big ol' platter set out to share with family and friends is a memory from last year. This year it's all about how do I still socialize and picnic with friends but keep things to an individual portion. This is my answer to that. Caprese cups. They can be made individually by each person and best of all the ingredients can be packed up before assembled and brought to ...
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