27 Wednesday Apr 2016
Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Recipes, Recipes
Tags
When I’m in the mood for a comforting dinner but don’t want to spend tons of time in the kitchen, Ina Garten’s Weeknight Bolognese is one of my go-to’s. This pasta dish is so flavorful you would think it simmered for hours. And, I usually have the ingredients in my pantry. The perfect weeknight meal!
17 Thursday Mar 2016
Posted in Baking, Cooking, Dessert, Entertaining, Gourmet Group, Living Room, Recipes, Recipes, Table Design
After a 6 month break, I’m back to blogging with Gourmet Group!
I hosted the dinner with a Mexican Theme.
I wanted the night to feel casual and laid back, with really delicious food – and still some elegance. One of the guys makes yummy guacamole, so we started with chips & guac, and my Dad’s famous margaritas.
The main dish was a barbacoa recipe that I have made for years. It is so flavorful. (I usually make extra so we eat it for several nights – the first night over rice, and then next over a big green salad with simple lemon vinaigrette.) All of the sides: citrus salad, re-fried beans, and saffron rice with peas, are all from the beautiful Mexico: The Cookbook. To keep it casual we served them all together on piled-high plates.
My husband added a sipping tequilla served with homemade Sangrita as a digestif.
And then, my favorite part of all…Cuatro Leches cake with arequipe sauce!!! Our wedding cake was a cuatro leches cake and and the recipe from La Duni in Dallas seemed similar, so I put it on the menu. My friend did an amazing job on this masterpiece and it tasted even better than it looked!
It was a wonderful evening with great friends and great food.
30 Saturday May 2015
Because another loaf of banana bread seemed excessive, this week I made healthy banana oatmeal cookies with my leftover ripe bananas. I hadn’t made them in over a year and forgot what a great treat these are! These cookies are packed with nutritious ingredients, taste good, and make the house smell great while they’re baking. I first found them on Lori Bregman’s blog, and I’ve since seen similar versions with added ingredients like dates and walnuts. I stuck to the original this time – with a little extra vanilla.
18 Monday May 2015
Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Gourmet Group
Tags
With tropical drinks in hand and reggae music in the background, our hosts created an island escape with a delicious Jamaican-themed menu for our seventh gourmet group dinner. The menu was carefully planned to recreate the flavors our hostess remembered from her two years living on the Island as a child. We feasted on flavorful jerk chicken, fragrant coconut rice and Caribbean vegetables, and a rich chocolate rum cake. My assignment: Jamaican Carrot Soup with a pear relish and plantain chips. I suggest making the soup at least a few hours ahead of time to allow the complex flavors to really come together as it’s refrigerating. And don’t skip the pear relish – it adds texture and freshness to the warm, spicy soup. This soup would also be amazing on a cold fall day!
15 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Baking, Brunch, Cooking, Entertaining
My favorite breakfast spot growing up served amazing German pancakes. Because they look so impressive, I thought these pancakes would be difficult to make. I recently found this recipe and tried it – so easy and so delicious! I highly suggest serving the pancake with several fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top – it adds so much flavor. And maple syrup, of course.
Jessica at Home 