This is a fabulous holiday cake I initially made years ago for a coworker’s birthday. It was the first time I had ever tried my hand at making candied orange peel, which I discovered isn’t as difficult as you might think and adds dramatically to the presentation and taste. It’s a cross between a spice…
My Thanksgiving Menu for 2011
As promised I am posting my menu for this year’s Thanksgiving Feast. Many of the items as you will see are the traditional foods I’ve been serving, at the family’s request for the past 33 years. Over the years I have slipped in some newer dishes along with the treasured oldies. I have added an…
Happy Thanksgiving 2011
Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and their families! I’ve been happily immersed this past week with Thanksgiving preparations and sadly have been unable to find time to post prior to the holidays. Sharing with you my Thanksgiving table, menu and decor has been on my mind throughout the week. I am feeling pangs of…
Pan-Roasted Chicken With Shallots and Couscous
Chilly nights and pot roast dinners… a perfect combination, but who said a pot roast has to be beef? Deliciously simple one-pot meals can be made with chicken, lamb or even fish as the main attraction. This Pan-Roasted Chicken With Shallots And Couscous is proof of that. Inspired by a recipe I had seen for…
Chicken Piccata
Last evening I was short on time and hadn’t planned ahead for dinner. In looking through the freezer I saw I had a package of boneless chicken breasts. When it comes to chicken I prefer using bone in chicken for a recipe or roasting a whole chicken because it results in a more flavorful, moist…
Boeuf En Daube (French Beef Stew)
Daube is a French term for a wine based stew, in this case made with beef, and cooked for a long time in a tightly sealed pot. Although delicious right out of the pot, like most stews it is best to cook it ahead and allow the flavors to meld over night. It differs from…
Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Fennel, and Onions Cut unpeeled small potatoes in quarters or fingerling potatoes in half, slice trimmed fennel bulbs lengthwise in wedges, slice carrots on the diagonal, and cut onions in wedges. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast in a…
Skillet Apple Crisp
It’s autumn and that means the farm stands and grocery bins are overflowing with the season’s bounty of apples…there are numerous varieties available and all at their peak flavor. When our boys were young and we were living in Chicago we took them apple picking at the local orchard every fall. We went with a…
Lemon Chicken With Croutons
Ina, Ina, Ina…I can’t help myself…I love your recipes…and you never disappoint. Of course I’m speaking of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. And this is her recipe for Lemon Chicken With Croutons from her book Barefoot In Paris. I’ve made it several times, and most recently a few days ago when my younger son was…
For a beautiful fall floral arrangement add some fall foliage from your own yard to enhance some store bought flowers. Here I added some hydrangea leaves, some eucalyptus branches from plants I had potted last spring, and some fronds from my ornamental grasses. The end result is a larger and lovelier bouquet for less money.