White Beans and Sausage with Sage

This recipe for White Beans and Sausage with Sage is adapted from The Silver Spoon, which is a cookbook that was first published in 1950 and revised over time, Italy's bestselling culinary "bible", and has been translated into English. The book has over 2,000 recipes and I consider it the "Joy of Cooking" for Italian cooking.

By Leslie Blythe

Crullers

A post from my daughter Zoe -

I work at a quaint bakery in coastal Maine. Some days, my alarm goes off at 3:50am for a 4:30am start and by 7:00am, I have typically fried and glazed three to four hundred crullers before our doors open.  You’d think after being elbow deep in glaze (not really!) that I would grow tired of pairing my cortado with a cruller bite still steaming from the fryer, but alas, I have not... Somewhere between a light-as-feather popover and a glossy glazed donut lives the oft overlooked cruller. Made from choux pastry, a cruller is basically a fried eclair or cream puff (minus the cream, of course). While this recipe is definitely an involved process, I promise you that there is nothing better than a cruller straight from the fryer (not to mention the satisfaction of saying you make your own)! A classic vanilla glaze pairs well with the eggy, airy dough and is an easy crowed pleaser, however I prefer taking it in a churro direction by rolling it in cinnamon sugar. The crunch alone is something to behold—but to each their own.  A word of advice before I sign off, if you are interested in trying this recipe out there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on what to look for when making choux because it relies heavily on feel and intuition. Happy frying!

By Leslie Blythe

Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole

I have a terrible habit of putting food in my freezer and then not using it. They other day, we had "nothing" in the fridge to eat, so after rummaging through my freezer I found some ham and made this Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole. You could make it your own by adding any vegetables you have on hand.

Note to self - I really need to have a running list of what's in my freezer with a use by date!

By Leslie Blythe

Bittersweet Chocolate Pound Cake

My friend Chris gave me an 11 pound slab of Callebaut Belgium dark chocolate. I decided to make this Bittersweet Chocolate Pound Cake for a friend. It's drizzled with a silky chocolate ganache. I also made a mini cake in a small ramekin so that I could taste it! Now to try to figure out what else to make...

By Leslie Blythe

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato and Broccoli

I love sheet pan dinners - easy to prepare and minimal clean up. This Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato and Broccoli is a nice combination of flavors and can be scaled up or down to serve 2 or 8 people.

By Leslie Blythe

Korean Ground Beef Rice Bowls

I had some ground beef I needed to use and made these Korean Ground Beef Rice Bowls. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but it was seriously good. I happened to have all the ingredients and also made Bibimbap Sauce to drizzle over the top. You could add some cooked broccoli, snap peas, carrots, etc. It's quick to make. This recipe is the cheater version because it uses ground beef, unlike the more traditional Bulgogi.

By Leslie Blythe

New Mexico Red Chile Sauce (Chile Colorado)

My friend Jessica sent me dried red Hatch chiles from The Hatch Chile Store. Her favorite red chile sauce recipe is from The Sunset Cookbook. Lightly toasting the dried chile peppers in a hot pan for a few minutes loosens the oils in the skins, which adds more flavor. You can use this sauce for enchiladas, soups, stews or as a condiment. It's so good and definitely worth the extra effort. The sauce can be frozen.

By Leslie Blythe

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

My daughter Zoe surprised me for my birthday and flew out from New Hampshire with her boyfriend Pierce. It involved a lot of planning with my other daughter Grace so I didn't find out. It was the best birthday present of all time for me since I haven't seen her since January 1, 2020.

Anyway, Zoe is working at a very well known bakery in Kittery Maine. She is learning pretty advanced baking skills in large quantities. She made these Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats. The brown butter is a brilliant addition and takes it to a whole new level.

By Leslie Blythe

Spicy Sausage Ragout

When we lived in London, I used to love food shopping at Sainsbury’s. They had these wonderfully simple adverts on the telly (sorry, I had to do that), showing you how to make a quick and easy meal. It always started out by saying “Simply take….” Anyway they would have these cards in market. I would collect them and make all the recipes. Here is one I found in my collection. I love how the recipe is called Spicy when there is nothing spicy in it!

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken Paillard

I had this divine Chicken Paillard in the desert last weekend at a French/Japanese fusion restaurant. It was absolutely delicious. Paillard is a French term for a boneless piece of meat that has been pounded thin or butterflied. The process of pounding the meat tenderizes the chicken and it cooks faster with less moisture loss.

By Leslie Blythe