Cooking Method: Assembling

Cauliflower Slaw

I recently visited my home town in Goshen, Indiana. I have a friend who has a phenomenal restaurant in town called Kelly Jae's Cafe. It's located in the old Woolworth's building, which has been beautifully restored with the original hardwood floors, brick walls, and tin ceiling. If you ever find yourself in Goshen, Indiana, you must have a meal there.

She offers an eclectic menu featuring a Spanish tapas concept with an Asian flair. Anyway, I had some of her cauliflower slaw, which I haven't been able to stop thinking about. Kelly's slaw had red peppers and red onions. My version is a bit different, using dried cranberries.

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Fresh Thai Shrimp Spring Rolls

My daughter Grace made these Fresh Thai Shrimp Spring Rolls. It's a combination of vegetables, rice noodles, and shrimp wrapped in rice paper. You can get creative with the ingredients by adding julienned cucumber, bean sprouts, etc. It's a refreshing appetizer for a hot summer's day.

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Radicchio and Citrus Salad with Burrata

My daughter Grace made this wonderful Radicchio and Citrus Salad with Burrata for my birthday dinner. It was so fresh and and delicious. The sweetness of the citrus is in perfect balance with the bitter radicchio. Grace made up her own dressing by adding honey, orange juice, zest, and chopped mint. I am beaming with pride! My girls know how to change recipes to suit their tastes.

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Caesar Salad with Pancetta

This is Ina Garten's Caesar Salad with Pancetta. It has crispy cubes of pancetta, which is an Italian bacon made of pork belly meat that is salt cured. She also adds roasted cherry tomatoes that are bursting with natural flavor.

By Leslie Blythe

The Original Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad

From Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant and named for its owner, Robert Howard Cobb, the Cobb Salad is the original chopped salad. 

There’s some dispute about the recipe’s genesis. Was the first Cobb salad made by Cobb and theater mogul, Sid Grauman, while rummaging through the restaurant’s cooler for a late-night snack in 1939, or, by the restaurant’s executive chef Robert Kreis, who created it for the restaurant’s 1929 launch? Either way, the Cobb is one of America’s longest-standing salad favorites, inspiring dozens of different renditions. The original recipe consisted of a head of lettuce, watercress, avocado, tomatoes, cold breast of chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese, crumbled bacon and some old-fashioned French dressing.

By Leslie Blythe

Albondigas Soup

Family Traditions
Every Christmas eve, my wonderful mother-in-law made the most amazing Albondigas soup. I still carry on the tradition. She also serves tamales, which she used to buy every year from a secret source in East Los Angeles. I now make my own tamales!

By Leslie Blythe

Cheese Ball

The Cheese Ball is the centerpiece of any Midwest cocktail party. There are many variations of this recipe. Last year I made this Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Cheese Ball. I am not a big fan of serving a boring cheese platter at a party. It usually doesn't get eaten. I guarantee this cheese ball will be the hit of your next party. Cheese balls were all the rage in the 1970s. So easy to make and the best part is that it has to be made ahead, so you can enjoy your party.

By Leslie Blythe

Steak Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

So last night, I'm home alone eating a frozen chicken pot pie. I've been sick and have to eat soft food. I had absolutely no idea what I'm going to blog about. I then check my Instagram and see that my daughter Zoe made this for dinner! Excuse me Zoe, but that looks delicious! Both my girls are starting to cook at the advanced level. My daughter Grace made a cheese soufflé the night before. Again, I only know this by checking Instagram. I may be able to retire early!

By Leslie Blythe

J. Kenji López-Alt’s Ten-Minute Lime Cracker Pie

This Ten-Minute Lime Cracker Pie from J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats’ Food Lab columnist, has the spirit of a Key lime pie and can be layered up in 10 minutes, then it's refrigerated to meld into a tart-sweet-salty-creamy icebox cake. The weird thing about it is that it's made using Ritz crackers and it totally works.

By Leslie Blythe

Lynda’s 7 Layer Dip

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Maine and our friend Lynda made this incredible 7 Layer Dip. It's one of those dips you can't stop eating! Here is Lynda's recipe.

By Leslie Blythe