Cooking Method: Baking

Cauliflower Toasts

I made Ina Garten's Cauliflower Toasts and I now want to make it again. Apparently, it's one of Ina's favorite things to have for lunch. It calls for prosciutto, but you could leave it out to make it vegetarian. You can use any cheese you like. Also, you can double the cauliflower mixture and keep in your freezer.

By Leslie Blythe

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Basque Burnt Cheesecake is deeply caramelized "burnt" on the top and the bottom, has a creamy center. It is said to have originated in 1990 in San Sebastian, Spain. The beauty of this dessert is that you really can't mess it up. My brother David was in town recently and wanted to make this together. Well, we never got around to it and since I actually had 4 blocks of cream cheese during the cream cheese shortage, I decided to give it a try. FYI - There was a cyberattack against the largest US cheese manufacturer in October, 2021. Anyway, it is one of the best desserts I have ever made and I am a serious New York style cheesecake fan. It's so light and silky smooth.

By Leslie Blythe

Alice Springs Chicken

Alice Springs Chicken is from Outback Steakhouse.The chicken breast is marinated, grilled and topped with sautéed mushrooms, crisp bacon, melted Monterey Jack, Cheddar cheese and honey mustard sauce. I have never been to an Outback Steakhouse and not sure why you wouldn't order a steak! Apparently, this chicken dish is very popular. The chicken is so tender and juicy! 

By Leslie Blythe

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Our friends came to dinner the other night and offered to bring dessert which was delicious and right on target for the holiday season: Pumpkin Cheesecake. In this case, it takes two old favorites—pumpkin pie and cheesecake—and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.  Sinfully rich and as Autumnal as can be, this cheesecake has a ginger snap crust and cinnamon whipped cream.  It is not too late if you are stuck for what to serve this Thanksgiving!

By Leslie Blythe

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Tart

For an easy “wow,” grace your holiday table this year with Erin Clarkson’s Brown Butter Salted Caramel tart (@cloudykitchen). Perfectly balanced and make-ahead-friendly, this recipe calls for making more brown butter than necessary, leaving your with your own stash of beautifully browned goodness to use at your leisure (enter ravioli, sage, and parm!). A quick word to the wise, while this is tart is easy easy easy, make sure your crust is packed tight and cooled completely before filling to avoid crumbling.Happy baking!

By Leslie Blythe

Ham Shepherd’s Pie

I made this Ham Shepherd’s Pie because I had some random ingredients in my fridge. If you don't have a leek, use an onion. The recipe can be adapted to what you have on hand. The best part is the cheesy mashed potato topping. What's not to love?

By Leslie Blythe

Lemon Chicken

My brother-in-law Russell was visiting his friend Julia in Ann Arbor Michigan and she made Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken. Ina's recipe uses chicken breasts, but thighs work equally as well. Julia says that the important details of the recipe are the bed of aromatics on which chicken roasts, the herb and salt infused oil, and the high heat. I just wish I was there to partake!

By Leslie Blythe

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Acorn Squash with Sausage, Peas & Onions is one of our favorite family recipes. This is a slight variation. Since Autumn has arrived, I made this Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash. It's a nod to Fall, which is rather illusive in Los Angeles.

By Leslie Blythe

Red Bean Mooncake

I think you can learn so much about other cultures through food. My husband and I were invited to learn how to make Chinese Mooncakes, to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon’s roundness symbolizes harmony and prosperity, and the festival celebrates the harvest, often bringing together family members from near and far.

Our Chinese hosts prepared the dough and the filling for the Red Bean Mooncakes in advance and helped us roll out the dough, wrap it around the filling and press it into special molds before brushing with beaten egg and baking. We also made SuZhou-Style (salty, pork filled) Mooncakes.

At first, making these pastries seemed daunting but by the end we actually got the hang of it and our hosts called us experts, which was very generous of them!

By Leslie Blythe

Lemon Dainty

Lemon Dainty is a cross between pudding and cake. They are light and refreshingly tangy. My husband thought it was total nirvana. I think I might be able to use this at some point to my advantage! I served it warm out of the oven, though I think it's better refrigerated. If you don’t have ramekins, you can bake it in an 8-inch or 2-quart baking dish for 45 to 50 minutes.

By Leslie Blythe