My husband has been an Formula 1 Grand Prix racing fan for many, many years. And shortly after we got together, we had the good fortune to go to Monaco and see the Grand Prix de Monaco, my first live race. Needless to say, I, too, became a fan after seeing those amazing cars running the Monte Carlo street course in that gorgeous principality. Continue reading
It’s a very warm Friday night and we’re meeting our friends Pam and Rick out for drinks and dinner, but where to go? We love the Brick Store Pub and it’s our home bar, if you will, though we were there just last weekend. And of course there’s the Brick’s sister restaurant (or brother) Leon’s Full Service, which is also a fave of ours for cocktails and such, but our friends have never been to The Porter Beer Bar and want to try it out, so off we go. Continue reading
Now that I’ve made all this great jam, what the heck am I going to do with it? I’m keeping some for gifts, but in addition to spreading it on a buttered biscuit, toast, scone or English muffin…not that there’s anything wrong with that…I do have some quick and easy ideas.
Use Peach-Orange Marmalade or Blueberry Jam swirled into thick Greek yogurt for a yummy and quick morning breakfast. Continue reading
Each year I see all these wonderful recipes for canned goodies—homemade pickles, relishes, chutney, jams, marmalades, conserves, preserves, jellies, sun-dried tomatoes—and I SO long to make my own and try them out, give them as gifts to friends, and have a bit of summer sunshine stored for my own winter pantry.
But there’s been a problem: contemplating the process has caused great fear and trepidation in my soul. Even though it’s one of the most common ways to preserve homegrown foods, and is quite a simple process handed down through generations of folks, I just have not been able to bring myself to attempt it. So why all the angst? In three words: sterilization, pasteurization and the worst thought of all, botulism. Doing anything connected with those words made me want to run in the opposite direction. Continue reading
Sometimes when dinnertime rolls around, I feel like just sticking with the basics, and I seem to be in that kind of mood this week. Here’s another simple recipe for summer, that has a little kick of spice to it, but cools you down at the same time: Classic Curried Chicken Salad. For those who can’t eat curry, I’ve added a non-curry variation to the recipe, too, substituting tarragon for the curry and pecans for the almonds in the form of a Tarragon Pecan Chicken Salad. Both make a wonderful main dish for a hot summer night. And if there’s just two of you, there will be more for tomorrow. Joy!
seedless red grapes
chopped celery
toasted slivered almonds
roasted chicken breast
Tiny red potatoes and rosemary
All dressed up and ready for the oven.
Roasted and ready to eat!
Who doesn’t love a good ‘tater? Baked. Boiled. Smashed. Grilled. Fried. Sauteed. Salad-i-fied. Totted. Roasted.
‘Tis the season for new potatoes and fingerlings, and one of my favorite and quickest ways to prepare them is roasted. With a little scrub, a few quick cuts, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a few fresh herbs you may have on hand, you can eat restaurant-style potatoes any day of the week. And by changing your herbs, changing your cut, adding a little garlic powder, paprika or cayenne, a little onion and bell pepper—or combos of the above—you can have a completely different side dish customized for whatever meal you’re making.
Last night we had these rosemary roasted potatoes as a side to souvlaki and tzatziki. I usually make a frittata with any leftover potatoes, if I have them—adding some veggies, cheese and sometimes a little ham to the mix—because potatoes and eggs are so good together. Here’s a basic technique for roasted potatoes with variations, and an easy way to “bake” potatoes on the grill. Also try roasting or grilling potatoes for your next vinaigrette-based potato salad.
What’s your favorite easy spud preparation? Do tell…
The remaining half of my pimento cheese sandwich, moments before it disappeared.
Doing errands earlier today. Stopped by to glance around the newly opened Oakhurst Market in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Decatur, GA. Very attractive place. Nice meats and produce, homemade bread, sweets, ice cream, wine, beer, flavored olive oils which are custom poured by the bottle, other useful pantry items, sandwiches and spreads. Snagged a pimento cheese sandwich out of the cold case on the fly. Homemade pimento cheese, served on homemade white bread, thin slices of cucumber in between the pimento cheese which has the tiniest bit of sherry wine vinegar in it. Inspired, and only $3.00! Sweet. Can’t wait to see how they progress. Will go back.
One beautiful sunny summer day 11 years ago, while sitting in a little bistro in a small village overlooking the Mediterranean in the south of France, I tasted my first glass of a Provençal rosé wine. The moment I breathed in the fragrance of it—the grass, the flowers, the fruit, the slight minerality—I started to understand and really appreciate the difference between red and white wines, and what can happen in between. At that moment, I became a devout fan, and rosé is now my favorite warm weather wine. Continue reading
A big story here in the South this week is the record high summer temperatures—as is the case with many parts of the country—and finding some way, any way, to beat the heat is a high priority.
Last night, all I wanted for dinner was something cool and salad-ish, and I already had some fresh butterbeans that I’d picked up at the market. My good friend Diane is a great cook, and one fine summer day she served me a brilliant and inspired dish called Butterbean Salad at her house, which has been my favorite way to eat butterbeans ever since. This salad made from cooked fresh butterbeans, sweet jarred roasted red peppers, red onion, fresh basil leaves and feta cheese—all tossed with a simple vinaigrette—is just plain wonderful. Cool and summery, it goes with just about anything from burgers to veggies, or even an all-salad meal. Continue reading
Summer Tomato Caprese Pie
Tomatoes. Let me count some of the ways these wonders of summer can be used. There are BLT’s, roasted tomatoes, pastas, Caprese salad, salsas, a slice on your favorite sandwich or burger, and just plain sliced by themselves with a little salt and pepper—the versatility of the tomato is endless. Continue reading
