Quick Summer Appetizers

Some dear friends had a 60′s themed birthday party this weekend and we had a blast. There was music, good wine, good friends, and good food. The only problem with a 60′s themed party is that most food in the 60′s consisted of devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon and then broiled until crisp), rumaki (water chestnut and chicken liver wrapped in bacon, marinated in soy and then broiled until crisp), cocktail wieners, either plain or wrapped in puff pastry (pigs in blankets), pimento cheese spread with Ritz crackers, and your favorite and mine…jello salad. The sixties was a culinary expedition that ended up shipwrecked on a desert island. ...continue reading about Quick Summer Appetizers...

Tortellini with Caramelized Onions and Sundried Tomatoes

I hadn’t planned on posting this because the three cheese tortellini is store bought. Not that I sit around making tortellini like an Italian grandmother all the time, but it was just going to be pasta in a marinara sauce. Then I found I didn’t have any pasta sauce. It became afternoon at the improv. Believe it or not, this is the thing I love most about cooking and I think I would totally dominate on Chopped on Food Network. (shameless self plugging in case a FoodNetwork VP is checking out my blog). ...continue reading about Tortellini with Caramelized Onions and Sundried Tomatoes...

Sprout Feta Quesadillas

I haven’t been in the mood to cook lately and my refrigerator looks more like a Sear’s display model than one in a home occupied by humans. It’s also starting to get warm in Texas so my lettuce and spinach are bolting (shooting up seed pods). Eating bolting lettuce is not for the faint of heart. You would be better off eating grass from your yard; trust me, I know. ...continue reading about Sprout Feta Quesadillas...

Spinach Feta Pasta

I came back to Austin and my garden is exploding! I have a fennel plant with a bulb about half the size of a soccer ball, broccoli starting to show signs of, well, broccoli, five foot tall sunflowers, and an abundance of spinach. Organic spinach fresh from a garden is very different from what I’ve bought in the store. It almost has a slightly sweet flavor I’ve not noticed before. ...continue reading about Spinach Feta Pasta...

Acorn Squash and Queso Fresco Sage Ravioli

Everyone that’s had fresh pasta knows the difference. It has lightness, is delicate both to work with and cook, and can be as temperamental as a hungry two year old after three hours of Christmas shopping in a stroller. While this may be a common belief, I spent the last couple of weeks testing and exploring why people don’t make pasta at home. ...continue reading about Acorn Squash and Queso Fresco Sage Ravioli...

Lacinato Kale and Parmeggiano-Reggiano Salad

I found some organic Lacinato Kale in the market yesterday. I love kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, and brussel sprouts, but had to pick these things up because of how deep, dark green they looked. Kale is also in the same family as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussel sprouts. ...continue reading about Lacinato Kale and Parmeggiano-Reggiano Salad...