Healthy is always in vogue.
Here is a throw back. Antipasto For The Last Day Of Summer is my post from September 20th. This is a great New Year’s Day appetizer. In fact, we often have it for a light dinner with wine. Fast and easy! Check out the post for the recipe. Enjoy with no guilt.
Thank you to my family, friends and many visitors for making the first six months of my food blog such a great success. I have never had so much fun at work!
Here are six of your favorite picks for 2013. And I have added some close runners up. My last posts haven’t been up long enough to evaluate but the Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce is quickly becoming a popular recipe and, and, and…. Thank you so much! Happy 2014 to all!
Top: L-R Chicken and Dumplings My Style, Portuguese Beans with Linguica, Great-Grandmother Kobilsek’s Kolacky
Bottom: L-R Chicken Breasts with Roasted Vegetables, Chocolate Surprise Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies, Hot Chocolate Bar
Late at night when you can’t sleep what do you do? I watch an old movie. I’m not just interested in the story but the food! When Alec Baldwin takes a delicious bite of the Croque-Monsieur I can taste it. This prop is most likely cold and verging on stale … After all Alec is an actor! The next thing I know I’m creating my own Croque-Monsieur!
What a great snack or light meal! Use a vegan cheese for the Provencal or ham it up with the Monsieur. What is the difference between Croque-Monsieur, Croque-Madame and Croque-Provencal? Ham, egg and tomato. All three are included here.
A great option for Sunday football or movie snacking. Accompany with beer or wine. And arugula with a vinaigrette for a light dinner.
A great meal for guests … And this recipe won’t keep you in the kitchen. My family was happy with this tasty meal during the holidays. A great presentation with little preparation. Standing Rib Roast Dinner.
This standing rib roast, small end, was just over seven pounds with three ribs (ribs were cut away and tied) … enough to serve 6-8 adults.
These recipes are great for a brunch or dinner! Do a day ahead and refrigerate. Great with a lettuce wedge. And pair with La Crema Pinot Gris for a complete dinner.
My friend and I are sharing this recipe for Sweet Spicy Baked Chicken. Gayle’s recipe is amazing and although we filmed this for the holidays this recipe is definitely a year around dish. It’s beautiful and delicious!
Truly Easy Yet Amazing!
Better known as Fanny by her friends, Ann’s Great-Grandmother Kobilsek catered parties along with raising two children in the 1920’s. Kolacky was a favorite during holidays … Extra was sent home with family at the end of their visit. Ann remembers her Great-Grandmother’s needlework, especially the stuffed animals she made and gave out with each visit. She even transformed her flapper wedding dress into an evening gown. If alive today I bet we would see her creations on Pinterest.
My first taste of this pastry came at Ann’s suggestion. (Ann is my Daughter-In-Law.) Kolacky is often called a cookie but it definitely has the taste and texture of pastry. It is light and rich. And did I say delicious!
This recipe appears time consuming. But actually the prep time is minimal. The dough does require refrigeration for two hours prior to rolling out the dough. This can be shortened by placing the dough in the freezer until it firms slightly. The dough rolls out easily with a well floured board. Zip. zip, it’s done!
Everyone enjoys a cookie warm from the oven. I make most cookies in small batches … Whipping them up in the last minute for a fresh dessert or snack. This dessert treat is definitely best when eaten within the 24-48 hours of baking. So, I have divided the original recipe in half. The half recipe will make two dozen 2″ pastries, 1/4″ thick.
My first taste of enchilada came early. Estrada’s Spanish Kitchen was a family owned restaurant in Visalia established long before my parents were born. It was fine dining … Frequented for forty some odd years by our family.
The old Victorian house on Main Street was a business on the first floor and a family home on the second. It was our family’s favorite place to eat especially Christmas Eve … Forty six years in a row according to my brother. As a kid it seemed to take forever for the food to be served. I amused myself when young … picking the enormous wax covered wine bottle that was providing more temptation than candle light … seeing coins embedded in the wax … digging. Yep, I was disciplined. My brother, more self disciplined, just explored the upstairs bathroom, the only one available. But I bet he was really looking for Susie.
I have tried to recreate the tastes of Estrada’s dishes. (Estrada’s taste alike here) A friend married into this restaurant family not too long ago, and had mentioned the recipes were definitely a family secret. Yes, I asked. He said, I could give you the recipes but then I would have to kill you. Of course he was kidding! Do I have to even say that? There were about a half dozen of these Estrada’s restaurants throughout California owned by the same family. Only one now exists … Daly City. (Closed Feb 3rd, 2019)
In my teens, mother, every few months, would form an assembly line of hot vegetable oil, heated canned enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, cheese and onion. She and I would make two dozen enchiladas, some to be eaten … some to be frozen. We used Velveeta cheese … Considered a healthy alternative to cheese in those days.
(For this dish, I will be using a quick sauce recipe I picked up from a former neighbor about 40 years ago. I was shocked at the time to find enchilada sauce got the red color from peppers not tomatoes. Labeling was yet to reach today’s sophistication.)
This Decorated Cookie Cakes recipe has oatmeal but these are not the typical oatmeal cookies with spices. This cookie is iced and layered and iced. It has a deliciously surprising flavor, vanilla with a hint of almond. No almond meal or nuts. I acquired this recipe, given to me years ago, and have never come across anything like it since.
The cookies are decorated and it is time to let you in on the secret.