Blog

Butternut Squash and Leek Bake

Butternut squash is one of the symbolic gourds of the Autumn.  I just wish I lived in a city that had an autumn……  I have to live vicariously through the sweater clad crowd.  It’s just not fair!  Though, I guess when you’re buried in snow, I can be outside sipping a lovely chardonney.  Sorry to […]

  Continue Reading
  September 27, 2012   2 comments

Ropa Vieja in a Slow Cooker

It’s crock pot season and this recipe has absolutely no prep work involved.  You literally dump everything in a crockpot and turn it on! Ropa vieja, which is Spanish for “Old Clothes,” is a popular dish of the Canary Islands, Cadiz, Greater Miami and the Caribbean, especially Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. It is a shredded flank, brisket or skirt steak in a […]

  Continue Reading
  September 26, 2012   No comments

Pantry Organization

Pantry Organization 101 I decided it was time to organize the pantry. I can only do this when the mood strikes me, which is very rare. I found a bunch of mason jars in the basement. My father-in-law used to make pickles in these jars. I cleaned them up and decided to put all my […]

  Continue Reading
  September 24, 2012   3 comments

Curried Jumbo Shrimp With Apples

I was going through my old cooking notes and ran across this recipe from The New York Times from 1989.    This is easy and fast to make.  I love curry of any kind.  This one uses apples, which are coming into season now.  Serve this over a bed of basmati rice. Curried Jumbo Shrimp […]

  Continue Reading
  September 21, 2012   No comments

Classic Beef Pot Roast

Less is More Years ago my mother-in-law taught me how to make her pot roast. This recipe is so simple it takes me about 10 minutes to make it. There is no seasoning what so ever – not even salt and pepper. It doesn’t need any.  I usually use a 7 Bone Roast.  There are […]

  Continue Reading
  September 20, 2012   2 comments

Wild Rice & Chicken Casserole

I used to make this casserole when we were first married for dinner parties.  It was “cheap and cheerful” as we would say.  Personally, I prefer to use a wild rice blend when making this dish, which does make it cheaper! Wild rice (also called Canada rice, Indian rice, and water oats) is four species […]

  Continue Reading
  September 19, 2012   2 comments

The Rusty Nail

The Dog Days of summer are upon us and with the much-longed-for hope of fall comes the need to shift our drinking habits to suit the season (mind you, I could happily drink chilled Cotes de Provence well into November if the sun holds out…….).  Where I live it is always the case that the […]

  Continue Reading
  September 18, 2012   3 comments

Potato Poppers

Latke Macaroons Last night, I attempted to make this potato recipe for dinner. I should not have done this. I was way too tired to cook and the box grater fell behind the damn twirling corner cabinet (who invented those anyway?). I spent 25 minutes trying to extract the DAMN grater using a yard stick, […]

  Continue Reading
  September 17, 2012   2 comments

Apple Puffs with Vanilla Sauce

Rosh Hashanah is the “Head of the Year”–literally, the Jewish New Year.  Rosh Hashanah 2012 begins at sunset Sunday, September 16, and ends in the evening of Tuesday, September 18. One of the symbols most often associated with Rosh Hashanah is the apple. Throughout the Jewish world families are dipping apples in honey and reciting the special […]

  Continue Reading
  September 14, 2012   No comments

Rhode Island Bouillabaisse

Guest Post Today is a “guest” post by my good friend Jeanne.  She lives in Southern California, but she and her husband have a Summer home in Little Compton, Rhode Island.  She sent me these instructions on how to make a Rhode Island Bouillabaisse. This is what she said…. We had company last Saturday night. […]

  Continue Reading
  September 13, 2012   6 comments