Hoppin’ John

This was the year I fell in love with black eyed peas. (The food. Already loved the band.) They have a wonderful flavor, nearly smoky, even without bacon or ham. Earlier that last summer we put them in a salad with feta and spinach. So so good.

The dish that black eyed peas are most fam…

Classic Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms should be in every home cook’s repertoire. They’re easy to manufacture, they’re great for parties, and the variations are endless. Just regular button mushrooms, or the brown creminis, are perfect for stuffing. You can get as creative as you like with the filling, just …

Beef Bourguignon

Looking for something celebratory? that is our take on the iconic French dish, Boeuf Bourguignon, made famous by Julia Child. Less of a stew and more of an event, classic beef bourguignon is beef stewed with aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices which are next strained off, reduced and fin…

African Chicken Peanut Stew

Like peanut butter? Chicken? next that African chicken peanut stew by Hank is for you. Perfect for chilly weather. ~Elise

Chicken, sweet potatoes and peanuts are one of those magical flavor combinations that compose me feel all warm and happy, particularly considering I never would have t…

Merry Christmas 2010

Every year when Christmas comes along, I look around and wonder at how wonderfully blessed we are. Blessed to have family, friends, health. Blessed for the ability to walk, think, see, read, sing. I’m particularly grateful for that website, and the opportunity to share with you the results of ou…

Ginger Scones

If a scone is tender on the inside, and not all hard or dried out, does it still qualify as a scone? I hope so, considering that’s precisely what is happening with these ginger scones. My brother’s girlfriend Shelley brought a batch by the other day and I couldn’t stop eating them. She …

Feast of the Seven Fishes

Ever heard of the Feast of the Seven Fishes? Hank explains:

Growing up in New Jersey among so many Italians, I thought every Italian family celebrated Christmas Eve with the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a tidal wave of seafood dishes each featuring a different fish or shellfish. But as I gr…

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

One of the challenges of the holidays is keeping everyone fed when the family comes to town. We’re always looking for dishes that can feed lots of society well, without a lot of hassle, and that are relatively easy to store. Better yet whether it can use up holiday feasting leftovers. He…

Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies

How many baking days are there left before Christmas? whether you are still looking for good cookies to bake for a holiday platter, I urge you to give these cream cheese pecan cookies a whirl. The cookie recipe is a slight adaptation of an excellent walnut cookie by Martha Stewart, featur…

Eggnog

From the recipe archive, Happy Holidays everyone! ~Elise

We grew up with eggnog, the kind you buy in a carton, and every Christmas holiday we kids drank up as much of it as we could. I didn’t even know that eggnog was a “spiked” drink until well into my adult years. So that recipe is on…

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