Columbia’s 1905 Salad

Columbia's 1905 Salad is from Florida's oldest restaurant in Tampa, and the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States, called Columbia Restaurant. The restaurant opened in 1905, but this famous salad wasn't "invented" until 1940 by waiter Tony Noriega. He made it using leftover Spanish and Italian ingredients from the kitchen. The Columbia’s legendary salad is tossed tableside. They are the biggest restaurant consumer of Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce in the country, which is the “secret sauce” in the dressing recipe.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 25 mins
  • Yields: 4 Servings

Rosemary-Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Potatoes

After finishing all 3 seasons of The Lost Kitchen, I am a little obsessed with Erin French. I suppose my love for Maine also fueled the fire. I know this is a rather autumnal recipe, but I made Rosemary-Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Potatoes. By brining the meat for 24 to 36 hours, it insures these pork chops will be juicy and flavorful. This is served with sautéed apples, shallots, potatoes, and rosemary.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 45 mins

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Tomato Vinaigrette

This Pan-Roasted Salmon with Tomato Vinaigrette is a recipe from Ted Allen, from the TV show Queer Eye and host of the TV cooking competition series Chopped. This salmon is topped with a vibrant combination of
sautéed tomatoes, shallots, capers, and red wine vinegar.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yields: 4 Servings

Tennessee Onions

I have to admit, I had never heard of Tennessee Onions. It appeared in my inbox, so I thought I would try it. It's very simple to make and could be a side dish to any kind of meat or used on a burger. You use sweet onion like Vidalia. Vidalia onions are a type of sweet onion. They have a mild flavor, and a relatively high sugar content. This would also be great to put on the grill.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 35 mins
  • Yields: 8 Servings

Filet Mignon with Mustard Cream Sauce

We have recently discovered a fabulous gourmet store/warehouse, which we have been to twice in two weeks! Anyway, I bought this "fancy" mustard and my husband made this Filet Mignon with Mustard Cream Sauce. The mustard that we used is Edmond Fallot Blackcurrant Dijon Mustard. They have many other flavors, which I will be experimenting with soon. Also, you should be using your good dishes and not wait for some special occasion or holiday. Why have nice dishes and cutlery if you are not going to use them! I think a filet mignon merits some fine china. I once cooked for a very hoity-toity lady. After the butler (wearing a tux, I kid you not!) let me in the back door, she asked me if I knew my way around fine china. Needless to say, I did not work for her for long.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 25 mins
  • Yields: 4 Servings

Creamy Chilli, Bacon and Tomato Spaghetti

Spaghetti, four strips of bacon, a can of diced tomatoes, a bit of cream, spices, and viola, you've got a satisfying meal. This Creamy Chilli, Bacon and Tomato Spaghetti is of course topped off with parmesan cheese. These are all ingredients that I always have on hand. Made this last night when our kids came for a spontaneous dinner. We even made garlic bread out of some leftover hot dog buns! Talk about haute cuisine!

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Yields: 4 Servings

Tortuga Rum Cake

I made this Tortuga Rum Cake. It has a combination of almond and all-purpose flours, which makes the cake moist. You pour rum syrup over the cake while it's warm so the syrup soaks into the cake. Rum cakes are very popular in the Caribbean and were made available by the Tortuga Rum Company, Ltd, which was the first rum maker in the Cayman Islands in 1984. They then used their rum to make the famous Tortuga Caribbean Rum Cake in 1987. You can order them online, but it's easy to make your own.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 45 mins
  • Yields: 10 - 12 Servings

Paprika Chicken, Eggplant and Tomato Bake

This Paprika Chicken, Eggplant and Tomato Bake is a recipe from Australia. I know it looks burnt, but it's just crispy and really delicious. This is so fast and easy to throw on a sheet pan. I just happened to have some leftover chicken thighs and a random eggplant. I cut this recipe in half for the two of us.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 1 hrs
  • Yields: 4 Servings

Egg Boats

I often have random leftover ingredients from various catering events. These Egg Boats are a product of that. I used goat cheese, but you can use your favorite cheese.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yields: 2 Servings

Coq Au Vin Blanc

Coq au vin is a classic French dish of chicken that is braised in wine, with bacon, and mushrooms. A red Burgundy wine is typically used, though there are variations in the different regions of France, such as coq au vin jaune, coq au riesling, coq au pourpre or coq au violet, and coq au Champagne. I actually prefer it using white wine. Coq au vin is basically a chicken stew.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 35 mins
  • Cook: 1 hrs
  • Yields: 6 Servings