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Showing posts from February, 2019

Fastelavnsboller #MardiGrasRecipes #FestiveFoodies

Today Heather of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks   has the Festive Foodies are sharing Mardi Gras recipes. Check out these other delicious Mardi Gras recipes... Cajun Chicken Pasta from Jolene's Recipe Journal  Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from The Spiffy Cookie  Fastelavnsboller from Culinary Adventures with Camilla  King Bundt Cake from The Redhead Baker  King's Cake Cinnamon Rolls from Kate's Recipe Box  Mardi Gras Monkey Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks  Muffaletta Salad from A Day in the Life on a Farm  Oven-Baked Mardi Gras Empanadas from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice  Shrimp and Grits from Cindy's Recipes and Writings  Shrimp Creole from Caroline's Cooking  Shrimp Dirty Rice from Palatable Pastime  Shrimp étouffée  from House of Nash Eats Mardi Gras, Carnevale, and Fastelavn So, everyone is probably familiar with Mardi Gras. Carnevale is th...

Khmeli Suneli, a Georgian Spice Blend

I have long been a fan of making my own spice blends. They add such regional flair to dishes. For instance, I can roast chicken with Chinese Five Spice and get a completely different character than roasting chicken with Garam Masala or Za'atar. You can read more about some other  DIY Spice Blends I've made and how I use them. So, when I was researching recipes for our upcoming #EattheWorld virtual trip to Georgia (as in the country, not the state), I was excited to read about Khmeli Suneli . Khmeli Suneli sounded like a complex, aromatic spice blend that was warm, nutty, grassy, and bitter all at the same time. I had to make it! Like most spice blends, it seems the proportions and even the spices vary from cook to cook. Some versions I saw included marigold petals, cinnamon, and mint. I went with a more simplified combination and definitely should have blended more because I used it in three different dishes and it was gone. Next time I'll try to add some cloves, t...

Nutty Irish Car Bomb Cake #OurFamilyTable

Today, the From Our Dinner Table group is sharing all manner of St. Patrick's Day recipes. The prompt read: "We are all Irish on St. Patrick's Day! Traditional Irish food includes lots of potato recipes, meat pies and stews, as well as fish and shellfish! Try expanding beyond corned beef a cabbage and try something more traditional this year. Or just make AMAZING corned beef and cabbage." Here's the line-up... Bangers and Mash by Everyday Eileen Easy Boxty by Our Good Life Brownie Batter Fudge for St. Patrick's Day by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Cod Cakes by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures Green Velvet Cookies by Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats Irish Buck Cocktail by Family Around the Table Irish Cheddar Ale Mac and Cheese by Cheese Curd In Paradise Irish Cream Poke Cake by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen Irish Soda Bread Scones by Kate's Recipe Box Nutty Irish Car Bomb Cake by Culinary Adventures with Camilla Potted Crab by Kare...

Baked Peppered Parsnip Fries

It took my husband eighteen years to tell me that he doesn't really like parsnips. Seriously? What's not to like?!? Well, three years after that admission, he still has to eat them when they come in our CSA box; I try not to buy extra parsnips though. I'm nice that way. Sometimes. I decided to try them as oven-baked "fries." And, he liked them. Well, I think his exact words were, "These aren't terrible." I'll take it! Ingredients 1-1⁄2 lbs parsnips, peeled and cut into 'fry'-sized pieces 3 T olive oil 1⁄2  t freshly ground black pepper 1⁄2  t sea salt  2 pinches cayenne pepper Also needed: baking sheet, parchment paper or silicone mat Procedure Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place parsnip fries in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with spices. Drizzle with olive. Use tongs to toss and coat parsnips evenly with oil and spices. Turn parsnips out onto parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet in single...

Maple and Mustard-Glazed Chicken Thighs #FoodBloggerLove

Earlier this month I noticed a fun game posted in the online group #FoodBloggerLove. We claim the last blogger in the comment stream and add our own link. Then we have a week to post an inspired recipe. I was thrilled to claim Ellen of  Family Around the Table . She and I have been in several different blogging groups over the years, so I was familiar with her blog already. But it was great to really dive deep and get to know her better. Meet Ellen! You can find her: on the  web , on  Facebook , on  Twitter , on  Instagram , and on  Pinterest . She is a freelance writer, recipe developer, and former correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times where she wrote a regular TASTE section feature as well as reviewed cookbooks for more than 15 years. And, regarding her blog name, she credits her mom, her kids, and her grandmother for the inspiration. She remembers her grandmother making fresh pasta for dinner, writing, "She was from Italy and a very good cook so...

Butternut Squash Tourte #ChefsSecret

I had it all planned out: an entire Valentines' dinner with recipes from the companion cookbook for Crystal King's The Chef's Secret.  For the dessert course, I thought about re-making my own Crostata di Ciliegie ; but I wanted to try one of the other sweet treats. I settled on the Pumpkin Tourte that Crystal herself offered. I substituted butternut squash because that's what I had just received in my CSA box. I roasted it, pureed it, and set about making the tourte. Except...I was rushing and I forgot to add the sugar. With the first bite, everyone at the table had an odd look on their faces. "It's different," declared my Enthusiastic Elf. "Is it supposed to be savory?" asked my Love. No, why?!?  I took a bite and immediately knew what I had done, or not done. Darn it! I forgot to add the sugar. I ran into the kitchen and whipped up some cream with a significant amount of sugar and came back with a plate of Black Tahini Truffle...

Crostata di Ciliegie #ChefsSecret

This recipe is my interpretation of a pie mentioned in the new historical novel The Chef's Secret by Crystal King*. And I was excited to share it with her. The book was just released last week and my Crostata di Ciliegie appears in the digital companion cookbook. How fun is that? This isn't a full review of the book, especially since I'm re-reading it this month and will do a more extensive post. So that will be coming soon. But I wanted to share this recipe and its inspiration. On the Page   “I began the day I was to dine at casa di Palone in the Vaticano kitchen, helping Antonio prepare the pope’s meals.…I suspected the pope would not touch the custardy dessert, but I felt compelled to take a chance. The worst that might happen was that he would order me to go back to his regular menu. At best, he would recognize the joy of food God gifted to us.…Antonio helped me bake a crostata to take the Palone house that evening. …The fragrance was magnificent. I hop...

Steak au Poivre et Thé + Martian Radiant Cabernet Franc 2014

In preparation for an upcoming the Cabernet Franc event for Wine Pairing Weekend crew, I got ahold of three bottles of Cab Franc and took two over to a dinner party. You'll hear about that tasting next month, but the third bottle I kept for my own table. And, on a stormy evening this weekend, Jake and I paired it with some tea and pepper-crusted filet mignons. In My Glass Martian Ranch & Vineyard is a biodynamically farmed vineyard in Santa Barbara County. Created by Nan Helgeland in Los Alamos, California, the name is a blending of her sons' names, Martin and Ian. I was able to track down a bottle of their sold-out 2014 Cabernet Franc. Helgeland has a drive to find a plot of land best suited for each specific varietal. Here's the 'Martian's eye view' of her vineyard...the Cab Franc is cultivated in plot 08. from martianvineyard.com In the glass, the wine is inky, almost black. On the nose, I get aromas of cherries with a hin...

A Book, An Inspired Braise, and A (Surprise!) Bottle of Red from Provençe #Winophiles #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the February #Winophiles event. The book was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. This month, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm is hosting the French Winophiles. She levied a fun, two part challenge to the group. You can read her invitation: here .  She offered us copies of A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle - courtesy of Blue Vase Book Exchange* - to accompany our exploration of Provençal wines and food pairings. Bonus points, she said, for not opening up a Provençal Rosé. Needless to say: this wine-swilling bibliophile was in. Immediately.  Provençal Posts A Book, An Inspired Braise, and A (Surprise!) Bottle of Red from Provençe by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  At Last! A Provencal Rouge-2006 Domaine La Bastide Blanche Bandol by Enofylz Wine Blog Beef Daube Provençal with Bandol Red Wine by Cooking Chat  Bellet: Provence’s Urban Appel...