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Beer, brats & baseball

Apr 022013

April 2, 2013 Posted by Darlene No Responses »

After a long and grueling winter wherein nothing of any import whatsoever occurred anywhere on the planet, we are finally back to having not just something to do, but the GREATEST something ever in the history of human kind and NO I AM NOT overstating anything in this tragically overlong sentence. That’s right: I’m talking about baseball season. It’s back, thank GAWD, and now we can all stop holding our collective breath and go about drinking copious amounts of beer while cursing the Yankees. (Let’s face it, every right-thinking person hates the Yankees.) But what goes better with baseball and beer than brats? NOTHING, that’s what! And so I give you the best midweek dinner or Saturday afternoon meal ever: Beer-cooked brats. Start tutorial here >>

Recipe: Best apple pie EVAR

Mar 182013

March 18, 2013 Posted by Traci No Responses »

I think apple pie was maybe the third dessert I ever baked from scratch. Theoretically, it’s a pretty easy dessert. Sliced, peeled apples, sugar, cinnamon all thrown into a crust. Easy, right? It ended up being the worst pie ever. I have no idea how the cumin got in there. Since that fateful day, I have tried many, MANY different apple pie recipes — none of which really impressed me. I think the best I could say is that the pies were okaaaaaaay. The problem I was consistently running into? Texture. My beautifully peeled apples (unless of course, they weren’t) ending up slightly undercooked in a watery, chalky cinnamon sauce. Eew. Then, a few years ago, I stumbled upon this recipe on Allrecipes.com. The recipe was so simple, and the resulting pie so absolutely perfect that it is now the only apple pie recipe I will use. Last Thanksgiving my sister even tried [...]

Recipes: Get your Irish on

Mar 052013

March 5, 2013 Posted by Traci No Responses »

St. Patrick’s Day is a couple weeks away yet, but I’m already planning to get my Irish in order. My mother being Irish-English, I grew up with a family that celebrated the holiday with a big, traditional Irish-American feast, complete with corned beef and cabbage. It’s what we do. Windbags talking all evening, and windbags the following day as the brisket makes its way through. Never had an Irish-American feast of your own? Worry not. I’ll walk you through it. Entree: Slow-cooked brisket Sides: Carrots, cabbage and red potatoes Bread: Traditional Irish Soda Bread or store bought rye Ingredients for brisket: – 1 corned beef brisket (roughly 3 lbs) – 1 spice packet (usually comes packaged with the brisket, OR if you’re mixing your own, go with: – 1 Bay leaf -and roughly 1/2 tsp each of the following: coriander seed, mustard seeds, caraway seed, white peppercorns, black pepper, [...]

How sweet it is

Feb 132013

February 13, 2013 Posted by Susan No Responses »

I’ve always been a baker, for as long as I can remember. I’d help my mom, and eventually bake on my own. As I’ve grown older, I’m of the firm belief that homemade goodies are filled with love and make terrific gifts. Years ago, for Valentine’s Day – when I didn’t have a Valentine to call my own – I ventured into candy and made fudge for the first time, for my dad and grandfather. Success! And that very same fudge recipe has been a part of my Christmas treats gifts ever since. So when this recipe came across my email, compliments of Shauna Sever’s Pure Vanilla, it piqued my interest. As a chocolate lover, I appreciate the drizzle that tops the vanilla nougat. Homemade candy bars – what could be better? Vanilla Nougat Candy Bar Bites Makes about 2 dozen 1 inch bites – enough to share, if you [...]

Recipe: Chili

Jan 152013

January 15, 2013 Posted by Traci No Responses »

‘Tis the season for rib-sticking comfort food. With temperatures ridiculously low in most areas of the country, the desire to eat something light and easy flies out the window like snow flurries. This past weekend I had a house full of sick and disgusting people. Sniffles and coughs — it was time for something hot and just a bit spicy to keep the crew moving. I used to fear making beans from dried, but once I realized how stupidly easy it is, my shame turned newfound pride has kept my family plied with all kinds of bean stews. And chili? It can be light… and it’s definitely easy. Chili==> What you’ll need: – 1 lb ground beef (I grind my own) – 1 yellow onion, diced – 4 cups red beans (2 cups if using dried, and follow the basic instructions here to prep them) – 2 cups stewed tomatoes [...]

Is It Really the End?

Dec 212012

December 21, 2012 Posted by Susan No Responses »

The Mayan calendar ends today, and a lot of people think that means the end of the world. Well, here I am in Playa del Carmen to find out, and enjoying myself immensely! So, is it really the end? Well, maybe, but probably not. The locals don’t seem concerned in the slightest. In any case, we’re going out in high style here at the ROYAL Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, ground zero for the End of the World. The ROYAL Playa del Carmen and The ROYAL Cancun are both presenting Mayan Culinary Festivals on the beach, and I got a sneak peek at the preparations earlier today!

Recipe: Who Wants a Treat?

Dec 132012

December 13, 2012 Posted by Susan No Responses »

For more than 15 years (wow, I’m old!), each Christmas season I bake gifts to give to co-workers and neighbors. Chocolate Krinkles, Peanut Butter Kisses, Snckerdoodles and two types of fudge are piled onto plates and into baskets, wrapped in tissue and delivered in the office and at home in the evenings. Last year I threw in pralines – YUM! This year, the baking will resume in a one-day bake-for-all. I’ve got it down to a science at this point. But this year, I added a twist. In picking gifts for friends and their children, I realized we wanted to give something to their dogs – our dog Lucy’s friends. Yes, I am that kind of parent of a furry child. Instead of buying toys or treats from the store, I decided to do a bit of baking for the pups, too. A quick Google search yielded Izzy’s Apple-Cheddar Dog [...]

Recipe: New England Clam Chowder

Dec 042012

December 4, 2012 Posted by Traci No Responses »

The cold weather brings out the comfort-food yearnings in me. And one of the best side affects of comfort food? It’s usually one full meal in a pot. When you’re feeding a whole slew of people, that makes life just that much easier. Crazy enough to say it, I actually had all the ingredients on hand to make a big pot of New England -style clam chowder. And this recipe is so good, even my child who eats no food that is creamy asked for seconds. SECONDS, I TELL YOU. Too bad we’d already eaten it all. What you’ll need: – 2 cans diced clams – 1 bottle clam juice – 4 pieces of bacon – 5 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed – 1/2 onion, diced – 2 stalks celery, diced – 1 cup half & half – 2 cups whole milk – 1 Tbsp flour 1) Fry up the [...]

Christmas Cookies, Martha Stewart & a bottle of gin

Nov 282012

November 28, 2012 Posted by Michele 5 Responses »

Christmas Cookies, Martha Stewart & a bottle of gin

I cannot bake. I can cook. I can whip up a gourmet meal at a moment’s notice. But baking leaves me frustrated and in a foul mood. So generally, I don’t do it. I leave the baking for the Martha Stewarts in my family. So why did I find myself standing in my kitchen one December many years ago, elbow deep in flour and frosting? I’ll tell you why. It was my best friend’s fault. I worked with my best friend. She was the social butterfly to my anti-social maggot. And sometimes she dragged me kicking and screaming into her little circle of work gathering hell. That particular year, it was the cookie trade-off lunch. This is where a bunch of women get together for a holiday lunch and bring a dozen home-baked cookies for each person attending. This was my second Christmas at the job, and I had successfully avoided the cookie [...]

RECIPE: Turkey Pesto

Nov 272012

November 27, 2012 Posted by Lisa 1 Response »

I don’t know about you, but there’s only so much turkey soup and sandwiches I can handle before I’m done with Thanksgiving leftovers. So a couple of months ago, at an Italian restaurant on the pier in Monterey, I had a great idea for a dish to use up some of the leftover turkey. Tonight, I threw it together in about a half an hour, creating a delicious (and not at all Thanksgiving-like) meal! Pesto Turkey (or Chicken) Pasta Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms 1/4 of a diced sweet or yellow onion 1 cooked turkey breast, cut across the grain, then shredded 4 ounces of pesto 1 ounce of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 3 ounces of half and half or whole milk shredded fresh parmesan cheese 1 box of rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions, then drained Directions: Heat olive [...]