Best Of, Would Love To Have, Look What I Found, Life In Pictures, All-In-One, Whenever I get to it List

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Remember this post, where I said I was going to do a weekly recap list of things I had done, made, ate, found? Inspired by others who put their own lists together of a snapshot of their life, links they had found, pictures they had taken. Well, either my life isn’t that interesting, or I don’t have time to put a list together every week. The real answer is somewhere in between. So, now it is just a “Best Of, Would Love To Have, Look What I Found, Life In Pictures, All-In-One, Whenever I get to it List.” Continue reading →

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with a Citrus Glaze

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Bear with me on this one. When a cat rubs up against you, you would think that means that they really like you. It actually means that they are marking their territory. They are claiming you as yours. If you are not a cat person, this might be a horrifying thought. I could go either way, cat or dog. When I did have cats, I loved the greeting they gave, although their love did not seem nearly as unconditional as my dog’s. The cats that I owned would love on me one second, and the next their ears were flat back on their head, claws drawn and they were hissing their pleasant kitty breath at me (Drmr, you can stop giggling now, I see the similarities between Diva and cats, minus the kitty breath). Continue reading →

Goat Cheese, Pesto and Oven Roasted Tomato Sandwiches

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Who doesn’t swoon over grilled cheese? Admittedly I still pull out the Kraft Singles to cure the need for comfort food fast. Kraft Singles melted between slices of white bread and then dipped into a warmed up can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Yes, even me, the Diva who turns her nose up at anything out of a can, will give into the “White Trash” food craving. Don’t tell me that the aforementioned foods are not White Trash foods. That is an entire category of food that I secretly (or not so secretly to those that know me) love. Cold meatloaf sandwich (must have mayo and ketchup with a cold slice of meatloaf in between soft white bread that is totally devoid of nutritional value), blue box mac n’ cheese (the entire box consumed in one sitting, because you don’t actually chew the slippery orange noodles before they slide down your throat. Kinda like eating oysters!), queso dip (Velveeta, ground beef and Rotel all melted together) with Fritos, and of course anything from Chef Boyardee (which could pretty much be added to any of the items above). Continue reading →

Quinoa Template

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I often get stuck on a particular theme or ingredient when I am cooking. Maybe it is just a temporary habit, maybe I bought way too much of something and I have to use it up, or maybe I discover something and utilize it in every way possible until I get sick of it. Of late I have been hooked on marshmallows, kale, almond pulp (more to come about that. You will be fascinated!), and quinoa. Fortunately, the gravitation is usually toward something that has some sort of nutritional content, but when I get stuck in a “fry everything” theme for some reason the house smells like McDucks, kids on tricycles beat me up hills and I am reminded of living in Fayette-no-don’t-say-it.

Right now, my current obsession/habit/groove (not a rut because ruts are bad and endless, a groove is a good feeling track)/proclivity is for quinoa. I love the little pearls of nutty crunch that can be combined with such a wide variety of ingredients. Anywhere you can use rice you can substitute quinoa. I have been making big batches of quinoa and freezing extra to have on hand. I can chop up a bunch of stuff that is in the fridge, whether it be veggies and herbs, or even fruit, toss it with the quinoa and call it dinner. Continue reading →

Coconut Crusted Chicken with Scallion Cilantro Dipping Sauce

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How fun! When was the last time you had chicken fingers or nuggets? Maybe you have them on a regular basis and I am just missing out. I clearly need to add a bit more fun to my food life. Maybe I need to go to McDuck’s and order those fried bits of amalgamated chicken parts so I don’t feel deprived. If I did that I would have no desire whatsoever to have bits of chicken ever again.

When I was asked to make a gluten and dairy free coconut crusted chicken for a client, I was grateful that I haven’t experienced the aforementioned horrifying scenario. If the recipe building part of my brain had been subjected to the taste and texture of the unrecognizable chicken like mutations, I wouldn’t have believed that it was possible to make bona fide chicken strips. Strips of (real) chicken (breast only, nothing pureed and mashed together) that baked up perfectly juicy (not gelatinous) on the inside and had a crunchy crusty (not soggy and sagging) coconut coating on the outside. Continue reading →

Ladies Luncheon

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A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to prepare dishes for a ladies luncheon that was being hosted in a beautiful home in Deer Creek Canyon. I have worked in this home before, making appetizers, dinners and desserts for Christmas parties, dinner parties and a private anniversary dinner. The hostess and her husband, Katherine and Roger, are incredibly gracious and enjoy opening their home to their guests to show their appreciation for being part of their lives.

For this luncheon I prepared salads, bread, and desserts with a spring time theme. Katherine gave me an idea of what she would like to see on the menu and then we worked together to come up with the final details. When I delivered the dishes, I told Katherine that I loved, loved every single thing that I brought and was excited to find out what she and her guests thought. Continue reading →

Peter Reinhart’s Focaccia

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Have you ever been so enamored with something that it takes your breath away? So captivated that you lose track of time just admiring it? Caught in a wonderland, and being closer to such a treasure would get you lost in reverie? This happened to me. I was lost in beauty. I was transfixed by the peaks and valleys, the nooks and crannies. And I created it.

I labored for three days. I mixed, measured and sifted. I kneaded, dimpled and brushed. I let it rise, rest and rise again. I waited. Again, I waited. It was not until I delivered the finished product to the final destination and asked if I could take some back with me that I could finally be lost in the vision that I had been waiting for. Continue reading →

Best Of, Would Like To Have Look What I Found Week 10

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1. Mom, Dad, Milan, Matt and I went to LoHi Steakbar to celebrate my and my mom’s birthdays. I had heard good things about LoHi. Under a pile of delicious fries was my perfectly cooked steak. The juices from the steak and blue cheese butter spilled into the fries. The fries soaked up the juice and it was like upside down steak and blue cheese poutine. So good!
2. Did you hear? I was on the radio!
3. We used to have a very large fluorescent light fixture over the island in our kitchen. Notice I say we used to have. Matt got tired of it, took it down and now we have recessed lights! He gets obsessed with a project like I get obsessed with a recipe. Once the thought is there, it has to happen. I love the new lights!
We went from nearly this:

to better than this:

4. I am partnering with Lauryn of A Crushed Grape to make the food to pair with her wine and beer tastings.
5. This torte from Smitten Kitchen needs to happen.

Source: smittenkitchen.com via Erin on Pinterest

6. And I will love them, and pet them, and squeeze them so tight so they will big and strong so I can eat them.

7. I think this might be the next bird that Matt needs to find

It’s My Birthday and I’ll Make My Cake If I Want To

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Birthdays. A time to celebrate life, reflect on the past year, look forward to the year to come, spend time with friends and family. Okay, enough sap. My birthday better include cake.

And ice cream.

And I would like to make them. Don’t get me wrong. You can make me a cake too. But my birthday present to myself is baking (so then Erin, you celebrate your birthday on a weekly basis all year long? Yep. Pretty much!). Continue reading →