Summer corn – the golden creation of Mother Nature, designed for pure joy. There’s nothing like picnic-table dinners designed for nibbling ears of corn, biting into grilled hotdogs, or scooping up forkfuls of creamy potato salad. I miss the Butter & Sugar corn I used to find at roadside stands in New England, but sometimes, here…
Beef, Poultry & Pork
Miso-Garlic-Soy Chicken Thighs
There’s a salad recipe on my blog with kale, cabbage, scallions, parsley, cilantro, cashews and sesame seeds, inspired by a dish I had in Napa Valley. But it’s the DRESSING that makes it special, and every time I serve it, it’s a total wipeout. What’s the key ingredient? Miso. . . I may have lost some…
Dear Abby Meatloaf
Today’s post is about one of my all-time favorite comfort foods — meatloaf. I’ve been down with a nasty head cold, so this loaf of meat provided much-needed comfort in my dark hours, and it always reminds me of a warm hug from mom. I’ve made many different versions of meatloaf, but I always…
Spicy Beef with Green Papaya Slaw
If you read my recent Field Trip Friday about Mustang Flea Market, you know that this long-time market in Florida is a treasure trove of produce, mostly Asian. As you know by now, I love to try new foods (well, fish eyes and feet of any kind might be off my list), but pretty much…
New Year’s French Meat Pie
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe 2015 is behind us, but I’m already looking forward to everything 2016 may bring. And to celebrate New Year’s Day I made something special to honor my family’s French-Canadian roots. Tourtière (meat pie) originated in Québec and is a treat typically made for Christmas or New Year’s (sometimes,…
Empanada-Inspired Stuffed Peppers
When I moved to Florida 20 years ago, a friend took me to a Sarasota strip mall where they sold empanadas. I had never had anything like those tasty little meat/dough morsels, but quickly found them to be one of the most delicious things I had ever eaten! I would sneak back to that place…
Roast Pork with Kumquats & Cipollini Onions
Even though temps in Florida are far from Fall-like temps, I still get excited about a new ‘season’ with recipes that highlight warm flavors and traditions. So, get ready for hearty soups, roasts, holiday-inspired desserts and winter vegetables, mixed in with whatever inspires me! First up is a slow-cooked pork roast. Truth be told, there…
Yummy Chimichurri
You’re probably thinking today’s post is all about this beautiful steak. Actually, it’s about the tasty chimichurri sauce I made to top it, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t first share a story about my family’s funniest experience with steak. . . Like many families with small kids in the 1960s-70s, we were on a…
The Famous In-N-Out Burger
“If steak is the tuxedo of meat, and bacon is the candy of meat, then a good cheeseburger is the mother’s hug of meat.” ― Jim Gaffigan, Food: A Love Story My husband and I were craving cheeseburgers recently and decided to make something a little more zippy than a simple grilled burger with lettuce,…
Swedish Meatballs
My husband told me that he knew he was going to marry me the night I made him dinner for the first time (I had made Swedish Meatballs with mashed potatoes and green beans). Now, we’ve all heard that expression “the key to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, but I had no…