Baked Potato & Leek Soup with Cheddar & Bacon

This Baked Potato & Leek Soup with Cheddar & Bacon was what I made for dinner last night. This classic potato and leek soup uses milk and sour cream instead of heavy cream, to reduce the fat. The potatoes are first baked and then combined with the sautéed leeks. The mixture was then puréed. The milk, sour cream and cheese were added at the final stage of cooking. The soup is creamy and topped with chopped green onions, bacon and grated cheddar cheese.

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Dutch Baby with Mushrooms, Leeks & Arugula

A Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake, a Bismarck, or a Dutch puff, is a large American popover and is similar to a large Yorkshire pudding. I love making them because they have minimal ingredients and you can either make them sweet or savory. This Dutch Baby with Mushrooms, Leeks & Arugula is a great combination and makes an easy weeknight meal.

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Mexican Street Corn Dip

This Mexican Street Corn Dip is Mexican Street corn turned into a dip! The combination of mayonnaise, Mexican Crema, cotija cheese and lime juice. It's creamy, cheesy and delicious.

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Italian Wedding Soup

The term "wedding soup" comes from the Italian language phrase "minestra maritata" ("married soup"), which is a reference to the flavor produced by the combination/"marriage" of greens and meat. The soup has little beef-pork meatballs in a clear broth with greens. It's absolutely delicious!

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Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies

These Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies are a cross between the New York classic Black and White and Thin Mints. Fresh mint gives it a vibrant green hue and the flavor intensifies if you make it ahead.

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Creamy Goat Cheese, Bacon and Date Dip

This decadent Creamy Goat Cheese, Bacon and Date Dip is whipped with goat cheese, cream cheese and topped with crispy bacon, sweet chewy dates and sliced almonds. It's served warm out of the oven.

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Pancetta

One of my favorite things is concocting recipes from ingredients I find at Trader Joe's. After cooking all day, every day, I'm usually out of ideas and energy to make dinner. This Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Pancetta is all of three ingredients and absolutely a winning combination. 

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup

My daughter Grace buys this Chicken Pot Pie Soup for lunch near where she works. I was intrigued so I recreated it. It's basically a soupier version of the classic pot pie with crispy parmesan puff pastry served on the side.

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Wise Men Cocktail

For most, the Christmas season starts too early; by the time the day itself arrives, we are ready to clear out the clutter, spend our gift money on bargains and make resolutions to go to the gym. The reality is that Christmas starts with Christmas and lasts for twelve days, at which point the Epiphany season begins. The term epiphany means “to show” or “to make known” or even “to reveal.” In the Christian tradition, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child. The wise old man (also called senex, sage or sophos) is an archetype as described by Carl Jung, as well as a classic literary figure.

So, as we let our belts out a notch, head for the slopes, or just settle into our holiday rut, let’s focus for one brief moment on some holiday wisdom—or sagacity. To celebrate the season, here is a cocktail that focuses on the herb sage, or Salvia officinalis which is the perennial, evergreen plant that we use to season dressing, stuffing, pumpkin ravioli—and now, a cocktail!

Bourbon whiskey, infused with fresh apples and sage, forms the heart of this cocktail. Simply take an air-tight jar, fill it with Bourbon (I use Maker’s Mark) and add several fresh apple slices and a sprig of fresh sage. Let this sit overnight or even for a few days but not much longer as the sage can grow bitter if left in too long. Apple cider further extends the apple flavor and a rim of celery salt cuts through the sweetness and makes this drink—basically a Manhattan with cider instead of red vermouth—an off-sweet, celebration of seasonal flavors. The wisdom, we hope, will follow. I can’t vouch, however, for gold, Frankincense and Myrrh………

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Fancy Cranberry Sauce

My daughter Zoe made this Fancy Cranberry Sauce. My father only likes the sliceable, jiggly retro canned stuff. This takes all that up a notch with deeper fruit flavor and more nuance. It’s subtly spiced with bay leaves and cardamom, then set in a gelatin mold and topped with sugary orange zest and cranberries.

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