about me:
I have been cooking since I was three and putting dinner on the table since I was thirteen. I view food as a universal language. A few years ago I attended culinary school to earn my diploma in French Pastry Arts. I am a Graduate of L Academie de Cuisine. Well prepared food is a true joy of life.
favorite foods:
Seafood, fish, chicken, beef, pork chops, ham and bacon. Pasta is a biggie. Must haves are garden fresh fruits and vegetables. I adore frozen treats, French pastry, cakes, cookies, chocolate and pies. I do not care for hot, very spicy or extreme, unique foods. My palate is simple yet profound.
Grandma Nucci's Meatballs
Comments (5)
The most delicious meatballs you will ever eat. With these babies, good cheese is everything. So toss your green plastic parmesan cylinder and buy some fresh grated romano, parmesean, or fontina! Sarah http://the-delicious-life.blogspot.com/
Arroz con Pollo
Comments (4)
My Step-Mom, Cora, makes the best Arroz con pollo around!. unfortunately she won't give me the recipe! So I made my own, and tried to make it as similar as possible. Arroz con Pollo is a great meal to make when you have a large group to feed as it is really simple to make. Throw in some vegetables or seasonings that you like, or just make it as is. It will surely become one of your favorites too!
Fried Zucchini Flowers
Comments (4)
There have been books written on the zucchini blossom. The forerunner of the ever-burgeoning mottled cylinder, is edible. More than edible, it's delicious in an Earth Mother kind of way. That which some just chuck away as waste, can in fact become a delectable antipasto, or be part of a pasta condiment or even a salad element (I never disdain fresh flowers tossed in with my salad greens). Now that they're blooming on farmer's markets everywhere, gather those blossoms while you can and prepare for a true Roman tastebud epiphany.
Rice Krispy Treats!
Comments (4)
This is such a fun treat for the whole family and so much better than store bought. Enjoy!
Tortellini Salad with Prosciutto and Spinach
Comments (3)
This tortellini salad is great for an outdoor picnic or a light lunch indoors as well. The tangy dressing really gives it some kick, while the prosciutto adds some saltiness. Creamy ricotta tops it off and makes this a delightful salad that is quick and ready to eat in about 30 minutes!
Shrimp Fried Rice
Comments (3)
Fried rice is a staple at any Asian restaurant, and the great thing about it is that you can change it up to suit your tastes. Don't like shrimp? Substitute chicken, or beef, or fish; you can even just go with no meat. Throw in your favorite vegetables and you have a simple meal that is ready in under 30 minutes!
Pad Thai Noodle
Comments (3)
Pad Thai is often called the signature dish of Thai cuisine. There are several regional variations, indeed it has been said that Thailand has not only a different curry for every day of the year, but also a different pad Thai for every cook in Thailand! For a very simple, fast, easy-to-prepare Pad Thai, please click here for an instant version--you can start with that and add more ingredients to change the flavor as well.
Banana Nut Muffins
Comments (3)
Every time I have a few overripe bananas, I whip these up. They are quick and easy to make, and are so moist and delicious that they don't last long. The recipe makes 18 muffins (fill muffin cups around 1/2 - 2/3 full) or four mini loaves. Today, we brought these to school for my son's birthday snack (we left out the nuts) and the kids loved them.
Angel Hair Carbonara with Green Beans
Comments (3)
This recipe literally takes minutes to make. Angel Hair pasta cooks in a mere 4 minutes! Toss it with the rest of the ingredients and you have a meal in no time.
Pots de Creme The Lazy Way
Comments (3)
This is positively YUMM-O. I say yumm-o because Rachael Ray made this on Oprah. I used to watch Oprah religiously (now, she may have jumped the shark… we’ll discuss that another time). Rachael was talking my language: Chocolate. Easy. Decadent. Mom’s Recipe (any TV cook who features a recipe of their mom’s means that dish is really good). She called this Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream, but I was thinking, “looks like Pots de Crème.” Well, it's close enough and totally killer. Go for it!
Wild Mushroom, Spinach and Gruyère Frittata from Foster Harris House in Washington, Virginia, a BnBFinder listed inn
Comments (3)
Fancy looking, yet surprisingly easy to make. Breakfast eggs get a makeover as frittata with wild mushrooms, spinach and Gruyère cheese. Recipe courtesy of Foster Harris House in Washington, VA, a BnBFinder listed inn.
Wasabi Cheesecake
Comments (3)
Wasabi cheesecake is probably the first you've ever heard of! Interestingly, this experiment of mine turned out better than I thought - like another fusion food! I added lemon initially but I felt that the wasabi did not seems to go well with it, so I left the lemon (and also gelatine) out in the recipe here. (I used fresh Shizuoka Wasabi from a Japanese Supermarket but because it is seasonal, you may want to try the recipe with packaged wasabi in bottles instead) Side Note: 'd like you to know that because of the nature of wasabi, I did not make a baked-cheesecake. I personally believe that a baked cheesecake will taste better especially in terms of its texture =)
Crostini
Comments (3)
Thinly sliced bread painted with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, garlic powder and salt. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh.
Stuffed jalapeños with crab meat
Comments (3)
These appetizer are a huge hit. Make sure to use high quality ingredients especially for the blue cheese, crab meat and bacon. Try to get smoked bacon.
Black Truffled Filet Mignon
Comments (3)
Black Truffled Filet Mignon from The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, OH, a BnBFinder.com listed inn.
Banh Mi
Comments (3)
This is a sandwich with a history, but I'm not going to go into that here. This is, I believe, my new favorite use for leftover pork roast, pulled pork and even chicken! It has all of the elements needed for a culinary delight: Crunchy, sweet, sour, salty and just enough fat to make it scrumptious! Best of all it gives you a new use for your left-overs!
Griddle Fried Eggs with Basil & Red Onion
Comments (3)
Prepare your favorite toast and you are in for a treat! Enjoy with Love, Catherine
Ham and Swiss Quiche
Comments (2)
I have loved quiche since I was a child, and now as an adult, I love it even more for it's versatility. You can make so many variations of quiche but this one is my favorite because of the classic flavors. Throw in any other additions that you would like, change up the cheese, or leave it the way it is. No matter what, your stomach will thank you.
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
Comments (2)
Here is a simple side dish to make to go with any meal. These green beans are crisp and full of flavor. Toss in some other vegetables too, if you like. For those of you watching your waistband, this recipe is healthy as well. Fast and healthy, what a combo...try it tonight!
Tiramisu
Comments (2)
This is one of my favorite desserts. Being part italian, I came to enjoy this treat.
Roast Tomato, Onion & Pumpkin Seed Salad
Comments (2)
We’re still experiencing cold Winter temperatures here in Tanzania, so the other day I was inspired to make this delicious warm salad for lunch. It comes from the August copy of the South African “Essentials” magazine, and I discovered it one night last week when I was reading in bed, and decided that I just had to make it soon ! (See my version of the recipe below, as I did not have all the ingredients called for on hand so had to adjust it a little). I made it for lunch for my daughter & I one day last week when my husband was in the big city for the day (if I served my husband a SALAD for lunch, he’d turn his nose up and ask where the meat & bread was, for sure – ha ha !). I added some side items for my daughter but I thoroughly enjoyed this salad on it’s own and found it to be quite filling. I did serve the left over (cold) salad with supper and surprisingly, my husband rather enjoyed it !
Pescado Vera Cruz
Comments (2)
A simple and delicious fish recipe I learned a few years ago. Can be eaten as a soup, or the sauce can be drained and you can enjoy moist fish fish and wonderfully flavored veggies on their own.
Keem's Koho (Salmon) Kookery
Comments (2)
My 11-year seasonal gig as the executive chef of the Driftwood Lodge in SE Alaska taught me a thing or two about cooking wild silver (coho) salmon. A very quick and easy way is to simply roast the fillet - bones in and skin on. Removing the bones from a fresh fillet can be cumbersome and rip the flesh. Eaters should be careful anyway because you might have overlooked any small bones. So, why not leave them all in for much easier removal at the dinner table. Fish cooking is easy because you can check on the degree of doneness without releasing any juices (as it is the case with a beef roast). Open the fillet with a fork or spatula and look for the very center to be still somewhat glistening and deeper in color than the surrounding flesh. That's when you remove the fish from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 8 to 10 minutes before serving. The carry-over heat will finish the fillet to perfection. Never overcook fish, it will be dry and tasteless. Undercook it a bit and let the resting period do the finishing.
Chocolate Almond Espresso Cake
Comments (2)
This is a easy, rich, and lucious desert. I hope you enjoy!
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ShoutBox all shouts
It was only about 90 here today with thunderstorms, rain, and hail.
Positively chilly! LOL
Yay. Cooler weather. turning on the oven tomorrow!
Haha yup! Thats right, I'm learning a lot. I work there twice a week and bar boulud once a week. It makes time fly and its super fun too. (My mum left more than a month ago. So I'm pretty bored here!)
HAHA ok I'll take a picture of it this weekend when I have my uniform CLEANED and my camera at home! We're starting chocolate unit tomorrow. I cant wait!! -
