~ almond poppyseed shortbread ~ We had a kettle; we let it leak: Our not repairing made it worse. We haven’t had any tea for a week… The bottom is out of the Universe. ~Rudyard Kipling I can’t think of a better cookie to enjoy with tea. Buttery with the slight hint of almond…perfect! 1…
~ butternut squash gnudi with browned sage butter ~ Since I made the gnocchi a couple weeks ago, I’ve been on a gnocchi/gnudi/dumpling kick. I love the versatility of these yummy little delicacies, and am having fun experimenting with different flavors and sauces. A beautiful, unique accompaniment to meat dishes, this particular gnudi recipe went…
~ Melissa Placzek’s Cornbread Stuffing ~ Now I realize stuffing is a touchy subject. Kind of like potato salad. Everyone believes their stuffing is the best. I grew up on the traditional (sort of greyish) white bread stuffing mixed with butter, turkey giblets, stock, onion, celery and loads of sage. Because there are so many…
~ cosmopolitan cranberries ~ An easy, delicious way to add pizzazz to canned cranberry sauce. The addition of orange and Grand Marnier! 2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce zest and juice of one orange 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier Liqueur Combine the cranberry sauce, orange zest, orange juice and 1 Tablespoon of the Grand Marnier in…
~snickerdoodles~ A couple days after my post about the sauteed garlic green beans I woke up and felt a familiar chill in the air. The sort of chill that says Autumn is just around the corner. I had a yen to bake something, and Gracie suggested we make cookies. These are the cinnamony, sugary, chewy…
~stuffed pasta shells~ There are few recipes in my repertoire that are requested more often than my recipe for stuffed shells. I’ve made this dish a LOT and over the years I’d have to say it’s become darn near perfect. My grandma Darling’s birthday is coming up here in a few weeks and I’m sure…
photographs by Melissa Placzek ~mussels in white wine~ We made these yesterday afternoon and sipped vino while we did a photo shoot out on the deck. It was sunny and warm while we took pictures, and we were finally able to enjoy the fresh air without wearing jackets. I’m having so much fun learning about…
photograph by Melissa Placzek What is antipasto?… “means “before the meal” and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Some have compared antipasto to hors d’oeuvres, but there are several distinctions. Hors d’oeuvres are served while guests are still standing, and tend to be served off trays in the most formal settings,…
One of my favorite ways to sweeten cups of tea and coffee is to serve them with lollipops as “stirrers.” See’s Candy makes awesome “gourmet” lollipops that are perfect for this purpose, but any unfilled lollipop will work. I like to pair the flavors of lollipop to the tea I’m serving… orange and lemon are…
I’ve decided to concentrate more on cooking and sharing healthy recipes with you this year and every once in awhile featuring a decadent recipe. We still plan on making lots of “Julia” creations, but will be balancing the buttery recipes with sprouty ones 😉 Jeff and I made this roast goose on New Year’s Eve…