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Created on July 01st, 2010
Quick Summer Recipes for a Fantastic 4th of July Menu
Put together a casual BBQ chicken dinner for eight in just a little more than a couple of hours.
Category: Spring & Summer
Created on June 27th, 2010
The Fête & Feast 4th of July Survival Guide
Next weekend we’ll celebrate our country’s birthday with parades, fireworks, and of course a lot of great food. Whether you’re hosting a backyard bash, taking a dish to a communal party, picnicking before fireworks, or packing a cooler for a day on the lake, you’ll find a bevy of recipes here to help you with [...]
Created on June 01st, 2010
A Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe with a Lavender and Vanilla Twist
Cobbler and the South are like bread and butter, peas and carrots, hook ‘em and horns, and other natural combination. This is not to say that they don’t have cobbler in the North, but when I think of the many ubiquitous foods in my Southern heritage, cobbler is a stand out. When I was growing [...]
Created on April 01st, 2010
Podcast: Buying Ham and Lamb – The Basics
Ham and lamb are two favorite main dishes for Spring menus. Listen as I share the advice I received from a local expert on how to choose the best cuts of each for your table.
Created on March 30th, 2010
Easy and Elegant Spring Lamb Dinner
Spring entertaining is so much fun. Fresh ingredients like artichokes and asparagus are abundant, and lighter meats like lamb become the star of the show after a winter of hearty fare. I particularly enjoy entertaining outside on our porch, taking advantage of the longer days to watch the sun set over dessert with good friends. [...]
Created on March 28th, 2010
Get a Leg Up on Spring: Ham and Lamb 101
As I drive around Central Texas and see the wildflowers in bloom or sit on my back porch enjoying the lovely Spring weather, my mind turns to Spring menus and two of my favorite main ingredients: ham and lamb. While both are very popular centerpieces for an Easter table, I love to serve them all [...]
Created on September 07th, 2009
Cook’s Toolkit: Butterflied Chicken
Spatchcoking is a technique that is greatly underutilized in many home kitchens, which is a shame because it takes a chicken to a whole new level. A butterflied chicken is simply a chicken without a backbone that lies flat.
Created on August 26th, 2009
Hatch Chile Extravaganza: Chile-Stuffed Bison Burgers with Deconstructed Guacamole
Texans are crazy for green Anaheim chiles, particularly those grown in Hatch, New Mexico. They star in this recipe for a burger inspired by the Mexican and New Mexican flavors of my childhood.
Created on July 29th, 2009
Stuffed Squash Calabacitas
[Jump right to the recipe: Stuffed Squash]
When I was a youngin’ growing up, my family always had a garden. My grandmother was an amazing gardener, having been the daughter of a farmer and a child of the depression, and really had a great knack for growing just about anything she put her mind to. I’m [...]
Created on June 04th, 2009
All the Joys of Summer: Ribs, Corn, and Fruit Crisp (Plus Fresh Bread)
This past Memorial Day weekend I wanted to kick off the summer with new twists on old favorites: baby back ribs, corn, and summer fruit. These are some of my ultimate comfort foods because they take me back to summer barbecues and outdoor dinner parties with my family. They are hands-on foods, both in the [...]
Created on May 28th, 2009
Potluck Survival with Some Help from Ratio: Caprese Sandwiches on Parmesan Gougères
[Jump right to the recipe: Caprese Sandwiches on Parmesan Gougères]
Recently, the Austin food bloggers gathered again for a potluck, giving me another blogger event to simultaneously look forward to and fret about. I of course work myself up unnecessarily. Our local blogging group is so down to earth and ready to try new food that [...]
Created on May 13th, 2009
Early Summer Steak Dinner on the Porch – Inspired by Food Bloggers
One of my favorite things about food blogging is the fantastic array of recipes and food ideas I find as I connect with other bloggers. While I do enjoy a good magazine or cookbook, I’ve found that blogger recipes are often much more practical to make at home and quickly become favorites of my family [...]
Created on April 14th, 2009
Spring Seafood Sauté
This dish showcases fresh seafood and vegetables in a quick and healthy dinner just perfect for al-fresco dining.
Created on April 11th, 2009
Potluck Survival Guide
[Jump right to the recipes: Honey-Cheese Spread, Prosciutto-Wrapped Dates, & Spring Pasta Salad]
Last weekend a bunch of Austin food bloggers got together to share great food and to make real world connections. A wonderful time was had by all at Penny De Los Santos’ beautiful home as we tasted the most amazing range of food [...]
Created on April 05th, 2009
A New Twist on Burgers and Fries: Buffalo Sliders and Truffle Fries
[Jump right to the recipe: Buffalo Sliders]
I’ve become a big fan of buffalo because it is leaner than beef but has more protein and iron so it is a great option when I’m up for some good ol’ red meat. Most buffalo are grass-fed and free of antibiotics or hormones, so I feel better in [...]
Created on March 02nd, 2009
Fast and Easy Fish: Striped Bass with Corn and Jumbo Lump Crab Sauté
One of the commitments I made to myself at the beginning of the year was to cook more seafood. All of the reports can’t be denied – it’s better for me (and you) all around. Even so, I’ll ruefully admit that I’m not the biggest fan of fish. I love scallops and mussels, but straight-up [...]
Created on June 21st, 2008
Mediterranean-Inspired Dinner
It’s hot in Texas these days. Not just Texas hot, but, to quote Matthew Brodderick, “Africa Hot”. I may be a native girl, but even I’m a little overwhelmed by this early summer heat wave. For a recent dinner I decided a gastronomical getaway to lands cooler would help make the heat a little easier [...]
Created on December 29th, 2007
Tasty, Pretty, and Pretty Easy: Roasted Pomegranate and Orange Rack of Lamb
[Jump right to the recipe: Roasted Pomegranate and Orange Rack of Lamb]
While we always have Mexican food on Christmas Eve (look for my chocolate dessert tamale recipe coming soon), Christmas dinner is whatever I darn well want it to be in any given year. I typically cycle through the old stand-bys: crown roast of pork, [...]
Created on June 03rd, 2007
Grilled Pizza: Quick, Easy, and Healthy
Terry Conlan, the chef at the Lake Austin Spa, turned me onto a new way to make pizza that is not only quick and easy, but better for you than traditional pizza. It’s also family friendly because everyone can have their own personal pizza with their favorite toppings.
Terry’s secret is to use thin pita bread [...]
