When my siblings and I were kids (in the 60s) we had dessert once a month (not counting the coffee cake dad made on Sundays). These days nary a pie recipe gets published that my father doesn’t want to try, especially when I’m around to make the crust. He made this delicious crumble pie (with a few minor changes from one in Sunset Magazine) a few days ago and it was half gone by noon....
How Avocado Oil is Processed Avocados are a year-round crop, and some olive oil facilities even process avocados during the olive off-season. Most avocado oil plants are in New Zealand, Mexico, Kenya, and California. Smoke point: 482°F Best uses: Searing or frying For the best quality, avocados should be mature, but not overripe, at harvest. The process begins by pressing the flesh of the avocados, removing the skin and seeds, then separating the oil from the water....
My first recollection of beef tongue was when I was about 8 years old and there happened to be a huge one in the refrigerator. It looked, and felt (I touched it, who could resist?) like a ginormous tongue. Just like my little 8-year old tongue, but oh my gosh, it was so big! And then my parents cooked it and made us eat it. (No idea how they prepared it....
Granted, I’m sure it was quick and easy, but I wish she had made this Chicken Noodle Casserole instead. My Chicken Noodle Casserole is super creamy, thanks to a sauce I made from stock thickened with beurre manie (butter and flour) and sour cream. I finished the casserole with a blanket of melted cheddar on top, wide egg noodles underneath, and moist chunks of chicken throughout. It is impossible to stop eating it....
What follows are some of my notes from the class and the basic steps involved in Chinese tea ceremony. Traditional Chinese tea pots are made of unglazed clay, and have been seasoned from years of use. The clay absorbs the oils from the tea leaves and eventually, over time, can develop a glazed appearance, especially on the inside of the pot. The clay used to make these tea pots is a special Yixing clay that is only found in one small town in China, near Shanghai....
Chocolate Bundt Cake There are few things I love more than a Nothing Bundt Cake. If you have one nearby, you know what I’m taking about. They are dense and moist and delicious, but they are also a little pricey. You can make this bundt cake for much less than the cost of one at the store. And I guarantee you have most of these ingredients already in your fridge and pantry....
This Coconut Pecan Frosting is the perfect topper to our delicious German Chocolate Cake. The sweet, tender cake pairs beautifully with the rich, sugary icing packed with chopped pecans and flaky coconut. Perfect on cupcakes, a whole cake or even chocolate pancakes! This stuff is so good, you’ll find yourself sneaking a spoonful before you’re done. Ingredients in Coconut Pecan Frosting This unique frosting is one of my favorite cake toppings!...
Imagine if you were told you had to give up bread. And pasta. And cookies! Here’s a statistic for you. Roughly three million people in the U.S. have to do just that. The reason? Celiac disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by eating gluten, the sticky elastic protein in wheat, rye, barley, and spelt that makes pizza dough stretchy and bagels pleasantly chewy. The cure is a gluten-free diet....
The two things to keep in mind when cooking eggplant, especially firm globe eggplants, is that not only do eggplants hold onto moisture, they also absorb oil like a sponge. So if you’re not careful you can end up with something mushy and oily. For Easy Eggplant Parmesan, Salt and Bake Your Eggplant To deal with the oil absorption issue, instead of frying the breaded eggplant slices, we bake them in the oven, before assembling the casserole to be baked again....
And because I’m never one to keep things traditional when it comes to Panzanella (I’ve made so many variations), I swapped in pan-fried polenta for the typical crouton. This is seriously genius, and it’s so easy to make. All you do is cut the store-bought polenta into one-inch rectangles, and fry it in a cast iron skillet until it’s browned on all sides. The result is this super crispy, slightly chewy “crouton” that soaks up all the juices from the tomatoes and vinaigrette....
How To Grill Shrimp Skewers Here’s a tip when grilling shrimp. First make sure you soak your wood or bamboo skewers (I recommend bamboo, they hold up better to heat) in water for at least half an hour. Then set up your grill so you have one side that is hot, and another cool. Put the shrimp over the hot side, and the exposed skewers over the cool side. That way the shrimp cook quickly and the skewers don’t burn....
Lemon Pepper Chicken This simple Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe was in regular rotation around our house growing up. Because it’s made with four simple ingredients we always had on hand, our mother would make a huge batch and we would eat on it all week long. It pairs perfectly with rice pilaf, baked potatoes or pasta for dinner, but tastes delicious sliced over a salad for lunch the next day. If you have a little lemon juice and pepper, you can make this easy chicken recipe any night of the week....
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Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches We love making a good homemade ice cream cookie sandwich in the summertime because they’re such an easy dessert! No plates, bowls or utensils required. You can just serve them up and let everyone enjoy them without any cleanup. They’re perfect for family reunions, backyard picnics, church potlucks, or just a casual night at home. Your favorite tender cookies with creamy vanilla ice cream – it really doesn’t get any better than this double whammy of deliciousness!...
Summer is definitively over, and now we find ourselves squarely in the throes of fall. It’s time to trade in our swimsuits for sweatshirts and swap out our grills for slow cookers. To help you warm up to the cooler temps, I’ve put together some of fall favorites. Most are easy meals you can get on the table in about an hour, and the one that isn’t is a slow cooker recipe where the crockpot does the heavy lifting for you....
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At home, the eldest girl dresses up in robe, sash, and candle crown, and delivers coffee and lussekatter, or S shaped saffron buns to her parents for breakfast. This was all explained to me the other day by a young Swedish woman named Lisa Persson in college here in Sacramento, a long way from home. She spoke of these saffron buns with such nostalgia, I just had to make some....
Sweet and Spicy Noodles with Grilled Chicken My mother-in-law, Mary Ann, made these sweet and spicy noodles for us way back when Beau and I were first married. Talk about a great welcome into the family! I had to get the recipe, it has the best flavor! Over the years we have made a few minor adjustments, tweaking it here and there. This version is our favorite way to make it, so of course we wanted to share it with you!...
California Pizza Kitchen’s Thai Chicken Pizza I am completely in love with this Thai Chicken Pizza! Whenever we eat at CPK, I can’t not order it. The flavors are amazing, the peanut sauce is the best. If you don’t have a CPK close by (which I sadly don’t anymore), you are going to love this recipe! Using Our Homemade Pizza Dough for Thai Chicken Pizza This is the only homemade pizza dough recipe I ever use....
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