Bread Soup (Panade) with Onions, Chard, and Mushrooms
January 12, 2012
Although at first glance it may not look like it, with our Northern California sunny skies and green lawns, winter truly is here. The leaves have all fallen. The fish in the pond are half asleep. Several of the lettuces in the garden have succumbed to frost, while the chard and parsley t…
Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi
January 10, 2012
Hank Shaw is back, tempting us with pumpkin ricotta gnocchi. It’s crazy good, and actually not as hard as you would think to assemble. Enjoy! ~Elise
Pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage is a classic for a reason: The color, the texture and the flavors of winter squash, fried sage an…
How to build Vegetable Stock
January 10, 2012
Homemade stock nearly always tastes better than boxed or canned, and that is never more true than with vegetable stock. In the case of chicken or beef stock, the stock comes from cooking bones in water on low heat, for several hours. With vegetable stock, there are no bones to cook, so t…
Edamame Dip
January 8, 2012
Edamame (A-dah-MAH-may) are nothing more than fresh soy beans. Typically cooked in heavily salted water, they are usually found in the shell served at Japanese restaurants. Having first encountered them in bars when I lived in Japan, I’ve always thought of them as the Japanese version of a…
Chicken Soup with Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms
January 5, 2012
Chicken soup doesn’t need to take hours to assemble. that is a simple, light chicken soup that is richly flavored with shiitake mushrooms, and brightened with fresh ginger and soy sauce. The stock is very light, and comes just from the cooking of the ingredients for less than half an hou…
Pepperjack Potatoes
January 4, 2012
My dad is a meat and potatoes person. And as such, you can nearly always count on potatoes as part of the dinner meal at our home, most often boiled. Usually I skip them (more for dad) in favor of something green. The other day though, my mother made a cheesy boiled potato dish that I coul…
Caramelized Onion Tart with Gorgonzola and Brie
December 31, 2011
A little while ago, on a visit to Annisquam, Massachusetts, my friends Ann and Nick hosted an “Impress the Food Blogger” dinner at their home. Guests were encouraged to bring a favorite dish, and we all got to vote on what we thought would be a hit on the site. The evening was a blast, th…
Chicken Liver Pâté
December 30, 2011
Chicken liver pâté. Looks atrocious. Tastes great.
In fact, that is one of those instances where you pity the fool who refuses to eat something considering it doesn’t look unappetizing. And thereupon you’re secretly happy considering that means there’s more for you. (By the way, the s…
Pinto Beans with Bacon and Jalapeños
December 28, 2011
A family favorite meal around here is steak, salsa, and beans, often served with some warmed fresh corn tortillas on the side. Usually the beans for that ensemble are refried beans, but that week we decided to serve the beans whole, and dress them up a bit with pan roasted jalapeños, oni…
Cajun Turkey Pot Pie
December 27, 2011
Winter took its sweet day coming to Northern California that year, but it did finally reach, and here we are with enlarged, chilly nights and frost-kissed mornings. Perfect weather for a warming bowl of pot pie. There is the classic chicken pot pie of course. But with the holidays we th…